New figures show that the strong pro-green stance taken by multi-marque car leasing company Alphabet has been mirrored by a surge in customers’ demand for low-carbon cars.

More than 26% of the cars supplied by Alphabet in the first half of 2010 were rated at 119g/km of CO2 or less. As well as using less fuel, such cars attract the lowest rate of company car tax until 2012, which in turn means additional savings on National Insurance for the driver’s employer.

The number of sub-120g/km cars supplied this year is 2,900% higher than in the whole of 2006, with 8% of Alphabet orders this year rated below 110g/km and 1% under 100g/km.

Alphabet estimates that cutting CO2 emissions made cumulative cost savings for its customers of £2.9 million in fuel costs alone between 2007 and 2009. The drive to lower-CO2 cars reduced fuel consumption by 3.3 million litres and carbon emissions by 8,750 tonnes.

The company forecasts that the continuing shift to lower-carbon cars will save its customers a further £3 million at the fuel pumps over the next three years, despite projected rises in fuel prices.