Renault opens a ‘CO2 pool’ for other manufacturers, according to an official document published by the European Commission. This means that Renault wants to sell emission credits in order to help other parties to achieve the average standard of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer. It is not yet known whether Nissan and Mitsubishi are also involved.
The German automotive researcher Matthias Schmidt has received the document, stating that Renault has opened registrations for its ‘CO2 pool’. This presumably means that Renault is already well below the European emissions standard, which for this year prescribes that the average emissions of 95% of the range may not exceed 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer. This allows the French to sell the margin they have to other manufacturers. Volkswagen already has such a collaboration with MG and FCA and Tesla are also together in one group.
The document states that interested parties have until November 18 to sign up. They must then be able to demonstrate that their CO2 emissions ‘do not endanger the pool’, in other words that the combined average does not become too high. When this does happen, the manufacturer who registers will pay the costs. It is not known whether Nissan and Mitsubishi are already in the group. On the basis of the document, this does not seem to be the case. Renault is the only member declared. According to Schmidt, Daimler is a potential candidate. There is already a strategic partnership between the two and Daimler is currently slightly above average. It would therefore be a logical step to join the group with Renault.