Car CO2 Emissions

Climate change or global warming is rapidly becoming recognised as the most serious threat to the planet and to our future on it.

Of all the gases (often called greenhouse gases) that influence global warming, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) produced by burning fossil fuels such as petrol is the most significant contributor.

The problem is so serious that at the Kyoto conference on climate change in 1997 all developed countries agreed to legally binding targets to reduce their green house emissions in response to warnings about climate change.

Following this in 1998 the ACAE ( European Automobile Manufacturers Association) came to an agreement that committed all manufacturers to reducing CO2 emissions produced by cars by 25% to an average figure of 140g/km by 2008 (the level of CO2 produced by a vehicle is measured in grammes of CO2 emitted each kilometre). This is recognised as being one of the most significant industrial agreements on combating climate change ever made and has led directly to many more fuel efficient vehicles being on the market.

What Can You Do?

However much industry and governments legislate against CO2 emissions, the part played by individual consumers is of vital importance in the reduction of greenhouse gases. By becoming aware of the wide range of more fuel efficient vehicles and the alternatives to petrol engined cars, consumers can make reduce their own CO2 contributions.

Every year 2.5 million cars are sold in the UK alone. According to the RAC road traffic produces 26% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions as well as contributing to local air pollution. Private vehicle use alone contributes to 13% of greenhouse gas emissions. Depending on the fuel efficiency of the car you buy the fuel consumption of two similar size cars can vary as much as 45%.

Until recently most consumers were generally unaware of the level of greenhouse gases emitted by their vehicles and for many people this is still not a major factor in deciding what car to buy. However this trend is starting to change dramatically as shown by a survey conducted by the SMMT (Society of Motorists Manufacturers and Traders). This revealed that there had been a big shift in customer awareness of greenhouse gases produced by vehicles. The survey showed that for 18% of buyers fuel economy was their priority compared to 3.8% for whom car performance was the most important criteria. According to the survey the under 25’s were four times more likely to buy a car based on it’s carbon emissions than other age groups.

There is a lot of financial sense in buying a cleaner car which makes less impact on the environment. A more fuel efficient car will lead to financial savings. According to the RAC buying the most fuel efficient 4×4 as opposed to the least fuel efficient in that class will lead to savings of up to £430 per year on fuel, the most fuel efficient MPV can save up to £330 per year whilst the greenest small car can save up to £200. Buying a family car that runs on diesel will put you in a cheaper band when it comes to Road Tax than the equivalent petrol driven car.

Road Tax

The UK government has undertaken a number of steps in recent years to promote the use of more fuel efficient vehicles. Road tax or Vehicle Excise Duty has been dramatically adjusted to encourage people to buy more fuel efficient cars. For cars registered before March 2001 there are still only two bands of road tax . So the Road Tax for older cars does not vary hugely. A car with an engine size of 1549cc or more will pay a rate of £165/year whilst cars with engine sizes smaller than this will pay £110. However in the March 2001 budget the Chancellor introduced the extension of the lower rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (Road tax) to cover cars in the private and light goods tax class with an engine size of 15499cc or less. This only applies to cars registered since March 2001 and so does not affect cars registered prior to this time.

Since the 2001 budget there has been the introduction of a system of graduated Vehicle Excise Duty for new cars based on the level of CO2 emissions they produce. In the 2006 Budget the Chancellor introduced a new zero rate for cars with the lowest carbon emissions and a new top brand for the most polluting cars. The highest rate is for vehicles producing 225g/km or more. These cars fall into category G and the annual road tax for these cars is now £300 per year rising to £400 in 2008.

For Band A cars, those which produce CO2 emissions under 100g/km the Road tax is zero. This rises to £35/year for Band B cars which produce between 101-120g/km CO2 and £115/year for Band C cars producing 121-150 g/km. Band D cars that produce 151-165 g/km now pay an annual road tax of £140 whilst Band E cars that emit 166-185 g/km CO2 will pay an annual charge of £165. Band F is for cars producing between 185 and 225 grammes/km and these pay an annual charge of £205. The CO2 emissions figure must now be shown on the V5 or vehicle registration document but only for cars registered on or after the 1st March 2001. Also since April 2002, company car tax has been based on the CO2 emissions of the vehicle. You can view a full table of vehicle tax costs at www.direct.gov.

