BMW wins gong for fuel efficiency improvement

BMW's EfficientDynamics program continues to pay off in kudos, with a highly regarded environmental lobby and educational organisation releasing a report giving it the gong for highest fuel efficiency gains among European car makers in 2008. It's the second year running BMW has taken the gong.

The Brussels-based European Federation for Transport & Environment (T&E) report melded official consumption and tailpipe emissions data to give BMW top spot with an average 10.2 per cent improvement to a fleet average 154g/km. Covering 14 automakers, the report revealed an average fall in CO2 per model of 3.3 pc.

Reuters reports that the runner up was Mazda, recording an 8.2 per cent to 158 grams. Next came Hyundai, down 7.6 per cent. The report attributed more than half of fourth-placed Ford's 6.7 per cent improvement to its relinquishing of the reins of its none-too-frugal Jaguar Land Rover division.

T&E attributed the industry's overall efficiency gains to the stringency of EU regulations drawn up to cut new car emissions by 15 per cent to 130g/km by 2015, from a current average of 150 grams. (By way of comparison, the Australian Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) puts our national average carbon emissions for light vehicles in Australia's current average to around 226 grams in 2007.)

It's a suggestion supported by who had to put in the most effort to meet targets. Non-European-based brands like Mazda and Suzuki – both of which made the top five – had notably more ground to make up than 'locals' like Peugeot-Citroen, Renault and Fiat, most of whom are already meeting or close to meeting the targets.

Less successful were the Volkswagen Audi Group, plus Toyota and Honda. Despite the spearhead role played by the latter two in popularising hybrids, T&E attributes their "relatively poor progress" to the offer of such technologies as a consumer option rather than making them intrinsic to their ranges. Bottoming the list was Daimler, averaging 175 grams.

With rules in place threatening manufacturers with fines of up to 95 euros for every single vehicle in breach of the emissions targets, T&E director Jos Dings told Reuters that the threat of fines for stragglers is having the desired effect. He suggests the rules should be expanded from passenger cars into commercial vehicles.

"Clearly regulation is working, and if it works for cars, it will work for vans where progress so far has been even worse," he said. "Fuel efficient vans will be good for the environment, and save billions on fuel costs."

Dings's statement comes on the cusp of a proposal by the EU executive do just that -- even in the face of resistance among member states aimed at protecting constituent van manufacturers. A draft proposal suggests a target CO2 cut of 14 pc by 2013 for new commercial vehicles by 2013, with incentive coming in the threat of fines.

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