The changing breed of green vehicles

Many people believe that if you want a fast car then unfortunately you’re going to have to go for a pretty uneconomic and environmentally unfriendly car, or the fabled gas guzzlers. As of late there has been a lot of pressure on the motor industry to “get green” and many cars now run on electricity or a newer hydrogen based fuel it means that many of us are soon going to have more options when we pull up to the pumps on the petrol station forecourt.

Those who choose to drive a cleaner vehicle were originally thought of as not wanting a fast car, certainly not a sports car but with new developments there are a growing number of high performance cars running on electricity rather than petrol. One such car is the Tesla Roadster, it looks like a sporty two seater like the Mazda RX-8 but runs on electricity, no need for petrol pumps, just plug it in to a dedicated socket and let it charge, your car is then refuelling in a similar way you would with your mobile phone!

The safety worry with electric cars though is that there is an astounding lack of moving parts compared to the traditional car design and so generates hardly any noise at all. This is likely to be a problem as some motoring authorities say that a car should be loud enough to make pedestrians aware of their approach and so many of these electric cars are being fitted with loudspeaker systems that imitate a loud car engine sound. One manufacturer even allows you to select the “voice” of your car, whether it’s the guttural roar of a Ford Mustang or the harsh scream of a Ferrari!

The benefits of driving a cleaner car though seem to be a lower road tax for one as well as better fuel economy and cheap car insurance, it’s been touted that these new cars can go hundreds of miles between filling up a full tank of fuel and obviously if you are driving economically.

One more extreme of going green is the car that Honda has made, the FCX Clarity. One of the biggest complaints about motoring is the harsh fumes being pumped out by cars, the Clarity however runs on the fuel of Hydrogen and Oxygen, the only thing being expelled by the Clarity is H2O, or water.

The energy created from the two elements powers an electric engine and is a great step forward in the field of fuel-cell technology, the only concern is the lack of hydrogen filling stations but should the technology become more popular over time there could be hydrogen pumps along side unleaded and diesel some day soon.

With global warming and carbon footprints becoming a major issue the world of motoring is often being ushered to being greener and with revolutionary thinking like this there is a chance that the wider population will consider a more economic vehicle for their next purchase rather than the gas guzzler we drive at the moment.

GreenRoad Wins Fleet Heroes Innovation Award - Award Recognises Technology That Cuts Fuel Consumption up to 10%

GreenRoad, an innovative world leader in driver safety technologies, today announced that it has won the Energy Saving Trust Fleet Heroes Innovation Award funded by the Department for Transport and organised in partnership with The Guardian and Fleet News.

The Fleet Heroes awards highlights best practice in fleet management and recognise those organisations that are addressing climate change by reducing carbon emissions from business travel. The award was presented to GreenRoad by the Secretary of State for Transport Geoff Hoon on October 14th 2008 at the London Transport Museum. The full list of winners is at http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/business/Business/Transp....

“This award acknowledges the success our customers have had cutting fuel consumption and associated CO2 emissions by up to 10 percent,” said Aidan Rowsome, Vice President of GreenRoad EMEA. “Safety Center is an easy, cost-effective way for fleet managers to improve their carbon footprint while keeping their employees safer.”

Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust commented: “The winners and runners up in the Fleet Hero Awards have taken simple, practical steps which not only help the environment but also help to save money and resources. My congratulations go to them all. They provide an example to any business or organisation that operates a fleet - no matter what size.”

GreenRoad Safety Center uses innovative technology to help improve driving skills and thereby reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Safety Center empowers drivers to manage their own safety and improve their driving techniques. With GreenRoad Safety Center, drivers can improve their performance and reduce their fuel consumption by up to 10 percent.

GreenRoad provides Safety Center as a complete service package to ensure optimal results. Safety Center is an individualised professional coach for drivers and a comprehensive automated solution for company managers. GreenRoad’s in-vehicle sensors collect information on up to 120 different driving manoeuvres. Each manoeuvre is evaluated in five categories: acceleration; braking, lane changing, cornering and speed handling. Using proprietary algorithms, manoeuvres are analysed to give drivers continuous in-vehicle feedback about areas that require improvement, and build their driver profile. Driver safety and economy levels are displayed using a colour classification system: green light indicates safe driving, yellow needs attention and red is high risk.

