Fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions from passenger cars in Europe – Laboratory versus real-world emissions

Official laboratory monitoring data indicate a progressive decline in the average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the European passenger car fleet. There is increasing evidence to suggest that officially reported CO2 values do not reflect the actual performance of the vehicles on the road. A reported difference of 30-40% between official values and real-world estimates was found which has been continuously increasing. This paper reviews the influence of different factors which affect fuel consumption and CO2 emissions on the road and in the laboratory. Factors such as driving behavior, vehicle configuration and traffic conditions are reconfirmed as highly influential. Neglected factors (eg side winds,…