How to Beat the Congestion Charge(potentially) and Save on Fuel Costs without resorting to buying a Boring Bare-Bones Car

Take a SEAT in the Ibiza Ecomotive and experience sporty style motoring with economy.

From an RRP of just £10,995 , you can get a tax saving, potentially charge busting, sub-100g/km CO2 emissions,high mpg, and well equipped motor car.

As standard this three-cylinder 1.4 turbo-diesel is fitted with air conditioning,state-of-the-art diesel particulate filter, low rolling resistance 14" tyres, extra smooth redesigned five-speed gear box,speed-sensitive hydraulic power steering, steering wheel mounted MP3-compatible single disc CD/radio, electric front windows...

Worth taking a look ,this economical SEAT is available for delivery in early April of next year.
This newcomer is said to be expected to make a big impact among buyers eager to minimise their carbon footprint, but are unwilling to pay the earth for their next car.
Further details can be obtained from the SEAT web site

Why the Smart car's been sent to Coventry

An early green Christmas present of a fully electric version of the Smart has been delivered to Coventry City Council.

The iconic car is the first of 100 cars to be delivered as part of a UK-based market trial for the introduction of a fully electric version of the popular two-seater (smart ed).

The car will be made available on a lease arrangement to selected UK corporate customers. It sets a new benchmark in the electric vehicle sector; it has 30kW output and a top speed of 60 mph. It offers nippy in-town performance with 0-30 mph in 6.5 seconds. With a range of up to 70 miles, the smart ed is exempt from vehicle excise duty and congestion charge.

Coventry City Council will be using the electric smart within their fleet of pool vehicles. This facility allows employees to leave their cars at home when they travel to work, but to still have access to a vehicle for business journeys.

Dermot Kelly, Managing Director Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “This market trial is an important part of our commitment to sustainable mobility and the first car to be delivered is a significant milestone for smart and Mercedes-Benz Cars.”

Cllr Gary Ridley, Cabinet member for Climate Change, Housing and Sustainability said, "The Council is proud to be the first owner of the new electric smart and is glad to be part of the drive for new cleaner and greener technologies in cars. To make its running costs even greener, the electricity used to recharge the car is from renewable resources. As the biggest employer in the city, we should be leading by example and encouraging other businesses to think about their carbon footprint and their impact on their environment while carrying out their day to day activities."

The smart ed emits no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, particulate matter or any harmful substance – in fact it emits nothing at all. It retains all the safety equipment you would find on a regular smart, so unlike other electric cars, a smart ed has ESP, ABS brakes two airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners.

In terms of practicality, the car has its own charger on board, which means it can be plugged directly into any UK mains 3 pin plug socket to recharge. A meter on the dash swivels through 90 degrees so it is possible to see the state of battery charge

This market trial is supported by Cenex, the UK’s first national Centre of Excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies. Cenex is a project partner and will be assisting in the field trial phase of the project.

The drive train for the smart ed is produced in the UK by technology partner, Zytek Group, who undertake final assembly of the smart ed in Fradley, near Lichfield.

BMW stand-out winners of the Greenest Car Manufacturer of the Year Award

Towards the end of this current eventful year of outstanding progress in green car manufacturing, it is fitting that Green-Car-Guide.com, itself having successfully made great strides in its own development, should make the Award to a manufacturer, in these terms:"we feel there is one manufacturer in particular who deserves special credit for making an amazing effort to bring more efficient cars to market, across a range of models... In the January 2008 version, available on our site today, the same manufacturer has an incredible 12 cars in the guide out of a total of 68." That outstanding manufacturer is BMW.

Commenting on the award, Mark Harrison, BMW’s Corporate Communications Manager, said: “BMW is very proud of our EfficientDynamics technologies. The successes of both our BMW and MINI brands are built on the fact that they are great to drive, rewarding to own, and have strong design and engineering foundations. It is vital for both us, and many UK car buyers, that our environmental developments do not reduce those values. As a company, we have been working on hydrogen power, fuel-efficient engines and the introduction of lightweight technologies for over 20 years. The recent introduction of EfficientDynamics features brings our work to today's roads. It offers fuel consumption and emissions levels comparable to, and in some cases better than, today's hybrids, but retains the dynamic qualities that one would expect of both BMWs or MINIs. We are pleased that Green-Car-Guide.com has recognised our work and we are committed to remaining as a leading car manufacturer in the battle to reduce emissions and fuel consumption.”

Roll-on 2008!

About itself the Green-Car-Guide.com said:"For ourselves, 2007 has been a phenomenal year. Our site was only launched in September 2006, but in the last year we’ve been on TV, on the radio, worked with a variety of the national media, we’ve given talks about green cars at numerous events around the UK, and we’ve had around one million page views of our site."

To view a sustainable Christmas greeting from Promote, the company behind Green-Car-Guide.com, click here

May I also add my Sincere Best Wishes to You All: Seasons Greetings.I Wish You a Very Happy and Sustainable New Year

The agile Vauxhall Agila will fit in at 120g/km CO2 emissions







This is one to watch for in 2008. Vauxhall’s New Agila will offer low emissions and a low price when it arrives in showrooms in April.

Available to order from early next year, the compact newcomer benefits from CO2 figures of just 120g/km on both the entry-level petrol and diesel engines, meaning it will fall into VED Band B – the cost of a tax disc being just £35 a year.

The Agila is small enough to be manoeuvrable into tight parking spaces, but has five doors, five full-size seats and good luggage space.

The tall roofline provides a spacious feel and a high seating position, making it easy to get in and out, and helping with good visibility.

The Agila has an all-new chassis, three new engines and an automatic gearbox will be available for the first time. Petrol units include a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit developing 65PS and an 85PS 1.2, the latter of which will be available with optional automatic transmission. Vauxhall’s 75PS 1.3CDTi diesel will also be on offer.

The Agila will cost from only £7,595. Three trim levels will be on offer, all with good levels of standard equipment, plus a versatile interior layout.

The rear seat backs can be folded down to create a completely flat load floor on all but the entry-level model, providing a luggage capacity of 1050 litres.

Detail provided by Green Car Guide

Also, if you missed them you can scroll down two posts for the Top 10 Best Green Cars or click here

Volvo invests in Green Forestry to reduce carbon emissions








It seems ,contrary to what we might think,all is not green in the forest. By way of a sort of Christmas related story ,I include this item, not about a car though but a green vehicle. The Volvo Group, once renowned for building 'clunky' cars before selling its cars division to Ford, has bought into the producer of the El-forest forwarder which is the world's first forestry machine that uses energy efficient electric-hybrid technology.

The El-forest forwarder is designed to reduce carbon emissions by cutting fuel consumption by one-half. Volvo will help this innovative equipment into service much quicker. The first forwarder will be delivered next year to the state-owned Sveaskog -
Sweden's largest forest owner.

And the Christmas connection? Well, looking at the picture above, a caption could perhaps be added, something like : "Hey,be careful! That could be my Christmas tree."



(c)copyright 2007 CFM Services Limited.All rights reserved.

Green Car Guide 10 of the Best

I thought you would like a list of the cars considered at this time to be the best green cars by the Green Car Guide. The cars have been chosen for their environmentally friendly credentials.

The Mini Cooper diesel (shown above) comes in at number 2 on the list. Top slot goes to (you may have guessed) the best selling Toyota Prius. So which came third? The list includes:

• 2 electric cars
• 2 petrol-electric hybrids
• 2 cars capable of running on petrol or bio-ethanol
• 2 petrol cars
• and 2 diesels

You can see them here

G-Wiz!GoinGreen's going even better with the G-Wiz i

GoinGreen, the leader in the UK electric vehicle (EV) market, announces the arrival of the G-Wiz i, the most advanced variant of this iconic EV. GoinGreen launched the emission-free G-Wiz dc drive in London in May 2004 and in June 2006 introduced the G-Wiz ac drive and now there is the G-Wiz i, which benefits from improvements in safety, comfort and performance.

