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Inside a car, air can also be foul
By Lu Nengneng |
March 25, 2013, Monday
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Print Edition
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IT'S not only the air outside that is of concern.
One year after China's first guidelines for in-vehicle air quality came into effect, pungent in-car odors are still a lingering issue for many cars, whether new or used. Even luxury brands are not immune to breathing problems.
Following consumer complaints about unusual smells inside some locally produced Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars, asphalt, a material that could release cancer-inducing substances into the air at high temperatures, was recently found in their damping plate samples, China Central Television reported last week, citing a test conducted by Beijing University of Chemical Technology.
In other cases, the pollutants may come from interior decor materials like leather, textiles, plastics, rubber parts, seal elements and binders that are processed with poisonous chemicals. Glues, paints and other diluting agents used for car production can also be culprits.
Absence of regulations
But the real source of China's in-vehicle air quality problem is the absence of regulations and supervision from the government because all the restrictions on harmful substances inside cars are optional.
It means that carmakers are not obliged to clean up the air in the cabin, and consumers have no right to seek compensations for in-car air pollution. Even air quality assessment itself becomes a tricky issue, with most of the work performed by auto manufacturers themselves and few third-party agencies considered credible.
Geely's Li Shufu, who took much of the credit for pushing the guidelines through, has been long calling for them to be made mandatory.
During the country's recent political consultative conference, where he sits as an advisor, Li said there is nothing unrealistic about his push for national regulations cracking down on indoor car pollution.
Asked about the additional costs such regulation would entail, Li said, "What do you think is more important: production costs or human life?"
According to China Central Television, by using asphalt materials for damping plates instead of more environmentally-friendly but costlier resins or rubber, the three German luxury carmakers could save 97 million yuan (US$15.6 million) to 130 million yuan per year based on the around 650,000 domestically-produced cars they sold in the country last year.
When can the country breathe clean air with a clear conscience?
One year after China's first guidelines for in-vehicle air quality came into effect, pungent in-car odors are still a lingering issue for many cars, whether new or used. Even luxury brands are not immune to breathing problems.
Following consumer complaints about unusual smells inside some locally produced Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars, asphalt, a material that could release cancer-inducing substances into the air at high temperatures, was recently found in their damping plate samples, China Central Television reported last week, citing a test conducted by Beijing University of Chemical Technology.
In other cases, the pollutants may come from interior decor materials like leather, textiles, plastics, rubber parts, seal elements and binders that are processed with poisonous chemicals. Glues, paints and other diluting agents used for car production can also be culprits.
Absence of regulations
But the real source of China's in-vehicle air quality problem is the absence of regulations and supervision from the government because all the restrictions on harmful substances inside cars are optional.
It means that carmakers are not obliged to clean up the air in the cabin, and consumers have no right to seek compensations for in-car air pollution. Even air quality assessment itself becomes a tricky issue, with most of the work performed by auto manufacturers themselves and few third-party agencies considered credible.
Geely's Li Shufu, who took much of the credit for pushing the guidelines through, has been long calling for them to be made mandatory.
During the country's recent political consultative conference, where he sits as an advisor, Li said there is nothing unrealistic about his push for national regulations cracking down on indoor car pollution.
Asked about the additional costs such regulation would entail, Li said, "What do you think is more important: production costs or human life?"
According to China Central Television, by using asphalt materials for damping plates instead of more environmentally-friendly but costlier resins or rubber, the three German luxury carmakers could save 97 million yuan (US$15.6 million) to 130 million yuan per year based on the around 650,000 domestically-produced cars they sold in the country last year.
When can the country breathe clean air with a clear conscience?
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