Desperate times call for desperate measures, it seems. Back in April of 2019, Fiat Chrysler agreed to pay Tesla hundreds of millions of dollars in order to include the EV maker’s cars in its fleet and avoid paying fines for not complying with the EU’s tough new emissions regulations.
Ford looked at Volvo recently and had a similar idea, and now it’s Honda’s turn, with the Japanese carmaker joining FCA in pooling with Tesla, reports Autonews Europe.
Honda was added to a European Commission filing as of last week and should now meet stringent EU rules that took effect this year. These rules force carmakers to reduce their average fleet emissions for Europe to just 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Fail to comply and you’ll end up paying a hefty fine – just ask Jaguar Land Rover.
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There’s been no word regarding payment as far as Honda is concerned, but FCA boss Mike Manley told analysts last week that his company will be paying Tesla all through next year for its help in meeting emissions standards.
Ford’s pooling with Volvo was also accomplished over an undisclosed sum, with the Swedish brand stating that it can still help rival carmakers in meeting their emissions goals for the year.
The European Union allows for different carmakers (even rivals) to pool their CO2 emissions in order to avoid heavy fines. Other such cases worth mentioning involve Volkswagen, who signed a deal with MG after having to delay launching their EVs. Renault meanwhile has already put the word out that they’ll be accepting partners for an open emissions pool.