The G-Wiz i has an increased top speed certified at 50mph and a range of up to 48 miles per charge but what really marks the G-Wiz i from other electric vehicles is its swift acceleration to 30mph (60% quicker than its nearest competitor). This superior torque enables the G-Wiz i to easily keep up with London traffic and to cope with hills. The G-Wiz i is also upgradeable to high-performance lithium-ion batteries, which are designed to increase range significantly.

After extensive customer feedback Reva Electric Car Company (RECC), the manufacturer of the G-Wiz, has collaborated with GoinGreen in creating this new generation G-Wiz and the key points are:

Safety - working with Lotus Engineering, RECC has introduced a new safety package to the G-Wiz i, frontal crash tested at 25mph city speed. Safety features include front and side impact protection, a strengthened space frame, a collapsible steering column, a hill rolling restraint feature and new front disc brakes that deliver a 30% improvement in braking performance.
Comfort - the advanced ac drivetrain results in extra power but more smoothly, whilst the new roomier cabin layout and a curved windshield provides a more comfortable driving position and improved vision.
Performance - the G-Wiz has always been small and nippy making it ideal for congested urban roads. With its tiny turning circle and superior torque the G-Wiz i is so easy to manoeuvre, simple to park and fun to drive.

The G-Wiz i has a colour-impregnated and fully recyclable body; standard colours include marine blue, lightning silver or deep black. A range of extras includes a DAB radio / CD with mp3 player input and climate control seats. It comes with a two-year warranty, one-year roadside recovery and a choice of service packages. The 2+2 seat G-Wiz is in the lowest insurance group and is exempt from the London congestion charge and on top of all this, the fuel bill for a year’s electricity will cost less than the price of a tank of petrol (£40-50).

Prices start at £8,895 inc VAT. GoinGreen is taking orders now for February 2008 delivery.
www.goingreen.co.uk

Eco-friendly ( no CO2 emissions) solar charger from FreeLoader

Today,I am digressing from my usual patch. I have come across something which you may find very useful.

So,what do you buy a person for Christmas who apparently has everything already?Well,if they have most things already, they will have the accessories of life including the iPod, mobile phone, SPS ,and so on. But what if these gadgets run out of power,what then? They probably do not have a ready supply of power with which to recharge all their toys and things,say,when they are out on the road or otherwise travelling.

This is where the Free...Loader Portable Solar Energy Charger can come in.

This gift, about the size of a mobile phone , can be silently soaking up the sun in a convenient corner in your car as you drive, glove shelf perhaps, or elsewhere and when loaded it can deliver the power ,for example, required for upto 44 hours for the mobile phone,and for the PDA upto 22 hours. The FreeLoader comes in two colours pink and silver (but not green,I'm afraid as it is already considered green enough!), and is supplied with a variety of gadgets.
And,here's the clever part, though not quite as green, if the sun is not out there are two more options to use this recharger. Firstly,you can USB the charger to your computer.Or,secondly, you can simply put in some batteries and recharge from the charger that way. All options make the FreeLoader a very portable asset. At £29.95 this travel kit could be an essential for motorists.For further details you can go to the Fireboxwebsite

The bio-powered Saab 9-3 revisited





On June 24th this year,we first looked at the introduction of more powerful and economical diesel and petrol into the Saab 9-3 range,and the availability of the BioPower flex-fuel engine.The latter capable of delivering 200hp running on bioethanol E 85 fuel (or any blend from 0-85% of the bio-fuel with petrol).

Revisiting this greener model, the Green Car Guide has this to say, "Saab has recently refreshed the styling of its entire 9-3 range, with a new front end inspired by the Aero X concept car, complete with ‘eyebrow lighting’ above the headlights. This makes the iconic Convertible even more appealing, and with the BioPower option, you can even claim that you have a green car – and a sexy one at that. But is it really green, and does it drive as well as it looks?"

There is still a debate out there about competition for the use of crops -food or fuel?Also the the ready availability of the bioethanol fuel is still some way off. There are still only 15 outlets selling this fuel in the UK and they are all owned by Morrisons. Of course ,increased demand for the bio-powered car would increase the investment given over to fuel distribution. On the competing use issue, there appears to be no one solution to bringing down CO2 emissions from cars to required levels to help reduce the rate of climate change. Whether it is hydrogen,hybrid technology,electricity,or super efficient petrol and diesel powered cars, there is probably in the balance of things a place for biofuels.

For more information on this sleek stylish car, you can click here for a road test report.

• Fuel economy extra urban: 42.8mpg

• Fuel economy urban: 23.9mpg

• CO2 emissions: 232 g/km

• Green rating: Band F - £190

• Weight: 1585 Kg

• Company car tax liability (2007): 32%

• Price: £30,360 (From £25,975 to £34,495)

• Insurance group: 15

• Safety: NCAP 5 star

• Max speed: 140 mph (manual)

• 0-60mph: 7.9 seconds (manual)

Fiat 500 Voted Car of the Year 2008

Launched in July and promising to be the most eagerly awaited car for many a year, the Fiat 500 scooped the top award as Car of the Year 2008 when ,this month, 57 out of 58 specialist journalists on an international panel from 22 European countries voted for the super-compact. Auto Express, the car news weekly, in its list of New Cars for 2008 places the 500 at the top of its 10 Most wanted, ahead of the Jaguar XF at number 2.Described as 'retro without being kitsch...fresh,funky and fantastic to drive' ,the 500 is destined to go places.

The Green Car Guide says that 'Fiat has announced prices of the eagerly-awaited new Fiat 500, which goes on sale in the UK in January.

'And the good news is that prices start at just £7,900. At the top end of the range, a highly specified version with a larger engine costs only £10,700 – including air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard.

'The 500 is available with a choice of three Euro 5-ready engines: 69 bhp 1.2-litre and 100 bhp 1.4-litre petrol, or 75 bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel. The base 1,242cc petrol engine returns 55 mpg economy and emits 119g/km of CO2. The 1.3 Multijet diesel can manage 67.3 mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of 111g/km.

'The 500 can be ordered in three different trim levels – Pop, Sport and Lounge. Standard equipment in the entry-level Pop includes ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD, driver, passenger, side and driver’s knee airbags, radio/CD/MP3 player, power steering, electric mirrors, colour coded bumpers and chrome-plated door handles. The options list includes ESP, glass sunroof, metallic paint and parking sensors.

'Sport and Lounge versions start at £9,300, while specifying a larger engine in any trim level adds £1,400. Standard equipment on both Sport and Lounge versions includes the Blue & MeTM hands-free media system, air conditioning and 15” alloy wheels. Sport specification includes a rear roof spoiler, fog lights, sports interior and dark tinted rear windows, while Lounge trim includes a split, folding rear seat and fixed glass roof.

The Fiat 500 goes on sale through Fiat’s 162-strong UK dealer network in January 2008.'

Copyright (c) 2006-2007 CFM (Services)Limited.All Rights Reserved.

Honda offers a solution with FCX Clarity

At the Los Angeles International Motor Show this month, Honda have unveiled their FCX Clarity hyrogen fuel-cell powered car, with plans to begin a limited marketing of the vehicle next summer.

