Used car buyers unfazed by emissions

31 January 2008

According to research released today, CO2 emissions are the last thing on drivers’ minds when they buy a used car.

In fact, a second-hand vehicle’s environmental impact is even lower on the list of priorities than it was in 2006, with only a quarter (26%) of all drivers listing it as a top concern when deciding on which car to buy.

Reliability was seen as the most important issue among the 702 drivers surveyed, but even factors such as performance ranked higher than emissions

Top factors considered when buying a used car:

	2006	2007
Reliability	80%	77%
Safety	57%	54%
Performance	45%	48%
Styling	28%	33%
Space	32%	32%
Low emissions	29%	26%

The figures, from vehicle management company LeasePlan, are the latest indictment of efforts to ‘green up’ the UK’s car buyers.

Various measures are predicted to have more of an impact in the coming years though. Latest proposals from the European Commission aimed at cutting average CO2 emissions on new cars could start to make a difference once those vehicles enter the used car market.

Current measures, such as linking road tax to emissions and exempting the greenest vehicles from the congestion charge, could also help change attitudes, but they face a stiff challenge in converting a public that seems unreceptive to the green motoring message.

David Brennan, managing director of LeasePlan, comments: “The key to winning the green debate on UK roads is in changing public attitudes. Currently, there is little real incentive for used car buyers to take emissions levels into account.

“Compare that with the fleet market, where considerable changes have been made to encourage the uptake of cleaner vehicles, including the introduction of the CO2 based benefit in kind tax system.

There are an estimated 1.2 million company car drivers in the UK and their cars are invariably newer, safer and greener than privately-owned vehicles. The green message is hitting home among corporate fleets, but it remains a marginal factor in the used car market.

“Businesses have a responsibility to lead by example. In particular, companies must give consideration to the types of vehicles employees are acquiring if they are, for example, provided with a cash allowance.

Our evidence suggests that as many as 65% of cash takers will run used vehicles, which has the potential of not only increasing a company’s overall carbon footprint, but also increasing a firm’s risk.”

The survey did find one positive: a small but important rise in the numbers of people considering alterative fuels for their next car. Of all those looking to buy a new car, around 6% plan to buy one powered with an alternative fuel such as LPG or a petrol/electric hybrid. This is double the percentage from the previous year, so there does seem to be some hope for the future.

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