One of the biggest reasons Americans don’t see all the forbidden-fruit European vehicles is the difference in safety regulations between the two markets. That could be changing, as the U.S. and European Union recently released a joint statement that outlines their economic agreements going forward, and one of the more interesting statements was a note saying that the two planned to work together on vehicle standards.
The statement reads, “With respect to automobiles, the United States and the European Union intend to accept and provide mutual recognition to each other’s standards. Cooperation on standards plays a crucial role in enhancing the transatlantic marketplace.” The two also plan to extend that conformity across other industries.
Automakers sometimes withhold certain models from a market due to low demand or tough competition, but regulations play a big role. It can be prohibitively expensive to adapt a model for multiple markets, so the agreement may become a big deal for enthusiasts.
While this could open the door to desirable models like the Audi RS4 and other hotted-up Euro vehicles, it’s unclear how the agreement will work. The EU’s emissions rules continue to tighten, to the point that many automakers are discontinuing popular gas engines at an increasingly rapid pace. The United States recently killed its fuel economy rules, removing penalties, so it will be interesting to see how and where the two markets reach agreements on vehicle regulations.
[Images: Volvo, Audi, Mercedes-Benz]
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