Going green needn’t cost the earth and with the introduction of a new system of company car tax, it can save you money too.  The new scheme is introduced in April this year and calculates tax based on a car’s level of CO emissions.

The idea is that the greener the engine, the lower the tax.  So rates will range from 15% to 35% of the car price, according to its CO levels.  Cars with non-approved emission levels will be charged based on engine size, while diesel engines will face a 3% supplement.

It's good news for many Toyota drivers.  The Avensis 1.8 litre VVT–i is in a class of its own with a meagre 176g of CO per kilometre, while the RAV4 outshines its competitors at 211g per kilometre, making these vehicles best in class for low emissions.

If you want to find out how your car fares in the new company car tax scheme, take a look at the CO emissions calculator on the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders website at www.smmt.co.uk, which includes details of all cars registered since March 2001.

	CO emissions (grams per Kilometre)		Tax % of Car Price
	0 – 165		15
	166 – 170		16
	171 – 175		17
	176 – 180		18
	181 – 185		19
	186 – 190		20
	191 – 195		21
	196 – 200		22
	201 – 205		23
	206 – 210		24
	211 – 215		25
	216 – 220		26
	221 – 225		27
	226 – 230		28
	231 – 235		29
	236 – 240		30
	241 – 245		31
	246 – 250		32
	251 – 255		33
	256 – 260		34
	Note: each 5g/kg = extra 1% up tax up to 35%