Car Articles

In case you just can’t decide which fuel you want to use, perhaps the new Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel is going to be your sort of thing. It has a top speed of 158mph and charges from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds, yet manages to chuck out less of the black stuff than most standard hatchbacks. How’s that work then?

This amazing little car can run on normal petrol, bio-ethanol or methanol – you choose the fuel. Given the current climate, I doubt many will choose normal petrol though. Amazingly, the two biofuels can be added to a part-petrol mix to make this one of the most environmentally friendly sports cars around.

So, is this really a development then? Well yes, of course. Not least because in the current climate, if you’re not driving something a little more friendly than a standard 2.0 litre petrol you’re not exactly going to fit in with the Joneses. Not only that, but climate change is, like it or not, a fact.

Whether you want to debate it is due to cars or not however remains a separate issue. Granted, this car is not a going to change the planet. But, and I use a big BUT here, it does show that traditional sports car manufacturers are actually considering their product and their customers. People are interested in doing their bit, whether that’s switching to a small diesel or a bio-fuel powered sports car. Nonetheless, this car is special.

This car is special because it is a Lotus Exige. If you’ve never been on a Lotus experience day, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Why? Lotus makes simply fantastic cars. The Exige is, without a doubt, the pinnacle of the hard work that goes into one of their creations. It is the perfect pocket rocket whether you’re a track day star or a sports car enthusiast. It has a mix of raw power matched with very light weight (875kgs) making it a superb undiluted sports car.

How does it handle? Well, give it a few revs and you’ll see what the fuss is about. It will simply launch forwards, taking your head with it. Push on hard and at 6,000 rpm the VVT engine will open up for a boost of power. This is matched to a lovely slick, quick-shift gearbox. You won’t be left wanting in that regard.

The car itself is simply a dream – the steering is sharp, with a nicely weighted feel. You’ll get almost completely flat cornering, though if you want to have fun that’s possible too. The miles of grip the car provides will give you a lot of reassurance if you don’t happen to be the next Lewis Hamilton. It’s not all dreams of power though, given that you’ll find the frustrations of the car are evident in a lack of space and not-that-great visibility. Nonetheless, it is an amazing feat of engineering.

I think that shows why I like the Lotus Exige 270E so much. Yes, it’s a Lotus Exige. But it’s better. It gives you all that the standard car offers, then adds a big dollop of ‘yes, we do care’ on top. If you buy one – after it has been showcased at the Co-operative Sexy Green Car Show in Cornwall on 23-31st May – you’ll be the envy of just about anyone on the road, let alone the race track.

If the points above haven’t convinced you of the fact, let me just spell it out to you. The Lotus Exige (especially in this powered up, more environmentally friendly form) is a symbol. It represents all that’s right about driving – control, power and manoeuvrability. Best of all, you’ll never get bored driving it. So, let’s all give some respect to the clever folks at Hethel.

Unless you’ve been in a cave (or simply aren’t interested in how much fuel you have to buy and what’s in it), you will have heard of the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO). This is a fairly simple rule that says 2.5% of all petrol and diesel sold on UK forecourts must come from renewable biofuel sources. This requirement will rise to 5% by 2010.

So, renewable and greener eh? What can be bad in that equation? Well, it seems that this scheme might well be contributing to human rights abuses and rising food prices. Shock horror - something that’s meant to be good turning out to be bad after all.

Oxfam has said that the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues had estimated some 60 million indigenous people faced clearance from their land to make way for plantations such as palm and rapeseed oil (along with sugar cane and maize) - crops that can be farmed before processing into fuel.

Various locations are under the eye of Oxfam as they are currently throwing their own people off land in order to grow these crops. Asia, Africa and South America are all on the list. Obviously these are some big landmasses, and no doubt there are many other places that would be of interest to the charity.

Of course, another massive issue is food. What I mean by this is that if landmasses are being taken off the farmers, where will food crops be grown? Granted, you could say that it will still be available. No doubt this is true. Grain prices however will continue to rise, forcing the poorest out of the market - a market where being forced out could well mean starving to death.

