Q1) What proportion of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transport?
Q2) Are road traffic emissions forecast to fall?
Q3) What are the future limits for CO2 emissions for new cars?
Q4) How much CO2 does the average new UK car produce and will the 2021 target be met?
Q5) What is the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP)?
Q6) How much CO2 does the average car in the UK car parc produce?
Q7) What is the proportion of the new car market by fuel type?
Q8) Is the number of diesel cars in Great Britain falling?
Q9) Is the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans to be banned in the future?
Q10) What are alternatively-fuelled vehicles?
Q11) How many cars are powered by petrol, diesel and alternative fuels?
Q12) How are the alternatively-fuelled cars powered?
Q13) How many plug-in vehicles are there on the UK roads?
Q14) How many public electric vehicle charging devices are available in the UK?
Q15) Is there an even regional distribution of charging devices?
Q16) Where can I find a database of all publicly-funded electric vehicle charge points?
Q17) How do you identify cars with the lowest CO2 emissions?
Q18) How can I cut my vehicle’s fuel consumption - and hence CO2 emissions - when driving my car?
Q19) How is the vehicle tax rate for a car assessed?
Q20) How many licensed cars in Great Britain are in each CO2 emission band?
Q21) What about local air pollutants?
Q22) What can be done to reduce or mitigate the impact of local air pollution?
Q24) What is the Ultra-Low Emission Zone that operates in London?
Q26) Are any other cities introducing Clean Air Zones?
Q27) How can I check if I will be charged to drive in a Clean Air Zone?
Q28) How much petrol and diesel is sold each year?
Q29) What is the UK’s average new car fuel consumption?
Q30) Are the manufacturers' official fuel economy figures accurate?
Q31) How can I check a vehicle’s average fuel consumption?
Q32) How many front gardens have been concreted over to provide parking for cars?
Q1) What proportion of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transport?
A1) It is estimated that in 2018, the total domestic greenhouse gas emissions from all sources was 451.5 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), down 2.1 per cent compared to the 2017 figure of 461.0 MtCO2e. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 are estimated to be 43.1 per cent lower than they were in 1990.
Emissions from transport fell by 1.4 per cent (1.8 MtCO2e) in 2018, their first fall since 2013. However, despite this fall transport remains the largest emitting sector, responsible for 28 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK (compared to 23 per cent for energy supply, followed by business (18 per cent), residential (15 per cent) and agriculture (10 per cent)). Transport emissions are only 3.0 per cent lower than in 1990, as increased road traffic has largely offset improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency.
Road transport is the most significant source of emissions in this sector ( in particular passenger cars) and accounted for 25 per cent of the UK’s CO2 emissions in 2018; and the changes which have been seen since 1990 are heavily influenced by this category. Motor vehicle traffic volumes have generally increased throughout this period, other than a fall seen between 2007 and 2012 following the recession. However, with lower petrol consumption outweighing an increase in diesel consumption and improvements in fuel efficiency of both petrol and diesel cars, the volume of emissions from passenger cars has generally decreased since the mid-2000s. This has, however, been partially offset by an increase in emissions from light commercial vehicles. For the MtCO2e emitted by road transport in 2018, 68.5 MtCO2e, came from cars, 20.7 MtCO2e from HGVs and 19.4 MtCO2e from vans.
Source: 2018 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Final Figures
In 2019, provisional estimates indicate that UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 3.6 per cent (16.2 MtCO2), from 451.5 MtCO2 to 435.2 MtCO2. Provisional estimates in 2019 were 45.2 per cent lower than in 1990. As these provisional estimates are based on energy data it is only possible to make estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from different source sectors and not estimates of other gases. Therefore, the rest of this section presents the trends in carbon dioxide emissions.
