| Germany and Britain have long been seen as | | | | huge amount, going from 190g per kilometre in |
| leaders in the automobile industry with the stylish | | | | 1998 to 165g per kilometre in 2007. Sales of cars |
| and classic looks of Aston Martin and Jaguar | | | | that emit more than 200g per kilometre of CO2, |
| synonymous with British culture, just as BMW and | | | | such as models from Land Rover, have fallen |
| Audi are in Germany. As the current economic | | | | sharply in the past year - in some cases by more |
| climate forces fuel prices to rise and concern | | | | than 50%. It's not all doom and gloom though, |
| over the impact of rising CO2 emissions on the | | | | with British company INEOS, a world leading |
| environment, the debate as to which country | | | | chemical company, claiming that cars that run on |
| produces the finest cars is now not only based on | | | | household waste could be on the streets by 2011. |
| aesthetics, but also on efficiency too. | | | | The process involves producing ethanol by mixing |
| The car industry is the cornerstone of Germany's | | | | a biological catalyst with carbon monoxide and |
| economy, with the industry employing 1.26 million | | | | hydrogen, which are produced by burning |
| people who produce close to six million cars a | | | | biodegradable waste. |
| year. German cars are renowned for their | | | | While the British Motor Industry is not quite the |
| engineering, luxury and performance but are | | | | force it once was, with Germany and France both |
| rarely touted as efficient. Following legislation | | | | producing more cars than the UK each year, it is |
| proposed by the European Commission for | | | | encouraging to know that, while less cars are |
| reducing carbon dioxide emissions from new cars | | | | being produced, the ones that are manufactured |
| at the end of 2007, car manufacturers across | | | | are far more efficient. Further proposals from the |
| Europe had to look at ways of increasing fuel | | | | European Commission have been designed to |
| efficiency in their new models. In an effort to | | | | ensure that the average car sold in Europe |
| ease consumers environmental concerns, Porsche | | | | produces no more than 120g of CO2 per |
| and BMW are rolling out gas/electric hybrid cars. | | | | kilometre by 2012 and are sure to bring all cars - |
| BMW have also managed to reduce the average | | | | be they British or German marques - to an even |
| emission of its cars by 2.5%. | | | | keel with regards to efficiency, leaving car |
| The UK car industry has also made steps to | | | | aficionados to go back to debating the pros and |
| become more fuel efficient. Average CO2 | | | | cons of BMW car finance or why Aston Martins |
| emissions in the UK have dropped but not by a | | | | are the best looking cars ever made. |