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TOUGHER LEGISLATION ON emission levels from new cars could save drivers more than €800 a year, according to An Taisce.
The heritage group is calling on environment minister Phil Hogan to steer through laws to dramatically lower the threshold for the efficiency of new cars, when Ireland assumes the presidency of the EU next year.
Reducing the emissions standard from its current level of 140g/km of carbon dioxide to 60g/km by 2025 would save the average motorist €842 annually, An Taisce said.
Currently, the EU target is to set a new standard of 95g/km by 2020. This has been backed by major car manufacturers including Volvo, whose CEO told Reuters it was the “right level”. However, it is opposed by Volkswagen.
Calling for a new standard to be in place by 2025, An Taisce said in a statement that drivers in Ireland are currently paying an average of €1,820 a year in motor fuel bills.
If Minister Hogan steers through EU-wide car efficiency legislation for 2020 as it is currently drafted, annual fuel bills can be cut by €455 a year. And if Minister Hogan gets behind an ambitious standard for 2025, motorists will save a massive €842 by that year.
Alan Nolan, the director general of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, said that the group was “very supportive of trying to drive that improvement” in emissions. He said however that the details of any new legislation would be important.
Do we see cars getting cleaner? Absolutely. Do we see people making savings? Of course. Should that be implemented as targets? Yes, of course – if the timescale and the targets are reasonable.
The emissions standards refer to the average emissions across the whole of a manufacturer’s fleet.
Any savings made would only be grabbed by this Govt in additional taxes !!!!
totally agree, if the goverment want to save the motorist money, cut the cost of fuel…simple.
Great plan guys now the rich can save money by buying new cars, while the rest of us working class struggle to pay rising fuel tax and road tax.
Are you suggesting this plan shouldn’t happen then? Even though gradually in the years following the introduction of these standards, all cars would achieve them? The rich might be the first to benefit, but everyone would benefit eventually, as the cars begin to be traded second hand etc.
all cars should be taxed under the emmissions scheme. its not fair for those who cannot afford a 08 or newer to be fleesed with high tax.
To save €840 you’ll need to buy a new car first (€20k +) you can buy very decent second hand cars for €6k. It would be years before you saved €14k on reduced tax and fuel bills.
Someone has his or her head screwed on…. I don’t see many people making that calculation.
(Board Gais salesperson was neither impresses when I did the calculation on the high efficiency boiler)
Big time. I drive an 07 petrol. At the time I bought it (second hand), an 08 diesel version of the same car was 7k more expensive. 7K will buy me a lot of petrol and tax, and any loss in resale value is covered by the fact that it’s depreciating from a much lower initial cost.
Spending thousands to save hundreds. Then people complain when their tax goes up 100 quid? What about the thousands extra you spent on buying a 08+ diesel car? Mad, Ted.
But the Irish Government are slowly raising the Moter Tax back up on car which have less emission because revenue has dropped by people buying 2008 low emission cars.
And with them having to raise more money after the Treaty savings will be short lived.
I’m glad now that I could not afford that 08 I wanted to buy. Knew the lower road tax would never last. Feel sorry for those who shelled out. It’s a disgrace and nothing less
They don’t pay road tax in France at all the price of fuel is the same over there plus they have more roads. I do hope there is tax harmonization in Europe because speaking as someone who recently move back to Eire I can tell you we would benefit a lot. I paid more income tax last month than the full year of 2011 in France. But I love being back
Not everyone can afford a new car, I have a 12 yr old car that’s as about what I can afford, I really wish they’d stop screwing me as it is
I love my ’98 Corolla.
save on petrol money my ass, if you dont buy a new car then tax will be highter every year,,, they are still edging for the poor man with the older car,,, meeeeeeeeeeeee,,, grrrrr, i have a 2001, so in ten years i may be able to afford one of the new old ones, glad to see they are cutting down tds phew, now their wages next, pensions, and travel allowance, or give everyone a travel allowance,,,, we all have to get to work, to pay taxes to pay their wages, pensions and tax allowance, and with the way jobs are going in kerry, they should be giving us all the perks as every week at least 100 jobs going,,, they should be ashamed to say they care for the people, yea the wealthy people who put their money back in the country,,, they keep saying,, i dont see any of it, and nor do 99 per cent of the people
This government department is the ultimate joke. A bunch of overpaid cosseted tree huggers who put their foot in any development door. Just because we are heading the EU for a year, they have to propose something better than any other country. Try putting it into practice lads! This week saw four hydro electric business out of business in favour of putting water into the royal canal; €40m of tax payers money down the drain. We have one of the worst emissions per person in the world, due to the lack of natural gas use, our love of peat and oil. None of this matters though as we will be back in horse and carts soon at zero co2, well apart from ye old horse, now there’s a job for you calculating horse farts, that’s right up your tree!!
An Taisce is not a government department; it is a largely voluntary body with a very small (c.€6000) annual government grant.
I’d suggest cash incentives for people who don’t:
Tailgate
Fail to signal properly
Use their phones while pootling along at 60 on the motorway
It’d make the roads a bit safer too.
VW don’t agree, won’t happen, would cost the German economy money.
Inaccurate info. Low emissions does not equal less fuel. Normally to clean exhaust emissions requires using more energy. The new euro 6 emissions for heavy vehicles comes at a higher fuel consumption.
More efficient cars, Less fuel sold, loss in government revenue=fuel price hike! I’m sure it will pass with Hogan
The methodology (same for all countries) is here:
and here –
This is all great if you can afford to buy a newer fuel efficient car, sher if you had the money to spend on a new car you wouldn’t be worried about trying to save a few hindered euro a year on petrol/diesel
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