Driving It will be available from January 2011. Sounds great, but only those car models with emissions of less than 75g carbon dioxide per kilometre will be considered. Although many car manufacturers are planning to release new electric or hybrid models, few will reach the 75g/km standard.
Current hybrid models such as the Toyota Prius 1.8 T3, which has an emission rate of 89mg/km, and the Honda Civic Hybrid 1.4 (109g/km) would not be eligible.
According to one report in the Guardian newspaper (see the link http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/25/green-sports-cars-subsidise-taxpayers), only two vehicles will meet the target – the Tesla Roadster, priced at around £87,000 and the Mitsubishi i-Miev at £25,000.
In 2012, however, several new electric models will be unveiled that produce less than 75g/km CO2 emissions, including the Vauxhall’s Ampere and the Smart fortwo electric drive, among others.
Written by Siski Green, this article was published on March 4, 2010. Siski's opinions are her own and for general information only. Always seek independent, professional financial advice.