Tighter pollution level on car sales
TIGHTER pollution levels are on the way if drivers want to get the €700 reward for buying a greener car
THE bonus-malus (carrot-and-stick) anti-pollution scheme for car buying is to be toughened to cut costs and pollution.
Pollution limits that will attract the €700 reward for a new car are being reduced to between 96 and 115g of CO2 per kilometre, down from the present levels of 101-120g.
Drivers who opt for larger cars also face tighter pollution levels before the basic €750 penalty applies. It will now be imposed on those buying a car producing more than 156g of CO2, down from 161g.
The scheme has been too successful, costing €710 million this year when it was supposed to cost €340m, and the government has been caught out by how quickly people have changed their buying habits.
Whereas the cost of the bonus was supposed to be offset by the income from the malus, the penalty is bringing in only a third of what is needed: €200m.
Large car sales have slumped to 8.8 per cent of the market instead of the usual 17 per cent, and small car sales have soared to 55.5 per cent rather than 40 per cent.
Those buying the least polluting cars, producing less than 60g of CO2, can receive a reward of €5,000, while the penalty for cars putting out more than 250g of CO2 is €2,600.
