Tata Motors may face penalty in Europe on JLR emissions

Tata Motors may face penalty for excess emissions from its newly acquired high-end Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) vehicles with a stringent environment law being enforced in Europe by 2012, reports Economic Times.

In an initiative aimed at reducing CO2 emissions from new passenger cars by 19 per cent, the European Commission had adopted a proposal for legislation in December 2007.

The manufacturers can, however, make cars with emissions above the permitted limits, but have to balance by vehicles which emit less than the set standards.

Thus Jaguar-Land Rover, acquired by Tata Motors in March this year, will have to reduce their emissions. The emission standards are crafted in a way such that heavier cars have to improve more than lighter cars.

Under the proposed legislation, a premium of 20 Euros per gm per km has been proposed in the first year (2012), rising to 95 Euros by 2015.

Shares of the company declined Rs 10.55, or 2.43%, to settle at Rs 422.8. The total volume of shares traded was 134,343 at the BSE (Wednesday).

JLR launches major recruitment drive

TATA owned Jaguar- Land Rover (JLR) has announced a major drive to recruit 600 engineers and technical staff to work on its 700- million pounds project of developing a new generation of cleaner and eco-friendly vehicles. The initiative comes only weeks after JLR was bought by Indian car giant Tata Motors from Ford for 1.5 billion pounds, but the former is not directly involved with the project though it has approved the plan. “This recruitment drive demonstrates Jaguar Land Rover’s confidence in our future. With our new owners, we have entered an exciting era with stunning new models and ambitious technologies,” newly- appointed chief executive David Smith said on Wednesday. The company has invested in sustainable technologies to meet European Union emissions target and is looking for experienced, degree- educated engineers to work on a variety of ground- breaking projects.

Most of the jobs will be based at the group’s development centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Besides, there are a number of vacancies in its purchasing, finance and human resources departments. It is also launching a programme aimed at recruiting more than 80 graduate trainees as well as 60 apprentices under an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship scheme announced in March. “This is probably the biggest single recruitment drive in the history of the two companies and it demonstrates that this is ago- ahead business with a strong future,” said a spokesman of the company. Kiran Virk, policy adviser at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the recruitment drive was a welcome boost to the manufacturing sector which is trying to fight off increasing raw material costs, a downturn in the economy and global competition.

New cars too cause ecological damage

NEW CARS are not necessarily more fuel- efficient or eco-friendly than the older ones. A recent analysis of data on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has found that at a time when oil price hike has put Indian economy at risk, CO2 emission —which depends directly on the amount of fuel burnt — from newer cars on Indian roads, is on the rise.

The trend emerged when the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) analysed the emission data compiled by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) from vehicles produced in different time periods —1991- 96, 1996- 2000, post- 2000 and post- 2005.

In Delhi, the total CO2 load from vehicles has shown significant increase. Experts say this is due to the unbridled growth in cars and two- wheelers and an increase in travelling distances. They warn that the impact of this trend on the energy sector can be severe. “Older cars can emit more CO2 due to poor maintenance and deterioration. But newer

cars, even those produced after 2000 and 2005, showing higher levels of CO2 emissions than the older vintages is unexpected and disturbing,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, in charge of CSEs Right to Clean Air campaign.

The CSE made efforts to obtain official fuel economy data for car models that are recorded at the time of certification of new vehicles. “We were appalled to discover that this information is not available even under the Right to Information Act. At atime when the country is going bankrupt due to crippling crude oil prices, fuel economy data of cars is held as trade secret,” said Roy Chowdhury. She said the Auto Fuel Policy requires “mandatory disclosures” of fuel economy data by auto companies, but the government has failed to implement it.

Cars and two- wheelers are responsible for 60 per cent of the total CO2 emission in Delhi. Between 2002 and 2007, the CO2 emission load from cars has increased by 73 per cent and from two- wheelers by 61 per cent. Buses contribute much less —20 per cent. Since they carry several times more people, the fuel consumption per head is significantly low. CSEs estimate for BRT corridor shows per capita energy consumption can be 8times higher in cars than buses.