MADRID, June 25 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new passenger cars registered in Europe in 2018 increased by 1.6% compared to the previous year, to 120.4 grams of CO2 per kilometer, which translates into the second increase consecutive year.
According to a study published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), after a constant decrease from 2010 to 2016, in almost 22 grams of CO2 per kilometer, the average emissions of new passenger cars increased in 2017 by 0.4 grams of CO2 per kilometer, while the upward trend continued last year with an additional rise of 2 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
The main factor contributing to the increase in average CO2 emissions of new cars last year in Europe was the greater number of registrations of gasoline vehicles compared to diesel vehicles.
According to the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA), 2018 was also the second year in which the sales of gasoline vehicles were ahead of diesel, which continued to decline.
Specifically, some 8.5 million petrol cars were sold on the European market last year, which represents an increase of 11.8% compared to 2017, compared to 5.4 million units registered for gas oil , 18% less. At the same time, some 302,000 electrified cars were marketed.
“Clearly, there is a correlation between sales of diesel and gasoline vehicles and CO2 emissions, which is because gasoline cars emit more CO2 than equivalent diesel,” said ACEA general secretary Erik Jonnaert.
On the other hand, the average emissions of light commercial vehicles such as vans increased for the first time in 2018 since the records began in 2011. It stood at 158.1 grams of CO2 per kilometer, 1.3% more .
In 2018, 1.66 million new vans were registered in Europe, representing an increase of 3.5% compared to the previous year. Although diesel continues to dominate this segment, the market share of gas-powered vans has increased since 2016.