The CCS CO2 value will be either positive or negative. A positive value may earn a credit and a negative value may result in a charge. Credits can be used to offset charges or transferred to other importers.
The Clean Car Standard Scheme works on a principle that each light vehicle in an account will have a calculated CO2 value.
Just as there can be many vehicle variations that appear the same or quite similar, there may also be a wide range of CO2 outcomes. The CCS CO2 calculator in Fuelsaver can assist in determining CO2 account values, and there is also a link to a reference file of recently registered vehicles with CCS values applied to indicate what values similar vehicles might attract.
This value is worked out using a formula that considers the vehicle's 3pWLTP CO2 value, the tare weight of the vehicle, and whether it is a passenger or commercial vehicle. Using this information and reference data (set in legislation or weight data from the MVR Fleet) the calculated CO2 value (called CO2 difference) is derived. This is not an emission value but a value from CO2 emissions and weight used to determine whether set targets for the year are met or not.
The CO2 value is important but so is the ratio to the weight of the vehicle, and the annual target. If the vehicle has a low CO2 value for its weight it is more likely to get a credit.
There are several ways to estimate the CCS CO2 value for a vehicle:
Fuelsaver calculator(external link)
Clean Car Standard Forecast tool(external link)
Reference file of vehicles with 2023 CCS values(external link)
Once you have the VIN or Chassis number and export documentation, you can use Fuelsaver to find the vehicle CO2 value, assign the vehicle to your CO2 account and see the CCS values. This feature in the CCS system is called ‘Publishing the Fuel Consumption Statement’.
The reference data for CO2 calculations is either set in legislation or, for weight data, it’s obtained from the MVR fleet for a reference period.
The other component is an adjustment table from the VEED regulations to standardise the tare weight of overseas values as countries calculate this differently.
If the tare weight is entered directly as provided on export documentation into Fuelsaver, the system will perform the adjustment automatically. If it is entered on the calculator the adjustment will need to be done manually.
The following table is from the VEED regulations to standardise tare Weights:
| For vehicles sourced from | Mass information for the vehicle from source country from the most preferred record | Formula for determining unladen mass for the purposes of this Rule |
|---|---|---|
| UK or EU | Claimed Mass in Running Order (MIRO) | MIRO - 75kg |
| Australia | Claimed tare | tare + 30kg |
| USA | Claimed tare, converted to kg if needed | tare - 68kg |
| Japan | Claimed tare | tare – 25kg |
The following table provides a summary of the reference data used in calculations:
| Year of Operation | Annual Targets CO2 g/km | Reference Period (for mean weight data) | Rates for exceeding targets | Mean Target Weights | Slope of Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Passenger 145 Commercial 218.3 |
01/01/2019 to 31/12/2020 | FA Used = $22.50 per gram FA New = $45.00 per gram PG Used = $18.00 per gram PG New = $36.00 per gram |
Type A (passenger) = 1441 kg Type B (commercial) 1999 kg |
Type A = 0.0841 Type B = 0.0576 |
| 2024 | Passenger 133.9 Commercial 201.9 |
01/01/2019 to 31/12/2020 | FA Used = $22.50 per gram FA New = $45.00 per gram PG Used = $18.00 per gram PG New = $36.00 per gram |
Type A (passenger) = 1441 kg Type B (commercial) 1999 kg |
Type A = 0.0841 Type B = 0.0576 |
| 2025 | Passenger 112.6 Commercial 155.0 |
01/01/2023 to 31/12/2023 | FA Used = $33.75 per gram FA New = $67.50 per gram PG Used = $27.00 per gram PG New = $54.00 per gram |
tbd | tbd |
| 2026 | Passenger 84.5 Commercial 116.3 |
01/01/2023 to 31/12/2023 | FA Used = $33.75 per gram FA New = $67.50 per gram PG Used = $27.00 per gram PG New = $54.00 per gram |
tbd | tbd |
| 2027 | Passenger 63.3 Commercial 87.2 |
01/01/2025 to 31/12/2025 | FA Used = $33.75 per gram FA New = $67.50 per gram PG Used = $27.00 per gram PG New = $54.00 per gram |
tbd | tbd |
| 2028 | tbd | 01/01/2025 to 31/12/2025 | FA Used = $33.75 per gram FA New = $67.50 per gram PG Used = $27.00 per gram PG New = $54.00 per gram |
tbd | tbd |
The Annual Targets are set in legislation for passenger and commercial vehicles to 2027. It’s easiest to think of the calculation for the CCS account entry in two separate steps.
Step 1 is to calculate the weight adjusted target for the vehicle by taking the annual target and determining what the target should be adjusted to for vehicles being imported.
Weight Adjusted Target = Annual Fleet Target + L * (Vehicle Weight – Mean Fleet Weight)
In this formula L = a factor that represents the law of physics that heavier vehicles will have higher CO2 values. So, a factor is included to make allowance for heavier vehicles. This is called Slope of the Line.
This is the value that determines if the vehicle is a charge or a credit. The formula is as follows:
CO2 Difference = Weight Adjusted Target – 3pWLTP CO2 Value
Note the reference data for weight comes from the fleet values of vehicles that entered the fleet in that year. Type A = Passenger and Type B = Commercial.
We’ve produced a series of videos showing how CO2 calculations work.
