Motoring News

Trying to make it cheaper for motorists to buy an eco-friendly vehicle is one way in which car dealers may increase the number of visitors to their showrooms and the number of greener cars on the road.

With the economic climate tightening the purse strings of the majority of people, a number of motorists have looked towards their vehicles as a way of making savings.

To do this, many have stepped up their search for a greener vehicle, offering greater fuel efficiency, while also potentially providing motorists with free road tax.

However, a new poll from TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk has revealed that the cost of these vehicles is the biggest obstacle preventing people from making a purchase.

A third of respondents stated that the cost of green cars compared to regular models of a range made it impossible to buy the more eco-friendly offering.

Faye Sunderland, editor of the website, said: "As it stands there is not enough incentive to the consumer to select the greenest variant of a car model; more needs to be done to support the sale of green cars.

"With a third of our visitors being put off buying a green car due to the cost, it should deeply concern the industry that the market for these cars is being priced out."

Meanwhile, the company also stated that it could cost a motorist up to almost £5,000 more to buy a green-badged variant of a car compared to the entry-level model.

Other results of the research found that some 26 per cent of respondents felt that they simply could not afford the cost of a new car, despite the fact that they could save £2,000 through the government scrappage scheme.

Among the vehicles which fit into the green-badged mould are Ford’s ECOnetic range and the BlueMotion vehicles from Volkswagen.