Laws will speed up new powertrains; European politician says fleet CO2 of 95g/km by 2020 is 'step in the right direction'.(Automotive News Europe New Powertrain Technologies Conference)

Byline: Luca Ciferri

More stringent vehicle-emissions legislation coupled with proper incentives will play a major role in pushing the introduction of new powertrains and fuels, industry experts said last week.

"If it hadn't been for US emission regulations back in the early 1960s, we would still have carburetors on our cars," said Rinaldo Rinolfi, executive vice president at Fiat Powertrain Technology.

Experts who gathered for the one-day Automotive News Europe New Powertrain Technologies Conference here agreed that automakers, legislators and consumers all have ...