The average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new cars sold in Spain stood at 117 grams per kilometer traveled so far this year, representing an increase of 1.8% compared to the average of the same period of the year. last year, according to data from the consultancy MSI for the dealers’ management, Faconauto. In this way, we continue with the negative trend experienced by this statistic during 2017, when this statistic was increased for the first time in ten years.
The drop in the registrations of the latest generation diesel cars that emit less CO2 than gasoline and that already represent only 36.9% of the market, is the key that explains this increase, according to the employers. Diesel car sales fell 16.5% through September, while gasoline sales increased 36.7%, accounting for 55.5% of all acquisitions.
Diesel engines emit up to 20% less CO2 than gasoline equivalents, so the drop in their registrations, together with the rise of gasoline, explains the poor data of average emissions so far this year.
In this regard, Faconauto believes that, with the current configuration of the market, which is dominated by combustion engines, the latest generation of diesel vehicles is essential to achieve climate objectives and decarbonization of transport in the near future. The countries of the European Union reached an agreement yesterday to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars and vans by 35% in 2030.
Regarding the evolution of CO2 emissions in Spain, they have experienced significant drops since 2004, when they stood at 155 grams per square kilometer, although during 2017 it increased for the first time in ten years. This trend seems to continue so far in 2018, increasing average emissions or maintaining the figure of 116 grams reached last year.
At the same time, for the management of the concessionaires, Alternative Energy Vehicles (VEA) will play a leading role in the mobility of the future, but they still do not end up being a real alternative for citizens, despite the fact that they are experiencing a strong rebound. Thus, so far this year the electric only accounted for 0.3% of registrations. On the other hand, hybrids (gasoline or diesel / electric motor) 5.7% and hybrids gas 1.1%.
The real arrival to the VEA market will also be key to achieving significant CO2 reductions beyond the 2020 levels, but it also depends on the availability of the recharging infrastructure. In this regard, the leadership of Public Administrations to intensify investments in infrastructure is not enough, despite being determinant, as other countries in our environment do.
“The increase in average CO2 emissions of cars sold in Spain is a clear indicator that the debate generated around diesel is unrealistic, which is being counterproductive to the common objective, in which the sector is completely involved, which is to achieve sustainable mobility. To do this, in addition to maintaining a technological neutrality, one must go to the root of the problem, a very old and polluting automobile fleet and promote the solution that goes through facilitating the scrapping of those older cars. This has to be one of the essential issues that gathers the framework agreement in which the Government is already working with the sector, through the Strategic Automotive Council, in which Faconauto also participates “, said the president of the employer’s association , Gerardo Pérez
CC data. AA.
By Autonomous Community, all have seen the average carbon dioxide emissions of new cars sold, with the exception of the Canary Islands, which has maintained its average of 118 grams per square kilometer so far this year.
Thus, the rest of the regions experience an increase in CO2 with Ceuta and Melilla at the top with 126 grams, which is three grams more than the previous year. They are followed by Aragón and País Vasco (121), Navarra and La Rioja (120), Asturias, Castilla y León and Cataluña (119), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha and the Valencian Community (117), Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Galicia and Murcia (116) and Extremadura and the Community of Madrid (115).