Petrol & Diesel eco car fuel types
Diesel
Diesel cars will normally have lower CO2 emissions than petrol, due to the higher efficiency of diesel engines from working by combustion as opposed to ignition. They emit higher amounts of NOx and particulates than newer petrol vehicles. Diesels are therefore generally better for preventing pollution that cause climate change, but worse for local pollutants harmful to health especially in cities. There are some highly efficient diesel vehicles available on the markets that are low tax banding and considered eco-friendly vehicles.
Petrol
Petrol cars produce less air pollution locally with their lower NOx and particulate emissions. Some new petrol technology now on the market offer significant improvements in fuel efficiency meaning there are a number of very fuel efficient petrol cars available on the market. Compare fuel efficiency and CO2 figures for petrol & diesel models and see what the differences are.
You can compare petrol/ diesel costs to electric, using our fuel cost calculator.
Find out about other fuel types.
Petrol & Diesel Prices
