SMMT News

Ultra-low carbon cars on show to mark New Car CO2 Report

18 April 2012 #SMMT News

Three of the lowest-emitting cars currently for sale in the UK are the latest exhibits to be showcased in SMMT’s exhibition space in the heart of Westminster. Petrol and diesel-engined cars from Fiat and Kia are joined by a pure electric Tesla.

The exhibit ties in with the launch of SMMT’s 11th annual New Car CO2 Report, which revealed that UK average new car CO2 emissions improved by 4.2% in 2011 and by over 23% since 2000.

All three cars on display fall within band A of the government’s Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates, and are therefore exempt from any VED charge.

Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi ‘1 EcoDynamics’

The ‘1 Air’ variant of Kia’s 74bhp-engined model has an official CO2 rating of just 85g/km and combined fuel consumption of 88mpg. In this specification, the Rio 1.1 CRDi has the lowest emissions of any diesel car currently on sale.

Energy-saving tyres and an indicator to mark optimum gearshift timing are also included in the package, which both help to lower emissions and increase the mpg figure.

The models feature Intelligent ‘Stop and Go’ technology (ISG), which switches off the engine when stationary, cutting down on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Find out more about Kia’s EcoDynamics technology.

FIAT 500 TwinAir Plus

The 500 TwinAir is powered by an ultra-low carbon 875cc two-cylinder engine, delivering 85bhp and 107lb/ft of torque. Fitted with the five-speed automatic gearbox, the car’s combined fuel consumption figure is 70.6mpg and has an official CO2 rating of 92g/km.

Fiat’s optimum gearshift indicator and start-and-stop system complement other efficiency measures on the car, including an ‘Eco’ button that reduces torque by one third to improve fuel consumption and reduce CO2.

Click through to read more about the Fiat 500 TwinAir.

Tesla Roadster Sport

The Roadster features a 375 volt, air-cooled electric motor mated to a single speed gearbox that creates instant torque from zero RPM. Up to 295lb/ft of torque and around 300bhp allow the hand-built, carbon fibre sports car to accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 3.7 seconds.

A lithium-ion battery with 6,831 individual cells is capable of recharging from empty to full in 3.5 hours if using the Tesla High Power Wall Connector. The Roadster delivers high performance with zero tailpipe emissions and can drive for approximately 211 miles on a single charge.

Find out more about Tesla’s all-electric models.

New Car CO2 Report 2012

Data analysing the emissions of all new cars registered in the UK showed a continued trend in falling emissions and improving fuel efficiency. 2011 emissions fell by 4.2% year on year to 138.1g/km CO2 (equivalent to 52.5mpg), down by more than 23% since reporting began in 2000.

The full SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2012 is available to read online or download from www.smmt.co.uk/industry-topics/emissions/co2-progress/.

Click through the slideshow below to see all the photos from SMMT’s exhibition space.

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