Finally, there are others who say that there is a bigger failing in the scheme still - one that undermines the whole principle behind it. Their opinion is that biofuels are in fact not at all sustainable, due to continuing deforestation and damaging farming practices (including the use of fertilisers). This also leads to exacerbation of the problem of climate change itself - making the switch to biofuel completely pointless.

The government, in their usual style demand that nothing is wrong and we should go ahead. For once, in the whole green issue, I remain unconvinced. It really does sound as if Oxfam has a strong case here - and if it turns out that just one farm growing rapeseed means that someone has to starve then I’d say we’ve got it terribly, terribly wrong.

Friends of the Earth insist that the way forward is to create better public transport. That’s never a bad idea - I’d like to be travelling in a clean, quiet bus that isn’t shoving out horrendous amounts of Co2. But I think that’s ignoring the problem a little. Cars are not going to go away. They are an amazing invention. We all really need to think very carefully though about where we go from here.

Given all this information, I really feel that we’re on the cusp of something great. If bio-diesel isn’t the answer, maybe a manufacturer will really take the plunge and create something sustainable, efficient and able to manage more than 100 miles on a single charge. I personally think it’s going to be Honda. Their hydrogen fuel cell is something to amaze - and it shouldn’t starve anyone of force them off their land.

Car owners could now face fines if they (or indeed their passengers) throw litter from their vehicle if they are caught on camera. This is a move being considered by the government to reduce the amount of fly tipping/littering that takes place from our various vehicles.

Ministers are holding talks with town hall chiefs around the UK in a bid to close a loophole that has stopped officials from imposing new fines of up to £80 for this type of offence. Currently, they cannot take action against the registered keeper of the car but only the individual who litters. This has proved to be difficult from an identification point of view.

The fact that this sort of offence is quite difficult to police makes me upset. I find it quite a horrible sight when someone is driving along and then happens to throw out a used pack of cigarettes for instance. I once saw a person even throw a whole pizza box out of their window. Would you do it on your street? I doubt it - so don’t do it on mine or anywhere else. There’s no excuse for it in this day and age.

What I’d like to go on to mention are some other bad habits that you could see on Britain’s roads - some of which are actually quite dangerous. Others of which will just prove rather bad to your wallet. Let’s take a look at what some of us do wrong on (and off) the roads.

Indicators And Their Use
It is a legal requirement that cars must have indicators on the road - this is a benefit both for the driver who uses these signalling lights (it shows people what you’re planning to do) and other drivers, as they can adjust their driving and pulling away accordingly. However, indicators work both ways. What I mean is that I was recently almost in an accident. I approached the roundabout, slowed down, put on my right indicators, and when safe to go I did so.

Unfortunately, a driver of a rather nice 231bhp Mazda RX-8 totally ignored my indicator and sped into my path. I pressed the horn to make sure he was aware of me. He became aware and apologised profusely. This is what I mean by the indicators working both ways. Use yours wisely, and make sure that you look out for other people using theirs.

Tailgating
There is absolutely no excuse for doing this to anyone - especially at motorway speeds as this proves to be incredibly dangerous. Do you remember your stopping distances? No? Well go back and take a look. Do you really believe that you can stop in the 5 feet or so that you’ve given yourself if the car in front slams on their brakes? OF course, the irony is that the closer each car is to the one in front, the more likely that each person has to aggressively use the brakes. OH well, we are a sensible bunch aren’t we!

Lane Discipline
Some drivers are all over the place - such as the wrong side of the road. Okay, some junctions are small and it’s easier to get out when you’re just edging into the wrong lane. However, when someone is tramlining across a roundabout straight across your lane then it moves from being annoying to actually incredibly dangerous.

Driving Too Slowly
I’d never recommend you to speed around, unless you are speeding around on a track - but then that’s the point there. What I will say though is to do the legal speed limit, provided it is safe to do so. What I mean by that is if it is a 30 road but there’s a few inches of snow, then please do go slower and make sure you (and the other drivers on the road) stay safe and not crashed into.

