Premiere Products backs polished performance from Prius

84 year-old company, Premiere Polish Co Limited,is switching its sales fleet of 45 cars to Toyota Prius ,so proving it to be an exception to the old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Cheltenham based Premiere,trading as Premiere Products, manufactures and distributes chemicals and machines for commercial and industrial cleaning and maintenance. Although it has a well established environmental policy,Premiere see the significant move primarily as a cost saving exercise. Also ,having decided to specify an environmentally-friendly hybrid car, the Prius was the only one with the appropriate loadspace. "As a hybrid vehicle, the Prius is reported to be hugely economical in terms of fuel consumption,"said Assistant Managing Director, Andrew Marquand,shortly after taking delivery of the first of the new silver cars."W'ell also make savings on Road Fund Licences,on congestion charging in London and any other cities where it is imposed, and on taxation based on vehicle emissions for the company and for the individual drivers."

For the sceptics who still believe that the benefits of reducing exhaust emissions to help save the environment are not worth having, Premiere's positive experience suggests that the benefits to pocket and company bottom line are certainly worthwhile.Of course here, at low emission cars, we see the move as beneficial on both counts,thus:saving cash and the planet.

Last word to Andrew Marquand:"There's been quite a lot of excitement among the drivers, because [the Prius] is an innovative car and the whole driving experience is quite different."

Free Low Down on Low Emissions in London

With all the talk of the expansion of the congestion charge area in London and the need for a lot more low emission cars on the roads,why not find out the facts for yourself on the practical solutions, including current availability of environmentally-friendly vehicles and alternatives to petroleum as a fuel.You can go to a FREE half-day seminar to be held at 9.30am on Thursday,22nd March 2007 at Covent Garden.This will also be an excellent opportunity for business representatives to hear about responsible and money saving fleet management initiatives.And ,following lunch, there will be exhibition stands and a range of low emission vehicles to see.
But you should arrive promptly to avoid disappointment.Places at the seminar will be strictly limited.For more information and the email address to make your registration now please go to...

Putting his money where his mouth is on CO2 emissions?

Whatever your view on whether congestion charging is an appropriate step in the fight against road grid-lock and climate change, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone ,seen here driving a Toyota Prius ,is in no doubt.Toyota,too,believe its on a winner.With the migration of the London Congestion Charging Scheme into the west of the City this week, the carmaker has seen exceptional demand for its envoronmentally-friendly hybrid hatchback.Emitting only 104g/km of CO2, the Prius is exempt from the £8 a day congestion charge, thus saving an affected regular car commuter more than £2,000 a year.More...

Further cut in car emissions planned by European Commission


The European Commission has announced its proposals for limiting average new car CO2 emissions to 130 grams per km by 2012. ‘Complementary measures’ - including biofuels, improved tyres and air conditioning systems - will be expected to contribute a further emissions cut of up to 10g/km.But not everyone is completely happy...More...

Another blooming good car from the Lotus Engineering green house


Last time, I recommended you to watch out for a road test report on the Lotus Exige 265E, a bio-fuel, and that you would find it at the
Green Car Guide. Well, we were not disappointed. The full report is now there.

The Exige 265E has been developed out of the Exige S by the same consultancy arm of Lotus cars that has created the Tesla, featured on this blog, and is also working on another electric car.

Do take a look at the Exige 265E. The Lotus engineers have a potentially great car here which, if it goes into production ,will really confound the critics who say that you cannot have an attractive and fast sportscar that is capable of delivering only low CO2 emissions. Using a flex fuel system,so that petrol could be used a very last resort instead of the usual and more climate-friendly ethanol (E85), Lotus Engineering is becoming a leader in alternative fuel technology.

The drive to encourage the widespread use of alternative fuels to petrol is supported in Sweden and Brazil by government financial incentives. That same level of support is needed here in the UK to encourage car manufacturers and fuel suppliers to facilitate the use of low emission cars.

Ah, there's the rub, I can here you say. Where can I buy this E85? Well ,during the Green Car Guide road test the test car was refuelled on the forecourt of the local Morrisons Store!The bioethanol can and will become widely available.

Lotus low on emissions...high on car fan appeal?

I really don't know the answer to this one. But I know a man who does. He has been test driving the Lotus Exige Bio-Fuel. This car looks pretty fantastic . Can't wait to see it? Well, you can see a picture of it today here. Described as the future of green cars according to Lotus Cars, this looks a right racy little number. I want to find out more. Though, like you ,I will have to keep an eye on the Green Car Guide for a full upcoming driving report on this current car in the long pedigree of Lotus sports cars.

