EU Parliament backs future CO₂ emission rules for cars

25 February 2014

Members of the European Parliament voted to approve the 95g/km CO₂ emission target for new cars, with the amended phase-in schedule and super-credit rules that were negotiated with the EU national governments in November 2013. The text retains the 95 g target, albeit with a one-year phase-in period in 2020. It also allows super credits, whereby the cleanest cars in each manufacturer’s range count for more than others, to apply from 2020 to 2022.

The 95 g/km mandatory target would be fully phased-in by 2021. In 2020, 95% of each manufacturer’s new vehicle fleet would have to comply with the new CO₂ standards.

Super-credits—favorable weightings for cleaner cars within a manufacturer’s range—would be allowed from 2020 to 2022, and capped at 7.5 g/km over that period. No super-credits would be available in 2016-2020. The following multipliers will apply: a car emitting less than 50 g/km will count as 2 passenger cars in 2020, 1.67 passenger cars in 2021, 1.33 passenger cars in 2022, and 1 passenger car in 2023.

The new World Light Duty Test Procedure (WLTP) which better reflects real-world driving conditions, should come into force at the earliest opportunity, says the adopted text. MEPs noted that recent studies show that manufacturers have exploited weaknesses in the current procedure, leading to official consumption and emission figures which are far from those achieved in everyday driving conditions.

The European Commission has indicated its support for a 2017 deadline for the WLTP. However, the CO₂ emissions deal with the national governments did not include a change in the test cycle, which indicates that the existing NEDC test will likely continue to be used through 2020-2022, at least for the purpose of fleet CO₂ calculations.

The new CO₂ regulation must still be approved by the EU Council of Ministers to enter into force.

Source: European Parliament