[Cayenne_fan]

I like my Porsche's but if i wanted a green car, a Porsche wouldnt be it lol. A new bill passed by the German Government places the Cayenne on a list of "green" cars.

I know for sure the Cayenne wouldn't come close to being called a green car in America.

Battles among the government, automakers and environmental groups are nothing new here in America, as proven by the controversy surrounding the Corporate Average Fleet Economy (CAFE) standard. And it appears that the German government is going through similar growing pains with new labeling system that will grade vehicles based on its C02 emissions.
The German Federal Council today approved the new system, which is similar to the recent and failed attempt by the EPA and the DOT to place letter grades on vehicles based on its fuel economy. According to a report by the AFP, the German government will base a vehicle’s letter grade on its C02 emissions while also considering its curb weight. The most efficient and “green” cars would earn an “A+” while the highest gas-guzzling offenders could earn as low as a “G” grade. Under the new classification system, the Porsche Cayenne hybrid and the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI would earn the same “B” grade as the Toyota Aygo (a euro-market subcompact similar to our Toyota Yaris). Both the German SUVs emit approximately 190 grams per kilometer of C02 emissions, while the Toyota small car emits about 100g/km.
Environmental groups throughout Germany and Europe claim that the labeling system favors German car companies, and will mislead consumers into thinking that a vehicle is “greener” than it actually is. Gerd Lottesiepen, a spokesperson for the Berlin-based Verkehrsclub Deutschland environmental group, said the labels are “greenwashing in its worst form. The rules that are being voted on were effectively co-written by the car industry.” Instead, the group proposes a letter grade no higher than a “C” for any car emitting more than 130g/km.
A few automakers are also siding with the environmental groups. Renault is against the inclusion of the car’s weight for the labeling system and prefers “an absolute label that would better favor the environment.” A number of European countries already have labeling systems based on the efficiency and amount of C02 levels emitted from cars. The United Kingdom and France go a step further by employing a tax system based on a car’s emissions.
The German government will implement the new system this fall, which will expire and will be reevaluated in three years.


Read more: German Government Passes Controversial Emissions Bill, Porsche Cayenne Now "Green" - WOT on Motor Trend