SMMT figures have showed a 35% rise in low-carbon vehicle sales this year, but report published by the Technical University of Munich and synthetic rubber manufacturer LANXESS suggests simply retrofitting more efficient tyres is the quickest way to save money on fuel.

Carbon savings per pound are 35% greater than for an engine start-stop system, and 62% greater than on a hybrid, it says, with the added advantage that more efficient tyres can be fitted to old and new vehicles, rather than just being a factory option.

‘It is quite amazing that so many people are spending tens of thousands on new low emission vehicles when comparable benefits can be achieved by spending extra £15-£30 per corner on greener tyres,’ explains Kim O’Connor, managing director for LANXESS UK.

‘If more people understood that Green Tyres could improve fuel consumption by up to 7%, reduce annual fuel bills by hundreds of pounds, and cut CO2 emissions by up to 1kg every 60 miles, I think there would be a rapid shift in motorists’ buying behaviour.’

The report is published a week before EU law requires all tyres to be labelled based on their safety, efficiency and noise ratings, a system aimed at helping motorists to choose new tyres based on how they could affect fuel bills and CO2 emissions.