A new report by the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) claims that electric cars will increase oil consumption and CO ₂ emissions. This is due to so-called ‘super credits’ for electric vehicles under Regulation 443/2009/EC setting binding EU targets for vehicle CO ₂ emissions. Electric cars get a ‘zero’ CO ₂ rating in the regulation as only tailpipe emissions are counted. The regulation defines ‘super credits’ for cars with emissions below 50g/km as allowing manufacturers to count these cars 3.5 times for their overall car fleet in 2012 and 2013. ‘Super credits’ were also included in a recent Commission proposal to limit CO ₂ emissions from light commercial vehicles.

The NGO notes that even if ‘super credits’ will be phased out in 2016, CO ₂-heavy but ‘electric’ cars will still be counted as zero-emission vehicles. “The logical result of these loopholes is that a manufacturer that sells one electric car can sell up to 3.5 cars with 260g/km of C0 ₂, ie gas guzzling sports utility vehicles, and still hit a 130g/km fleet average target,” reads the report.

T&E is calling for a change of EU policy focused on significantly tightening long-term CO ₂ standards for cars to 80 g/km by 2020 and 60 g/km by 2025. “Focusing on fostering electric cars without tightening C0 ₂ standards will be self-defeating as it takes away the main incentive for industry to invest in making electrification a reality,” reads the report.

Transport sector electrification should be used to cut fossil fuel consumption and lower emissions. “We are afraid that the Commission will concentrate just on changing the energy source,” said Jos Dings, director of Transport & Environment. “We would like to see electricity cars as environmental winners.”