On Wednesday 14 July, the European Commission will present a proposal for a revision of the regulation (2019/631) setting European standards for CO2 emissions from new cars and vans. A draft document from the institution obtained by EUROPE outlines the proposal.
The end of petrol and diesel cars?
In force since 1 January 2020, Regulation 2019/631 sets fleet-wide CO2 emission targets for the EU.
According to this text, CO2 emissions from new cars and vans will have to be reduced by 15% from 2025 onwards compared to the level in 2021. From 2030 onwards, this percentage increases to 37.5% (cars) and 31% (vans).
Based on these target percentages, specific emission targets are set annually for each car manufacturer, to take account of the average mass of the manufacturer’s new vehicles registered in a given year. This means that manufacturers of heavier cars are allowed to produce higher average emissions than manufacturers of lighter cars.
Although the draft revision proposal confirms the Commission’s intention to increase the percentages for 2030 and to set targets from 2035 and 2040 onwards, it does not specify what these new targets will be.
It is therefore not clear at this stage whether the EU institution is considering setting percentages that would amount to a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from a certain date, as called for by environmental NGOs in particular. According to our information, the Commission is debating a target of 65% from 2030. Eight commissioners are said to be opposed to this idea.
However, the draft document states that the benchmark is determined on the basis of the average of the specific emissions targets for 2021, calculated from emissions values measured during the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test procedure) - a new test procedure for measuring CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of passenger cars and vans since September 2018 (see EUROPE 12086/16) - rather than the emissions values declared by manufacturers.
“The starting point 2021 will be published by the Commission on 31 October 2022”, the draft further states.
Zero and low emission vehicles
In the current regulation, the Commission also planned to introduce a different credit system for zero and low emission vehicles from 2025.
The scheme aims to relax a manufacturer’s specific emissions target if its share of new zero- and low-emission cars (with emissions between 0 and 50 g CO2 /km registered in a given year exceeds 15% from 2025 and 35% from 2030. For vans, these percentages are 15 and 30% respectively.
Although the Commission intends to retain this system, the draft indicates that it would cease to apply on 31 December 2029.
Derogations
Finally, the Commission is reported to be intending to remove, from 2030 onwards, the possibility for manufacturers producing between 1,000 and 10,000 new passenger cars or between 1,000 and 22,000 new vans per year to apply for a derogation from their emissions target.
In contrast, manufacturers producing fewer than 1,000 new passenger cars or fewer than 1,000 new vans per year would remain exempt from meeting their specific emissions target.
See the draft: https://bit.ly/2TSV0Dv (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)