Car and van makers meeting CO2 emission targets ahead of schedule says EEA
Sat 01 November 2014
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Almost all car and van manufacturers have met European CO2 emission limits several years ahead of their deadlines, according to updated information from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
A new EEA report, 'Monitoring CO2 emissions from passenger cars and vans in 2013' presents final data for both vehicle types, updating preliminary data published earlier this year.
The average passenger car sold in Europe in 2013 emitted 126.7g CO2/km, already below the legal threshold of 130g CO2/km to be fully reached by 2015. Similarly, the average van sold must have emissions below 175 g CO2/km by 2017, but levels were already at 173.3 g CO2/km last year.
The updated data confirms findings from preliminary data published earlier this year, which showed that new cars in 2013 were on average 14 % more efficient than those sold in 2010.
Of the individual car manufacturers, Renault had the lowest average CO2 emissions (110 g CO2/km) for new passenger vehicles registered in 2013. Renault, Toyota, Peugeot and Citroen continue to produce most of the lowest-emitting cars.
Of the 84 car manufacturers in Europe, 55 met their individual specific emissions targets in 2013. These manufacturers represent 99 % of all registrations.
The report says that while electric car numbers account for only a small proportion of total registrations, they are increasing rapidly. The number of purely electric cars in the EU has increased from around 700 in 2010 to around 25 000 in 2013. Plug-in hybrid numbers have also increased rapidly over recent years.
However, there is an observed and growing discrepancy between approved test results and real world driving. On this, the EEA also comments that "over past years there has been a growing concern that this standardised test is not representative of 'real world' driving conditions".
The report includes a comparison of the reported test cycle CO2 emissions with estimated real world emissions. The assessment shows that real world driving conditions may lead to emissions around a fifth higher on average. The difference may be up to a third higher for larger cars, the report shows.
It says that a new test known as the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) will be introduced in the future so that laboratory results may better represent actual vehicle performance on the road.
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