Cost of "Green" cars discouraging drivers

The recent UK Government scheme encouraging motorists to buy new cars by offering a £2000 fee for trading in any car over ten years old is likely to increase action in the car industry and help increase the number of efficient and CO2 reduced cars on the road.

For motoring to be truly “green” the future is for drivers to turn to electric cars and natural gas powered motors. Recent studies however have suggested that many motorists are being put off purchasing greener cars as they do not offer enough value for money. The research has suggested that although many motorists would like to upgrade to an energy efficient vehicle they are put off as the running costs are seen as being much higher than that of a standard petrol vehicle.

The solution to this would be to offer further incentives to drivers to purchase energy efficient cars, such as cheaper car insurance. A government ran incentive scheme could ensure that any driver of a “green” vehicle would be rewarded with benefits such as cheaper car insurance and reduced servicing costs. By enforcing an incentive scheme like this the UK government would ensure that many drivers move to purchasing energy efficient motors as opposed to the current situation where drivers are put off due to the lack of car insurance and other benefits.