On the other hand, there’s no excuse for doing 20mph in a 30mph zone with perfectly clear conditions and a straight run of the road ahead. I don’t care if you’re 17 or 70 - if you’re not capable of safe, legal driving up to the limit in conditions that allow it, you shouldn’t be on the road. To give an example of this, I was recently trapped behind someone driving a car that kept putting on the brakes. We were doing 25mph - I know this as I kept the same distance away. Why he kept applying the brake when there was nothing in front I have no idea, but it was wasteful on fuel and wound me up!

Overall, there are quite a few issues on our roads, but rubbish certainly shouldn’t be one of them. I’ll give a few tips on better driving in a post of the future. In the meantime, why not keep a plastic bag in your car for rubbish, that you then empty (or put itself into the rubbish) once a week?

There’s no doubt that going ‘green’ is at least somewhere on everyone’s agenda at the moment, whether they are a motorist or not.  I’d certainly recommend though, if you drive a car, that you look again at exactly what it costs.  This includes your own driving style, and whether you’re a bit heavy with the old right foot at times.

It’s a wonderful thing that people are taking more interest in green models, not least because the manufacturers are doing just the same.  This means that you aren’t exactly going to be wanting for choice - even if you are wanting for money due to the state of the economy.  Nevertheless, for those who can afford it, let’s see what some of the major manufacturers are up to and what you could be driving to save you money.

BMW will provide you with something a bit special (as usual, at least if you like their cars) in the form of their ‘efficient driving dynamics’.  This new range contains both efficient diesels and petrols, with stop/start technology to cut Co2 emissions and increase fuel economy.  This has led to their BMW 1 Series 118D car being voted the 2008 World Green Car, and is also the reason for it being the main image with this post.

Citroen are not far behind mind you.  The French are a nation not to be outdone by the Germans (especially at the moment, anyone seen the new C5 advert?  Ooooohhh!), so the fact that they are the winners of the Green Car Manufacturer of the Year should be no surprise.  Their line-up of the lowest Co2 emitting diesel vehicles around should mean there is something for everyone, whatever their size or shape preference (as it were).

Once again, these vehicles are fitted with stop/start technology to keep you clean sailing in a traffic jam.  Arguably the pick of the bunch - certainly for fuel efficiency - is the C1 city car.  This lightweight packs a 1.4 litre turbo diesel that is both fun to drive and emits only 109g/km along with a 69mpg return.  Best of all, you can easily pick one up for under £10,000.  When you look at it that way, what’s not to like?  Well, perhaps you wouldn’t be satisfied with it on a longer motorway journey, but I digress…

Seat is the Spanish brand that shares a lot (including vehicle platforms) with parent company Volkswagen.  This means that they have access to technology in order to create the wonderful ‘Ecomotive’ range.  Silly branding aside, this line-up really does mean business.  Once again, the standout is a smaller car - the 1.4litre Ibiza.  At 99g/km you’re exempt from road tax in this funky little car with the S badge, whilst the 73mpg return will put more pennies in your piggy bank.  An impressive set of figures for a car that costs slightly over £10,000.

Seat is even offering a performance car with superb economy figures - the rather tasty Seat Leon 1.9litre turbodiesel.  Granted, it might not have the badge that you want and it isn’t the most refined of engines, but putting out 148bhp and moving to 60 in less than 9 seconds is pretty good for a diesel.

There are of course a wealth of other manufacturers out there all doing there own thing, but for now, I’ve really just cherry-picked the best of what looks like a bumper crop this year.  So, if you’re in for a new car, why not go green?  Your wallet will thank you for it, as will the environment…

The Daily Mirror reported on an exclusive story that is due to break a little later this week, namely that government plans for so-called ‘green towns’ will create through-fares for cars that will be running at 15 miles per hour. This will make some of Britain’s roads faster for cyclists than for cars.

The 15mph rule will be issued down to developers for 10 new towns that will be built with green credentials in mind (no doubt as part of Labour’s attempt to up taxes and play on the ‘green’ issues to stay in power) - which will include more than 100,000 houses.

So, what’s going on then? Caroline Flint (the housing minister, apparently justifying her job here at the cost of the motorist) is the Housing Minister. Her rationale behind the decision is to reduce the amount of pollution from towns to help beat global warming. Let’s just consider this idea for a moment.

