German cars 'least green in EU'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7095296.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Most cars sold in Europe are becoming more fuel-efficient, but German carmakers are going backwards according to a study by a green pressure group.

Transport and Environment (T&E) says an average new German car produced more CO2 per kilometre in 2006 than in 2005.

Among big German manufacturing groups, only BMW made progress, it says.

Cars made by French and Italian groups were 1.6% more efficient, it adds, but only two are close to hitting a 2008 target of 140g of CO2 per kilometre.

This target was adopted by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) in 1998.

The European Commission will outline proposals next month designed to ensure the average car sold in Europe produces no more than 120g/km by 2012.

Weight problem

The average car produced by German manufacturers produced 173g/km in 2006 according to T&E - up 1g, or 0.6%, from 2005.

This was despite BMW's success in reducing the average emission of its cars by 2.5%, or from 188g/km to 184g/km.

The two manufacturing groups close to reaching the 140g/km limit for 2008 are Peugeot Citroen and Fiat. But only Peugeot Citroen will reach the target at its current rate of progress.

"The new figures reveal the importance of weight reduction in cutting CO2 emissions," the report says.

"Companies like PSA Peugeot Citroen that cut weight also achieved emissions reductions in 2006. DaimlerChrysler and the Volkswagen group's cars got heavier and even more polluting on average."

<h2 class="data416">CHANGE IN AVERAGE CARBON EMISSIONS 2005-6</h2> Manufacturer group 2006 CO2 emissions (g/km) % change from 2005 Toyota 153 -5.00% Honda 154 -3.80% PSA Peugeot Citroen 142 -2.70% BMW 184 -2.50% Mazda 173 -2.00% Nissan 168 -1.60% Hyundai 167 -0.80% Renault 148 -0.80% Fiat 144 -0.50% Ford 162 -0.50% General Motors 157 -0.30% Volkswagen 166 0.90% Suzuki 166 1.80% DaimlerChrysler 188 2.80% Source: Transport and Environment

<i>T&E's 2007 report is not comparable to its 2006 report because it is based on data from 24 EU member states rather than 15, and because it compares manufacturing groups, rather than individual car brands.

Only volume manufacturers, producing more than 200,000 cars per year, were included in the survey.</i>