The French brand is the one that has a less polluting range as a whole, while the Spanish is the one that has made the most progress in this regard. A total of seven manufacturers remain below the 100 g/km barrier.
JATO, the company that provides information and analysis related to the automotive sector, has issued its latest report on the progress of said industry in 2021. And, in terms of polluting emissions, the reduction has been remarkable.
In fact, the average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in the European Union last year was 99 g/km, up from 117.7 g/km in 2020. And this despite the fact that 45% of sales were from SUVs, the segment with the highest average emissions (107.9 g/km) as a result of its greater weight and size.
Although the truth is that SUVs have also reduced their emissions to a greater extent than the rest thanks to the increase in the supply of electrified SUVs; as 35 of the 85 electric models sold in Europe last year were SUVs.
Spain, in the European average
The report also highlights that there are still notable differences between the countries of the European Union, although progress was made in all of them. Average emissions fell between 5% in Slovenia and 49% in Norwaywhich continued to lead in average emissions and pure electric car market share.
In 2021, the average CO₂ emissions produced by new cars registered in Norway totaled just 16.9 g/km, the best result in Europe. This is due to the popularity of low-emission vehicles, with almost two out of three registered passenger cars in 2021 being purely electric, or PHEV, a staggering 85%.
Spain, for its part, registered average emissions of 96.8 g/km in 2021. The EU country with the most emissions is Slovenia (127.6 g/km).
Renault leads the emissions race
The JATO report also analyzes the evolution of the 25 brands with the highest sales volume in the European Union. Logically, Tesla is the manufacturer that generates the least emissions (0 g/km) as it is the only one with an entirely electric range.
But, ignoring the American manufacturer, who is doing the best job so far is Renault, which with an average of 86.7 g/km in 2021 leads the European ranking. The French firm also reduces its average compared to 2020, a period in which it was 98 g/km.
Renault is followed Hyundai (89.8), MINI (90.1), KIA (91.9), FIAT (92.8), Volkswagen (96.3) and Peugeot (97.9), the only ones that are already below the 100 g/km barrier. A fact that in 2020 only Tesla and Renault achieved.
At the opposite extreme we find Land Rover (169.3), Porsche (123.7) and Jeep (122.8)which still have a long way to go to adapt their range of models to the demands of the European Union.
CUPRA reduces its emissions more than anyone
If we look at the data of the brands that have reduced their CO₂ emissions the most during the 2021 financial year, CUPRA wins the jackpot thanks to a 40% reduction compared to 2021.
The Spanish brand belonging to the Volkswagen Group currently has four models for sale, being the Born 100% electric and counting the Formentor and the León with plug-in hybrid versions.
Jeep, Skoda and MG they have also made notable progress, surpassing the 20% reduction in emissions over the past year.
In contrast, four brands have not only not reduced their emissions, but have increased them. Especially striking is the case of Lancia, whose CO₂ emissions have grown by around 185%. Maserati (8%), Mahindra (6%), Ssangyong (2%) and Subaru (0%) have also failed to lower their average.
It is worth noting that when the EURO 7 regulations comes into force in 2025, the current maximum limit of 95 g/km of average CO₂ emissions will fall well below 50% of this amount, so we speak of less than 40 g/km.
Font: JATO Dynamics