If you want to be an award winner in the motoring industry then you must have green appeal - as demonstrated by the Mazda 6 scooping the Best New Car award at the Fleet World honours.

The car, which went on sale at the turn of the year, is appealing to fleet operators primarily due to its low benefit in-kind tax bills and its outstanding fuel economy.

The Mazda 6 range boasts weight reducing engineering techniques that have allowed it to go on sale with benefit-in-kind tax groups up to four levels lower model-for-model than the previous version. Its CO2 figures are just 162g/km (hatchback) compared with 186g/km on its predecessor. This equates to a four band reduction on company car tax from 24 per cent in 2007/08 to 20 per cent in 2008/09. The 2.0 litre 147ps boasts similar savings on CO2 emissions down from 191g/km to just 168g/km.

The turbo diesel however, is the most economical model in the range - its emissions have dropped from 165g/km (hatchback) to just 149g/km with fuel economy at more than 50mpg.

The improvements in Vehicle Excise Duty combined with the savings on fuel make this a particularly popular model with fleet managers. The vehicle was praised at the awards ceremony for achieving such a high level of excellence in its sector.

 While promoting the benefits of it car sharing clubs, which it is claimed can reduce its members’ car journeys by 35 per cent; City Car Club has issued a hall of shame of the celebrities it feels are most in need of a green car makeover.

Topping the chart was Mr Nasty himself, Simon Cowell, who may not relish this number one position. His Bugatti Veyron throws out 574g/km of CO2 making the emissions of his Ferrari F340 (420g/km) and his Rolls Royce Phantom (377g/km) look lightweight by comparison. His overall average is 457g/km leaving him at the top of this hall of fame class - something he’s bound to complain about.

In second place was fellow Rolls Royce Phantom owner Jay Kay. The artist who fronts Jamiroquai also has a 545g/km Ferrari Enzo in his collection, which won’t hit the right note with environmentalists. His average was 444g/km.

It’s probably no surprise to find a footballer in the rundown and indeed David Beckham scores an own goal with green enthusiasts taking third place on the list thanks to his Bentley Arnage, Hummer H2, Bentley Continental GT and Lamborghini Gallardo, which left Mr Posh Spice with an overall average of 421g/km.

Perhaps Rowan Atkinson should have stuck to Mr Bean’s Mini because he takes position number four with his Bugatti and Aston Martin D87 helping him tip the scales at 398g/km on average. Meanwhile 50 Cent will spend a lot more than that at the pump as he completes the top five with an average of 394.5g/km.

The other names that feature on the list are:

In at six… Rio Ferdinand proving he’s not a champion in environmentalists’ eyes with an average of 397g/km.

In at seven… Potential England captain Steven Gerrard won’t win any fresh support as he clocks up 361g/km.

In at eight… Queen of the Jungle Kerry Katona has clearly lost her touch with all things green with an average of 359.9g/km.

In at nine… He may be nicknamed Shrek by some tabloids but Wayne Rooney doesn’t have green blood in his veins with an average of 308g/km.

And finally, in a ten: Cameron Diaz may famously drive the hybrid Toyota Prius but her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake in not N-sync with the environment with an average of 287g/km.

Find out more about City Car Club here.

 There’s a new frontrunner in the race to produce green cars with Israel emerging as the latest environmental hotspot.

In a project led by Shai Agassi, an Israeli entrepreneur, a joint venture has been established between Renault-Nissan and Project Better Place, a new Silicon Valley company, which will introduce a fully electric prototype of the Renault Sedan on to Israel’s streets by 2010.

According to the project’s backers, the car will vastly reduce dependency on oil, cut emissions and potentially put Israel at the forefront of green motoring worldwide.

The Renault Sedan looks just like a normal car but there is no exhaust pipe. Instead this ultra-efficient vehicle has an electricity plug where the top of the petrol tank should be. It is estimated that the car can travel from 0-60mph in just eight seconds and the engine remains almost inaudible throughout its travel time.

Experts however have questioned the future of the vehicle pointing out several potential flaws including a limited battery range at 125 miles. However, on long journeys, motorists will be able to replace the battery at any one of around 150 swap stations to be built around the country. It is estimated that changing the battery will only take as long as filling a conventional car with petrol.

If the plans prove to be a success Israel will be the first country in the world to have electric cars in large numbers on its highways. Several hundred cars will be introduced to the streets next year as part of a pilot scheme.

 With higher fuel costs, congestion charges and increased road tax for high polluting vehicles emptying our wallets, it’s good to see that some of our money is being poured towards green car projects - as the Government offered a £23m boost to 16 green schemes.

The Government-funded Technology Strategy Board will split the cash between schemes that cover everything from fuel cells to making lightweight car bodies with funding for improving internal combustion engines and enhancing aerodynamics.

