smart

The recent changes to the Greener Vehicle Discount means the smart cdi and smart mhd (micro hybrid drive) will now be exempt from the London Congestion Charge. The new changes which come into effect on the 4th January 2011, state that all vehicles that emit less than 100g/km and meet the Euro 5 standard for air quality qualify for the 100 per cent discount.

The most popular smart models, the smart cdi diesel and mhd petrol easily qualify for this low CO2 discount as when fitted with softip transmission, the 54bhp cdi emits just 86g/km of CO2 and the 71bhp mhd produces 97g/km. You will need to register with Transport for London (TfL) and make an annual payment of £10 per vehicle to qualify for the 100 per cent discount however.

Gary Savage, Managing Director Mercedes-Benz Cars UK said,”smart is one of the most environmentally-compatible cars available and with the whole range emitting below 120g/km CO2, the vast majority of models are actually more efficient than some of the hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles that already qualified for the 100 per cent discount”.

smart in police livery

Mercedes-Benz supplied a smart fortwo demonstrator for the Tayside Police to use at the T in the Park festival. The smart was decked out in full police livery and following its appearance, several other Scottish police forces are now going to give the car a trial, including Lothian and Borders, Strathclyde, Fife and Central Scotland constabularies.

Graham Strachan, Tayside’s Police Fleet Manager said;”The fuel consumption and carbon footprint of vehicles is now high on the agenda of every police force in the country. smart’s reputation for economy and low emissions is well-known so it was perfect for us to evaluate it at T in the Park.

The smart micro hybrid drive (mhd) incorporates a stop-start function which turns off the engine if idling at less than 5mph and instantly re-starting when the brake pedal is released. The smart mhd models emit only 103g/km of CO2. The recently launched smart fortwo cdi offers a staggering 85.6 miles per gallon on the combined fuel cycle and offers very low car CO2 emissions of 88g/km.