Motoring News » Eco Driving

New polypropylene compound will make vehicles much greener

Alan — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:06:11 +0000

Luxus is a plastics manufacturer located in Louth and has recently made a technological breakthrough that will allow the carbon footprint of the motor industry in Europe to be significantly reduced. The company has recently developed a polypropylene compound which is much lighter than its previous alternatives. It is expected that this will save half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

It is expected that the new compound will reduce the weight of a typical car by around 25 kg, this is because it reduces the weight of the plastic components in the car by about 15%. Many car manufacturers in Europe are currently facing the possibility of fines if they do not reduce the carbon emissions of their cars and this new compound is an important step towards doing this.

Luxus was founded in 1965 and is now the largest technical plastics manufacturer in the United Kingdom. Peter Atterby is the managing director of the company and he has said, “EU legislation has encouraged us to develop this new compound and it should satisfy the most rigorous demands that we see in the industry. We will shortly begin piloting this new compound with several vehicle manufacturers.”

Upmarket vehicles keep their must have factor Over 50% of recent quote requests for cars have been...
Confused.com tells us just which is the unluckiest make of car The insurance website Confused.com looked at a year’s worth of...
Which vehicles most likely to be stolen in the UK according to Confused.com Confused.com has released its list of the most stolen vehicles...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Nissan Leaf and other green car options

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:00:42 +0000

Turning over a new Leaf?

Nissan became the first major car manufacturer to release a mass produced all electric vehicle earlier this year when it made the Nissan Leaf available world wide.

Powered by an 110bhp electric motor, the Leaf is capable of completing 100 miles between charges and has a top speed of 92mph. Thanks to these impressive statistics, the Leaf has been heralded as the beginning of a new era in automotive design; but is it a case of too little, too soon?

Possible cost savings

The increasing running costs required as a result of car ownership are becoming a major headache for all motorists. In a survey conducted by UK based price comparison company MoneySupermarket.com, 65% of drivers admit that they will take running costs into account when they purchase their next vehicle; with 5% claimed that they had already been forced off the road altogether.

Nissan’s Leaf model has therefore been presented as the answer to motorists’ problems, with the average driver completing 12,000 miles annually standing to save approximately £1,600 per year on fuel alone. A basic 1.6 litre Ford Focus which is capable of 40mpg will cost the average driver almost £1,900 per year in fuel costs to complete 12,000 miles. In comparison, it would cost just £300 to charge up the Leaf with mains electricity in order to complete the same mileage.

In addition, a number of insurance companies will now offer discounts of up to 5% for owners of environmental cars. With the average driver now paying £892 for insurance each year; this equates to an annual saving of £44.60. This may not sound much, but accompanied with the fact that the Leaf is exempt from road tax charging results in a combined additional saving of about £200.

otorists therefore stand to save approximately £1,800 every single year by buying a Nissan Leaf over a standard petrol version of the popular Ford Focus model.

The obstacles

The potential £1,800 annual cost saving is mouth watering but doesn’t really show the whole picture; with the Nissan Leaf costing £25,990 to buy from new. This is almost £10,000 more expensive than a brand new petrol version of the Ford Focus.

With a annual running cost saving of £1,800 over the Focus if prices remain at their current rates, it would take over five years to recover the additional cost of buying the Leaf before the owner started to benefit from a cost saving.

Additionally, the Leaf is far more impractical than the Focus. While it would take just a couple of minutes to fill the tank of the Focus with fuel; even with its quick recharge function enabled, it would take 30 minutes to recharge the Leaf’s battery to 80% of its total capacity (i.e. an additional 80 miles before another recharge is required). This is obviously an inconvenience, particular when the lack of availability of recharging stations around the country is considered.

While the impracticalities would be tolerable for someone with a daily commuting distance of less than 100 miles, the time it takes to recover the cost difference between buying a brand new Leaf over a Focus can perhaps be considered to be the final nail in the coffin.

Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius is the most obvious green car alternative, being as it is perhaps the most famous green car on the road. Introduced in 1996, it has become the car of choice for supporters of the green movement who are keen to show off their allegiance.

