EU new car CO2 targets pushed back

The European Union’s plans to cap new cars to 95g/km CO2 by 2020 has been delayed, after months of lobbying led by Germany.

Instead, the 95g/km target will be introduced a year later in 2021, but with an additional amount of flexibility intended to make the transition easier – especially for luxury carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which generally build bigger, heavier vehicles.

Stricter CO2 rules will save drivers cash

Top 10 most economical cars

The new compromise, agreed on Tuesday (26 November 2013) and set to be presented to EU diplomats on Friday (29 November 2013), changes the rules on ‘supercredits’ – which allow manufacturers claim extra credit for especially low emissions cars, such as all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

In fact, the new agreement effectively triples the value of these cars over the 2020-2022 period, allowing up to an extra 7.5g/km CO2 to be counted during this time, creating additional leeway.

The revisions will be seen as a victory for the German car industry, which has spent the last six months lobbying for changes, in opposition to the existing agreement, which was only reached in June.

Safe to say the reaction of many environmental groups will be that of disappointment, but assuming the new deal actually makes it into law, there is at least the hope of future certainty.

Speaking to the Reuters news agency, for example, Greg Archer of the Transport & Environment campaign group:

“It is disgraceful that the heavy-handed lobbying of Germany has paid off in weakening the 95g target.

“Still, the revised deal will provide much needed regulatory certainty and ensure cars continue to reduce their CO2 emissions and improve fuel efficiency.”

However, to become law, the new agreement must be signed off by the governments of EU member states, as well as the European parliament – so there are no guarantees just yet.

The current EU CO2 target is a 130g/km average, which comes into force in 2015, but most carmakers are understood to be well on the way to achieving this. Fiat, for example, was already down to a 119.8g/km average across its range in 2012.

On Bing: see pictures of low CO2 cars

Find out how much a used hybrid car costs on Auto Trader

Stricter CO2 rules will save drivers cash

Top 10 most economical cars

By motoringresearch.com