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Spain to help you getting rid of that old clunker

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/28/spain-to-help-you-getting-rid-of-that-old-clunker/ Filed under: Legislation and Policy, European UnionIs your car more than 15 years old? If so, and you're in Spain, you might be in luck. The Spanish Government thinks that such a vehicle is a very polluting machine and is eager to help you purchasing a cleaner car. The plan is called VIVE (Vehículo Innovador - Vehículo Ecológico or Innvative Vehicle - Ecological Vehicle). To be eligible, your new car shouldn't cost more than €20,000 and should not emit more than 120 g/km of CO2, or 140 g/km if it includes special security features. The government's financial aid is a zero percent interest loan for the first €5,000 of the final price of the car. However, the plan is limited to 120,000 cars in two years, and should never exceed €1,200 million in total. Through this plan, the Government expects to reduce Spain's carbon emissions by 200,000 metric tons and reduce the accident rates (some of the highest in Europe).[Source: El País] Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spanish forest rangers won't get lost on their GPS-equipped donkeys

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/28/spanish-forest-rangers-wont-get-lost-on-their-gps-equipped-donk/ Filed under: Etc., Green Culture, Green Daily, European UnionThis is fun. The council of the town of Pozuelo de Alarcón, near Madrid, Spain, has decided to invest in the greenest technology available for the municipality's forest rangers: animal traction. The reason for the move to four-leg drive is that no single vehicle is carbon neutral, and the idea of carbon offsetting didn't appeal either. Since the area that the rangers need to cover is not that huge, it was decided that animals could do the job. Donkeys were chosen because they're strong, hard-working animals which belong to a somewhat endangered species. The rides will include modern gadgetry such as GPS to track any possible problems and draw a 3D model of the town's forest. Mmm, can you see yourself commuting on a donkey? My grandfather did. I'm not sure he had GPS, though.[Source: Ayuntamiento de Pozuelo via Portalforestal] Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gazprom wants to create a network of natural gas fueling stations

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/29/gazprom-wants-to-create-a-network-of-natural-gas-fueling-station/ Filed under: Natural Gas, European UnionRussia's giant natural gas company, Gazprom, has proposed developing a network of compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations for automobiles across Europe. Currently, most Central European countries get natural gas from Russia via continental pipelines. What Gazprom says now is that they and their partners could expand the use of that existing network, or even make it bigger, in order to feed CNG stations for CNG cars. Gazprom's CEO Alexei Miller said that "there is no real alternative for the use of hydrocarbons at present or in the next decades," and stated that biofuels weren't a good solution because they increase food prices. Miller also said that natural gas costs half the price of oil and that Gazprom had plenty of it. Check the full press release after the jump. Thanks to John for the tip.[Source: Gazprom]Continue reading Gazprom wants to create a network of natural gas fueling stations Permalink | Email this | Comments

A summary of CO2-based tax schemes in Europe

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/29/a-summary-of-co-sub-2-sub-based-tax-schemes-in-europe/ Filed under: Legislation and Policy, European UnionYou will probably know already that some European countries tax cars based on CO2 emissions and we have discussed a few examples. While this can be a bit difficult to understand, thanks to our reader Karl-Uwe, we found a complete list of what these taxes are and how they work.However, first of all, we have to learn which taxes and/or duties are applied to cars: Registration fees: They are paid at time of purchase. These are often called "Registration" or "Immatriculation" Tax (as Value Added Tax is Sales Tax) . Road tax: It's also called VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) in the UK. They're the cost for the right to use cars on public roads. Also called "circulation." Other indirect tax breaks are in income tax revenue calculations, tax incentives and cashback offers from each government. They're often called "bonus/malus" systems. Of course, there are other sources of income regarding cars, such as tolls, congestion charges, parking fees, and all taxes on fuels, which we aren't considering at this time. Follow us after the jump and you will see what all these taxes look like in fourteen European countries.[Source: ACEA]Continue reading A summary of CO2-based tax schemes in Europe Permalink | Email this | Comments

EurObserv'ER publishes report on 2007 European biofuel use

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/29/eurobserver-publishes-report-on-2007-european-biofuel-use/ Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, European UnionIn 2007, the EU used 7.7m tons of oil equivalent (TOE), which accounted for 2.6 percent of all fuels used for road transport that year. This is half of the 2010 target of 5.75 percent usage of biofuels, which means that Europeans will need more imports and to increase production if this target isn't changed. Europe's leader in biofuel use is Germany, burning more than 4 million TOEs, followed by France (1.4 million), Austria (0.4 million) and Spain (0.35 million). EurObserv'ER published a report on EU biofuel use under sponsorship of the European Commission as well as the European Agency for Environment and Energy Control. Get it here.[Source: Eurobserver] Permalink | Email this | Comments

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne still hating on EU CO2 regulations

