The Land Rover Discovery 4.

It seems that poor weather has been sending people into 4×4 showrooms and specifically those of Land Rover. Subsequently, sales have gone up. For January 2010 sales levels were up 58% versus January 2009 nearly doubling the industry average – with Discovery up 92%, Range Rover Sport up 66%, Freelander up 57% and Range Rover up 24%.

John Edwards, managing director, Land Rover said: “Heavy snow and icy conditions last month meant car buyers were looking for a vehicle that provides them with the all-terrain capability to keep them on the roads. In fact, we had double the hits on the landrover.co.uk website in January than we had last year. Land Rover has over 60 years of experience developing supremely capable vehicles that boast four-wheel drive and pioneering technology such as Terrain Response. These all help ensure that Land Rover owners have total peace of mind when travelling in wet and icy conditions.”

The Discovery 4 was the most popular 4×4 review on Whatcar.com for the month of January and fifth most popular review overall.

The Smart fortwo

I’ve decided that when I reach the hallowed 100,000 miles mark in my current car, it will be time to get a new motor (provided that, of course, I’m financially in a position to do so). I have a few choices circling in my mind, but I just couldn’t face letting my Astra go whilst it was 100% mechanically sound. It would just be heart braking to go from a machine that has nothing wrong with it to the unknown. Yes, it has some lumps, bumps and scrapes now but we’ve taken many a journey together.

One car however that I know I will not want to buy when it comes to it is a Smart fortwo. Why’s that? Well, for me, they just don’t make any sense. Assuming we’re 10-20 years in the future and battery tech is improved, electrical recharge points are everywhere and Smart fortwo electrics are extremely cheap, I can then see this type of vehicle working. But as it is, the fortwo has a very short wheelbase (not comfortable), poor handling characteristics and takes an age to get going. So, just what is the purpose behind it when the new Fiesta ECONetic is overall a much better car but with very similar fuel economy figures?

I can only assume that everyone who bought (or indeed is going to buy) a Smart fortwo are ignorant of the facts, or indeed perhaps of the laws of physics. Having four wheels at the very edges of a car is great for dynamics, but not when the wheelbase is about the same as that of your lawnmower. More importantly though, it suggests that these people completely missed the Kei car revolution in Japan.

For those who don’t know, it’s basically a ‘light’ vehicular categorisation in Japan that allows for the exploitation of tax and insurance laws, but more importantly they arose as an economic response to consumers having more than enough for a bike, wanting the practicality of a car, but not being able to afford a larger model. Think the Tata Nano and you’re there. The Smart Fortwo though bothers me as it offers the same size but none of the charm.

Which brings me on to my revelation. If we are to cut congestion, improve road safety and lower CO2 emissions, why not push motorbikes as a form of transport? Point one, congestion, will be eased as bikes are smaller and are much easier to filter. Point two, whilst motorbikes are statistically more dangerous than cars, this is only down to the fact that there are more cars on the road and motorbikes represent only 1% of traffic. If these figures started to change, people would be more aware of motorcycles. Point three – my motorbike can do about 100mpg – pretty good I’m sure you agree when it can still hit 80. Perhaps finally though, it’s staggeringly good fun – something that a Smart fortwo is lacking.

This isn’t a dig if you do have a Smart fortwo – if you do own one write in and let me know whether your car is suitable for purpose, what sort of roads you drive it on etc. I’d love to have someone out there change my mind…

It’s been reported that car sales have continued to rise and that October of this year has shown an increase of more than 30% over last year. The reason has been cited as the government’s ‘cash for bangers’ or car scrappage scheme. Were you one of the lucky ones to access the £2k saving on a new car? Were you one of the (frankly legendary) people who used the money toward a new Nissan GT-R? If so, congratulations and enjoy your new set of wheels!

Interestingly, October was the fourth successive month showing a rise in sales. Prior to July, there was a 15 month slump n the car economy. No doubt this was down to the state of the nation’s finances. However, you do have to wonder why we continually bail out banks when other industries seem to receive far less support. Had the government used some of the most recent bail-out money as funding for green car research for example, I’d wager that some of us would now be driving round in motors capable of more than 100 miles per gallon.

On a similar topic, in 1890 Wilhelm Maybach built the first four cylinder, four stroke engine. Basically, the modern engine was born. What amazes me is just how little in some respects we’ve come when it comes to the very heart of the car. Look out for my post in the near future on the history of cars.

Amazingly, more than two million Toyota hybrid models have been sold around the world since 1997, with more than 200,000 of them making their way to the UK. And who said that we don’t care about the environment? Perhaps what’s most impressive is the statistic that more than 11 million tonnes of CO2 less has been pumped into the environment, thanks to the use of these green cars.

