Fuel efficiency drives automobile sales surge

Britons are cutting their motoring fees by investing in fuel-effective automobiles with reduce emissions.

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

And according to the Society of Motor Producers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of pure-electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf have more than doubled – rocketing an outstanding 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 automobile purchased between April and June this year has CO2 emissions of 125.8g/km, down from134.6g/km at the start of 2012.

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

We’re nonetheless not as eco as some of our European neighbours, although.

Going Dutch

In the Netherlands, for example, the average new auto bought in 2013 had CO2 emissions of just 109g/km, whilst in Greece and Portugal standard new automobiles put out 111g/km of CO2.

And even if we all switch to fuel-effective automobiles, we nonetheless require to make some huge adjustments to the way we get around to have any real effect on the environment.

Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Atmosphere Agency, mentioned: “Passenger transport still generates a considerable portion of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU so we want to think about much more sustainable transport systems – the auto can not solve all our troubles in the 21st century.”

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

Pump down the volume

Cars with decrease CO2 emissions not only benefit the atmosphere, they also imply substantial savings for drivers.

In fact, decrease operating fees is almost certainly one particular of the primary factors Britons are steering clear of heavily polluting autos in favour of cleaner, greener ones

The typical new auto 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 auto these days is some 27% more fuel-effective than one built just 6 years ago.

Fuel speed ahead

The total number of new cars registered in the very first half of 2014 is 1,287,265, up 8.6% on final year. The expanding appetite for fuel-effective cars is clearly driving this statistic.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, mentioned, “Improving economic circumstances have helped the powerful very first half-year efficiency.

“But important to attracting shoppers is the ever-improving efficiency of new vehicles, an crucial issue that is highlighted by the 51.3% improve in alternatively-fuelled car registrations so far this year.”

Charge of the Leaf brigade

Pure electric cars have also turn out to be significantly much more popular.

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

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

Nissan’s Brendan Jones thinks the car’s success is down to word-of-mouth: “It’s what we get in touch with the ‘cul-de-sac phenomenon.’ After somebody in a neighborhood buys a Leaf, close friends, family members, co-workers and neighbours see the rewards and are sold on the idea of going electric,” he mentioned.

Over to you – would you trade down to a fuel-efficient motor, or get a hybrid or electric, to save on running fees? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter making use of the hashtag #FocusonFuel

Fuel efficiency drives automobile sales surge