The FCX Clarity is described by Honda as ' a next-generation, zero-emission, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on an entirely new Honda V Flow fuel cell platform, and powered by the highly compact, efficient and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. Featuring tremendous improvements to driving range, power, weight and efficiency – and boasting a low-slung, dynamic and sophisticated appearance, previously unachievable in a fuel cell vehicle – the FCX Clarity marks the significant progress Honda continues to make in advancing the real-world performance and appeal of the hydrogen-powered fuel cell car.'

The vehicle's only emission is water!

The plan is to introduce the FCX Clarity into service by a leasing scheme to a limited number of consumers in Southern California,US in the summer of 2008. Presumably, if this works out ,production will be stepped upto to meet market demand. As mentioned previously, a restriction on use will be the current limited availablity of refuelling facilities. One solution, in a recent post here on lec ,is the home generation unit ,also being developed by Honda.(see 16th November 2007)

This latest generation has other ground-breaking features for the driving comfort of the driver, using advanced materials technology to produce,for example , a new eco-friendly bio-fabric ,for the upholstery and door linings,with remarkable stretch and fit qualities.Furthermore,
Honda say you can expect:

* a 20 per cent increase in fuel economy (about 2-3 times the fuel economy of a petrol-powered car, and 1.5 times that of a petrol-electric hybrid vehicle, of comparable size and performance);
* a 30 per cent increase in vehicle range – to 270 miles (approximately 430 km);
* a 120 per cent improvement in power-to-weight ratio, in part due to around a 400-pound (approximately 180kg) reduction in the fuel cell powertrain weight, despite a substantial increase in overall vehicle size;
* a 45 per cent reduction in the size of the fuel cell powertrain – nearly equivalent, in terms of volume, to a modern petrol-electric hybrid powertrain;
* an advanced new lithium-ion battery pack that is 40 per cent lighter and 50 per cent smaller than the current-generation FCX’s ultracapacitor;
* a single 5,000-psi hydrogen storage tank with 10 per cent additional hydrogen capacity than the previous model

Images and other Honda press material can be seen at the Honda (UK)
media web site

Carmakers now producing a better shade of green

When looking at the green credentials of carmakers, we usually go for the absolute performance of a particular model in terms of CO2 emissions. For example,this car is a sub 100g/km,...or that car is within the limit for congestion charge exemption, and so on. Often we lose sight of the improvements in relative performance and emissions control won in recent years, employing the new technologies developed for body-styling,tyres,engine-types,fuels,
gears, brake systems ...the list is long.

Last week the weekly car magazine, Auto Express, featured the results of a survey conducted by the Clean Green Cars website.This showed which cars really had become cleaner and greener during the first nine months of this year compared to the same period in 2006. Apparently, not all the brands surveyed had improved ,Suburu (6%) and Audi (3%) being noted for some average increase in CO2 emissions. A table of the 10 leading 'reducer' manufacturers was reproduced in the magazine showing the BMW-owned MINI, with 17.1% average decrease in such emissions, at the top. At the bottom ,with 3%, was Hyundai. The MINI range of cars had reduced its CO2 output from an average 182g/km to 151g/km. A significant amount of CO2 still, but a large improvement.

Copyright (c) 2007 CFM(Services) Limited.All rights reserved.

Honda Home-in on a Solution for the Shortage of Hydrogen

How strange to be talking about the shortage of hydrogen! This is one of the few elements in almost limitless abundance on our planet,though it's more often found as a part of water. But for the upcoming generation of hydrogen cars having a ready supply of the gas in the right places for re-fuelling is of course essential if elusive.The demand for a gas distribution system is new. Honda with a vested interest in this are working hard to provide the solution.

The home ,it seems, is where the answer lies. Honda are experimenting with a home generation kit ,which will also avoid the need to use electricity grid supply for the home heating and other domestic use. Natural gas is used in the Home Energy Station IV to generate the fuel both for the hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle and domestic heat and light requirements.

This fourth-generation unit is being 'road tested' in California and

“Honda is striving to address the need for a refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles,” said Ben Knight, vice-president of Honda R&D Americas. “The Home Energy Station represents one promising solution to this issue, while offering the added benefit of heating and powering the home more efficiently.”

So here we are looking at a solution that can reduce CO2 emissions by 30% and save energy costs by 50% for the homeowner who switches from using conventional grid supply and driving a petrol-powered car. Honda claims the current unit, over the first unit produced for test in 2003, is 70% more compact making it a feasible proposition for installation as a dometic appliance.

As usual we shall continue to watch these groundbreaking developments as they move ,hopefully,from the experimental testbed into the home.

All we need now is the commercially produced hydrogen-powered car to take advantage of the refuelling lifeline.More of this tomorrow with the all-new FCX Clarity which had its debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show.

Discover how to Save Money on motoring costs…

…and feel really good about saving the Environment!

We'd all would like to save money, wouldn't we?If you accept this premise, and the fact that buying a 'green' car as your next purchase is not going to condemn you to a life of mundanity and ridicule, then have I got news for you!

The world of motoring is moving on at a cracking pace of change. Fuel consumption is coming down for so many new cars being launched, many of which are leaving behind the more excessive effects of the environment choking CO2 emission internal engine. There are leaner and meaner petrol and diesels, hybrids ,and all electric cars on the market,and soon there will be hydrogen cars. And as to savings? Well ,you can now see dramatically reduced petrol fuel consumption, congestion charge exemption, dramatically reduced road tax, and the admiration of your friends and neighbours, as a realistic aspiration from choosing an environmentally-friendly car as your next set of wheels. Did I mention style? This is in abundance with the current generation of green clean cars. Design, coupled with the development of materials technology ,is producing the most amazing production cars,and if the manufacturers concepts are anything to go by this will only get better and better.

You need to keep an eye on these developments that will so affect your future living conditions.
There is probably no better way of doing this than to invest a modest amount-just £4.95- to purchase the Green Car Guide. In November's issue you can obtain details of the UK's most economical cars in 10 different categories. The current month is also covering diesels with a particulate filter to dramatically reduce emissions into the atmosphere. For full details click here.

Wash n' green-up after Tokyo Motor Show

Well,was it a Honda clean sweep? Or did Toyota come away with the green credentials with its low emission concepts and imminent production models?

The Sunday Times suggests Honda are ahead by a nose with a surprise announcement of having a production hydrogen car for sale next year in America and Japan- the cost (£50,000)will be less than for many current conventional family saloons on the market.This puts them upto 20 years ahead in terms of what was generally expected.The big question,however,is where will you fill it up? Honda is content to say that if there is demand for the new fuel, distributors will make it available to meet the demand.

In the other corner, the other manufacturing heavyweight,Toyota, was banking on electricity to drive its ultra low CO2 emission and low cost runner.Flagged as better than the Prius,the Toyota prototype on test and planned to be on sale in 2009, will most probably be eventually fitted with lithium-ion batteries that are more compact and lighter than its nickel-hydride test kit. Honda ,though,is not convinced that further development of hybrid models is anything more than 'an expensive sideshow'.

We are just going to have to wait and see.But now,it is likely that we are not to be kept waiting too long.

Other 'greening'carmakers were also at the show,of course-Mazda,Mitshubishi,Suburu and Suzuki were there, as were Volvo and BMW. Notably,Mitshubishi are intent to launch its MiEV Sport electric vehicle in Britain by 2009, reports the Sunday Times.

Look-out for the Honda Puyo,Volvo Recharge,Nissan Pivo2,VW Space UP!,and the Mazda Premacy RE hydrogen hybrid (a leasing project initially restricted to Norway commencing next year).The Toyota RIN,Ford Verve,Honda FCX etc...but for New Cars Out Now click here

Hammers plate knocks Arsenal off the Top

Although unlikely on face value and current form,this was a headline story I couldn't resist following.

