German car giant Volkswagen said Monday it beat the European Union’s target for cutting carbon emissions on its new vehicles in 2021, having missed the mark last year.
In a statement released by Volkswagen Group, the company would emit an average of 118.5g/km of CO2 in the EU in 2021, which is 2% less than the EU target. The figure excludes carbon dioxide emissions from Bentley and Lamborghini, which fall outside the group’s aim due to their low emissions.
“Our group-wide electric offensive picked up significant speed last year with many attractive new models,” said the head of sales for the multi-brand group, Christian Dahlheim.
According to preliminary Volkswagen estimates, average CO2 emissions for passenger cars sold in the EU were “approximately two percent below the legal target.”
The company missed the emissions target in 2020, blaming the shortfall on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on car sales.
Manufacturers face substantial fines under EU regulations that went into effect in 2020 if the average emissions of their newly sold automobiles do not fall below a standard set by each automaker.
According to the firm, Volkswagen was given a target of 120.8 grams of CO2 per kilometer under the current emissions standard and attained a result of 118.5 g/km.
According to Volkswagen, 472,300 “electrified vehicles” — including hybrids and battery-electric cars — were supplied to clients in the EU, Norway, and Iceland in 2021, a 64 percent increase over the previous year.
The increase defied the general trend in the car industry, where a persistent shortage of semiconductors, a critical component in both conventional and electric vehicles, has stifled production and sales.
According to industry estimates released last week, Volkswagen managed to retain its top rank among European carmakers in 2021, but a 4.8 percent reduction in sales to 1.4 million vehicles caused its market share to plummet to 25.1 percent.
The German conglomerate, which includes Audi, Porsche, and Skoda among its 12 brands, is investing 35 billion euros ($40 billion) on the transition to electric vehicles, with the goal of becoming the world’s largest electric manufacturer by 2025.
