Turin, 11 May 2009
“The key factors for more efficient transport to confront the crisis”, this is the theme put by Iveco’s CEO, Paolo Monferino, at the Third international Truck and Bus World Forum, held at the Lyon Congress Centre today and tomorrow, an event at which high level industry players participate.
Monferino outlined the complexity and severity of the economic crisis and its effect on road transport and commercial vehicle manufacturers. Statistics presented included:
• Heavy commercial vehicle production with a forecast for 2009 down from 2008 by more than 50%;
• Industry orders received in Europe during the first three months of 2009 down versus 2008 by a staggering 85% and
• The structure of the European commercial vehicle parc by exhaust emission level in the face of huge investments necessary for the future Euro VI standard.
Monferino made the point that investments made for product development activities were now secondary to company and industry survival and made a public request to European authorities to recognise the severity of the situation and to defer the introduction of new legislative requirements, including in particular Euro VI, for a period of two years.
A further recommendation was made for the implementation of a harmonised European policy to promote fleet renewal by financially supporting the more modern vehicles in an attempt to return to normality.
Such an action – Monferino concluded - would have the following immediate effects: It would provide a very rapid improvement in air quality, far faster than introducing a new emission standard for new vehicles alone, and the resultant orders for new vehicles would bring work to hundreds of thousands of people employed in the factories of manufacturers, suppliers as well as in the relevant distribution systems.