At 7.7%, Volkswagen itself recorded the fourth biggest drop in CO2 emissions last year. The brands that beat it were Alfa Romeo (which released MiTO and Giulietta recently, but traditionally has had a much worse average than VW), Nissan (not sure what's led that) and Lexus (which is recording an increasing share of its sales in lower CO2 hybrids).

Nissan Leaf?

the CO2 from the leaf is courtesy of the national grid. so inaccurate figures there, unless you can guarantee the leccy to run it is free range.

At 7.7%, Volkswagen itself recorded the fourth biggest drop in CO2 emissions last year. The brands that beat it were Alfa Romeo (which released MiTO and Giulietta recently, but traditionally has had a much worse average than VW), Nissan (not sure what's led that) and Lexus (which is recording an increasing share of its sales in lower CO2 hybrids).

Nissan Leaf?

Released this year and only sold in small numbers - the chart is an improvement between 2009 and 2010.

Qashqai's their biggest seller - it's been facelifted recently, not sure if it was during that time, but that's a fairly low emission vehicle for its size. The new 1.6 diesel emits 119g/km CO2 in two wheel drive form. New Micra came out this year too, that'll help.

We need to look more towards the manufacturing process with regards to pollution. How much energy does it take to make a Prius with all them batteries?

Originally the Prius was horrendously awful for the environment - the factory where they made the batteries destroyed the local wildlife if I remember.

But the new one is actually living up to its environmental claims, they've really cleaned up the manufacturing process and it's easy to recycle too.

I guess when you've got a car that gets so heavily scrutinised by the press it has to be up to spec.

one thing I have to say is that I'm disappointed at the Up!'s CO2 figures I'd really expected them to be sub 100g/km but I'm once they start adding more tech like stop/start and so on it'll improve.

Greener manufacturing in the Toyota Prius

The manufacturing process for the new Prius model has been organized to reduce the amount of energy needed for building the car, so as to cut the CO2 emissions during manufacturing by 31% compared to the previous Prius production plant.

Special Eco-plastic made from plants to provide floor mats is used. This further reduces CO2 emissions during manufacturing.

The batteries are smaller and more efficient resulting in 33% less CO2 emissions durning manufacturing when compared to the previous generation Prius.

The Toyota Prius is 90% recyclable!

one thing I have to say is that I'm disappointed at the Up!'s CO2 figures I'd really expected them to be sub 100g/km but I'm once they start adding more tech like stop/start and so on it'll improve.

They make an up! with Bluemotion Technology - 97g/km. It's a bank-busting £360 more than the equivalent normal one. In your face Greenpeace.

Most A Segment cars (Aygo, Twingo, Ka etc) are just over 100g/km though. It's the handicap of having a petrol engine instead of a diesel. Tiny cars don't make up for the price increase you pay for a diesel engine (they do less miles so the economy boost doesn't make as much of a difference, and proportionately the diesel engine is about 10% of the car price, so once you factor in depreciation etc it's usually cheaper to buy a petrol). Go up to a B Segment car (Polo, Fiesta, etc) and you'll find more sub-100g/km options.

Edited 13 November, 201114 yr by Alex

crikey I must have missed the bluemotion tech one. I'm waiting for the E Up!, because the name is funny.

It's because vw realise how much people like burning fuel.

How many green peace reps sit at home in the winter under blankets with no heating, because that creates co2?

Generally short-sited. The worlds problems are much greater than cars.

As soon as we stopped being self-sufficient, we fucked it. Dependancy is dangerous.

crikey I must have missed the bluemotion tech one. I'm waiting for the E Up!, because the name is funny.

Add a supercharger and you have a G Up!

everytime a greenpeace activist farts, Which is a lot (diet of wheatgrass and bean curds don't help) they add to the greenhouse gas emissions.

If they really cared they would kill themselves.

At 7.7%, Volkswagen itself recorded the fourth biggest drop in CO2 emissions last year. The brands that beat it were Alfa Romeo (which released MiTO and Giulietta recently, but traditionally has had a much worse average than VW), Nissan (not sure what's led that) and Lexus (which is recording an increasing share of its sales in lower CO2 hybrids).

