Premiere Products backs polished performance from Prius

84 year-old company, Premiere Polish Co Limited,is switching its sales fleet of 45 cars to Toyota Prius ,so proving it to be an exception to the old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Cheltenham based Premiere,trading as Premiere Products, manufactures and distributes chemicals and machines for commercial and industrial cleaning and maintenance. Although it has a well established environmental policy,Premiere see the significant move primarily as a cost saving exercise. Also ,having decided to specify an environmentally-friendly hybrid car, the Prius was the only one with the appropriate loadspace. "As a hybrid vehicle, the Prius is reported to be hugely economical in terms of fuel consumption,"said Assistant Managing Director, Andrew Marquand,shortly after taking delivery of the first of the new silver cars."W'ell also make savings on Road Fund Licences,on congestion charging in London and any other cities where it is imposed, and on taxation based on vehicle emissions for the company and for the individual drivers."

For the sceptics who still believe that the benefits of reducing exhaust emissions to help save the environment are not worth having, Premiere's positive experience suggests that the benefits to pocket and company bottom line are certainly worthwhile.Of course here, at low emission cars, we see the move as beneficial on both counts,thus:saving cash and the planet.

Last word to Andrew Marquand:"There's been quite a lot of excitement among the drivers, because [the Prius] is an innovative car and the whole driving experience is quite different."

Free Low Down on Low Emissions in London

With all the talk of the expansion of the congestion charge area in London and the need for a lot more low emission cars on the roads,why not find out the facts for yourself on the practical solutions, including current availability of environmentally-friendly vehicles and alternatives to petroleum as a fuel.You can go to a FREE half-day seminar to be held at 9.30am on Thursday,22nd March 2007 at Covent Garden.This will also be an excellent opportunity for business representatives to hear about responsible and money saving fleet management initiatives.And ,following lunch, there will be exhibition stands and a range of low emission vehicles to see.
But you should arrive promptly to avoid disappointment.Places at the seminar will be strictly limited.For more information and the email address to make your registration now please go to...

Putting his money where his mouth is on CO2 emissions?

Whatever your view on whether congestion charging is an appropriate step in the fight against road grid-lock and climate change, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone ,seen here driving a Toyota Prius ,is in no doubt.Toyota,too,believe its on a winner.With the migration of the London Congestion Charging Scheme into the west of the City this week, the carmaker has seen exceptional demand for its envoronmentally-friendly hybrid hatchback.Emitting only 104g/km of CO2, the Prius is exempt from the £8 a day congestion charge, thus saving an affected regular car commuter more than £2,000 a year.More...

Further cut in car emissions planned by European Commission


The European Commission has announced its proposals for limiting average new car CO2 emissions to 130 grams per km by 2012. ‘Complementary measures’ - including biofuels, improved tyres and air conditioning systems - will be expected to contribute a further emissions cut of up to 10g/km.But not everyone is completely happy...More...

Another blooming good car from the Lotus Engineering green house


Last time, I recommended you to watch out for a road test report on the Lotus Exige 265E, a bio-fuel, and that you would find it at the
Green Car Guide. Well, we were not disappointed. The full report is now there.

The Exige 265E has been developed out of the Exige S by the same consultancy arm of Lotus cars that has created the Tesla, featured on this blog, and is also working on another electric car.

Do take a look at the Exige 265E. The Lotus engineers have a potentially great car here which, if it goes into production ,will really confound the critics who say that you cannot have an attractive and fast sportscar that is capable of delivering only low CO2 emissions. Using a flex fuel system,so that petrol could be used a very last resort instead of the usual and more climate-friendly ethanol (E85), Lotus Engineering is becoming a leader in alternative fuel technology.

The drive to encourage the widespread use of alternative fuels to petrol is supported in Sweden and Brazil by government financial incentives. That same level of support is needed here in the UK to encourage car manufacturers and fuel suppliers to facilitate the use of low emission cars.

Ah, there's the rub, I can here you say. Where can I buy this E85? Well ,during the Green Car Guide road test the test car was refuelled on the forecourt of the local Morrisons Store!The bioethanol can and will become widely available.

Lotus low on emissions...high on car fan appeal?

I really don't know the answer to this one. But I know a man who does. He has been test driving the Lotus Exige Bio-Fuel. This car looks pretty fantastic . Can't wait to see it? Well, you can see a picture of it today here. Described as the future of green cars according to Lotus Cars, this looks a right racy little number. I want to find out more. Though, like you ,I will have to keep an eye on the Green Car Guide for a full upcoming driving report on this current car in the long pedigree of Lotus sports cars.

Just let's wait to see the environmentally-friendly credentials for ourselves. More soon...

Why driving a low emission company car is less taxing



As the current tax year starts to draw to a close,now is the time to review your current tax position .If you are a company car driver,you may be due to change your company car, and you want to reduce your tax liability in the coming tax year.

Sara Taylor,Director at Dufton Kellner,Chartered Accountants, says:

"If you drive a company car in the UK, the amount of tax you pay depends on two things- its list price when new, and its CO2 emissions.

"For the 2006/7 tax year, the lowest tax band is for cars producing 140g/km or less. You'll pay tax on 15% of the list price for such a car, so if you're a basic rate tax payer with a £10,000 car, your car tax bill will be just £330 per annum. The benefit rate increases at 1% for each 5g/km step up in emissions, up to a maximum of 35% for cars emitting 240g/km or more. So a higher rate tax payer driving an executive car with a list price of £35,000 will pay a whopping £4,900 in tax each year.

"From 2008/9, the level of CO2 emissions qualifying for the lowest 15% benefit rate will be reduced to 135g/km, and a new rate of 10% wil be available for cars emitting 120g/km or below."

You may simply want to drive a new car with lower CO2 emissions than your current model.But you can benefit both your pocket and the environment.

For more on tax matters...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cause Climate Change: And It's Humans Wot Dunnit. Official.

Nothing new, you might say. Well, it is being said by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which has reported its summary conclusions, including the 90% certainty that human activities are responsible for recent global warming, and will be for further increases in temperature predicted during the rest of this century. For more see IPCC report...

The IPCC have long been 'banging-on' about the damage being caused to the environment. But in 2001, they were apparently only 66% sure it was us that were authoring our own destiny.

This is a wake-up call. Greenpeace call it a 'screaming siren'.

So now everyone is taking notice, as Arctic icebergs melt at an unprecedented rate.

But let's do something. Now. Reducing CO2 emissions from cars must be a top priority. It is technologically and economically viable. Go for it ,when you are thinking of changing your car,
consider a more environmentally friendly one. For help with the choices of car currently available in the UK you can go to the Green Car Guide now.