Average new car CO2 emissions fell to record low due to surge in sales of ZEVs & ULEVs

Fri 04 February 2022 View all news

Average new car CO2 emissions fell by 11.2% in 2021, to the lowest ever recorded level of 119.7g/km according to the latest data from SMMT. The motor industry trade body says that the emissions reduction is the result of record sales of zero and ultra-low emission vehicles.

SMMT reported, however, that the new car market in January 2022 was 22.9% lower than in January 2020, as chip shortages in particular continue to impact supply.

Plug-in vehicles enjoyed another good month in January 2022, with 14,433 BEVs and 9,047 PHEVs registered; 20.4% of the overall market.

SMMT says that there are now more than 140 plug-in car models available to UK buyers, with almost 50 more scheduled for release in 2022. The latest market outlook forecasts that registrations of BEVs and PHEVs will grow by 61% and 42% respectively in 2022, meaning that, by the end of the year, almost a quarter of new cars will come with a plug.

In data reported separately, the numbers of electric vehicles (EVs) coming onto the second-hand market are rising fast, diesels’ share of this market has fallen by as much as 40% in a year, analysis by AA Cars (reported by Transport & Energy) shows. 

Diesel cars have become steadily less popular following the introduction of Clean Air Zones and additional taxation for  more polluting vehicles. In 2021 diesels accounted for just 8.2% of new car sales, with their market share halving compared to the 2020 level.

Image: Photo by myenergi on Unsplash (link)


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