Carmakers now producing a better shade of green

When looking at the green credentials of carmakers, we usually go for the absolute performance of a particular model in terms of CO2 emissions. For example,this car is a sub 100g/km,...or that car is within the limit for congestion charge exemption, and so on. Often we lose sight of the improvements in relative performance and emissions control won in recent years, employing the new technologies developed for body-styling,tyres,engine-types,fuels,
gears, brake systems ...the list is long.

Last week the weekly car magazine, Auto Express, featured the results of a survey conducted by the Clean Green Cars website.This showed which cars really had become cleaner and greener during the first nine months of this year compared to the same period in 2006. Apparently, not all the brands surveyed had improved ,Suburu (6%) and Audi (3%) being noted for some average increase in CO2 emissions. A table of the 10 leading 'reducer' manufacturers was reproduced in the magazine showing the BMW-owned MINI, with 17.1% average decrease in such emissions, at the top. At the bottom ,with 3%, was Hyundai. The MINI range of cars had reduced its CO2 output from an average 182g/km to 151g/km. A significant amount of CO2 still, but a large improvement.

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