Growing pressure is being placed on car manufacturers to develop cheap green vehicles for consumers.

A new study carried out by swiftcover.com found that 73 per cent of drivers would only consider purchasing an environmentally-friendly car, such as a fuel cell vehicle or one with lower emissions, if it was cheaper than other vehicles.

A further 70 per cent stated that they would only invest in a green car if it were cheaper to run than their current vehicle.

The news demonstrates the challenge faced by automakers, as they are being asked by consumers to significantly lower the cost of their environmentally-friendly vehicles before people will consider buying them.

The study also discovered that penalties placed on high emission vehicles to encourage people to switch their car are unlikely to have a significant impact on purchasers.

"A more effective strategy to reduce harmful gases would be for the government to work with fuel suppliers and car manufacturers to reduce the cost of environmentally friendly cars and increase the availability of refuelling stations," commented swiftcover.com chief executive Andrew Blowers.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd