What do we see?
The average mass of new cars reached a value of 1,694 kg in 2022 . While the mass remained constant around a value of 1,450 kg through 2019, it started to rise sharply from 2019 onwards at a rate of about 50 kg per year, the increase since 2022 is around 90 kg. This increase seems to be mainly a result of the steep rise of alternative propulsion vehicles since 2019.
What’s the aim?
In a circular economy, we strive to fulfill mobility needs with minimal consumption of materials. To interpret evolutions in the above figures requires a more comprehensive analysis. Presumably, we can see the effect of electric vehicles being on average heavier than conventionally powered vehicles. At the same time, there is also a significant consumption of materials associated with the use phase of vehicles: electrification of the vehicle fleet implies a reduction in direct consumption of gasoline and diesel. The materials demand behind electricity consumption will replace this, it will evolve as a result of the ongoing renewable energy transition.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator shows the average mass of new cars entering the Flemish market each year. The indicator takes only new cars into account because this gives a clearer picture of the trends than if we were to look at the entire fleet. The data for this indicator come from Ecoscore, which is managed by VITO. The basic data come from the FPS Mobility and Transport.
