Eco-Friendly Car Claims Criticized

by Darren

Everybody is getting in on the green act these days, including companies that have had traditionally poor records when it comes to environmental policies. This is making at least a few groups wonder just how legitimate these claims of being eco-friendly really are. Auto Express magazine in the U.K. has recently carried out a number of tests to determine if car makers claims of greener autos are true.

The results were not good.

Three models, including the Honda Civic hybrid, performed so badly in tests that their environmental claims were dismissed as a gimmick.

A further five vehicles, including Volkswagen’s Polo BlueMotion, hailed as Britain’s greenest car when it was claimed that it emitted less than 100 grams of CO2 per km (g/km), failed to match the claims made by their makers.

The test points out some of the critical flaws with the whole concept of “green” vehicles and green products in general. It’s easy for a cynical manufacturer to juice the numbers, since the auto manufacturers are the ones who provide the “official” figures in the first place.

Be wary when considering purchasing green products because of the potential abuse.