Aston Martin CEO attacks new European CO2 laws

Aston Martin chief Dr Ulrich Bez has criticized proposed carbon-dioxide emissions regulations in Europe as being unfair to certain carmakers, saying the rules should be based on the amount of CO2 emitted each year by a vehicle instead of each kilometer. European law makers hope to introduce a new rule by 2012 that would mandate carmaker fleets average just 120-130g of CO2/km.

Speaking with the Financial Times, Bez described the new rule as being more ‘business’ and ‘politically’ motivated. Bez explained during the interview that on average Aston Martin vehicles are driven about 6,000 miles a year, while most other cars are driven 10,000 to 15,000 miles a year, meaning Aston Martin’s contribution to greenhouses gasses would be much lower per vehicle than most of the competition.

Along with Aston Martin, a number of European carmakers including Bentley and Lotus have asked to be exempt from the new rules as the EU is considering exempting carmakers producing fewer than 10,000 cars per year from its emissions-cutting legislation.

Some niche carmakers like Ferrari and Bentley will be able to pool their carbon-emissions along with vehicles from their parent companies, effectively avoiding the problem. Aston Martin, however, has no such opportunity. According to Bez, Aston Martin is in talks with other carmakers, including Ford, Mercedes, BMW, and supplier groups, about any possible co-operation on new emissions-cutting technology.