Prevalence of petrol lease cars drives up CO2 emissions

Average CO₂ figures for new leased cars have risen to a five-year high, according to the latest British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) Quarterly Leasing Survey.

The BVRLA’s Q1 2019 Quarterly Leasing Survey has average CO₂ for all new leased cars at 118g per km. This figure has risen 7% since early 2017 and is set to carry on rising due to the increasing share of petrol and personal lease vehicles and as the inflationary impact of more accurate WLTP emissions testing takes effect.

This rise in emissions is being mirrored in the wider new car market, where average CO₂ emissions are also at a five-year high, of 129g per km.

The latest survey threw up another milestone as petrol’s share of the new leased car market passed 50% for the first time, hitting 52% for the first three months of 2019. New diesel registrations fell by 15% year on year, delivering a market share of 40%. It was a mixed picture for plug-in vehicles, with the hybrid share falling to 5% but pure EV registrations attaining a share above 1% for the first time.

“There is no sign of the move from diesel to petrol abating, but we are concerned about the decline in plug-in hybrid registrations,” said BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney.