Average CO2 Emissions of New Cars in Europe Fall 12% in 6 Years

Average European new car CO2 emissions have fallen by around 12% since 2003, according to a new study from auto consultancy JATO Dynamics. The volume-weighted European new car average is now 145.9 g/km, almost 20 g/km less than 2003, when JATO began collating European CO2 emissions data.

In addition, the study finds that half of all new cars sold in the 21 European countries analyzed by JATO had official CO2 emissions of 140g/km or less, compared to only 23% in 2003.

"The pace of improvement is remarkable and shows just how rapidly the industry has reacted to environmental demands," said David Di Girolamo, Head of JATO Consult.

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Skoda Unveils Eco-Friendly Greenline Versions of Facelifted Fabia and Roomster

Following on from the launch of the refreshed Fabia and Roomster models at Geneva Motor Show this past March, Skoda has now released the environmentally-friendly GreenLine versions of the two models.

Leaving aside the subtle aesthetic changes that are the same as on the standard Fabia hatch and Roomster MPV, the most important innovation on both GreenLine II models concerns the introduction of the VW Group's new 1.2-liter three-cylinder supercharged diesel engine that produces 75-horsepower.

The new diesel unit is linked to a five-speed manual gearbox with identical ratios as the one fitted on the ordinary Fabia and Roomster models with the same engine.

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Toyota May Release Hydrogen-Powered Sedan by 2015, Priced Around $50,000

Toyota claims it has helped lower the price of building fuel-cell-powered vehicles by up to 90%. With that in mind, the recently-tarnished Japanese manufacturer thinks it will be able to release a hydrogen car in the $50,000 range by 2015 (a time frame other manufacturers are playing by, as well).

According to Bloomberg, Toyota's first attempt at a retail hydrogen vehicle will be a four-door with the range of a conventionally (i.e. gasoline) powered car. However, Toyota isn't there yet.

Even though the brand has brought costs down from close to a million dollars per vehicle, Toyota "would need to cut current costs by about half before starting retail sales" according to Yoshihiko Masuda, Managing Director for Toyota's advanced vehicles.

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Nissan Announces U.S. Pricing for LEAF EV, Buy from $25,280, Lease from $349

The all-electric Nissan Leaf will sell for $25,280 (about €18,800) including federal tax credits, the Japanese automaker announced on Tuesday, making it more expensive than conventional gasoline/diesel or hybrid cars.

The actual MSRP (not including applicable tax, title and license fees) for the Leaf is $32,780, but there's a $7,500 federal tax credit which brings the price down to $25,280 for the entry-level version. According to the automaker, the Leaf can leased for a monthly payment beginning at $349.

Nissan said that there is an array of state and local incentives that may further reduce the costs such as a $5,000 statewide tax rebate in California; a $5,000 tax credit in Georgia; a $1,500 tax credit in Oregon; and carpool-lane access in some states, including California.

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