An encouraging trend is emerging amongst automotive sales in the U.K: 46.8 % of cars sold last year emitted less than 130 g/km of CO2, an increase of 10.6 % from 2007. Correspondingly, U.K vehicle CO2 emissions have fallen on average by 23 % from 2000. It's probably fair to say that the lean towards newer, greener vehicles owes at least as much to inexorably rising petrol and diesel prices, as well as higher road tax and insurance for older vehicles, as it does to a heightened sense of public conscience.
But that would be doing something of a disservice to the automotive industry, which has made leaps and bounds in improving fuel efficiency in recent years. Under E.U. regulation, average CO2 emissions must be below 130 g/km by 2015 (it's currently at 138.1 g/km), and to 95 g/km by 2020. New vehicles are some 18 % more fuel efficient than the U.K. average. More and more consumers are recognising that the savings in running costs quickly negate the higher cost of buying new, with fleet and private car companies being especially quick on the uptake.
With that said, it seems the buying public are still putting their faith in the familiar - just 1.3 % of the U.K market comprised of electric or hybrid-electric vehicles. But there is still much that can be done with the standard gas-guzzler; the automotive industry is finally making the necessary steps.
Reference article: Sales of low emission cars soar in UK (link)
