London: Autotrader, the UK’s largest automotive marketplace, has introduced a new and trailblazing sustainability rating to its editorial new car reviews as part of its commitment to help consumers make more environmentally friendly vehicle choices.
The green ratings are a significant addition to Autotrader’s comprehensive editorial new car reviews which appear on the platform. These ratings sit alongside ratings for running costs, reliability, safety, features, comfort and power. The green ratings will follow the same convention currently found on Autotrader, with a maximum possible five stars, including half stars. Extensive data from each car brand, reviewed by third-party organisations such as the Science Based Targets initiative, life-cycle analysis companies and EU regulatory bodies will be used to support the methodology.
With both climate action and sustainability high on the agenda for governments and consumers alike around the world, including in the UK1, car owners are increasingly interested in knowing how environmentally friendly their cars really are. Consumers want to better understand the carbon footprint of their vehicles throughout their lifetime, from the sourcing of materials to water usage in manufacturing, the percentage of recycled content in a car and its tailpipe emissions. They also want to know which brands have embedded environmentally responsible behaviour in their organisations. Autotrader’s green ratings aim to hold car brands accountable for their role in reducing the impacts of climate change, both through consumer awareness and pressure from journalists via car reviews.
Erin Baker, Autotrader’s Editorial Director, said: “In a world in which consumers are becoming increasingly sustainability-conscious it’s vital the automotive industry can meet this demand for information and transparency. That’s why, as part of our ongoing commitment to help consumers make more environmentally friendly vehicle choices, we’ve created our new green ratings. Our scheme aims to be data-driven, transparent, fair and honest, whilst rooted in editorial expertise at both brand and model levels, based on Autotrader’s decades-long working relationships with car brands.
When awarding stars to a car, three of the five stars available (including half stars) are awarded at model level. For example, a model may not get any stars if it is very energy inefficient, has high manufacturing emissions or little low-carbon material. In contrast, another model could get three stars because it is electric, is manufactured using energy from renewables and has reduced its weight over an outgoing model. The final two stars are determined at the brand level, based on how green the brand is in its strategy and actions, and how invested it is in reducing emissions from scope one to three.
Erin continued: “Full marks doesn’t mean perfection in our green ratings; it signifies that a brand is doing everything it reasonably can in the current climate to mitigate its adverse impact on the planet. It’s about consistency between words and action, transparency and going beyond what is regulated.”
Fredrika Klaren, Head of Sustainability at Polestar added: “Greater transparency is key to accelerating change. A rating done right can help turn complex data into clear, comparable information that empowers consumers to make more informed choices. At Polestar, we believe progress matters more than perfection, what’s important is taking action, being open about where you stand, and continuously improving. When consumers have access to credible, transparent insights, they can drive the shift towards a more sustainable society, so it’s great to see Autotrader taking a lead on this in the UK.”
The first set of green ratings have gone live on the editorial section of the Autotrader platform here, and every car reviewed from now on will have a green rating: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/reviews