I’m sure we can all agree that this can only be a good thing, even if the Prius offers the same driving enjoyment as… well let’s not go there and just celebrate the good environmental news!

In other news, Lexus remains the only premium brand in the UK to offer three full hybrids as part of its range: GS 450h, LS 600h and the newly-launched RX 450h. Together, these models will comprise over 45% of Lexus sales in the UK in 2010.

By the early 2010s, Toyota plans to offer 10 different hybrid models in the UK. In July, Toyota announced that it would manufacture a hybrid version of its C-segment hatchback, Auris, in the UK from mid-2010, a critical first step in the company’s plans to offer a hybrid version of every model in the early 2020s.

Nissan has today unveiled LEAF, which is being sold as the “world’s first” affordable zero emissions car. It’s another lithium-ion (electric) car with a range of 100 miles and the size of a medium hatchback, so it can carry five adults in reasonable comfort.

Here’s a quote from Nissan:
“Nissan LEAF is a tremendous accomplishment – one in which all Nissan employees can take great pride,” said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “We have been working tirelessly to make this day a reality – the unveiling of a real-world car that has zero – not simply reduced – emissions. It’s the first step in what is sure to be an exciting journey – for people all over the world, for Nissan and for the industry.”

This really is a zero emission vehicle – so much so that it doesn’t even feature a tailpipe. Even better, an 80% of full capacity charge is expected from only 30 minutes of being ‘plugged in’, great news for our busy lives. The car is expected to arrive in 2010.

Pictures are to follow, but this could well be the car that changes the ball game if the LEAF lives up to potential.

The New Toyota Prius

I wasn’t a great fan of the original Toyota Prius – it just never seemed to quite live up to the hype. However, the new 1.8 T3 is simply incredible and probably justifies the many orders that are no doubt flooding in. Here’s why:

• CO2 emissions of just 89 g/km mean that you pay NOTHING in road tax for this car
• Complete exemption from the London congestion charge
• Insurance group 6 means it won’t put you out of pocket even with little experience
• A combined cycle of 72.4 miles per gallon mean you’ll love the infrequent trips to the pump
• Frugally driven, you’ll see 714 miles from a single tank (45 litres)

Suddenly, the new Prius T3 1.8 seems like a great idea.  Even if you’re a speed demon, there’s simply no arguing with the figures, it’s hugely impressive.  Toyota, it seems you’ve managed something few others could achieve.

I’m not sure how newsworthy this is, but I’m guessing quite so given how furiously politicians sprout their nonsense about buses and other forms of public transport being perfect for the new ‘green’ world we all find ourselves in (like it or not).  On the way home, I had to stand on a noisy, cramped and poorly cleaned bus.  This got me thinking about how much more comfortable on (or even on) just about any form of private transport, rather than being there.

Then, I started considering, as you do, the impact on the environment that this bus journey was having.  Now, unsurprisingly, I found it difficult to find statistics on what kinds of CO2 emissions a ‘normal’ bus puts out.  They don’t tend to advertise that kind of thing on local transport provider websites.  Why?  Take a look at the billowing black smoke coming out of a bus next time it passes you, that probably explains it.

I think the real concern I have is over a complete lack of transparency over the issue.  I read that there’s a possibility that older buses put out more than 50g/km of CO2 per passenger.  If we multiply this by 20 (passengers), that gives 1,000 g/km of CO2 being pushed into the atmosphere.  Here’s another kicker – the bus I was on today was doing 5 miles per gallon.  Five.  This is where the world’s emissions are coming from and where the oil is being used up!

There’s no doubt that if you can cram a lot of people on a bus who would otherwise take a car, then arguably it’s more environmentally friendly than the lot of them jumping into their own BMW M3.  But, would they all be doing so when the average car in Britain is a 1.6 litre and 300,000 people will be leaping into smaller, more eco-friendly cars thanks to a £2k government cheque?  I challenge any bus company to tell me the real figure, in CO2 (not broken down as an average per passenger) that their bus puts out, alongside their average miles per gallon on any given route of their choosing.  I highly doubt that anyone will step up and accept that challenge.

For my side of the bargain, if any public spirited, public transport company would like to offer such information in the interests of full disclosure, I will naturally upload all pertinent information provided.

The new Toyota Prius

Let’s not start going on about how some diesels are better handling, more fun and achieve the same mpg rating or better.  The reason being, Toyota are taking their green credentials one stage further with their new factory.  Here’s the information from Toyota themselves:

The low emissions and fuel efficiency delivered by the new Toyota Prius in everyday driving would be of little value if they were not backed up by equally environmentally focused manufacturing. As part of Toyota’s commitment to achieving the best possible performance throughout the car’s lifecycle, the production centre for the third generation Prius is a standard-bearer for clean operations and the use of renewable energy sources.

