The automobile has been a target of environmental concern since the term “greenhouse gases” was first introduced to our common language. Fortunately, this attention has pushed car manufacturers to make some (but not enough) positive changes and caused green-conscious citizens to be more aware of their driving habits.
The 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit unveiled an interesting array of concept cars:1
- GM presented its Chevy Volt—a four-seat electric vehicle that is a plug-in hybrid, which when charged from a wall socket should be able to travel forty miles in all-electric mode.
- Ford touted its Airstream van, a plug-in fuel cell vehicle (using hydrogen instead of an internal-combustion engine to recharge the batteries in-flight).
- German manufacturers displayed their Bluetec diesel powertrains (diesels typically get about 30 percent better fuel economy than comparable gas-powered vehicles) and direct injection systems.
- Toyota showed off its aerospace-inspired hybrid-electric sports car, the FT-HS.
These cars are only protypes, not yet available, and may never be. But with these major auto manufacturers beginning to realize there’s a market for energy-efficient, more environmentally friendly automobiles, we can hope to see a lot more choices for Americans and other car buyers throughout the world. This move toward eco-friendly transportation is already gaining momentum in the hybrid market.
Hybrid Cars
The biggest news in auto emissions control is, of course, the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). In the United States, HEV sales reached 212,000 in 2005 compared to about 9,500 in 2000 (I’ve still got my 2000 Prius hybrid), and are predicted to account for as much as 6 percent of all car sales globally by 2013.2
This popularity is due in part to the fact that HEVs have been a huge hit with environmentally conscious celebrities. To show their support for environmental consciousness at the 2006 Oscar®, several actors left the limo at home and arrived at the ceremony in a hybrid Toyota Prius instead. Those participating in this campaign included Morgan Freeman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Salma Hayek, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson, Orlando Bloom, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
On the Hybrid Center Web site, articles written by members of the Union of Concerned Scientists explain that the HEV combines an internal-combustion engine and an electric motor powered by batteries, merging the best features of today’s combustion-engine cars and electric vehicles: “The combination allows the electric motor and batteries to help the conventional engine operate more efficiently, cutting down on fuel use. Meanwhile, the gasoline-fueled combustion engine overcomes the limited driving range of an electric vehicle. In the end, this hybridization gives you the ability to drive 500 miles or more using less fuel and never having to plug in for recharging. Gasoline-fueled HEVs are among a select few vehicle technologies that can provide dramatically increased fuel economy and extremely low levels of smog-forming and cancer-causing emissions.”3
The Automobile Association of America explains four reasons to go hybrid:4
1.Hybrid vehicles run cleaner.
2.Hybrid cars are environmentally friendlier than conventional cars and have lower emissions.
3.Tax deductions or credits may be available, depending on where you live.
4.You will gain the greatest benefit if most of your driving is in stop-and-go traffic at low speeds.
The Department of Energy (
http://www.fueleconomy.gov) suggests that for the average person, switching to a car that is just three miles per gallon more efficient, can cut three thousand pounds of emissions a year. (This applies to conventional vehicles as well, not just hybrids.
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