Here is a brief summary of some of the projects covered:

• - Electric versions of London’s black cabs - The iconic TX4 is to be launched as an all-electric, zero emission vehicle by 2012.

• - New lithium-ion battery technology - An attempt to address the limited range of current electric vehicles.

• - A 100+ MPG plug-in hybrid - The Axon 60 will have a body made from carbon fibre and is set to make its first appearance at the Sexy Green Car Show later this month.

• - A ‘Limo-Green’ project - A sub-120g/km luxury vehicle being developed by Jaguar and Lotus engineering.

• - Hybrid technology for transit buses - Accelerating the production of hybrid electric drive buses in the UK.

• - Lightweight vehicles - To demonstrate the feasibility of mass producing cars using sustainable aluminium sheets and energy efficient recycled post consumer scrap.

• - Aerospace aero devices - A device fitted to commercial vehicles that will significantly reduce fuel consumption utilising developments already in place in the aeronautical industries.

• - Range extended electric vehicle - A project to investigate range extension on electric cars and an investigation into recharging facilities for vehicles.

For more information on these projects, and for details of the remaining schemes covered by the Government funding, check out the Technology Strategy Board website.

As an additional bonus, a further £70m has been set aside for a new Low Carbon Vehicles integrated development programme.

 If Arnold Schwarzenegger tells you to do something, you better listen - and now he has warned automobile manufacturers in the USA to jump on the green car bandwagon before they ‘terminate’ the industry.

The California Governor joined representatives from 13 other states in urging car manufacturers to make cleaner vehicles.

In a statement issued after meeting with the board of directors of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Schwarzenegger said: “Automakers need to have long-range vision and develop the technology that will make them competitive in the world arena.

“I believe there is an opportunity for us to be strong allies. In fact, California may be doing more to save the US auto industry than anyone else because we are pushing them to change.”

Schwarzenegger pointed to high demand among American drivers as a reason why car manufacturers must adjust their approach. He stated that the Government cannot take the concept where it needs to go on its own, and that only technology can “save the auto industry and the environment”.

California, along with the 13 other states, has proposed stricter limits on gas emissions but Schwarzenegger has told manufacturers that hiding behind these standards will not work as they will not effectively reduce pollution.

Schwarzenegger said: “Today, I made it clear to the automakers that California will not back down in the fight to protect our own environment by regulating pollution that causes global warming. We will continue to press the US Environmental Protection Agency to grant our request for a waiver, and we will use legal remedies if they fail to do so.”

 It’s not just car manufacturers that are feeling the need to think green - now it’s the insurers too, as More Th>n car insurance has launched a new eco friendly motoring scheme.

Known as ‘Green Wheels’, the service helps drivers assess how their driving affects the environment. It gives them access to information such as how they brake and accelerate and the number of short journeys they make. It is hoped that this technology will help drivers make more environmentally friendly choices while behind the wheel - and reduce the carbon footprint of Britain’s 31m cars.

The Green Wheels scheme utilises ‘green box’ technology - a small device that hooks up to the engine management system and effectively reads the way you drive. It then sends information to the More Th>n green box website where drivers can access their personal reports and confidentially read information about their driving style and how to become more economical.

Product director at More Th>n, Dowshan Humzah, commented: “Green Wheels is great news for anyone interested in taking more responsibility for their own carbon ‘tyre-print’.

“Furthermore, by helping motorists drive more efficiently the ‘green box’ can also help cut the cost of motoring which, with fuel prices rising, is top of many motorists’ agendas.”

It’s not the first time a car insurance company has ventured into the green market - indeed there are several car insurance providers that market exclusively to an environmentally conscious clientele by offering carbon offsetting schemes.

There is some debate however, as to whether it would make better environmental sense to shop around for the cheapest car insurance deal and then put the money saved towards an environmental project of your own choice.

Read on for more about green car insurance.

 You may be jealous of ‘gas’ prices across the pond where they teeter close to $4 a gallon, whereas we pay nearer $10 a gallon - but it’s the North Americans who are green with envy about our environmental breakthroughs.

Green cars are on the mind of North Americans, just as they are throughout the world, but an article in a Trenton, Ontario based newspaper questions just why the promised influx of green cars has failed to materialise.

In 2003, JD Power Associates, an automotive market research and polling group, predicted that by 2006 North American car buyers will have purchased more than half a million green cars with 20 hybrids, trucks and sports utility models to choose from.

By 2008 however, there are only 12 hybrid models on offer - and this includes five models from Japanese manufacturers. Collectively all companies have around 300 hybrids on the road, when the original prediction was for more than 30,000.

So with demand expected to be high given the rise in fuel prices, just what has slowed down the development of green cars in North America?

