Huge growth in green vehicles in UK during 2007
by David Miles, 29th October 2007
Source: Motortorque.com
http://motortorque.askaprice.com/news/auto-0710/huge-growth-in-green-vehicles-during-2007.asp
Sales of ‘alternatively fuelled’ vehicle in the UK grew by 82 per cent in the first nine months of 2007 and the forecast from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is they will amount to around 17,000 sales in total this year. It might not sound many when we consider the UK’s new car market this year will be over 2.3 million vehicles. In 2006 UK sales of such vehicles totalled fewer than 10,000 units so the growth to an expected 17,000 registrations is significant. Registrations of such vehicles year to date are 13,387 against 7,350 for the same period last year.
The ‘green growth’ is being driven by legislation, higher and higher fuel prices, and vehicle manufacturer’s technical innovations such as hybrids. Hybrids are seen as more economical to run, they emit less CO2 so in the UK they only incur a £15 annual road fund license charge.
London Congestion Charge
All Hybrids are all currently free of the London Congestion Charge, but that will change in January for those Hybrids emitting over 120g/km of CO2. Any vehicles with Euro IV engines, Hybrids or not, emitting under 120g/km of CO2 will be free of Congestion Charges in London next year. The good news for customers is there are more and more non-hybrid models powered by the latest direct injection petrol and high-pressure diesel engines which meet the sub 120g/km, so consumers have a wider choice.
Toyota says that 23 per cent of Prius Hybrid sales are to customers living within the M25 but many more are bought by customers commuting into London. The majority of ‘alternatively-fuelled vehicles’ are petrol/electric hybrids and the three major manufacturers are Toyota with their Prius five-door hatchback range, Lexus with their executive saloons and SUVs and Honda with their Civic IMA four-door saloon.
A small number of electric powered vehicles, dual biofuel and LPG fuelled models also come into the ‘alternative fuel category’. In the future we can expect more manufacturers to offer hybrid and fuel-cell models and vehicles fuelled by Hydrogen are not too far away. Toyota Prius Last week’s Tokyo Motor Show was awash with Hybrid, electric powered, fuel cell and Hydrogen concept vehicles which could make their way to the European markets, including the UK, in the next two years. Toyota for instance said at the show that by the early 2010s that global sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrid models would be one million vehicles a year.
In the UK Toyota launched their Prius five-door hatchback range in 2000 and by the end of September this year they had sold a total of 18,865 units. This year their UK sales target was 6,000 units but they are likely to end up selling at least 8,000 Prius models The Prius range is priced from £17,777 to £20,677, they carry a £15 per year road tax levy and are London Congestion Charge free.
Lexus hybrid range
Lexus started selling hybrid models in the UK in 2005 and sales to date are 8,322 with prices ranging from £36,415 to £88,000 for their petrol/electric cars and SUVs. Lexus use hybrid power in a different way to Toyota and Honda. Their petrol-electric hybrid system allows for creating more power and performance.
Although Lexus models are currently exempt from the London Congestion Charge, if the proposed 120g/km limit is adopted for 2008 then Lexus owners will be paying a fee to enter the Capital as well.
Lexus hybrid models carry an annual road tax fee of £190 because of their higher CO2 emissions, even though they are classed as Alternative Fuel cars. This is £15 less than conventional luxury cars and SUVs with a CO2 output ranging from 186 to 225g/km.
Honda Civic Hybrid
Honda launched their hybrid models in the UK in 2003 and they are already selling their third generation of vehicles. Sales of the latest Civic IMA saloon models are up over 500 per cent this year with a year to date total of 2,369 as opposed to just 403 cars in the same period last year. Honda expects to sell around 4,000 Civic IMA saloons this year in the UK. The Civic IMA´s annual road fund licence costs £15 and they are exempt from the London Congestion Charge and will remain so if the new below 120g/km proposals are introduced next year.
Civic IMA models range in price from £16,300 up to £19,300 for the latest EX version which has just been introduced to meet the needs of business users. The EX has the additional specification of a voice operated DVD navigation system with up to the minute traffic information and a hands-free phone facility.
Honda also announced at the Tokyo Motor Show a raft of new ‘green’ cars raging from hydrogen fuel cell to global lightweight hybrid small cars and a lightweight sports model. Honda said they would be selling over 250,000 hybrids a year by 2009.