In 2019, carbon dioxide emissions from the transport sector were 119.6 Mt, 2.8 per cent (3.5 Mt) lower than in 2018, and 4.6 per cent lower than in 1990. In 2019 transport accounted for around a third (34 per cent) of all carbon dioxide emissions. The large majority of emissions from transport are from road transport. Primarily as a result of a continual growth in vehicle kilometres travelled on roads, transport carbon dioxide grew to a peak in 2007, 8.5 per cent higher than in 1990. Since then emissions from this sector have fallen back to around 1990 levels, driven mainly by improvements in new car fuel efficiency, as well lower traffic growth than in previous years as a result of a dip following the 2008/2009 recession.
Source: 2019 Provisional UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Q2) Are road traffic emissions forecast to fall?
A2) Yes. Despite total traffic being forecast to rise by between 17-51 per cent between 2010 and 2050, road traffic emissions are forecast to fall.
Within the latest Road Traffic Forecasts, seven plausible scenarios were constructed that reflect the uncertainty in the key drivers of road traffic demand. Scenarios 1-6 take account of the impact of committed transport policies to reduce emissions from road travel. Based on these assumptions, CO2 emissions in scenarios 1-6 are forecast to fall by between 16 per cent and 30 per cent from 2015 to 2050. Scenario 7 assumes a higher level of Ultra Low Emission Vehicle uptake, assuming 97 per cent of cars and LGVs are Zero Emission Vehicles by 2050 and almost all cars and LGVs sold from 2040 have zero emissions at tailpipe. This scenario has the largest forecast reduction in CO2 emissions (80 per cent by 2050).
The forecast for NOx emissions shows a decline of between 60 per cent and 95 per cent by 2050. The lower end of the range relates to scenario 7. Outside of this scenario, the steep downward path is relatively insensitive to the different range of traffic levels we forecast – the assumptions for declining emissions per vehicle mile expected to be achieved through vehicle standards are much more important, and more than offset the increases in demand projected over most of the forecast period.
PM10 emissions are forecast to reduce by 86 per cent to 98 per cent between 2015 and 2050. Again, the assumption of improvements in vehicle PM10 emissions through vehicle standards dominates increases in demand, and the results are insensitive to the different forecast levels of traffic.
Source: Road Traffic Forecasts 2018
Q3) What are the future limits for CO2 emissions for new cars?
A3) EU legislation sets mandatory emission reduction targets for new cars.
The law required that new cars registered in the EU did not emit more than an average of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometre (g CO2/km) by 2015. This target was met, with the average emissions level of a new car sold in 2016 118.1 g CO2/km, significantly below the 2015 target of 130 g CO2/km.
By 2021, phased in from 2020, the fleet average to be achieved by all new cars is 95 g CO2/km.
Full details regarding these targets can be viewed here.
New EU fleet-wide CO2 emission targets for 2025 and 2030, both for newly registered passenger cars and newly registered vans, have also been announced.
These targets are defined as a percentage reduction from the 2021 starting points:
- Cars: 15 per cent reduction from 2025 and 37.5 per cent reduction from 2030
- Vans: 15 per cent reduction from 2025 and 31 per cent reduction from 2030
The specific emission targets for 2025 and beyond, which manufacturers will have to comply with, are based on the EU fleet-wide targets, taking into account the average test mass of a manufacturer’s newly registered vehicles.
Full details regarding these new targets can be viewed here.
Q4) How much CO2 does the average new UK car produce and will the 2021 target be met?
A4) In 2019, the average new car in the UK emitted 127.9 g CO2/km, up 2.7 per cent over the 2018 figure of 124.5 g CO2/km. This is the third consecutive rise in the emissions figure although the 2019 figure remains 29.3 per cent lower than in 2000.
The shift away from diesel vehicles, as well as segment shift to heavier vehicles, is in part responsible for this increase. A more comprehensive and rigorous test procedure (The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP)) also means most vehicles saw an increase in CO2 values, compared with the previous test procedures (The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC)). (SMMT data shows an average 20 – 25 per cent uplift from NEDC to WLTP).
