Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from light commercial vehicles

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) No 510/2011 setting emission performance standards for new light commercial vehicles to reduce CO₂ emissions

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

It sets performance requirements for carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from new light commercial vehicles as part of the EU’s integrated approach to reduce CO₂ emissions from light-duty vehicles.

KEY POINTS

Vehicles concerned

The regulation concerns vehicles of category N1, that is, light commercial vehicles designed and built to transport goods, with a maximum weight of 3.5 tonnes, and not exceeding 2,610 kilograms when unladen, which are registered in the EU for the first time.

EU fleet-wide emission targets

The average level of CO₂ emissions from new light commercial vehicles cannot exceed 175 grams of CO₂ per kilometre (a requirement introduced gradually from 2014 onwards as explained below).
From 2020, the average emissions cannot exceed 147 grams of CO₂ per kilometre.

Specific emissions targets for manufacturers

Light commercial vehicle manufacturers have to ensure that average specific emissions of CO₂ of their new light commercial vehicles registered in the EU meet the specific emissions targets set in the regulation’s Annex I. These specific emissions targets are based on the EU fleet-wide emission targets, taking into account the average weight of the vehicles in a manufacturer’s fleet.

The targets were applied gradually from 1 January 2014 onwards as follows:

for 70% of vehicles in 2014;
for 75% of vehicles in 2015;
for 80% of vehicles in 2016;
for 100% of vehicles from 2017.

Manufacturers’ pools

Manufacturers of light commercial vehicles may form a pool and act jointly in order to meet the specific emissions targets.

Monitoring and reporting of average emissions

Each year, EU countries must collect data for each new light commercial vehicle registered in their territory (e.g. manufacturer, type, specific CO₂ emissions and mass).

The European Environment Agency collects these data in a central register that is publicly accessible. Based on these data, the European Commission provisionally calculates, for each manufacturer and for each calendar year:

the average specific emissions of CO₂;
the specific emissions target;
the difference between the average specific emissions of CO₂ and the specific emissions target.

Once checked by manufacturers, the Commission confirms these calculations by 31 October each year.

‘Super-credits’

There was an incentive for manufacturers to produce vehicles with low emission rates (less than 50 grams per kilometre) during the years 2014 to 2017. When calculating the average specific emissions of a manufacturer, each of those vehicles was counted as 3.5 vehicles in 2014 and 2015, as 2.5 vehicles in 2016 and as 1.5 vehicles in 2017. Each manufacturer could claim this ‘super-credit’ for a maximum of 25,000 light commercial vehicles between 2014 and 2017.

Excess emissions premium

From 2014, if their average specific emissions exceeded the specific emission targets, manufacturers had to pay a premium calculated according to the excess emissions.
Until 2018, the amount of the premium per vehicle registered was €5 for the first gram per kilometre exceeded, €15 for the second, €25 for the third and €95 for each additional gram per kilometre.
From 2019, the penalty per vehicle registered is €95 for every gram per kilometre exceeded.

Exemptions for certain manufacturers

A manufacturer producing fewer than 1,000 new light commercial vehicles in the EU per year is automatically exempt from the specific emissions targets.
A manufacturer may apply for an exemption from its specific emissions target if it produces fewer than 22,000 new light commercial vehicles in the EU each year. In that case, it is subject to an individual target, which is consistent with its reduction potential.

Eco-innovation

Suppliers or manufacturers may reduce their CO₂ emissions by using innovative technologies, which are not covered by the standard test cycle CO₂ measurement or by mandatory EU rules. The total amount that these technologies may contribute to the reduction of the specific emissions for a manufacturer is 7 grams of CO₂/km.

Amendments to the regulation

The regulation has been amended several times to keep up with technical developments, such as:

changes in regulatory test procedures and in regard to average specific emissions; and
the need to introduce procedures for the approval and certification of innovative technologies.

Review of the regulation

By 31 December 2015, the Commission had to re-examine various aspects of this regulation in order to set new targets for the period after 2020. In November 2017, it presented its proposal which, when adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, will result in the repeal of this regulation.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 3 June 2011.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

Reducing CO₂ emissions from vans (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EU) No 510/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2011 setting emission performance standards for new light commercial vehicles as part of the Union’s integrated approach to reduce CO₂ emissions from light-duty vehicles (OJ L 145, 31.5.2011, pp. 1-18)

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 510/2011 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.