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Purchasing Costs
When
purchasing a green car, the initial outlay for the vehicle is usually
more expensive. For example, an electric car will cost more than a
small petrol car and hybrids command a premium for the advance
technology they use.
If running
a vehicle on an alternative fuel, such as LPG, CNG or Ethanol, these
usually entail a conversion cost of approximately £1200 - £2000.
This is not
always the case though. The most fuel efficient and greener petrol
vehicles tend to be the smaller engines super minis which make up the
range introduction. These are sold in huge volumes and therefore
the initials outlay is higher. Diesel equivalents are usually an
additional £500 to £1000 compared to the petrol version.
Fuel
Savings
come in a wide range of forms. The more efficient vehicles burn
less fuel (or no fuel in the case of electric vehicles), therefore
making savings at the pump. With petrol prices at record highs
this is always an important factor to new car purchases whether they are
green conscious or not. Alternative fuels are not subject to as
high as tax rate as petrol and diesel and therefore the price per litre
is usually cheaper too.
Depreciation
After fuel
costs, the second biggest cost is depreciation. As there is
becomes a larger demand for greener vehicle, hybrid, electric and bi
fuel vehicles no longer depreciate as much as before and industry
figures suggest they may now be level to than of an average vehicle as
more dedicated green showrooms drive up demand.
Tax
Green
vehicles receive further benefit is tax breaks too. Road tax is
now calculated on your vehicles CO2 emissions. Therefore the lower
the emissions, the less you will pay. A full guide can be found
here. (Green Car Tax).
Company car users also pay tax on their vehicle based on its CO2
emission on a sliding scale. This ranges from 9% to 35%. Details
of which are hound here. (Green
Car Tax).
Congestion Charge
The
greenest vehicles are also exempt form paying the London Congestion
Charge. If you enter into the charing zone you car charged £8 per
day. For someone entering everyday, this can be a huge saving.
For full details, visit our congestion
charging page. |
