Used low-emission cars

A low-emission car is one that produces a low level of harmful exhaust emissions. 

There are two main types of emissions:

1. Particulate emissions that contribute to local air pollution and are targeted by clean air zones such as London’s ULEZ. The main particulate emissions are:

–Carbon monoxide (CO)

–Hydrocarbons (HC)

–Nitrogen oxides (NOx)

2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that contribute towards global warming (climate change).

Both types of emissions are byproducts of a petrol or diesel engine but it’s possible to find cars that emit little of one type and lots of the other, or vice versa.

Carbon dioxide emissions – often called CO2 – are gas pollutants emitted from the exhaust of a petrol or diesel car. CO2 is known as a ‘greenhouse gas’ because studies have shown that it is one of the gases that trap some of the earth’s heat, contributing to climate change. 

You can read more about CO2 emissions here.

Particulate emissions, often referred to as particulate matter, are tiny solid particles or liquid droplets that are released into the air through a petrol or diesel car’s exhaust.

Particulates build up in towns and cities and cause respiratory problems and other health issues. Clean air zones are designed to reduce the level of particulates in urban areas.

Low-emission cars reduce the environmental impact of owning a car and can also reduce its running costs because you may pay less tax or avoid having to pay to drive within a clean air zone. 

Also, the more fuel-efficient a car’s engine is, the less CO2 it emits. So a car with low CO2 emissions will, by its nature, give better mpg than one with high CO2 emissions.

You can find your car’s official emissions rating on your vehicle registration certificate, known as the V5C or logbook. If you don’t have that handy, you can also look it up on the UK government website.

Electric cars are known as ‘zero-emission’ cars because they don’t create any exhaust emissions.

Hybrid cars have lower levels of emissions than an equivalent petrol or diesel car but how much lower depends on the type of hybrid.

Mild hybrid cars have a very small amount of electrical assistance so they only reduce emissions and fuel consumption by a small amount, whereas conventional (or self-charging) hybrid cars can reduce emissions by a much larger amount and most can travel for short distances on electric power alone.

Plug-in hybrid cars have the potential to produce very low emissions. Most can travel for 30 miles or more using pure-electric power, but once the electric motor’s battery has used all its charge the emissions and fuel consumption increase.

What is a hybrid car?

What is a mild-hybrid car?

What is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV)?

The best used hybrid cars

10 best used plug-in hybrid cars

Zero and Ultra Low Emission Vehicles, known as ULEV, is an official category defined as those emitting less than 75g of CO2 per kilometre from the exhaust, according to official test measurements. The category includes full-electric cars and plug-in hybrids.