Two Mini car models have just become eligible for a 100% congestion charge greener vehicle discount: the Mini One D hatch and the Mini Cooper D hatch. Since their CO2 emissions are 99g a kilometre, they just fall under the city's 100g/km payment threshold.
We can expect to see more Minis on our streets, as a result of manufacturer BMW's innovations to make its vehicles more environmentally friendly. "The Mini is going from strength to strength," says Steve Chater, BMW's corporate operations manager. Popularity with fleet managers is rapidly growing – there's been a 46% increase in fleet purchases over the past year alone, Chater says. As motor designers ponder the future of the car, many agree that city dwellers will increasingly opt for smaller vehicles such as the Mini.
BMW sold slightly more than 150,000 BMW and Minis during 2010 in the UK, most of them benefiting from its Efficient Dynamics technology, developed by a team at BMW's Munich headquarters. As the name suggests, Efficient Dynamics employs techniques to reduce emissions and fuel consumption without sacrificing power. Aerodynamic alloy wheels and increasingly sophisticated engines are two examples. Electric, hybrid and, in the long run, hydrogen vehicles will feature in future development, says Chater.
BMW's Mega City Vehicle, which the company describes as "the world's first volume-produced vehicle with a passenger cell made from carbon fibre", is due for launch in 2013. As carbon fibre is much lighter than traditional materials, the car is more efficient. In the meantime, BMW will be continuing to push down emissions across its vehicle range. It's a major reason why BMW was chosen as "official automotive partner" for the 2012 London Olympics.
Going green is not just about the cars. At the headquarters of BMW's subsidiary, Rolls-Royce, in Goodwood, West Sussex, BMW has created what it believes is the UK's largest "living roof". Thousands of sedum plants have been planted across 3.24 hectares (eight acres) to provide storm water management and a habitat for birds over the Rolls-Royce manufacturing plant.
