Eco-Friendly Vehicles
Are you currently in the market to change your current car and you don’t want a CO2-spewing monster, but you do want to drive in style and comfort? If the answer is yes, the next question is, which type of environmentally friendly ‘green’ car is most suitable? There is a wide choice from which to choose, from city runarounds to sports cars, that won’t destroy the planet.
Environmental Transport Association (ETA)
Founded in 1990, the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) aims to raise awareness of the impact of excessive car use and help individuals and organisation’s to make positive changes in their travel habits. ETA’s mission is to be the ethical alternative to other motoring organisation’s, by providing high quality services to everyone concerned about the impact of transport on the environment.
Lastly you need to decide on the type of ‘green technology’ that the vehicle will use. To help with this last question we have provided a useful guide below. If you have already made your purchase and looking for Green Car Insurance, you can obtain that through HomeApproved also:
Hybrid
A conventional combustion engine is used to charge an electric battery. The battery drives an electric motor at low speeds. The petrol/diesel kicks in as the car reaches higher speeds, allowing the combustion engine to work more efficiently. Current model examples include the Toyota Prius; Lexus RX and Honda Civic.
Electric
A pre-Tesla battery charged via an external source, such as a household socket, can currently run car between 30 and 60 miles. Quite low speeds, but particularly suitable for city driving. Examples include the G-wiz, Sakura Maranello4; Nice Mega City; Smart ForTwo EV.
Fuel Cell
Like a battery-electric car in that it does have a combustion engine. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the energy stored in chemical form directly into electrical energy, water and heat. Examples include Mercedes-Benz ‘F-Cell’ A-Class; Reva; GM/Vauxhall HydroGen3; Ford Focus FCV.
Biofuels
Are made from renewable plant sources which absorb more CO2 than the fuels emit. There are three main types: bio-diesel; bio ethanol, made solely from plants; and compressed natural gas (CNG), which burns cleaner than petrol. Models include Saab 9-5 BioFuel, Volvo V70 CNG Biofuel and the Ford Focus 1.8 FFV.
LPG
LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) produces far less CO2 than petrol and fewer particulates than diesel. Most engines can be converted to run on LPG.
Fuel Efficient
conventional cars can be green (or greener) if they are fuel-efficient and therefore use less petrol/diesel to get from A to B, creating less emissions. So check the miles-per-gallon before you buy.