If you are desperate to reduce pollution in towns, the way forward is not to reduce speeds. Imagine you have 5 cars on the road. They’re all driving through your idyllic eco-town. They’re driving at 30 miles per hour, in fourth gear. Their engines are actually running reasonably economically, as a higher gear and lower speed means the engine isn’t being stressed. Consider now 5 cars running through the same town. They won’t be able to put the car into fourth gear - instead they’ll probably be at 1,500rpm in second. They’ll take longer to go through the town, produce more CO2 in doing so and are more likely to cause congestion and annoyance.

Of course, if we take the Clarkson/May/Hammond view then realistically we should all be careening around at the fast speed possible, or at least the fastest speed practicable. This would mean allowing up to 90mph on motorways etc and generally speaking more speed where the traffic flow would allow. However, the Top Gear lads would never, EVER advocate speeding near a school, hospital or through a built up area where there may be children. Near my way, there is a school, and the suggested limit is 20mph. If you are really going that slowly, you have enough time to react if the worst were to happen and a child runs out.

One of the documents suggested, “Eco-towns should be designed around the needs of pedestrians and cyclists“. This, to me, is a nice idea. But where can you find a pedestrian and cyclist-only town? Most cyclists and pedestrians are also motorists. What do you intend to do Labour, create gated communities where there’s work and play?

Hugh Bladon, of the Association of British Drivers, had the following to say:
“This is a ridiculous idea. It is fantasy land. Public transport will never cater as well as the car for the needs of business people or women with families“.
The above is no doubt absolutely true. That’s not necessarily a reason not to try, but I’m guessing those who move into these 15mph eco-towns with “spaces where children can play… and communities can gather” will want to keep their Chelsea Tractors (i.e. their BMW X5’s for those not in the know).

I think I’ve seen an eco-town before actually - they normally call them country villages where I come from. You can see lots of green, sometimes a market and locals complaining that their post office has closed, which adds yet another reason why they need their cars.

To be honest, I’ve recently had a change of heart on green issues (I’ll cover more of this in another post). The government’s idea of every home being within 400 metres of public transport is a great idea - but given how little they invested in transport for the North of England I think this is an idealistic (and unrealistic) point of view. People need their cars - especially when driving through perfectly formed eco-villages.

As you’re on this site, you probably have an interest in cars, are a driver or are hoping to become one very soon. As such, there’s no doubt at all that the budget affects you, whether you’re a millionaire or on minimum wage. Let me just say this first - the budget hits you where it hurts. Once again, us cash-cow drivers are going to suffer in a number of ways…

Fuel
Petrol and diesel prices had a planned rise of 2p per litre - however thanks to much industry (and some joe bloggs) lobbying, we’ve now seen this put back to October. To me though, this just stinks of ‘stealth tax‘. What I mean by this is that if the government can make everyone calm down or forget about it for long enough, they won’t complain half so much and the coffers will still be filled. Fuel duty also has a guaranteed rise of 0.5p per litre in 2010 - no doubt with more raises in-between.

Alternative fuel
Cars that aren’t powered by petrol or diesel are on ‘alternative fuel’. Those cars could well come in for a discount of up to £20 per year on their road tax. Not great, but better than nothing. Duty differential will disappear from alternative fuel and a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation will force suppliers (such as Shell) to ensure that 5% of their fuel comes from renewable sources.

Vehicle excise duty/road tax
The number of bands for excise duty will go all the way up to 13 from next year, with band M (255g of cO2 per km) being charged an annual fee of £425 per annum. Cars with a lower than 150g output per km will pay a lower rate from 2010 (why not from next year like the higher paying cars is anyone’s guess). Cars with a lower rate than 130g will not pay road tax in their first year. If this were every year I’d see the point… but just in the single year? Regardless, the most shocking fact is that band M cars will receive a massive bill of £950 in the first year.

Funding for more tax
The government has freed up funding for local councils and private companies to investigate the idea of further congestion charges and national road pricing. It’s a great way to essentially fund further taxation I must say, and I’m not quite sure how making people pay more will stop them using the roads that they physically must use.

