Latest news on green cars
AMAP to host low carbon vehicle conference
A new one day event exploring the challenges and opportunities for the low carbon vehicle industry is to take place at the end of the month at the The University of Sunderland’s Institute for Automotive & Manufacturing Advanced Practice (AMAP). In collaboration with the The Energy and Environmental Industries Forum (EEIF), the conference and exhibition [...]
Toyota to reveal new FT-BH hybrid concept
With the Prius C to launch in the US soon and the Yaris Hybrid arriving in the UK from June, you would think that Toyota had a enough small hybrids on the way to keep the yummy mummys happy. But just for good measure, the Japanese firm is also set to reveal a new concept [...]
Nissan Leaf earns 2012 Euro NCAP five star safety rating
The pin-up of the electric car world, the Nissan Leaf, has been reissued a five star safety rating from Euro NCAP after being tested to new, more stringent crash standards introduced for 2012. It is not the only model to successfully pass the retesting, with seven other models also re-earning their five star ratings in [...]
E15 availability takes step forward
The widespread availability of E15 has taken a step forward after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved health effects testing. The health effects testing by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy is a significant step towards the approval of a new fuel; and suppliers of ethanol and E15 are now able to [...]
Jeep to introduce Multijet engine in Grand Cherokee
There will be plenty of new vehicles on display at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show – but make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. The vehicle is getting its European premiere at the event and will feature a new 3.0litre, V6 turbo-diesel engine with Multijet II technology that is [...]
Mitsubishi makes huge investment in natural gas
In a clear sign of the growing importance of natural gas in the transportation sector, Mitsubishi has decided to invest around C$2.9billion to take a 40 per cent interest in the Cutback Ridge Partnership. The Partnership has around 409,000 net acres of the undeveloped Montney-formation natural gas lands and under the terms of the agreement, [...]
Chevrolet plans diesel Cruze for US
Chevrolet is to introduce a new diesel version of its popular Cruze model to the US as it gambles on the rising popularity of oil-burners stateside. The American brand is to pull on the experience of the European arm of its parent firm GM in developing a Cruze diesel set for market introduction in 2013. [...]
Just who are Faam? Electric van grants available for Italian firm’s vehicles
This morning saw the announcement of the first seven vehicles which qualify for the Plug-in Van Grants (PiVG) worth up to £8,000. But among the list of electric vans was one name we are not familiar with; Faam. Whilst most of the list was fairly predictable, with vehicles such as the Renault Kangoo Z.E, Ford [...]
Veolia puts Auris Hybrid to the green test
The guys at Veolia Environmental Services have put their faith in Toyota’s hybrid technology after investing in no less than 28 Auris Hybrids. The sub-100g/km models have been added to the company’s sales fleet in a bid to shrink its carbon footprint and improve its environmental performance. With tailpipe emissions of 89g/km, the British-built Auris [...]
Electric van man to get £8,000 grant
Commercial vehicle buyers will be able to claim grants worth up to £8,000 towards the purchase of seven different electric vans. The list of first electric vans eligible for the new Plug-in Van subsidies have been revealed this morning, before the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) begins distributing the grants from March. Supplementing similar [...]
Top 5 green cars by category
Looking for green cars? Which are the greenest saloons, hatchbacks, coupes, cabriolets, estates, people carriers and 4x4's?
Company Car Tax in 2011/12
Including details of the 2011 vehicle excise duty reform. Make sure that you will be paying the right company car tax in 2011/12?
Electric cars
Electric cars were once expected to be the ultimate travelling option of the 21st Century only to be maligned when initial efforts such as the Ford Think failed to earn a sizeable share of the UK market. However, with further technological advancements, electric cars are once again emerging as a viable alternative to the fuel guzzling and polluting vehicles that most of us drive today.
Some of the best electric cars which may be available to you soon include:
For more information see our Electric Cars guide.
Hybrid cars
The number of hybrid cars available in the UK is on the increase although they are still not as readily available as it is hoped they will be in the long term. Here is a list of some of the hybrid cars currently available in the UK, click on the links to find out more:
There are also several hybrid cars available in other markets:
To find out more about how hybrid cars work and to find out about exciting new hybrid concepts and forthcoming models, read out Hybrid Cars guide.