Apparently last Friday, West Ham shot to the top of the premier league of personalised registration numbers today when the licence plate WE57 HAM went for a record-breaking £57,000 at auction.

A fierce bidding war erupted at the DVLA Personalised Registrations sale in Bishop’s Stortford as dozens of die-hard fans of the club battled it out for the ultimate Hammers status symbol.

And that sent the price rocketing and forced the winning bidder, who bid anonymously over the internet, to smash the previous record for a football-related registration – the £36,000 paid for AR53 NAL in 2004.

Damian Lawson, Marketing Manager for DVLA Personalised Registrations, was delighted by the huge sum fetched by the star lot.

He said: ‘The atmosphere in the auction room was electric – it was like a cup final. The fans bidding showed the same passion they do on the terraces and we could only watch as the price kept on rising and rising. We knew there was going to be a lot of interest and we thought there was a good chance the plate could knock AR53 NAL off the top of the table but we couldn’t believe just how much it went for.’

Though not in the normal line of low emission car posts,I thought some of you out there might find this story sad,or amusing,or great,...or whatever.

-

The Next Generation No or Low Carbon Hondas



Honda has confirmed plans to bring its most exciting ‘green’ cars into production. In addition to the production version of the FCX hydrogen fuel cell car to be unveiled next month at the LA Motor Show and scheduled to go on sale in the US and Japan in 2008,Honda will launch a compact lightweight sports coupe based on the CR-Z concept (above) and powered by a hybrid powertrain at adate date yet to be announced .

The recent announcement by Honda’s President and CEO, Takeo Fukui,marks the beginning of the next generation of environmentally-friendlier vehicles ,sporting designs likely to appeal to a wide audience.

“Hybrids have always been seen as niche products, and hybrid car design has mostly been based around practicality and versatility,” says John Kingston, Environment Manager at Honda (UK). “The CR-Z Concept looks stunning, and shows that green cars can be sexy and exciting – but also minimise environmental impact."

Honda will be looking to sell over 1/4 million hybrids a year by 2009

The CR-Z Concept follows in the tyre prints of the Honda Remix Concept (seen at the LA Show last year), and the Small Hybrid Sports Concept (first out at Geneva in March) all of which explore the potential of a compact sportscar that’s exciting to drive, but has minimal impact on the environment.

For more exciting pictures from the Honda display stand at the Tokyo Motor Show, featuring the CR-Z,FCX concept,and the PUYO concept, click here for Paul Harmer's website.

New Smart fortwo adds up, or does it?


Believe it or not, it is seven years ago that the first Smart cars hit our streets. This diminutive and energy miser has developed and new models are, or are about, to become available (although how many for UK supply is in question). Three models - Coupe (pictured),Cabrio and Brabus- are featured in an extensive road test report at the green car guide. A diesel version of one model ,with particulate filter ,has a consumption performance of 85.7 mph ,and 88g/km of CO2 emissions ,making it a clear no nonsense sub-100g/km club member.

Here's an opportunity to examine the latest Smart cars up close and personal.Click here.

Green for the Earth from Subaru


Here's a little beauty expected to be shown at the upcoming 40th Tokyo Motor Show later this month, the G4e concept.Although a compact in dimensions,this new environmentally-friendly electric car with a triangular body shape will be a true five-seater.Fitted with the next generation batteries,its light weight and all round high-performance are designed by Suburu, owned by Fuji Heavy Industries, to give it a range of 200 kilometres. Auto Express magazine this week reports that the new powerpacks for this car are not lithium-ion but vanadium batteries developed by Suburu.They are said to provide the longer range, and to be more stable and last longer than the current generation of batteries.

Be back soon with more exciting new concepts (Toyota are offering the 1/X,the RiN,the Hi-CT,and the i-REAL) for green motoring from the Tokyo expo.

Lower emissions with higher performance,today

At the high end,car manufacturers are also making great technological strides to combine luxury with high efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.One such leading brand is Lexus,currently running a high cost advertising campaign for the world's first all wheel drive luxury performance hybrid saloon.

The flagship model is the new hybrid powered LS 600h.This went on sale at the start of the month with demand extending order leadtimes into next spring.Packed full of preventative,active and passive features,and equipped with an advanced powertrain, it is probably the most sophisticated car in its class.This is real luxury motoring.

So what performance can we expect for a little over £80k. The LS 600h 5.0 litre petrol engine with V8 powertrain and high-output motor gives a high performing 0 to 62 mph in 6.3 seconds,higher than its diesel market segment competitors, but with similar combined cycle consumption at 30.4 mph and CO2 emissions of 219g/km.

There are two model variations.One with longer wheel base, the other with the extra length and what is called the Rear Seat Relaxation Package. For a few grand over the standard model price,these extras must be good.Other Lexus luxury hybrid models currently being sold are the RX400h SUV,and the GS 450h.For more information you should visit the Lexus website.

So though not low emission in absolute unit terms, this generation of luxury cars, to be owned by a relatively low number of people, is to significantly reduce the carbon footprint for its class. We are returning to more of the lower emission and more affordable cars available to the UK motorist here at low emission cars in the next few days

Is it a baby Octopus?Electric Nissan Pivo 2 Concept



Nissan is hoping it won't be a white elephant.The electric powered Pivo 2 concept will be shown by Nissan at the forthcoming Tokyo Motor Show.

Green Car Guide writes:

'Powered by advanced compact Lithium-ion batteries and featuring a unique 360 degree rotating cabin – meaning no reverse gear is required – the first Pivo became a cult hit at shows from Beijing to Geneva.

Where the first Pivo, with its fully rotating cabin design, made reversing obsolete, the Pivo 2 takes that easy mobility concept to a new level. Each of the four wheels are powered by Nissan’s advanced electric in-wheel 3D motor and can turn through 90 degrees to allow Pivo 2 to drive sideways as well as forward.

In addition to features such as ‘by-wire’ technologies for braking and steering, the car even features a ‘Robotic Agent’. With conversations possible in Japanese and English, Nissan says that the Robotic Agent has been created to work with Pivo 2 “to make every journey less stressful”. It provides an interface for communication with Pivo 2 on everything from basic vehicle functions to the nearest available parking.

Pivo 2 will be on display at the Nissan Ginza Gallery in Tokyo, for an exclusive public sneak preview ahead of the Motor Show.

Let’s hope we see Nissan’s electric technology in cars we can buy soon.'

Chatsworth Rally Shows off low emission engines

As flagged in low emission cars (17th August 2007),Chatsworth played host to famous world rally stars including Russell Brookes and 1967 Monte Carlo Rally winner Rauno Aaltonen, who made demonstration drives in the new Oaktec Honda Civic Hybrid.

Also making an appearance at the extremely well attended show was the new Bowler ‘Nemesis’, a new specially designed off-road racer running on bioethanol disguised as a Range Rover Sport.

Green Car Guide reports :

‘The two day event included three competitive Special Stage rallies for both Historic and modern rally cars, a pageant of "Rallying History" - featuring many of the world's greatest rally cars, precision and stunt-driving displays - including TV star, Russ Swift, and "Stage Sessions" for owners of competition and modified road cars, giving them the opportunity of driving the special stages under non-competitive "track day” conditions.

Two World and 12 British Rally Champions were among the line-up of star names, including Gwyndaf Evans (1996 British Rally Champion), who set some of the fastest stage times, although he didn’t take the wheel of the Oaktec car.’

