Despite their eco-friendly image, your ancient 2CV or 'classic' VW Beetle is doing even more harm than its modern cousins. Paddy Comyn reports
You might think you are being eco-friendly in your old 2CV or Beetle - the cute little cars favoured by the flower-power generation of old - but holding on to that old banger may do more harm than good.
You hear a lot of talk about CO2 emissions these days. And so you should. In the EU, almost 40 per cent of the transport sector's CO2 emissions are produced by the use of private cars in cities - damaging the environment and contributing to climate change.
Both petrol and diesel engines have their good and bad sides. Engines working with diesel fuel emit less CO2 than the ones working with petrol. On the other hand, diesel engines, especially older ones, are releasing more particles in the air that have been linked to cancer.
Low carbon emission is the accepted method of judging a car's green credentials and a new car today produces around 1/20th of the emissions of an older, non-catalyst car. While it might seem like a caring thing to stick with that old VW Beetle, the reason it was done away with in the first place was because it could not keep up with strict US emissions laws. Sure, a Citroën 2CV will return about 44 mpg, but one without a catalytic converter is not doing anything positive for the environment.
You only have to look at the figures of more recent cars to note that there has been considerable progress. A Toyota Carina, the car that was the precursor to the Avensis, produced 186 g/km for a 1.8-litre petrol version. A modern Avensis 1.8 will produce 172 g/km despite being a heavier car. An even more dramatic change can be seen with Toyota's smallest cars.
The 1.3-litre Starlet produced 163 g/km compared to a new Yaris with the same size engine, which produces a mere 134 g/km. Another example is the Volkswagen Bora. The 1.6-litre model produced 190 g/km, while the new Jetta, which replaced it produces 170 g/km with the same sized engine.
Taking these examples on board, you can see that a new BMW 520d Touring produces less CO2 than a last-generation Toyota Starlet, a new Volkswagen Golf GTi produces the same CO2 as the old Bora 1.6-litre petrol.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited (SMMT) in the UK have CO2 figures from all cars from January 1997 to date. A quick look through this site shows that the cleanest cars include the Toyota Prius, producing just 104 g/km. At the other end of the scale, a 4.4-litre Range Rover Sport produces 374 g/km, while a Lamborghini Murcielago produces 500 g/km.
Just because a model is hybrid, it doesn't automatically make it the cleanest option. The government drew criticism earlier this year for purchasing two Lexus GS 450h Hybrid models for the Minister for Natural Resources Noel Dempsey and Minister for the Environment Dick Roche. This was because, while they are more fuel efficient than equivalent 3.5-litre models, they still produce more CO2 than some diesel models, yet still qualify for a €10,000 vehicle registration tax rebate because it is a gasoline / electric hybrid.
Voluntary commitments have been made by car manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars. The Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) made a voluntary commitment to achieve a target of 140g CO2/km for their fleet of new passenger cars sold in the EU by the year 2008.
Similar agreements have been made by JAMA (the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers' Association) and Kama (Korean Automobile Manufacturers' Association). The CO2 target is to be achieved by technological developments and market changes linked to these developments.
However in 2005, EU manufacturers sold cars that produce on average 160 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2005, down only 1 per cent on the previous year. Figures analysed by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T & E), an environmental organisation campaigning on sustainable transport, claim that the EU car industry will "almost certainly" fall short of its voluntary commitment to cut CO2 emissions.
T&E says manufacturers would need to cut CO2 emissions by 4.3 per cent every year for the next three years if they are to meet their voluntary commitment to reduce emissions from new cars to an average 140 grams/km by 2008.
For the average consumer, hybrid cars are still quite expensive, but by choosing a small car such as a Toyota Aygo (109 g/km) or Opel Corsa 1.3 CDTi (115 g/km) this goes some way to reducing CO2 emissions.
While progress has been made, there's a long way to go. The truth is that modern cars are better for the environment, but the more we choose smaller-engined versions, and the less we drive them, the better for all.