Environment
« Previous EntriesOECD petrol tax analysis puts Turkey in top spot.
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009The OECD governments that levy the highest tax on petrol
NOT only oil companies profit when you fill up your car with petrol. Many governments ensure that they take a fat wad of cash from motorists in the form of petrol tax (among the many other methods of relieving drivers of money). Since 1998 Turkish motorists have suffered the most as taxes have risen from next to nothing to over 70 euro cents a litre. Hungarians too have gone from paying no tax to shelling out over 40 cents a litre. For some countries, change is the result of shifts in the value of currencies. At the bottom of the pile come car-loving Americans. They still pay just a small fraction of the price of a full tank to the government.
SOURCE: www.economist.com
Christopher Macgowan
Why knock the UK motor industry scrappage scheme?
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009I am becoming increasingly irritated by the amount of criticism of the scrappage scheme – simply because I believe the main detractors are missing the main point.
Three themes constantly emerge. Firstly it only benefits small foreign made cars. Secondly it is only really £1000 and a drug which when we come off it will cause the market to go cold turkey. Thirdly a consumer might get a better deal without the scheme.
Isn’t it wonderful how some commentators can only look at the worst possible aspect of any initiative in order to spread more gloom and doom? There is a grain of truth in all three arguments but those who like to promote those very arguments miss one enormous and central point.
Quite apart from 60,000 orders having been taken to date which will feed through into registrations quite quickly the main benefit of the scheme is that traffic through dealer showrooms is up; consumers are talking positively about buying cars and the industry has received a much needed psychological shot in the arm.
Don’t knock it – encourage it!!
Christopher Macgowan
FRUGAL FORD!
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008.
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Ford Transits were the first and second placed vans in this year’s MPG Marathon, with best-in-class fuel consumption and lowest cost per mile. The 2.2-litre Ford Transit TDCi short and medium wheelbase vans were the most payload-efficient commercial vehicles in the competition, topping their class by returning best mpg and lowest cost per tonne mile. All CVs were driven over the 400-mile route with half their permissible load to demonstrate the most fuel efficient transportation of goods. Carrying 840kg, the medium-wheelbase 140PS Ford Transit registered just 11.35 pence/tonne mile.
Next best CV in the nine-strong category was the Ford Transit short wheelbase delivering 12.7 pence/tonne mile. Both Ford CVs achieved independently verified best-in-class fuel consumption results – 45.2 and 47mpg for short and medium-wheelbase models respectively.
Barry Gale, Ford commercial vehicle chief engineer, said: “This is a great result for the UK’s favourite van and reflects well on our Essex-based Ford Transit engineering team. Minimising operating costs is the ultimate goal for fleet managers and we’re delighted that a well-driven Ford Transit can lead the field.”
In total 40 cars and commercial vehicles tackled an urban, motorway and country route between Bristol and Manchester to prove that skilful smooth driving dramatically reduces the cost of motoring. The average fuel consumption improvement was 23 per cent.
Christopher Macgowan
VED AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL TAX.
Monday, August 4th, 2008A report suggests the proposed VED changes which incorporate a retrospective element on cars back to 2001 will do very little for the environment and in fact proposes a scrappage scheme which gets the support of Friends of the Earth.
The report can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7539625.stm
Christopher Macgowan
CO2 European Deadline.
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008EU’S DEADLINE ON EMISSIONS CALLED “UNREALISTIC.”
A European Union deadline to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions from new cars by 2012 is unrealistic, according
to widely reported comments by EU Industry Commissioner
Guenther Verheugen. He says the European Parliament is
likely to delay the deadline.
The EU has proposed that all cars sold in Europe in
2012, whether European-made or not, must reach an overall
CO2 objective of 120-130g/km. The current average is
160g/km. Automakers who fail to reach the goal could face
an initial penalty of €20 per extra gram of CO2 per car
sold. The fine would rise to €95 by 2015.
Verheugen suggests that the European auto industry
needs until 2015 to meet the emission target without incurring
significant disruption. He says the European
Commission acknowledges that not all new cars will meet
these standards by 2012.
Christopher Macgowan