About: fuel consumption

Motorists hit with up to €450 in extra fuel costs as carmakers game CO2 tests

Cars consume much more than manufacturers claim they do and the gap between lab and real-world performance can reach up to 42%, according to a new ICCT study. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Consumers deserve correct fuel consumption figures

Outdated EU testing requirements allow car makers to advertise fuel consumption figures that bear little relation to real life performance on the road. Not only are these false claims but the testing weaknesses are also bringing into doubt the performance of the automobile sector to cut its carbon footprint, writes Monique Goyens.

Report: Car emissions higher than predicted

Cars are not as fuel efficient and environmentally friendly as officially described by the carmakers, a Transport and Environment (T&E) report has found. The reality is different due to flaws in the testing system.

Fiat and BMW on track to miss Europe’s 2021 CO2 target

A new report says that all of Europe’s car manufacturers are set to meet a fuel economy target of 95 grams of CO2 per km (g/km) by 2021, except for the Italian auto-maker Fiat, and Germany’s BMW.

CO2 targets fuel auto industry divisions

Meeting in Brussels on Friday (2 December), car manufacturers failed to agree a common position towards EU proposals that would cap automobile CO2 emissions at 95 grammes per kilometer (g/km) by 2020.

World set for new food crisis in 2010, UN warns

Inaction to halt speculation on agricultural commodities and continued biofuels policies is paving the way for a re-run of the 2008 food price crisis in 2010 or 2011, argues Olivier De Schutter, the UN's special rapporteur on the right to food, in an interview with EURACTIV.

UN envoy: World set for new food crisis in 2010

Inaction to halt speculation on agricultural commodities and continued biofuels policies is paving the way for a re-run of the 2008 food price crisis in 2010 or 2011, argues Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, in an interview with EURACTIV.

Fossil fuel production soars despite recession

Fossil fuel producers are dodging the global downturn as production of oil, coal and natural gas reached record levels last year, the Worldwatch Institute said yesterday (15 October).

High oil prices: The EU’s response

As record-high fuel prices sparked protests across Europe in Spring 2008, the EU is preparing both long and short-term policy responses, including tax breaks for energy savings and increased transparency of oil inventories.

Interview: EU’s Kovács backs ‘Robin Hood’ tax on oil firms

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV Hungary, EU Taxation Commissioner László Kovács backed the idea of applying 'Robin Hood' taxes to oil companies as a means of compensating the poor for soaring fuel prices.

No agreement on tackling fuel prices at EU summit

Amid the plethora of proposals, European heads of state and government were unable to overcome their divisions over how best to address soaring oil prices during the European summit in Brussels.

Fishermen protest in Brussels against fuel prices

As EU finance ministers gathering in Luxembourg struggled to develop a sound reaction to rising petrol and fuel prices, angry fishermen from across Europe are taking their pleas to Brussels. 

Oil protests take EU by storm

Strikes and protests have spread across Europe amid growing anger at record-high oil prices, with leaders from the 27 EU countries at odds over the best response to the crisis.

EU aims at oil firms on way to low-carbon future

Proposed new fuel-quality standards have oil companies fuming as Commission seeks deeper cuts in CO2 and other noxious pollutants emitted by petrol refining and use. The new standards also encourage increased blending with biofuels.

Commission looks for new ways to improve fuel efficiency

The European Commission has launched an online public consultation on the review of the EU strategy for reducing CO2 emissions from cars and increasing their fuel efficiency.

Carmakers fail to deliver on CO2 cuts, fuel consumption

EU car manufacturers sold cars that produce on average 160 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2005, down only 1% on the previous year, according to green NGO Transport and Environment (T&E)

Comparison of vehicle fuel economy and GHG emissions standards around the world

This analsys prepared for the US Pew Center on Global Climate Change tries to compare how nine major world regions have implemented or proposed fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards. It finds that the EU and Japan - followed by China - currently have the most stringent standards in the world.

Car fuel consumption: Commission wants to use internet to inform consumers

In a Recommendation adopted on 25 March, the Commission has proposed the extension of the scope of the Labelling Directive to cover not only print, but also electronic media.

Parliament and Council reach agreement on sulphur-free fuels

A conciliation agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council on 10 December opens the way for the introduction of cleaner fuels for vehicles from 2005.

European Parliament insists on sulphur-free fuel for non-road vehicles

In its second reading of the proposed directive on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels, MEPs insisted that non-road vehicles such as tractors should be subjected to the same standards.

Sulphur-free petrol and diesel mandatory from 2009

The Environment Council of 12 December reached a political agreement on the introduction of low-sulphur petrol and diesel for road vehicles. From 1 January 2005, all Member States should introduce petrol and diesel fuels with a maximum sulphur content of 10 parts per million (ppm). From 1 January 2009, only these "sulphur-free" fuels may be used on the market.