Motorists are being warned that all is not what it seems when it comes to buying greener cars following a new report from EcoTest, Europe’s most comprehensive environmental assessment programme for vehicles.
Latest research from the FIA Foundation’s EcoTest published across Europe today (26) reveals the true environmental performance of a range of popular car models. The results show that the motor industry has a long way to go in order to achieve the lowest levels of CO2 emissions, pollutants and optimum fuel economy.
The report also shows that:
- The latest models can have design upgrades, new safety features and changes to the engine which mean higher levels of CO2 emissions or pollutants;
- Some models have performed well on CO2 but their performance has declined in terms of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide;
- On the other hand, many manufacturers are registering an improvement of up to 20 percentage points when both CO2 emissions and pollutants are taken into account.
Pollutant ratings, CO2 emissions levels and fuel consumption figures for the latest models to be tested including the Renault Scenic, the Daihatsu Cuore, the Honda Accord Toure, the Audi A4 and a range of others are available from the FIA Foundation: http://www.makeroadssafe.org/tables.html *
FIA Foundation Director General David Ward said:
“Car buyers shouldn’t have to rely only on manufacturers to tell them the environmental impact of a ‘green’ vehicle. What people need is independently assessed, accurate and up to date information – and they need to know the full picture. There are cases where this year’s model may not be making quite the progress expected. Indeed it’s often the case that when a manufacturer makes design changes, we see a shift in emissions levels. However, consumers need to be told that this is the case, not kept in the dark.”
EcoTest puts cars through a rigorous driving cycle and collects data on the resulting CO2 emissions and pollutants. The test employs tougher measures than those required by the EU.