Recent studies have shown fuel consumption is what potential customers take into consideration the most when searching for a new car. The advancements manufacturers are now making to their new cars reflect what the target market are looking for. It could possibly not come at a better time as the cost of fuel rises in a turbulent economic time, forcing panic amongst consumers struggling to make ends meet.
More recently shock allegations made against global fuel distributors BP and Shell on price fixing only riled the general public further, within 24 hours of the news breaking, more than 18,000 people had signed a petition demanding financial regulators act. The Great British public is taking a stand and manufacturers are taking note.
Even as far back as 1916 there we’re innovative experiments to try and keep fuel consumption to a minimum, and in the ninety seven years between then and now those experiments have continued to progress with motoring evolution. One of the big helping hands in shaping the advances is the EU, who now require all new cars to be subjected to a European type approval rating. The procedures regulate the safety and fuel consumption of all new vehicles before they are permitted to go on sale.
The British government also have set policies to target fuel consumption and environmental factors caused by the harmful CO2 emissions cars give off. The government predicts that by 2030, the number of road vehicles will have doubled. Climate change is seen as one of the biggest threats to the planet and the government wants to reduce the impact of motor vehicles, they have even developed a database which will inform buyers which new cars offer low fuel consumption and better efficiency, giving car manufacturers another platform to compete on.
There has been a host of inventions designed to increase efficiency. Such innovations as smaller and lighter engines and frameworks have been amongst the common changes to new cars. The idea has possibly been borrowed from advancements in Formula One, who have had to adapt to more efficient measures since refuelling was banned. It’s not just the idea of the weight of cars that manufacturers are taking from motor racing; we’re now seeing such things as KERS (a device which stores energy for later acceleration use, at no expense of your fuel), traction control and advanced suspension systems that adjust to the way you drive, all making the crossover. Manufacturers like Mazda, Volvo and Jaguar are all leading the way by making these features standard in all new cars.
Electric and Hybrid cars have also been making staggering progress over the past couple of years. In fact the progress has been so rapid that by 2025 the Government predicts 35% of cars will be electric and 25% will be hybrid. So keen to make this prediction a reality, there are grants of up to 25% cost price for motorists purchasing a low emissions vehicle and with studies showing that 33% of motorists drive with efficiency in mind; it comes as no surprise that 3,633 drivers have claimed from this scheme.
With technology advancements and a little help from the regulatory bodies, we can expect to see a vast improvement with fuel consumptions in new cars over the years to come.
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