Abstract: Automobile CO2 emissions constitute a significant percentage of the total anthropogenic CO2 emitted. During recent years, significant efforts are made to control automobile CO2 exhaust emissions; however, the decrease achieved is quite limited.
Several parameters influence automobile CO2 emissions: fuel used, engine technology, after-treatment technology, vehicle weight, driving profiles, annual mileage, etc. However, fleet composition is another important parameter, not frequently taken into consideration. The European market of new passenger cars is very different from one country to another and also changes very rapidly during last years. Even within one European Union country, the characteristics of new passenger cars market are very different.
This work performs an analysis of the new passenger cars market in European Union (former 15 states members) during last years and presents the impact of the main characteristics of the new passenger cars and the exhaust CO2 emissions. The parameters studied are vehicle weight, engine displacement, engine maximum and specific power, vehicle segment and firms distribution. The average values of these parameters, the distribution of their values and their change during last years are presented and discussed. This analysis aims to contribute from another point of view to the question “why automotive CO2 emissions cannot easily decrease”.
 

Brief Biography of the Speaker:

Born in Trikala, Greece (21/12/1966)

FIELD OF EXPERTISE: Emission of pollutants from internal combustion engines: formation, analysis and control.

STUDIES
1989 Diploma of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens - Greece.
1991 DEA (M.Sc.) of Petroleum Sciences, Ecole Nationale du Pétrole et des Moteurs (ENSPM) and University Paris VI - France. Thesis: «Isomerisation of the C8 aromatic cup on catalysts based on mordenite».
1996 Doctorat (Ph.D.) of Chemistry, Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP) and University of Haute Alsace - France. Thesis: «Study of the formation mechanisms of the specific pollutants emitted from internal combustion engines».

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1989-1990 University of Patras, Department of Chemical Engineers, Patras - Greece. Research and Teaching Assistant.
Study of the catalytic coupling of methane
1990-1991 Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP). Research Fellowship during the DEA.
Study of the isomerisation of the C8 aromatic cup on catalysts based on mordenite.
1992 TOTAL Exploration Production, Paris - France. Research Assistant.
Study of elastic propagation of seismic waves.
1992-1996 Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP). Research Fellowship during the Doctorat.
Study of the formation mechanisms of the specific pollutants emitted from internal combustion engines.
1997-1998 Military Service in Greece (compulsory).
1998-1999 Ecole des Mines de Nantes, Department of Energetic and Environmental Systems, Nantes - France. Assistant Professor.
Study of combustion and emission control of a natural gas-feed spark ignition engine.
1999-2005 Renault, Paris - France. After-treatment and emission control engineer.
Emission control of new Diesel engines.
Technical regulations.
Emission of nano-particles and non regulated pollutants.
Hybride vehicles.
2005-2006 CPERI/CERTH – Thessaloniki Greece (sabbatical from Renault) Researcher.
Control of nano-particles emission.
From 2006- Democrite University of Thrace, School of Environmental Engineers, Assistant Professor.
Control of pollutants emitted from combustion systems, alternative fuels, energy policy.

Other

- Member of the National Biofuels Platform.
- Member of the Editorial Board of the «Open Environmental Journal».