The Department of Transport has launched a new website designed to enable car buyers to search for the most environmentally friendly vehicle suited to their needs.
The new ranking system complied in association with What Car? Magazine, is the latest in the DfT's ‘Act On CO2’ campaign that aims to help tackle climate change .
Consumers visiting the site, on dft.gov.uk/actonCO2, will be able to search through a list of the lowest CO2 emitting models in each car sector, while car models can also be searched by category, transmission and fuel type.
Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "By choosing the car with the most fuel efficient engine in its class, drivers could reduce their engine CO2 emissions by 24 percent and potentially save a quarter on fuel costs."
Emissions data from the Vehicle Certification Agency (the body responsible for conducting official tests on CO2 emissions) was used to develop the ranking system, while the 14 car categories were developed by What Car? based on groupings used by the motor industry to classify cars and on reader research about perceptions of the market.
The 14 car categories listed are: Supermini, Small family, Family, Estate, MPV, Compact Executive, Executive, Coupe, Open-top, Hot hatch, Compact 4x4, Large 4x4, Luxury and Performance Car .
