The Volkswagen Group cut CO2 emissions from its passenger car range by a whopping 20 percent in 2020 – but this still wasn’t enough to avoid a fine for not meeting its EU-mandated CO2 target.

Average emissions across the VW Group fell to just under 100g/km compared with 2019.

The firm’s target figure was, however, narrowly missed by 0.5 g/km – which means the EU is going to impose fines.

The Financial Times estimates this will cost it around €150 million.

Volkswagen Group includes Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda and Cupra: Bentley and Lamborghini are also part of the Group, but they are measured individually.

Such a large decrease in CO2 emissions was delivered by a significant step-up in electric vehicle production.

In 2019, Volkswagen Group delivered just under 73,000 EVs. Last year, this increased more than fourfold, to 315,400 cars.

Almost one in 10 cars it delivered last year were either plug-in hybrid or pure electric.

“We are making good progress on the road to becoming a CO2-neutral company,” said CEO Herbert Diess.

“We significantly reduced the CO2 emissions of our new vehicle fleet in the EU – the Volkswagen and Audi brands in particular have made a major contribution to achieving this.”

‘Thwarted by the pandemic’

Mr Diess added that Volkswagen Group was “thwarted by the Covid-19 pandemic” in not achieving its CO2 emissions target of 99.3 g/km.  

Speaking of missing the target, Volkswagen Sustainability Council member Rebecca Harms said that although it hadn’t been met this year, “Volkswagen is clearly well on its way.

“The key to success will be to give a greater role to smaller, efficient and affordable models in the electrification rollout.”

Volkswagen is expected to achieve its CO2 target in 2021, said Mr Diess, thanks to ever-more electric cars going on sale, including pure electric models from Skoda, Seat and Cupra.

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Porsche launches £70k entry-level Taycan

Porsche has launched a new rear-wheel-drive version of its pure electric Taycan sports car, with prices starting from £70,690.

That’s significantly cheaper than the current entry-level model, the £83,580 Taycan 4S.

Better still, the rear-wheel-drive Taycan boasts the longest driving range of all models, offering up to 301 miles on the strict WLTP test cycle.

It’s no slouch either, accelerating from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. Top speed is limited to 143mph.

Two batteries are available: the 79.2kWh Performance Battery and the larger 93.4kWh Performance Battery Plus.

It’s the Performance Battery Plus that boasts the 301-mile range – the regular Performance Battery will cover up to 268 miles.

Recharging capacity is considerable – 225kW for the regular battery and 270kW for the Performance Battery Plus. Both can be charged from five percent to 80 percent in around 22 minutes.

Notably, the RWD Taycan has different power outputs, depending on the battery: 326hp or 408hp on overboost as standard, 380hp and 476hp on overboost with the Plus battery.

New Taycan RWD

The Taycan RWD comes with 19-inch aero-style wheels and black anodised brake calipers. The black apron, side sills and rear diffuser are the same as on the Taycan 4S.

It has a part-leather interior – and buyers can choose an entirely leather-free vegan-friendly interior as an option.

Regular steel spring suspension is standard, with adaptive air suspension as an option.

Owners can also choose ‘Functions on Demand’ after purchase. For example, Porsche InnoDrive auto-adapts the car’s speed to the road ahead, including speed limits, roundabouts and give way signs: it’s £18 a month or £759 as a one-off purchase.

More Functions on Demand are coming and those who subscribe can enjoy three test months.

The Taycan electric car is already proving to be a big sales success for Porsche, with more than 20,000 delivered in 2020 alone.

It is currently the second best-selling Porsche in the UK and the arrival of the cheaper Taycan rear-wheel-drive model in spring 2021 should grow sales further.

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Kia recorded its highest ever share of the European new car market in 2020 – and the UK led the way as the brand’s best-performing market in the region.

Registrations across Europe were down, but Kia still outperformed the market and recorded one of its highest-ever annual increases.

Kia took a 3.5 percent share of the overall European new car market… and in the UK, grew its share to a record high of 4.3 percent.

More than 70,000 new Kias were sold in the UK last year, representing 17 percent of all the firm’s European sales.

Over 28,000 were sold once lockdown restrictions lifted during the summer months alone.

Overall, Kia registered 416,715 new cars in Europe. That’s a 17 percent decline over 2019, but still better than the overall 24.3 percent drop in the region.

COO Emilion Herrera said it was thanks to a combination of pent-up demand and the increasing popularity of Kia’s electrified vehicles.

Across Europe, more than 1 in 4 new Kias sold were electrified (hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric). In the UK, that figure grew further, to almost 1 in 3 sales.

The Kia Niro range was the second best-selling Kia in Europe, and the second best-selling electrified car in the UK, clocking up more than 18,500 sales.

Every version – hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric – was among the best sellers in its respective powertrain league table.

There’s more to come from Kia from 2021-on, added UK president and CEO Paul Philpott – with the launch of an all-new brand logo and seven pure electric cars between now and 2027.

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Coronavirus has ‘unprecedented impact’ on 2020 European car sales

What is a connected car?

Four in 10 motorists looking to switch to an electric car expect to spend £20,000 or less, new research has revealed.

Steep upfront costs are the number one sticking point for prospective EV owners, according to the latest Global Automotive Consumer Survey from Deloitte.

Many electric cars are still notably more expensive than regular petrol or diesel alternatives. Only a handful of EVs, such as the Smart Fortwo EQ and Fiat 500 Electric, are available for less than £20k.

This preoccupation with pricing, adds the research from Deloitte, means it will be the more affordable used car market that may accelerate the mainstream switch to electric cars in the UK – a process that may take several years.

Motorists are generally willing to make the switch, but are also cost-conscious, said the firm’s head of electric vehicles Jamie Hamilton.

He also urged the automotive industry to better promote the lower running costs of electric vehicles – or risk motorists being “deterred by upfront costs, overlooking the total cost over a vehicle’s lifetime”.

Lower running costs are actually the number one decision-making factor for motorists already switching to electric, but this discovery is not yet broadly understood by potential EV owners.

Pandemic pain

In other findings, the coronavirus pandemic has had a surprising negative impact on electric car consideration, revealed the report.

Consumer interest in traditional petrol and diesel cars actually edged back up.

54 percent of motorists said they would prefer a traditional engine, compared to 48 percent last year.

“Uncertainty bought about by 2020’s pandemic has understandably seen some consumers revert to what they know.

“Whether this is a short-term, relative change remains to be seen – but the trend appears to be at the expense of hybrids, which have bridged the gap between combustion engines and fully electric to date.”

The Deloitte report also showed that more than a quarter of motorists aged 18-34 requested a payment deferral on car finance during 2020 – compared to just 1 percent of those aged 55 and above.

One in five motorists have also delayed purchasing their next new car – something reflected by new car sales falling 29 percent during 2020.

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