European Union Boosts Standards for Vehicle Efficiency - June 2013
 

According to the European Commission's** 'Climate Action' website,

"Road transport contributes about one-fifth of the EU's total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas. .."
.. " Transport is the only major sector in the EU where greenhouse gas emissions are still rising."
"Following up on a European Commission strategy adopted in 2007, the EU has put in place a comprehensive legal framework to reduce CO2 emissions from new light duty vehicles..." , setting new goals for 2015 and more stringent goals for 2020.

As stated on the website, "In terms of fuel consumption,

  • the 2015 target is approximately equivalent to 5.6 liters per 100 km for petrol (gasoline) vehicles or 4.9 liters / 100 km for diesel vehicles.
  • The 2020 target equates approximately to 4.1 l/100 km of petrol or 3.6 l/100 km of diesel."

    In terms more commonly used in the United States, the above equates to:

  • Petrol (gasoline) vehicles: Miles per gallon increase from 41.9 in 2015 to 62.1 in 2020
  • Diesel vehicles: Miles per gallon increase from 47.9 in 2015 to 65.2 in 2020

    We applaud the EU's actions as a significant step in reducing GHG emissions.

    To read more about EU programs on reducing vehicle emissions, click here.

    ** The European Commission is the Executive Branch of the European Union (EU) government

    Click here to return to our Significant Efforts page