Capable of 65.7 mpg, the Prius would cost the average driver doing 12,000 miles per year just £1,140 per year in fuel costs. This is on top of the fact that it is exempt from road tax and will also be eligible for the 5% discount offered by some car insurance companies. This equates into a possible saving of almost £1,000 per year over the running costs required with a Ford Focus.

However, the Prius suffers from the same problem as the Leaf as it is over £4,000 more expensive than the Focus. It would therefore take four years to recover the additional costs required to buy the Prius before cost savings were experienced.

Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion

The Polo Bluemotion is a new hybrid which has been launched by Volkswagen which uses diesel fuel. It is capable of 80.7 mpg, and although diesel costs more per litre than petrol, the improved mpg still means that it cheaper to run then the Prius, costing the average driver doing 12,000 miles per year about £950 per year in fuel alone. Like the Prius and Leaf, it is also exempt from road tax and eligible for the 5% insurance discount. All of this combined opens the possibility to a possible saving of £1,200 compared to the running costs of a basic Ford Focus.

emarkably the Polo Bluemotion is available from just £14,860 to buy from new; this is over £1,000 cheaper than the less fuel friendly Ford Focus. It also beats the Leaf when it comes to practicality, with the Polo being no different to run than a conventional petrol motor.

However, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. The 74bhp 1.2 litre diesel engine is very underpowered and requires quite a lot of revving to get moving; a feature which isn’t awful good for your fuel consumption.

Time to go green?

Fuel costs are out of control, as demonstrated by the fact that 65% of motorists admitting being forced to consider alternatives to next time they purchase a vehicle. When motorists reach this stage, there will be three main alternatives.

The Nissan Leaf can effectively be ruled out; not only is it incredibly impractical, but it is also very expensive. This obviously justifies the incredibly technological advancement made with the vehicle, but simply negates the running cost savings available and hence makes the vehicles unaffordable for the majority of motorists. Toyota’s Prius model suffers from a similar problem, because if fuel prices remain at their current rate it will take 4 years to recover the additional cost of buying the model before running cost savings become available.

Volkswagen’s hybrid Polo is therefore presented as the answer to this problem, with its low initial purchase costs finally heralding the introduction of a hybrid which is available to the masses. However this does come at a price; with the power available from the engine being rather lacklustre. This reduction in available power would likely be acceptable to someone who already owns a car with a 1.2 litre engine or less, but would come as a spectacular shock to someone with a 1.6 engine or bigger.

It looks like the car manufacturers have a lot of work to do before environmental vehicles are adopted by the majority of motorists.

Are green vehicles sales about to mushroom? In the UK a record number of motorists are looking...
Getting the most out of your hybrid Car An Advertorial Article New government plans to make cars more...
Hertz rents green cars by the hour For members to drive in the capital and vicinity, Hertz...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Toyota is officially the greenest brand in the world

Alan — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:43:41 +0000

Toyota is officially the greenest brand in the world, according to the latest global survey that has been conducted by Interbrand, the international consultancy experts. The report takes into consideration the different brands’ environmental performance along with how the public perceive their environmental sustainability.

The info was gleaned from some of the world’s leading markets including Germany, France, USA, Italy, Brazil, Japan, India and the UK, and the result was that Toyota came top with a score of 64.19 pts., way ahead of the second placed company 3M. Interbrand concludes that Toyota is a leading example of how the environment can be made a core priority, whilst also engaging meaningfully with their audiences across the globe.

It isn’t pure luck that has got Toyota their outstanding credentials as far as the environment is concerned; a main part is due to their long term technology programme regarding full hybrids. The popular Prius is now into its 3^rd generation, and the combined sales of hybrid vehicles from Toyota and Lexus comes to more than 3.2m since 1997.

5,000 miles of free fuel from Toyota To buyers of the new Aygo, Verso or Yaris, Toyota...
Parker Hannifin technology supports development of world’s first 1,000mph car Parker Hannifin the leader in control and motion technologies has...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

London’s black cabs could save the planet

Alan — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 09:53:58 +0000

According to a recent study, if all of London’s black cabs were to change to electric they could save, in CO2 emissions each week, 4,000 tonnes. And it would be three times as much if all minicabs or private hire cabs also went electric at the same time as the Hackney carriages, says organisers of Eco Velocity, the event for green motoring.

