Most car manufacturers on track to meet 2012 CO2 targets

The findings come from the EEA report, CO₂ emissions performance of car manufacturers in 2011.

The EU has a target for the average new passenger car to emit less than 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (g CO₂/km) by 2015. Within this overall target individual manufacturers have specific targets, calculated using the average mass of their fleet. This means that the vehicle fleet can stay diversified by allowing higher emissions from heavier cars than from lighter vehicles.

The targets will be gradually phased in to apply to an increasing proportion of cars - 65 % of the fleet is taken into account for 2012 targets, rising to 100 % in 2015. Manufacturers have a long-term target of 95 g CO₂/km by 2020.

According to EU legislation, manufacturers can pool their fleets to receive a collective target, and smaller manufacturers can apply for special derogations. In 2011, 20 derogations were granted and all declared pools were in line with the estimated 2012 targets.

Next year the EEA will publish data showing whether the targets were met in 2012. If carmakers do not meet the targets, they will have to pay ‘excess emissions premiums’.

“Some carmakers have made deep efficiency improvements in recent years, showing what is possible,” EEA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said. “However, the transport sector needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68 % between 2010 and 2050. This objective cannot be met with technical improvements alone, it will also require a significant reduction in transport demand and a shift to greener transport modes.”

Key findings

• All major car manufacturers reduced their emissions between 2010 and 2011. The average EU emissions of all cars registered in 2011 were 135.7 g CO₂/km. Only 65% of the least emitting vehicles in each fleet is considered for compliance with the 2012 targets.
• Total fleet average emissions among the major manufacturers ranged from the Fiat group’s 118 g CO₂/km to the highest average level for Daimler, at 153 g CO₂/km. In 2011 both manufacturers were, nonetheless, below their individual 2012 targets.
• As in 2010, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd had the lowest average emissions level of the conventional fuelled cars (104 g CO₂/km).
• Of the 20 largest manufacturers in 2011 (see graph below), 18 were within 2012 targets, with the remaining two very close. Five of these manufacturers are also on track to meeting their 2015 target.
• The EEA figures confirm findings from preliminary data published in June 2012, which showed that new cars in 2011 were on average 3.3 % more efficient than those registered in 2010. A growing proportion of diesel vehicles was partly behind the drop in emissions. Decreasing average engine and vehicle size has been a factor for some manufacturers.
• While expected to contribute to future greenhouse gas emission reductions, alternative-fuelled vehicles made up a small proportion of new registrations in 2011 and did not significantly influence the overall trend.
• Registrations of pure electric vehicles remained low with under 9 000 cars registered in the EU, although this was a dramatic increase from the 700 registrations in 2010. In 2011, the number of manufacturers selling only pure electric vehicles increased to four.

Above: Distance to 2012 target by individual manufacturers in 2011 (only manufacturers registering >100 000 vehicles in Europe).

Background information

In 2013 EEA will collect and analyse for the first time Co2 emission from vans under the Regulation 510/2011.

More information

• Cars and CO2 dataset
• TERM report
• European Commission's decision