Feedback is also available using SMS, email, and Safety Center’s password-protected website. Drivers and managers are able to review detailed reports by fleet, driver, department, manoeuvre type, trip, etc., to easily and accurately identify their high-risk drivers and problem areas.

For more information about GreenRoad, visit http://www.greenroad.com.

Boardrooms begin to get interested in fuel management

Global vehicle fleets have seen their fuel bills rise by as much as a third in the last year according to research by international leasing company Masterlease.

With vehicle manufacturers' continuous improvements in fuel efficiency now being swamped by escalating fuel prices, global businesses have to face the reality of increasing costs to their fleet management.

While average diesel prices have soared by a third in the last year, the story is not quite as grim for unleaded petrol - although globally it has still increased on average by 18% since 2007.

Despite the overall increase in fuel prices, the latest research by Masterlease shows some interesting differences between the countries. The most expensive countries to purchase fuel from are the UK, Norway and Sweden, although the price increases over the last year have not been as dramatic as in others.

At the other end of the spectrum, Australia remains the cheapest place to purchase fuel - although over the last twelve months the price of diesel has increased by 33%. However, the country that has endured the biggest price hike is Austria, with diesel prices rising a staggering 42%.

Masterlease carried out the survey in all 17 countries in which it operates to get a true picture of how much fuel is really costing global customers. The research was conducted in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

As well as the global price hikes on fuel, one factor that has a big impact on global fleet fuel bills is the provision of free private fuel to company car drivers. In nine out of the 17 countries, this is a taxed benefit, while in five of the countries surveyed (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Australia), free private fuel is not taxed.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Australia, where as one of the highest emitters of carbon in the world, contributing on average 27.54 tonnes to the atmosphere every year per person, many businesses are looking at measures to compensate by investing in formal carbon offsetting activities.

Nick Brownrigg, CEO of Masterlease Group, commented: "While the fuel issue may not be particularly new, the relative cost of fuel has been the biggest recent talking point in fleet management and it would come top, or close to the top, with every fleet decision maker, wherever they are in the world. As a result, the continuing volatility in fuel prices has emphasised the importance to the fleet industry of effective fuel management and accessibility of information to help control costs at every stage.

"It is important for global businesses to understand exactly how much they are spending on fuel across all of their country operations, so that they can look for cost saving opportunities.

Green Driving Tips

For a ten tips on how to driver 'greener' and also to save money, have a look at this site courtesy of The National Automobile Dealers Association.

http://www.greendrivingusa.com/greencheckup.html

Ford to launch all new Ford Fiesta in Cologne plant using renewable electricity

Ford have just begun today began production of the all-new Ford Fiesta, the first in a portfolio of global small cars, at their Cologne plant in Germany.

The new small car represents the blueprint for future global product development efforts at Ford and will be tailored to meet customer preferences for interior features, exterior colors, body styles and other options in each region of the world. It will go on sale progressively between now and 2010, starting in Europe.

The Cologne plant is the first Ford assembly facility in the world to build the new global car. Production will start at Valencia Assembly Plant in Spain in January 2009.

In North America, the models will be produced at the company's Cuautitlan Assembly Plant in Mexico in 2010. Retooling the plant from its current production of F-Series trucks to small car production will begin in December.

Fiesta production for the Asian market begins later this year in Nanjing, China and Rayong, Thailand.

Within five years, Ford expects to build about 1 million vehicles worldwide off the new global B-car platform along with nearly 2 million vehicles off the global C-car unit.

"The Fiesta is special to us in Ford of Europe and to our customers," said John Fleming, President and CEO, Ford of Europe. "Over the past 32 years it has consistently been at the top of the list of Europe's best-selling cars."

Since the first Fiesta was launched in 1976, more 12 million have been sold, with over 400,000 customers in 2007 proving the enduring popularity of the model.