While the emissions figure is still below the pan-European target of 130 g CO2/km that was set for 2015, there is still some way to go to achieve the 2021 target of 95 g CO2/km. A greater uptake of Alternatively Fuelled Vehicles (AFVs) will be crucial if this target is to be met as AFVs emit on average 45 per cent lower CO2 than the market average.
Source: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders – Motor Industry Facts 2020
Q5) What is the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP)?
A5) The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) is a new laboratory test developed by the European Union which aims to provide a closer representation of ‘real-world’ fuel consumption and CO2 figures from passenger cars, as well as their pollutant emissions. The old lab test – called the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) – was designed in the 1980s and due to evolutions in technology and driving conditions had become outdated.
Full details about the new testing procedure can be viewed here.
Q6) How much CO2 does the average car in the UK car parc produce?
A6) The earliest Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) estimate of the average car CO2 for all cars in use was 169.3 g CO2/km in 2010. In 2016, the average car in use emitted 149.6 g CO2/km, compared with 120.1 g CO2/km for a new car.
A new car is some 20 per cent more efficient than the average car in use. So, if a car leaving the fleet (for example being scrapped), is assumed to be 14 years old, then a new car is almost a third more efficient.
Source: SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2018
Q7) What is the proportion of the new car market by fuel type?
A7) In 2019, the marketplace remained dominated by petrol and diesel variants, which collectively still accounted for 92.5 per cent of new car registrations. However, the alternatively-fuelled vehicle market share (consisting of hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles) reached a new high of 7.4 per cent market share. Hybrid electric vehicles continued to dominate this sector, with registrations increasing 17.1 per cent to 97,850 units. Battery electric vehicle registrations experienced the biggest percentage growth, rising 144 per cent to 37,850 units and overtaking plug-in hybrids for the first time.
Diesel share of the new car market has fallen in each of the past five years. Diesel volumes fell 21.8 per cent in 2019 and their market share declined from 31.5 per cent in 2018 to 25.2 per cent in 2019.
In 2000, petrol-fuelled cars represented over 85 per cent of the total market. That level has fallen markedly in recent years. However, petrol-fuelled cars have had a larger share of the new car market than diesel cars for the last five years and their share of the new car market stood at 64.8 per cent in 2019, up 2.2 per cent compared to 2018.
In November 2020, the Prime Minister announced that sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will end by 2030. However, there will be a continuation of sales of “hybrid cars and vans that can drive a significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe until 2035″.
Source: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders – New Car Registrations
Q8) Is the number of diesel cars in Great Britain falling?
A8) Yes. In 2019 there were 12.29 million diesels on the roads. This compares with 12.4 million a year earlier. This is the first decline in diesel numbers since records began in 1994, when there were just 1.58 million diesel cars licensed.
The proportion of diesel cars on Britain’s roads has also now fallen for the past two years. After holding a record share of 39.6 per cent in 2017, it fell to 39.3 per cent in 2018 and 38.5 per cent last year in 2019.
Source: Department for Transport table VEH0203.
The number of new diesel cars sold in 2019 also fell markedly compared to the previous year. 583,488 new diesel cars were sold in 2019, down 21.8 per cent on the 746,332 sold in 2018.
Source: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders – New Car Registrations
Latest figures confirm this trend. For the period, April to June 2020 more new alternative fuel cars were registered than new diesel cars for the first time – 19,500 alternative fuel cars as compared to 18,000 diesel cars.
Source: Department for Transport table VEH0253
Q9) Is the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans to be banned in the future?
A9) Yes. In November 2020, the Prime Minister announced that sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will end by 2030. The announcement came as part of a 10-point plan for a “green industrial revolution”.
However, there will be a continuation of sales of “hybrid cars and vans that can drive a significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe until 2035″.
Originally there had been proposals to ban the sale of conventionally-powered cars and vans by 2040 but this date has now been brought forward.
