Sarah Ludford MEP fights for fuel efficient cars

2.00.00pm GMT Wed 27th Jan 2010

London's motorists are getting more miles to the gallon out of their vehicles, with big improvements still to come. Fuel efficiency in the EU is set to increase by 20% over the next six years.

Car manufacturers are gearing up to meet the requirements of a new EU law that forces them to reduce CO2 emissions from the fuel they burn.

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford said:

"They were slow to start, but car manufacturers are now being forced to curb CO2 emissions.

"Vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient and this will help to keep down the cost of driving."

"An added bonus for London is that more efficient, hybrid and hydrogen-powered cars will also help improve London's dangerously bad air quality. Poor air quality in London causes 3,000 premature deaths a year and the European Commission is threatening action due to the UK's breach of European air quality obligations."

Latest figures for the 12 million cars sold in Europe in 2008 reveal that average emissions were down by 3.3%, the largest fall since records began to be kept a decade ago. Average emissions from new cars sold in the UK during 2008 stood at 158.2 gCO2/km compared to a European average of 153.5 gCO2/km.

Across Europe currently 47.3% of cars sold are fuelled by petrol, 51.4% by diesel, while 1.3% use alternative power sources.

ENDS