BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's environment minister is urging carmakers to build models that reduce pollution but are also affordable for people in lower-income countries.
Cristina Pasca-Palmer said at the opening of the Bucharest annual motor show Thursday that 70 percent of pollution in Romanian cities comes from car fumes.
She told The Associated Press that electric cars with low carbon emissions were expensive for many Romanians and there was a lack of infrastructure for the cars and public awareness about their benefits.
She noted there are just 600 electric cars in Romania out of about 6.2 million vehicles. Norway has 30,000 electric cars.
Constantin Stroe, chairman of Automobile Manufacturers in Romania, said second-hand imported cars, which pollute more, outnumber new cars at a ratio of four to one.