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How Energy Efficient Cars Will Bring Green Motoring
Energy efficient cars can be one of the most significant and important ways to conserve energy resources and save the environment, and they can also save the individual motorist a lot of money as well. Technology will increase the options open to the motorist greatly in the coming years, but even now there is much that you can do to take advantage. The right choice for you will depend entirely on your motoring and travel habits, and the environment in which the vehicle will be used.
There is no doubt that the most energy efficient vehicle of all is the one which runs purely on electrical power supplied by a battery. These vehicles are relatively new to the market, and there are still very few manufacturers and suppliers. They are used mainly by people who live in major cities, and who do the vast majority of their traveling within that city. Some cities even offer concessions for their use, and provide charging points so that the batteries can be re-charged while the vehicle is parked. A good example is London, which waives the £8 a day Congestion Charge for electric vehicles, and which has charging bays on many of the central city streets.
These electric vehicles have severe limitations, of course. They are only capable of traveling a short distance before running out of power, and they cannot often be recharged in time for a return journey. The exception to this is within major cities which provide charging points. They also need to be connected to the mains by lead, so unless you have off road secure parking they are not really practical. For many, they make an ideal second vehicle, usable for short trips with the local area, as there is always the main gasoline-driven vehicle for the longer trips.
You can also buy energy efficient cars which make use of the same principle, but which are far more practical to use in day to day living. These are known as hybrids, as they make use of both electrical and gasoline power. The vehicles are extremely economical to run on short journeys, as the battery will take care of those. For longer journeys, the vehicle will switch to gasoline power and be able to travel as far as you would need. The only disadvantages of these hybrid vehicles are the reduced gas tank size due to the need to accommodate the battery, and the initial expense of the vehicle.
The future offers more exciting and realistic prospects for change, in the form of fuel cell technology. By storing an electrical charge in hydrogen, fuel cell manufacturers are able to provide a clean equivalent to the gasoline engine. The charge can be topped up instantly at refilling stations making the length of journey unlimited, and the expense of the fuel is a fraction of that of oil-based products. The vehicles run far more quietly and need less servicing. This is a technology which is here now, as fuel cell buses have been trialled in major cities.
The quest for more energy efficient cars is ongoing, and will continue to gather pace. Even now, there are good choices available which can save you money and help the environment at the same time. The choices you have will multiply in the years to come, as fuel cell and battery technology are developed still further. The provision of electrical charging points and hydrogen pumps along the highways will finally make gasoline-free motoring a reality for anyone who chooses it. The change is underway, and the future will see both the environment and the individual consumer benefit greatly from energy efficient cars.