ECO-FRIENDLY CARS?
Discussion
Hi guys and girls,
The time has come in my Uni degree where I have to do my dissertation. I have chosen the topic “Can advertising for eco-friendly cars have an effect on buying behaviours?”
I was hoping to get some help from you fellow forum members on here, since you are all obviously interested in cars.
My aim is to create a free-flowing discussion regarding eco friendly cars and your personal views towards them. For example would you buy one? If yes, then why – is it because you’re exempt from congestion charge? If no, then why – is it because they are overpriced etc?
Also, are you aware of government policies which are promoting eco-friendly cars? For example lower road tax, exemption from congestion, free parking spots etc.
Conclusions will be drawn from the discussion and included in the dissertation therefore It would really help me if you guys and girls participate.
Please note: no personal information will be used in the dissertation.
Also can you please PM your gender, age etc; you don’t have to if you don’t want to and you can still participate without supplying this info.
Thanks everyone!
So to begin: Would you buy an eco-friendly car and why?
The time has come in my Uni degree where I have to do my dissertation. I have chosen the topic “Can advertising for eco-friendly cars have an effect on buying behaviours?”
I was hoping to get some help from you fellow forum members on here, since you are all obviously interested in cars.
My aim is to create a free-flowing discussion regarding eco friendly cars and your personal views towards them. For example would you buy one? If yes, then why – is it because you’re exempt from congestion charge? If no, then why – is it because they are overpriced etc?
Also, are you aware of government policies which are promoting eco-friendly cars? For example lower road tax, exemption from congestion, free parking spots etc.
Conclusions will be drawn from the discussion and included in the dissertation therefore It would really help me if you guys and girls participate.
Please note: no personal information will be used in the dissertation.
Also can you please PM your gender, age etc; you don’t have to if you don’t want to and you can still participate without supplying this info.
Thanks everyone!
So to begin: Would you buy an eco-friendly car and why?
I think the response you get might be a bit one sided.
On a serious note I am aware of the incentives (bribes) the government has got in place, but personally I wouldn't get an eco box because they are about as exciting as non alcoholic beer, and I value performance and character (all eco cars seem to be small and soulless to me) over cheaper motoring.
So for me it is a no, despite the incentives.
21/ male
On a serious note I am aware of the incentives (bribes) the government has got in place, but personally I wouldn't get an eco box because they are about as exciting as non alcoholic beer, and I value performance and character (all eco cars seem to be small and soulless to me) over cheaper motoring.
So for me it is a no, despite the incentives.
21/ male
Krispy said:
Hi guys and girls,
My aim is to create a free-flowing discussion regarding eco friendly cars and your personal views towards them. For example would you buy one? If yes, then why – is it because you’re exempt from congestion charge? If no, then why – is it because they are overpriced etc?
So to begin: Would you buy an eco-friendly car and why?
A Lot of effort was involved I guess, eco cars are ok.My aim is to create a free-flowing discussion regarding eco friendly cars and your personal views towards them. For example would you buy one? If yes, then why – is it because you’re exempt from congestion charge? If no, then why – is it because they are overpriced etc?
So to begin: Would you buy an eco-friendly car and why?
I'd say no, I feel like it was too much of a compromise, especially if you are paying a premium for the eco features.
Obviously this whole site will be biased away from economy as we all are looking for fun.
Eco cars are seen as dull and boring, and the main reasons for choosing them is not down to care for the environment, but sidestepping a tax or cost associated with the fun car that deep down is what is really wanted.
Obviously there are little gems shining in the middle of all that, like the Tesla, but I would feel if I had an electric car, that my options would be limited.
In a similar way, you could do nothing with a car for weekends in a row, but if it's out of action for a weekend, you'll pine over what you could do.
It's nice to know you have the option sitting outside the front door to go to Scotland, Devon, where ever, at a moment's notice.
Even if you never do that, that choice is always there.
Once you get an electric car, you start to miss the options of just driving it 200 miles out into nowhere for fun.
I think the main thing that will turn up in your study is the percentage of people getting eco friendly cars because of the cost of fuel, rather than worrying about polar bears.
Obviously this whole site will be biased away from economy as we all are looking for fun.
Eco cars are seen as dull and boring, and the main reasons for choosing them is not down to care for the environment, but sidestepping a tax or cost associated with the fun car that deep down is what is really wanted.
Obviously there are little gems shining in the middle of all that, like the Tesla, but I would feel if I had an electric car, that my options would be limited.
In a similar way, you could do nothing with a car for weekends in a row, but if it's out of action for a weekend, you'll pine over what you could do.
It's nice to know you have the option sitting outside the front door to go to Scotland, Devon, where ever, at a moment's notice.
Even if you never do that, that choice is always there.
Once you get an electric car, you start to miss the options of just driving it 200 miles out into nowhere for fun.
I think the main thing that will turn up in your study is the percentage of people getting eco friendly cars because of the cost of fuel, rather than worrying about polar bears.
Male, 34.
