Website of the UK government

Greener cars

Buying a greener car doesn't mean you have to compromise. More fuel efficient cars use less fuel so they produce fewer emissions, as well as saving you money on fuel bills and on Vehicle Tax. When you’re looking at the fuel efficiency of a car remember:

• different versions of the same car model or type of car can vary significantly in fuel efficiency - so buy a more fuel efficient version of the type of car or model you want
• as a general rule, smaller car and cars with smaller engines are more fuel efficient
  

Fuel economy label

Car showrooms have fuel economy labels that show you how fuel efficient each new car is. The labels show:

• a rating from band A (green) to band G (red), with band A being the most fuel efficient
• the bands match the Vehicle Tax bands and the labels also show you how much Vehicle Tax you would have to pay each year - the more fuel efficient the car the less tax you pay
  

• Vehicle labels
• Further details on the fuel economy label for cars (opens new window)

Search for a fuel efficient car

You can use the Car Fuel Database to look for a fuel efficient car – you can search by fuel economy, tax band and car make or model.

• Car fuel economy database (opens new window)
• Best new cars on CO2 emissions (opens new window)

European standards

All new cars have to meet 'Euro' standards set for specific emissions that can be harmful to human health as well as the environment. Generally speaking, the higher the Euro number the cleaner the car.

• Euro standards for emissions (opens new window)

Greener driving

The way you drive your car will affect how much fuel you use and the amount of emissions your car produces. By following the tips below you can save money and reduce emissions:

• driving smoothly can reduce fuel consumption - check the road ahead, anticipate traffic and avoid harsh acceleration and braking
• shift to a higher gear at the right time - shift up at 2500rpm for petrol cars and 2000rpm for diesel cars. A vehicle travelling at 37mph in third gear uses 25 per cent more fuel than it would at the same speed in fifth gear
• get in and go - modern engines are designed to be most efficient when you just get in and go. Keeping the engine running or pumping the accelerator wastes fuel, increases engine wear and increases emissions
• switch your engine off if you know you won't be moving for a while
• check your tyre pressures regularly - under-inflated tyres can increase your fuel consumption by up to three per cent
• stick to the speed limits - at 70mph you could be using up to 30 per cent more fuel than at 50mph
• remove unnecessary weight and roof racks - they increase the weight and air resistance so they increase the amount of fuel you use
• air conditioning and other on-board electrical devices (like mobile phone chargers) increase fuel consumption, so only use them when necessary

• Play the Emission Mission game to test your driving skills (opens new window)

Greener fuels

Consider a car that runs on greener fuels:

Biofuels
Biofuels (biodiesel and bioethanol) are more environmentally friendly than petrol or diesel because they come from renewable sources. Biofuels are mixed with petrol or diesel and all cars can run on petrol / diesel with up to five per cent biofuel blended in. Cars that can run on an 85 per cent blend of bioethanol (known as E85) are also available. The government has introduced a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) which requires transport fuel suppliers to provide an increasing percentage of biofuels - 5 per cent by 2010/11.

Electric cars
Electric cars do not produce any emissions when they drive (but emissions are produced from electricity generation).

Hybrid cars
Hybrid cars use a petrol engine combined with a battery and are very fuel efficient without any compromise on performance.

Liquid petroleum gas
Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cars are not available for purchase new in the UK but petrol cars can be converted. Converting an older petrol car can bring local air quality pollutant emissions more in line with more modern cars - but will only continue to do so if the conversion is well engineered and maintained.

• Get the latest on biofuels from the Department for Transport (opens new window)
• Find your nearest alternative refuelling station in the UK (opens new window)

Car maintenance

Well maintained cars tend to run more efficiently - find out how to keep your car in condition.

• Maintaining your vehicle (motoring section)

Car waste

Waste from car maintenance is often hazardous. Use council waste facilities for safe disposal.

• Disposal of hazardous waste

Car disposal

Unwanted vehicles should be taken to an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF); there are around 1400 of these in the UK.  They arrange vehicles to be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way and give owners a certificate which shows they are no longer responsible for it. Since January 2007, vehicle manufacturers have arranged for free disposal at ATFs for owners.

More useful links

• UK travel information - Transport Direct (opens new window)
• Act on CO2 - how to tackle climate change when you drive or buy a car (opens new window)