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The Increased Demand For Eco-Friendly Cars In The Fight Against Climate Change

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Looking after ourselves and the planet is a hot topic for many. With an increase in the number of eco-friendly products on the markets, we are searching for products that help protect the environment while providing consumers with high quality and ensuring that our wallets are protected.

The same can be said when vehicle shopping. With the UK Government issuing a plan to end the sale of diesel and petrol cars by the end of the decade, there is no surprise that more people are opting to switch to hybrid vehicles or choosing to go with entirely electric vehicles instead, eliminating the need for any sort of fossil fuel altogether.

Having spent more time than ever at home and with cars sitting prettily on the driveway, it has been found that many British car owners sorned their vehicles throughout the first lockdown in a bid to save themselves some money while unable to drive their car.

As a result of this, there has been a positive impact on the environment; fewer cars on the roads for a prolonged period has led to a decrease in air pollution in cities worldwide. If you are reading this and feel passionate about doing your part to keep up this trend of looking after the environment moving forward, keep reading!

Swap How Your Car is Powered

Swapping to a different energy provider is something that many have done over the years, particularly with the emergence of green energy providers, which come at a low-cost. By changing the energy providers you use in the home for more sustainable ones, you are sure to be doing your part in the battle against climate change.

While this swap is an important and proactive one, changing who provides your energy is not just limited to the home. As previously mentioned, there has been an increase in the number of people opting for green vehicles.

A survey conducted by the British Vehicle Renting and Leasing Association found that of the new leasing agreements that were signed in the latter half of 2020, 36% of the overall car registrations were battery-powered vehicles, completely overtaking the number of diesel vehicles that were registered during the same period of time.

While the popularity of green vehicles is only set to rise, the closer we get to the deadline of the phasing out of diesel and petrol cars, there will be some people who are unsure as to how they would get on driving an electric-powered vehicle. Mainly, if they have never driven one before.

Whether you are a business owner searching for environmentally friendly options for your employees or are a vehicle owner looking to swap diesel to hybrid as a trial, there are plenty of choices available to you, including low-cost leasing offers from businesses like Vantage Leasing.

Rather than purchasing a car outright and finding that it does not sit right with you, leasing gives you the same experience of owning a car, but with far less hassle. Check out their website for the latest and greatest vehicles that are available, both hybrid and battery-powered!

Considering the Green Options Available

While the term hybrid and battery-powered is something that we hear often, there are other environmentally friendly options available to car users beyond these two options. While hybrid and battery-powered are certainly the more popular choices for going green with your car, there are other options available to you if you search for a green power source. These can include:

  • Biofuel:A popular fuel choice for many who live in North and South America, and Scandinavia, this is set to become readily available in the UK shortly and is undoubtedly going to revolutionise the ways that we can power our vehicles while watching the money that we are spending. Biofuel works in a similar way to standard diesel and petrol; biofuel uses natural waste materials and produces far fewer carbon emissions than that of burning regular diesel. Unlike that of using pure vegetable oil to run a vehicle, biofuel generally has an alcohol element mixed into it.
  • Vegetable Oil: Another renewable source which could become popular moving forward, and one that scientists are monitoring closely, to determine whether this could be a viable option for running vehicles. Like biofuel, the only difference is that this is the ‘purer’ option; this is simply the vegetable oil on its own. There is no alcohol or anything added to it. This could, quite simply, be the leftover oil that a local restaurant throws out at the end of the day!

While these are but some of the eco-friendly things to consider when analysing the carbon footprint that your car is producing, there are several other ways that you can combat climate change as a vehicle owner. One thing is for sure; eco-friendly options are here to stay and are going to continue increasing in popularity over the years. Watch this space.

PM Today Contributor
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