The CO₂ efficiency class shows how a car compares to other cars in the same weight class.
How to calculate the efficiency class?
The efficiency class a car receives depends on its CO₂ emissions and weight. A reference value for CO₂ emissions is calculated based on the vehicle weight using the formula specified by the legislator. This reference value serves as a benchmark for comparing the CO₂ emissions of a specific vehicle – taking into account its weight – with the CO₂ emissions of an "average" new car. The more a car weighs, the higher the reference value. The formula for calculating the reference value is based on the weight distribution and CO₂ values of new passenger car registrations in 2008.
To determine the efficiency class, the actual CO₂ emissions of a model must be compared with the determined reference value. The vehicle is assigned to one of the CO₂ efficiency classes according to the deviation from the reference value. Classes A+ to D are awarded to cars whose CO₂ emissions are lower than the reference value. Vehicles whose CO₂ emissions are equal to or exceed the reference value are assigned efficiency classes E, F or G.
Examples
A car that emits 1.500 kilograms (z. B. Upper compact or golf class), has a reference value of 171 grams of CO2 per kilometer (g CO2/km). At this weight, a car must emit less than 108 g CO2/km to be rated A+. If the CO2 emissions are 120 g/km, this corresponds to class A.
A car that emits 1.000 kilograms, has a significantly lower reference value of 126 g CO2/km. To achieve class A+, the car must emit less than 80 g CO2/km. A CO2 emission of 120 g/km corresponds to class D.
Why is the CO₂ class dependent on weight??
The CO2 efficiency class provides information on how much CO2 a vehicle emits in relation to its weight. This has the advantage for the consumer that he can compare the CO2 efficiency within a vehicle segment. If the customer wants to buy a small car, for example, it is important for him to compare his desired model with other – usually similarly light – small cars. After all, he doesn’t want to compare apples with pears, i.e. small cars with top-of-the-range cars.
Such a relative approach to labeling efficiency is also common for other products. In the case of refrigerators, for example, the energy efficiency class u is calculated as. A. Depending on cooling volume. For cars, weight is a pragmatic parameter for calculating CO2 efficiency, because increasing weight increases fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions.
Legal notice
The German energy Agency (dena) provides information on the transport and mobility revolution in the scope of this information platform. In addition, manufacturers and dealers receive information on the implementation of the amended passenger car energy labelling ordinance (pkw-envkv). the statements in this information portal have been coordinated with the federal ministry of economics and energy (bmwi) and other expert stakeholders and reflect their common understanding. These are general notes which are not legally binding. For specific questions, please refer to. Obtaining legal advice. dena accepts no liability for the accuracy of the results calculated using the online tool for creating a car label. The decisive factors are u. A. The manufacturer’s.