Green cars are becoming more common in the motor industry because car manufacturers have to meet certain standards due to EU legislation and customer demand for more efficient cars. Green cars can help to reduce gas emissions and reduce our carbon footprint. They are also more energy-efficient and use less fuel which is much better for the environment and cheaper for the drivers.
A driver that uses a car with low CO2 emissions will be charged less tax than if they used a car with high CO2 emissions. Manufacturers are now making more electric cars and hybrid cars to meet these demands. There are also a lot of diesel and petrol cars being made that are becoming a lot more greener and efficient. Sixt has provided a guide about green cars for our customers so that you can found out some useful information on the matter.
Electric cars
With fuel costs on the rise, the electric car or EV (electric vehicle) has become more popular. Electric cars are more energy-efficient as they convert about 60% of their electrical energy to power at the wheels. Whereas a conventional petrol car will only convert about 20% of the energy stored in petrol to power at the wheels. Electric cars will produce no pollution from an exhaust pipe which means it is better for the environment.
They also provide a stronger acceleration and need less maintenance than a car with a normal engine. The only downside with electric cars are that they are more expensive than petrol cars and usually only run for around 100 – 200 miles before they need recharging. Some electric cars are can be purchased as part of the plug in car grant scheme which can cover up to 25% of the cost of the vehicle. The most popular Electric car currently on the market is the Nissan Leaf.
Hybrid cars
More and more hybrid cars are being produced to help lower petrol emissions. A hybrid car is a vehicle with more than 1 power source. The two sources of power that are usually used are an electric motor and a small combustion engine. The benefits of owning a hybrid car include driving a vehicle that is more energy-efficient because it doesn’t use as much fuel as a normal car.
Also, it lowers the driver’s carbon footprint. The way a hybrid car works is by using the power from the engine to start the car and then they use stored electricity from battery packs to keep the car running. Hybrid cars do not usually need to be plugged in or charged although some newer models can be when they are not being used. The top-selling hybrid car is the Toyota Prius.
Diesel and petrol
There are plenty of people who want a green car but they are uncertain about buying electric cars. The good news is that there are plenty of green cars that run on diesel and petrol. For example, the diesel Peugeot 308 has CO2 emissions of just 82 g/km. Other new diesel and petrol models with low emissions include the new Mercedes Benz A-class and the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso.
