Donkervoort supports low-volume CO2 exemption
Tuesday 28/02/2023:focal())
exemption for boutique car makers
The new rules will force mainstream car makers to produce only zero-emission vehicles by 2035 but also to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 (compared to 2021 figures).
Effectively, the new law bans the sale of any new petrol-, diesel- and hybrid-powered vehicle in the EU from 2035.
Donkervoort supports the indefinite exemption for boutique car makers (selling fewer than 1000 vehicles a year) on both business and environmental grounds.
“We create art pieces that exist for 100 years or more, so they’re not mass-production cars you throw away after 15 years,” Donkervoort Automobielen Managing Director Denis Donkervoort said.
“We know this because more than 99% of the cars we’ve ever built are still drivable, and we know this because we still service them.
“On the mileages our cars do, a Donkervoort EV could never recover the extra sunk carbon emissions from the production of the battery alone, much less the rest of the car.
“Compared to the whole-of-life emissions level of the F22, any theoretical on-road advantage a Donkervoort EV would have could not possibly deliver enough saved CO2 to catch up to the F22, let alone be better.”
There is also a ruling for car makers selling between 1000 and 10,000 vehicles, who are exempt from the interim 2030 emissions cut, but not from the 2035 ban on emissions.
Donkervoort has made no secret of being open to new technologies and has contributed many of its own to the battle to reduce carbon emissions, including its ultra-strong Ex-Core carbon-fibre technology that is now used in the World Rally Championship, the World Endurance Championship and is being tested by Formula One teams.
Donkervoort has and continues to engage in technical discussions with some of the world’s leading battery pioneers and has a pre-planned path to electrification - but only when the technology offers its customers both driving engagement and real-world environmental advantages.
Yet Donkervoort feels it can make more tangible real-world, whole-of-life emission improvements by delivering cars with the lightest possible weight.
“The weight of our car is so low (750kg) that an EV Donkervoort would be far more polluting than what we do now,” Donkervoort insisted.
“The Donkervoort F22 fits the times in its emissions level, but in a different way to what everybody else does (with hybrids).
“The Ferrari SF90 Stradale has phenomenal technology and required an enormous investment. It uses three electric motors but still emits nearly as much CO2. The answer to us is very simple: it’s all about weight.”
About Donkervoort
Established in 1978 by Joop Donkervoort and now led by his son, Denis, Donkervoort Automobielen has sold approximately 1,700 cars. Operating from Lelystad, the Netherlands, with a team of more than 50 specialists, the company first gained widespread acclaim with the D10 in 1988, setting a world acceleration record. This was followed by the D8 270 RS in 2005, which set a Nürburgring lap record.
The F22, further integrating its patented Ex-Core carbon fibre technology, achieved an astonishing 2.3g of lateral acceleration at Circuit Zandvoort, exceeding the D8 GTO-JD70’s already impressive 2.1g benchmark. This milestone highlights Donkervoort’s relentless pursuit of performance and innovation.
Dedicated to crafting exclusive supercars fully tailored to their drivers’ preferences and ensuring the purest driving experience—whether an unfiltered connection to the road or track or a more refined balance of comfort and performance—the brand continues to embody the 'Living the Drive’ ethos. Looking to the future, Donkervoort has unveiled a new model, further reinforcing the brand’s bold evolution and unwavering commitment to innovation.
