Average new van CO2 emissions fell 4.9% to 188.7g/km in 2012.
Market shift to larger, higher CO2 emitting vehicles may limit progress in reducing emissions.
EU targets for vans established and UK support for ultra-low emitting vehicles.
SMMT has established a database for van (light commercial vehicles, LCVs, to 3.5 tonnes), and in 2012 99.2% of the registrations had a CO2 value assigned to them by the vehicle manufacturer. The data shows a sales weighted average of 188.7g/km in 2012, down 4.9% from 2011’s 198.4g/km. SMMT estimates that the complete market average would change by a small amount, eg 1g/km. SMMT previously estimated the 2009 market average at 209g/km, some 10% above the 2012 figure.
Vans are work tools, bought to do a job. Typically the specification of the vehicle will be determined by market need. Over the last decade there has been a shift towards heavier vans, which offer greater flexibility to the user with greater space and payload capacity. Operators would also be looking to minimise costs, as with any aspect of a business, and so aim to buy the most efficient product available, although reliability and residual values will also be important buyer considerations. As such 99.9% of LCVs are diesel powered.
If you wish to read the report offline, click here to download the SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2013 as a PDF. If you would like to continue reading online, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between the different sections of the 2013 report.
Average CO2 emissions by van type
Van type (T=tonnes)
Average CO2 g/km
CO2 vs market average
2012 registrations*
Regs change 2012 vs ‘11
Total
188.7
-
239,641
-7.9%
- Light 4X4 utilities
269.1
42.6%
6,279
-6.0%
- Pick-ups
214.3
13.6%
24,555
-6.5%
- Vans to 2T
128.2
-32.1%
40,392
-11.4%
- Vans 2 – 2.5T
145.8
-22.7%
31,017
-8.5%
- Vans 2.5 – 2.8T
188.9
0.1%
23,034
-17.5%
- Vans 2.8 – 3.499T
195.8
3.8%
51,100
-8.8%
- Vans 3.5T
225.1
19.3%
63,364
-0.9%
*Note this is total market, CO2 database covers 99.2% of these vehicles
The number of van registrations fell 7.9% in 2012 on 2011 volumes, to 239,641 units. This was some 30% below the pre-recession peak of 337,736 units in 2007. The van market grew rapidly at the turn of the millennium, as the number of home deliveries and small businesses grew. The rise in distance travelled by vans led to a 23.5% increase in CO2 emissions from all vans in use between 2000 and 2007. Emissions from the van fleet fell during the recession, but have risen in each of past two years and could rise further as economic growth picks up.
As with cars, there is an EC New LCV CO2 Regulation which imposes targets for each manufacturer to meet. The EU-wide target is to achieve 175g/km in 2014-17 (with a phase-in, 70% of each manufacturer’s fleet will have to comply in 2014, 75% in 2015, 80% in 2016 and 100% from 2017 onwards) and 147g/km in 2020. The 2017 target represents a 14% reduction compared with the 2007 level (203g/km) and the 2020 target is more than a 15% improvement over the 2017 target. Manufacturers face the same fines as with the New Car CO2 Regulation, and can also use super-credits, eco-innovations and apply for a derogation if registering less 22,000 units in the EU.
If you wish to read the report offline, click here to download the SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2013 as a PDF. If you would like to continue reading online, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between the different sections of the 2013 report.
New LCV and car CO2 emissions, distribution by CO2 bands (SMMT)
The market structure means that with 99% of vans below two tonnes emitting less than 147g/km, 22% of the market is already at the 2020 EU target, and 30% meets the 2014-17 target. However, it is getting the key volume markets – predominantly those over 2.8 tonnes – to improve CO2 emissions that will be key to meeting the targets.
UK average van CO2 emissions would need to improve by some 3% per annum to the meet the EU 2020 target, were it applied at the UK level. Achieving this goal will be made tougher given the market orientation towards heavier vans and high dieselisation. A move to smaller vans could risk meaning that more vans need to be used to undertake the same work, with net CO2 emissions increasing. Alternatively-fuelled vehicles could make an impact in particular fields, such as local deliveries. These products are already on the market, but uptake has been slow. Technology transfer between cars and vans is not easy and progress will be impacted by requirements for range, payload and/or capacity.
To assist the transition to lower carbon vehicles, the UK government made electric vans exempt from the ‘van benefit charge’ (currently £3,000 per annum) for five years from April 2010 and the purchase of an electric van is also eligible for 100% first-year writing down allowance. In January 2012 the Plug-In Van Grantwas introduced, which gives an incentive of 20% of the van’s list price, up to £8,000, to qualifying vehicles emitting below 75g/km of CO2.