The study says if all the minicabs and the iconic cab of London go electric the city’s air pollution could be cut in half. Sixteen percent of the capital’s air pollution comes from Hackney carriages says the reports. The findings were based on the distance the cab registered in London covered and their CO2 output.

Eighty percent of the emissions come from road traffic in the centre of the city and a fifth of that is generated from the black cabs. Manganese Bronze, the manufacturer says an all electric version is in their plans for the future for the taxi, however range limitations currently of electric cars are problematic because a number of drivers say they drive over 150 miles each day.

Hertz rents green cars by the hour For members to drive in the capital and vicinity, Hertz...
Gumball 3000 London to Istanbul race Bode Miller US Ski Team great and Olympic gold medalist...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Getting the most out of your hybrid Car

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 21:26:25 +0000

An Advertorial Article

New government plans to make cars more environmentally friendly and drivers more environmentally conscious point to the future looking bright for hybrid cars.

Owning a hybrid car can only be a good thing: they look great and they are great for the environment and your wallet, saving you plenty on expensive fuel costs. Despite the great features of a hybrid car there is always room for improvement! Here are some useful tips on how to fully maximise the hybrid potential.

1. Adapt your driving style

Hybrid vehicles are cheap to run and have virtually no emissions at the point of use. However it should be noted that power is still needed to charge the battery and they can take several hours to charge. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint while driving remember that air conditioning and electrical gadgets can increase energy usage. Adapt your driving style so that you are not too heavy on the accelerator, if you’re too heavy on it then the fuel economy of the car will suffer which is not good for any hybrid lover.

2. Drive speed down

Don’t go zooming around in a hybrid, tame the beauties with a tender caring speed that does not waste energy. The faster your drive the more aerodynamic drag your car has to deal with. Keeping the speed down can really increase the mileage. When driving at a constant speed you don’t lose any energy by making the car work harder to go faster or slower. Driving at a constant speed maximises your fuel usage.

3. Government subsidies

As 2011 marks the breakthrough year for electric cars and mass manufacturing , the UK government has launched a £5,000 electric car grant scheme. Not only can you save the environment you can also save money . Over the next18 months, the government plans to set up around 11,000 charging points in streets, car parks and big supermarkets. This is on top of those already installed, further driving the need to reduce climate change through car emissions.

918 Spyder pug-in hybrid details The 918 Spyder, Porsche’s super sports car with it pug-in...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Hertz rents green cars by the hour

Alan — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:27:27 +0000

For members to drive in the capital and vicinity, Hertz Corporation the global sharing company is expanding their London fleet adding electric vehicles (EV). There are two cars that are available for immediate rental for only GBP 4 per hour. There will be sixteen charging stations available to recharge the car across central and greater London and they will also be able to access the planned public charging points, Source London.

Throughout the UK, university and corporate customers of Connect by Hertz can increase their fleets by adding electric vehicles. The locations are in London City Airport, Uxbridge and Heathrow. The cars have a driving range of 90 miles and it takes thirty minutes to regain an 80% charge.

Connect by Hertz members of the US have made rent by the hour very popular so now it is available in London with the electric vehicles. With the added appeal of cars that have zero emissions, low noise and state of the art features makes this an excellent time to implement the new fleet.

Hertz is excited about their future in London and the future of London and the UK, both for members of the general public and for all of the corporate customers of Hertz. Technology to be added in the future includes the NeverLost GPS system and other innovative tools for the car.

Low carbon emission cars are over half the UK market The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) the UK...
Up to £6.80 an hour parking for Manchester shoppers Under new city-centre parking charges, Manchester shoppers will have to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Low carbon emission cars are over half the UK market

Alan — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 06:37:08 +0000

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) the UK motor industry body has said during 2010 in the UK that 56% of new cars sold had carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions below 140g/km.

Year-on-year the CO2 emissions on new cars are falling having dropped by more than 3% over the 2009 figures and since 2000 a combined drop in CO2 emissions of over 20%, this from data from the annual SMMT’s New Car Carbon Dioxide report for 2011, released today.

Even though a small part of the overall market, Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) a total of over 22,000 between hybrids, EVs, and dual-fuel vehicles were sold in 2010 representing for the UK new car market for 2010 just over 1%.

