Low emission cars for sale

Discover the best low emission cars for sale right now on BuyaCar. If you are looking to upgrade your car and reduce your impact on the environment here you will find the best choice of low emissions cars, whether you're after a hatchback convenience or the fashionable rugged styling of an SUV. Discover your new low emission car online now, buy or finance it, then wait for it to be delivered to your door.

What is a low emission car?

A low emission car is one that produces a much smaller volume of harmful exhaust gases and fewer particulates. Generally, these exhaust emissions are split into two categories. The first is carbon dioxide emissions, which are currently used to assess how much Vehicle Excise Duty – that’s VED for short, often erroneously called road tax – a car’s owner must pay. The more CO2 a car emits, the more VED costs.

The second category is for particulate matter, such as nitrogen monoxide (NOx). These are the target of clean air zones, of which London’s ULEZ is the UK’s largest, and are aimed at improving air quality by prohibiting vehicles that emit high levels of particulates from the roads.

What is an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle?

An Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) is an official term used to describe any vehicle that uses low carbon technologies and emits less than 75g CO2/km from its exhaust. There are various ULEVs available including full hybrids (HEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and range-extender electric cars (RXEVs). It’s worth remembering that you can choose cars which emit fewer toxins than an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle – those which produce no emissions at all while they are being driven.

Fully electric cars are all zero emission vehicles, as are hydrogen fuel cell models (FCEVs) such as the Hyundai Nexo and Toyota Mirai. However, with only a small number of hydrogen filling stations in the UK they aren’t a viable choice for many people, and choice is limited as they both sell in tiny numbers. 

What are the advantages of driving a low emissions car?

Low emissions cars are becoming increasingly popular and will become the norm, so driving one is more a case of when, not if. Most low emissions car offer a great balance of convenience and economy, with no noticeable compromises for their drivers. What’s more, besides being economical with their fuel, they also cost less to run thanks to being exempt from clean air zone charges.