I would not actively consider buying an eco-friendly car. Eco-friendliness isn't a priority for me, and eco-friendly cars seem to be generally more expensive, contain more gadgets and widgets to go wrong, and provide poorer performance. And that's just the internal combustion ones. Hybrid or electric cars have their own set of further problems.
I am aware of some government policies to promote eco-friendly cars, but I don't really pay much attention to them. Eco-friendliness just isn't a great priority for me. And, if these policies help me save money, the sums involved aren't large enough to be compelling. I'll save more by simply buying a second-hand car, and if I buy one from the last 10 years or so, that'll probably be more eco-friendly to boot.
I would not actively consider buying an eco-friendly car. Eco-friendliness isn't a priority for me, and eco-friendly cars seem to be generally more expensive, contain more gadgets and widgets to go wrong, and provide poorer performance. And that's just the internal combustion ones. Hybrid or electric cars have their own set of further problems.
I am aware of some government policies to promote eco-friendly cars, but I don't really pay much attention to them. Eco-friendliness just isn't a great priority for me. And, if these policies help me save money, the sums involved aren't large enough to be compelling. I'll save more by simply buying a second-hand car, and if I buy one from the last 10 years or so, that'll probably be more eco-friendly to boot.
thinfourth2 said:
First you have to define eco friendly.
As quite frankly the whole global warm s
t is frankly bks
This.As quite frankly the whole global warm s
t is frankly bksIf eco cars were sold on the fact that they were better on fuel (and were), I'd possibly buy one if the price was acceptable. However the marketing seems to consist of "stops climate change!" "saves polar bears!" "Reduces CO2!" and all that s
t. If I bought one, I'd feel that I was supporting the Watermelon movement - I don't believe in their warmist religion and so have no desire to 'buy into' their bulls
t.Krispy said:
Also, are you aware of government policies which are promoting eco-friendly cars? For example lower road tax, exemption from congestion, free parking spots etc.
Things to consider:-the energy and resources that have gone into making my current car... if I scrap it and buy an eco car, energy and resources have gone into making two cars.
-when England only has eco cars, where do you think government income is going to come from? Yep, you'll be paying £500 a year car tax for your eco car.
I DARE you to put that in your dissertation. You'll be given a grade E.
RemainAllHoof said:
Krispy said:
Also, are you aware of government policies which are promoting eco-friendly cars? For example lower road tax, exemption from congestion, free parking spots etc.
Things to consider:-the energy and resources that have gone into making my current car... if I scrap it and buy an eco car, energy and resources have gone into making two cars.
-when England only has eco cars, where do you think government income is going to come from? Yep, you'll be paying £500 a year car tax for your eco car.
I DARE you to put that in your dissertation. You'll be given a grade E.
The liberal scum who infect our education system hate it when you don't agree with their views. My economics teacher gave me a D when my reply to the essay question of 'How did Gordon Brown perform his economic miracle?' was 'He didn't, he has adjusted employment statistics and spunked money the country does not have up the wall on non-jobs and non-projects and we're heading for a mighty fall in a few years' 
Might have been given a low grade, but I was right and so can take an A* in smugness 
If by "eco-friendly" you mean things like hybrids and stop-start technology then these are a big con-trick encouraged by taxes and government subsidies. Technology like hybrid engines and stop-start are just tricks to produce good results in government ubran cycle tests, which simulate driving in traffic. Drive one of these "eco-friendly" cars on the open road and the economy they achieve is no better than a regular diesel engine or modern petrol.
As has been noted, a website of car-breathing enthusiasts might not be the best source of guinea pigs for a dissertation on buying behavior, given that we represent such a small percentage of car buyers, and are generally have differing priorities to those who view a car as an appliance and are generally disinterested in the things.
But to answer your question- the whole Eco Friendly car thing strikes me as a mere marketing ploy, endorsed by governments because it suits their agendas. Noone questions the benefit of good fuel consumption, and less pollutants (I'll ignore the whole CO2 issue for the sake of peace), however the government and manufacturers solution (buy another car!) is heavy with hypocrisy and vested interest.
The government gain because you are spending your (taxed) disposable income on a depreciating asset that they can tax you for on purchase. The manufacturers gain because they've sold you a car. The environment doesn't gain because instead of not buying a car, or simply improving your current one, you have instead required a completely new one to be built from scratch- the ecological cost of which isn't going to be displaced by doing an extra 10MPG.
As a car & general gadget enthusiast, I like things like the original Honda Insight:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Insight#First_g... (better on fuel than the current Insight!)
and Audi A2:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A2 (56-70+ MPG, using very little immature technology)
because they're engineering achievements- check out those fuel consumption figures! Check out how unusual they look, thanks to their design brief. Incedentally, their lightweight aluminium bodies mean they're in a high insurance group, which negates much of the financial savings of their good fuel economy.
However I object to the moralistic arguments from the green lobby against cars that weren't designed with economy in mind for the above reason- buying a new car is even worse. It's not entirely related, but I love Hans Rosling's talk on how awesome washing machines are in this TED talk, which shows the balance that must be achieved in lowering our energy consumption:
http://blog.ted.com/2011/03/21/the-magic-washing-m...
