Automakers outpace CO2 cuts, EPA says

OREANDA-NEWS. December 18, 2015.  Automakers beat federal CO2 emissions standards for new cars and trucks for the third year in a row in 2014, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said today.

The manufacturers exceeded the model year 2014 target of 287 grams of CO2/mile by 13g, or an equivalent of 1.4 miles per gallon (mpg), EPA said in its annual compliance reports for federal emissions and fuel economy standards. The overall fuel economy of light-duty cars and trucks sold in the US was 24.3mpg, unchanged from 2013, the agency said.

All but two of 14 manufacturers with US sales of at least 100,000 vehicles per year beat their standards for 2014, EPA said. The two that did not – Mercedes and Kia – had sufficient CO2 credits from previous years to cover the shortfall.

Under the standards, manufacturers that beat their targets can generate credits they can bank for future use. Companies that fall short of their targets have up to three model years to generate or buy enough credits to cover their deficits.

Federal regulations require new cars and trucks to meet an emissions limit of 163g/mile by 2025, equivalent to a fuel economy performance of 54.5 mpg. Each automaker is assigned a specific target based on the mix and size of the vehicles it sells in the US.

EPA estimates that, through 2014, the standards have cut motor vehicle emissions by about 60mn metric tonnes. The agency says it expects a 6bn t reduction in emissions over the lifetime of the vehicles made in 2012-2025.