Figures released by the UK driving body, The Automobile Association, show that British drivers have cut back on the amount of fuel they use by over 15% since the beginning of the current financial crisis.
Petrol sales in the UK were 1.7bn litres less over the first six months of 2011 compared to the same period three years earlier. The drop in sales has been linked to the record highs in petrol prices. While people are feeling the pinch in all directions, the solution has quite simply been to cut down on the amount of fuel they use.
Whether they are achieving this through better timetabling to fit several trips into one, or by car-pooling to go to work or take the kids to school is unclear. Certainly there has been a big rise in the number of bicycle commuters in recent years, with politicians like Prime Minister, David Cameron, and London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, leading by example.
There doesn’t seem to be any indication that petrol prices are going to come down again significantly, so drivers are now considering alternative fuel options more seriously. Driving hybrid cars can offer quite a saving on running costs, as the hybrid dual power source of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor is far more fuel-efficient than a conventional diesel or petrol car.
In the UK, choosing to drive low emission cars like hybrids also entitles drivers to a big saving on annual road tax. And one positive outcome from the reduction in fuel use has been a reduction in the production of polluting exhaust fumes.
But many individual petrol stations have gone out of business, as they are undercut by the big supermarket chains which pull in customers with cheaper petrol prices.
People struggling to make ends meet may take some comfort from the fact that the fall in fuel sales has meant of a loss of £1 billion in fuel duty for the government between January and June this year.
Petrol prices force journey cutbacks
The greenest car in the world
The greenest car in the world is Honda’s hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity.
There, that’s it. What? You want more?
OK, well the FCX Clarity not only gets 72 miles per gallon, but has zero-emissions due to the fuel cell technology it uses.
It’s widely acknowledged by many people in the motor industry that fuel-cell technology is the future for passenger cars, but it’s not here yet.
Last year, Honda introduced the FCX Clarity in the UK at the “National Low Carbon Vehicle” event at Millbrook in Bedfordshire. The car is the world’s first-ever, commercially available fuel-cell car. But not here in the UK – not yet anyway.
So far, there are just a few hundred examples of the car, which have been produced at the former NSX plant at Toshigi in Japan. But the intention is for eventual mass production.
At the moment, though, just a few people in California can really get hold of the FCX Clarity. Here, the car can be leased, with the fuel price on top. Hydrogen fuel is available at some normal fuel stations in the state. And the car carries 4kg or 171 litres at 5,000psi, which gives it a range of somewhere between 250 and 270 miles on a tank.
In the UK, though, there’s only one commercial hydrogen filling station open to the public. So the world’s greenest car isn’t yet a practicable option in the UK. But as with most new and cutting edge technologies, the idea is simply to give people an idea of what could be, and what will be in the years to come.
If the world continues on its green trajectory and efforts to combat both global warming via reducing carbon dioxide emissions – and its attempts to meet the ever-rising cots of fuel with a little creative technology, then we’re looking at the future in the shape of the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity.
Honda has something of a tradition in leading the world towards new generations of transportation technology. The company was one of the main pioneers in developing 4×4 cars and hybrids. The FCX Clarity is simply the latest step forward in a brand new area of technology.
Green racing stripes
While advances in cars designed for normal road use have become increasingly eco-friendly, alternative energy developments have also been taking place on the world’s racing circuits.
Electric cars have a reputation for being slow but this is set to change. Two French companies, FCI and Formulec, have worked together with a team of people and companies with backgrounds in Formula One to produce the world’s fastest electric single-seat racing car. The Electric Formula car can go from 0-100km per hour in three seconds. It has a top speed of 250km/h and can travel up to 25 minutes on a single charge. Recharging takes one to one and a half hours. During 2011, the Electric Formula Car has been touring racing events and showcases and the company Formulec plans to set up full electric single-seater races in 2012.
Meanwhile, an American mechanic has taken the shell of a 1972 Datsun 1200 and refitted it with a custom-built electric motor, making it the fastest electric car in the world. It can go from 0-60mph in 1.8 seconds. Its 192 lithium-polymer cell battery pack provides 22.7kWh of energy. The Datsun 1200 may be one of a kind, but it can go 90 miles on a single charge and can travel a quarter of a mile in ten seconds flat.
And earlier this year, a hybrid rally car’s team was asked to withdraw from the Formula 1000 rally competition in the UK because it was deemed to have an unfair technological advantage over non-hybrid competitors. The Lancashire-based Oaktec team had been racing Honda hybrid cars, UK-wide and internationally, for the past six years, during which time the hybrid performance had improved consistently.
With the governing body of Formula One moving the sport towards hybrid four-cylinder engines and manufacturers discussing an all-electric Formula One league, it seems that further eco-friendly racing developments for hybrids and electric vehicles have been given a green light.
Compelling reasons to choose a hybrid
Hybrid cars have become the ultimate green accessory for many celebrities, and they are now commonplace at red carpet events. Unlike certain other celebrity-led fads such as colonic irrigation, there are several compelling reasons to drive a hybrid car!
Save money at the pump
A hybrid has two power sources – the petrol or diesel engine and an electric motor. The electric motor is charged through a system called regenerative braking – as you brake, excess kinetic energy is converted and used to charge the electric motor’s battery. As the electric motor assists the engine, fuel consumption is reduced, meaning that hybrids need refuelling less frequently. This saving becomes significant in these days of rising fuel costs.
It’s better for the environment
Hybrids qualify as low emission cars as they burn less fuel than conventional cars. The electric motor works in combination with the petrol or diesel engine on acceleration, reducing the amount of fuel burned. When a hybrid idles in traffic the petrol engine cuts off and the electric motor takes over, again reducing emissions. Burning less fuel also means that the car produces lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Longer warranties
Most hybrids have warranties that last for ten years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. The likelihood is that you will decide to trade in for a newer model before you have to replace the hybrid’s battery, so although these batteries are expensive, you shouldn’t have to worry about paying for a replacement one.
Cheaper road tax
As a reward for having less of an impact on the environment, drivers of hybrid vehicles can benefit from lower road tax. Combined with lower fuel consumption, the reduced road tax means lower running costs for hybrid owners.
So, it’s not just about improving your green status – hybrids can also offer real savings in running costs and give you years of reliably cost-effective motoring.
Tomorrow’s collectable
One more thing; today’s first serious wave of hybrids may well be the must-have collector’s pieces for your kids 30 years from now.