Abstract
Car CO2 regulation measures actual
CO2 content from a tailpipe during a test run. It does not make
difference is CO2 originated from fossil or biobased fuel. CO2 of
electric cars is zero regardless how electricity is produced since there is no
tailpipe. Regulation is called "tank-to-wheels" even though
life-cycle or "well-to-wheels" CO2 defines climate change
effects.
Cars have to meet max 130 gCO2/km
on average with NEDC test run until 2020 which is achieved with good fuel
economy and fossil fuels. From 2020 limit is 95 gCO2/km, from 2025 about
81 gCO2/km (-15 % compared to 2021) and from 2030 about 59 gCO2/km
(-37.5 % compared to 2021). Values force to electrification as the only solution
since biofuels are not accepted as tools for reducing cars' CO2.
Corresponding regulation exists for vans and is coming for trucks from
2025.
Car regulation is heritage from 1980's
when CO2 was a desired outcome from complete combustion and not any
pollutant. CO2 was used for comparing fuel efficiency of cars
running with fuels having different densities like gasoline, diesel fuel and
natural gas. Fuel directives RED and FQD from this millennium recognize
"well-to-wheels" approach for mitigating climate change. They also
use a principle that CO2 of biofuel's final combustion is zero. So,
there is a serious mismatch between fuel and vehicle regulations since vehicle
regulations do not at all recognize benefits of biofuels.
Technically and scientifically a proper
method would be gCO2/MJ carbon footprint for fuel or energy, and
MJ/km energy efficiency for vehicles. Multiplying these together would give
well-to-wheels CO2.
Regulation should be updated in order to
get cost-effective and technically and commercially neutral solutions since the
current one ignores biofuels and defines electrification (or hydrogen) to be
the only solution for reducing CO2 of vehicles.