Within the past 20 years, the average type-approval CO₂ emission level of new passenger cars in Europe decreased by about half. In 2020 and 2021, more than half of the large drop in CO₂ emissions could be attributed to new BEVs. In 2022, BEVs accounted almost entirely for the decrease in CO₂emissions. At the same time, the increased market share of BEVs has contributed to the trend towards heavier vehicles in recent years. This is because BEVs tend to be heavier than combustion engine vehicles, largely due to heavy battery packs.