This year, Škoda will probably not meet the emission limits set by the European Union for cars sold. However, the amount of the fine is not yet known, it will be calculated only after the New Year.
This year, Škoda Auto will not meet the emission limits required by the European Union for car manufacturers. The reason is, among other things, the coronavirus pandemic, due to which the launch of ecological electric cars was delayed, said Tomáš Kotera, the company’s head of communications. The information was brought by the portal Message list.
“We estimate that we will not meet the CO2 targets set this year. Due to the unexpected impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the launch of our electric cars on individual markets has been delayed,” Kotera said. According to him, the European Council decided for the next few years on even stricter climate goals. “Škoda Auto is convinced that further tightening of climate goals is ambitious, but achievable,” said Kotera.
It is not yet clear how high the fine that Škoda Auto will have to pay for exceeding the limits will be. “We will know this only after the New Year, when sales statistics will close,” Tomáš Kotera told Aktuálně.cz.
In November, the head of the carmaker Thomas Schäfer told Czech Television that despite the delay in the production of electric cars, the carmaker will be able to comply with CO2 limits. According to EU regulations, cars must emit an average of a maximum of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Automakers face heavy fines for failing to meet the limit.
Škoda Auto offers its customers, for example, Enyaq electric SUVs, or Superb and Octavia models with plug-in hybrid drive. According to Kotera, for example, the transition to more environmentally friendly power units requires a massive expansion of the charging infrastructure, an increase in the share of the use of renewable sources for energy production and an increase in the price of emission allowances to approximately EUR 100 (CZK 2,600).
“We will continue to optimize the efficiency of the internal combustion engine fleet and develop lower-emission electric cars. We will do everything in our power to meet the ambitious CO2 targets set for 2021,” Kotera said.
By the end of November, passenger car production in the Czech Republic had fallen by 21.2 percent year on year to 1.054 million cars. Škoda Auto produced 690,380 cars in its plants, which represents a decrease of 18.4 percent, according to current data from the Association of the Automotive Industry.
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