Driving a hybrid car instead of a diesel vehicle of equivalent performance does not significantly reduce the level of CO2 emissions, it has been claimed.

Clean Green Cars, an environmental website, tested three hybrids and three diesel cars by driving them from central London to Brighton in similar conditions and found that the diesel-powered vehicles actually used less fuel.

As a result, they have concluded that diesel vehicles also emit less CO2.

"People may be surprised to learn that hybrids are no better in the real world than diesels, but our tests confirmed what we had long suspected," commented Clean Green Cars' Jay Nagley.

"Hybrid technology offers the prospect of real benefits, but only with the next generation of plug-in hybrids using more advanced lithium-ion batteries, which are expected from 2010. Current models only confer dinner-party bragging rights."

As a result, the site's editor Richard Bremner has recommended that for their next car, British consumers should buy a model with an economical conventional engine rather than a hybrid.



Source:

'Just buy a diesel', says environmental website (11/06/08)
http://www.totallymotor.co.uk/news/acessories-and-finance/car-finance/-just-buy-diesel-says-environmental-website-$1226849.htm