The sustainability goals pursued in the USA could soon cost car companies billions. Of the foreign manufacturers, Volkswagen is likely to be the most affected.
It’s about the US government’s proposal to tighten fuel consumption standards by 2032. The level of penalties for noncompliance with proposed average fuel economy (CAFE) standards is “alarming,” the American Automobile Policy Council said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy. The AAPC represents General Motors (GM), Chrysler parent Stellantis and Ford Motor. General Motors would therefore have to expect payments of 6.5 billion dollars (a good 6 billion euros), and Stellantis would have to expect around three billion. According to the letter, Ford faces fines of around a billion dollars, while Volkswagen would have to pay the most of all foreign car manufacturers at over a billion dollars. GM and Stellantis declined to comment beyond the letter. Ford and VW did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. According to GM, it would not be enough for automakers to reach a 67 percent electric vehicle share by 2032 to comply with the CAFE program. The three Detroit automakers would face costs of $2,151 per vehicle, compared to an average of $546 per vehicle sold by other automakers, the letter said. The policy therefore rewards “the automakers most who resist the transition to an all-electric future.” Automakers buy credits or pay penalties if they do not meet CAFE requirements. In June, Reuters reported that Stellantis and GM paid a total of $363 million in CAFE penalties for failing to comply with U.S. fuel economy standards for previous model years. The Volkswagen Group alone has now paid over $30 billion in damages, penalties, etc. in recent years .paid – because of the self-inflicted diesel scandal. The Wolfsburg-based company is currently struggling with declining demand for electric cars, the loss of market share in China and, most recently, a group-wide system failure.
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