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Tesla gives Fiat a wake up call: ‘fake’ electric cars can still manipulate EU emissions standards

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New CO2 regulations set to take effect in Europe have several loopholes in place that could derail the goal of reducing new car emissions by 37.5% in the region by 2030, according to a study published by advocacy group Transport & Environment. In a worst-case modeling scenario, gaming of the rules could also result in almost two million fewer zero or low emissions vehicles coming to market between 2025 and 2030, and of those in the market, half might be plug-in hybrids built for compliance, not innovation.

In order to propel the creation of a battery electric auto industry in the region, European Union members and parties participating in the discussions over the new CO2 regulations included incentives in the agreement that were tied to specific vehicle sales. Auto manufacturers with 15% of their sales coming from zero and low emission vehicles by 2025 and 35% from 2030 onwards will have their CO2 targets reduced by a maximum of 5%. This effectively means a company’s new fleet-wide CO2 output would only need to be reduced to 34.4% by 2030 instead of 37.5%, as calculated in the study.

Companies have further been allowed to pool their fleets together to help reach these goals, something which Tesla has recently taken advantage of by partnering with Fiat Chrysler. As a manufacturer of zero-emission vehicles, counting Tesla’s fleet with Fiat’s lowers the average per-vehicle CO2 output, thus lessening the burden for Fiat to meet the emissions standards while Tesla profits from the deal.

Chart visualizing the impact of ‘fake’ electric cars (compliance plug-in hybrids) enabled by loopholes in the coming EU CO2 regulations. An estimated 2 million electric vehicles will be lost by 2030; of all low emissions vehicles sold, half (11 million) will be compliance plug-in hybrids. | Credit: Transport & Environment

On its face, the 5% trade-off for lower emissions standards would be the entry of new, more innovative clean energy vehicles on the market; however, the inclusion of plug-in hybrids in that calculation could be problematic and used to game the system. In order to qualify as a low emissions vehicle, a hybrid car only needs to be under a threshold of 50 g/km CO2 output during testing which assumes full use of the vehicle’s battery. Because most of these plug-in hybrids have very low battery ranges, they’re often not used in practice in favor of the internal combustion engine, thus increasing their real-world CO2 output to around 120 g/km.

The technology behind plug-in hybrids is less innovative and therefore cheaper to produce, so the financial appeal of producing more of these types of vehicles over battery-only electric vehicles is high. The Transport & Environment study estimates that this effect will lead to about 2 million fewer all-electric cars being produced in favor of the cheaper, ‘fake’ electric compliance hybrids.

Other loopholes in the EU regulations also contribute to a reduction in CO2 outcomes. Fourteen countries where non-existent or nascent low emissions vehicle markets were identified will receive nearly double the emissions credit for eco-friendly cars sold to encourage development in the regions.

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Chart displaying the estimated effect of allowing ‘fake’ electric cars (compliance plug-in hybrids) to receive partial (.7) emissions credits under coming EU CO2 regulations. | Credit: Transport & Environment
Chart displaying the estimated effect of allowing car makers to register low emissions vehicles in nascent markets for double credits under coming EU CO2 regulations and then quickly resell to larger markets. | Credit: Transport & Environment

Simply, a large manufacturer could register thousands of vehicles in one of these markets, acquire double credit for each vehicle, and then quickly sell the vehicles in an established market where demand is higher. When sold, the cars would technically be “used” for record keeping purposes, but new to consumers and presented that way. This would circumvent the point of developing a low emissions market in those countries, further limiting the expansion of low emissions car availability.

The EU member states where double credits apply are Ireland, Greece, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, and Malta.

The final (possible) loophole identified in the Transport & Environment study lies with the inclusion of Norway in the EU regional calculations. The country has not yet formally been included in the 2025/30 standards but is part of the 2020/1 standards currently in effect and will likely be included in the upcoming rules.

Norway is requiring 100% of its vehicles to have zero emissions by 2025, thus guaranteeing sales of those types of cars in a market where ICE vehicles are not competitive. Automakers could concentrate their sales in that region and make less effort to sell in the rest of Europe, all while still remaining compliant with the regulations. Reaching compliance in this manner is another way the intent of the coming CO2 reduction requirements can be manipulated.

Chart displaying the estimated effect of allowing low emissions vehicles sold in Norway to count towards EU emissions averages under coming EU CO2 regulations. | Credit: Transport & Environment

The authors of the Transport & Environment study have laid out their proposals to overcome these loopholes, but considering that they were included to win the support of the auto industry in the region, further changes to the regulations seem unlikely. Also, the study could be taking an overly pessimistic view of the possible outcomes the loopholes could lead to.

Consumer markets, even without significant CO2-related regulation, are already showing trends towards increasing low emission vehicle demands, especially for battery electric vehicles like those sold by Tesla. This “Tesla Effect” has been noted by the upper echelons of legacy auto and several have committed to billions in electric fleet investments. Porsche is unveiling its first production electric vehicle, the Taycan, this September and has plans to retire its diesel-powered lineup and embrace electrification. Ford has also recently committed to electrifying its F-series, most notably the classic F-150, as well as invest $11 billion dollars to produce 40 electrified vehicles by 2022.

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Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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Tesla makes big change to encourage Full Self-Driving purchases

Tesla Full Self-Driving was recently proven to be about ten times safer than a human driver in terms of accident frequency.

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Credit: Whole Mars Blog | X

Tesla has made a big change to its Online Design Studio, hoping to encourage car buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving with their vehicles.

Now, when you look at ordering a car on Tesla’s website, the portion of the page that formerly showed a render of Full Self-Driving capabilities has been replaced by a compilation of the suite’s performance in a variety of challenging scenarios.