The RAC Foundation’s response to the announcement can be viewed here.
Q10) What are alternatively-fuelled vehicles?
A10) The internal combustion engine has dominated road transport over the past century but with a need to tackle climate change and a need to end our reliance on fossil fuels, there is an environmental and an economic imperative to do things differently.
Alternatively-fuelled vehicles (AFVs) are any vehicles that run on something other than just petrol or diesel. They include:-
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)
These vehicles are wholly driven by an electric motor, powered by a battery that can be plugged in to the mains. There is no combustion engine and hence zero emissions at the tailpipe.
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
These vehicles are powered by a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) – either petrol or diesel – as well as an electric battery. The battery is charged using excess energy from the ICE, as well as by reclaiming the car’s kinetic energy when it brakes.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)
Plug-in Hybrid vehicles combine both a plug-in battery pack and an electric motor with a traditional ICE. Both the electric motor and the ICE can drive the wheels and at any time, it can be running on the battery alone, on the ICE alone, or on a combination of the two.
Range Extended Electric Vehicles (REEVs)
These are battery electric vehicles that run on electricity but employ an auxiliary power unit (known as a range extender). The range extender (typically a small petrol ICE) drives an electric generator which will recharge a car’s battery. The range extender does not drive the vehicle’s wheels.
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs)
Fuel cells are devices that convert chemical energy (in this case compressed hydrogen) directly into electrical energy. This produces electricity to power the vehicle. In most hydrogen fuel cell cars, a high-power fuel cell and motor combination provide propulsion in place of an ICE.
Other Gas-Fuelled Vehicles
Various other gases can be used in an alternative ICE to provide motive power. These include liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas in compressed (CNG) or liquefied (LNG) forms.
Biodiesel and Bioethanol Vehicles
These are vehicles that run on biofuels – either biodiesel (made from vegetable or animal oil) or bioethanol (an alcohol made from plants). Bioethanol can be blended with petrol and used to power petrol engines with no modification. Similarly, biodiesel can be blended with diesel to run diesel cars.
The Go Ultra Low website provides advice and information on electric vehicles.
Q11) How many cars are powered by petrol, diesel and alternative fuels?
A11) Of the 31.9 million cars licensed in Great Britain at the end of 2019, 18.8 million were petrol powered, 12.3 million were diesel powered and 0.8 million alternatively fuelled.
Source: Department for Transport table VEH0203.
Q12) How are the alternatively-fuelled cars powered?
A12) The vast majority of alternatively powered cars licensed at the end of 2019 were either hybrid electric cars (ones that use an internal combustion engine plus an electric motor); plug-in hybrid electric cars (ones that can be connected to a mains electricity supply to replenish the electric supply); and battery electric cars. A small proportion were range-extended electric cars (a battery electric car that includes an auxiliary power unit which can replenish the electric supply before recharging is required) or gas powered.
In 2019, battery electric new car registrations more than doubled in Great Britain, contrasting with a sharp decline in the number of plug-in hybrid electric cars registered. Out of all the new alternative fuel car registrations, 112,000 hybrid electric cars were registered , 38,000 thousand battery electric cars registered, 35,000 plug-in hybrid electric cars registered and less than one thousand cars using other fuel types registered.
Source: Vehicle Licensing Statistics: Annual 2019 and Department for Transport table VEH0203
Q13) How many plug-in vehicles are there on the UK roads?
A13) The latest data on plug-in vehicles on the UK’s roads can be viewed here.
The chart plots the top ten plug-in hybrid and pure battery-electric cars, vans and taxis that are licensed in the UK.
Q14) How many public electric vehicle charging devices are available in the UK?
A14) At 1 October 2020, there were 19,487 public electric vehicle charging devices available in the UK. Of these, 3,530 were rapid devices.
In the third quarter of 2020, 1,222 more devices were available in total, up 7 per cent on the previous quarter. 324 of these were rapid devices.
