A major new report has highlighted how the EV and PHEV market maturity is impacting CO2 emissions from vehicles to such an extent that we are now seeing double-digit drops year-on-year.

With a 90 per cent increase in the number of plug-in hybrid vehicles over the last 12 months and more than one in 10 vehicle registrations being electric, the 2021 Sustainability Report from the The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders estimates that carbon emissions are down by 11.8 per cent.

In addition to tailpipe emissions, the report also reveals that manufacturers are producing vehicles using less energy (14.2%) and less water (36.8%) per vehicle compared to 20 years ago, and that CO2 emissions have fallen by 36.5 per cent since the turn of the millennium.

It wasn’t all positive news though, the Sustainability Report also showed that the pandemic had had a negative impact, with year-on-year energy increasing by 11.2 per cent and waste to landfill also up to 19.9 per cent.

Despite these setbacks, SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes was overall optimistic that the industry was working hard to have less impact on the environment.

“The impact of the pandemic on a sector such as automotive, one which depends on global supply lines, strong consumer demand and a highly skilled workforce, was always going to be severe. As the latest Sustainability Report shows, economic and market growth stalled with many factories shuttered and retail closed,” Hawes said.

“Yet the pandemic also proved the importance of the sector as it turned its capabilities to PPE and ventilator manufacture and assured the nation’s mobility through the continued servicing and repair of vehicles.

“Despite the adversity, the industry’s commitment and investment in zero-emission vehicles remained undiminished, delivering the best-ever single year of fleet average carbon reduction.”