However more work is needed to meet the 2020 target, according to provisional data published today by the European Environment Agency while European NGO T&E has warned that most of the improvement was being delivered through cheating in flawed tests with no benefits for drivers in better fuel economy on the road.

The EAA data shows that the average emissions level of a new car sold in 2014 was 123.4g/km, significantly below the 2015 target of 130g, according to the data. In fact, Europe had already reached its 2015 target by 2013, two years ahead of schedule.

It also found that since monitoring started under current legislation in 2010, emissions have decreased by 17g/km (12%). Manufacturers will, nevertheless, have to further reduce emissions to meet the target of 95g/km by 2020.

In response, T&E said that recent research shows that average fuel-efficiency figures achieved by drivers on the road are up to 31% poorer than official figures claimed by carmakers, up from 8% in 2004. This means that while on average new cars in 2014 achieved 5 litres per 100km in tests, on the road the car consumes closer to 6.5 – costing a typical motorist an extra €500 in fuel a year.

Greg Archer, clean vehicles manager at T&E, said: “These figures need to be treated with extreme caution. Most of the measured improvement is being delivered through manipulating tests, not delivering real-world improvements. We need the new test to be introduced without further delay.”

He added: “The Commission needs to bring forward a new car CO2 target for 2025 of 70g/km to continue driving innovation and the shift to electrified transport.”

Key EAA findings:

• Average emissions levels in 2014 were below 130g/km in 17 of the 28 Member States.
• Significantly more efficient models were bought in the pre-2004 EU Member States compared to the newer EU Member States. The most efficient cars were bought in the Netherlands (107g/km), Greece (108g/km) and Portugal (109g/km), while the least efficient cars were bought in Estonia (141g/km), followed by Latvia (140g/km) and Bulgaria (136g/km).
• Diesel vehicles remain the most sold vehicles in Europe, constituting 53% of sales. Countries with high proportions of diesel sales include Ireland (74%), Luxembourg (72%), Portugal (71%), Spain (66%), France and Greece (64%), Croatia (63%) and Belgium (62%).
• Despite minor fluctuations in the past, the fuel efficiency of petrol cars has been catching up with that of the more fuel-efficient diesel cars in recent years. The average emissions gap between petrol and diesel is currently below 3g/km, around one seventh of the gap in 2000.
• Around 38,000 electric vehicles were registered in 2014, up by 57 % compared to 2013. The largest number of registrations was recorded in France (more than 10 700 vehicles), Germany (around 8 500 vehicles) and the UK (around 6 700 vehicles). Nevertheless, electric vehicles continue to constitute only a very small fraction of new registrations (0.3%).