Vehicle efficiency standards post-2020

FuelsEurope is of the opinion that the EU’s transport greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction policy should be holistic, and include in addition to lower carbon fuels and vehicles, traffic demand, infrastructure improvements, and driver education/training/behavior. We believe that the current tank-to-wheel (TTW) approach for the vehicle efficiency standards has been effective in promoting improvements in internal combustion engines (ICE)–based vehicles. A sensible continuation in the short term of the CO2-efficiency targets is supported, provided the following points are considered.

We call for a technology neutral approach towards ambitious but achievable targets such that they can be cost-effective and delivered by different technologies

Credible academic work shows the considerable potential in further efficiency improvements of the ICE-based vehicles. Therefore CO2-efficiency targets should be set that are mostly achievable with foreseeable ICE vehicle technologies to encourage their further development.

Counting electricity used in vehicles as zero CO2 emissions does not reflect the reality of their actual contribution to CO2 emissions across the economy. There should be a clear plan on how to address real life cycle CO2 emissions of vehicle drive-train technologies for the longer term

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