UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

NATIONAL VEHICLE AND FUEL EMISSIONS LABORATORY 

2000 TRAVERWOOD DRIVE 

ANN ARBOR, MI 48105-2498 

 OFFICE OF 

 AIR AND RADIATION 

August 17, 2012 

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT: Summary of EPA Meetings with Volkswagen to discuss the EPA/NHTSA Joint 

Proposed Rulemaking for Greenhouse Gas and CAFE Standards for Model Year 2017-2025 

Light-Duty Vehicles 

FROM: William Charmley, US EPA 

 

TO: EPA Docket # EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0799 

This memo documents three meetings which EPA had with Volkswagen between December 

2011 and April 2012 a meeting held in December, 2011 to discuss the EPA/NHTSA Joint 

Proposed Rulemaking for Greenhouse Gas and CAFE Standards for Model Year 2017-2025 

Light-Duty Vehicles. 

December 13, 2011 Meeting

This meeting was held at EPA’s offices in Washington, D.C. Participants from EPA’s offices in 

Ann Arbor, Michigan also participated by video conference. 

David Geanacopoulos, Anne-Marie Schneider, Christoph Kohnen and Stuart Johnson from VW 

participated in the meeting, and from EPA the participants included Margo Oge, Chet France, 

and Bill Charmley 

The discussion topic was focused on the level of stringency for the proposed GHG standards and 

VW participants provided EPA with a confidential set of briefing material to highlight their 

technical concerns with the proposal, which included concerns with the relative stringency of the 

proposed passenger car and truck standards and VW’s concerns of the potential impact of the 

standards on competitiveness within the U.S. light-duty vehicle market. 

Volkswagen stated that they would be submitting detailed comments on these issues to the public 

docket for this rulemaking prior to the close of the public comment period. 
January 9, 2012 Meeting

This meeting was held at the Volkswagen’s meeting rooms at the Detroit Auto Show in Detroit, 

Michigan. Representatives from Volkswagen Wolfgang Hatz, Jonathan Browning, David 

Geanacopoulos, Anna-Marie Schneider, Christoph Kohnen, and Stuart Johnson. 

Representatives from EPA included Margo Oge, Chet France, and Bill Charmley 

The discussion topic was focused on the level of stringency for the proposed GHG standards and 

VW participants discussed with EPA their technical concerns with the proposal, which included 

concerns with the stringency of the proposed passenger car, and VW’s concerns regarding the 

potential impact of the standards on competitiveness within the U.S. light-duty vehicle market. 

VW informed EPA that they would provide detailed comments on these topics, including 

supporting data and recommendations for the final rule, in written comments to be submitted in 

February 2012. 

April 25, 2012 Meeting

This memo documents a meeting held on April 25, 2012 between representatives of the 

Volkswagen (VW) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which included to 

discussions regarding the EPA/NHTSA Joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Greenhouse 

Gas and CAFE Standards for Model Year 2017-2025 Light-Duty Vehicles. This meeting took 

place in a conference room at the Palace Hotel in Munich, Germany 

Representatives from Volkswagen were Wolfgang Hatz, Christoph Kohnen, and Oliver Schmidt. 

Representatives from EPA were Margo Oge, Chet France, Bill Charmley, and Matt Spears. 

The discussion topics focused on VW’s future technology plans and how such plans related to 

the proposed model year 2017-2025 GHG standards. VW also summarized the main points from 

their written comments submitted on the proposed rule in February, 2012.