Success for the car industry in future would rest on being cleaner and greener

This was a key message from Business Secretary Lord Mandelson when he unwrapped the Government's £2.5 billion support package for the UK car industry.The package will comprise loans from several sources and for a number of projects. About £1bn could find its way into the development of green cars and a no carbon future for the motor industry. For more information on this news click here for the Green Car Guide website

Ten Top Green Cars

Happy New Year!

The Green-Car-Guide.com has posted its top ten green cars. And the top green car was...? No it wasn't the Toyota Prius. Close, but rated second. It's stats ,though ,are impressive:

• fuel economy extra urban: 67.3 mpg
• fuel economy urban :56.5 mpg
• CO2 emissions :104g/km
• green rating: VED band B- £15
• weight : 1325 kg
• company car tax liability (2008/09) : 10%
• price £18,255 (from £18,255 to £21,155)
• insurance group 7
• safety: NCAP 5 star
• max speed: 102 mph
• 0-62 mph in 11.5 seconds

The five-door Prius hatchback uses battery power to back-up a 1.5-litre petrol engine and it emits just 104 g/km of CO2, which is amongst the lowest of any production car on sale.

The Prius is silently propelled at urban speeds, the battery being recharged during braking and coasting. The car seamlessly  switches petrol and electric power as driving circumstances require.

The Prius hybrid is universally regarded as the most environmentally-friendly production car.

For details of the Green-Car-Guide.com Top Ten Green Cars click here

Ford given Greenest Car Manufacturer of the Year Award 2008 by  

Green-Car-Guide.com

Over the last year,one manufacturer has, according to the Green-Car-Guide, stood above the rest by giving us cars that look good,drive well,and can squeeze the extra mileage out of  one gallon of fuel. Perhaps, most importantly in the current  economic climate, this manufacturer's cars are affordable.

Ford has many low emission models to choose from anyway,but during a year that included record oil prices and concern about CO2 emissions, Ford has made a special effort to give us energy-efficient models.

Let's leave the last word to the Green-Car-Guide: "Hooray to Ford - and the Season's Greetings to all our visitors! Despite oil prices coming down, the issue of CO2 emissions will not go away in 2009. So keep on top of the latest low emission cars next year, keep visiting Green-Car-Guide.com

Vauxhall's ecoFLEX is a model low emissions option

Vauxhall claims to offer the most low emissions models , with  a range of 366 variants each producing less than 160g/km of CO2.

Across the whole Vauxhall Astra ecoFLEX (seen above) range no car emits more than 119g/km.

The Vauxhall Insignia ,and 2009 European Car of the Year unveiled at the British International Car Show held earlier this year, will also have a green option next year, with its 2.0 litre diesel engine which puts out under 140 g/km of CO2.

Worth also looking at the Corsa and Agila - also in the ecoFLEX range- for great savings for the company driver with the Corsa falling within the lowest 13 per cent diesel band (BiK),and the Agila 10 %.

It just leaves me, at this time to thank you, if you have been a regular reader, and to wish you a Very Happy Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year! Look forward to having you along next year which will be interesting and challenging in the motoring world.

A new green car for less than a grand series: No.4 Fiat 500- below £8,000

Fiat recently stunned customers and industry commentators alike when it announced the launch of an entry-level price of just £7,900 for the 1.2 litre Pop in January. The price is largely courtesy of the government reducing VAT. Prior to the VAT rate being reduced to 15%, the list price in the summer was a creditable £8,100. 

The Fiat 500 has been featured on these pages and is an award winning city car.

All other cars in the Fiat range benefit from the VAT cut: The Panda range,for example, starts at £6,859 for the 1.1 Active. You can see more details on these and other good value low emission cars at the Green Car Guide click here

Best in class for fuel consumption,low emissions,and equal best for low insurance:the new Subaru Forester Boxer Diesel

The Subaru Forester Boxer is a very good 4x4.  Subaru say three key benefits of the vehicle are:

• lowest emissions in its class
• best fuel consumption in its class
• equal best insurance in its class

For full details you should go to Green-Car-Guide now

A new green car for less than a grand series: No.3 Hyundai i20 supermini

Continuing our series of new green cars for less than a grand ,here is the Hyundau i20, a new supermini.

