Carbon emissions per vehicle have fallen by 45 percent since 1999, according to the annual report put out by the British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

British car manufacturers overall have cut average new-car CO2 emissions by their biggest ever yearly margin, reducing emissions by nearly 4 percent over the first nine months of 2008.

Since 2006, manufacturers have made a 12 percent reduction in the energy used to manufacture autos -- water use is down 9 percent and waste schlepped to landfills has decreased 25 percent.

Figures like this indicate that the British auto industry is doing better than the nation as a whole in carbon emissions reductions to meet Kyoto agreements.

Earlier this year, the environment secretary was quoted in The Guardian as saying that provisional statistics published for emissions of all greenhouse gases for 2007 showed a drop of 2 percent over the previous year, and that carbon emissions were down 2 percent from 2006.

Two British firms that produce all-electric vehicles for commercial delivery needs, are helping those numbers. The two companies represent a larger percentage of the relatively small pond of the British auto industry. Both companies showed vehicles at the Anaheim, California, EV show at the beginning of the year.

Two supermarket chains in Britain now deliver groceries in their electric trucks. Smith Electric Vehicles supplies Sainsbury's delivery vehicle needs with its 9-ton Edison van, and Modeczev provides the very green grocery store chain Tesco with beautiful Modec vans.

Under the 2008 energy bill as finally passed here in the United States, the electric vans manufactured by these companies will now be eligible for sizable tax credits here.

These credits would amount to $10,000 for Modec's mid-weight vans according to spokesman William Doelle, and Smith's full range of vans would qualify for the credit, -- their largest is 12 tons. But even larger electric vehicles (13 tons or larger) qualify for a $15,000 EV credit.

Once people here get wind of these sizable EV credits, the two British auto companies could help us reduce our delivery-vehicle carbon emissions.

Photo of Modec electric vans for Tesco