Since 2015, the number of public charging devices has grown rapidly to October 2020, with an 18 per cent increase in the year to date. Rapid charging devices have also grown quickly, increasing by nearly ten times since 2015.
Source: Electric Vehicle Charging Device Statistics October 2020
Q15) Is there an even regional distribution of charging devices?
A15) No, there is uneven geographical distribution of charging devices within the UK. Some UK local authorities have bid for UK Government funding for charging devices, and others have not. Most of the provision of this infrastructure has been market-led, with individual charging networks and other businesses (such as hotels) choosing where to install devices.
Details of the number of public charging devices per 100,000 of population by UK country and region are shown in the publication below.
Source: Electric Vehicle Charging Device Statistics October 2020
Q16) Where can I find a database of all publicly-funded electric vehicle charge points?
A16) At the National Charge Point Registry website.
An alternative source of information can also be found at the Zap-Map website.
Q17) How do you identify cars with the lowest CO2 emissions?
A17) There is a tool on the gov.uk website to compare the fuel costs and CO2 emissions of new cars.
As well as using less fuel and paying less car tax, more efficient cars also emit lower CO2 emissions. Car showrooms display fuel economy labels to show how fuel efficient each new car is. The labels make it easy to compare different car and show a rating from band A (green) to band G (red), with A being the most fuel efficient, and how much Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is payable each year.
Q18) How can I cut my vehicle’s fuel consumption - and hence CO2 emissions - when driving my car?
A18) There are a few easy things that you can do when you drive and look after your car to help reduce the amount of fuel you burn and so cut down on CO2 emissions. The key is to reduce the amount of work your engine has to do, because the greater the workload, the more fuel is burned – so the higher the CO2 emissions. By following the smarter driving tips below you could cut your CO2 emissions by up to 15 per cent – equivalent to an annual fuel saving of up to one month per year.
Before you set off:-
- Check your tyres are at the correct pressure
- Clear out any extra weight
- Have your vehicle serviced regularly
- Remove any unused roof racks and roof boxes
- Plan your route to avoid stop/start traffic conditions
While driving:-
- Drive at an appropriate speed
- Speed up and slow down smoothly
- Change gears at lower revs
- Avoid leaving your engine running
- Don’t use air conditioning unless you really need it
Further advice can be found in the RAC Foundation’s Eco-driving leaflet.
Q19) How is the vehicle tax rate for a car assessed?
A19) Car vehicle tax rates are based on either engine size or fuel type and CO2 emissions, depending on when the vehicle was registered. (Other types of vehicle have their own rates).
1) For cars registered before 1 March 2001, the rate of vehicle tax is based on engine size.
2) For cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017, the rate of vehicle tax is based on fuel types and CO2 emissions. The lower a car’s emissions, the lower the vehicle tax payable on it.
3) For cars registered after 1 April 2017, the rate of vehicle tax is based on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions in the first year of registration.
Full details can be viewed here.
Q20) How many licensed cars in Great Britain are in each CO2 emission band?
A20) Prior to 2011, over 90 per cent of cars registered for the first time each year had emissions above 110 g CO2/km. This percentage had dropped to 59 per cent by 2015, following increases in new ultra low emission vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles registrations. A market shift to registering larger cars (eg SUVs) began to reverse this trend between 2015 and 2019 but there was a marked shift back towards lower emission vehicles in the last two quarters of 2019.
The number, and percentages, of vehicles in each CO2 emission band can be viewed in Department for Transport table VEH0206.
Q21) What about local air pollutants?
A21) It is estimated that in the UK poor air quality currently reduces average life expectancy at birth by six months. Transport is a major source of air pollution in the urban areas of the UK and much of Europe. As such, it has a significant role to play in reducing the risks to health, the environment and quality of life.
