Scrappage scheme 'a green success'

The scrappage scheme introduced by the government earlier this year has been hailed a green success.

According to WhatGreenCar, orders for vehicles under the initiative have reached almost 155,000, with CO2 tailpipe emissions of the new cars selected on average 25 per cent lower than the vehicles Britons have decided to scrap.

Eco car insurance policyholders may have chosen to take advantage of the scheme by binning their old vehicle with emissions of 179 grams (g) of CO2 per kilometre (km) and replacing it with a car that emits 134g per km on average.

When the drive began, WhatGreenCar predicted that tailpipe emissions would drop by around 30g per km, resulting in a lifecycle CO2reduction of 50g per km.

The scrappage scheme has also garnered a number of positive outcomes for the motor industry, preserving jobs during the recession.

"While it was obvious to us at the start that the UK scrappage scheme was first and foremost a job-saving measure, WhatGreenCar realised at the outset that the scheme also had the potential to promote greener cars," commented Dr Ben Lane.

He added that following 2008's fuel price rise aand the credit crunch, Britons were increasingly looking for smaller, greener models.

"The scrappage scheme has helped to continue this trend, at a time when UK car sales were at an all time low," Dr Lane concluded.

Earlier this year, the government outlined plans to provide subsidies for consumers to invest in electric cars in the coming years.

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