Better news for the environment?

This month has seen record petrol prices as reported by The Press and Journal, 11 December 2010. Naturally diesel prices have also gone up, this being down to the increased use of heating oil which is chemically similar. It is the result of supply and demand determining prices. Also reported was a breakthrough at the United Nations Summit in Mexico, which hopes to limit global warming by reducing carbon emissions. These two items are related. Increased fuel prices make large cars uneconomical, awareness of global warming make these vehicles an embarrassment to drive. They will be replaced by less environmentally damaging models.
To this end manufacturers such as BMW will be putting smaller engines in their future models. It is thought that outputs exceeding 150 bhp will be available from their 1.5 litre three-cylinder range promising sub 99g per kilometre of carbon dioxide from their smaller models. Wise people who downsize need not pay vehicle excise duty.