Environmentally Friendly Vehicles

Vehicles will remain important transport means for decades to come. Improving the environmental performance of vehicles is therefore an important issue. But we ought to give a clear answer to what an Environmentally Friendly Vehicle is. Shall we promote these vehicles? What are the experiences? Is it possible to give a sound background for policy making? These are the questions that are dealt with in this study for the Nordic Council of Ministries, Theme Group for Sustainable Mobility. Different criteria are used to define environmentally friendly vehicles in the EU, the USA and the Nordic countries. These criteria often mix performance and emission limits with technology and fuels. Certain technologies are pre-qualified as environmentally friendly. Alternative technologies and renewable fuels are tempting – but are not at all a guarantee for great environmental effects. It is the real life emissions with a certain fuel that show if a vehicle is environmentally friendly or not. Authorities usually express that their own criteria are a success. The Californian Air Resource Board underlines the impact of the Zero Emission Vehicle programme and the pressure it has had on the vehicle industry. The Swedish programme, “Miljöfordon”, in Stockholm and Gothenburg is called a success story. Denmark has since 2000 had an energy labelling system for new vehicles. The Danish labelling system is, together with high fees and taxation, thought to have accomplished a highly energy efficient vehicle fleet. A common feature of programmes with the purpose to stimulate environmentally friendly vehicles is that they often are poorly evaluated. Thorough analyses and evaluations should be part of all programmes and stimulate improvements.