Just let's wait to see the environmentally-friendly credentials for ourselves. More soon...

Why driving a low emission company car is less taxing



As the current tax year starts to draw to a close,now is the time to review your current tax position .If you are a company car driver,you may be due to change your company car, and you want to reduce your tax liability in the coming tax year.

Sara Taylor,Director at Dufton Kellner,Chartered Accountants, says:

"If you drive a company car in the UK, the amount of tax you pay depends on two things- its list price when new, and its CO2 emissions.

"For the 2006/7 tax year, the lowest tax band is for cars producing 140g/km or less. You'll pay tax on 15% of the list price for such a car, so if you're a basic rate tax payer with a £10,000 car, your car tax bill will be just £330 per annum. The benefit rate increases at 1% for each 5g/km step up in emissions, up to a maximum of 35% for cars emitting 240g/km or more. So a higher rate tax payer driving an executive car with a list price of £35,000 will pay a whopping £4,900 in tax each year.

"From 2008/9, the level of CO2 emissions qualifying for the lowest 15% benefit rate will be reduced to 135g/km, and a new rate of 10% wil be available for cars emitting 120g/km or below."

You may simply want to drive a new car with lower CO2 emissions than your current model.But you can benefit both your pocket and the environment.

For more on tax matters...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cause Climate Change: And It's Humans Wot Dunnit. Official.

Nothing new, you might say. Well, it is being said by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which has reported its summary conclusions, including the 90% certainty that human activities are responsible for recent global warming, and will be for further increases in temperature predicted during the rest of this century. For more see IPCC report...

The IPCC have long been 'banging-on' about the damage being caused to the environment. But in 2001, they were apparently only 66% sure it was us that were authoring our own destiny.

This is a wake-up call. Greenpeace call it a 'screaming siren'.

So now everyone is taking notice, as Arctic icebergs melt at an unprecedented rate.

But let's do something. Now. Reducing CO2 emissions from cars must be a top priority. It is technologically and economically viable. Go for it ,when you are thinking of changing your car,
consider a more environmentally friendly one. For help with the choices of car currently available in the UK you can go to the Green Car Guide now.

This BMW's for real and available in March 2007

In this post, we have a new 1 series BMW. This is a production car and rated as BMW's most economical yet. Three-door and five door versions will be available in March. Fuel consumption is at a parsimonious 60.1 mpg!

Advanced technological benefits include :

• Brake Energy Regeneration (iGR)
• Automatic Start-Stop
  
• Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC)
• Electric Power Steering
• High-Precvision Direct Injection engines
  

Confused? Well,don't be. Details of this remarkable new technology producing amazing fuel efficiency, and much reduced CO2 emissions, are explained at the Green-Car-Guide .
This lower emission car could be a real money saver on fuel , and also vehicle excise duty for the company car driver.

Cars Are Cleaner But Not Clean Enough, that's Motoring Monitor SMMT's Verdict

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders('SMMT') reveals that in 2006 the average new car CO2 emissions are down from 169.4 g/km in 2005 to 167.2 g/km.

SMMT believes that while clearly progress is being made to market cleaner cars ,many barriers still have to be overcome. These it says include the following:

• Too few filling stations across the country that sell biofuels e.g. E85 bioethanol
• Such fuels when available are no cheaper for drivers to buy
• The three per cent company car tax for new diesel cars
• Also lack of government incentives to encourage the market for new LPG cars

SMMT chief executive, Christopher Macgowan, says that further change is about encouraging consumers to think carefully about their choice of vehicle. It was also about providing incentives where needed and ensuring alternative fuels are widely available and competitively priced. This called for an integrated approach, with government, fuel companies and customers working together in partnership. More...

But things are improving!

If you are looking for your next new car, and wish to benefit the environment by buying a low emission car, you should look to the Green-Car-Guide for information, including details about the improving availability of alternative fuels.

First In Class Award Goes To Mercedes-Benz

DaimlerChrysler has announced that Mercedes-Benz has become the first automotive worldwide brand to hold an Environmental Certificate meeting ISO standard 14062:'Design for Environment.'

The first in class is the Mercedes-Benz C-class. It has been monitored stringently by an independent accredited German technical inspection authority during the whole production process.This testing also included looking at environmental balance ,while in use as a vehicle, dismantling and recycle planning.