The Oaktec team are already looking to building the world’s first bio-fuel/hybrid Super Touring Car to race in the British Touring Car Championship.

More...

Mini Classic turns into a Champion of the Green

Now this is a really exciting opportunity! You could own a real Mini from the 60s, or later, converted to electric power by vehicle specialists, to your own specifications.

Minis are still all the fashion on our roads,although the first of these iconic cars was produced well over 40 years ago. The original body style designed by Sir Alec Assigonis was produced,with modifications from time to time,until 2000.It became the most popular British car. And now ,the Mini is a best seller again ,having been resurrected by BMW.The new BMW Mini is continuing to evolve into a very efficient ,stylish and low consumption car according to recent report here low emission cars (11th September 2007).

However,enough of the new cars,how about a retro original Mini powered by electric.Here we have the best of everything. A true star from the past combined with the essential drive to reduce CO2 emissions ,and contribute to maintaining a sustainable environment for our children and later generations by helping to slow the rate of global climate change. Yes,I am a fervent believer that we can help ourselves, and moving to low emission cars is a necessary action to take. It does not have to take the fun out of cars and driving. Owning a marvellous Mini from the past converted to be driven under electric battery power is testament to this, and you can go to the future vehicles website for details if you click here for future vehicles

Want an electric car with the looks and real feel of a classic conventional car,and the power to zoom up hills and travel over 50, with no worries? See the future vehicles website.

Green speed soon to spur A1GP World Cup of Motorsport?

As a concept, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport differentiates itself from other global motor racing organizations. The body responsible for running A1GP recently announced a further major initiative to move as quickly as possible to bio-ethanol engined-cars using 30% ethanol fuel. This is designed to drive ,with other measures, a reduction in carbon emissions, and use carbon-offsetting for unavoidable emissions.

With a global audience now covering 150 countries, A1GP is fully aware of its responsibility as a sport with a significant carbon footprint, and is intent on reducing its environmental impact.
Sourced from sugar beet in Europe and specifically produced for the A1GP series, the E30 bio-fuel produces less harmful particulate matter than conventional fuels and will reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. By implementing E30, A1GP are expecting to reduce CO2 emissions per car by 21% in a racing season based on a well to wheel basis calculation. There are however some technical issues yet to be resolved . Although extensive tests under road conditions have been successfully conducted ,there are present concerns about whether the required performance can yet be sustained over very long periods.

A1GP’s chief executive officer, Pete da Silva said: ‘It is highly regrettable that we have not been able to start A1GP’s third season [from 30th September 2007] running on our planned bio-fuel mix. We have undertaken 4,600 kilometres of testing which has already successfully demonstrated that an international race series can remain exciting and competitive while also taking account of its environmental impact. However, we must ensure that the long term impact of our fuel change does not impact on our on-track action.

‘The launch of our THINK Greener Racing policy at Silverstone last month was warmly accepted by the industry and key environmental leaders and remains at the centre of our business strategy moving forward.’

I wish them all success, and will bring any further news about this very important environmental initiative.

Launched in 2004, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport is an entirely new concept where driver is pitted against driver ,and country is against country ,for the first time in history. In addition to the traditional motorsport fan base, A1GP attracts a new audience passionate about their country and heritage. A1GP brings together 22 nations in 11 races in 10 countries to compete as equals without financial or technological advantage. A1GP is keen to allow fans to interact with teams and drivers as part of its inclusive approach. Because A1GP is a single make series it is possible to implement change and technological advances more quickly and holistically.

Here's a sporty Citroën with membership of the sub-120 emissions club

Citroën’s 110hp C2 1.6HDi VTS is a diesel supermini,the first sports model to feature the VTS insignia. Available now at an introductory discounted price, on a cash back basis from certain dealers ,at just under £11,000.If you are quick you may also swing a year's free insurance to boot ,if aged 25 and over.

So what can you expect?

How about:

• 64 mpg
• 5 speed manual gear box
• 62 mph in 9.4 seconds
• air conditioning
• four airbags
• an alarm and ABS with EBD as standard
• 16" alloy wheels
• Band B for Vehicle Excise Duty
• 80% more torque than the petrol version of the model

Sounds like a good deal to me.

For more details on this car, and other cars in the sub-120 g/km CO2 club, click here
for the Green Car Guide

You can join the low emission future today in style

Recently, I have been covering a lot of what maybe available to the UK car buyer within the next two or three years.So its great now to be looking at a low emission car which you can actually buy NOW! A star of the recent Frankfurt Show, and referred to briefly earlier this month on lec (you know, low emission cars),the Elettrica is launched on the London streets.The Green Car Guide describes this ultra compact electric car as:

"a combination of Italian styling and design, Japanese engineering and British electronics, and is the first production electric car in the UK with the option of a lithium power supply, which is claimed to provide almost twice the range of other small electric cars.

The lithium battery version is said to offer a 70 mile range and a top speed of 45 miles per hour. There is also a lead battery version offering a 40 mile range and a top speed of 40mph.

The batteries can be charged for a few minutes or a few hours with no risk of damage. The lithium battery version can be fully charged in 5-6 hours, the lead battery version in 8 hours, and electricity should cost no more than 50p to drive 70 miles.

Drivers will be exempt from the congestion charge, will enjoy free parking in Westminster, the City and many other parts of London, and the Elettrica is also exempt from road tax.

Lithium batteries have a much longer life than lead batteries, are lighter, and do not represent an environmental hazard on disposal. The car has no tailpipe emissions, and should be charged with renewable energy to be truly green.

The car has an aluminium safety cage, disc brakes, front and rear impact bars, and has undergone front and side crash-testing - well beyond the EU requirements for this type of vehicle.

The Elettrica costs £9,950 inc VAT for the lead-battery powered version and £12,750 inc VAT for the lithium powered version. Prices also include registration and delivery to any London address.

The car is available from Future Vehicles, the exclusive distributor for customers based in London and within the M25."

You can go to the Future Vehicles website if you click here

This 'tiny'could be the city car of the future

The other ultra-compact car I promised you from the frankfurt show is another concept(no prizes for guessing the colour of this green car!): the Volkswagen up! Measuring just 3.45m it is only a staggering 47cm longer than the other contender for car of the show, the Toyota iQ, covered in yesterday's post. This two- or three-cylinder rear engined highly efficient car should yield 70 mpg and will help to meet the growing European demand (up 20% on last year according to Toyota) for small cars.VW are hopeful that, when the up! goes into production in 2009, it will claim in due course the same iconic status as the Beetle or the Golf.

With cabin space seating four adults, the up! concept has a touch sensitive screen which will enable the driver to access through hand movements certain information on the weather,in-car entertainment and vehicle controls.A second head-up screen will provide critical information on the cars's systems together with instant read-outs of CO2 levels being emiited. VW are looking for this car to be around for a long time.

So with Fiat also unveiling a radical two-cylinder 900cc engine which will only emit an amazing 69g of CO2 emissions, the leading carmakers are taking very seriously the
challenge to meet regulations and a market which consider level of CO2 emissions to be as important as fuel consumption.So the big sellers of the future will be small.

We will continue to watch these imminent products or similar.Over the next week or so, it will be back to production cars and some news on motorsport.

Think white and small for this green concept

At the eco-obsessed Frankfurt show,white was the colour for most of the exciting concept cars exhibited.Arguably one of the cars of the show was the Toyota iQ concept.
Yes,this ultra-compact was white! Designed by Toyota's European design studio as an efficient urban driving machine with style, and space for three adults and a child, the iQ at a mere 2.98m in length will thrive on the challenge of tight road spaces.This car will offer a lifestyle statement for the eco-conscious ,with both functionality and low CO2 emissions.This is certainly one to watch for the future.