Earlier this year, the Cologne plant began using renewable electricity generated by three hydro-power plants in Norway and Sweden, reducing the plant's CO2 emissions by 190,000 tons a year. This initiative is part of the company's overall commitment to further reduce the environmental footprint of its vehicles through their life cycle.

Environmentally Friendly Vehicles to Appear at Inaugural NextCruise(TM)

The US public will be able to get a different take on cruising at the 2008 Inaugural NextCruise(TM) which takes place on August 15-16, when more than 30 of the latest environmentally friendly and future-looking vehicles from nine auto manufacturers will be available for viewing and, in many cases, riding in or driving. In addition, two "Green" race series will provide rides, driving simulators and autograph opportunities with a star driver.

Staged in the City of Pleasant Ridge, NextCruise(TM) will demonstrate that many of today's and tomorrow's "Green Machines" challenge the stereotype that environmentally friendly automobiles require customers to make significant sacrifices: in size, features, comfort and, especially, performance. Today's environmentally friendly vehicles are roomy, well-equipped and, in keeping with the spirit of the Dream Cruise, able to deliver surprising performance and fun.

"Auto manufacturers have been remarkably receptive to the chance to participate in an event that brings an environmentally friendly and future-looking dimension to the Woodward Dream Cruise," said Paul Eisenstein, NextCruise(TM) Chairman. "The public will have an unprecedented opportunity to engage the manufacturers in a dialog on the latest green technologies and to take a short ride or drive in Pleasant Ridge's beautiful streets."

Nine of the world's largest car prpducers have confirmed their attendance and highlights of the list of the super-high-mileage and ultra-low-emission vehicles, technologies and displays include:

New Technologies

-- Hydrogen-powered BMW 7-Series
-- Hydrogen-powered Ford shuttle buses (for transportation between the
NextCruise site and parking on the east side of Pleasant Ridge)
-- Fuel Cell-powered Chevrolet Equinox


Hybrids

-- Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
-- Ford Escape E85/Hybrid
-- Chrysler Aspen Hybrid
-- Toyota Prius Hybrid
-- Cadillac Escalade Hybrid (Two-mode)
-- Nissan Altima Hybrid
-- Toyota Camry Hybrid
-- Saturn Vue Hybrid (Two-mode)
-- Dodge Durango Hybrid
-- Toyota Highlander Hybrid


Clean Diesels

-- Audi Q7 TDI
-- Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec
-- VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI
-- Jeep Grand Cherokee
-- Mercedes-Benz GL320 Bluetec
-- Bosch Clean Diesel Classic Corvette
-- VW Jetta TDI


Other

-- VW Tiguan
-- Chrysler GEM
-- Chevrolet Corvette Indy Pace Car E85 Z06
-- Two-seater IndyCar Demonstrator
-- IndyCar Show Vehicle
-- IndyCar Series racing simulators (where attendees can climb in the
cockpit of an Indy car and test their driving skills on the various
race tracks where the IndyCar Series competes)


Displays

-- GM Two-mode hybrid engines and transmissions
-- GM LNF engines (used in Saturn Vue Red Line, Pontiac Solstice GXP and
Chevrolet HHR SS)
-- Bridgestone Green Initiative


NextCruise(TM) also will include a look at the next generation of "green" motorsports, including the ethanol-fueled IndyCar Series, and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), which features a unique Green Racing Challenge this season. The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix -- which takes place on Labor Day weekend -- includes both IndyCar and ALMS races in the booth it shares with Firestone. The motorsport display will include race cars and a special autograph appearances by star IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal.

For information go to www.nextcruise2008.com

European ministers to look at clean vehicle procurement

As part of the revision of the proposal for a Directive on the promotion of clean and energy efficient road transport vehicles, EU transport ministers are set to strengthen a draft law requiring public authorities across to take energy and environmental costs into account when buying road vehicles.

The plans are aimed at shifting procurement behaviour towards greener vehicles. However, any deal reached by transport ministers would be provisional, since MEPs have yet to vote on the proposals.

More info here