UK consumers complain about lack of green choices

Many of us in the US, both car enthusiasts and environmentally conscious buyers, often wish we had some of the car choices being offered in the European market, but according to this article in The Independent, many UK consumers do not think a cost-efficient vehicle that meets all their criteria is available. While a number of UK politicians have recently boasted about their environmentally-conscious cars, the general feeling is only the political elite and a minority of middle class motorists are worried about the environmental impact of their cars. While a number of exotic cars are available in the UK that emit a tremendous amount of CO2, it is Britain's best sellers that are main contributors of emissions. This clearly points to some consumer resistance, with the UK emissions level significantly higher than the European Union average. A survey by Auto Express found that drivers thought eco-friendly cars were too expensive or offered too little choice. In addition, consumers have very little confidence that any positive tax incentives to buy alternative technologies would remain in place long enough to give a positive return on investment.
[Source: The Independent]