Tomorrow,I'll show you the other concept contender for car of the show...and yes the colour is white!

Going electric rather than gas at the Frankfurt car show

So another show ends.Was there anything new? Well,of course there was,but most of it had been previewed.The main story could be said to be electric,or more precisely,the development of electric battery technology.This will govern the future for low emission electric cars.

The Frankfurt Motor Show played host to many manufacturers who were trialling or promoting electric cars demonstrating ,in this era of ever rising oil prices and the need to combat the rate of global climate change, their commitment to invest in environmentally-friendly vehicles.Of course the stick is the possibility of the European Commission regulating an even lower CO2 emissions target than 120g/km.

The steepling price of oil at $80+ a barrel makes the electric car ,with its currently expensive battery, a more commercial proposition for the carmaker.

Taking a current production car upgrade,the Toyota Prius uses new nickel-metal hydride batteries.Such is progress,incoming are the much vaunted lithium-ion batteries producing almost twice the power.But they are still mainly at concept because of cost (and some teething problems - batteries have overheated causing fires).There is the Elettrica which is making its first appearance in the UK. More costly than the G-Wiz,this Italian built car will deliver 70 miles of motoring on a charge at a top speed of 45 mph.

Also on show were the Chevrolet Volt and Volvo Recharge reported previously in these pages, and the Nissan Mixim,another concept, but described by the Sunday Times as "powered by compact lithium-ion batteries ,and is all-wheel drive as it has one electric motor per axle.It may only have been driven to the stand at low speed ..., but Nissan predicts it could have a top speed of 112mph, a range of 90-125 miles between recharges, and a charging time as short as 20-40 minutes." Nissan expect to have electric cars using technology like that on the Mixim by 2010.

BMW weighed in with the Concept X6, with ActiveHybrid,which has been driven on electric power alone,or with combustion engine, or a combination of both.Another exciting prospect for the future was the appearance (see picture above)of the C-Cactus by Citroen.So named because it does not drink much,this car can produce a 97 mpg performance.Using half the number of parts of a conventional car,the C-Cactus also uses a significant number of recycled or recyclable materials.Michelin tyres on 21" wheels contribute to reduced road friction to boost fuel efficiency.

A great show. Much promise for more and stylish green production cars in the near future.

So just how many people can you get into a Mini at a stretch?


Old joke it maybe. The answer is a few more than you could in 1967.

BMW have worked on the Mini,a successful retro revival,and with the market call for a low emission car with room have come-up with a stretched version with inspiration from the 1960s Morris Mini Traveller,Austin Mini Countryman and Mini Clubman Estate. There are three engine variants for this latest Mini Clubman. Of these ,the Cooper D emits just 109 g/km of CO2 ,and delivers a combined fuel consumtion of 68.9 mph.There are many recent improvements which combine to produce this more acceptable sub 120g/km car, including Brake Energy Regeneration,Auto Start-Stop and Gear Shift Point indicator.

This car is based on a concept brought to the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, and as a car in commercial production available to buy in the UK from 10th November 2007,it will be a star at this year's show. The Cooper D will retail at around £15K. The arrival of the Mini Clubman will help further sales growth which for the Mini range is up nearly 14% year on year for 2007 according to Andy Hearn, MINI UK General Manager.

New plug-in hybrid concept to be unveiled by Volvo at Frankfurt

A specially designed Volvo C30, The Recharge Concept, is expected to wow visitors to the Frankfurt Motor Show.

On August 5th I covered the the emergence of a number of flexifuels from Volvo including the C30. The recharge C30 is claimed to be 66 percent lower in CO2 emissions than the best hybrids available today ,and will be good for the equivalent of 124 mpg for a full charge over a 93 mile drive.

Essentially, the C30 has an electric motor at each wheel ,a lithium-polymer battery in the boot and a 1.6-litre flexifuel engine providing power to a generator which takes over if the battery is exhausted. Magnus Jonsson, Volvo's Vice President of Research & Development comments that with the Volvo Recharge Concept " a person driving less than 60 miles per day will rarely need to visit a filling station."

So is this a stodgy performing car compromised by its green features? Not a bit of it!
The concept retains the sporty look and drive of the C30 ,with acceleration of 0-62 mph in 9 seconds and a top speed speed of 100 mph. Just plug-in for three hours and go (a one hour charge will take you 30 miles).Lower running costs and lower emissions combine in this groundbreaking car.

The principal feature is the combustion engine as backup which only kicks-in to power the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) of the battery becomes unable to provide the energy for normal driving performance.Apparently the APU is so powerful it can supply a whole house with an electricity supply.It could act as an emergency standby generator.

As with many groundbreaking low emission cars tyres are an important component.And for the C30 Recharge Concept Michelin's specially designed high energy efficient tyres have been employed.

Energy generated in braking is given to the battery, in this truly all-wheel drive car - each wheel is controlled individually.

Flexifuels are designed to operate on E85 ethanol a renewable fuel emitting up to 80% less ~CO2 emissions than petrol - if ethanol is not available then petrol can be used in the same tank.

More exciting news to follow from the Frankfurt Motor Show being held this week.

Conventional combustion engined cars are under some pressure, now!

Peugeot 308 Hybrid The Next Generation

Today's post continues my earlier report (August 30th-Peugeot Putting On the Environmental Style).With the unveiling at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show of the
new 308 hybrid HDi, Peugeot signals its strategy and ambition for 2010-2015.The carmaker is determined to consolidate its leadership in the manufacture of environmentally fiendly cars by 2010.By 2015,it plans to be the most competitive carmaker in Europe.

In this way,Peugeot,like Toyota see the green route is the way to the top.Peugeot is determined to reverse its unsatisfactory profit margins and to improve quality and service.

Back to the 308,the demonstrator model to be unleashed at the Frankfurt Motor Show has impressive green credentials.A diesel,rather than a petrol engine,hybrid power train is used to squeeze out a combined cycle consumption of 83 mpg with emissions of only 90g/km of CO2.

The new 308 to be launched in 2010,has a 110 bhp 1.6 HDi DPFS diesel engine coupled with a 22 bhp electric motor . Its performance is 38% better than an equivalent 308 diesel HDi model. Now that is an improvement!

The engine is also designed to operate in Zero Emission Mode (ZEV) on urban roads.
This will meet a future Euro V directive.On open roads and motorways, diesel will power the car;at low speeds and when starting ,the electric motor alone will operate.

Another aspect I like with the new 308 is the use of Michelin's Energy Saver tyres to reduce rolling resistance.The promoting and continuing development of performance enhancing tyre technology is one of the crucial elements in the satisfactory achievement of low consumption driving.

Roll on the Frankfurt Motor Show!This runs from the 13th -23rd of this month.
I hope to bring you some news and pictures from this showcase event for new concepts and production cars.

Global carmakers serve-up a mixed bag of greens

Today ,the Financial Times reports that last year European carmakers stalled in their bid to cut CO2 emissions.A Brussels based environmental campaign group claims that new vehicle emissions in the European fleets fell by only 0.2.per cent.This is the lowest recorded annual rate of reduction.Emissions fell to 160 g/km, a country mile from a target of 140 g/km set for the end of next year. The European Commission has announced that it will legislate for emissions not to exceed 120g/km by 2012. A worrying trend is that in Spain and Austria carbon dioxide emissions increased last year.