In the UK it is estimated that road transport contributes 20–30% of national emissions of air pollutants. However, it plays a much greater role in air pollution problems, because it is concentrated on the road network in the country’s towns and cities. Of the 600 local Air Quality Management Areas declared in the UK – areas which breach UK national air quality objectives – some 95% are a result of transport activity. The cost of this urban transport-related air pollution to human health is estimated at between £4.5 billion and £10 billion annually to the UK economy.
Road vehicles are responsible respectively for 33%, 15% and 18% of the total NOx, PM10 and PM2.5 emissions nationally. Whilst between 1998 and 2011, overall NOx emissions from road transport reduced by 60%, PM10 by 39% and PM2.5 by 46%, the change in emissions does vary between the vehicle types. NOx emissions from petrol cars have reduced by some 90% over this period, whereas emissions from diesel cars have actually risen by 250%. This dramatic difference is a result of a rapid growth in the number of diesel cars in the parc, and relatively higher NOx emissions of diesel vehicles compared to petrol vehicles.
Source: Air Quality and Road Transport: Impacts and Solutions
Q22) What can be done to reduce or mitigate the impact of local air pollution?
A22) Over the past two decades, consumers have increasingly been buying diesel cars because of the better fuel consumption they achieve compared to petrol powered cars and lower rates of Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax incentives, which both reward low-CO2 options.
On a like for like basis, diesels emit fewer CO2 emissions than petrol cars. However, diesel cars have also historically tended to emit significantly more nitrogen oxide (NOx) than petrol cars which – along with particulate matter (PM) – is linked to poor air quality and health issues.
Over recent years so-called Euro standards have helped achieve significant reductions in PM emissions from both petrol and diesel cars. But, as far as diesels are concerned, these have not been matched by falls in NOx. Only now do the latest set of Euro 6 standards – the forthcoming Euro 6d which will include measurements of real-world driving emissions as well as lab-based figures – offer the prospect of a reduction in this too. But because cars have an average life span of more than a decade it will take several years for the newer, cleaner, models to work their way through the fleet.
A 2014 report for the RAC Foundation by the environmental consultants Ricardo-AEA recommended Ministers should consider introducing a new scrappage scheme aimed at taking the oldest and most polluting diesel cars off the road. However, subsequent work by the RAC Foundation in March 2016 and March 2017 concluded that neither a national scrappage scheme nor a targeted scrappage scheme offered the realistic prospect of making a significant improvement to air quality on a cost effective basis. The problem is less about whether a diesel car is old, but more about where diesel cars are used and how much. In the absence of adequate location and mileage data designing a workable scheme would be very challenging.
Source: Road Transport and Air Pollution – Where are we now?
Q23) What are the Government’s plans to improve air quality by reducing nitrogen dioxide levels in the UK?
A23) The UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations (2017 plan) produced by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Department for Transport outlined how councils with the worst levels of air pollution at busy road junctions and hotspots needed to take robust action to reduce air pollution.
In March 2018, the government legally directed 33 local authorities to develop a feasibility study. These local authorities had been identified in 2017 plan as having shorter term NO2 exceedances, with projected compliance with legal limits by 2021.
A Supplement to the 2017 Plan was issued in October 2018 and set out the next steps the government was taking in relation to each of these 33 local authorities. The Supplement can be viewed here.
Q24) What is the Ultra-Low Emission Zone that operates in London?
A24) The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London started operating on 8 April 2019. It initially covers the same area as the existing Congestion Charge. Full details of the ULEZ can be viewed here.
Most vehicles, including cars and vans, need to meet new, tighter exhaust emission standards or pay a daily charge to travel within the area of the ULEZ. The emissions standards for vehicles will be: minimum Euro 6 for diesel vehicles (roughly more than four years old in 2019); Euro 4 for petrol (roughly more than 12 years old in 2019).
If vehicles are non-compliant then there will be a daily charge of £12.50 for cars, vans and motorbikes and £100 for buses, coaches and lorries.
The charges will be in addition to the Congestion Charge.