Meeting the demand for low-emission and high economy, the i20 range includes the entry level 1.2 litre 'kappa' petrol "Classic"which is expected to be the range's highest seller, when the 5-door version goes on sale next January. There will be a 3-door version available in April next year. Both versions will cost less than £10,000. This competes well with other mainstream rivals on price, and trades on  exceptional levels of space ,quality and safety.

This little Hyundai "Classic" is equipped with air-conditioning,six airbags,active head restraints,remote locking,electric front windows, and an aux-in socket. There will also be the mid-range "Comfort" (also sub £10k but with the 3-door starting at £8,995, £800 dearer than the "Classic") with the added spec of 15-inch alloy wheels,body colour,rear electric windows,full i-pod integration,steering wheel mounted audio controls,a trip computer and a six-speaker system. . All the cars come with a very re-assuring Five Year Unlimited mileage warranty.

The 1.2 litre petrol i20 has a CO2 rating of 124g/km, less than many of its rivals, and will give you 54.3 mpg on the combined cycle. There is a 1.4 litre petrol "Comfort", 133g/km and 50.4 mpg on the combined cycle.

There are other models in the i20 range, both petrol and diesel, and two  larger engines at 1.4 litre size. The diesels rate at exceptionally low emissions levels 116g/km (64.2 mpg) and 118g/km (62.8 mpg)for the 75PS and 90PS CRDi engines respectively. These will set you back a little over a grand, though, at list price.  

All cars come with a re-assuring Five-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty. This range is worth checking out, but do confirm details of the vehicles on offer with your car dealer. Remember,too,that Hyundai expect to deliver for sale the 5-door versions from January next,the 3-door are expected from next April.

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 archive in right hand column at "October 2006"

 

A new green car for less than a grand series : 2. Citroen C1 1.0i Vibe 3-dr

Here we are with the second in a series of green cars you can buy for less than a grand. The Citroen C1 1.0i 3-dr a nippy urban traveller with top class fuel performance.

This car was selling earlier this month for £6,176 a saving of £1,423 on the list price. Now,note  before you buy, worthy of serious consideration though it is, do watch out to check the model you are choosing- Citroen did announce this month that a new model with revised styling will be in showrooms early next year. The above picture is of that new model. The interior has been refreshed ,with other changes made to conform with the latest Citroen house style. 

I expect the new model will easily come in under our £10k bar. It will have slightly improved CO2 emissions at 106g/km over the current model level at 109g/km, and combined cycle consumption of 62.8 mpg from its 68 hp 1.0 litre petrol engine (an improvement in consumption of 2%). 

Check out the choice availability with your dealer. You may get a really good deal on the current model, or the new one.

Reducing CO2 emissions: That's Smart that micro hybrid drive

The Green Car Guide reports :

 "Smart is launching a new model with micro hybrid drive(mhd) technology. From now, 61hp and 71 hp versions of the smart fortwo will feature micro hybrid drive as standard,which is an automatic start/stop function helping to provide significant savings in terms of both fuel economy and emissions."

For a fuller report click here at Green-Car-Guide

A New Green Car for Less than a Grand Series: 1. Mazda 2

You may remember my recent post when, during the MPG Marathon 2008, the Mazda 2 1.4 5dr TS2 Diesel distinguished itself by scoring a superb 65.7 mpg performance on the combined cycle, fully exploiting the supermini's light weight and smooth aerodynamics. The CO2 rating was an amazing 114g/km qualifying for the £35 road fund licence band.

If you look around, Which? reckon  you can pick-up  a Mazda 2 1.4D TS(AC) 3-dr for around £9,000, saving you a possible £550.

Ten Grand Low Emission Cars

When chill economic winds blow,it is good to know that helping the environment can also help you. The Which? Guide to Greener Driving will help you grind out the credit crunch by bringing you the low-down on great value cars at less than a grand - yes,in some cases,far less than £10,000.