Now,if financial success is the driver for pursuing the green route ,Toyota have made a very strong case. In the years since 2000, its hybrid sales in Europe have topped an accumulative 100,000 units.Toyota and Lexus currently have four different hybrid vehicles(with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive and the Lexus Hybrid Drive) in their offerings for the European market. The mass-produced Toyota Prius, for example, is the best selling sub-120 g/km car.So what about profitability ,with all this massive commitment to low emission cars? It is reported at the end of the its last financial year, Toyota made record profits of $14billion.In the same period ,General Motors and Chrysler in total made losses of about the same amount.

This is truly a mixed bag of greens.But I would back Toyota's charge up the green route to become sustainable number one in carmaking. Already dominating the green car market Toyota (the Sunday Times reports) will be showing its latest petrol-electric car, the Hybrid X, at the Bangkok Motor Show this month.More on this exciting development soon.


Copyright (c) 2007 CFM (Services) Limited.All rights reserved

If this Green Project breaks down you can always Eat the Car!

First-up this month is a 'veggie' development with a difference.Not for the Eco 1, the glitzy and big spending showground that is the Frankfurt Motor Show to be held next week. But this cereal story will probably run and run.The Eco 1 car is truly environmentally friendly, in the low emission class.

It can be said to be truly home-grown.Apart from the chassis, which has to have the strength of steel ( a recyclable material) most other parts of this 150 mph racing car are sourced from nature's crops:fuel from wheat and barley,tyres from potatoes,plastic body parts from plants,brakepads from crushed cashew nutshells.So we have a car made virtually of edible or recyclable material and using energy from biofuels.

This car pictured above is 95 percent biogradable, and the pioneering work to produce it could provide many of the solutions in the future development of both greener racing and mass production motor cars.

If you want to see more details of the Eco1 ,built at the Warwick Manufacturing Group, a department of Warwick University ,you can go to the WMG site. Already WMG,a centre of engineering excellence, is seriously talking to people who may be interested in helping develop the exciting technology for these low-emission cars.

Given WMG's progress to date with this cutting edge project,I feel I can now probably safely say that I will not have to eat my car!

Peugeot Putting on the Environmental Style

Not long ago green motoring was understood to mean driving in cars without style.At Peugeot they believe this is no longer the case and point to their latest model of the 207 as the case in point.A stylish family five-door car,the Peugeot 207 1.6 HDi 90S is not compromised by its environmental credentials. Fuel consumption at a combined 62 mpg,5 star Euro NCAP safety rating, and CO2 emissions of 120 g/km work to place the 207 competitively in band B of the government's VED bracket (£35 per year).

So we have a car of decent family size,stylish exterior and interior,with air conditioning, delivering economic running costs,road tax,income tax (for certain company car drivers) and congestion charge savings.

What is more this car is available now at just a little over £12,000.

The 207 makes it 16 models, producing sub-120 g/km CO2 emissions that Peugeot currently has on offer in the 107,206 and 207 ranges; and another range ,the 308, will follow next month.

Green without compromise on style and performance seems clearly to be the message from Peugeot.

You will find further details on these and other new green cars out at the Green-Car-Guide

Ford's Own Bonneville Flyer on Hydrogen

Last week,Ford Motor Co. notched up a speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

The Fusion Hydrogen 999 reached 207.297 miles per hour on August 15.The success of this venture in part shows the immense pressure that carmakers are under to produce low emission cars for commercial production.Although some two or three years away for the passenger production car , the Bonneville success pointed to a viable development for passenger-car powertrains. We will watch these devolopments in fuel cell technology with interest over the next years.

And what do we have here? Another member of the sub 120 club.

This is a car (shown above) that you will see introduced in 2008. It debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 11th September.With a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine ,the Volvo C30'Efficiency' will deliver a fuel consumption of 57.6 mpg and emissions below 120 g/km.

Volvo will be revealing its future plans for hybrids at the Frankfurt Show. We will bring news of this to you.

The New Energy Efficient Honda Hybrid Rally Car Due To Debut At Chatsworth Rally Show

If you have an interest in motorsport and low emission cars, you will regularly find someting to interest you in these pages.

I am pleased to share with you news of Lancashire-based Oaktec's unveiling this weekend of the new Honda Civic Hybrid at Silverstone.This new car has been produced by the Oaktec development project which also developed the Honda Insight,the first hybrid winner of the F1000 class A championship in 2006.

Oaktec, a development project supported by the Energy Efficient Motorsport programme (EEMS) and regional development agencies,sees great environmentally responsible motorsport potential for the Honda Hybrid. The latest hybrid,though bigger and heavier than the Insight, retains the CVT transmission,and the 1338cc 4 cylinder engine with 20kw booster electric motor/generator.

Oaktec partner and co-driver Bill Meeson says"Once the car is up and running we will continue to explore the use of bio-fuels to further add to the car's green credentials."

Immediate plans for the new Honda include a public debut around a special rally stage at Chatsworth at the end of September, and a competitive rally run-out before the yearend.Next year, the car may compete in endurance races.

For more details of this exciting low emission car development...

The Oaktec team is always on the look-out for much needed funding to continue its excellent and most worthwhile work.If your company is looking for a high profile and very worthwhile green project to support with sponsorship you should contact Paul Clarke at the Green-Car-Guide

BlueMotion to Join the Sub-120g/km CO2 Green Car Club

Soon to be joining the ranks of the growing number of environmentally-friendly cars coming-in at under 120g/km CO2 is the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion.Due to be shown at
the Frankfurt car show next week,this is the most economical Golf with a fuel consumption of 62.8 mph ,and 119 g/km CO2 reduced from 135g/km for the current model.This enhanced fuel efficiency delivers over 1200km (745 miles)from one Golf tank of fuel (55 litres).

The Golf BlueMotion will be available in Germany by the year end.Customers in the UK will have to wait a little longer,for a launch early in 2008.

It is expected that the price will be only marginally more than the current model,and with the better fuel consumption this extra cost will very quickly be recouped.

This model follows the Polo BlueMotion highlighted by low emission cars (Tuesday,27th march,2007

For more details on the Golf...




Copyright (c) 2006-2007 M P Ryan and CFM(Services) Limited. All rights reserved.

GM's Alternative Energy Drive On A Charge With The Volt

The Financial Times today reports that General Motors aims to launch its Chevy Volt electric car by 2010. The challenge is both to perfect the performance of the lithium-ion battery based on a nano phosphate technology, and produce a production model of the Volt which "needs to be affordable to the buyer of a normal-sized car,"says Frank Weber, the carmaker's chief engineer.

low emission cars reported previously on the development of the Volt concept car (January 8,2007) . At the time, it was said that "with the proposed Chevy (or Vauxhall) ,GM have a sporty car with power and promise.This one won't stall on a hill. It has a 1-litre , 3 cylinder petrol engine on board ,but only to recharge the battery."

If the technological challenge with the special battery is solved as expected - GM plan to start testing batteries in October- a solution on cost,in order to price the car within the reach of its target market, being considered by GM is to allow buyers to rent the vehicle's battery.

The FT says that Mr Weber estimates an average Volt owner would,with battery rental,pay similar monthly running costs to that for a traditional petrol-driven family saloon i.e the Chevy Malibu.

Bob Lutz, GM's Vice-President, is reported to have said that a second design of the concept saloon model ( to that shown in January) would be unveiled at the Frankfurt car show next month. We'll keep an eye out for this one,and bring you details as soon as we have them.

You can always keep upto date with this development and all other upcoming items of breaking news by subscribing for updates.Simply leave,without any obligation or cost,your email address (top right of screen).You can unsubscribe at any time without fuss.

