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GREEN CARS OF THE YEAR
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Following a year of turmoil for Toyota involving questions over the safety of its vehicles, the world's largest car maker has been awarded Green Car of the Year 2010 for its city car, the IQ, announced the Environmental Transport Association today.
The least green car of the year was revealed as being the Lamborghini Murcielago, a vehicle that over the course of a year emits an amount of CO2 equivalent to felling a football pitch-sized forest of trees*.
The Lamborghini emits exactly five times more CO2 per kilometre than the 99g/km Toyota iQ.
The ETA examined over 5,000 cars and compared their power, emissions, fuel efficiency and the amount of noise they produce to create a definitive guide to buying the greenest vehicle.
A fully searchable database of the results can be found at www.greencarawards.co.uk
Andrew Davis, director at the Environmental Transport Association,
said: "With the price of petrol at record levels and greater understanding about the threat to the environment there has never been a more important time to make fuel efficiency a deciding factor when choosing a car."
A poll of 1,500 British drivers carried out by the ETA found that Scots were most inclined (42%) to buy a smaller car in order to reduce their motoring costs. The least inclined were drivers living in the north of England (34%).
Green Car Awards:
Green Car of the Year 2010: Toyota iQ
Least Green Car of the Year 2010: Lamborghini Murcielago
Best and worst in category:
Greenest small family car: Honda Insight 1.3 Least green small family car:
VW Golf 3.2 V6
Greenest large family car: BMW 320d Touring Least green large family car:
Vauxhall Insignia VXR V6 Turbo
Greenest Supermini: Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D Least green Supermini: Renault Clio Sport 200
Greenest city car: Toyota iQ
Least green city car: Ford Ka 1.6 Sportka
Greenest sports car: Vauxhall Tigra
Least green sports car: Lamborghini Murcielago
Greenest MPV: Peugeot Bipper Tepee
Least green MPV: Mercedes R63
Greenest small MPV: Renault Modus 1.5dci Least green small MPV: Vauxhall Zafira VXR 2.0i Turbo
Greenest off-road car: BMW X1 E84
Least green off-road car: Mercedes ML63
Greenest luxury car: BMW 740d
Least green luxury car: Bentley Brooklands
Five reasons that drive people to buy greener cars:
1. Petrol prices
Petrol prices have an obvious if not immediate effect on buying trends.
However, the fact that current prices are set to stay will make frugal cars increasingly attractive.
2. Fashion
Much has been written about the faltering popularity of 4x4 cars in urban areas, but whilst there is increased awareness about this type of vehicle having high emissions and posing more of a risk to pedestrians in the event of a collision, the move towards smaller cars by city drivers has as much to do with the passing of a fad as it does environmental enlightenment. The Mini, Fiat 500 and the Citroen DS3 are stimulating demanding for stylish, fuel efficient and lightweight city cars; vehicles that in general also happen to be kinder on the environment.
3. Variable VED rates
Cars that use the most fuel and therefore emit higher levels of CO2 are now charged over £400 more VED (road tax) than the cleanest vehicles, a difference that will have an effect on buying trends, particularly on the secondhand car market.
4. Environmental awareness
Climate Change is one of the greatest environmental threats facing the world today. The carbon dioxide (CO2) found in the exhaust gas produced by petrol and diesel engines is not directly harmful to human health, but is the most significant of the greenhouse gases contributing to Climate Change. There is an increasing realisation that choosing a fuel efficient car can help reduce the amount of CO2 emissions for which we are responsible as individuals.
5. Technology (DPF, hybrids, electric)
Increasingly tough emissions targets for car manufacturers are encouraging advances in green technology. The advent of diesel particulate filters (DPF) such as those fitted to some of the category winners heralds a dramatic improvement in the environmental rating of diesels. DPFs remove the soot in the diesel exhaust gases that is so detrimental to human health. Hybrid cars are increasingly available and will soon be joined by mass-produced pure electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf.
The car market continues to change and a combination of changing consumer tastes and government leadership will result in an increasing choice of environmentally-sound cars.
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| Date: |
17-Jun-2010
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