• EU moves a step closer to stopping the oil waste from cars

    Transport & Environment (T&E) welcomes the outcome of a key vote today to make passenger cars more fuel-efficient in 2020 and beyond. The Environment Committee of the European Parliament confirmed that new cars sold in 2020 should achieve an average fuel economy of around 3.9 litres/100km.

    Download file - form

    Please complete the this form to have access to file, once submitted the file will load on the browser window.

    [mailchimp_signup][/mailchimp_signup]

    Commenting on the vote, Greg Archer, T&E programme manager for clean vehicles, said: “This vote helps stop oil waste, fight climate change, and create high tech jobs. CO2 standards for cars show how environmental law is not only good for the planet but also creates widespread economic and societal benefits.” He added: “The indication of a 2025 target range is real progress, but we need 2.5 litres per 100km to stimulate the shift to zero-carbon cars.”

    The European Parliament also helpfully voted to improve the ways cars are tested, which will reduce the wide gap between official fuel economy figures and those achieved by drivers on the road. Additionally, it curbed flexibilities that water down the 2020 target [3] and slow the pace of future fuel economy improvements.

    The fewer CO2 emissions a car emits, the more fuel-efficient it is. With today’s fuel prices, the elimination of flexibilities in the law means that in 2020 the average European driver will save €647 a year on fuel bills compared to current vehicles [4]. The costs of technology will pay back in around two years.

    “Member States must now follow the direction of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament to ensure that Europe reaps all the benefits of this law,” Greg Archer concluded.