Green diesel powers back

Renault has hit back at Honda’s claims that British drivers don’t understand green cars and that hybrid vehicles are the best way to save money as well as the environment.

The French car manufacturer claims that the dCi diesel engines in its new Megane range match the low emission and fuel consumption claims made for hybrid cars while costing up to £5,000 less.

Renault said British drivers prove they understand greener cars by buying thousands of dCi diesels every year which give them the same environmental CO2, Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and fuel consumption benefits as a hybrid.

Hybrid cars work by offering two power units – one petrol and one electric. Petrol engines are less efficient than diesel engines, but diesel is not popular in Japan. Renault claims this is why Honda mates a small electric motor to a small petrol engine to improve the environmental performance of its car.