According to preliminary data from the European Environment Agency (EEA), the fuel efficiency of vans sold in the EU has continued to improve.
Around 1.4 million new vans were registered in the EU in 2014, with average emissions of 169.2 grams of CO2 per kilometre, a 2.4 per cent improvement on those registered in 2013. This is well below the EU’s 2017 target of average emissions of 175 g CO2/km.
Of the new vans sold in 2014, 97 per cent were fuelled by diesel, while only 2 per cent used alternative fuels such as natural gas, and 0.5 per cent are powered by electricity.
Emissions from new vans were lowest in Bulgaria, Malta and Portugal, but highest in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany.
The data has been published by the EEA, which began monitoring the emissions of light commercial vehicles in 2012. Final data will be published in autumn after van manufacturers verify the findings.