My overall thoughts on the budget
Frankly, as per usual, those who drive have been hit where it hurts - their wallets. I’m not surprised, given the fact that more than £45 million is generated for HMRC every year. However, as long as the government has the ideal of ‘being green’ to hide behind, people won’t rally behind the injustice of how much we pay for cars. The budget is once again unfair and a great way to eke more money out of an unwitting public.

As a side note, due to the fact that we’re close to recession, this is one good year to buy a used vehicle. Depreciation is going to be 8% more than expected, so look for a car in a couple of months to pay a price that’ll keep some change in your pocket.

There has been a lot about the benefits of car sharing recently and in fact there are two schemes already operating in the UK in Bristol and Leeds, with other due to start a car sharing scheme in Birmingham, West Yorkshire and Hertfordshire. This means that a whole lane is needed to remain empty in order to encourage drivers to use it, but it also means that in places where there is serious congestion and minimal take up of the car sharing scheme that these lanes are going to either stay empty or be used by drivers, causing chaos.

The motoring organisation the AA, have said that these schemes will not work because they are wasting the capacity of the UK’s roads. The AA’s Edmund King said: ‘In theory, car-sharing lanes make sense, but in practice they are used and abused, so they waste road capacity and are a nightmare to enforce.’

With new cameras becoming available too, it will be difficult for a driver to use the car share lane, as these cameras are supposed to be able to confirm if there is more than one real person in the car, so there are bound to be a surge in more fines for drivers who accidentally use the wrong lane when visit a different place.

Source [What Car]

Tips for the Drivers Who Love Their Cars and Care For the Planet Too

We no longer find the world as cool as we used to find it in our childhood!

The earth is older and warmer—several places in the world do not experience snow fall in winter as before, the summers in many places have become too hot to bear. Rains don’t drench the lands the same way they used to do decades ago.

The earth is fighting a fierce battle of survival against the modern monster called “Global Warming”

The Green House Effect and its off spring global warming together are the byproducts of indiscriminate expansion of human civilization; more speed, higher performance, bigger production—-a need for more has made man much too dependent on machines.

Among all the machines, the motor car has been touted as the biggest contributor to the creation of pollution.

But we can’t do away completely with the cars. Returning to the ages of bicycles may make for the killer plot of a romantic novel, but it is definitely not practical.

So what do we do?

We have to think up ways to drive our cars in a way that make the least damage to our environment.

Act in a socially responsible manner

You don’t have to start your car engine every time you need to rush to the supermarket just a block away! It wastes a lot of fuel and adds more green house gases to the environment. Instead ride on your bicycle or just walk. The Japanese can teach the world a lesson in this respect—you will encounter more cyclists on a Tokyo road than any other parts of the world.

Another thing to learn from the Japanese in this respect is their well developed public transportation system based on the under ground railway network. Cutting down on private car usage and using public transport wherever you can is a great way to prevent further damage to your environment.

Be a responsible driver

Being a little bit careful while you drive can save a lot of precious fuel and prevent a new set of pollutants entering the air

• Good planning makes you a truly green driver—choose your route to avoid congested roads. Consider covering as many as tasks possible in a single trip. Also try to share the car with your family members as well as your friends wherever possible.
• Don’t rev up your car like crazy—you are not competing in a car race! Slow down to reduce fuel consumption. But drive on higher gears, as soon as traffic conditions allow.
• Be caring about such parts of your car as accelerator, brake or clutch. Don’t be harsh on them—they will offer you better fuel efficiency.
• Also try to drive light and switch off the engine whenever you are waiting for more than five minutes.
• Also make sure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure for the vehicle.

Cut down on luxury

Treat air conditioning as a luxury and not a necessity. Use it sparingly whenever it is absolutely essential to use it. Also make sure that onboard electrical devices don’t eat up the fuel unnecessary.

Consider the cars based on environment friendly technology

Driving a hybrid car or electric car is the best way to go green. In London, electric cars are exempt from road tax & congestion charging. Over all insurance premiums may also be lower for the hybrid cars.

You can also use bio fuel or LPG in place of petrol and diesel to lower the impact of green house gas emissions.

