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A breath of fresh air

CO² emissions and road tax can be confusing. As the expert in car leasing, Chevrolet Lease is in a better position than most to explain it all.

Was it that long ago? In March 2001, Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in the UK changed forever. Rather than charging a flat fee based on engine size, CO² emissions and road tax became inextricably linked.

There were good reasons for it because millions of vehicles on the road do contribute significantly to the UK’s total CO² emissions. Giving drivers a financial incentive to choose cars with lower CO² emissions was intended to encourage them to make an informed choice - and prompt manufacturers to respond in kind.

Chevrolet, for example, has developed a cleaner, more efficient diesel engine that delivers the power and responsiveness that drivers have come to expect from modern vehicles with the lower emissions that consumers now demand. Featuring the latest Bosch-developed common-rail injection system that combines low CO² emissions with frugal mpg figures, it will appear this summer in the new Chevrolet Lacetti TCDi.

That’s the background but the reality is slightly more confusing. Tying CO² emissions and road tax together sounds simple, but in practice it has left many drivers with more questions than answers.

What’s the best kind of car to drive, for example? Will it change in the future? What about old cars or classic cars? How do LPG powered or hybrid cars fit in the picture?

CO² emissions and road tax explained

1. As a general rule of thumb, the better a car’s fuel economy, the lower the CO² emissions and, therefore, the road tax.
2. Diesels attract a premium because of diesel particulate emissions - but they do normally emit less CO² so the road tax will often still be lower.
3. Alternative fuel cars like those that use LPG attract the lowest road tax.
4. The 12 month road tax for all cars registered before 1 March 2001 is £110 where the engine size is less than 1550cc and £175 where it is 1550cc or more.
5. For cars registered on or after 1 March 2001, the road tax is based on the CO² emission band which should be shown on the vehicle registration document. The 12 month figures are as follows:
   
   

Band	CO2 emission figures (g/km)	Petrol	Diesel	Alternative
A	Up to 100	£0	£0	£0
B	101-120	£40	£50	£30
C	121-150	£100	£110	£90
D	151-165	£125	£135	£115
E	166-185	£150	£160	£140
F	Over 185	£190	£195	£180
G*	Over 225	£210	£215	£200

        * Band G applies only to cars registered on or after 23 March 2006

1. If you’re not sure of a vehicle’s CO² emission band, the website of the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) at http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/ has a searchable database that shows the figures by make and model.

The best and the worst

One last thing - which car has the lowest emissions and which one has the highest? The answer is about more than identifying the best and the worst, it’s about giving some indication of the future.

As yet, no manufacturer has managed to produce a car that has emission figures of 100 g/km or less - and a consequent road tax of zero. In the future, however, this will undoubtedly change.