Car specifications
CO2 emissions of new cars, 2000 to 2018
The average official CO2 figure of the new cars the Vehicle Certification Agency listed each year. Each version counts once, however many were sold, so this describes the cars on offer rather than the cars bought.
On the NEDC test, the average official CO2 of the new cars VCA listed fell from 216.0 g/km in 2000 to 135.9 g/km in 2018, a change of 37.1%. Petrol versions went from 224.4 g/km to 148.7 g/km, and diesel versions from 185.6 g/km to 127.8 g/km.
- Average, 2000 216.0 g/km 1,735 versions listed
- Average, 2018 135.9 g/km 37.1% lower than 2000
- Diesel versions, 2018 47.3% 21.2% in 2000
- Median, 2018 129.0 g/km 209.0 g/km in 2000
Average CO2 on the NEDC test, 2000 to 2018
Average official CO2 of new car versions, NEDC test
Each version listed counts once. Petrol and diesel averages exclude hybrids.
| Year | All versions | Petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 216.0 g/km | 224.4 g/km | 185.6 g/km |
| 2001 | 213.8 g/km | 222.2 g/km | 182.8 g/km |
| 2002 | 214.5 g/km | 223.9 g/km | 184.5 g/km |
| 2003 | 207.1 g/km | 217.5 g/km | 180.1 g/km |
| 2004 | 205.3 g/km | 217.9 g/km | 178.0 g/km |
| 2005 | 197.6 g/km | 211.3 g/km | 171.9 g/km |
| 2006 | 200.8 g/km | 213.9 g/km | 176.1 g/km |
| 2007 | 201.4 g/km | 215.3 g/km | 180.6 g/km |
| 2008 | 196.4 g/km | 211.3 g/km | 173.7 g/km |
| 2009 | 189.4 g/km | 204.8 g/km | 169.4 g/km |
| 2010 | 182.1 g/km | 198.0 g/km | 164.4 g/km |
| 2011 | 168.2 g/km | 183.4 g/km | 152.8 g/km |
| 2012 | 159.3 g/km | 173.1 g/km | 145.9 g/km |
| 2013 | 152.3 g/km | 167.6 g/km | 139.6 g/km |
| 2014 | 148.1 g/km | 164.7 g/km | 135.4 g/km |
| 2015 | 143.2 g/km | 160.7 g/km | 130.6 g/km |
| 2016 | 135.2 g/km | 151.3 g/km | 123.6 g/km |
| 2017 | 134.6 g/km | 150.5 g/km | 124.0 g/km |
| 2018 | 135.9 g/km | 148.7 g/km | 127.8 g/km |
Source:VCA July 2000 to 15 September 2026 Updated
What VCA listed, by fuel
The share of versions listed each year, by fuel.
Share of versions listed, by fuel
| Year | Petrol | Diesel | Petrol hybrid | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 78.4% | 21.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2001 | 78.6% | 21.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2002 | 76.3% | 23.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2003 | 72.4% | 25.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2004 | 68.2% | 30.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2005 | 65.3% | 32.9% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2006 | 65.3% | 34.4% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2007 | 60.1% | 39.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| 2008 | 59.1% | 39.4% | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| 2009 | 54.7% | 43.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2010 | 51.6% | 46.8% | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| 2011 | 49.3% | 49.2% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | 48.7% | 49.8% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 46.9% | 51.3% | 1.0% | 0.1% |
| 2014 | 45.9% | 51.6% | 1.6% | 0.3% |
| 2015 | 45.4% | 51.6% | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| 2016 | 46.5% | 50.4% | 1.8% | 0.7% |
| 2017 | 46.5% | 50.0% | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| 2018 | 48.4% | 47.3% | 2.6% | 1.0% |
Source:VCA July 2000 to 15 September 2026 Updated
Why later years are not shown
VCA’s figures move to the WLTP test from the 2019 guide, which gives different results from NEDC, so a new series would have to start there. But VCA’s data for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026 leaves out cars from makes it listed in other years, among them Audi, BMW, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, MINI, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Renault, Skoda, Smart, SsangYong, Vauxhall and Volkswagen. An average for those years would say more about which manufacturers supplied figures than about the cars on sale, so we do not publish one. VCA’s data for 2025 lists every major make, but one year is not a trend.
Model pages still show the WLTP figures VCA does have. The most economical new cars page uses VCA’s latest file.
Year by year
| Year | VCA data | Test | Versions | Average CO2 | Median | Petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | July 2000 | NEDC | 1,735 | 216.0 | 209.0 | 224.4 | 185.6 |
| 2001 | July 2001 | NEDC | 2,144 | 213.8 | 206.0 | 222.2 | 182.8 |
| 2002 | May 2002 | NEDC | 2,129 | 214.5 | 207.0 | 223.9 | 184.5 |
| 2003 | May 2003 | NEDC | 3,150 | 207.1 | 199.0 | 217.5 | 180.1 |
| 2004 | May 2004 | NEDC | 3,077 | 205.3 | 197.0 | 217.9 | 178.0 |
| 2005 | May 2005 | NEDC | 3,673 | 197.6 | 191.0 | 211.3 | 171.9 |
| 2006 | May 2006 | NEDC | 3,506 | 200.8 | 192.0 | 213.9 | 176.1 |
| 2007 | May 2007 | NEDC | 2,967 | 201.4 | 191.0 | 215.3 | 180.6 |
| 2008 | May 2008 | NEDC | 3,292 | 196.4 | 187.0 | 211.3 | 173.7 |
| 2009 | May 2009 | NEDC | 3,829 | 189.4 | 178.0 | 204.8 | 169.4 |
| 2010 | May 2010 | NEDC | 4,435 | 182.1 | 170.0 | 198.0 | 164.4 |
| 2011 | August 2011 | NEDC | 3,732 | 168.2 | 159.0 | 183.4 | 152.8 |
| 2012 | August 2012 | NEDC | 3,531 | 159.3 | 149.0 | 173.1 | 145.9 |
| 2013 | August 2013 | NEDC | 4,316 | 152.3 | 142.0 | 167.6 | 139.6 |
| 2014 | August 2014 | NEDC | 4,576 | 148.1 | 139.0 | 164.7 | 135.4 |
| 2015 | August 2015 | NEDC | 4,996 | 143.2 | 133.0 | 160.7 | 130.6 |
| 2016 | August 2016 | NEDC | 4,507 | 135.2 | 126.0 | 151.3 | 123.6 |
| 2017 | August 2017 | NEDC | 5,114 | 134.6 | 127.0 | 150.5 | 124.0 |
| 2018 | September 2018 | NEDC | 7,370 | 135.9 | 129.0 | 148.7 | 127.8 |
CO2 in g/km, official figures.
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official CO2 of new cars | Car fuel and emissions information Vehicle Certification Agency | July 2000 to 15 September 2026 | 114,679 VCA records (a version in several snapshots counts each time) | 15 September 2026 |
- Each year uses VCA’s last data of that year (July 2000, July 2001, May 2002 to May 2010, August 2011 to August 2017, and September 2018).
- Every version with an official figure counts once. Averages are not weighted by sales, so they describe the cars on offer, not the cars bought, and a make that lists many versions counts for more.
- VCA’s figures are laboratory results that may not be achieved in real-world driving.
- Petrol and diesel averages exclude hybrids. A fuel needs 20 versions in a year for its own average.
- VCA’s car fuel data is Crown copyright. Its reuse licence is still being confirmed with VCA.
Source: Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data. Crown copyright.