Revealed: The true cost of eco driving

Going green could cost more than motorists think. Eco badges such as Bluemotion, ECOnetic and ecoFLEX promise a car is kinder to the environment and your wallet. But an Auto Express investigation has revealed it could take more than six years of pump savings before buyers see any financial benefit!

We picked a range of green cars and compared the list price with the standard, same-spec equivalent. Nearly every eco model commanded a large premium – as much as £1,230 in the case of the SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive. Based on an average of 12,000 miles a year, we used current pump prices and the extra mpg offered by our eco models to calculate how long it would take for owners to recoup their losses.

For the Polo Bluemotion, which does 20mpg more than the standard version, it could be up to six-and-a-half years!

In fact, our findings show the only green-badged car that didn’t charge motorists a premium for reducing their CO2 emissions was the Hyundai i30 i-Blue. However, this model returns the same fuel economy as the standard i30.

These cars’ CO2 savings do entitle buyers to road tax discounts, but in most cases this is minimal. For example, Polo Bluemotion owners save only £30 a year.