The European Parliament has voted to officially adopted a 175g/km CO2 short term and 147g/km CO2 long term target for manufacturer’s average emissions for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs).
The challenging targets have been set to address concerns that commercial transport, a major source of C02, was not being challenged to reduce CO2 emissions in the same way that cars are. Manufacturers are already under an obligation to cut average fleet CO2 emissions for cars under the New Car CO2 Regulation to 130g/km by 2013 or face penalties.
Light commercial vehicle manufacturers must now look to achieve average fleet emissions of 175g/km between 2014 and 2017 ((phased in with 70%, 75% and 80% of each manufacturers’ fleet complying in 2014-16 respectively and 100% from 2017 onwards). A longer term target of 147g/km by 2020 is to be confirmed in a review in 2013.
As an incentive for selling ultra low carbon LCVs (<50g/km), manufacturers can count each qualifying LCV several times when calculating their fleet average CO2. They can be counted 3.5 times in 2014 and 2015, then 2.5 (2016), 1.5 (2017) and 1.0 in 2018. There will be a cap on super credits at 25,000 vehicles per manufacturer over the super credits period to 2018.
"Industry is pleased that the European Parliament has come to a decision on CO2 emission targets for LCVs as vehicle manufacturers are committed to lowering emissions as part of ongoing introductions of low, lower and ultra-low carbon vehicles," said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. "The UK is well placed to capitalise on low carbon technologies and manufacturers now need government to demonstrate its support for sustained investment in skills, R&D and capital equipment."
