Road transport: Reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles

Policy

In 2016, road transport contributed nearly 21% of the EU's total emissions (of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the main greenhouse gas.

Evening traffic jam with brake lights © Digital Vision/Digital Vision

Light-duty vehicles

Light-duty vehicles – cars and light commercial vehicles (vans) – produced around 15% of the 2016 EU's emissions of CO₂.

EU legislation sets binding CO₂ emission targets for the new car and van fleets.

The targets for 2015 (for cars) and 2017 (for vans) were achieved already in 2013.

On 17 April 2019, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2019/631 setting new CO₂ emission standards for cars and vans, which will apply from 1 January 2020.

CO₂ labelling of cars

To help drivers choose new cars with low fuel consumption, EU legislation requires Member States to ensure that relevant information is provided to consumers, including a label showing a car's fuel efficiency and CO₂ emissions.

Heavy-duty vehicles

Heavy-duty vehicles – trucks and buses – are responsible for about a quarter of CO₂ emissions from road transport in the EU and for some 5% of total EU emissions.

In May 2018, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Regulation setting the first ever CO₂ emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles in the EU, on which a provisional agreement was found by the European Parliament and the Council in February 2019.

Fuel quality

Fuel quality is an important element in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport. EU legislation requires the greenhouse gas intensity of vehicle fuels to be cut by up to 10% by 2020.

Studies

Studies supporting the development of EU policy on CO₂ emissions from cars and vans

The information and views set out in the reports and studies published below are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in these reports and studies. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Year	Study
2017	Assessment of the Modalities for LDV CO₂ Regulations beyond 2020
2016	Data gathering and analysis to improve understanding of the second hand car and LCV markets and implications for cost effectiveness and social equity of LDV CO₂ regulations Consideration of LDV leasing in relation to the cost effectiveness of LDV CO₂ regulation Consideration of the role of speed limiters in the light commercial vehicle CO₂ regulation Consideration of the impacts of LDV scrappage schemes Exploration of EU road vehicle fuel consumption and disaggregation Fitment and pricing of optional extras onto new motor vehicles in the UK and their resale in the used market Supporting analysis on real-world light-duty vehicle CO₂ emissions
2015	Evaluation of Light Duty Vehicle CO₂ emission Regulations Competitiveness impacts of post-2020 LDV CO₂ Regulation Competitiveness study mindmaps LDV mass reduction potential and future CO₂ Regulation (Appendices) Impact of mileage on cost effectiveness of LDV CO₂ Regulation Improvements to the definition of lifetime mileage of light duty vehicles Correction algorithms for WLTP chassis dynamometer and coast-down testing
2013	Consideration of alternative approaches to regulating CO₂ emissions from light duty road vehicles for the period after 2020 Analysis of the influence of metrics for future CO₂ legislation for Light Duty Vehicles on deployment of technologies and GHG abatement costs
2012	Support for the revision of regulation on CO₂ emissions from light commercial vehicles
2011	Impacts of electric vehicles - Summary Report An overview of Electric Vehicles on the market and in development Assessment of electric vehicle and battery technology Assessment of the future electricity sector Economic analysis and business models Impact analysis for market uptake scenarios and policy implications
2011	Uncertainty/Sensitivity analysis of the transport model TREMOVE Support for the revision of Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 on CO₂ emissions from cars Report on the Effect of the Regulations and the Standards on Vehicle Prices
2011	JRC Report: Analyzing on-road emissions of light-duty vehicles with Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) - Corrigendum
2010	Graphical User Interface for the European Transport Model TREMOVE
2010	Update and further development of transport model TREMOVE European second-hand car market analysis and (data)
2009	Assessment with respect to long term CO₂ emission targets for passenger cars and vans
2008	Impacts of regulatory options to reduce CO₂ emissions from cars, in particular on car manufacturers Assessment of options for the legislation of CO₂ emissions from light commercial vehicles
2007	JRC Report: Mobile Measurement of Pollutant Emissions and Fuel Consumption of Road Vehicles In Real-World Driving Situations Using Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) Possible regulatory approaches to reducing CO₂ emissions from cars - Final report - Technical notes annexed to the final report - Data tables and graphs for Technical Note 9
2006	Review and analysis of the reduction potential and costs of technological and other measures to reduce CO₂-emissions from passenger cars Support of the Impact Assessment of Various Policy Scenarios to Reduce CO₂ Emissions from Passenger Cars Results of TREMOVE runs carried out in preparation of the review of the CO₂ and cars strategy
2005	Service contract to carry out economic analysis and business impact assessment of CO₂ emission reduction measures in the automotive sector: Final Report and Annexes) Development of a procedure for the determination of the additional fuel consumption of passenger cars (M1 vehicles) due to the use of mobile air conditioning equipment
2004	Review of the commitment of car manufacturers to reduce CO₂ emissions from M1 vehicles Measuring and preparing reduction measures for CO₂ emissions from N1 vehicles
2002	Options to integrate the use of mobile airconditioning systems and auxiliary heaters into the emission type approval test and the fuel consumption test for passenger cars (M1 vehicles)