EU Institution Tests New Climate Friendly Cars

CAR TECH

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso drives a gas-guzzling four-wheel drive because: "I don't mix my private life and public policy."

by Staff Writers
Brussels (AFP) Jun 05, 2007
The European Commission has taken the EU's new push on climate change to heart and is testing an experimental model BMW car that runs on hydrogen, a spokesman said Tuesday. The spokesman said the EU's executive body is trying out the vehicles, provided free of charge by the Bavarian auto manufacturer, for "a few months, six months maximum" to "see if it works".

He underlined that the Commission had made no commitment to buy any of the new Series 7 BMWs, around 100 of which have been built. Only one hydrogen fuelling station has been built in Brussels.

The spokesman, Max Strotmann, also said that the Commission had previously tested a climate-friendly Saab, which runs on biofuels.

EU leaders pledged in March to cut carbon dioxide emissions -- a main cause of global warming -- by 20 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

The European Parliament said last month that it was looking at ways to cut its own emissions to help contribute, including a possible move to cleaner fleet vehicles.

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas's work car is a hybrid model Toyota Prius, which has been widely sold around the world, while Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas is "bike crazy" and does not have a car.

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso drives a gas-guzzling four-wheel drive because: "I don't mix my private life and public policy."

Source: Agence France-Presse

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CAR TECH

GM To Speed Up Development Of Electric Vehicles

Washington (AFP) Jun 05, 2007
General Motors said Tuesday it will speed up development of electrically driven vehicles as part of a program to reduce gasoline usage. Rick Wagoner, chairman and chief executive, said the company was moving forward on several fronts to develop alternative-fuel vehicles.

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