It’s a great way to show off FSD’s impressive ability to work through road conditions that can even stump human drivers.

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The move is much better than what the page previously illustrated. Now, people can see the true capabilities of the FSD suite and what it could do to change their perspective on how vehicles can be. Instead of a vessel of transportation, FSD turns cars into a semi-autonomous mode of travel.

Tesla Full Self-Driving is statistically very safe, logging about ten times the number of miles between accidents as human drivers, based on recent data the company released.

Tesla Q2 2025 vehicle safety report proves FSD makes driving almost 10X safer

It is available for purchase in two different ways: an outright purchase for $8,000 or in a monthly subscription for $99. This enables the software to essentially do a vast majority of the legwork of driving. Drivers must keep their eyes on the road and be prepared to take over if an intervention is needed.

However, FSD has been proven to be a very accurate and safe way to travel. Tesla recently released a video of a drive from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, a nearly seven-hour trip, under FSD without a single intervention ever needed:

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Tesla flexes its most impressive and longest Full Self-Driving demo yet

From a personal perspective, Tesla Full Self-Driving is a great way to travel because it truly takes a lot of the stress out of driving. In the past, I’ve used it during weekend Demo Drives to navigate around my town to see if it could handle some of the tougher traffic in my area. It became such an amazing and convenient alternative that when I went back to my car, I truly missed the advantage of having it.

I took a Tesla Model Y weekend-long Demo Drive – Here’s what I learned

However, I am picking up my Tesla Model Y this coming weekend and will enjoy it for the free three months before subscribing to the monthly program.

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Tesla offers new feature to save battery and reduce phantom drain

While in Low Power Mode, your vehicle continues to use energy for standby functions, screen activity, and Tesla app interactions. In cold weather, available energy may drop more quickly.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is offering a new feature to help owners save battery and reduce phantom drain, an issue that some have complained of with their cars.

While Teslas are some of the most efficient EVs on the market, they utilize energy and battery life when they’re parked to keep certain features, like Sentry Mode, Summon Standby, and others, active in preparation for potential events that occur.

Keeping these features ready to perform utilizes energy, and if your car is parked at an airport where it could be sitting stagnant for a few days, the battery percentage could start to dwindle pretty significantly.

Because of this, Tesla is rolling out a new feature called “Low Power Mode,” which will automatically disable a handful of settings to combat battery dwindling and phantom battery drain.

Tesla writes in the release notes for the feature:

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“When Low Power Mode is enabled, your vehicle will conserve energy by automatically disabling the following features:

    • Sentry Mode
    • Summon Standby
    • Outlets
    • Keep Accessory Power On
    • Keep Climate On and Camp Mode
    • Scheduled Preconditioning
    • Cabin Overheat Protection

While charging with Low Power Mode enabled:

    • Sentry Mode and accessory power will remain available
    • Keep Climate On and Camp Mode are only available when Supercharging

While in Low Power Mode, your vehicle continues to use energy for standby functions, screen activity, and Tesla app interactions. In cold weather, available energy may drop more quickly.”

This feature seemed to be a reaction to a past issue that an owner had as their Cybertruck continued to utilize energy even though the pickup was parked at an airport and the owner was in Japan. The Cybertruck had utilized a lot of energy to keep standby functions active, which left the owner in an interesting spot when they returned.

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CEO Elon Musk stepped in, and it seems this feature might have been a reaction to that situation. This is an ideal thing to use if you’re looking to conserve your battery’s state of charge.

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Tesla is bringing back something it took from the Model 3…for a price

“Modify your Model 3 by replacing the turn signal buttons on your steering wheel with turn signal stalks. This modification is included in the purchase price and is installed by a Tesla Service Center.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is bringing back the Model 3’s turn signal stalk in China after removing the part with the refresh of the all-electric sedan early last year.

However, it is going to cost you.

In 2024, Tesla launched the Model 3 “Highland,” a refreshed version of the vehicle that included several large-scale changes. One of the most noticeable was the lack of a turn signal stalk, something the company chose to remove and instead implement turn signal buttons on the steering wheel.

The buttons were met with mixed reviews, as some drivers complained that it was too difficult to get used to them. Others had no problem with the change, noting that it was slightly more convenient for them or that they enjoyed the minimalistic look.

Now, Tesla is offering Model 3 owners in China the opportunity to replace the stalk for a price of ¥ 2,499, or about $350:

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“Modify your Model 3 by replacing the turn signal buttons on your steering wheel with turn signal stalks. This modification is included in the purchase price and is installed by a Tesla Service Center.”

Tesla notes on its website that the service is available for Model 3 vehicles without stalks manufactured after February 7, 2025. Any car without a stalk that was manufactured before that date will have the service available to them in the future.

Installation can be performed at a Service Center or by the owner. However, Tesla notes that it is not responsible for any damages resulting from self-installation and recommends that the part be put in by an employee.

The cockpit of the Tesla lineup has been under intense scrutiny by the company in recent years. After a few changes to things like the stalk, steering wheel shape, and others, Tesla has usually given drivers the chance to have things reverted back to their preferences if they want.

They did this for the Model S and Model X a few years ago after implementing the yoke steering wheel.

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Tesla Steering Wheel Retrofits have started, and it’s easy to get rid of your yoke

The stalk was not supposed to be removed from the Model 3 and Model Y, but Tesla chose to do so with the refresh last year.

It seems the minimalization of the cockpit, overall, is a move that prepares drivers for autonomy, as eventually, Teslas will be void of pedals, steering wheels, and any other apparatus that are used to control the car.

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