Fuel efficiency drives auto sales surge

Britons are cutting their motoring fees by investing in fuel-effective vehicles with decrease emissions.

The number of alternatively-fuelled autos – such as hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and the Vauxhall Ampera – bought in the initial 6 months of this year shot up by 51.3% on the exact same period in 2013.

And according to the Society of Motor Makers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of pure-electric automobiles such as the Nissan Leaf have more than doubled – rocketing an amazing 143.9% year on year.

Let’s take a closer look at what those figures mean…

Exhaustive detail

The SMMT figures reveal that the typical new car bought between April and June this year has CO2 emissions of 125.8g/km, down from134.6g/km at the start off of 2012.

That means common new auto emissions in the UK are heading in the appropriate direction to meet a European Union CO2 target of 95g/km by 2020.

We’re still not as eco as some of our European neighbours, even though.

Going Dutch

In the Netherlands, for example, the average new automobile purchased in 2013 had CO2 emissions of just 109g/km, although in Greece and Portugal common new cars place out 111g/km of CO2.

And even if we all switch to fuel-effective cars, we nevertheless want to make some large modifications to the way we get around to have any true influence on the atmosphere.

Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Environment Agency, mentioned: “Passenger transport still generates a important component of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU so we need to have to think about a lot more sustainable transport systems – the auto can’;t solve all our troubles in the 21st century.”

The government recently announced that a £5 million Clean Vehicle Technology Fund has been produced available to 17 regional councils to pay for green technology to be fitted to 1,080 buses, fire engines, ambulances and taxis.

Pump down the volume

Automobiles with reduced CO2 emissions not only benefit the environment, they also imply important savings for drivers.

In reality, lower running costs is possibly 1 of the principal factors Britons are steering clear of heavily polluting autos in favour of cleaner, greener ones

The typical new automobile registered so far this year does 57.4 miles to the gallon, compared to 54.5 for these bought in the very first 3 months of 2012.

According to the SMMT, a standard new loved ones car nowadays is some 27% more fuel-efficient than 1 built just 6 years ago.

Fuel speed ahead

The total quantity of new vehicles registered in the 1st half of 2014 is 1,287,265, up 8.6% on final year. The developing appetite for fuel-effective vehicles is clearly driving this statistic.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, stated, “Improving economic conditions have helped the strong initial half-year functionality.

“But important to attracting buyers is the ever-improving efficiency of new cars, an important aspect that is highlighted by the 51.3% boost in alternatively-fuelled vehicle registrations so far this year.”

Charge of the Leaf brigade

Pure electric vehicles have also become a lot a lot more popular.

Some 1,200 Nissan Leafs had been sold in Europe in August alone.

And in the US, more than 3,000 Leafs were sold in the exact same period – an enhance of 31.7% on August 2013.

Nissan’s Brendan Jones thinks the car’s good results is down to word-of-mouth: “It’s what we get in touch with the ‘cul-de-sac phenomenon.’ Once an individual in a neighborhood buys a Leaf, buddies, household, co-workers and neighbours see the advantages and are sold on the notion of going electric,” he mentioned.

More than to you – would you trade down to a fuel-efficient motor, or get a hybrid or electric, to save on operating costs? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter employing the hashtag #FocusonFuel

Fuel efficiency drives auto sales surge