Auto makers, government locked in emmissions battle

Manufacturing News, Source : The Manufacturer US
Published : 04 Sep 2002 11:47

A California law signed by Governor Gray Davis in July restricts emissions of so-called greenhouse gases from the tailpipes of cars and trucks.

Other production rules are being examined and are scheduled to be finalized over the next three years, including lower-friction tire treads and less-polluting coolants in air conditioners.

Although some states, such as New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Oregon, have passed laws to curb carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, this is the first bill to address the automobile’s role in global warming.

The car industry is extremely concerned about the bill because standards adopted in California have a tendency to gain acceptance across the US. The state represents 10% of the US auto market and has a reputation for setting national trends in environmental regulation. This law is also is the first one to include SUVs in a category with smaller vehicles, rather than defining them as light trucks.

Under the measure, the state Air Resources Board will be required to adopt regulations that would achieve the maximum feasible reductions in greehouse-gas emmisions from cars, light trucks, and other noncommercial vehicles by January 2005.

Carmakers could reduce emissions by insulating fuel lines and tanks, installing lower-resistance tires, tightening seals on air-conditioning systems and crankcases, and making cars more streamlined. Because the legislation doesn’t specify how the greenhouse-gas goals should be met, critics of the bill fear the air board will push for lighter cars that get better mileage.

Opinion polls show 75% of Californians are in favor of the legislation, especially in LA, where the smog level has been significantly reduced in recent years by legislation regulating exhaust emmissions. The auto industry, however, says the legislation is likely to mean a change in the availablity of certain models in California.

“Under this new law, the result may well be that not all vehicles are available in California,” said Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the Auto Alliance, a trade association that represents auto makers on environmental and safety issues. “There is no device that we can strap onto a tailpipe, like a catalytic converter, to reduce CO2 emmisions. CO2 is a result of combustion in the engine; it’s synonymous with fuel use.”

The group, whose research shows fuel economy is considerably less important than cargo or passenger room to a majority of customers, says automakers believe the solution to the emissions issue lies in new technology such as hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cells, but these take time to develop. “We’ve urged Congress to pass consumer tax incentives to give tax incentives to people who buy these new types of vehicles so we can speed up their introduction,” said Bergquist.

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