Wednesday 30 May 2007



In US Diesels and Hybrids to slug it out for green and commercial supremacy


UBS/Ricardo research suggests that by 2012 diesel may have overtaken hybrid in the US as the preferred technology for cars of an acceptable price and also meeting the required standards on gas emissions.The research points to a trend leading to diesel(1.5 million units) and hybrid cars (1.2 million units) combined representing 15% of the light vehicle sector of the automotive industry, by 2012.In Europe diesel is already top-dog.

This trend will have supported the decision by Ford to invest £130 million at its Dagenham facility to produce a new line for its low carbon 1.4 and 1.6 litre Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel engines - an annual output of 1,000,000 by 2009 is the target.

Reducing total car emissions will continue to require a mix of products using many different solutions.Diesel is probably not going to meet all the criteria in the long run, and we shall continue to see in these lec posts for some time to come,reports of the many twists and turns of progress, as manufacturers strive to the find acceptable and sustainable alternative fuels and innovotive technologies.

A Ford Fiesta fitted with a new Dagenham 1.6-litre engine produces 116 grammes of CO2 per kilometre.Getting there.

Sunday 27 May 2007


The Iconic Mini Just Got Greener

As promised, here is the retro image from a brochure that I happened to have in my attic for many years (I also have a 'cutting' from the Liverpool Echo showing the Everton players Joe Royle and Alan Ball in 1989 in front of an opposition goalmouth - as now,Everton was a good side then). In the late 60s, it was more your Led Zeppelin and leaded petrol than climate change and reducing carbon emissions, but style and good design have always been attractive, and we are to be blessed with a new range of minis forty years later which are both stylish, cool and with low emissions.

Saturday 26 May 2007


Classic Morris Mini Mark II Moments from the Attic

When emptying my loft recently, I came across a brochure which must have been there since 1968/69.It is a colour folder ,11'X 8"folded,22"X16" unfolded,on The New Morris Mini Mk II,full colour illustrated.Why is this of any interest? Well ,apart from the fact that it is now a very collectible item ( two copies are currently on eBay for sale), it is also a great lead into the latest generation of minis which are soon going to wow customers. These latest minis will clean-up with a revised engine range and technological revisions, when production starts in August 2007. The mini hatch Cooper D (seen above)will have CO2 emissions of 104 g/km and return an incredible 72.4 mpg.

This astonishing performance will be achieved without recourse to alternative fuels or hybrid technology- a low emission car is a low emission car,after all.

If you would like even more details of the revised mini models,these can be found at the Green Car Guide where there is a test drive report.

If you would like to see more about the grand daddy of this iconic family of motor cars, I am posting a picture from the brochure next.

Friday 25 May 2007



Act Now On CO2 You Can Save Money By Greener Driving


low emission cars is supporting the government initiative Act on CO2 details here

Over at the Green-Car-Guide you can benefit from Free Driving Tips


You can also take a look at the most environmentally friendly cars currently available to the UK motorist to buy. The Guide will help you to understand what is on offer. It's fun,too!

Monday 21 May 2007

Biofuels V Food : The Great Global Challenge?

There is talk of the inflationary effect of rising food prices in some developed countries notably the US,UK and New Zealand , driven by the diversion of corn products into alternative fuels for our cars. In the US, for example ,food costs have risen by 7% ,in the first quarter of this year.However,the bottom-line is we need low emission cars.

For corn you can read: soya bean,rapeseed,flaxseed , sugar cane and other renewable crops that can be used for producing the alternative fuels to oil products, like petrol and diesel. All these crops need to grow somewhere. Sometimes, but not always, crops for renewable energy can be grown in areas ,or on land ,not previously used extensively for agricultural purposes. However, when the underutilised capacity has gone ,this is when the serious decisions have to be made. Biofuels or food? Corn for food consumption or for the manufacture of alternative fuels.This is economics on the front line. Supply and demand will rule the day.


Deforestation (in Brazil), or the switch from cereals to ethanol production in the US , will probably continue apace as vast areas are cultivated to meet the demands for ethanol production. I shall be looking in more detail into the Biofuels v Food Challenge in future as part of the whole complex debate about the future of propulsion for cars. In the meantime I have found some relevant useful information at WIMS (see its blog post for 21st May)

If we need low emission cars, we must continue to look at all the options for powering them.
This may help to encourage the commercial development of (say) electric or hydrogen cars.
We must also not overlook the major immediate improvements that can (and are being) made to the performance and emission reduction of petrol and diesel driven cars.

In my next post we pick-up on a government initiative to encourage us to drive 'cleaner'.

Sunday 13 May 2007

Some BMWs just got even greener


BMW's launch of the revised models of both the 1 series and the 5 series, reminds me that reducing the level of total emissions from cars significantly rests not on any one solution but a balanced use of many solutions.For example, the conversion of all cars to biofuels is not the total answer to removing the car's contributory threat to climate change. I am interested in the current 'biofuels versus food' debate ,but this is for another day,soon. What BMW demonstrate is that a great deal can still be done to improve the performance of petrol and diesel cars of quality,significantly reducing emissions and increasing fuel consumption.

The 1 series is:

  • now available in a 3 door version;and
  • the 118d (the lower powered 2 litre diesel engine) can yield over 60mpg
  • and CO2 emissions of just 123g/km
  • this means emissions cut by upto 21% and fuel consumption by upto 24%
So, BMW believe that more environmental benefits can be teased out adopting its 'Efficient Dynamics ' system to describe the improved energy efficient innovations and rear-drive approach.

If you would like more information on the 1 series (and also the 5 series), for different engine sizes, petrol or diesel etc., you should go to the Green Car Guide site.

Thursday 10 May 2007




Toyota Prius: The car of the Future that delivers Today






Who says so? Well, UK customers in their thousands do. The Prius, the hybrid ,has scooped the 2007 JD Power Award, along with its stablemate the Lexus IS , based on feedback from a customer satisfaction survey report. This survey asked for a response in four principle areas : quality and reliability, service satisfaction, vehicle appeal and value for money.

For more about this achievement ,and the record breaking seventh consecutive gold award won by the Lexus IS please go to ...

A car to look out for this summer is the Lexus LS 600h featuring the latest development of the Lexus Hybrid Drive.
I will bring information to you on this when it is available.

Tuesday 8 May 2007


Tackling Climate Change Will Not Cost The Earth

This is the headline message according to BBC reports from the UN climate change conference (a session of the IPCC)currently being held in Bangkok.

So, having been assured by an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in February, that human activity is largely responsible for climate change, we are now being re-assured that the human race has choices in its future activities which can tackle the worst effects of this change.

Holding the concentration of CO2 emissions at an acceptable level can be achieved at a reasonable cost to the world economy. More information...

We have no excuse. Appropriate action now can save our global environment. There are the changes to be made by consumers,generators of energy,the procurers of nuclear weapons, and other identified sector influencers named in the IPCC reports. Technology though is not seen as the full answer.There must also be more incentives for people to restrict their activities to those that produce the least greenhouse gas emissions.

low emission cars have a role to play in the brighter and more certain future.
We all must encourage the motor manufacturers and designers to produce the cars that we can all enjoy to drive and know they will not be hastening climate change.The fuel and engine technologists are also working to significantly reduce harmful gas emissions.The future is looking better.