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/30/fiat-ceo-sergio-marchionne-still-hating-on-eu-co-sub-2-sub-reg/ Filed under: Legislation and Policy, Fiat, European UnionThe negotiations regarding proposed European Union CO2 emissions regulations are ongoing, it seems. Even after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy agreed to push the starting date from the year 2012 to the year 2015, Fiat's CEO, Sergio Marchionne is still unhappy. The latest issue that Fiat has with the proposals is related to the sliding-scale that automakers would be subjected to. Companies which make larger vehicles would not be required to meet the same regulations as those which produce smaller, more efficient vehicles. Marchionne says that Fiat will hit the proposed 130 gram per kilometer mark that has been thrown about, but would be unable to chop another eight grams from its cars, as the latest proposals would require. If those standards went into effect, Fiat would be charged penalties despite offering the lowest carbon emissions of all automakers in the European Union, which does seem a bit backwards. Still, the company is already hitting that standard, so some reduction may not be too much to ask. As always, we expect these protracted negotiations to continue on well into the future.[Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

French small car sales improve in wake of new CO2 taxes

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/02/french-small-car-sales-improve-in-wake-of-new-co-sub-2-sub-tax/ Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy, Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, European UnionWhile sales in other countries have mostly fallen in recent months, French car dealers are happy right now. With an overall first half of the year increase of 4.5 percent, small and mini cars have led the way with a 15 percent jump in France. Small cars now comprise nearly half of all new car sales and French brands Renault and Peugeot/Citroen have grabbed 60 percent of that segment. The new French tax schemes add extra fees to vehicles that emit more CO2 while buyers of cleaner cars actually get money back. Buyers of cars that emit less than 130g/km of CO2 are eligible for rebates ranging from 200 Euros to 5,000 Euros for low or zero emissions vehicles. Cars that emit from 160g/km to 250g/km of CO2 face taxes of 200-2,600 Euros.[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Piaggio builds the Pope a rickshaw

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/04/piaggio-builds-the-pope-a-rickshaw/ Filed under: Etc., On Two Wheels, Green Daily, European Union, IndiaPhoto: Times of IndiaOver the years, the Pope has been driven around in quite a few different vehicles, which most people refer to as the 'Popemobile.' The last time the Pope visited the United States, for instance, his ride was a modified Mercedes-Benz M Class SUV which had been specially modified to accommodate his needs. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has a long history of creating vehicles specially for the Pope, and now Piaggio has joined in as well. Piaggio's contribution, though, features just three wheels and is made from the rickshaw platform which is popular in India, where the vehicle was created. According to Ravi Chopra from Piaggio's Indian subsidiary, "These vehicles were given a complete look and feel of a Popemobile by putting a white coloured hood, white tyres, seat upholstery, and white body paint. The insignia on the doors is specially handcrafted. The entire vehicle was given a complete unique decor to suit the aura of His Holiness." Piaggio hopes that Pope Benedict XVI can find a use for the vehicle at the Vatican, perhaps when touring the gardens.[Source: Times of India] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Renault will bring start-stop to all European models by 2010

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/07/renauls-will-bring-start-stop-to-all-european-models-by-2010/ Filed under: Hybrid, Renault, Green Daily, European UnionConsidering all of the work that Renault is doing with fuel cells and pure electric vehicles, it can be slightly deflating to remember that there are still a lot of gas-using vehicles to be sold before those alternatives are available. The good news, out today from Automotive News Europe (subs req'd), is that the company is now saying they will bring the micro hybrid system called start-stop to every model sold in Europe by 2010. Start-stop technology shuts down the motor down when the vehicle is not moving, and then instantly turns it back on when needed. The company is currently working on prototypes and believes CO2 emissions could be recuded by 15 percent to 20 percent in city driving and wants to provide the technology at a much cheaper price point than is currently availalbe.[Source: Automotive News Europe (subs req'd)] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

DOE and Sweden partner up on plug-in vehicles

- posted: 20.07.08
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/09/doe-and-sweden-partner-up-on-plug-in-vehicles/ Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, European Union, USAIf all you know about Sweden is ABBA and those little red gummi fish, read no further. We wouldn't want to confuse you with news that the U.S. Department of Energy and the Swedish Energy Agency are partnering to work on plug-in hybrids. The two agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding two days ago that will allow staff from the Argonne National Laboratory to "work with Test Site Sweden to investigate PHEV instrumentation and smart charging systems, and how they interact with the electrical grid; track and evaluate consumer behavior while testing the vehicles in the field; quantify national, utility, and customer benefits; and plan and develop convenient public charging stations." This is a one year program that will cost $1m, to be split evenly between the DOE and the SEA.Last year, the DOE began working with Sweden on biomass production and other green vehicle technologies. There is a list of other DOE partnerships with European countries here and you can download a PDF of the agreement with Sweden.[Source: DOE] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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