JATO, the business intelligence company for the automotive sector, has published its 2021 report on CO emissions2 from new vehicles registered on the European market. Based on new data, the company was able to draw up an inventory of CO emissions2 in 17 continental markets including France, Belgium, Ireland and Slovenia.
Rise in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles, overall sales down… The year 2021 saw average CO emissions2 decrease, from 117.7 g/km in 2020 to 99 g/km.
SUVs, polluters on the road to redemption?
To draw up its annual report, JATO relied on data from WLTP, the new worldwide harmonized certification procedure for light vehicles (including passenger and commercial vehicles under 3.5 tonnes), which provides information precise and strict to study emissions on the 17 markets analysed.
The first observation is that of this reduction in CO emissions2which is partly explained by the health situation and the successive confinements, which have led to a decrease in sales of new vehicles for the past two years.
To explain this development, JATO also evokes the loss of ground of thermal vehicles in favor of 100% electric or plug-in hybrid cars as well as the latest regulations which oblige manufacturers to produce less polluting vehicles.
However, the market is still largely occupied by SUVs, which record 45% of CO emissions.2 related to light vehicles in Europe, far ahead of any other model. On the other hand, it should be noted that SUVs are also going electric (35 models of electric vehicles, out of 85 released during the year in Europe, were SUVs) and that manufacturers seem to be working to make these models less polluting.
Also, as a paradoxical consequence of the high demand for this type of vehicle and the increase in the production of 100% electric SUVs (28 electric or hybrid out of the 39 SUV models released in 2021), according to the JATO report, these are the Mid-size SUVs which are officially the greenest vehicles in Europe with an average of 65.4g/km CO emissions2.
Still, this does not compensate for the pollution of luxury SUVs, which produce an average of 252 g/km, more than in 2020…
Tesla, Renault and Hyundai crowned best students
JATO has grouped together several rankings in its 2021 report, including a first showing the 25 most popular brands according to their average emissions. Unsurprisingly, it is the American brand Tesla which tops the list, with 0 g/km, logical since the manufacturer only produces 100% electric vehicles.
In second position, we find Renault with 86.7 g/km. The French brand has been able to improve its emissions average thanks to the success of its electric ZOE, whose sales have exceeded diesel models. Finally, we find Hyundai which, for its part, saw the demand for electric cars and plug-in hybrids explode last year, to represent 24% of its new registrations.
Another table ranks brands according to the average reduction in their CO2 emissions2. According to these data, it is the Spaniards of Cupra (which does not even appear in the ranking of the brands that emit the least CO2) which have made the greatest reduction with a 40% reduction in emissions between the year 2020 and 2021. Jeep (- 24% to 122 g/km) and Skoda (- 23% to 101 g/km) complete the podium .
Bad (or even very bad) students, the Subaru, Ssangyong, Mahindra, Maserati and Lancia brands were the only ones studied to have increased their CO emissions2 over the year with an increase of more than 15% for the Italians of Lancia.
Obvious territorial disparities
Although the average of emissions has fallen on all of the 17 markets studied, some countries are far better performers than others – relatively speaking, but we will come back to this. Norway is by far the least polluting country with only 16.9 g/km on average, a decrease of 49% in one year, which is explained by the fact that nearly two thirds of the cars registered in 2021 were 100% electric cars. This share of electrified vehicles increases to 85% if plug-in hybrids are included.
Obviously, not everything is to be thrown at the heads of the countries and their inhabitants, and the countries which have recorded the least significant reductions in emissions (Croatia, Slovenia, Spain), are also those where per capita income is lower, making therefore more difficult access to cars with low CO emissions2still expensive.
Source : JATO Consulting
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