Introducing Measures, Pathways and Roadmaps for Optimizing Vehicle Efficiency and Electrification (IMPROVE)

• During the annual flagship event Transport and Climate Change Week 2025, a training session on vehicle efficiency was held. Representatives from various ministries in the IMPROVE countries gave presentations at various sessions during the conference week, including a panel discussion on the future of value chains in the automotive industry against the backdrop of global change. In the run-up to the conference, key government agencies took part in a study visit to the vehicle testing laboratory at TU Dresden. The 2024 edition featured a session on the topic of “Put less in, get more miles out: regulating vehicle efficiency to reduce CO2 emissions” (www.youtube.com/…).

Colombia:

• Publication of the study "Status Quo of Vehicle Efficiency Regulations in Colombia" (changing-transport.org/…).
• In cooperation with the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Environment, a fuel consumption standard for light commercial vehicles has been developed and is currently being reviewed by the government. As part of the project, a baseline was established using official data, supplemented by data from the automotive industry. The development of scenarios enabled the regulation to be aligned with existing national policy strategies, such as the roadmap for a just energy transition. The project also supported the development of a monitoring and tracking system to ensure reliable data for future updates and cost-benefit analyses of the measure. The regulation is due to be published in the course of 2026.

Kenya:

• The State Department of Transport has launched a Technical Working Group “Vehicle Efficiency Working Group” to oversee the development of a regulatory instrument on vehicle efficiency in Kenya. The members of the Working Group include entities with regulatory power (e.g. ministries and state departments) as well as international organisations (UNEP) and private sector associations. The Principal Secretary of the State Department for Transport officially appointed working group members. Using updated fuel data, the group agreed to set a fuel economy standard in Kenya to phase out Internal Combustion Engines (ICE), targeting importers.
• The project team helped revise inspection standards for imported cars to include CO2 emissions and fuel economy data, closing climate data gaps for Kenya’s vehicle fleet.
• Two important studies have been published: a baseline study on the fuel consumption of light duty vehicles in Kenya for the period 2010–2023 (changing-transport.org/…) and a scoping study on Conditions and Barriers for Vehicle Efficiency Regulation in Kenya (changing-transport.org/…). These serve as the basis for further project activities

Morocco:

• In January 2026, four scenarios for a feebate mechanism were presented to the steering committee. Bilateral consultations are currently taking place with the relevant ministries with the aim of validating the final scenario by April.
• In September 2025, Morocco published its new NDC 3.0, which sets out 13 measures in the transport sector, including the feebate system, CO₂ emission standards and new initiatives such as the promotion of electric mobility for two- and three-wheeled vehicles and a programme for the renewal of low-emission vehicles. The transport sector shpuld account for 9% of total climate action efforts by 2035. The Ministry of Transport organised the first round of consultations on data analysis and the design of a feebate system for Morocco on the 8 and 9 July 2025
• As part of the Green Impact Expo, a transport sector conference and expo held in Casablanca (11-13 February 2025), the project and partners from the Ministry of Transport and Logistics co-organised a panel on the decarbonisation of transport.
• A high-level event was held in Rabat on 30 April 2024, attended by the Minister of Transport and a representative of the German Embassy to launch the IMPROVE project. This was followed by a technical workshop with representatives from the ministries and the automotive industry (youtu.be/…).

Thailand:

• The project launched a study on in-use vehicle policy reform with the Ministry of Transport that will be published in 2026.
• The Thai fuel consumption data portal launched a trial phase from 15 to 25 February 2026 to gather feedback from the relevant working group before its official launch in mid-2026.
• The technical reports on the baseline situation regarding fuel consumption and fuel efficiency will be submitted for final approval at the working group meeting in March 2026
• In July 2025, a seminar with Thai ministries and international partners focused on aligning economic growth with climate goals and introduced a new Fuel Efficiency Data Portal.
• In January 2025, the project began with a working group meeting discussing Thailand’s scoping study and the 2025-2026 strategic plan.