Eco car (environmental car)

An eco car, sometimes called a "green car" or "environmental car," is a vehicle that produces significantly lower emissions than a typical petrol or diesel car. What qualifies varies by country and regulatory body, but hybrid, electric, gas, and ethanol vehicles are commonly included, along with especially fuel-efficient petrol and diesel models that meet stricter emissions thresholds.

How it's regulated

In the EU, new passenger cars sold across the bloc must meet a fleet-wide average CO₂ target, currently 95g of CO₂ per kilometre, tightening further through the 2020s. From 2035, all new cars and vans sold in the EU are required to produce zero CO₂ emissions at the tailpipe, effectively phasing out new combustion-engine car sales. Many other countries have their own versions of these standards, along with purchase incentives, tax breaks, or bonus-malus systems that reward low-emission vehicles and penalise high-emission ones.

Why cars matter

Road transport accounts for roughly 15% of global CO₂ emissions, according to the International Energy Agency, with passenger cars making up close to half of that. Switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle can meaningfully cut this, especially where the local electricity grid is low-carbon. That said, manufacturing any new vehicle, including EVs, carries its own emissions footprint, particularly from battery production, so driving less overall (via public transport, cycling, or car-sharing) remains the lower-impact option.