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A few years ago, selecting an efficient vehicle that was perceived to have strong 'green' credentials was a premeditated choice that some drivers made. Now, with so many more efficient models readily available, it has become the norm.
Putting new technologies to one side because they are still in their infancy; if you're looking for a new (or fairly new) vehicle there are now far more fuel efficient options with low CO2 available than the higher emitters.
Government taxation and high fuel prices mean that our requirements as drivers often point towards the greener vehicles with low running costs.
Likewise, the models that the manufacturers are developing and launching fit the same bill because they are up against challenging European emissions targets. This shared focus translates into better performing vehicles on our roads, something that is reinforced by the latest figures from SMMT.
The figures show that new cars registered in the UK last year were, on average, 18% more fuel efficient than the average car on the road. In 2011 emissions fell by 4.2% versus the previous year to 138.1g/km CO2, which is down by more than 23% since 2000.
The report also shows that in 2011, almost half of new cars had emissions below 130g/km CO2 while over 65,000 vehicles were exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) with sub-100g/km cars almost doubling their market share to 3.4%.
And of course, these environmental improvements in new cars will filter down onto the used car market over time.
Very positive results but I really don't think that this is due to a change in attitude or growing concern over the state of the environment - it's because it's easy and it makes financial sense.
From a tax position lower emitting cars are cheaper, from a fuel position they cost you less to run, they will depreciate less and from a purchasing point of view they are readily available.
If you buy a new or nearly new car now, the chances are it will have better mpg performance and lower CO2 emissions than the vehicle you trade in.
And with the performance of these cars now so good, the choice available and the cost savings that you can easily make - it makes sense to select a vehicle that limits your impact on the environment.
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