White van man to become 14 per cent greener

Much maligned by other road users, ‘white van man’ is to undergo an environmental makeover in 2016, when new fuel efficiency standards for vans are to be introduced across Europe.

Under the new legislation, the average new van will emit 175g CO₂/km – a 14% improvement on the 2007 level of 203 g/km.

The emissions figures relate to unladen vehicles – the environmental performance of goods vehicles deteriorates once they are carrying a heavy load.

Targets could go further

Certain diesel cars have improved their environmental performance by up to 27% over the last two years, and there is an argument that the technology developed for cars – such as Bluemotion by VW – can also be used for vans.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “There is strong resistance to fuel efficiency standards from the automotive industry, but they play a crucial role in reducing the environmental impact of transport.”