Green issues divide buyers

07 August 2007

32% say environmental concerns are irrelevant
33% insist green issues are very important
Car makers are caught between two camps

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Environmental concerns are only having a strong influence on about one-third of new car buyers, according to a whatcar.com poll.

Asked if a car's environmental credentials are important, 33% of whatcar.com readers said they were very important, 35% said were slightly important and 32% said they were not at all important.

The poll highlights the contradiction facing manufacturers as they try to meet stringent emission cuts without lowering the standard or raising the costs of their cars.

This is emphasised by sales figures, which suggest that green cars such as the Toyota Prius remain niche products, while sales of more polluting 4x4s continue to rise.