The Government has laid out tough carbon emissions targets for 2021 for car manufacturers. This comes after a warning that a lack of intervention and legislation could endanger electric car and vehicle supplies.
Transport and Environment (T&E), who are an environmental campaign group, claim that the United Kingdom could face long lead times for electric cars and vehicles as manufacturers try to meet target emissions levels for the cars they sell within the European Union (EU).
The Department for Transport (DfT) has now tabled similar regulations for manufacturers from January 1, 2021. Presently in 2020, emissions targets are 95g/km for car and 147g/km for vans.
These targets will be converted into Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) CO2 emissions targets in 2021 after a change in the vehicle CO2 test procedure. The 2021 actual emissions will become the new baseline. Car manufacturers will then need to hit a reduction of 15 percent for cars and vans by 2025. This figure increases to 37.5 percent for cars and 31 percent by 2030.
Car manufacturers will be set targets based on their fleet size. Those with heavier fleets will receive targets above the EU target, while manufacturers with lighter fleets will have targets below this.
These new UK rules are in line with what is happening in the EU. There will be fines of £86 for each g/km above the target multiplied by the number of vehicles registered in the year.
Carmakers currently balance the CO2 emissions of new cars and vehicles sold throughout the 28 individual EU markets to deliver compliance. What often happens is sales of higher emitting vehicles in one market against are offset against sales of lower-emitting vehicles in another.
Following the transition period, car producers from the UK will not be able to meet their targets using sales in the other 27 EU markets.
