Green Vehicles
Cars are one of the main producers of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) contributing to climate change. The average family car can produce over 4.5 tonnes per year!
Gasoline/Petrol prices have skyrocketed over 40% from last year and there is no end in sight to the upward trend. By consuming less gasoline as the hybrid vehicles do, we lessen our demand for foreign petroleum products. Less demand means less dependence.
Not ready to change to the new eco-friendly vehicles on the market? Well there are still loads of things you can do to reduce greenhouse gases with the one you have. Please see which of our travel tips can work for you.
The World's First High-Performance Electric Vehicle
The Tesla Roadster is already being bought from its flagship store in Los Angeles and both Matt Damon and George Clooney were among the first to order one. Funded by the founders of PayPal & Google and powered by giant lithium-ion batteries, these could be the shape of things to come!
Find out more about the following stats here:
- 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 secs
- 13,000rpm redline
- 135mpg equivalent
- 220 miles/charge
- less than 1p/mile
- recharge in under 3 hours
- battery lifespan 100,000 miles!
Want a British option? Let's hope the Morgan Lifecar makes it to the showrooms!
How Hybrids Work
Any vehicle is a hybrid when it combines two or more sources of power. Hybrid cars run off a rechargeable battery and gasoline.
Hybrid engines are built smaller to accommodate the 99% of time when not going up hill or accelerating quickly. They use the battery to provide extra acceleration power when needed. When the car is stopped, hybrid gasoline motors can shut off and run off their electric motor and battery. A dashboard display will tell you how much power is coming from each source as you go faster and slower, which savvy drivers use to see which speeds get you the best fuel efficiency. Hybrid cars are often lighter and more aerodynamic; tires are often stiffer and inflated higher to reduce drag. Hybrid cars often recover braking energy and use it to charge the battery.
Hydrogen-Fuelled Vehicles
Hybrid vehicles can also be seen as a logical interim step into the forthcoming hydrogen economy. Hydrogen vehicles are now being developed where the only emission is water and will be expected to hit the showrooms within the next 10 years. Consumers want a cleaner environment and less foreign oil dependence now, though, so hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles or other alternative fuel vehicles make sense until this time. Even after this time, most vehicles will remain hybrids since this will mean fuel savings no matter which fuel is being used. In addition, another interim step may just be the gasoline-hydrogen hybrid vehicle, which can be seen as a transitory step into the all-hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. No matter what though, the March 2007 price for a hydrogen car is a cool $1 million with few fueling options outside of California. Or so they think.......
Meanwhile, across the pond in a BMW factory, the world's first hydrogen-driven luxury performance sedan was born (November 2006). Named the Hydrogen 7, some 100 units have already been produced with a V12 engine that can run on liquefied hydrogen or petrol. Discussions are already underway to put the infrastructure in place by building city filling stations. The first of which could be in Beijing, China.
Hydrogen-powered buses too are coming into service in ten cities.
What to Look for in Buying a Car
Green Materials in Vehicles
All modern vehicles can utilize modern biopolymers and reduce oil use in the manufacture of seat foam. The Green Car Congress has good lists of who is using and developing these new materials.
Green Manufacturers
These manufacturers have invested in sustainable technology in their vehicle manufacture:
- Tesla Motors have developed the first electric supercar.
- Man Group (automotive, trucks & buses)
- BMW are developing a hydrogen-fuelled sedan (Hydrogen 7)
- Ford is a winner for their management contribution at their automobile plants. They also utilise 'bio-foam' in seat manufacture.
- Toyota is another winner for their management contribution at their automobile plants. Their lean manufacturing initiatives have resulted in minimal waste not only in their plants, but in others who have followed in their footsteps. Their hybrid vehicles are also leading others in reducing global emissions.
- Nissan Motors, UK is not only creating electricity by its own six wind turbines, but is also implementing several other programmes to reduce its emissions.
Solar-Powered Vehicles
There are many experimental solar-powered cars, but without being part of a hybrid concept, they do not create enough torque to be viable city vehicles as yet.
Solar-powered golf carts? Sounds a good concept? Well get your golf club to buy them as Cruise Car Inc already sell them!
Personal City Vehicles
Melbourne (Australia) are promoting a City Bike: pedal-electric powered, these vehicles are emissions free. Why don’t more UK city councils promote such schemes?
Change your Fuel
For now, those who want to clean up greenhouse gases and thumb their noses at Middle East oil can purchase the hybrid alternative fuel vehicles currently on the market from the major automotive manufacturers.
Many cars can use biofuels with little or no modification to the engine. Biofuels are made from crops such as oil seed rape or sugar beet, and burning them emits less climate-changing gas.
How about personal carbon credits for those who buy hybrids and ditch their petrol guzzlers?
Green Vehicle Links
The Daily Telegraph has a good objective Earth chapter and their Greener Transport section is well worth reading.
Buy carbon-neutral insurance with ibuyeco insurance.
For good hybrid car forums, buying guide and comparison, click here.
For Good hybrid car technology & environment pages, buying guide and comparison, click here.
For more comparisons (USA), click here.
The USA Green Hybrid site has good comparisons of the hybrid cars on the market.
For FAQs, news, previews and links, click here.
Are hybrids right for you? Click here and find out.
For electric/hybrid supercars, bikes, motorcycles, scooters, quad bikes & more! (UK), click here.
For the Eco-Center for Wales, click here.
Join the London Powershift Register which includes a list of approved vehicle conversion companies.
For up-to-date news on green vehicles, click here.
For Green Fuel Vehicles, click here.