The four-cylinder engines in the new C-class yield fuel savings of upto six per cent as compared with the previous model. Emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2 are reduced over the entire life cycle of the car by nine tonnes per vehicle.Over the same period energy requirements correspond to about 3800 litres of petrol less than that required by a car built in 2000. Harmful emissions of nitrogen oxide are reported to be down by as much as 90 per cent below the current valid Euro 4 limits.

The new C-class uses mostly materials which consume the minimum of resources, and already complies with the EU recycling rules ,effective in 2015, which call for a recycling rate of 95 per cent.Many of this lower emission car's components are manufactured from recycled plastics.

Chief Environmental Officer of DaimlerChrysler,Professor Dr Herbert Kohler says"The
Environment Certificate confirms our longstanding commitment to environmentally compatible product development."

Is your car green enough?

The Green-Car-Guide says:

"We are viewing a green car as one that is more energy-efficient than average, and/or the manufacturer has made a special effort to develop innovative new technology. An energy-efficient car will save you money on fuel, and save the world’s limited energy resources, and a car with new technology often needs all the support it can get in terms of sales in order to achieve greater mass production, drive the cost of the technology down, and generate revenue to re-invest to make the technology better.Therefore we look at cars that are conventional petrol or diesel, as well as hybrids that use an electric motor in conjunction with a petrol engine, as well as any other vehicles that may be electric or use biofuels for example. "

For low emission cars that works for me, too.

Will this electric vehicle be in EVeryday use in the UK soon?

With all the excitement of the Detroit Motor Show ,and the fabulous concept cars on show that made us gasp and hope , perhaps it is a good time to reflect on an environmentally-friendly EV which could soon actually become in everyday use here in the UK.

Suburu's R1e EV has won a top environmental award from Japan's Minister of the Environment. This light, efficient electric car has a 50 mile range and a fast-charge lithium-ion battery. On fuel efficiency, the R1e costs half that of a typical hybrid, but if night tariff electricity is used the comparative costs plummet to a mere one-fifth of a hybrid. For more

BlueTec Project to Combat ObNOxious Greenhouse Gas

BlueTec is a joint project between Volkswagen,Audi, and Daimler-Chrysler, and is designed to establish the diesel engine further as the clean,low-consumption alternative in the American car market. And Volkswagen have demonstrated that a normal diesel fitted with a nitrogen oxide reservoir catalytic converter can substantially reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide.


Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is not often mentioned as an unwanted gas emission . Whereas, carbon dioxide is scarcely out of the news. It may seem strong to label NOx ,a colourless trace gas with a pleasantly sweetish odour and taste (as defined in the Britannia Concise Encyclopaedia), an unpleasant greenhouse gas.But when mixed in a cocktail with other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it may aggravate conditions tending to intensify the phenomenon of global warming leading to climate change. Not so good,then!

The catalytic converter being used in the Jetta with a 2.0 litre common rail diesel engine absorbs the NOx like a sponge. The engine runs more efficiently,too. The system is also regularly cleaned during normal motoring without the driver being aware.

This 'clean' engine when it goes into production during 2008 in the US will meet NOx emission requirements considered to be the most stringent worldwide,with up to 90 % less emissions.

For a fuller report you can go to DaimlerChrysler.com

Who Killed The Electric Car? Who? Who?

Whether or not last year's documentary allegations ,that GM allowed itself to be pressured by its own industry into dropping the development of an earlier electric car, the EV1,were well founded is not now the key question.Is GM back on track with its latest low emission car? That's more the issue now.The signs are good for this concept car, pictured above with GM Product Chief,Bob Lutz (who,by the way,did not kill the electric car!) About the Chevy Volt,he is reported to have said,"You might never burn a drop of gas during the lifetime of the car."


With the (Vauxhall or Chevy) Volt, GM have a sporty car with power and promise.This one won't stall on a hill.It has a one-litre, 3 cylinder, petrol engine on board ,but only to recharge the battery.For upto 40 urban miles on a fully charged battery, the electric motor will deliver the drive unaided.After that the petrol engine kicks-in with its support. GM estimate the fuel consumption at 180 mph.And you do have to plug-in overnight(for six hours) to fully charge the battery.

A 1200 mile range ,on one charge of its lithium ion battery and one fill-up of its 12 gallon tank,go to make this spacious four seater ,based on the successful Vauxhall Astra, a real contender to meet the needs for 21st century greener commuter motoring.What makes it also potentially even kinder to the environment is that its 'electric generator'could be adapted to use
biofuel,a hydrogen fuel cell or diesel. The Volt could be available in the UK in under five years time at about £16,000.