If you could find savings of more than £2,000 on a brand new car would you be interested?And pay less than £10k? Which? have found the following opportunities to cut fuel bills -they average between 51 and 65 mpg- and tax as for the lowest CO2 models:

1. Fiat Panda 1.3 Multijet Dynamic 5-dr - (list price £8990) now around £6,471 (as at 11.1108) - saving circa.£2,519 
2. Citroen C2 1.4 HDi Vibe 3-dr (list price £10,190) now £8,082,saving £2106
3. Skoda  Fabia 1.4 TDi 70 5-dr (list price £9,925) now£8,333,saving £1,592
4. Citroen C1 1.0 i Vibe 3-dr (list price £7,540) now £6,117,saving £1,423
5. Peugeot 107 1.0 Urban Lite 3-dr (list price £7,540) now £6,176,saving £1,364
6. Toyota Aygo 1.0 VVT-1 3-dr (list price £7,170) now £ 6,154, saving £1,016
7. Suzuki Splash 1.2 GLS 5-dr (list price £9,048) now £8,454,saving £594
8. Mazda2 1.4D TS (AS) 3-dr (list price £9,594) now £9,027, saving £567
9. SmartFour Two 1.0 71 Pure 2-dr (list price£7,445) now £6,955,saving £490
10. Hyundai i10 1.2 Comfort 5-dr (list price ££7,740) now £7,398,saving £342

These are great offers which were okay at 11.11.08. You will have to do your own deals, and follow the relevant dealer terms and conditions for business. The Which? Complete Guide to Greener Motoring is available in selected WH Smith stores, Borders,Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda. Cost £6.99.

Remember you can also buy the Green-Car-Guide online for £4.95 at the website of Green Car Guide

This will also provide you with reviews on green cars available to buy in the UK. Click here for the Green Car Guide

The even greener VW BlueMotion2

Building on the gains in fuel efficiency achieved with the existing Passat BlueMotion,Volkswagen have introduced the new BlueMotion2 with a 2.0 litre TDI 110 PS common rail diesel engine, replacing the outgoing 1.9 litre TDI 105 PS unit injector powerplant.

The new Passat BlueMotion2 has a stop/start system giving 57.6 mpg for the saloon and estate models, with CO2 emissions coming in at 128 g/km and 129 g/km respectively.

Ford to Focus on green car big brother Mondeo?

The Ford Focus has been acclaimed by the Green Car Guide as an excellent green car- it's affordable and good to drive. The Guide goes on to say that ,presumably, the Mondeo Econetic,will receive similar praise. Or will it? Is there a shock horror conclusion to this road test...? To find out the full story click here 

The Future of Green Cars- electric,hybrid,hydrogen...

Last week, arguably, the future for green low carbon cars was on show, and all in one place, on one day.

As well as bringing together a display of exciting green cars, the event was used as a platform to announce a #10million project inviting motor manufacturers to run electric car and ultra low carbon vehicle demonstration projects. 100 electric cars will be made available in UK towns and cities so that drivers in families can provide the sort of feedback required to bring greener motoring to daily life.

In an interview with Green-Car-Guide.com ,Lord Drayson confirmed that future cars need to be significantly more efficient, but they must be great to drive. This gives hope that the UK motorists will soon be able to get their hands on exciting green cars.

Well qualified to speak as Minister of State for Science and Technology,Lord Drayson has the credentials to lead the drive towards lower carbon vehicles. He is known for motor racing, particularly  in a (sustainably) biofuelled Aston Martin.

Go to the Green-Car-Guide.com website, for further report on the interview with the Minister on his vision for the future of green cars and, also, the revival of the British motor industry and its placement at the centre of the low carbon economy. There you will also see the green cars that were on show at this event organised by Cenex,the UK's first national centre of excellence for low carbon and fuel cell rechnologies, and the Technology Strategy Board. The cars include the following (some photos of which will be will be posted here over the next few days):

• the iMIEV from Mitsubishi (shown above)
• the Smart ED
• the Dynasty 'iT'
• Land Rover Freelander hybrid
• Honda Civic 
• the Genetta
• Tesla Roadster
• Lotus Exige Tri-Fuel

These are covered at the Green-Car-Guide site where you can click here now to visit.