Toyota and Lexus, offering the largest selection of hybrids in the UK had over 70% of the AFV market and the overwhelming majority of AFV’s – 96% were petrol-electric hybrids with a notable trend to diesel-powered cars in the marketplace

The overall UK vehicle parc (the total of existing and new vehicles on the roads) due to the presence of lower emitting new vehicles has significantly reduced the CO2 levels (7.8%) since 2000 and almost 3% since 2009.

The reduction of very high polluting vehicles is due to changing fleet or trade-ins and thanks to new vehicles via the important legislation. All these lowering even though the number of vehicles has increased and the average distance travelled has increased

Half of all drivers want a more fuel efficient vehicle A car insurance comparison website, moneysupermarket.com, has revealed that...
£4 million worth of stolen cars recovered in South Africa Fresh on the footsteps of news that the UK vehicle...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Caravanning is not all fun and open roads

Alan — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:53:43 +0000

With people becoming more cost-conscious now about going on holiday, we are turning again to cheaper alternatives, such as caravanning. However, if you are not careful, there could be a hidden cost in that, the cost of crime.

Now is as good a time as ever, then, to renew the insurance on your caravan. According to David Quick of specialist caravan insurance company, ‘Insure My Caravan’, earlier this year 21 caravans were broken into in one UK caravan park alone. Mr Quick added that it was vital to ensure that caravans were properly insured against anything that might happen.

Of course, you could be hampered by vandalism anywhere on holiday, whether you are in a caravan or a five star hotel, the only difference is that, with a caravan, you own it, therefore any damage, you have to put right yourself. What started out as a cheap holiday could end up being the holiday from hell if you are not careful.

It might surprise you to know that there are plenty of simple measures on the market that you can take with your caravan to protect it better, for instance window locks, alarms, immobilisers, even wheel clamps, it just might not be something you have considered previously because you do not expect it to happen. You are not alone, eighty-five percent of people who had taken out caravan insurance said that they had let their standards slip on matters such as health and safety.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Plug-In Car Grant powers ahead

Alan — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:27:43 +0000

Britain’s new Plug-In Car Grant has received a big boost, jolting the super-low carbon market for vehicles out of its slumber. A maximum of £5,000 will be awarded to the purchaser of any vehicle that is labeled low carbon. The specific requirements demand no more than 75g/m of CO2 in order to qualify.

Both the Peugeot i0n and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, due out next month, qualify. Six others will be released later. The Citroen C-ZERO, the Nissan Leaf, and Tata Vista can be expected to hit the market later in 2011. The Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and Vauxhall Ampera will not be seen until 2012.

Not only the Plug-In Grant, but also the coordinated Plug-In Places plan will boost consumer confidence in the product. In turn, this will progress the auto industry toward a responsible production for future generations. Ultimately these programs will support further technological research for reducing harmful vehicle emissions and other anti-environmental by-products.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

London will have 1300 electric car charging points in 2011

Alan — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 02:12:40 +0000

London will unveil 1300 electric charging points all across the city next year. The electric charging stations will be accessible to motorists for the minor fee of £100 for the year.

It is all part of an effort to encourage the use of electric and low emissions automobiles throughout the city being called Source London.

London is organizing with other cities in the UK to ensure compatibility between charging stations. This will no doubt aid the entire country when it comes to gearing up for the electric car craze anticipated by people like Boris Johnson, the mayor of London.

Critics say, however, that the mayor’s plans for Source London are seriously under funded. Some point out that the mayor initially stated that the program would need £60 million in funding to reach fruition. Up to now, only about £24 million in funding is confirmed.

Representatives for Source London say that they are working on external funding. Some critics also question the wisdom of investing so heavily in a technology that has not yet proved to be popular. Everyone talks a big game about electric cars, but in truth there are only a few thousand in operation throughout the entire UK.

Upon close examination, it seems like many consumers feel that the electric cars are beyond what they can personally afford. Manufacturers are not promising any price reductions based upon mass production, either.

So, the question must be raised if the mayor might not be jumping ahead of himself by devoting so much effort and money for the electric car craze that he and others say is coming.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.