Renault Group achieves lowest European car emissions

French automotive giant, Renault has successfully gained the number one spot in terms of lowest group emissions for any automotive group based upon its sales of passenger cars over the full year 2013. The group is also the first automotive company to have an emissions average of below 115gm per kilometre of CO2 based on its fleet sales for the year 2013. Renault claims this achievement is due to its recent refresh of power plant technology with respect to both internal combustion engines and electric motors.

Renault’s current group emissions average stand at 114.7gm per kilometre of CO2 per vehicle, which is currently the lowest emissions value in Europe. The group has five cars that return less than 100gm per kilometre. These include the entry-level Twingo hatchback (that has just gone through a major refresh both cosmetically and mechanically); the new Renault Clio hatchback which is Renault’s oldest surviving marques and the much larger Renault Megane. The new Renault Captur SUV and the Dacia Sandero hatchback, too, feature in the list of cars returning less that 100gm per kilometre of CO2.

Renault also claims that its electric vehicle sales in 2013 have contributed highly to the low emissions figure. Renault’s electric vehicle range includes the funky city runabout - Twizzy; the entry-level hatchback – Zoe; a midsize sedan – Fluence ZE and an electric panel van – Kangoo ZE. This rather varied range of cars has seen Renault’s electric car sales pick up substantially over the last year or so.

Speaking on the landmark achievement, Jean-Philippe Hermine, Director, Renault Group, said, “This position of market leader is proof that the combination of our powertrain strategy – with our range of Energy engines – and our electric vehicle strategy is bearing fruit. Thanks to these innovations, Renault Group is achieving tangible results and maintaining its objective to significantly reduce the long-term environmental footprint of its activities.”

Taken as a whole, the average level of CO2 emissions per kilometre across Renault Group’s entire range has improved by nearly 11gms in 2013 over 2012, falling from 125.5gm per kilometre to 114.7gm per kilometre. The new Renault Clio dCi 90 Eco2 leads the class with a lowest emissions figure of only 83gm per kilometre, a reduction of 18.5gm per kilometre from the last generation model.