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There were cars of all colours at the British International Motor Show in London on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 but just one unifying hue -- green.

Nearly all manufacturers touted their environmental awareness ranging from fully-electric vehicles through to hybrids and conventional cars boasting better fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions.

"The motor industry is investing millions each year to improve its green credentials," said Christopher Macgowan, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

He said the motor show, open to the public from Thursday, is a chance to showcase some of the latest advances in electric, hybrid, bio-fuel and diesel technologies.

A sign of that commitment was illustrated by Ford's announcement this week that it was investing 1 billion pounds in Britain to develop environmentally friendly technology across its range of models.

"Environmental motoring has to go mainstream" was the mantra from the head of Ford of Europe Lewis Booth, but other manufacturers are also getting in on the act as they scent sales opportunities.

The zero-emissions smart EV (Electric Vehicle) launches on Tuesday as does the Mega City NICE (No Internal Combustion Engine). Swedish car maker Saab, part of General Motors, has brought its BioPower Hybrid Concept -- the first car to combine the use of pure bio ethanol fuel and electric power, to the show.

The public will also be able to look at new colour-coded labels to gauge a car's "greenness", a format similar to that used on white goods like fridges and washing machines to illustrate energy efficiency.

But while the industry pats itself on the back for statistics which show average CO2 emissions from all new cars have dropped by 11 percent in six years, sales figures for new cars portray a less encouraging picture.

Over the last five years, registrations of some of the most polluting cars on the road -- 4x4s -- have risen by more than 40 percent, according to the SMMT, against an overall rise of vehicle registrations of 10 percent.

Story by Matthew Jones

Story Date: 18/7/2006

Reprint thanks to Planet Ark on the web at www.planetark.com.