The world is just beginning to bridge the gap between conventional gas cars and zero-emission vehicles, and the change can’t come soon enough.
On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Honda would be joining Fiat Chrysler in pooling its fleet with Tesla, in order to meet compliance standards for Europe’s tough emissions requirements. The news comes just after Honda was added to a European Commission filing, where automakers declare intent to meet greenhouse-gas emissions standards. Fiat Chrysler had already decided to pool its fleet with Tesla’s, and now, Honda will join in on the action.
The European Union recently enacted new rules earlier this year, forcing automakers’ vehicles to produce under 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer. If companies fail to do so, they’ll face major fines. In addition to European legislation, some US states, like California which plans to ban the sale of gas cars by 2035, have also enacted laws to reduce emissions and slow the sale of conventional, emission-producing vehicles.
What irony…Honda joins Fiat in paying for Tesla's Giga factories and research ….instead of making an effective and saleable EV of their own.
https://t.co/f8ZASic8Ez— Lawrence 4.68e+3 🔋 (@Avatrode) November 2, 2020
Along with Honda and Fiat Chrysler, Volvo has also agreed to pool its fleet with Tesla’s. While it’s not clear at this point what the financial arrangement for Honda and Tesla is, Fiat Chrysler CEO, Mike Manley, told analysts last week that the company had agreed to pay Tesla for its mentorship through at least next year, though the amount was not disclosed.
Whatever it takes to get major automakers to move towards zero-emission vehicles is fine – as long as the transition happens sooner, rather than later.
