New cars cheaper to drive, says Rochdale MEP

Chris Davies MEP

New cars being sold in Britain offer more miles to the gallon than ever before, and the improvements are set to continue.

Official figures reveal that an EU law approved in 2008 has led to a 10% average improvement in the fuel efficiency of new vehicles over the past two years.

The improvements are helping to offset the burden for drivers of increased fuel prices, and reducing CO2 emissions.

Some car makers are on course to meet a 2015 target for improving fuel efficiency as early as next year, despite claiming when the law was proposed that it would be too difficult.

Rochdale Euro-MP Chris Davies, who played a key role in putting the law into place, claimed that manufacturers had previously been more interested in building powerful cars than vehicles that were cheap to run.

He said: “This is an EU measure that everyone should welcome. It is driving forward innovation, protecting the environment, and reducing costs for drivers.”