Toyota’s average CO2 emissions in the UK DROP in 2017

Average CO2 emissions for Toyota’s UK car sales actually dropped in 2017, just as average emissions for many others rose as buyers turned away from diesel-engined cars.

When the 2017 sales figures for new cars in the UK were revealed a few days ago, one snippet of information was that average CO2 emissions from cars actually rose for the first time in a long time as buyers turned away from diesel-engined cars.

Frankly, a small interim rise in average CO2 isn’t going to destroy the planet, but it does leave car makers pondering the dilemma of keeping CO2 emissions in check as buyers move towards petrol-engined cars again.

But at Toyota there is no such angst, as decades of delivering hybrid cars instead of diesel cars leaves them in an enviable position as market choices change.

In 2017 Toyota saw average CO2 of the cars they sold in the UK drop to just 100g/km, and even if you factor in Lexus and Toyota LCVs the average is still only 107g/km, compared to an overall average for the whole market of 121g/km.

Mark Roden, Toyota GB’s Director of Operations, said:

Not so long ago 100g/km was the benchmark manufacturers strived to achieve with their ‘cleanest’ model. Now Toyota has reached that level as an average for its entire model range, including its conventional petrol and diesel engine models.

With hybrids accounting for almost 45 per cent of our UK new car sales, we’re confident that we can reduce our CO₂ figures even further.

Toyota’s advantage will start to diminish as more and more car makers turn to petrol engines with electrical assistance, but for now Toyota’s hybrid obsession puts them in an enviable position.