Porsche Becoming Volatile Over CO2 Limits
March 03, 2008

By Bill Visnic

The globe allegedly is warming up, and so are tempers in Europe as the Continent’s ongoing dialog regarding carbon-dioxide emissions is beginning to draw some acrimonious battle lines.

If the questions hit the sore spot, the issue could provide fireworks at the Geneva auto show, where CO2 is expected to be a prime topic at nearly every automaker’s display.

Germany’s luxury-car makers, to name one constituency, don’t have a prayer of achieving the average 130 grams per kilometer CO2 limit for 2012 that’s under close consideration by the European Union. And those automakers — not to mention some personal-rights advocates — are becoming increasingly riled over what they believe to be progressively more-intrusive initiatives in the EU’s war against CO2.

The latest dust-up comes from fast-car specialist Porsche AG, which earlier this month threatened legal action against the city of London’s scheme to drastically ratchet up its controversial “congestion charges” for vehicles operating in central areas of the city.

London mayor Ken Livingstone — who is fast acquiring a reputation as something of a fanatic on sustainability matters — announced in mid-February a proposal (likely to be enacted) to triple London’s already largely despised congestion charge from £8 (currently about $16) to a stupendous £25, or nearly $50…per day.

Porsche reportedly intends to apply for a “judicial review” of Livingstone’s proposal to triple the London congestion charge for vehicles emitting in excess of 225 g/km of CO2, calling it a hidden tax on certain vehicles. Figures released last year by the EU said the average CO2 output for all automakers in Europe was 161 g/km; Porsche’s average is 297 g/km.

A second controversial point of the new London congestion-charge plan would spare from any congestion charge vehicles emitting less than 120 g/km of CO2, causing critics to say the scheme proves the charges no longer are about reducing congestion. The scheme could in fact worsen the city’s congestion if all motorists elected — and had the financial means — to purchase low-emitting vehicles.

Photo: London Mayor Ken Livingstone

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