Europe has made the hunt for CO2 emissions its hobbyhorse. To bring car manufacturers in line, the Commission has set drastic targets and taxes brands that do not meet them. Who are the best students in 2021? The argus takes stock.
The European Union will ban the sale of thermal engine vehicles on the Old Continent in 2035 with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The objective set implies that manufacturers convert their range to 100% electric. They are making a forced march there while meeting short-term objectives set by the European Commission.
Indeed, they must already no longer exceed an average CO2 emissions target2. This is different for each brand for fairness reasons. If exceeded, they are penalized with a fine of €95 per excess gram and per vehicle sold. Enough to encourage them not to get out of the nails… So which manufacturers have reduced their CO emissions the most?2 in 2021? Office Jato Dynamics take stock.
Rising SUV sales, CO emissions2 falling
With the pandemic and the semiconductor crisis, 2021 has been a difficult year for manufacturers. In order not to be penalized too much, they have often decided to rationalize their range, refocusing on their most profitable and best-selling models. ” In most cases, these were electric cars and SUVs explains Jato. Although SUVs are larger and heavier, the arrival of a large number of models zero emissions enabled the balance sheet to be balanced.
” Mid-size SUVs emerged as the greenest vehicles in Europe with a total average of 65.4 g/km ” point out the experts. Conversely, city models are more difficult to electrify in order to contain prices. Incidentally, these B-segment SUVs displayed ” the second highest average among all SUV sub-segments, behind luxury models » mentions Jato who warns that the manufacturers will have to « finding solutions since this segment is the fastest growing “. Another notable phenomenon in this assessment: the success of the Tesla Model 3. It has made it possible to lower the average CO2 emissions2 in the sedan category – yet less and less popular – at 75.9 g/km. It’s as good as it gets in the city car segment (76.9 g/km)!
Finally, average CO emissions2 of all car brands in Europe, fell from 117.7 g/km in 2020 to 99 g/km in 2021. ” This decrease is the result of the improvement in the sales mix containing more low-emission cars, less polluting SUVs, and the general decline in sales observed following the pandemic. explains Jato Dynamics.
Renault shines!
As for the manufacturers’ ranking, Tesla – the only 100% electric brand in this top 25 of the best-selling brands in Europe – unsurprisingly occupies first place in the ranking. Renault and Hyundai still rank 2 respectivelyand and 3and with respectively 86.7 and 89.8 g of CO2 /km. The diamond manufacturer has reduced the average carbon dioxide emissions of its range by 11.5%, thanks in particular to the success of the Zoe and the launch of several rechargeable hybrid versions. Nevertheless “ the majority of Renault vehicles sold in 2021 were still equipped with petrol engines, producing an average of 123.4 g/km reports Jato. For its part, the Korean firm has also improved by lowering its average CO2 emissions by 16%.2. The reason ? A big success of its zero-emission and plug-in hybrid cars, which saw their sales increase by 26% and 246% respectively. “ The Korean brand is now among the 10 most popular among people looking for low-emission vehicles Jato points out.
The brands that are improving the most
As for the brands that have lowered their average emissions the most, we can mention: Mini, Skoda and Jeep. The British brand reduced its score by 20% (90.1 g/km), thanks to the good sales of its Cooper SE. Skoda has reduced its emissions by 22% with the success of its Enyaq electric SUV. As for Jeep, if it only points to the 23and ranking position, the American manufacturer has managed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 23.2%2. He can thank the arrival of the rechargeable hybrid versions (4Xe) on the Renegade and Compass. These two models accounted for 26% of the brand’s total volume in Europe. Finally, if Cupra is not one of the 25 best-selling brands on the Old Continent, it is she who records the strongest drop with CO emissions.2 -40% thanks to its PHEV models and its compact electric Born, a cousin of the Volkswagen ID3.
CO emissions2 of our cars by country
In its study, the firm Jato Dynamics also dwells on the classification of countries. Unsurprisingly, it is in Norway – where electrified vehicles are king – that CO emissions2 are the lowest. The average is only 16.9 g/km! It must be said that nearly two out of three passenger cars registered in 2021 are purely electric. And SUVs are particularly popular there, says Jato. They accounted for 65% of sales in 2021. Conversely, markets such as Slovenia, Croatia and Greece show average CO2 very high. In these countries, where the average income per capita is lower than in many northern European countries, motorists do not invest in expensive zero-emission models for lack of purchasing power and consequent financial incentives from governments. .
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