The Coventry Deputy Lord Mayor's Car

The Toyota Prius (a petrol-electric hybrid) emits 115 grams of carbon dioxide a kilometre. The Peugeot 607 2.2 HDi (diesel) emits 170 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.

Which one did the council choose for the deputy Lord Mayor? Three guesses, first two don't count. It's like a Brucie game show ... they could have chosen a Prius, but we're not going to give you that! The Prius looks good, and it has very low emissions.

Alternatively, they could have approached Modec, and commissioned some sort of Lord Mayor's Office Popemobile, Andy Matchet and his deputy gliding through the streets of Coventry.

The council needs to get its head around choosing the lowest carbon option, with all of its procurement decisions, from now on, not just a lower carbon option.

Did Peugeot have a "Coventry Connection" when they closed production down in April 2006?

Councillors felt [the Prius] fell down by not having any local links and failing to comfortably carry four passengers as well as the chauffeur. Coventry's climate change cabinet member Gary Ridley said: "Coventry historically has a connection with Peugeot ... What we are now getting is better than what we had before. It's a step in the right direction."

Cllr Johnson brushed off suggestions from Scott Redding, of the Coventry Green Party, that they should use an environmentally-friendly van built by city firm Modec. She said: "I don't think that's the right image for the deputy lord mayor."