New car preferences move away from greater size, weight and power: Impact of Dutch consumer choices on average CO2-emissions

This paper assesses the separate effects of consumer preferences and technological advances on sales-weighted average CO2 emissions of new passenger cars in the Netherlands. Since 2008, consumer preferences have been moving away from large size, weight and power whereby car buyers were offsetting more than 50% of the potential CO2 reduction from technological advances. From 2008 to 2011 consumer choices not only ceased to offset a large share of the technological advances, but contributed more than an additional 30% to CO2 reductions. Had consumer preferences not decoupled from the historical upward trend, the Dutch sales-weighted average CO2 emissions of new passenger cars would have been 139 g/km rather than the 126 grams CO2 per km in 2011.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2013.02.006
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920913000266
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13619209
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Kok, Robert
• Publication Date: 2013-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 53-61
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1361-9209
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13619209

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles by motive power; Carbon dioxide; Consumer preferences; Exhaust gases; Private passenger vehicles; Size; Vehicles by weight
• Geographic Terms: Netherlands
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment; I15: Environment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01482801
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 3 2013 9:20AM