Low CO₂ models have up to 9 month waiting lists in UK

The increasing demand for cars with low carbon dioxide emissions in the UK has meant that they are in short supply. The Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion is a particularly extreme example with wait times of up to 9 months for factory orders. Certain trim levels of the Honda Civic Hybrid require five months of patience. Some of this is clearly due to the fact that cars that emit less than 120g/km of CO₂ are exempted from London's congestion charge. The rise of gas prices to around $9/gallon has also undoubtedly played a big part in driving demand for cars that use a bare minimum of fuel. With the most in-demand models unavailable in showrooms, dealers are trying desperately to push other models that are nearly as efficient but that don't quite meet that 120g/km threshold. About the only major low CO₂ model that is fairly readily available is the Prius, with wait times of only three weeks on average.

[Source: AutoExpress]