Information on current environmentally-friendly cars can found at the Green-Car-Guide.com site.

Putting the 'Big E' into the engine the Volvo way

As promised,here is a post about the Volvo XC60 concept car.This is the one, I would really like to drive now, though I will have to wait until 2009.But it could be worth it.

Volvo say this is a glimpse into the future for brand Volvo.

A true low emission car ,the XC60 is powered by a six cylinder 3.2 litre bio-ethanol engine.

Impressive sculptured body shapes combine with interior elegance. Innovations include the tailgate which has a 'one-way' effect giving the driver greater visibilty out of the rear of the car. Another feature,is the braking system designed to prevent the motorist in slow moving urban traffic from driving into the vehicle in front.But back to low emissions,Volvo engineers claim the 265 horsepower engine emits upto 80 per cent less CO2 compared with the same engine running only on gasoline. This clearly is one to watch out for in the future.I shall be doing so.The boxy Volvo has certainly gone.

Did you say greener driving won't be much fun? Toyota think it will.



I am again back to the future with a sporty concept car from Toyota.This will be both fast andsocially responsible.Lightweight ,but not in its proposed credentials,the FT-HS hybrid sports car is sleek and has a front-engine,rear-drive, set-up ,and looks for its revolutionary acceleration(0-62mph in the four second range) and optimal performance to an advanced high-output powertrain.The design team's brief was to produce a concept car to become available as a midpriced sports car and one suitable for the 21st Century.

For those who love the technical specifications, a further report is posted by the Green Car Guide.

Tomorrow, I go to the maker of the cars I particularly like,Volvo.I do drive one.
Have done so since they were seen as merely crush resistant, square and tank-like,metal boxes on four wheels.But things do change over time.Just look out for this and ,'er yes ,it is another concept car but one I hope I will eventually get to drive.


car.

Looking Towards A Greener Future with Toyota

A 2006 highlight for me was the unveiling by Toyota of its plans for

enhancing its development of environmental technologies and strengthening its efforts to introduce environmentally friendly vehicles

,as the centre piece of its corporate social responsibilty policy.

Thus ,for the next four years,Toyota management have set as priority issues the preservation of the global environment and traffic safety.By 2010,Toyota aims to double the number of hybrid models available.It hopes to include plug-in hybrids in its portfolio.Also, it plans to improve the efficiency of its conventional engines, adopting variable valve timing-intelligent (VVT-i)technology.Soon, all its petrol engines will be able to run reliably on a mixture with 10 per cent bioethanol.

Toyota aims to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions of 75% of those in 2005.This will beat by a comfortable 10% margin the emission standards set for 2010 by the Japanese Government.

Excellent reports are to be found at
Green Car Congress
and at
Green Car Guide

New Resolutions.Old Problems.

So what's new this year? Or even what's left on the shelf?

The cost of fuel will most likely go-up, or at best stay about the same.

Oil production will continue to decline.Energy shortages will worsen.

Environmental pressures will increase.Old problems.New solutions?

Well, there is hope.

This year as last,car manufactuturers and technologists will strive to
find the solutions.But it seems that time is fast running out if we want to
protect our planet from further harm.When bits of the Polar ice shelf ,one piece
reported recently measuring 60 sq.km.,continue to break away from their normal anchorage at an unprecedented rate, I'm worried.Quite chilling, really.

Well there's hope. It is still worth doing our bit.However insignificant this may seem in the whole scheme of things. One thing we can do is look at the choices when we come to buy a new car.There is a bewildering array of new environmentally-friendly cars available which can save you money ,and make you feel better about the environment.You just need some information to sort it all out.
The Green Car Guide will help as a resource of much free information.
You can start with some Free Money-Saving Tips for motorists.

Back to the Future

Last time,before Christmas, I was waxing lyrical about the Tesla Roadster a futuristic and, for most of us, quite unattainable environmentally-friendly supercar.

Well, almost as unattainable is the BMW Hydrogen 7.Apparently,while it almost performs like a normal 7 series car ,there are vastly more differences than similarities under the hood. It is not a regular car for today.The technology works ,but hydrogen to fuel it is not readily available.In the long term,the solution may lie elswhere for the future low emission car which will be in everyday use by the people.

Returning to reality and affordablity,we can look to the many other developments going on to reduce CO2 emissions ,and improve fuel efficiency.Of immediate benefit seems to be to work at the options for using new materials making for lighter car construction, and the advances in biofuel technology.In 2007, we should continue to see more and better environmentally-friendly cars available to buy.