If you wish to read the report offline, click here to download the SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2013 as a PDF. If you would like to continue reading online, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between the different sections of the 2013 report.
CO2 emissions from all LCVs in use, parc size and distance travelled
(CO2 and distance travelled from DECC/DfT, parc figures SMMT)
If you wish to read the report offline, click here to download the SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2013 as a PDF. If you would like to continue reading online, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between the different sections of the 2013 report.
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Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) CO2 emissions
Report contents: New car CO2 emissions | Influences on new car CO2 emissions | Total CO2 and other emissions | Light Commercial Vehicle CO2 emissions | Outlook for new car CO2 emissions
Page contents: Distribution by CO2 bands | Context: parc size and distance travelled
SMMT has established a database for van (light commercial vehicles, LCVs, to 3.5 tonnes), and in 2012 99.2% of the registrations had a CO2 value assigned to them by the vehicle manufacturer. The data shows a sales weighted average of 188.7g/km in 2012, down 4.9% from 2011’s 198.4g/km. SMMT estimates that the complete market average would change by a small amount, eg 1g/km. SMMT previously estimated the 2009 market average at 209g/km, some 10% above the 2012 figure.
Vans are work tools, bought to do a job. Typically the specification of the vehicle will be determined by market need. Over the last decade there has been a shift towards heavier vans, which offer greater flexibility to the user with greater space and payload capacity. Operators would also be looking to minimise costs, as with any aspect of a business, and so aim to buy the most efficient product available, although reliability and residual values will also be important buyer considerations. As such 99.9% of LCVs are diesel powered.
If you wish to read the report offline, click here to download the SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2013 as a PDF. If you would like to continue reading online, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between the different sections of the 2013 report.
Average CO2 emissions by van type
The number of van registrations fell 7.9% in 2012 on 2011 volumes, to 239,641 units. This was some 30% below the pre-recession peak of 337,736 units in 2007. The van market grew rapidly at the turn of the millennium, as the number of home deliveries and small businesses grew. The rise in distance travelled by vans led to a 23.5% increase in CO2 emissions from all vans in use between 2000 and 2007. Emissions from the van fleet fell during the recession, but have risen in each of past two years and could rise further as economic growth picks up.
As with cars, there is an EC New LCV CO2 Regulation which imposes targets for each manufacturer to meet. The EU-wide target is to achieve 175g/km in 2014-17 (with a phase-in, 70% of each manufacturer’s fleet will have to comply in 2014, 75% in 2015, 80% in 2016 and 100% from 2017 onwards) and 147g/km in 2020. The 2017 target represents a 14% reduction compared with the 2007 level (203g/km) and the 2020 target is more than a 15% improvement over the 2017 target. Manufacturers face the same fines as with the New Car CO2 Regulation, and can also use super-credits, eco-innovations and apply for a derogation if registering less 22,000 units in the EU.
If you wish to read the report offline, click here to download the SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2013 as a PDF. If you would like to continue reading online, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between the different sections of the 2013 report.
New LCV and car CO2 emissions, distribution by CO2 bands (SMMT)
The market structure means that with 99% of vans below two tonnes emitting less than 147g/km, 22% of the market is already at the 2020 EU target, and 30% meets the 2014-17 target. However, it is getting the key volume markets – predominantly those over 2.8 tonnes – to improve CO2 emissions that will be key to meeting the targets.
UK average van CO2 emissions would need to improve by some 3% per annum to the meet the EU 2020 target, were it applied at the UK level. Achieving this goal will be made tougher given the market orientation towards heavier vans and high dieselisation. A move to smaller vans could risk meaning that more vans need to be used to undertake the same work, with net CO2 emissions increasing. Alternatively-fuelled vehicles could make an impact in particular fields, such as local deliveries. These products are already on the market, but uptake has been slow. Technology transfer between cars and vans is not easy and progress will be impacted by requirements for range, payload and/or capacity.
To assist the transition to lower carbon vehicles, the UK government made electric vans exempt from the ‘van benefit charge’ (currently £3,000 per annum) for five years from April 2010 and the purchase of an electric van is also eligible for 100% first-year writing down allowance. In January 2012 the Plug-In Van Grant was introduced, which gives an incentive of 20% of the van’s list price, up to £8,000, to qualifying vehicles emitting below 75g/km of CO2.
If you wish to read the report offline, click here to download the SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2013 as a PDF. If you would like to continue reading online, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between the different sections of the 2013 report.
CO2 emissions from all LCVs in use, parc size and distance travelled
(CO2 and distance travelled from DECC/DfT, parc figures SMMT)
If you wish to read the report offline, click here to download the SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2013 as a PDF. If you would like to continue reading online, use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between the different sections of the 2013 report.