General Motors believe that they have mastered the battery technology required to make electric cars a reality. Chevrolet have also confirmed their commitment to release the first plug-in car from a major manufacturer.  The Chevrolet Volt would not rely on internal combustion engine for propulsion and it would be the first fully electric car recharged using mains electricity.

For more information on the Chevrolet Volt, please follow this link http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/

We have placed a fascinating article on the site all about green motoring and it’s history. Did you realise that green cars actually predate petroleum vehicles and that electric vehicles were once more popular than their conventional alternatives?

The history of green motoring

Ecover, the pioneers of ecological cleaning, understand that we are all looking for simple ways to live more sustainably, be it eating organic food or recycling. But here’s something new, Ecover has launched an ecological car cleaning range so now you can give your car the green treatment too.

The range comprises an interior and exterior cleaning product so you can eco clean your whole car from the outside in, be it a Prius or a Peugeot.  Ecover Wash and Wax has been formulated to clean and protect your bodywork, and to add extra shine to your windows and dashboard try Ecover Glass and Interior Cleaner.

Both products are based on natural plant and mineral ingredients so when you rinse away all they will biodegrade quickly and completely leaving nothing behind to damage your garden environment.

With many of us looking for ways to save on natural resources why not turn back the clock and return to that classic Sunday morning job of cleaning your car yourself? It’s a good excuse to get out of the house, and with these simple tips from Ecover you can earn some eco-brownie points too.

• Less is more, only clean your car when absolutely necessary, once a month should suffice – cars are modes of transport, not works of art!
• Connect a water butt to your roof drain to catch water when it rains, use this to wash your car and water the garden. Look in your local garden centre for water butts that plumb neatly in to your drain pipes
• By handwashing your car you can customize your clean and concentrate on the specific areas that need a good scrub
• Don’t forget your bikes, trailers and caravans – all would love an eco-clean too

Ecover’s new car products will be available in Asda from January. The Ecover Wash and Wax RRP £2.99, the Ecover Car Glass and Interior Cleaner, RRP £2.99. Distribution will extend to the Co-op in April and Ecover’s health food trade network.

A drive for green electricity is the latest measure adopted by Volvo Cars on its path to reach a climate-neutral production in Europe. The company now relies solely on hydropower from the electricity suppliers for its facilities in Sweden and Belgium.

“We aim to use renewable energy to the greatest possible extent and hydropower is the best alternative that our suppliers can offer at present,” says Magnus Hellsten, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing at Volvo Cars.

All told, it means about 1000 GWh (gigawatt hours) produced by hydropower. It is a positive CSR step for Volvo, one that they intend to build on.

“We are now carefully checking all our facilities. By applying our experiences from successful projects, we can quickly achieve major improvements,” says Mihkel Laks, Director, Environmental Protection for Volvo Cars.

 http://www.volvocars.co.uk/

A new gadget will prevent motorists from receiving huge penalties imposed by Transport for London (TfL) for late payments on congestion charge fines. The KenBuster is an automatic payment system that is set to save commuters hundreds of pounds, but spells trouble for TfL which makes over 30% of its revenue from fines. 

The revolutionary KenBuster, which is a small box about the size of a mobile phone, is built with the latest GPS (Global Position System) technologies that detect when a vehicle enters the congestion charging zone, and then triggers a payment (where appropriate) to TfL.Matthew McCluskey, Inventor of the device and Managing Director of the KenBuster company says: “KenBuster understands that London traffic during certain hours can be problematic.  However it is the fine, the judgement and the penalty for forgetting that we disagree with.

The KenBuster is a device that was born from real emotions and we see it as a saviour for many London motorists who feel demonised by fines.”

The KenBuster is a first and there are no other similar gadgets on the market in the UK. The KenBuster is made available online at http://www.kenbuster.co.uk.

In a scheme, known as Colleague Cars, to encourage greener carshas been launched by Intelligent Fleet.

Employees obtain quotes for a car and insurance through an online system and then agree to give up part of their salary in return for the car.

Gerard Gornall, the managinfg director of Intelligent Fleet believes that “For low CO2 emission vehicles, the company car tax is substantially lower than the tax paid on the salary given up, so employees can save up to 35% on the cost of a new car.”

The aim of the scheme is to encourage the use of lower CO2 emission vehicles.

Read more about the Colleague Cars scheme on the Intelligent Fleet website http://www.intelligentfleet.co.uk/

Saab’s entry into the growing Crossover segment is a vital next step in an accelerating new product offensive that will see the Swedish premium brand represented in all major segments of the market, says Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile’s Managing Director.

Speaking at the launch of the innovative Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, he said: “This concept is more than a statement of our intent to enter the Crossover segment. It also represents our commitment to take the Saab brand to new customer groups, offering a premium alternative choice they have never had before.

“These are exciting times at Saab. We are a brand on the move, with a clear product growth strategy that will take global sales volumes to a new level.”

To read the full press release simply click on the following link http://www.saab.co.uk/main/GB/en/pressreleases/1/index.shtml

General Motors Manufacturing Ellesmere Port were recently awarded the “EON Energy Award”. The award was presented by the Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme due to their outstanding work at the plant.

The plant is the UK home of the Vauxhall Astra and the site was recognised for “reducing absolute energy used and in particular for reducing the amount of energy used to build each car by over 40% over the last three years.”

The plant also received recognition from the Health and Safety Executive for its significant improvements in productivity, quality and cost results.

Quentin Willson recently featured in a Saab BioPower interview in which he explains why he thinks the UK Government are not encouraging environmentally responsible driving and if anything hinders rather than helps the motorist. Also included in the interview are his thoughts on the potential of, and threats to bioethanol as an emerging road transport fuel.

The Quentin Willson interview can be read in its entirity here
http://www.saabbiopower.co.uk/default.asp?docId=13215

The well-known Italian automobile publication ’Quattroruote’ has awarded the smart fortwo cdi a special accolade on account of the car’s exemplary consumption and environmental friendliness.

On the occasion of the annual reader’s poll ‘Le auto che preferisco’ (‘favourite car’) the specialists at the Italian publication ‘Quattroruote’ singled out the smart fortwo cdi for a special award – the only one presented directly by the magazine. The award is a tribute to the extraordinary environmental friendliness of the trendy two-seater, which proved its status as a 3-litre car during an extensive test drive by the Italian car magazine.

In justifying the presentation of the special award ’Quattroruote’ wrote: “the smart fortwo cdi was the first car in the world to realise an average fuel economy of 3.3 litres per 100 kilometres over a total drive of 1000 kilometres. This is an excellent result, which meets the highest demands concerning environmental aspects and energy conservation – combined in a car which is affordable by everyone”.

Thanks to its direct-injection diesel engine the smart fortwo cdi also boasts emissions of just 88 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, making it the world’s CO2-Champion.

The smart fortwo has already been awarded the ’ÖkoGlobe’ and an environmental certificate from the ‘Öko-Trend’ institute. According to a study by the German automobile club ADAC the smart fortwo is also Germany’s most economical car.