All-new Ford Ka -low price, low CO2 emissions

Following my earlier post on 13th October, I can report that Ford have announced prices for its all-new Ka ,when the acclaimed cheeky and fun-to-drive range of cars is launched for sale in the UK in January 2009. Key bullet points are:

• All-new Ford Ka priced from £7,995
• Improved economy and sub-120g/km CO2
• Affordable personalisation options from £300
• Diesel engine now available
• 55.4 mpg on the combined cycle

Ford says its expects ,though, that the Ka Zetec will take more than 40% of Ka sales. This model will cost from £9,495 (£10,195 for the 1.3 litre TDCi). It offers many additional features over the more basic Studio model (which is itself well equipped), and the Style and Style+ (from £8,495 and £8,995 respectively)...remote central locking,15 in alloys,upgraded instruments and trip computer,and theatre dimming interior lights. 

Ford are seeking to promote the Ka as the UK's best selling super-mini.

Zero emissions MINI Electric

The iconic MINI may some time soon be seen on our roads in its latest development - the all-electric Mini. It's history is well known, so too its selling power as a highly sought after and efficient performer. Now, BMW  are taking the electrically powered MINI E to the Los Angeles Auto Show to be held on 19/20th  November this year. The plan is then to ship 500 MINI Es to California,New York and New jersey for testing with private and corporate customers.

The 'E' top speeds at 95 mph, accelerates from stand still to 62 mph in 8.5 seconds. With a range of 150 miles and powered by a lithium-ion battery,the vehicle takes a full recharge in just two- and-a-half hours from a special ampere boosting wall mounted electric box socket.

Although,the MINI E won't be around here for a while, it is worth watching the results of the road testing - which we'll do. For more information  on this exciting new take on a bestselling motor -and on new economical and amazing value green production cars  in the showrooms now-click here for the Green Car Guide

Fiat Panda's to your pocket with another cost crunching low CO2 car

It's been a busy summer for Fiat with the launch of several new low fuel consumption cars, including the Panda Active ECO and the Dynamic ECO. Both cars have CO2 emission levels of 119 g/km.

An impressive  56.5 mpg on the combined cycle from the Active ( with a 1.1 litre petrol engine) and the Dynamo (powered by a 1.2 litre petrol engine) is partly achieved using low rolling resistance tyres, and a low viscosity engine oil. 

Standard equipment includes : immobiliser,driver and passenger airbag, ABS anti-lock braking,electric power steering, Follow Me Home headlights and electric front windows. The Dynamic also has remote control central locking, colour-coded bumpers and a CD/MP3 player.

Manufacturer prices on the road are given from £7,105 for the Active ECO, £7,705 for the Dynamic ECO.

Notes on low emission cars available now, or soon

Following the recent Paris Motor Show, I have been reviewing a short list of eco-friendly new cars actually out there in the market now, or soon to be on sale. In no particular order are six or seven you can consider :

First-up is the all-new MkII Ford Ka (featured here earlier this month) a sub-120g/km emitter of CO2. You will have a choice of two engines: the 1.2-litre petrol, or the 1.3-litre diesel. The journalists' view in Paris was that this was a stylish replacement for the outgoing model. 

 

In the Spring of 2009, Peugeot are unleashing  the 308CC with a list price from around £18,000. At 109 g/km emissions of CO2, this is a hybrid to compete with the Nissan Qashqai. 

Peugeot already has highly economical motors in the 107(mini), and 207 (hatch) ranges,and other 308s.

And, next summer, SEAT launch a new version of the best selling Ibiza , the MKII Ecomotive version with a 1.4-litre diesel engine chucking-out a mere 99g/km of CO2 emissions.