The Tsutsumi plant in Japan is one of five Toyota global Eco-Factories (Burnaston in the UK is another) that are designed to minimise environmental impact and develop best practices for adoption elsewhere. It has held the ISO14001 “green standard” for environmental management since 1996, pioneering innovations in energy saving, waste management and recycling.

Just as new Prius can use solar energy to keep its cabin cool when parked, Tsutsumi meets half its electricity requirements with a 50,000m2 array of solar panels that can generate 2,000kW of energy an hour. The rest of its energy demands are met by an efficient gas co-generation system.

To ensure only as much power as needed is used, energy-saving lighting has been installed and patrols are carried out to monitor usage. A control system cuts electricity use when the plant is non-operational and the building of sunlight ducts allows more natural light to be introduced into working areas.

Even the building itself helps clean up the local environment, with 22,000m2 of the assembly plant being covered in photocatalytic paint. This reacts to sunlight by releasing active oxygen into the atmosphere, which helps break down harmful substances such as nitrogen oxides (NOx). To help offset CO2 emissions, Tsutsumi workers and people from the local community joined forces to plant 50,000 trees around the factory site in 2008.

Tsutsumi sends no waste to landfill and cut the amount that is incinerated by 82 per cent to 730 tonnes between 1999 and 2006, with the future goal of reducing that figure to zero.

Between 2003 and 2007 CO2 emissions from the plant were reduced by 36 per cent. During the same period, the total amount of waste produced was reduced by 21 per cent between; use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was down by 48 per cent; and 14 per cent less water was used.

Tsutsumi operates a comprehensive water recycling system that has cut the amount discharged into local rivers by half, while the water that is released is actually cleaner than that in the waterways themselves.

As an Eco-Factory, Tsutsumi is also committed to working in harmony with its local community and surrounding environment, and to an operational lifespan of 100 years.

New Prius is on sale from 1 August, priced from £18,370 on the road.

An F3 racer that's not destroying the environment

The steering wheel is made from Carrots…

and it goes 125mph round corners!

Following the recent turmoil in Formula 1 arising from the high costs of running competitive motor racing teams, and doubts in sponsors’ minds over the commercial value of their involvement, the viability of motor racing is being critically questioned.  With this in mind the Warwick Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (WIMRC), part the University of Warwick, are seeking to prove to the motor industry that it is possible to build a competitive racing car using environmentally sustainable components.

Faster than a speeding carrot: The World’s First F3 Racing Car with an environmental conscience

The new WorldFirst racecar is a clever piece of lateral thinking. It is the first Formula 3 racing car designed and made from sustainable and renewable materials, putting the world first by effectively managing the planet’s resources.

The project truly is a World First as the team have examined all the components of the vehicle and attempted to introduce a green and sustainable element into each aspect of the car. Components made from plants form the mainstay of the car’s make up, including a race spec steering wheel derived from carrots and other root vegetables, a flax fibre and soybean oil foam racing seat, a woven flax fibre bib, plant oil based lubricants and a bio diesel engine configured to run on fuel derived from waste chocolate and vegetable oil. It also incorporates a radiator coated in a ground-breaking emission destroying catalyst.

As original equipment manufacturers focus on decreasing engine emissions, to meet future CO2 legislation, the WorldFirst project proves that if you are going to wholeheartedly embrace the ‘green is great’ ethos and do more than merely posture, you have to broaden your vision. This must encompass a strategy that stretches throughout the chain from the raw materials to the final disposal of the car. The project clearly demonstrates that automotive environmentalism can and should be about the whole package.

Project Manager, James Meredith a researcher in WMG at the University of Warwick, said “It’s been very exciting working on the project and important for our team to develop a working example of a truly ‘Green’ motor racing car.  The WorldFirst project expels the myth that performance needs to be compromised when developing the sustainable motor vehicles of the future.”

Fiat has the lowest CO2 emissions rating figures for a volume manufacturer, at 133.7g/km, according to the JATO (the automotive business intelligence experts).  The Italian firm is going to be offering green test drive sessions for customers are certain dealerships – these will analyse the driving style and provide tips on how to improve mileage and increase economy.

BMW did the best in terms of lowering their overall CO2 emissions, with a number at 160.6g/km.  However, the German marque was easily pipped by all three manufacturers – Peugeot (138.7g/km), Citroen (142.2) and Renault (142.7).

Car emissions remain a serious pollutant – but reductions need to be taken as a measure alongside other industries if we’re going to move toward a sustainable future.