PSA, Toyota Lead Way as European Cars Get Cleaner

TOKYO – PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota ranked 1-2 in average carbon-dioxide emissions in the European market in 2014, according to a report by the European Federation for Transport & Environment, a Brussels-based umbrella group of non-governmental organizations.

PSA and Toyota, whose vehicles registered 110.1 g/km and 112.8 g/km, respectively, passed Renault, which was ranked No.1 in 2013 and third last year at 113.6 g/km.

In a June report, “How Clean Are Europe’s Cars?,” Transport & Environment says the European auto industry as a whole reduced CO2 emissions 2.6% to 123.4 g/km last year from 126.8 g/km in 2013.

Nissan moved up from 10th to fourth in the survey, reporting an average 115.0 g/km in 2014. Contributing to Nissan’s improved ranking was the introduction of more fuel-efficient engines for the Juke, Qashqai and Note models.

According to the report, Juke emissions fell from 131.2 g/km to 122.2 g/km; the Qashqai, 135.9 g/km to 115.4 g/km; and the Note, 121.2 g/km to 104.1 g/km.

In general, Asian brands had mixed results with Mazda, Hyundai and Honda ranking 10th, 11th and 15th, while Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki ranked second, fourth and seventh.

Between 2007 and 2014, the European industry registered a 22% CO2 emissions decline from 158 g/km to 123 g/km. Transport & Environment estimates this equates to 713 gallons (2,700 L) over the 125,000-mile (200,000-km) life of a car.

Meanwhile, the ACEA European industry group reports automakers sold 97,791 “electrically charged” vehicles in 2014, up 50% from the previous year. Electrically charged vehicles or ECVs include electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and range-extender hybrids. Norway, the U.K. and Germany accounted for 49% of sales.

Plug-in hybrid sales, according to ACEA, totaled 59,296 units in 2014, up 46% from the previous year. The top-selling model, according to the Transport & Environment report, was the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

Sales of PHEVs continued to grow during the first six months of 2015, rising 77% from like-2014 to 72,741 units.

In the main hybrid segment (mild and full hybrids excluding plug-in types), sales grew 21% to 118,195 units in first-half 2015.

Deliveries in France totaled 27,402 units, up 31.5%, followed by the U.K., 23,065, up 20%, and Italy, 12,937, up 14%, from January through June.

Cumulative hybrid sales in Europe grew to 849,256 units in 2014, according to the International Energy Agency, roughly one-third and one-fifth of the totals in the U.S. and Japan.

Cumulative plug-in hybrid and EV sales in the region grew to 233,022 units, meaning combined 1.1 million hybrids and EVs were in operation as of December 2014.

Hybrid and EV sales accounted for only 1.5% of new-vehicle deliveries in Europe last year, and one-third are Toyota Auris and Yaris models produced in the U.K. and France.