Swiss buy smaller, less thirsty cars
Compact cars which use less fuel are apparently gaining popularity in Switzerland.
For the first time in recorded history, the fuel consumption of new cars went down to under seven litres per 100 kilometres in 2009.
The exact figure was 6.86 litres per 100 kilometres, the Federal Energy Office announced on Monday.
That brings the average CO2 emissions down to an average of 167 grams per kilometre – down 4.6 per cent from 2008 levels.
The Federal Energy Office pointed out that the weight of a car is a major factor in fuel efficiency. In 2009, new cars hitting Swiss roads for the first time were about 25 kilograms lighter than their 2008 counterparts.
However there is still room for improvement. Switzerland had hoped to reduce petrol consumption to 6.4 litres per 100km by 2008.
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