spot_img
28.3 C
Philippines
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Auto firms buck early Euro 4 implementation

- Advertisement -

Automotive companies are opposing the early implementation of the Euro 4 standards on engine and fuel in July 2015, instead of the original January 2016 schedule announced by the Environment Department.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. supported the industry’s position, citing the need to prepare allied sectors for the eventual transition to Euro 4 standards.

Euro 4 is part of the emission standards set by the European countries, which call for the reduction of the sulfur content of fuels.

Mitsubishi vice president for marketing Froilan Dytianquin said car makers preferred the original schedule in a briefing Thursday night at the launch of the New Mitsubishi Strada truck at the City of Dreams in Pasay City,

“The automotive sector’s position is the keep the January timetable. We need the [Euro 4] fuel to run Euro 4 engines but some of the major [oil] players are yet to bring in the fuel. If they [government] want to accelerate the timing, this is one of the areas they need to accelerate,” he said.

- Advertisement -

The Environment Department has not finalized the implementing rules and guidelines of the Euro 4 standards.

The Energy Department, meanwhile, backed the position of oil companies to keep to the original schedule.

Mitsubishi said it could not decide if it would produce or import Euro 4 cars into the Philippines due to the uncertainty of government support to the automotive industry.

“It’s not only hindering [our plans]. It becomes more complicating because we can’t decide due to many implications on the preparations. It takes time to prepare importing the cars,” said Dytianquin.

He said Euro 4 fuel would be more expensive than Euro 2 fuel due to its efficiency and environmental sustainability features.

The vehicle and fuel will cost about 20 percent more expensive with the migration from Euro 2 engines and fuel to Euro 4.

All automotive companies in the Euro 2 standards have only two years left to redesign their engines to make them compliant to the Euro 4 standards.

The Philippines is moving from the current Euro 2 standards to Euro 4. The current Euro 2 compliant fuels have acceptable limit of 500 parts per million for particulate matter. The limit under Euro IV will be reduced to 50 parts per million.

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles