Motorists could save thousands over the life of their cars if the proposed European 2020 CO2 Regulation is implemented, a report has concluded. This would require motor manufactures to have fleets of vehicles that (on average) emit carbon at a rate no higher than 95g/km. Failure to comply could lead to significant fines, public ridicule, and damaged reputations. The research – which was conducted by Cambridge Econometrics and Ricardo-AEA on behalf of the European Climate Foundation – has suggested that the cost of complying with the proposed rules could increase the average new car price by between €1,000 and €1,100 in 2020. However, this should be off-set by fuel savings of about €400 per-year. Motorists could therefore break even within three years and everything beyond that would be profit. Imagine these figures multiplied over the thousands of vehicles sold throughout Europe every year. The report also emphasised that creating environmentally friendly vehicles could help the employment figures. This, of course, should then boost the world's economy which would benefit millions of people.
Today's Environmentally Friendly Cars
But this is the future (maybe). Let us consider how choosing an environmentally friendly car can save money now. One of the costs to consider when buying new is the showroom tax. This is based on carbon emissions and is effectively the cost of the first tax disc. Petrol and diesel cars – with emissions no higher than 130g/km – can therefore be taxed for free. These include the Ford Focus Edge 1.0T 100PS EcoBoost and the Citroen C5 Tourer VTR 1.6 HDi 16v. However, the cost rises to £1,030 for vehicles with emissions over 255g/km. These include the Jaguar XKR-S Convertible and the Range Rover 5.0 V8 Supercharged Autobiography Sport. And that is only year one. The highest polluters cost £475 to tax from year two (at current rates) in contrast to £0 for those with emissions of 100g/km or less. Then there is fuel to consider. The Volkswagen Polo Match 1.4 averages 47.9mpg but the BlueMotion 1.2 TDI trim manages 80.7mpg (+32.8mpg). Imagine that over the life of the car. Plus the environmentally friendly trim can be taxed for free whereas its sibling costs £120 per-year. So, even though the BlueMotion costs £15,985 rather than £13,085 it could be cheaper long term for high mileage motorists. Plus there is the satisfaction of owning a car that has a minimal negative impact on the environment.