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If you think buying a 'green' car is as easy as picking the paint colour, we've got news for you -- there are different types of green and many different car choices. Are you trying to reduce smog and its attendant health risks, or are greenhouse gases and global climate change your biggest concern? And those aren't exclusive concerns, either. Amongst the types of cars you can choose, there are hybrids, PZEVs, SULEVs, flex fuel vehicles, natural gas vehicles and even diesels.
Car guru Wayne Cunningham from our sister site, CNET News.com, takes a look at future technologies that could be the cars of the future in his Green Car Buying Guide, as well as the standard vehicles you've already heard about. He puts it into black and white, going through the different options and taking you through the decision-making process.
The current popular and simplified reason to buy a car that emits less pollution is to prevent climate change. But efforts to clean up automotive emissions started as an attempt to address public health concerns by reducing smog. Gasoline-burning internal combustion engines release hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide contributes to smog, while carbon monoxide is a poison in its own right. Most current automotive emissions controls are aimed at curbing these pollutants.
For some, green cars offer another tangible benefit: lower costs at the pump. Because there's a direct relationship between fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions, a car that produces less carbon dioxide will cost less to fill up, but the savings may not pan out over the lifetime of the car.
Depending on the premium you pay for the green powertrain, you'll likely have to own your alternative fuel vehicle for many years to realise a cost saving. Depending on the cost of fuel, you may never see a fiscal advantage.
Check out CNET News.com's guide for more details.
15 May 2008 12:23pm
The major concern I have about green cars, is they are not cheap to buy and your average person can not afford your Prius's or Vw Blue motion's. The majority of people are left with no choice but to keep their old vehicle running, and this is where car manufactures need to re-invest in ,rather then producing new environmentally vehicles, which only your rich consumer can buy. Is it not more environmentally friendly for car manufactures have old popular models reconditioned with new green technologies at a fraction of the cost then production a whole new model. Surely we need fewer cars produced and old ones made more fuel efficient?
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