2008 sees record vehicle CO2 drop
The CO2 emissions of new cars dropped an impressive 4.2 per cent compared to the emissions recorded in 2007, figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows.
The average new car model manufactured during 2008 now boasts an emissions rate of just 158.0g/km, compared to 189.8g/km a decade ago in 1997.
Car fleet managers will already be at the forefront of the low-carbon emissions vehicle industry as the government has, for some years, offered attractive tax breaks to companies which purchase car fleets with low emissions levels.
In 2009, however, the problems facing car fleet managers will be the difficulties financing the latest and lowest-emitting vehicles given that the car industry itself is struggling to produce the models it had planned for this year.
The SMMT's New Car CO2 report, published yesterday (March 11th) shows that new cars in all markets have dropped their average CO2 emission rate, while the majority of cars purchased by consumers in 2008 were from the bottom quarter of the emissions range.
European vehicle manufacturers will be required to ensure that their average car fleets emit an average of less than 130g/km by 2015.
