Filed under: MPG, Ford, Legislation and Policy
Wacky attention-getting idea of the day: wear congestion charge cash
In the magical world of commercials, people are for some reason allowed to act in ways that would get you kicked out of all sorts of establishments. Take for example Lisa Snowdon, a UK television presenter and model, who Ford convinced to don a dress made of money. The outfit was designed by a student at the London College of Fashion and is made out of four hundred GBP5 notes.Apropos to AutoblogGreen, it should be noted that this dress is made from 2,000 GBP - the amount Ford estimates someone would save if they drove a new Ford Fiesta diesel in London for a year. Both the 1.4 TDCi and the 1.6 TDCi Fiestas escape paying the city congestion charge and are hit with just 35 GBP of road taxes a year (compared to 300 for some larger vehicles). The better news is that the 1.4 TDCi emits 119 g/km and the 1.6 TDCi 116 g/km.
During the photoshoot, Snowdon said: "It is important to me to be aware of my carbon footprint and to keep motoring costs down. I'm a busy girl - in and out of London all the time - and so saving myself GBP2,000 on travel means more in my pocket for the good things in life - like a spending spree!" All right, time to throw her out...
There's another picture of Snowdon in the green and Ford's announcement after the break.
Related:
[Source: Ford of Britain]
Smart Girls Choose Couture Over Congestion Charge - Lisa Snowdon Models her Savings!LONDON, August 23/PRNewswire/ --
Smart and savvy girls who want value for money and low environmental impact are welcoming the Mayor's proposed changes to the London Congestion Charging system.
These changes mean that motorists with cars that have very low C02 emissions, like the latest diesel-powered Ford Fiesta, will be able to drive in and out of London without paying the daily charge.
Lisa Snowdon, television presenter and model is pictured here in a unique couture 'money dress' made literally from the GBP2,000.00 she could be saving by driving a new Ford Fiesta diesel in the congestion charge zone next year. The 'money dress' designed by a student from the London College of Fashion comprises four hundred GBP5 notes.
"It is important to me to be aware of my carbon footprint and to keep motoring costs down. I'm a busy girl - in and out of London all the time - and so saving myself GBP2,000 on travel means more in my pocket for the good things in life - like a spending spree!" Lisa commented at the photoshoot today.
The Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi emits 119 g/km and the 1.6 TDCi 116 g/km and is priced from GBP9,295.00. Both engines passed the tough Euro IV emissions regulations and also qualify for a low yearly road tax levy of just GBP35.00, compared with up to GBP300 a year for bigger, less economical cars.
It is expected that the new price bands for the London Congestion Zone will commence in February 2008 and that approximately 25,000 small cars will be exempt from the charge.
Britain's best known and well loved car brand, Ford, is delighted that its diesel engined and iconic Fiesta is likely to be exempt from the London Congestion Charge next year.
"For commuters wanting to avoid the congestion charge and reduce C02 emissions, the Ford Fiesta is hard to beat. It's affordable, reliable and its incredible longevity is testament to the Ford design team who have constantly improved the car year to keep it fresh, appealing, and always in the UK's top 10", said Fiona Pargeter, Product Affairs Manager for Ford Motor Company.
The Bank of England kindly gave their permission for the GBP5.00 notes to be used in this unusual manner.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GoodCheer 11:46AM (8/25/2007)
"1.4 TDCi emits 119 g/km and the 1.6 TDCi 116 g/km."
Not that those aren't both good numbers, but might they be reversed? It seems odd that the larger engine would produce less CO2 (unless of course it is designed and geared to operate at lower RPM which I suppose is entirely possible).
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Sebastian Blanco 12:37PM (8/25/2007)
GoodCheer,
If it's a type, it's by Ford. I imagine they did everything they could to get the number below 120, since that's the cut-off point for the congestion charge (I believe).
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rgseidl 8:16AM (8/26/2007)
@ Good Cheer -
it's possible that the 1.4L is simply an older engine design or, that the transmission it's attached to features shorter gear ratios to ensure the vehicle has sufficient reserve torque when cruising.
Smaller cylinders also shed more heat to the coolant, relative to shaft power. Unfortunately, switching from an inline 4 to an inline 3 has negative consequences for engine vibrations. You can throw in a compensation shaft but that adds cost and reduces fuel economy. Torque oscillation in the crankshaft increases as well, so the whole ride becomes less comfortable.
This is why inline threes are relatively rare in Western cars: smart fortwo & forfour, VW Fox, entry-level VW Polo & Opel Corsa models. They do make sense for diesels because modern high-pressure injectors are very expensive and, because you can make do with a cheaper exhaust manifold and single-scroll turbo.
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