Driving styles make difference to 'greenhouse' gases
Driving styles and traffic conditions (above) could make up to an 11% difference in 'greenhouse gas' emissions according to the results of an IrishCar.Com test carried out in association with Volvo Ireland.
Driving on glass is green
A major breakthrough in recycling means motorists could be driving on glass - but never notice the difference. In the interests of economy and the environment, a British highway authority has already built one road, and is planning several more, using recycled glass.
Toyota unveils two fuel cell hybrids
Toyota has developed two new fuel cell hybrid vehicles - a 63-seater bus and a passenger car - which promise to be three times as efficient as conventional petrol-powered vehicles.
The news comes just days after Toyota unveiled its new four-wheel-drive Estima (Previa) Hybrid MPV for the Japanese market.
Fast posties burn too much fuel
Danish postmen stand accused of undermining their employer's environmental policies by driving too fast in delivery cars and vans. The Danish post office's fuel consumption has risen for the first time in five years despite heavy investment in training and the purchase of more efficient new vehicles.
120 nations agree to remove 'dirty dozen' chemicals
Delegates from more than 120 nations have agreed a pact at a UN conference in Stockholm to minimise and eliminate some of the world's most dangerous chemicals. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) cause death, disease and birth defects among humans and animals.
Volvo questions 'bio-fuel' claims
A claim by the British Association of Bio Fuels and Oils that Bio-diesel is the 'fuel of the future' has been questioned by Volvo UK. According to Volvo UK environment manager John Pitts, bio-diesel 'is dirtier, smellier, and less fuel-efficient than low sulphur diesel'. And, as part of Volvo's own research into bio-diesel and based on Swedish research, he says it 'makes engines more costly to maintain'.
Ford tests bi-fuel Focus in Ireland
A bi-fuel Ford Focus which can run on both petrol and LPG has been brought to Ireland for testing with selected fleet operators. Unlike conventional aftermarket conversions, the bi-fuel Focus is a factory-fitted Ford engineered and warranted vehicle.
Its 1.8I 16V Zetec engine has been upgraded to ensure long-term durability when using gaseous fuel. The upgrade includes hardened valve and valve seats which compensates for the absence of the lubricating qualities of petrol.
Ten percent of fuels environmentally friendly 'by 2010'
Nearly one-in-ten cars will run on environmentally friendly fuels within eight years, if a major new EU plan is accepted.
And there will be an EU-wide minimum level of tax on fuel to ensure that the price of petrol and diesel incorporate the 'external' costs of pollution. These costs would include the impacts of emissions on the environment.
Lawmakers target SUV fuel consumption
A bipartisan group of US senators want to close a loophole in federal law that allows sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and light duty trucks to get fewer miles per gallon than passenger cars, a move they say would save huge amounts of oil and significantly reduce the impact on the environment.
The lawmakers' plan to boost fuel efficiency of SUVs comes at a time when the Bush administration is focusing on ways to increase oil and gas drilling and downplaying the role of conservation.
Counting the hidden cost of commuter misery
It is stating the obvious to point out that one bus load of 40 people will have far less impact on the environment than 40 driver-only cars covering the same journey. Extrapolate those figures from the individual bus or train to a national platform of thousands of vehicles and the madness of waste - in terms of emissions, fuel consumption and traffic congestion time - simply explodes in your face.
|
Honda to sell hybrid Civic
Honda plans to begin selling petrol-electric hybrid Civic saloons in the USA next year, in a move that could triple US sales of hybrids. The company forecasts it will sell 12,000 hybrid Civics a year, along 5,000 hybrid Insight sport coupes.
Toyota has new hybrid system
Toyota is introducing a new hybrid engine system to power one of its current 3-litre models in Japan. The THS-M (Toyota Hybrid System-Mild) will improve fuel efficiency by about 15 percent compared with conventional petrol-engined cars.
US introduces 'renewable fuel' bill
The first 'renewable' fuel bill of its kind is being introduced in the US. It is designed to help reduce US dependence on foreign oil imports, but could act as a catalyst for global legislation as the drive to curb use of fossil fuels gathers pace. The legislation requires petrol to contain a small portion of renewable fuels.
Volvo Bi-Fuel cars are clean inside and out
In an age when many people suffer from allergies, Volvo provides its customers with a good in-car environment. This involves both choosing the right materials and purifying the air that enters the car via the climate unit.
The textiles inside the car meet the requirements of Öko-Tex Standard 100, the world’s leading eco-labelling standard. All interior textiles are free of hazardous substances and residual products. This is particularly important for children and people who are hypersensitive.
GM aids rain forest conservation
The world's largest carmaker is to donate $10 million to restore and protect an endangered Atlantic Coast rain forest in Brazil. According to environmental group The Nature Conservancy the GM donation is the largest ever contribution to preserving forests by a major industrial corporation.
The funds will be used to buy 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) of coastal rain forest in southern Brazil which was cleared decades ago for farming and raising Asian water buffalo. It is part of the Guaraquecaba environmental protection area.
$2m Volvo hatchback shows the way
It took 15 months to build by hand, cost $2 million to make and gets its brainpower from a couple of jerry-rigged laptop computers and a keyboard stowed behind the backseat.
BACK TO MAIN
|
Lexington to go hybrid
The city of Lexington in the US state of Kentucky USA, is to buy 20 hybrid vehicles, with the help of a $100,000 federal grant to pay for the extra cost of about $6,000 more for each over petrol-powered vehicles.
The move is expected to cut the city's fuel costs at least in half and reduce emissions by about one-third.
Toyota introduces hybrid MPV
Toyota has launched another hybrid vehicle, initially for the Japanese market, following on its success with the petrol-electric Prius saloon which has sold more than 60,000 copies in Japan, North America and Europe over three years.
The new Estima hybrid MPV (the normal vehicle is sold as the Previa, in Europe) gets over 50mpg.
GM acccelerates fuel cell investment
General Motors is investing in a hydrogen-storage company, Quantum Technologies, and says it expects to offer its first fuel cell vehicle for sale to the retail public by the end of the decade. Fuel cells create electricity by mixing hydrogen and oxygen in a process which leaves only water as a byproduct. Problems such as the storage of volatile hydrogen and a distribution system for the gas mean that the widespread use of fuel cells is still some way down the road.
Put boot down and save fuel
Going that bit heavier on the accelerator can - wait for it - save you a lot of fuel.
That's what the latest, and it must be said, compelling evidence suggests.
The advice comes from a new dashboard device that provides constant updates and advice on how to drive more efficiently.
Experts from Holland and Sweden have been testing the gadget and their verdict is ... it could reduce fuel costs by a sixth and that's without slowing down journey times.
NYC to use Prius
Toyota says it will deliver nearly 300 of its Prius hybrid-electric cars to the city and state of New York.
US administration defends environmental stance
The top US environment officer has defended her organisation's environmental record, saying it would continue to make decisions based on 'good science and good policy'.
Greenpeace bashes US on environment
Environmentalists warned on Friday against delaying the fight against global warming just to give the United States more time to come up with a new policy.
Go green for growth
Instead of worrying that a world economic slowdown will make it too expensive to curb the emissions that are changing the climate, governments should go green for growth, a top international expert says.
Road users suffer from pollution too
The car - and the motorist - are blamed for congestion and pollution. But few think about the impact motoring can have on those who drive. And how gridlock and poor traffic management play major roles in increasing the exposure to pollution on an individual basis.
Car is a heavy weight on the environment
New research shows the global "footprint" of motoring extends far beyond the limits we have previously imagined. And that is why so many carmakers are endeavouring to reduce the impact involved in making a car
|