Government Bullying Drivers Into Green Car Purchases

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Thu, 20 Mar 2008

UK motorists are being forced into purchasing more eco-friendly cars, a new survey has revealed.

Over 50 per cent of drivers polled in the study, carried out by insurer swiftcover.com, said they felt they were being forced to consider cars with lower emissions because of the government’s introduction of a "showroom tax" .

The survey showed that 75 per cent believed the government was using tax as a way of punishing drivers instead of introducing attractive incentives to buy green cars .

Consumers are neglecting greener vehicle options because of the limited choice available, according to the research.

For those planning to buy a new car in the next 12 months, only 17 per cent said there was a vehicle on the market that met their or their family’s needs.

Nearly half of motorists said car manufacturers need to widen their choice of environmentally-friendly vehicles, with 23 per cent adding that the government should put more pressure on car makers to produce greener models .

Craig Staniland, underwriting director at swiftcover.com, said: "While environmentally friendly and alternative fuel cars are the future, British drivers have yet to fully embrace green motoring . More is needed to help drivers make the transition."