The race to win the hearts of minds of people who wish to drive eco-friendly cars has been hotting up. In the recent What Car Green Car of the Year title, the Volvo S40 topped the list of eco-friendly cars as it won the overall title. It even beat other favourites such as the Renault Megane and the BMW 118d, due to the numerous innovative eco-friendly options available. The Volvo S40 produced lower emissions, as well as producing improved driver enjoyment. It also scored highly regarding safety. Described as a vehicle which had, "everything we should be looking for in an eco-friendly car", the Volvo S40 was recommended as a great option for those looking for drivers who are environmentally minded.
The Green Luxury Car of the Year was won for the second year in succession by the Audi A8 FSI. Its eco-friendly credentials were praised by judges, who concluded that the cars low emissions set it apart from most of its other competitors. As well as low emissions, the car managed to achieve an impressive 34 miles to the gallon. However, concerns were raised that many customers who would like to drive eco-friendly cars were being put off by the high price of car insurance as well as the high cost of the vehicles themselves. In a time of tough trading conditions, car insurance providers as well as car manufacturers should be playing their part in trying to persuade people to buy more eco-friendly cars. Car insurance costs are already being targeted by customers as being a means of reducing household expenditure during tough times, as many turn to third party only policies. Some car manufacturers such as Proton are recommending the use of Liquid Petroleum Gas cars as a means of powering a range of eco-friendly cars. Liquid Petroleum Gas is said to be more eco-friendly than petrol or diesel and is almost half the price to run. More outlets are supplying LPG fuel and this may be one way to reduce the cost of environmentally friendly motoring, and possibly reducing the cost of car insurance, which is a barrier to many people buying greener cars.
Which? Magazine car of the year has named BMW as the Car Manufacturer of the Year, with over eighty seven per cent of BMW drivers saying they are happy with their vehicles. No surprises there, as the company has a fantastic reputation for customer satisfaction results. The introduction of the new Efficient Dynamic system has allowed BMW to produce even more environmentally friendly vehicles, which are also more fuel efficient. However, invariably many of the BMW models are in the highest car insurance bracket, which can add to overall cost. There are recommendations by many motoring organisations that the eco-friendly motorist should be rewarded with lower insurance costs, to encourage the move towards more environmentally friendly cars. This would offset the cost of high priced vehicles, which may however become less expensive as technology improves and improved sales are achieved. Balancing the cost of the benefits of greener cars to the environment was invariably linked to the cost of the vehicle and the drivers ability to keep on road cost within budget.
Visit www.car-insuranceuk.com regularly for the latest and best car insurance news and links to the best car insurance providers. Please follow the links on this page to obtain your own personalised eco-friendly car insurance quote and make your own comparison.
© June 2009