From October 2021 the ULEZ will expand to the North and South Circular Roads. All vehicles within the expanded zone will need to meet the ULEZ emissions standards or pay a daily charge.
Q25) How can I check if my vehicle meets the ULEZ standard in London or whether I need to pay the charge?
A25) Use the checker that can be found here.
Q26) Are any other cities introducing Clean Air Zones?
A26) Yes. There are now a number of confirmed and proposed clean air schemes in UK towns and cities aimed at reducing harmful emissions from road transport which contribute to poor air quality. The majority of these schemes are Clean Air Zones (CAZs) which have restrictions on the type and age of vehicles that are allowed to enter them. Drivers of vehicles allowed to enter CAZs may or may not have to pay a charge to do so.
The RAC Foundation has compiled a map showing where schemes are confirmed and under consideration. The map also shows those locations which considered a clean air scheme but are now compliant.
The map can be viewed here.
Q27) How can I check if I will be charged to drive in a Clean Air Zone?
A27) Use the service here to find out if there will be a daily charge to drive your vehicle in a Clean Air Zone.
Q28) How much petrol and diesel is sold each year?
A28) Sales of petrol reached a peak of 32.8 billion litres in 1990, equivalent to a 72 per cent market share of transport fuels. Sales subsequently fell every year (with the exception of 1998) until 2018 but in 2019, sales rose to16.9 billion litres compared to 16.6 billion litres in 2018.
Until recently, barring a short decline in 2009, diesel has seen an average annual growth rate of 4 per cent in the last three decades. In 2018, diesel sales in the UK set a new record of 30.5 billion litres. However, sales of diesel fell in 2019 to 30 billion litres although this still accounts for about 64 per cent of total road fuel sales.
The volume of petrol and diesel consumed in the UK year-by-year since 1990 can be viewed here.
Q29) What is the UK’s average new car fuel consumption?
A29) The UK’s average new car fuel consumption in 2019 was 49.2 miles-per-gallon (mpg) (5.7 litres per 100 km) for petrol vehicles and 55.4 mpg for diesel vehicles (5.1 litres per 100 km).
Average mpg figures for petrol cars were 3 per cent down on the 2018 figure and 4 per cent down for diesel cars. However, since 1997, there has been a 45 per cent increase in the average mpg figure for petrol vehicles and a 38 per cent increase in the average mpg figure for diesel vehicles.
The data can be viewed in the Department for Transport table ENV0103.
Q30) Are the manufacturers' official fuel economy figures accurate?
A30) Experts have long questioned the validity of the official fuel economy figures which are measured in the laboratory and routinely quoted by car manufacturers. While a standardised test allows comparisons to be made between vehicles there has been concern that what is recorded in the laboratory is often at odds with what happens on the road where worse results are often recorded, particularly for smaller cars. For example, in November 2017, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) concluded that the average gap between official fuel consumption figures and actual fuel use for new cars in the EU had reached 42 per cent.
The new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) will provide a far more realistic representation of conditions encountered on the road than the old testing procedures and should provide more accurate figures. But the new test will not cover all possible variations and factors such as driving behaviour, traffic and weather conditions will mean that there will still be a difference between fuel economy figures measured in laboratory conditions and the real world.
Q31) How can I check a vehicle’s average fuel consumption?
A31) Use the Vehicle Certification Agency database here, though this is based on lab tests.
(Please note this database only includes information on new and used cars that were first registered on or after 1 March 2001).
Q32) How many front gardens have been concreted over to provide parking for cars?
A32) Figures analysed by the RAC Foundation show around 80 per cent of Britain’s 26 million dwellings were built with a front plot. Almost a third of these plots have been turned into hardstanding. This means seven million front gardens now contain concrete and cars rather than flowers and grass, a total roughly equivalent to 100 Hyde Parks or 72 Oylmpic Parks.
Houses built between 1919 and 1964 are most likely to have a front garden and hence it is these properties that are most likely to have seen the change.