Audi CEO Markus Duesmann said the mid-2025 deadline for the implementation of Euro 7 regulations on pollution should be delayed as it doesn’t give automakers enough time to prepare.

The Euro 7 standard, which regulates exhaust emissions of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, as well as fine particles, received preliminary approval in November last year. It also proposes for the first time to regulate particulate emissions from brake pads and tires.

Automakers will have to re-certify every transmission in their portfolio, a lengthy and costly process. New technologies, upgraded filters and catalysts will need to be created, and automakers say they will have to pass on much of that cost to buyers.

Many see Euro 7 as an unnecessary milestone that will divert resources from the ultimate goal of electrification. Company executives say the rules will only apply to the latest generation of internal combustion engines until a proposal to allow only zero-emission vehicles to be sold in Europe after 2035.

Skoda head of sales Martin Jahn said on Sunday that the Czech brand Volkswagen Group will have to close the plant and phase out models if the Euro 7 standard is adopted in its current form.

“If the Euro 7 standard is approved in this form, it will mean that Skoda Auto will close one plant, because we will stop producing smaller models – Fabia, Scala, Kamiq – this means at least 3,000 jobs will be reduced,” said Martin Yang in a televised debate.

“We strongly believe that we need to adjust the current proposal,” added Markus Duesmann. “We spent a lot of time and money developing electric vehicles.”

Strict adherence to Euro 7 would divert investment away from electric vehicles, he said, and higher prices for buyers would “really weaken the situation.”

Pre-sales of the original Peugeot 408X fastback crossover have begun in China. The car is presented in five versions, prices – from 21,200 to 26,200 dollars.

In China, the novelty is presented as a “new French unlimited car” – there is both a hint of French style and an indication of any off-road capabilities (clearance is 190 mm, the angle of entry is 16 °, the exit is 21 °). 19-inch wheels are already in the base.

The car is rather big – dimensions are 4705 x 1859 x 1502 mm, wheelbase length – 2787 mm. But it is designed exclusively for five. However, the Peugeot 408X is touted as a family car. Trunk volume is 536 liters, and with the rear seats folded down, it increases to 1611 liters.

Authentic exterior design harmonizes well with the corporate style interior – with a deployed front panel and an unusual combination of geometric shapes and lines. There are three screens: two with a diagonal of 10.25 inches and one with a diagonal of 9.7 inches. Interestingly, the dashboard reproduces a three-dimensional image that is visible to the naked eye.

And then there is atmospheric lighting, the French Focal audio system, climate control with fragrance, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, voice control, etc.

The Peugeot 408X has only one engine – a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with a capacity of 175 hp, an 8-speed automatic gearbox, and only front-wheel drive.

The Ural Automobile Plant demonstrated its first prototype of an electric truck equipped with a hybrid power plant.

A car with a 4×2 wheel formula is still called simply “Ural”. It is powered by an LNG engine that is used as a generator to charge a battery, which in turn powers an electric motor. At the moment, it is known that the power reserve is only 100 km, but in this case, we mean the ability of a car to drive such a distance solely due to the battery. Since the car is also equipped with an internal combustion engine, as a result, in general, the power reserve is quite worthy of 500 km.

The company is reportedly planning to develop an all-electric truck and then a hydrogen fuel cell version. But so far we are only talking about prototypes, but there is no data on serial machines with similar power plants.