By law car showrooms must all display fuel economy labels that show you how fuel efficient each new car is. The labels show a rating from Band A ( green ) the most fuel efficient to Band G ( red ) the least fuel efficient. The bands match the vehicle Tax band and the labels show how much vehicle tax you would have to pay each year - the more efficient the car the less tax you pay.

Buying a New Car?

If you’re in the process of buying a new car, it makes financial sense to look at annual running costs of it, including the tax band that it will fall in to, especially if it is one that is registered after March 2001.

If you’re looking for a new large family car, the lowest Tax Band you’re likely to be able to achieve is C. (121 to 150g/km). At the moment, this means buying a car with a diesel engine, as no petrol engined cars currently fall into this bracket. Examples of large family cars with a C rating are the Citroen C5 1.6 HDi, the Peugeot 407 1.6 HDi or the Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI. If you really want a bigger engine than 1.6 and you don’t fancy a Skoda, then you could opt for a Toyota Avensis 2.0 D-4D or surprisingly, a Jaguar X-Type 2.0L Diesel Saloon, which scrapes into the C tax bracket with CO2 emissions of 149g/km.

Most petrol engined large family cars start in tax band E, which at £165 a year is £50 more than the £115 you would pay for a tax badn C car. If you factor in the superior miles per gallon that you get from diesel, then it is easy to make considerably larger annual savings. Compared with petrol, diesel vehicles have significantly lower CO2 emissions per kilometre. This is because diesel engines are more efficient. Diesel engines also emit lower levels of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons than petrol vehicles but higher levels of nitrous oxides and other pollutants which have a big impact on air quality.

Alternatives to Petrol & Diesel

When considering what car to buy it is worthwhile considering buying a vehicle that runs on different alternative fuels as they have varying merits from an environmental perspective.

Alternatives such as Liquid Petroleum Gas and Compressed Natural Gas are often used in bi-fuel engines meaning that they run on either petrol or the gas fuel. CNG offers even lower levels of CO2 emissions than LPG and are comparable to diesel. Bio-fuels are another alternative to conventional petrol that reduce vehicles impact on the environment. However these fuels are not entirely CO2 neutral because of the electricity used to grow and process the crops. However they do offer substantial savings over petrol and diesel. Most bio-fuels are sold in blends of up to 5% with regular diesel and petrol although this percentage may increase in the future if it is thought to be compatible with car engines. All bio-fuel mixtures work with existing vehicles.

The hybrid car is another alternative to standard petrol engines. The hybrid car has an electric battery that works alongside an internal combustion engine and can provide additional support whilst accelerating or carrying heavy loads. The battery can be recharged from the internal combustion engine or from the energy produced in braking. Hybrid cars offer lower CO2 emissions and reduced fuel consumption.

Sensible Driving

Reductions in fuel consumption can be made without even changing your car for a more fuel efficient one or opting for an alternative fuel driven car. Just adopting a few good habits when driving can dramatically reduce fuel consumption. For instance always driving in the highest possible gear or returning to a high gear as quickly as possible after being in low gear will reduce fuel consumption. Lowering your car speed on long journeys from 70mph to 60mph can save up to 15% on fuel. Keeping the tyres as inflated as possible and regular, general car maintenance can also deliver significant fuel savings. Driving as smoothly as possible and avoiding heavy breaking will reduce fuel consumption.

Car sharing schemes can save on a lot of fuel and so can planning journeys for times when the roads are less busy for. When the car is stuck in a jam or there is a significant delay try turning off the car engine instead of leaving it idling. Most modern car engines are efficient enough not to need warming up on a cold morning. So driving off immediately from a cold start instead of revving the engine for a few minutes will save fuel.