1st steps for Commission to take over control of National Type Approval?
- Thread starter shemozzle999
- Start date
Make that two, the French constructors got caught too but as they aren't sold much in the US there was a lot less noise. As for the Italian certification body... IIRC they have been condemned by the courts in the EU but was it for cars?
No, it was for FIAT's tax avoidance through FIAT Finance via Luxembourg, jointly condemned with Starbucks at the time.
No-one wants to check out FIAT quality control, finding a fault is one thing, opening a whole can of worms another thing entirely.
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The whole emissions thing is a fiasco as the manufacturers effectively "police" themselves. If the countries where VW, for example, are exported to, had their own independent checking system, that the manufacturer had to pay for per unit checked at random, possibly the current situation wouldn't have occurred. The majority of manufacturers have got away for years with dubious advertised fuel consumption figures, and mythical power outputs, so emissions are no different. Coupled with the fact that you have more consumer protection buying a pair of trousers, the car industry is corrupt, and effectively "protected" by lack of anyone being too interested, after all look at the revenue it creates.
Exactly, the way forward (in my opinion) to reduce emissions is provide better, more efficient public transport, but the revenue and jobs lost as a result of drastically reducing car ownership would be colossal, and any smart government is fully aware of this. If the automobile industry as a whole were to say "we can't do this" with regards to emission regulations, what would happen ? A lot of it is oneupmanship marketing in collusion with government, so and so claiming a first in new emissions technology in order to gain more sales. Looking at the bigger picture, what is more harmful to the environment; running the same vehicle for twenty years, or changing it every three years on some finance scheme for a new improved model. I know which would be the most harmful to the exchequer.
But we shouldn't just blame the motor industry and governments, the most guilty of all are us.
While you are obviously right about having better public transport instead, I'm pleased that I've lived through an era when I could own one and sometimes two cars, a pickup, a motorbike, and enjoy the sheer convenience and pleasure that freedom to use those whenever I liked rewarded me with.
And there's over 40 millions more in the UK and billions in the world who think the same way. We drove the demand and thus the industry and government policies.
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This is true. I have travelled far and wide with my bike, and the best I've witnessed/experianced was Germany (maybe I was lucky) Members of my family lived there and brought up family, and their car almost became an ornament apart from being used for trips back to the UK. When they returned "home" they were forced to give up the bikes and trailers purely on safety grounds. The local cycle network to me is dangerous. There is a one mile strip of road that if a cycleway, which there is room for, was made, would provide a safe route for a huge surrounding area, and would also greatly improve the route for anyone doing end to end. I and many others have suggested/pleaded for this to be considered, but no one is interested.