Audi Comes Clean With Its Sub-200g/km Emission Luxury Saloon

With the new generation Audi 8 range comes the claim of 'cleanest' luxury saloon. The new 2008 MY Audi2.8-litre V6 FSI petrol model emits 199g/km (the new Lexus LS600 hybrid coughs 219g/km-but it is a 5 litre costing from £81k). Prices for the Audi 8 range from just under £50k to £81k.

Benefits include

• economy boost and emission reduction made possible through direct fuel injection and Audi valvelift technology
• 210 OPS at 5,500rpm,280Nm at 3,000rpm,0-62mph in 8.0 seconds,top speed 147mph,combined mpg 34.0, CO2 100g/km
• enhancements to styling,equipment,ride and handling characteristics
• optional extras include new driver assistance systems using radar technology e.g. lane assist warns driver of unintentional departure from driving lane

• lowest-in-class rolling, road and ambient noise levels claimed

This looks a beauty! Still a whopping CO2 rate but given its size there is environmental consideration. It just shows the technological improvements that are still being squeezed out of the petrol driven cars.
For more details to gaze in awe at ...

Volvo powers-up its range of bioethanol flexifuels

New flexifuel models will soon join the 125PS 1.8F which is currently available in the Volvo C30,S40,and V50.As it continues its long standing commitment to environmental care, Volvo is adding two new engines and models to its FlexiFuel range with the all new Volvo V70 estate and Volvo S80 executive saloon.These will be powered by a two-litre FlexiFuel unit and will be available here later this year.In 2008, there will be a five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbocharged engine.

A senior spokesman for Volvo says,"FlexiFuel has considerable potential in larger models, too."

Fredrik Arp,Volvo Cars President,believes that no single fuel can replace petrol and diesel by itself."Our Flexifuel programme is an important part of our strategy to contribute to sustainable personal mobility."

With five Flexifuel models available, Volvo are to offer the broadest bio-ethanol range in the UK.

DfT Acts On Co2

Today sees the launch of the ActOnCO2 government (Department for Transport) website designed to give car buyers on-line data on the lowest CO2 emission cars available on the market.This site at
www.dft.gov.uk/ActOnCO2 provides a listing of the lowest CO2 rated cars in each of the What Car? defined categories provided.This is tied into a colour-coded new car labelling scheme introduced in July 2005.The message being reinforced is low emissions equals low cost motoring, as a general rule.The information provided is in easily read tabular form for each car category ,and is derived from easy drop-down lists.You have to know what you are looking-for in type of car.It is not the most visually appealing presentation.

Sources of easily accessed information to cut down CO2 emissions are always to be welcomed, whether people will flock to use this particular facility only time will tell.There is a danger of information overload today, and as with all communications it is not always what is said that is paramount but what is actually heard by the target audience.

Overall,the site promotes sensible new car buying combined with a drive for smarter motoring - Smarter Driving Tips

Toyota's hybrid races into history

Back to the cutting-edge of racing cars!Last month, I reported to you(June 12th) the historical first bio-fuelled car win in a major British motorsport championship by the Aston Martin DBRS9.Following fast on the heels of my earlier report comes word of the Denso Toyota Supra HV-R which made history ,the weekend before,by winning the Tokashi 24-Hour race.With this feat,the Toyota became the first hybrid to win a competition.

Last year ,Toyota entered its first hybrid for the Tokashi.The Lexus GS450h made a creditable 17th place in the race.Based on the Supra GT raced in Japan's Supra GT events,this year's Toyota entrant took first spot.The Toyota engineers see such races as a development test bed for their production cars- the Toyota Prius uses a hybrid system- to achieve a lighter more efficient product.

Helping the Supra HV-R's hybrid system along were two technological advances.Firstly, instead of rechargeable batteries, a quick-charging capacitor system was incorporated.This was reckoned to be better suited to the repeated acceleration and deceleration necesssary under race conditions.Secondly,two electric in-wheel(front) motors, and one rear axle-mounted electric motor, enabled greater recovery of energy on deceleration and braking at high speeds.

The frequent technological advances which will continue to feed back into the production of cars for sale to the general public are extraordinary and exciting for future greener motorists.

Paul and Dom talk green cars on the One Show

Today I follow the theme of last Wednesday's post.Paul Clarke, founder of the Green-Car-Guide, took the opportunity on the BBC1 The One Show to talk to Dom,one of the show's team, about the relative mileage performances of three types of green car available to buy in the UK.To view this tv video segment,you should click here to go to
Green-Car-Guide.com

When Dom used less gas than Dim in the tv fuel CO2t challenge

Always good to see a general interest tv programme (BBC1 ,The One Show, 7 pm this evening) giving a slot over to fuel efficiency and low emission cars. Especially when that programme has as a guest, green car expert Green-Car-Guide's Paul Clarke.
First up in the programme we saw 'twin' brothers, Dom Littlewood (real) and Dim Littlewood (false character).

In identical cars doing the same distances, Dom (the sensible one) demonstrated how to drive efficiently - no heavy loads, no speeding, and so on. Dim showed how it should not be done - not checking out competitive petrol prices, driving with side windows open, speeding, driving with heavy boot loads,and so on. Dom proved over his dim brother that his expenditure on fuel was half that of his brother's. Good tips for all for saving money by greener driving .

Now in his turn,Paul explained to Dom the mileage benefits to be gained out of three green cars. First up was a hybrid (60 mpg),second the electric car (600 mpg), and third the bio-power car which can run on bio-ethanol (33 mpg). All three had good credentials as low emitters, but in terms of other features buyers look for in a car there were differences of cost to purchase and what one might call style features. One drawback of the bio-power is the lack of ethanol refuelling pumps in the country, but this is expected to change with demand. Still the message was well received. Dom eventually accepted that a flashy gas guzzler sport car was not for him and chose instead a ...bike? Presumably, because the economy would be greater depending on how far his little pumping legs would take him. 'til next time,then. Happy motoring.

You May Soon Be Able To ZAP!Your CO2 Car Emissions

Last week or two, we have been looking at the currently available, and therefore in production, sub-120 g/kms. So for a moment, lets go back from the sublime to the 'cor blime'(or is it?) and look across the 'pond' at what is coming round the corner in the world of the electric car.

ZAP! (above image from ZAP! site) is constructing the ZAP-X electric SUV possibly to come out in US at the end of 2008.Simultaneously,Zap are working on a sedan derivative of the ZAP-X. This version is expected to achieve a top speed of 100 mph and 100 miles on one charge.The intriguing aspect is the target price:$30,000. The SUV's price is still to be agreed.If,it goes into production (there are many sceptical on likely price-see below)this will be no mere run-about.At 350 miles to the charge - 10 minutes to top-up- the ZAP-X is expected to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, its 644 bhp delivering a top speed of 155 mph from its all-wheel hub motors.By any stretch, this is a high performance crossover electric car.Its credentials were enhanced when Zap enlisted the talents of Lotus Engineering to produce the lightweight aluminium body design and strong chassis. Will it work commercially and deliver- we'll have to wait and see. Pretty though!

Accordiing to CNET News,Ian Wright at Wrightspeed,a motor startup, is building his own dream electric machines.He has decided,though, to concentrate his energies on concepts for super cars likely to cost above $100,000 . His X1 prototype will only ever be a concept from which to develop future production cars. In his view, say CNET News," You can't make cheap electric cars.You can now make good cars,but not cheap ones."

The price debate rages around the lithium-ion batteries essential to the electric car.Again ,let's wait and see if Zap have done their sums right when they take to the road with the SUV (and the sedan?)as a product for sale.

If you wish to follow the story why not go to the ZAP! site for further details.

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