French automaker Renault has announced that it is the first large-scale automotive enterprise running in Europe that has managed to have its average CO2 emissions rating dip below 115g/km through the year 2013.
Definitely a promising step and a bit of a kick in the face for the luxurious Germans who went crying to their politician-protectors about the increasing stringency of EU emissions laws, instead of at least first trying to abide by it like everybody else.
Renault’s exact reported figure was 114.7 g/km CO2, helped in no small part by its five-strong range of cars with sub 100 g/km figures: the (old) Twingo, Clio, Captur, Megane and the Dacia Sandero.
They’re also very proud that their eco-tuned Clio Energi dCI 90 leads the way in the class, with an 83 g/km rating; on average, the new Clio emits 18.5g less carbon dioxide per kilometer than the previous generation car.
Obviously, these figures mean nothing without having something to compare them to; the one posted here represents an 11g reduction for Renault in 2013 over 2012, and clear indication that 95 g/km by 2020 is only insurmountable if you and your interest group make it seems so…
In 2007, the European average was 158.7 g/km, and this went down to 132 g/km in 2012, which itself marked a 3.3 percent decrease over the previous year – the average annual rate of improvement is around 3.5 percent and it should, theoretically, be rising.
By Andrei Nedelea
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