The Volkswagen Group is going through a nice from the European Union (EU) after the producer pool it is in narrowly missed its goal for slicing the CO2 emissions of its autos.
To encourage a swap to low- and zero-emissions autos, the EU launched powerful new CO2 emissions guidelines for 2020, based mostly on a fleet common of 95g/km, with companies allowed to ‘pool’ their emissions in the direction of single targets.
The Volkswagen Group dramatically grew its gross sales of electrical automobiles in 2020, with the 315,400 bought up from 72,600 the earlier yr. EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for 9.7% of its gross sales, up from 1.7% in 2019.
That helped the Volkswagen Group cut back the common CO2 emissions of its European passenger fleet to a mean of 99.8g/km – a discount of round 20% from 2019. However that determine meant the producer pool that the Volkswagen Group is a part of averaged 99.3g/km, narrowly lacking its goal by 0.5g/km.
The ultimate figures nonetheless should be confirmed by the European Fee, which is able to decide the nice. The rules name for a penalty of €95 (£85) for every g/km the goal is exceeded per automotive bought.
Volkswagen Group boss Herbert Diess mentioned that the progress made confirmed the agency was “making good progress on the highway to turning into a CO2-neutral firm”. He added: “We narrowly missed the fleet goal for 2020, thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Together with Volkswagen Passenger Automobiles and Audi, Cupra and Skoda at the moment are bringing out additional engaging electrical fashions. This can permit us to realize our fleet goal this yr.”
In accordance with the Volkswagen Group, each Volkswagen and Audi “over-fulfilled” their CO2 fleet targets this yr, as a consequence of gross sales of the ID 3 and E-tron respectively.
The Volkswagen Group pool consists of all of its manufacturers other than Bentley and Lamborghini, that are measured individually. In current months, it struck offers with a number of producers in a bid to assist it hit its goal, with MG, Aiways, Subsequent e.Go and SAIC’s European division becoming a member of its pool.
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