RAC Report on Motoring 2016

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4.0 Air quality and the environment
AFVs now have a total market
share of 3.2% of new vehicle sales.
Increases in sales of plug-in
vehicles are likely to continue after
the Government agreed to extend
its Plug-In Car grant scheme until
at least March 201825.
Increased awareness of the health
risks associated with nitrogen
dioxide and particulate emissions
from diesel engines (see section 4.3)
may be the reason some motorists
say they will not opt for a diesel as
their next car. This is despite today’s
diesels being the cleanest ever and
emitting only a small fraction of
emissions compared to previous
generations of vehicles.
Four in 10 (41%) say they will
avoid diesels, and of this group
more than a third (35%) cite
pollution as the main reason.
Of those who say they have reduced
their car use, environmental
reasons do not figure highly.
For example, just under a third of
drivers (28%) have opted to walk
rather than use their cars at some
point over the past 12 months but
this was more likely to be due to
personal (60%) or financial (19%)
reasons than on environmental
grounds (17%).
25.
3.2%
market share
AFVs now have a total
market share of 3.2%
of new vehicle sales
Alternatively fuelled vehicles
RAC call to action:
Environment: see page 91
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RAC Report on Motoring 2016