New Vehicle CO2 Emissions Continue to Reduce

New Vehicle CO2 Emissions Continue to Reduce

New vehicle imports are reducing our CO2 global warming footprint, according to figures released by the Motor Industry Association.

Carbon emissions from new cars have dropped steadily over the last few years, from an average of 220.7 grams per kilometer in 2006, to 204.2 last year.

This has been due to a combination of factors. Globally car companies are being driven by stringent US and European limits, and the benefits of the resulting technology improvements have for sometime been entering the New Zealand market via MIA members.

These improvements are further boosted by the continuing shift to smaller, more fuel-frugal vehicles.

The average emissions for each marque range from a high of 234g/per km to a low of 114 – the latter figure being obtained by a niche brand.

The arrival of new, emissions-friendly cars will gradually lower New Zealand’s carbon footprint, but the overall improvement will be slow. For the average amount of carbon emitted by all the cars on our roads is impacted by the age of our fleet.

The mean age of a New Zealand car as at December 2009 is almost 12 years old, and that vehicle was built to meet 12-year-old standards.

It emits carbon at a far higher level than new cars do today.

MIA CEO Perry Kerr says that as a result, “The overall safety and environmental performance of our vehicle fleet is compromised, and certainly lower than other comparable markets, for example Australia.”

Mr Kerr says, “the MIA would like to see further Government involvement aimed at encouraging younger used imports and specific polices directed at reducing the age of the fleet.

View the raw data here.

ENDS

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