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Sales of energy- efficient cars soar. car sales data shows high fuel prices work
19 September 2000
New car sale figures show motorists are responding to high fuel prices by buying more efficient, less polluting cars, Friends of the Earth said today. A prime aim of the Government's high-duty on petrol policy is to encourage this trend.
Data from manufacturers for January-June 2000 show big increases in purchases of the smaller 'Mini' and 'Supermini' classes and falls in sales in the 'Executive' and 'Luxury Saloon' categories [1]. Manufacturers also say that people buying sports cars and multi-purpose vehicles are increasingly buying smaller, more efficient models [2].
Roger Higman, Senior Transport Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
“This is great news. The new figures show that drivers are responding to the high petrol prices by buying cars that are more efficient and less polluting.Cutting petrol duties now would only undermine this trend and scupper attempts to control the pollution that causes climate change”.
However, the figures also reveal a big increase in sales of Luxury Saloons to large fleets -suggesting that company directors (and perhaps Government Ministers) are not getting the message about the need to conserve fuel and cut emissions. They are responding to the high fuel prices by getting the company (or taxpayer) to buy the car (and probably the petrol) for them.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
[1] Sales of new cars in different market segments have been obtained from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). These are shown in the table.
| UK New Car Sales by Market Segment - Jan-Jun 2000 (and change on 1999) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All cars | Change | Large Fleet | Change | Diesels | Change | |
| Mini | 25,130 | 20.8% | 5,135 | 21.5% | 285 | - |
| Supermini | 378,146 | 17.1% | 132,915 | 14.4% | 20,390 | 24.8% |
| Lower Medium | 358,637 | -7.8% | 189,364 | -1.5% | 55,393 | -8.3% |
| Upper Medium | 265,552 | -2.7% | 171,649 | 0.2% | 51,278 | 5.4% |
| Executive | 57,852 | -4.6% | 25,682 | -4.4% | 8,998 | 1.7% |
| Luxury Saloon | 6,156 | -9.6% | 1,761 | 19.8% | 158 | - |
| Sports | 38,593 | 1.7% | 9,905 | 5.0% | - | - |
| Dual purpose | 54,657 | 0.4% | 10,713 | -2.1% | 19,152 | -3.0% |
| Multi-purpose Vehicles | 31,722 | 23.5% | 19,679 | 30.9% | 11,849 | 16.5% |
| Total | 1,216,445 | 2.1% | 566,803 | 3.5% | 167,503 | 2.0% |
[2] The SMMT add in notes to the figures obtained by Friends of the Earth:
“Large fleets - almost 90% mkt in supermini/lower and upper med segments
Growth is in mini, supermini and mpvs (also luxury saloons)
Suggests downsizing. In MPVs growth is in small vehicles.
“Niche sectors - downsizing also important - Galaxy to Zafira
Range Rover to Discovery to Freelander
Sportscars - Probe to Puma, small 2 seater sports off supermini/lower medium platform.”
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
