Green Vehicles

Green Vehicles

Whether you live in China the United States or Australia, people nowadays are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of going green; they look forward to buying green products, they search for the latest in easy green living, they consider buying alternative energy vehicles, they want to teach living green tips to their kids, and they scope out the hottest green blogs and green living magazines.

Green Vehicles / The Shift

Consumer desires have shifted in recent years - driven by an increased interest in environmental impact and a desire for better fuel economy in the face of wildly spiking gas prices. Consequently, international auto companies like Honda, Toyota, GM, Ford, Nissan, Volvo, Volkswagen, Mercedes, and BMW have shown lot of potential towards manufacturing green vehicles.

This has brought better choices for environmentally-inclined buyers. The future of green vehicles certainly holds lot of promise. In fact, hydrogen-powered vehicles can be the best offering of the upcoming times.

Basically, there are five popular types of green cars:

• Hybrid Car – Features a gas engine with an electric motor.
• Electric Car – Uses an electric-powered motor and a battery to operate.
• Hydrogen Car – Burns hydrogen to fuel the motor.
• Biodiesel Car – Uses biodegradable biodiesel fuel to power the car.
• Fuel Cell Car – Generates electricity by forming a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

Apart from these, the manufacturers make what are now called "flex fuel" vehicles that are designed to run on either gasoline or ethanol and other bio-fuels. While natural gas is also a fossil fuel and when you burn it, it does emit some greenhouse gases, it's exponentially cleaner than petroleum.

Also, the petrol and diesel powered cars can be categorized into three emission standards: Low emission vehicle (LEV), Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) and Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PLEV). How green a vehicle is depends on these standards.

Here’s the list of top 20 green cars according to Australian standards:

1. Toyota Prius
2. smart fortwo
3. Suzuki Alto
4. Fiat 500
5. Fiat Punto
6. Honda Jazz
7. Toyota Yaris
8. Citroen C3
9. Lexus RX450h
10. Volkswagen Golf
11. Fiat Ritmo
12. Kia Soul
13. Audi A3
14. Honda Civic
15. Audi A5
16. Hyundai i30
17. Peugeot 207
18. Peugeot 308
19. Audi A4
20. Citroen C4

Though, there are many benefits to using green vehicles, here are just a few:

• Decreases greenhouse gases and other air pollutants released into the environment
• Cheaper to run and maintain than traditional cars
• Country doesn’t have to rely on expensive oil imports from other countries
• Creates less smog in the air
• Reduces the risk of such health problems as heart disease and lung cancer
• Does not contribute to acid rain
• Not as threatening to natural habitants and wildlife
• Reduces global warming

Green vehicles are considered the “wave of the future” because they are changing the way that consumers contribute to the sustainability of the environment. A large part of this task is up to automakers, but choosing a greener vehicle is a step you can take that will head us in the right direction. A vehicle's greenness depends not only on its design and fuel-efficiency, but also on how it is used.

Consider your opportunities to reduce car use when practical, by walking or biking for short trips, ride-sharing, and combining several errands into one trip. As more cars go green, society will be able to maintain a healthy quality of life that will have a positive impact on future generations.

Green Vehicles / The Shift

http://www.greenercars.org
http://www.greenstudentu.com
http://www.greencar.com/
http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au

For more information on how to live a green lifestyle just use the following links:

Tips For Living Green

Green Living Recycling

Easy Green Living

Green Trends

Living Green For Kids

Green Companies

Green Blogs

Green Living Magazines

Green Buildings in Australia

Green Living Australia