According to the Trenton newspaper, most North Americans are simply unwilling to sacrifice their ‘gas guzzlers’ for leaner, greener alternatives. In fact the average North American vehicle consumes more fuel today than the Model T used at 25mpg.

There is little base-stock for alternative fuels such as ethanol and bio-diesel, which cause controversy in the on-going fuel v food debate.

Consequently, green cars remain a rarely used alternative rather than a success story in North America, a continent that uses 1.444 billion litres of petrol every day.

How do you think green cars could find more success in North America? How can Americans be persuaded to go green? Let us know your thoughts.

 Remember the days when hybrid cars and hydrogen fuel cells seemed like little more than a mythical vision of the space age? Now they’ve come to fruition perhaps we should not be so quick to mock the latest inventions - even if the concept of a ‘flying green car’ will raise one or two eyebrows.

At the annual Electric Aircraft Symposium in San Francisco, the latest requirement for the invention of personal aircraft vehicles (PAVs) is that they adopt a green outlook. The annual PAV challenge has been re-branded as the General Aviation Technology Challenge with a green prize to be awarded from this year onwards.

PAVs are the latest step in the flying car concept. Instead of appearing as hover-capable wingless super machines, the likes of which you’d expect to see on an episode of the Jetsons, they instead take the form of advanced light aeroplanes. They can take off after a short run and are quiet enough so that they don’t upset your neighbours.

The idea behind the PAVs is that they will be able to fold their wings and drive on roads like an ordinary car, while also being able to zip through air space for speedy trips to the office or supermarket.

However, with fears growing about the fuel emissions of most aircrafts its encouraging to see that there is an environmental focus being placed on the development of even the most far-fetched concepts. At the moment the most realistic version of the flying car is the Terrafugia Transition, which currently clocks a mere 25 miles per gallon, though it can use unleaded fuel, unlike many light aircraft.

Clearly there’s some way to go before this latest green concept gets off the ground.

More than one million drivers could see their annual road tax bill double after changes were introduced in Alistair Darling’s first Budget last March.

According to new figures, the rise is largely due to an unannounced change in the rules that means an estimated 1.2million drivers of cars bought before 2006 can be charged at the highest rate.

The scheme, which divides cars into 13 groups depending on their CO2 emissions, will see the highest polluting vehicles charged as much as £455 in 2010. At present there are seven tax bands with the least green vehicles paying a maximum of £400. However, the top band only applies to cars bought after March 2006.

Over the next two years, this maximum levy on cars bought before 2006 will be lifted - pushing hundreds of thousands into the top tax band and potentially netting the Government more than £1billion in what has been described as the ‘ultimate stealth tax’.

Justine Greening, a shadow Treasury minister, said: “By 2010, 1.2 million drivers will have seen their vehicle excise duty double. Many of the worst hit may well be families who simply can’t afford to change cars regularly.

“This is duplicity from the Treasury who deliberately failed to make any mention of this dramatic doubling of VED hitting so many drivers at the time of the Budget.”

According to the new road tax rules, only drivers of green cars can breathe easily. Cars producing less than 100g will not be taxed at all - although the figures suggest this will currently only benefit around 406 people.

If you’re looking to advertise the merits of green cars then promoting to the 600million that watch F1 seems like a pretty strong starting point.

That’s exactly what car manufacturer Honda has been doing over the past year as its drivers, such as Britain’s Jenson Button, hurtle around the circuit in what has been dubbed the ‘Earth car’. Gone is the traditional corporate advertising typically associated with F1 race cars and in its place is Honda racing’s new environmental slogan ‘earth dreams’.

“What we decided to do was to try to raise people’s awareness of environmental issues,” said Nick Fry, chief executive officer and team principal of Honda Racing.

“We’ve just been awarded ‘14001′, which is the environmental standard for excellence and we’re the only F1 team to have that award. So we really are taking the whole thing to our hearts.”

Last year the team scooped awards for its slogan ‘my earth dream’, which saw the old RA107 model blanketed in the names of more than 70,000 fans supporting the environment. Now the campaign has evolved into ‘earth dreams’ which supports a range of environmental efforts throughout the world including inner-city regeneration, marine and rainforest conservation.

Honda is proud of its position as the leader in environmental promotion, but has faced criticism from some environmental groups that believe the campaign is hypocritical given the sport’s high pollution levels.

“You always get a small number of detractors but frankly they’re good fun,” Mr Fry commented.
“They need to be there because they highlight the issue that bit more, so you’ve got to be controversial. You’ve got to be at the forefront and you’ve got to expect that some people are going to be the nay-sayers, but the reality is they may be vocal, but they’re very few.”

What do you think of the Honda campaign? Should other F1 manufacturers follow suit? Have your say in the Global Warming Forum.