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Technology cuts CO2, but lighter feet make the real difference!


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As some people have already mentioned, new car mpg figures pander to the EU compliance rules.

Once people drive the cars - everything changes:-

All but two manufacturers cut average CO2 from their cars in the first nine months of 2008. Four delivered reductions of more than 10%, helping drive the industry-wide average down 3.5% compared to January to September 2007. This record percentage-drop left average new car CO2 at 159.3g/km.

Top 10 most improved manufacturers on average CO2 – January to September 2008

Manufacturer

Jan – Sep 07

Average CO2 (g/km)

Jan – Sep 08

Average CO2

CO2 Improvement

1

Jeep

255.19

217.22

14.9%

2

Subaru

232.03

198.90

14.3%

3

BMW

180.43

160.48

11.1%

4

Mazda

183.69

164.10

10.7%

5

Hyundai

165.11

149.21

9.6%

6

Mini

150.80

138.27

8.3%

7

Mitsubishi

178.49

164.52

7.8%

8

Volvo

191.31

177.18

7.4%

9

Audi

188.64

174.92

7.3%

10

Peugeot

147.27

140.28

4.8%

However, these official figures tell only part of the story.

MINI has the second lowest average CO2 for its model range at 138.3g/km. The Oxford car maker also comes in at number six in the table of most improved manufacturers this year, thanks to the introduction of efficient dynamics technologies like stop-start and intelligent alternators.

But, in a Clean Green Cars long-term test of the diesel Clubman, in which drivers paid no particular attention to fuel economy, the car failed to get close to the official fuel consumption figure of 68.9 mpg, with CO2 at 109g/km. In fact, fuel consumption fell short by nearly 25%. Over more than 5,000 miles, the car returned 51.9 mpg - with a corresponding penalty for CO2.

That figure contrasts with a MINI John Cooper Works driven in October’s MPG Marathon 2008. It returned figures of 50.3 mpg, 23% better than on the official test cycle, thanks to driver training on eco-driving.

“There is no doubt that manufacturers like MINI are doing their bit to drive down CO2,” said Jay Nagley, Clean Green Cars publisher. “However, real world experience shows just how great deviations from the official figures can be. Learning to drive in an eco-friendly way can better official figures by 25% or more.”

The contrast between figures derived from the European Test Cycle and those obtained with a lighter right foot are clearly illustrated by the table of least improved manufacturers on CO2 emissions. Chevrolet are one of just two car makers whose average CO2 worsened, rising by nearly 1%. Yet, in the MPG Marathon 2008, the driver of a Chevrolet Corvette returned 31 mpg, 61% better than the official figure of 19.2 mpg. That was the best performance in percentage terms of any participating vehicle.

Bottom 10 least improved manufacturers on average CO2– January to September 2008

Manufacturer

Jan – Sep 07

Average CO2 (g/km)

Jan – Sep 08

Average CO2

CO2 Improvement

1

Dodge

177.91

198.06

-11.3%

2

Chevrolet

163.89

165.42

-0.9%

3

Land Rover

250.32

250.33

0.0%

4

Jaguar

200.12

199.15

0.5%

5

Porsche

274.32

272.66

0.6%

6

Saab

181.56

180.40

0.6%

7

Vauxhall

157.57

156.14

0.9%

8

Lexus

197.14

194.66

1.3%

9

Ford

154.98

152.97

1.3%

10

Kia

162.50

160.11

1.5%

Clean Green Cars editor Richard Bremner also took part in this year’s MPG Marathon 2008. Driving a Renault Clio Sport Tourer, he obtained a figure of 81.9 mpg, 23% better than the 64.2 mpg recorded on the official test cycle.

Just goes to show how your right foot really does make ALL the difference.

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