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The impact that our vehicles have on the environment is a big deal for most drivers.
Whether the motivation is philanthropic or financial, we pay close attention to the CO2 performance of our cars and vans.
However, while CO2 is the prominent emissions measure right now, this might not always be the case.
Over the last couple of months, I've noticed air quality moving up the agenda. Most relevant to vehicles with a diesel engine, this form of pollution is measured through particulates and NOx emissions.
It's something we shouldn't ignore, with London (as is often the case) looking like a catalyst in this area.
There is a lot of discussion about whether ultra low emissions zones should be introduced for the most polluted areas of the capital. This would effectively ban the use of certain types of vehicles in these areas, even if they have low CO2 ratings.
Depending on the outcome in London, this is a stance that could easily spread to other major cities where air quality is a problem.
There are already European manufacturer targets in place, but the particulates and NOx impact is influenced by the duty cycle. This means that such targets don't provide the whole answer to the air quality question.
Vehicle tax and the environment go hand-in hand in the UK and good environmental performance often generates cost savings.
I can't tell you that our tax system will switch from a focus on CO2 to NOx emissions, but at the same time, it can't be ruled out.
This is definitely and area gathering momentum and something to keep an eye on, because air quality is a big issue and may become a more prominent part of the tax approach in the future.
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