Cost-conscious motorists can save over £300 a year by adopting a more economical approach to their driving, a study by Chevrolet proves. The company entered two identical Aveo 1.4 LT 5-dr hatchbacks in the annual MPG Marathon to compare the fuel economy of a car driven normally, and one driven with an environmentally aware approach. Over a challenging 411-mile route through the West Country, Wales and Cheshire, the Aveo driven normally, keeping pace with the speed of traffic and always at ... read more

Honda’s Civic Hybrid scooped Green Gadget of the Year at T3 magazine’s annual awards ceremony last night. Voted by T3 readers themselves, it was the Civic Hybrid’s low emissions and excellent fuel economy that won them over. The Civic Hybrid’s innovative petrol-electric drivetrain enables it to achieve excellent fuel economy of 61.4mpg and low CO2 emissions of 109g/km, making it exempt from the London Congestion Charge and eligible for reduced road tax of £15. From April 2009, road ... read more

Green car, the Perodua Myvi is set to star as a prize on a new series of ‘Britain’s Worst Learner’. A group of eighteen learner driver attempt to pass their driving test in a bid to win the car and shed their image as poor drivers. Instructed by family members, the learners attempt to pass a mock driving test. The Perodua Myvi makes an ideal prize as a compact and economical supermini with C02 emissions staring at 132g/km and achieving 48mpg. A surprisingly stylish car from the ... read more

Further to Paul’s post while it may seem like good news that the UK has reached and even exceeded its Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), Friends of the Earth (FOE) research tells a very different story, reported the Daily Mail. The national newspaper suggests that some of the big oil companies of bulking out their diesel with cheap biofuel in order to increase their already bloated profits. The evironmental charity’s research revealed that some fuel providers are adding twice ... read more

85 per cent know the techniques to save fuel when driving 70 per cent could use alternative transport Proud sponsor of the 2008 MPG Marathon, Tiscali UK, today reveals that Brits are changing their behaviour towards driving to save on fuel. The internet service provider polled 1,000 British consumers and results show that Britain is more fuel efficiency-aware than ever before. Over 80 per cent of respondents say that they are consciously changing their driving habits to save fuel and 40 per ... read more

President of the AA, Edmund King is leading a team of AA staff in this year’s entry of the MPG Marathon. The marathon runs from Bristol to Macclesfield and back, the winner being the team that can get the most miles per gallon throughout the journey. The news comes as the AA issues advice to motorists that they could be losing as much as three miles per gallon of fuel, through inefficient driving techniques. More alarmingly this collectively adds up to a total of £7.7bn of wasted fuel a ... read more

SMMT’s ninth automotive sector sustainability report launch Car manufacturers have cut average new car CO2 emissions by their biggest ever margin, reducing emissions by 3.8 per cent over the first nine months of 2008. The average new car now emits just 158.6g/km, down from 164.9g/km at the end of 2007 and 16.4 per cent down on the 189.8g/km base in 1997. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) ninth annual sustainability report, to be launched today at the House of ... read more

Leading provider of vehicle valuation data, CAP has called for benchmark testing of battery capacity to better establish used vehicle values for the new breed of electric commercial vehicles. Valuation Manager for CAP, Ken Brown says establishing independent verifying method for batteries is essential as charge-holding capacity reduces over a battery’s lifespan and can leave used buyers uncertain of the true value of an electric vehicle. This in turn affects residual values and will ... read more

Usually the staple stomping ground of the major manufacturers, Paris Motor Show is now also attracting a whole host of niche manufacturers and their smaller, electric vehicles. A change in consumer attitude and buying behaviour is encouraging of small manufacturers to showcase their cheaper alternatives. For example, contract car manufacturer, Pininfarina has its B0 (B-zero) electric car (pictured, left). Pininfarina has manufactured some of the most desirable top-end vehicles for Ferrari, ... read more

UK drivers can longer afford to run two cars per household, new research released today has revealed. According to the survey conducted by Esure Car Insurance, almost half (48 per cent) of UK motorists are being forces to consider reducing the number of vehicles they run, due to the rising running costs. Regional differences mean that 59 per cent drivers in the North East of England are considering restricting the number of motors they own, compared with just 41 per cent in the North West. ... read more