Japan's government is likely to draft proposals this month calling for new rules requiring auto makers to make their vehicles around 20 percent more fuel efficient by April 2016, a transport ministry source said on Tuesday.
Current regulations require auto makers to have improved fuel efficiency for gasoline cars by 23 percent by 2010/11 compared with levels at the end of March 1995. Most models have now cleared that requirement.
"Tighter fuel efficiency rules are a world-wide trend and Japan is no exception," said Nomura Securities analyst Shinya Naruse. "This will help promote the use of hybrid and diesel engine vehicles. Gasoline vehicles by themselves are not going to be sufficient," he said.
Japan's Trade and Transport ministries have been discussing the proposals since July last year and the new rules, which will call for an average 20 percent improvement over levels at the end of March 2005, may be introduced from next spring, said the source, who declined to be identified.
Although failure to meet Japanese government regulations only brings a token fine of 1 million yen ($8,600), the government can release the names of auto makers not making the grade, resulting in negative publicity.
Japanese auto makers, in particular industry leader Toyota Motor Corp which developed the hybrid gas/electric engined Prius, have been at the forefront of green auto technology for gasoline cars. But late to the market with diesel technology, they have lagged in Europe.
In August the European Commission said European and Asian auto makers must do more to meet voluntary targets to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars or face possible legislative action. Average CO2 emissions from new cars in the 15 "old" EU member states in 2004 were down 12.4 percent from 1995 levels, far off the target of a roughly 25 percent cut by 2008/09.
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