A recent report by the European Court of Auditors shows that despite efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from thermal cars, the latter do not contribute to a significant reduction in the level of pollution. The progress seen in the automotive sector is mainly due to the rapid growth of electric vehicles.

Since 2010, the European regulation sets targets for CO emissions₂ for new cars. Since 2012, specific targets have also been set for manufacturers. However, according to the Accounting Chamber, CO emissions₂ the number of new passenger cars began to significantly decrease only from 2020, that is, 11 years after the introduction of the first norm.

Thermal machines are persona non grata

Emissions from combustion engine cars have not actually decreased in real-world conditions. This apparent decline is rather attributed growing adoption of electric vehicles in the market. During the period 2009-2019, the average emissions of new vehicles in real conditions did not undergo a significant reduction. Manufacturers have mainly focused their efforts on reducing emissions measured in the laboratory rather than those observed on the road. Remember that actual emissions depend on various factors such as driver behavior, traffic and air conditioning use.
In 2017, the introduction of a new laboratory test cycle, the WLTP cycle, which replaced the NEDC, helped to better reflect real-world driving conditions. This made it possible, in particular, to fill the gaps from the previous cycle and reduce the gap between the emissions measured in the laboratory and those actually observed on the road. However, some gray areas remain.

Standards… which are ultimately not enough

However, the Accounting Chamber emphasizes that the targets for reducing CO emissions₂ for cars do not meet the climate ambitions of the European Union by 2030. Reducing emissions from the transport sector, responsible for 23% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, remains the main challenge for the legislator, and even the widely contested Euro 7 standard should not be enough.
The transition to zero-emission vehicles, in particular electric vehicles, identified as a key solution for achieving emission reduction goals. The Accounting Chamber emphasizes the importance of making electric vehicles available, developing sufficient charging infrastructure and ensuring an adequate supply of the necessary raw materials.

This observation has already been made by most participants in the automotive industry.

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