The scrappage scheme has put the car industry on track to meet the EU target of 130g/km of CO2 by 2012.
That’s the verdict of Clean Green Cars, which launched an investigation that found that average new car CO2 fell by 5.5 per cent in the first nine months of 2009 from an average of 159.31g/km in September 2008 to 150.56g/km in September 2009.
The current rate of improvement puts the UK on track to meet the 130g/km average ahead of the deadline with Toyota having already dropped below the threshold with an average of 129.2g/km. According to publisher Jay Nagley, the achievement should send a message to the entire car industry.
“It is highly significant that a major manufacturer has met the EU target, as it means no mainstream car manufacturer has an excuse for failing to meet the target in future,” he said.
Toyota’s achievements stem from its decision to drop three models from its UK line-up that had higher emissions – the MR2, Previa and the Celica. The Toyota Optimal Drive System has also reduced emissions across the range and the Prius hybrid has made a noticeable difference to the average CO2 figure.
Other manufacturers to have made significant gains include Hyundai with an average of 134.4g/km and Audi, which has cut its emissions by 9.6 per cent to 158.2g/km. Ford however, has the largest reduction in terms of the absolute tonnes of CO2 saved largely thanks to the introduction of the new Ka and Fiesta.