You love your car—but you feel sorry about your environment too. There is no need to suffer from a guilt complex just because you love driving. Keep the above mentioned tips in mind while driving and be a green driver.

When H. Piper conceived the hybrid car decades ago, he thought of a vehicle running on the combined power of a gasoline engine and an electric motor. Today’s hybrid cars are made on the same principle of dual power sources. So what is the basic point of difference between the hybrid cars belonging to two ages?

The point of difference lies in their purposes.

Piper’s intention was to create a car that could achieve a speed of 0 to 25 miles per hour within only seconds. While it’s not a big deal today, in those days it was viewed as great achievement.

Today’s hybrid cars are manufactured with an eye for energy conservation; they are politically correct to own and stylish to drive.

So no wonder today, the hybrid car market has stretched far beyond one or two choices (read Toyota Prius) ; tax incentives, feature packed models and most importantly, unbelievable fuel efficiency have made the hybrid cars the choice of the new generation consumers, who happen to be more environment-conscious than their older generation counterparts.

Hollywood stars are famous for their love affair with hybrid cars. Even the Oscar award functions are used as the platform for promoting hybrid philosophy by encouraging the stars to appear in their hybrid vehicles than the traditional limousines.

So what makes the difference? Does it make any difference at all?

To begin with hybrid cars are more fuel efficient than the ordinary cars. Some of the Japanese hybrid models can give you a straight 68 miles per gallon saving on the motorway. By cutting on fuel consumption, they significantly contribute to a greener environment. On the personal front, hybrid cars are guaranteed to play easy on your pocket in the long run.

Hybrid cars—why are they greener?

Hybrid cars help to preserve the fast diminishing fossil fuel resources of the world. They help in keeping the pollution level low by producing less than half of the carbon dioxide and half of the carbon monoxide, less nitrogen oxide, less hydrocarbons, and less particulate matters produced by their non-hybrid counterpart. The fact that hybrids produce considerably less undesired by-products makes a hybrid the most environmentally friendly choice.

What is the main reason behind more and more people’s preferring a hybrid vehicle over a traditional car? It is not just the monetary consideration of energy efficiency ; people are today more concerned about the factors such as global warming and air pollution and that influences their choice in favor of a hybrid vehicle which is undoubtedly greener due to lower fuel consumption, use of battery and lot lower production of harmful byproducts.

Thus the rich Hollywood stars are not alone in their selection; the world is slowly but steadily moving toward the hybrid version of vehicles. From being fashionable & politically correct, the green hybrid cars are no doubt emerging as the choice of the future.

Many people are unsure of what is meant by a hybrid vehicle, as they are not well publicised. However, it is relatively simple concept, where an ordinary internal combustion engine is combined with an alternative source of energy such as batteries or electricity. This alternative takes over from the engine during times when the engine is least efficient, such as long slow drives.

These hybrids are therefore twice as efficient and half as polluting. There are other benefits too – such as lower tax, exemption from congestion charges and cheaper insurance.

Hybrids are an ideal ‘in-between’ vehicle for the environmentally conscious person who is unable, or reluctant to opt for an electric vehicle.

They are just hybrid versions of cars that are already on the market, such as the Honda Civic, Prius, Accord and Insight. There are also SUV versions such as the Ford Escape, Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX400h.

You can also convert your own vehicle into a hybrid, as long as it is under 6 years old. This can be costly, so unless you are sure the vehicle is in super condition, and that the conversion will work, then it may be best to opt for purchasing a new hybrid.

There are various government schemes currently running, that are designed to assist you in converting your vehicle, or purchasing a new one.

Autogas+ is a Scottish initiative (which is about to close). It offers motorists and businesses £800 towards the cost of buying a new LPG/Petrol hybrid vehicle, or converting you own to a hybrid.

Powershift – This is a register used Nationally, where you can check which vehicles, makes, models and manufacturers are registered as being officially low-emission. Vehicles on this register get a 100% discount from the London Congestion charges. This is very good news, as vehicles travelling into London are charged around £8 per day!
Check out the Powershift site at www.est.org.uk