Hybrid and electric cars are the stars of motor shows, but the expensive technologies could take a decade to really hit European roads as automakers improve petrol and diesel cars to meet short-term emissions targets.
The planned launch of the first zero-emission electric cars from Nissan Motor Co, Daimler AG and Mitsubishi Motors Corp this year, as well as debut of hybrid cars from a growing number of European brands has renewed the buzz around electric powertrains as promising solutions to reducing emissions in carbon dioxide-conscious Europe.
But most automakers gathered at the Geneva auto show this week said the most practical road to meeting Europe's 130g/km CO2 emissions target by 2015 was to improve conventional gasoline engines, downsize their cars, or offer more diesel engines, which are 20 to 30 percent more fuel-efficient than their petrol cousins.
"I think the opportunity for hybrids in Europe is quite small," said Hyundai Motor Europe Vice President Allan Rushforth.
While Hyundai Motor has hybrid and pure-electric cars in the production pipeline elsewhere, Rushforth said the introduction of clean diesel engines and improved gasoline cars alone would help South Korea's top automaker reduce its CO2 emissions in Europe to 115g/km by 2015, from 142g/km last year.
Generous subsidies have helped hybrids gain traction in Japan and the United States, but European consumers have favored diesel cars for better mileage and lower CO2 emissions.
With sales volumes so small, at less than 1 percent of the overall European market last year, having hybrid models in its line-up has done little for Japan's Honda Motor Co -- one of the few mass producers of gasoline-electric cars in the world. Its average emissions were above 140g/km last year.
Full story
