The controversy surrounding OE 2021 continues to be talked about and after Honda it was Toyota's turn to comment on the proposal presented by the PAN – Animal People and Nature party, and approved with votes from the PS and BE, with opposition from the PSD , PCP, CDS and Liberal Initiative, and abstention from Chega.
If you remember, with the approval of this proposal, hybrids without range extenders no longer have the intermediate rate in the Vehicle Tax (ISV), starting to pay the entire ISV instead of enjoying a "discount" of 40 %.
According to the proposal, plug-in hybrids and hybrids must have an autonomy in electric mode exceeding 50 km and official CO2 emissions below 50 g/km. However, as in conventional hybrids “there is no data on electrical autonomy”, these are especially harmed.
José Ramos, President & CEO TOYOTA CAETANO PORTUGALThe criterion defined by the Government for positive fiscal discrimination of less polluting hybrid vehicles is absurd. An eligibility parameter is established, which is not even measurable nor is it included in the technical approval of the vehicles. The result was the exclusion of all non-plug-in hybrid models from the reduced ISV rate.
Toyota's reaction
In light of all this, Toyota begins by stating that “The recent limitation in the Government's tax incentives for hybrids and plug-in hybrids discourages the automotive sector from massification of clean technologies”.
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In addition, he adds that "The measure approved by the Government, which did not previously consult representatives of the sector, is contrary to the strategy and commitment assumed by Portugal to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050".
Toyota Yaris
And finally, he takes the opportunity to recall that this measure comes "at a time when the automotive sector registers a drop in sales of over 35%", being "a heavy blow to the entire industry".
In light of all this, Toyota presents a set of five reasons why it is opposed to this decision approved for the 2021 State Budget:
- A passenger car equipped with a hybrid engine combines two engines: an internal combustion engine (in the case of Toyota and Lexus always on gasoline) and an electric motor, by switching easily between pure electric power and gasoline efficiency when speeding. increases, Toyota Hybrid technology not only saves fuel, but also offers lower CO2 emissions than a conventional combustion engine vehicle. In the case of Toyota vehicles, vehicles circulate in cities up to 50% of the time in electric mode, therefore emission-free and greatly improving the vehicle's environmental performance.
- Compared to vehicles with conventional engines, the emission level of hybrid vehicles is significantly lower. With examples: Toyota Yaris 1.5 Hybrid with 88 g/km CO2 versus Toyota Yaris 1.0 Petrol with 128 g/km CO2. In the case of Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid 111g/km CO2 versus Toyota Corolla 1.2 petrol 151 g/km CO2. It goes without saying that all vehicles undergo rigorous certification and homologation tests at European level that prove these values.
- Portugal currently has one of the highest tax burdens on cars. The measure now approved makes a more environmentally friendly technology less competitive, leading to the consequent increase in the number of vehicles with conventional engines in circulation with higher CO2 emissions. In this sense, this measure is a setback in the government's environmental policy.
- The Portuguese rolling car fleet is one of the oldest in Europe, with an average age of 13 years. We believe that the first action to reduce environmental impact should be based on the strategy of encouraging the scrapping of old, polluting and technologically outdated cars, promoting their replacement with more technologically advanced cars. Vehicles electrified with hybrid technology and plug-in hybrid are an environmentally friendly solution.
- There is no change measure in OE 2021 that limits the import of more polluting used vehicles. A phenomenon that has been going on for several years and is leading to an increase in the age of the circulating park and an increase in pollutant emissions.