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The average CO2 emissions from new passenger cars registered in Europe steadily declined between 2019 and 2023 resulting in a reduction of 28% over this period. In 2024, the year before stricter 2025 targets started applying, average CO2 emissions of new cars remained stable as the share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) slightly decreased. Almost all car manufacturers met their binding targets in 2024. 

Figure 1. Average CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars and fleet-wide CO2 targets 

Domestic transport is the sector with the highest greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, accounting for one quarter of the EU’s total emissions. To achieve climate neutrality, the European Green Deal calls for a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 2050.

To help achieve these targets, Regulation (EU) 2019/631 sets fleet-wide targets for the average CO2 emissions from all new passenger cars in Europe, and these targets are set to become stricter over time. For the years 2020-2024, the target is 95gCO2/km (NEDC), equivalent to around 115.1 gCO2/km (WLTP).

From 2025 onwards, stricter EU-wide fleet targets will apply: 93.6 gCO2/km until 2029, 49.5 gCO2/km from 2030 to 2034 and 0 gCO2/km from 2035. This is illustrated in Figure 1.

Calculated based on those fleet-wide targets, specific emission targets also apply. These are binding for manufacturers, either individually or organised in pools (see below).

In 2024, the average CO₂ emissions of newly registered passenger cars in the EU remained stable compared to 2023, at 106.7 gCO₂/km. The main reason for the absence of further reductions is the slight decline in the share of battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations, which fell from 15.5% in 2023 to 14.5% in 2024.

Petrol cars (including hybrids) continued to be the most sold fuel type in 2024, constituting more than half of all new registrations, followed by diesel cars (15.1%) and BEV (14.5%).

Figure 2. Average CO₂ performance of pools of car manufacturers in the EU, Iceland, Norway in 2024

Specific emission targets are set annually for each manufacturer or pool, i.e. a group of manufacturers acting together for the purpose of target compliance. These targets are based on the average mass of the manufacturer's or pool's new vehicle fleet in the given year. This means that manufacturers of heavier cars have higher emissions targets than manufacturers of lighter cars. Manufacturers or pools that are responsible for fewer than 300,000 newly registered cars per year may benefit from a derogation target. 

As shown in Figure 2, pools with the lowest average CO2 emissions were VOLVO CARS POLESTAR and SUZUKI (74 gCO2/km) and BMW (100 gCO2/km).

All the above-mentioned pools covered 94% of the new passenger cars fleet in 2024. They met their binding 2024 target.