Porsche could use VW to pass CAFE standards
With stricter CAFE standards staring down the world’s automakers, every company is looking for an edge to meet the new requirements. Some are turning to alternative fuels while others are shifting their focus from SUV to more fuel efficient crossovers. But it appears as though at least one automaker will be buying its way in to compliance with the new rules.
Porsche just purchased a majority interest in Volkswagen and it looks as though the acquisition could help Porsche squeak past the new CAFE requirements. Porsche tired late last year to get an exemption CAFE regulations but was denied. Last year Porsche paid $4.6 million in U.S. fuel economy fines but the tie up with VW could significantly raise Porsche’s corporate average fuel economy.
That’s because Porsche could merge its vehicles’ fuel economy ratings with VW’s in the coming years. Such a practice is not unheard of in the industry as Ford currently averages its vehicles with Mazda — despite a minority ownership — and Chrysler did the same when it owned Mitsubishi.
According to AutoWeek, VW’s 2007 car fleet average fuel economy was 28.6 mpg — just above the mandated 27.5 mpg U.S. standard. However, like Porsche, VW’s light trucks did not meet the current standards.
Adding Porsche to the VW mix would no doubt lower VW’s figures, but with VW planning several new fuel-sipping models, everything could even out. However, it remains unclear if even the most frugal models could help average out Porsche’s lineup when the 35 mpg hits in 2020.
But it look as if — at least in the short term — VW’s high fuel economy average could allow Porsche to continue building high-performance machines. Porsche will likely help itself in the coming years too with more fuel efficient models such as a diesel-powered Cayenne, a smaller SUV and even a few hybrids.
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