A new study undertaken by car hire firm Europcar has revealed that Britons are falling behind when it comes to green motoring, however young drivers are leading the push for change.
The annual Europcar Observatory, an independent survey of 5,000 drivers across Europe found that 45 per cent of Brits had changed their manner of driving in some way to help save the environment, compared with 54 per cent in mainland Europe.
But in a sign of a change in thinking when it comes to car ownership, of those who have already changed their driving habits, 79 per cent are already using car hire in some form, with mostly the under 35s age bracket having the biggest impact. In the survey, over 50 per cent of drivers in this age range said they planned to give up their car and 60 per cent would opt for a car share service instead.
But as 45 per cent were happy to drive differently to be green, Britons are not yet ready to make the change to a hybrid or an electric car, compared with 65 per cent of drivers in Europe. The study showed that European drivers had a higher exposure and greater experience with alternative fuelled cars, with 30 percent having driven one compared to only 18 per cent in the UK.
Marketing director of Europcar, Catriona Lougher said it seemed that most households were doing their bit by recycling, using low voltage light bulbs and turning down the thermostat, but when it comes to maintaining the car, keeping the green message at the front of the mind was still a challenge.
She said that a car is still considered a status symbol in the UK and that using a more cost efficient car or changing driving habits by easing off the pedal or using the car less was still not a priority for most British drivers.
She pointed out that Europcar was making green car hire more accessible to customers by offering free delivery and collection to a fleet comprising some of the newest and most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market, including hybrids.
