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Demand for new cars in the UK is rising. An unbelievable 2.4 million were sold last year, which is 2.5 per cent more than the previous year, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The news isn't all bad, though. Diesel cars are in higher demand than ever before, with 40 per cent of the market -- diesel cars tend to be slightly more economical and less polluting than petrol cars.
As well as this, the average new car is becoming less polluting. In 2007 the average carbon dioxide emissions figure fell to 164.9 grams per kilometre, which is an impressive 13 per cent below the figure from ten years earlier. Further cuts will be needed in the future to meet the EU's stricter emissions standards, so there should be even more progress in years to come.
This average was helped in part by the sale of alternative fuel vehicles. Sales jumped from just under 10,000 in 2006 to 16,640 last year, showing that electric car sales are also on the rise. Predictably, though, the most popular car last year wasn't particularly economical or innovative, it was a Ford Focus, and has been ever since 1999. SmartPlanet would be happy to see the Ford Focus Flexifuel (pictured above) benefit from the brand’s popular appeal.
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