Government launches eco-labelling for cars
New cars will be labelled according to how environmentally friendly they are, under a Government-backed scheme launched today.
A colour-coded label will tell consumers at a glance how fuel-efficient a car is and its rate of emissions, in a similar way to those currently used on fridges, washing machines and other white goods.
The classifications range from ‘A’ for the greenest cars, down to ‘F’ for environmentally unfriendly motors, and also provide information on how much fuel bills are likely to be and what reduction in road tax, if any, the car qualifies for.
Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman said the labels would put consumers in a better position to consider the environmental impacts of different cars.
“Motorists can make a real difference to the environment as well as to their pockets by choosing the cleanest, most fuel efficient models,” he said.
“I would urge anyone thinking of buying a new car to watch out for the labels – coming to your local showroom soon.”
The scheme is being rolled out by 24 dealers in Guilford from today, and will appear in all car showrooms by September 1.
Christopher Macgowan, chief executive of the SMMT, which represents car manufacturers and dealers, said: “Today marks a radical step forward in terms of our commitment to give better information. The roll-out of the new label delivers a clear message – a low carbon choice means lower cost motoring.”
Tim Brown of the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA) agreed that it was an important step towards lowering emissions from the transport sector.
“It’s good to see the UK motor industry taking the lead in providing environmental information to consumers. Motorists can help fight climate change by choosing lower-carbon models, and it will now be easy for them to spot the real gas-guzzlers.
“However, we are determined to see that all manufacturers will comply with the scheme – particularly those with high-emitting models. Any companies which do not participate fully run the risk of being named and shamed.”
The Honda Insight is one of the least polluting vehicles, which at less than 100g/km of emissions falls under the A category. It is closely followed by the Toyota Prius and Ford Fiesta in band B.
Meanwhile, cars in the most polluting band F include the Land Rover Freelander and the Range Rover 4.4 V8, both of which have emissions of over 185g/km.
