UK beats 2015 emissions targets
The trend of falling CO2 emissions from newly registered cars shows no signs of slowing according to new statistics from the Department for Transport. The average CO2 emissions from newly registered cars in Great Britain was a record low 122.3 g/km which is 7.7 g/km below the 2015 EU target in the period of January – March 2015. This is a 3% improvement on the 126.1 g/km recorded in the first quarter of 2014 and an impressive 20% improvement on the 153.5 g/km recorded in the first quarter of 2009.
In addition, new registrations of ultra-low emissions vehicles (ULEVs) that emit less than 75 g/km experienced an unprecedented increase. In the first quarter of 2015 9,046 ULEVs were registered which represents an increase of 366% from the figure of 1,941 in the same quarter in 2014. The number of newly registered ULEVs now totals over 36,000 with just under 25,000 being registered since 2014.
The UK, in common with other countries in the EU, now has to meet the 2020 target of 95 g/km CO2 emissions in new cars. With the continued improvement in emissions reductions and the growth in registrations of ULEVs, there are promising signs that the industry is rising to the challenge however there is still a long way to go. The UK automotive industry remains a hub of innovation for low carbon technology and strives to improve current ‘best in class’ technologies.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre has invested in 10 major low carbon propulsion projects worth more than £174 million which will secure or create more than 4,500 jobs in the UK and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 12 million tonnes, equivalent to the CO2 emissions from 630,000 new cars, every year, for the next 12 years.
The fourth APC funding competition (APC4) offering collaborative consortia the opportunity to have access to APC resources closed on 1st July 2015 and the results will be announced in Autumn 2015. The next funding competition (APC5) will open during November 2015, but urgent applications can be considered through an ‘exceptional process’.