Electric Feel

The shift from supposedly neanderthal, damaging petrol engines in the pursuit of electric bliss and hydrogen heaven is becoming a clear aim in the car industry. But these changes don't happen overnight.

Look at any of the major car industries since the beginning of last summer and you will find they are increasingly offering 'greener' versions of their models. Marketing departments have been frantically scribbling away trying to find different ways of making the new models sound environmentally advanced. Usually they just opt for a simple 'E' on the end of a badge, perhaps hoping it may become synonymous with the popularity of the 'I' in GTI. The cars are far more than just a cop out by the manufacturers to grab our hard earned profits though. Millions have been spent on R & D into fuel cell technology, weight saving, improving aerodynamics and squeezing more mpg.

 Audi, Mercedes Benz, Ford, Volvo, BMW, even Porsche have developed greener technology for their cars. Notably, the RUF electric car will surely be a favourite for Sheikhs and Princes alike. And one sure sign that the gas guzzlers available to us now will falter in their current desirability are the tempting rewards on offer from the Government. Efficient cars mean no road tax, no congestion charge and exemption from the inevitable road pricing scheme. Governments are also starting to clamp down on car firms who are lapsing. Just a fortnight ago, Daimler Benz was fined just under $29 billion for failing to reach fuel efficiency targets. (Atleast one consolation then; the US authorities can reinvest some of it into the failing banks, but thats another story).

Take the new Volvo c30 efficiency. A couple of subtle visual changes exist from the normal c30, but form has not taken precedence over function. These changes are purely to aid greener credentials. The wheels are 'aerodynamically optimised', and now wear reduced rolling resistance tyres. The engine gives an average of over 50 mpg  through higher gearing and powertrain developments. It also emits less than 120g/km of CO2; a vast improvement on the current c30 which produces 129g/km. But these facts and figures aren't really that important when it comes to handing over the deposit. What is important for customers is that the new, more efficient car is nearly two thousand pounds cheaper compared to its older brother. So the news just keeps getting better. Car makers are working hard to reverse the damage caused by their engines in the past with new models that combine technological advances with cleaner ethics, and it is actually working out cheaper for us. Well, not just yet.

A couple of years ago, one might have been hard pushed to imagine that a environmentally friendly GM car. After all, big block V8s are far more likely to spring to mind. However, in December, GM announced the launch of its hydrogen4 car. The SUV combines a conventional engine with a hydrogen fuel cell, so optimum efficiency and economy can be achieved by both units. The hydrogen fuel cell is one of the main trump cards of the auto industry to increase the likelihood of attainable figures. But one thing GM might be reluctant to mention is the price of these advances. $400,000 will buy you one. Oh dear.

Then consider the new Tesla roadster, featured on the last episode of Top Gear. The car has been the object of discussion for over a year now, an amazing looking machine boasting amazing performance figures. Another upside? It only emits water into the atmosphere. But there are always going to be problems. The car is insanely priced, and it only really works for a couple of hours in the real world. Mercedes Benz have been one of the only manufacturers to make plausible improvements in the pursuit of electric cars, and this has only recently been unveiled at the Detroit motor show. Again though, the money needed to invest in the model range is eye-watering. 

So, while the car industry is offering up more choice than ever to help combat global warming and make desirable, durable models that don't continue to tear holes in the ozone, the flaws are obvious. It will take years for these advances to properly take precedence on the road. The goals are achievable, but only over time and with the help of the conventional engine in most cases. Until then, the cars of the not-so distant future will most definitely be 'eco-models' but it is unlikely that electricity will be propelling them.