LCV emissions figures are to be published by the Department for Transport from early next year.
The move follows a lengthy campaign by several organisations including the BVRLA, as manufacturers have been required to emissions test their vans since the beginning of 2008, but don’t have to make the figures public.
The DfT is working with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to get the figures into the public domain, with a searchable database due to go live early next year. That will be preceded this autumn by a guide to keeping fuel costs down, as the SMMT is keen to emphasise the link between fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
“We’re talking about cutting consumption and that cuts emissions,” said a spokesman. “In many respects the best way for an organisation to see what their carbon footprint is, is to measure consumption and in some organisations that’s still not done. The number is nowhere near where it should be.”
The SMMT said that producing type-approved data is “fairly complicated” due to the variants involved and the potential for different bodystyles on commercial vehicles.
A recent survey from Northgate Vehicle Hire found 80% of fleet owners want manufacturers to publish economy and emissions figures.
“Data should be. available to all fleet operators,” said Northgate boss Phil Moorhouse. “There are issues around both sets of figures being affected by whether vans are laden or unladen and their actual specification. However, unless manufacturers publish official data then more and more websites will spring up with figures that may or may not be accurate.”