The Smart has to have a place in the line-up. The Coupe is listed at a price from £6,775. A city run-about, the Smart ForTwo is zippy and relatively easy to park. At an economical 60mpg ,and only 113g/km of CO2 emissions, this is a star eco-friendly performer.

Suzuki triumph with the Swift, a 1.3-litre diesel to rival the Mini. It also performs as well as the ForTwo in the 'green' department, with a parsimonious 60.1 mpg (and 119 g/km CO2 emissions). At a list price of from £8,260, the Swift is not expensive.

A special limited edition of the Swift called the Suzuki Attitude is shown above.

Hyundai are also in there with the i20 which had its debut at the Paris Show and is scheduled to be launched early in 2009.

Toyota come in with the iQ in January (top left) This mighty mini sports 1.0 litre VVT-i engined car ,with manual transmission , is set to deliver 65.7 mpg , and a provisional 99 g/km,making it likely exempt from road tax.

Almost finally, a short list of 61.4 mpg performers with 109 g/km of CO2 ratings:

Citroen C1 (middle top)

Peugeot 107

Toyota Aygo

Honda Civic

 Click on the Green Car Guide website for more information on these, and many other green cars.

All the cars featured above have to varying degrees cost savings over their larger and less fuel efficient cousins, whether this be in fuel costs,insurance premiums,parking charges,congestion charge, or road tax. Green Car Guide

Greener driving leading to lower CO2 emissions is down to both man and machine

Yes,amazing technology has produced more efficient production cars over recent years. At the MPG Marathon reported last time, a Toyota Yaris was driven to achieve a staggering 84.66 mpg. This competition proved ,however, that skilful driving can also further dramatically reduce the cost of motoring ,and cut the amount of CO2 emissions produced by Britain's 30 million motorists.

It was reported that  40 teams took part in the 2008 MPG Marathon, and they achieved an average improvement of 23 per cent over the manufacturers' official combined figures.If this performance was replicated by all of Britains's private and commercial motorists,it would result in a £8.2 billion per annum saving in fuel costs.

Normally, in a competition, no one remembers who came second. Deserving to be an exception to the rule are Sue and Joanne Cooke who,driving a 5-door Mazda2 1.4 diesel, came close to winning the MPG Marathon challenge with a creditable 84.58 mpg. After two days of competitive 'economy' driving, they scored a 19 per cent improvement ,while averaging 40 mph, on the official combined cycle figure (65.7mpg) of this popular Mazda (shown above). The Maxda2 has a CO2 rating of just 114 g/km qualifying it for the £35 VED band for road tax.

So just what does 'eco-driving' entail. Mazda's  9 'Smarter 'Motoring Tips are as follows:

• Change-up 'early' through the gears,just before 'peak torque'rpm
• Ease your speed . Driving at 70 mph uses around 15 per cent  more fuel than at 50 mph
• Anticipate to avoid unnecessary braking and stopping
• Use the air-conditioning sparingly as it increases fuel consumption
• Switch-off the engine  whenever it is safe to do so
• Check tyre pressures regularly
• Remove unnecessary weight from your car
• Reduce aerodynamic drag whenever possible e.g. removing roof racks when not in use
• Following the recommended servicing schedule

And there you have it. It does pay to have a low emission car, but you can help yourself, also.

'til next time.

Toyota Yaris achieves highest overall fuel economy

Driving a Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D, Andrew Anders and Gary Luton managed to squeeze-out 84.66 miles to the gallon, and the stiff competition, in the 2008 ALD Fleet World MPG Marathon. The two winning drivers took routes across Britain, over many different types of road and driving conditions, during the 400 mile challenge.

The winners for the last two years, in a Toyota Aygo, James Sutherland and Richard Hill, improved their previous performance in the same 1.0-litre petrol engined car from 78.39 mpg to 82.39 mpg. 

This  is the thing: when you drive a highly economical vehicle like the Yaris, how you drive it will significantly improve (perhaps by up to as much as one hundred percent) its performance by achieving reduced fuel consumption and, therefore, lower CO2 emissions over each journey.