Japan sets out auto efficiency standards
Thứ hai, 29/08/2011 - 23:00
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released a draft proposal outlining plans to require automakers to improve the average efficiency of their fleets to 20.3km/litre in 2020, a gain of 24.1 per cent compared to the 16.3km/litre recorded in 2009.
Demanding new target to boost fuel efficiency by almost a quarter could come into effect early next year
Japan looks set to become the latest country to adopt demanding fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles, after the government today unveiled proposals that could improve the efficiency of cars by nearly a quarter by 2020.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released a draft proposal outlining plans to require automakers to improve the average efficiency of their fleets to 20.3km/litre in 2020, a gain of 24.1 per cent compared to the 16.3km/litre recorded in 2009.
The proposals mirror the recently adopted US Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules and would require manufacturers to ensure their fleet average meets the targets, meaning that they can continue to make less efficient cars, but only if they invest in significantly improving the efficiency of other models.
A ministry official told news agency Reuters that if approved the proposals could come into effect as early as next Spring. He added that electric cars and plug in hybrids would be excluded from the targets, meaning that manufacturers will have to deliver efficiency gains in conventional vehicles.
The move would make Japan the latest in a string of countries to adopt stringent fuel efficiency standards. China and the EU have had standards in place for some time and the US last month joined them with the launch of new rules that will require manufacturers to deliver average fleet efficiency of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
President Obama said that the new rules represent "the single most important step we've ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil".
Japan looks set to become the latest country to adopt demanding fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles, after the government today unveiled proposals that could improve the efficiency of cars by nearly a quarter by 2020.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released a draft proposal outlining plans to require automakers to improve the average efficiency of their fleets to 20.3km/litre in 2020, a gain of 24.1 per cent compared to the 16.3km/litre recorded in 2009.
The proposals mirror the recently adopted US Corporate Average Fuel Economy rules and would require manufacturers to ensure their fleet average meets the targets, meaning that they can continue to make less efficient cars, but only if they invest in significantly improving the efficiency of other models.
A ministry official told news agency Reuters that if approved the proposals could come into effect as early as next Spring. He added that electric cars and plug in hybrids would be excluded from the targets, meaning that manufacturers will have to deliver efficiency gains in conventional vehicles.
The move would make Japan the latest in a string of countries to adopt stringent fuel efficiency standards. China and the EU have had standards in place for some time and the US last month joined them with the launch of new rules that will require manufacturers to deliver average fleet efficiency of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
President Obama said that the new rules represent "the single most important step we've ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil".
Source: businessgreen.com