Diesel and petrol vehicles exhibit approximately 20 per cent higher CO2 emissions than predicted earlier.
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Diesel and petrol vehicles exhibit approximately 20 per cent higher CO2 emissions than predicted earlier.
The European Commission has released its inaugural report on the real-world carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new passenger cars and vans, shedding light on a significant gap between official laboratory values and actual on-road performance. Based on data collected in 2021 from over 600,000 vehicles equipped with onboard fuel consumption monitoring (OBFCM) devices, the report underscores discrepancies that have long been anticipated but are now quantified.
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The findings reveal that diesel and petrol vehicles exhibit real-world fuel consumption and CO2 emissions approximately 20 per cent higher than indicated by standard laboratory tests, such as the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), commonly used for regulatory purposes. Consistent with expectations, this disparity suggests that real-world driving conditions, including traffic patterns, terrain, weather, and driver behaviour, significantly impact emissions performance.
Particularly striking is the performance of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which on average showed CO2 emissions 3.5 times higher than laboratory values. This discrepancy underscores a significant challenge in realising the potential environmental benefits of PHEVs, largely due to insufficient electric charging and usage. The report indicates that these vehicles are not being driven fully electrically as frequently as assumed, highlighting the importance of aligning real-world usage patterns with regulatory standards.
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While the dataset provides valuable insights into emissions performance, it also reveals data collection and coverage challenges. Despite mandatory installation of OBFCM devices in new cars and small vans since January 2021, fleet coverage in the first year fell below expectations, with data received for only 10.6 per cent of cars and 1 per cent of vans registered in the EU in 2021. Furthermore, for vans, the dataset was insufficient for in-depth analysis due to the delayed mandatory installation of monitoring devices for most models until 2022.
Nevertheless, the report emphasizes the importance of ongoing data collection and analysis to inform policy decisions and address discrepancies between laboratory tests and real-world performance. As the dataset expands and improves in representativeness, it will provide valuable insights into the evolution of emissions gaps and potential measures to mitigate them.
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The Commission has already taken steps to address these issues, including changes to the calculation of utility factors used in determining CO2 emissions during official testing procedures, slated to take effect in 2025. However, further adjustments may be necessary based on continued analysis of real-world data.
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