Motorists taken for a ride with alternative fuels

Car owners looking to buy environmentally-friendly vehicles are being led down blind alleys and left confused by chopping and changing of governmental policies on alternative fuels and vehicles.

The latest EU Renewables Directive announcement could show further seeds of doubt if Europe appears to be moving away from biofuels, says the AA.

Examples of UK motorists taken for a ride include:

Liquid petroleum gas (LPG), billed as a city-friendly fuel, fell out of favour. This led to loss of grants for buying and conversion, and a steady increase in fuel duty. Now supply is threatened in some parts of the country where retailers say there isn’t the demand to justify stocking it.

London congestion charge fuel incentives chop and change, the latest being the inclusion of small petrol and diesel cars for a payment exemption that was originally aimed at electric, LPG and other cleaner cars. Motorists who have invested in these greener vehicles, many with limited ranges and refuelling limitations, now find that they could have bought petrol or diesel vehicles to qualify for savings. Sellers are finding their market undermined. And now there are reports that incentives may again be reconsidered to stop the capital becoming congested with clean vehicles.

Biofuels are now the target of revisionism on environmental impact, leaving some motorists to question whether the move to five per cent biofuel content in standard fuels is the right move. Additionally, with car manufacturers investing in biofuel technology and models, doubts and mixed messages coming from Wednesday’s EU directive could leave drivers who were considering paying more for greener vehicles utterly confused – undermining even further motorist confidence in alternative fuels.

“Many motorists are left confused by the ‘green mist’ generated by changing policies on alternative fuels and green vehicles. There needs to be more joined-up thinking at local, national and EU levels of government on alternative fuels,” says Edmund King, the AA’s president.

“Step-by-step changes to fuel incentives backed by time guarantees, instead of a headlong rush down one path followed by a U-turn, give drivers and business a better steer on where real change is headed and where to invest.

“In the meantime, the AA advises motorists concerned about the environmental impact of their vehicles to select cars with the best CO2 emissions in their class. If motorists adapt the way they use their vehicles with more efficient-driving techniques they can reduce CO2 emissions and save as much as three litres of fuel in every 50.”

Those techniques include: keeping to the speed limit on motorways, leaving more room from the car in front to allow smoother driving, allowing the car to slow on the approach to junctions and roundabouts instead of heavy braking, smooth acceleration through the gears from start, and keeping tyres properly inflated.