Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) Italian IVECO automotive company criticized EU rules for vehicle emissions aimed at limiting the release of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides from 2025.
IVECO CEO Gerrit Marx warned that European Commission’s draft rules set “technically unfeasible” limits on emissions of particulates and nitrogen oxides, according to a Reuters report on Tuesday.
“The effort to get it is huge… and there is no real payback,” he stressed and added, “on our commercial vehicle side, what is not correct is to give us such a tight Euro 7 and at the same time very tight CO2 [regulation].”
This year, the EU Council and Parliament are to discuss EC’s proposal for vans and cars that is to come into effect in July 2025, and new rules for trucks and buses that are to enter force in 2027. Separately, the EC is pushing for more ambitious environmental targets for heavy goods vehicles according to which trucks would have to cut emissions 90% by 2040.
‘Complete nonsense’
Marx described EC’s proposal as “complete nonsense” and criticized the “dysfunctional political system” of the EU more broadly, pointing out that commissioners push for rules that often conflict.
According to Marx, hostility towards the automotive sector became acceptable in Brussels following the diesel emissions scandal.
He added that the company was assessing green options and warned that electrification is not a viable option for long-haul buses or heavy-duty trucks. According to him, it is reasonable to phase out internal combustion engines, “but the way it is not forced on the industry is not correct.”
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares also criticised the Commission’s Euro 7 proposal, describing it as “useless,” while the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) warned EC’s plan would increase prices of new cars and fail to bring intended environmental benefits.
Marx announced plans to reshape IVECO, noting that “over the course of 2023 and 2024, here and there we might engage in buying a company and we might consider selling one or another piece” of the group.
“We are going to shape our group… we will focus on some parts of our business more and we will de-focus on some others,” Marx added and concluded that the company will base its decisions on funding capacity, growth potential and return on investment.
