County Chevrolet in Bicester has teamed up with carbon management company co2balance to provide its customers with CarbonZero driving for the first 12 months.

Under the new scheme for every new Chevrolet that County Chevrolet sell, they will invest into a forestry project run by co2balance to offset the carbon emissions that the car creates for the first year of its driving.

Richard Palmer, of County Chevrolet, said: “We have worked with co2balance to calculate that the amount of carbon dioxide that the average car that we sell produces 2.6 tonnes in its first year.

"We have offset this figure as part of the sales package, so that our customers can drive off knowing that action has been taken to reduce the environmental impact of their driving for the first year."

To offset these carbon emissions, County Chevrolet has invested in co2balance’s forestry project on the boundary of Somerset and Devon, called Somercombe Wood.

The trees that are planted as part of the CarbonZero Driving scheme will naturally absorb carbon as they grow, and are a mix of broadleaf native trees, including English oak, ash, silver birch and alder.

Mr Palmer said the trees were planted on co2balance’s own land to ensure complete control over their future.

Once the woodlands are completed and mature they are turned into community woodlands owned by a charitable trust, so the local area can benefit from carbon offsetting as well as the environment.

Already working with many household names, including Toshiba, Staples, World Rally Championship, Mitsubishi and the BBC, co2balance helps businesses to understand better their climate and environmental impacts, and works with them to create carbon reduction plans and arranges carbon offsetting for clients. To find out more about co2balance and log on www.co2balance.com.

For more information on the CarbonZero driving, contact County Chevrolet on 01869 244000 or log on to the website www.countychevrolet.co.uk