Regarding selling me an Eco car- sell it to me by saying "THIS CAR DOES 100 MPG and it looks like nothing else", and I'd consider it for a commute, if the insurance was affordable. Mentioning that, thanks to it's light weight and excellent design, it handles really well, though, and get it a 5 star review in EVO magazine & I'll happily consider one.
Government incentives (like lower tax) only strike me as penalties for choosing a more powerful car, not generosity for buying an efficient one. And, as they've shown with LPG duty creeping up, they're not really interested in saving the planet.
I'm a dude in my late 20's and like cars, for your demographics. I'm not being funny, but you might also want to ask this question in Mumsnet. A forum dedicated to mums will likely get you more every(wo)man results than a forum for people who love cars. I'd also be curious to see how they view the ecological benefits of buying (any) new car vs the ecological harm of making one in the first place.
But to answer your question- the whole Eco Friendly car thing strikes me as a mere marketing ploy, endorsed by governments because it suits their agendas. Noone questions the benefit of good fuel consumption, and less pollutants (I'll ignore the whole CO2 issue for the sake of peace), however the government and manufacturers solution (buy another car!) is heavy with hypocrisy and vested interest.
The government gain because you are spending your (taxed) disposable income on a depreciating asset that they can tax you for on purchase. The manufacturers gain because they've sold you a car. The environment doesn't gain because instead of not buying a car, or simply improving your current one, you have instead required a completely new one to be built from scratch- the ecological cost of which isn't going to be displaced by doing an extra 10MPG.
As a car & general gadget enthusiast, I like things like the original Honda Insight:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Insight#First_g... (better on fuel than the current Insight!)
and Audi A2:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A2 (56-70+ MPG, using very little immature technology)
because they're engineering achievements- check out those fuel consumption figures! Check out how unusual they look, thanks to their design brief. Incedentally, their lightweight aluminium bodies mean they're in a high insurance group, which negates much of the financial savings of their good fuel economy.
However I object to the moralistic arguments from the green lobby against cars that weren't designed with economy in mind for the above reason- buying a new car is even worse. It's not entirely related, but I love Hans Rosling's talk on how awesome washing machines are in this TED talk, which shows the balance that must be achieved in lowering our energy consumption:
http://blog.ted.com/2011/03/21/the-magic-washing-m...
Regarding selling me an Eco car- sell it to me by saying "THIS CAR DOES 100 MPG and it looks like nothing else", and I'd consider it for a commute, if the insurance was affordable. Mentioning that, thanks to it's light weight and excellent design, it handles really well, though, and get it a 5 star review in EVO magazine & I'll happily consider one.
Government incentives (like lower tax) only strike me as penalties for choosing a more powerful car, not generosity for buying an efficient one. And, as they've shown with LPG duty creeping up, they're not really interested in saving the planet.
I'm a dude in my late 20's and like cars, for your demographics. I'm not being funny, but you might also want to ask this question in Mumsnet. A forum dedicated to mums will likely get you more every(wo)man results than a forum for people who love cars. I'd also be curious to see how they view the ecological benefits of buying (any) new car vs the ecological harm of making one in the first place.
Edited by glazbagun on Sunday 17th April 01:45
28 Year old male.
I find the whole Eco nonsense a lot of balls. Sure my daily driver is a 6 year old diesel Yaris which must be one of the most un-PH white good cars in existance. Why did I buy? Well I'd reached a point where I had to divert funds to other things in my life (house, family etc) and the attraction of Jap reliability, genuine 56MPG economy and 30 quid road tax made sense. Funds saved now for fun times at a later date.
People only care about the money in their pockets and I can't see any Eco friendly cars fulfilling that for a long time. Sure impressive MPG etc but at what cost? Overnight charging and limited range? Expensive new drive train systems that are untested? (How good will a 2 cylinder Multiair be after 100K?)
Basically I think the country is fked and people have bigger priorities than the latest eco nonsense legislation.
I find the whole Eco nonsense a lot of balls. Sure my daily driver is a 6 year old diesel Yaris which must be one of the most un-PH white good cars in existance. Why did I buy? Well I'd reached a point where I had to divert funds to other things in my life (house, family etc) and the attraction of Jap reliability, genuine 56MPG economy and 30 quid road tax made sense. Funds saved now for fun times at a later date.
People only care about the money in their pockets and I can't see any Eco friendly cars fulfilling that for a long time. Sure impressive MPG etc but at what cost? Overnight charging and limited range? Expensive new drive train systems that are untested? (How good will a 2 cylinder Multiair be after 100K?)
Basically I think the country is f
ked and people have bigger priorities than the latest eco nonsense legislation.
There's a 1987 mini city e sitting in my garage. That has to count as an eco-car, it even averaged 45mpg on a track day (try it with a Prius) and the "costs" associated with manufacturing were a long time ago. Not only that but the amount of materials in it's construction is tiny and very few plastics compared with a modern car.
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