Research Brief
December 19, 2025 | By: Sonsoles Díaz, Uwe Tietge, Jan Dornoff, and Peter Mock
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This briefing analyzes the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission levels of new passenger cars in Europe for 2024 based on preliminary data from the European Environment Agency.
The analysis shows that all manufacturers met their 2024 targets. The 10.8 million new passenger cars sold in the European Economic Area, which includes the 27 Member States of the EU plus Iceland and Norway, had average CO₂ emissions of 107 g/km, the same level as in 2023.
By detailing manufacturer performance, fuel type and technology trends, and the use of compliance mechanisms, this briefing documents how manufacturers achieved their 2024 targets and identifies patterns in compliance strategies.
Historical CO₂ emission values for new passenger cars relative to EU targets
Figure 1. Average CO₂ emission values and targets for new passenger cars
Note: The 2021–2024 line corresponds to the WLTP specific emissions reference target for 2021, calculated as the average of the WLTP specific emissions reference targets of all manufacturers. Up to and including 2020, NEDC CO₂ values are reported; after 2020, WLTP values are presented. Emission values shown exclude flexible compliance mechanisms.
Stringent CO₂ targets have historically been effective at driving manufacturers’ emission reductions. Before standards were introduced, fleet CO₂ emissions declined by 1.9 g/km per year from 2000 to 2007. After the first CO₂ standards were agreed upon in 2008, manufacturers outperformed the required 3.6 g/km annual reduction, achieving 4.9 g/km per year.
After the 2015 targets were met, average CO₂ emissions increased by 0.7 g/km per year; because more stringent targets did not take effect until 2020, manufacturers were not required to make further reductions.
From 2019 to 2020, emissions fell by 14 g/km despite the 2020 target’s phase-in provision and flexible compliance mechanisms. All manufacturers met the 2020 target of 95 g/km using these flexibilities. Once the phase-in provision was removed in 2021, manufacturers had to further reduce fleet-average CO₂ emissions to meet the target.
After the substantial reduction in 2021, manufacturers again faced little pressure to cut emissions until the 2025–2029 targets. As a result, reductions slowed in 2022 and 2023, and no additional average reduction occurred in 2024, with emissions instead leveling off. This stagnation mirrors the 2017–2019 plateau preceding the 2020 target.
CO₂ emissions by vehicle manufacturer
Car manufacturers can pool together several brands to meet CO₂ targets, even if those brands are not from the same manufacturer. Ten manufacturer pools represented approximately 97% of all new passenger car registrations in the European Economic Area in 2024.
All manufacturer pools are expected to have met their 2024 CO₂ targets, pending confirmation with the final data. Only the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi pool required flexible compliance mechanisms to do so. This pool’s average CO₂ emissions exceeded its target by less than 1 g/km but achieved compliance with eco-innovation credits.
Electrification progress stalled in 2024, with uptake of electrified powertrains slightly declining compared with 2023. The market share for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) fell from 15.5% to 14.4%, and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) from 7.8% to 7.2%.
BEV market shares diverged sharply across European Economic Area countries in 2024, with the largest markets experiencing stagnation or decline. Norway continued to dominate the BEV market, with BEVs comprising about 89% of new car registrations in 2024.
Denmark had the highest share of BEVs among EU Member States at 51%, while Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland each had shares of around one third. Germany, the EU’s largest BEV market, saw a decline from 18.4% to 13.5%, while France remained nearly unchanged from 2023 at about 16.9%.
Among specific brands, Tesla and Smart led with 100% BEV registrations. The second highest share of BEV registrations was Volvo with approximately 38%, followed by MG, Mini, Porsche, and BMW, each with a BEV share above 20%.
Impact of electric vehicles on regulatory compliance
Overall, efficiency improvements in ICEVs have stalled, and CO₂ emission reductions since 2021 were mostly achieved by selling BEVs and, to a lesser extent, PHEVs. In 2024, nine out of 10 major manufacturer pools used BEVs and PHEVs to achieve compliance
Without electric vehicles, the Mercedes-Benz AG pool would have missed its target by 35 g/km, BMW by 23 g/km, and Volkswagen by 20 g/km. Including electric vehicles, the Volvo Cars-Polestar-Suzuki and BMW pools had the widest margins of overcompliance at 49 g/km and 29 g/km, respectively.
Figure 3. Average CO₂ emissions per manufacturer pool, 2024
Figure 4. Annual average CO₂ emissions and market share per fuel and powertrain technology, 2019–2024
Note: Diesel and petrol ICEVs include mild hybrid electric vehicles.
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CO2 emissions from new passenger cars in Europe: Car manufacturers’ performance in 2023
September 18, 2024
CO2 emissions from new passenger cars in Europe: Car manufacturers’ performance in 2022
February 6, 2024
CO2 emissions from new passenger cars in Europe: Car manufacturers’ performance in 2020
August 31, 2021
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