Nissan Leaf?

the CO2 from the leaf is courtesy of the national grid. so inaccurate figures there, unless you can guarantee the leccy to run it is free range.

The figures I put up are a little short-sighted as they're only looking at tailpipe emissions, so yes the LEAF will nudge it down slightly but not much. They haven't sold many, it's all brave early adopter types at the moment.

But yes I do agree, there's CO2 involved in driving an electric car. And it's been studied too.

You don't necessarily need free range electricity to run a LEAF without any CO2 emissions. France has a high percentage (or all of) its electricity coming from nuclear power stations, which you can't exactly call good for the environment, but nuclear power doesn't emit any CO2.

In the UK we have a lot of coal-fired power stations, so the same isn't true here. But because they can be shut off at night, they're used mainly to supply electricity during times of peak demand (during the day).

So if you charge during the night (when a higher percentage of the power is coming from nuclear sources) a study put out this year has shown that electric cars are well under 100g/km CO2 equivalent (can't remember the exact figure). Charge during the day, and it's emitting equivalent to 116g/km (that one I do remember). That's roughly equivalent to a mid-range diesel engine in a conventional car of the LEAF's size, and worse than a hybrid.

The figures were based on data gathered during last year's RAC Future Car Challenge - so real-world testing, on a drive from Brighton to Pall Mall in London.

There are problems here. If everyone switched to electric vehicles, then there'd be a huge jump in demand for electricity, and I guess that'd mean running the coal power stations during the night. And it's kind of ironic that the only way to make electric cars true zero emission vehicles is to have most of your electricity coming from nuclear power - which isn't something Greenpeace types like very much.

It's an interesting time to be watching the motor industry. I don't think there's a single manufacturer not looking into electromobility in some way.

Edited 13 November, 201114 yr by Alex

crikey I must have missed the bluemotion tech one. I'm waiting for the E Up!, because the name is funny.

Have you heard the fuck up in Germany - they're doing two special editions of the up! called the white up! and... yes... the black up!

No, really.

We're getting them here, but they're going to be called up! white and up! black instead.

EDIT: If you don't believe me - check out the configurator on the VW Germany website: http://www.volkswagen.de/de/CC5.html

What a "fuck up!"

Edited 14 November, 201114 yr by Alex

Spent a while finding it

http://www.volkswagen.de/de/models/up/varianten.html

ssangyyong, if you can show me an electric car they are working on Alex i'll be impressed.

I dont give a fuck about Co2 and statistics, I WANT A VW DEATHSTAR!

ssangyyong, if you can show me an electric car they are working on Alex i'll be impressed.

Ssangyong unveiled an electric Korando earlier this year...

everytime a greenpeace activist farts, Which is a lot (diet of wheatgrass and bean curds don't help) they add to the greenhouse gas emissions.

If they really cared they would kill themselves.

i damn near spat my cuppa out with that remark pure brilliance

ssangyyong, if you can show me an electric car they are working on Alex i'll be impressed.

Ssangyong unveiled an electric Korando earlier this year...

best two out of three?

wiesmann?

Anyone know what Lada's carbon foot print is? hahahaha

ssangyyong, if you can show me an electric car they are working on Alex i'll be impressed.

Ssangyong unveiled an electric Korando earlier this year...

best two out of three?

wiesmann?

I doubt it - I guess I should've said mass manufacturers.

That said, Caterham has shown an electric car. And Ferrari is working on a hybrid.

Even DeLorean are doing it.

Indeed! Of course the thing to do there is charge it overnight, on nuclear power.

Then you can unplug it in the morning and exclaim "This sucker's nuclear?!?"

ONE POINT TWENTY ONE GIGGAWATTS!

"What the hell's a giga watt?!?"

Ahh I love that film

my guess us the nuclear version wont struggle to hit 88mph.

my 6n2 is quicker to 60 than a regular delorean.

Depends what motor they use really. Electric cars are pretty swift off the mark, even the slow ones. Bags of torque.

aye, one of the advantages is the 100% torque at 0rpm.