By RTCC staff
Cars on UK roads are getting greener but the country is not yet ready to dump the pump (Source: Wikimedia/Rama)
The cars on Britain’s roads became cleaner and greener in 2011 but electric cars struggled to find traction, according to the latest figures released by an industry body today.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) report states that the average new car registered in 2011 had a CO2 emissions rating of 138.1 g/km, down 4.2% on the previous year. The same figure in 2000 was 181 g/km.
The total number of electric cars on the road reached 1082, a modest figure but an increase of 684% compared to 2010. The number of hybrid cars reached 23,370, up 5.6% on the previous year.
Paul Everitt, CEO, SMMT said that car purchases had been affected by the current economic condition but that improved fuel efficiency was one factor likely to encourage people to buy a new car.
Electric cars in the UK are eligible for a government grant of £5000 but take-up is yet to boom as consumers wait for the cost of vehicles to reduce and the expansion of the charging bay network.
The Nissan Leaf all-electric car will be mass-produced at six locations including the company’s UK factory in Sunderland, which is expected to start making the Leaf in 2013.
It is expected that the cost of electric vehicles will drop as manufacturers ramp-up production.
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