We all care about the planet, right? We recycle, we were dismayed to hear that Donald Trump has banned the word Climate Change from the White House, and we're definitely considering going vegan at some point in the future. But what about the cars we drive? How often do we consdier their eco friendly credentials? If saving the planet wasn't incentive enough, the government are looking to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, meaning now's the time to clue up and get to know your plug-in hybrid from your hydrogen fuel-cell (us neither - so luckily, help is at hand!)
We know you care about the impact the car you drive is having on the wider world, which is why The Debrief is sponsoring the Eco Car category in the Parkers New Car Of The Year Awards 2018. It’s a cutting-edge marketplace where technology is reshaping new eco-friendly cars, with zero-emissions battery-powered models, halfway-house hybrids and even hydrogen cars which emit nothing more than water. Saving the planet one trip to Tescos at a time.
And, there's good news: the winner of the Best Eco Car 2018 was surprisingly affordable. The Renault Zoe electric vehicle (EV) costs from £14,245 or around £249 a month on a finance package.
It’s a Ford Fiesta-sized small hatchback with five doors, has loads of connectivity to sync with your smartphone, and a decent boot to hold all your shopping or luggage for a weekend away. The best bit? A claimed 250-mile range, no more petrol bills (!!) and you can recharge from empty in just 60 minutes if you have a fast charger installed.
Plugging in at home on a three-point plug takes a slightly longer 13 hours - which is fine for topping up off-peak on a lower overnight tariff at home. A full charge is likely to cost around a fiver, depending on your energy supplier, slashing your fuel bills.
Of the new Renault Zoe EV, the Parkers judges said: ‘The mainstream EV felt like a pipedream for many years, available only to off-grid types who make their own shoes and own a windmill generator. Here’s a hatchback that, for urban use, will be virtually indistinguishable from a conventional fossil-fuelled car.’
If you need something a bit more roomy, check out the two runners-up. The £24,000 Toyota Prius is the original hybrid car, having launched way back in 1997, and the Japanese manufacturers have spent the past two decades perfecting it. Get past the sharp-angled looks and you’ve got a family car with plenty of space for four or five passengers and the petrol-electric powertrain means you’ll never run out of juice, making it more suitable for longer journeys than a pure EV.
And if the Prius is too different for your tastes, then don’t forget the Volkswagen Golf GTE, from a pricier £30,000. Based on the evergreen VW Golf, it adds a hybrid powertrain so you can plug it in at home to top up the batteries and it’ll run in silent electric mode at speeds of up to 80mph. But with a 1.4-litre petrol engine also on board, if your charge runs out you'll never be stranded.
These aren't necessarily in everyone's budget, we know: but the government is making it easier to swallow the relatively high cost of buying a new electric car. There's a Plug-in Car Grant available on zero-emissions models, cutting up to £4,500 off the purchase price of any electric vehicle that can travel more than 70 miles in EV mode. And don’t forget: once you’ve bought an electric car, you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank, with far smaller recharging costs, cheaper servicing bills and rock-bottom tax charges.
So, if you’re thinking of jumping on board and getting yourself an eco-car, check out the Parkers New Car of the Year Awards 2018 for loads more info - they cover everything from the Best First Car to Best Cars for Sun-Seekers.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.