A leading environmental body has announced that Welsh car manufacturers and dealers must do more to publicise the CO2 emissions of the vehicles they retail. The Energy Saving Trust believes that if everybody who buys a new car chooses the greenest car in its class, a typical motorist could save 375 pounds a year in fuel costs, or nearly 1bn for all UK motorists.

A broad-ranging review of the passenger car market over the last forty years by independent environmental organisation the Energy Saving Trust has found that car buyers are making uninformed choices, both economically and environmentally, when it comes to purchasing new cars, although excellent incentives to choose low CO2 vehicles are available.

The Trust points the finger at the current market structure, where more desirable cars within vehicle model ranges tend to have higher CO2 emissions. The findings are backed up by consumer research, commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust which shows that three-quarters of Welsh drivers do not know how much carbon dioxide their car emits.

The Energy Saving Trust’s consumer research also found that fifty five per cent of Welsh people say they would drive more efficiently if they had more information as to how it would save money and carbon dioxide emissions.

In the UK, the road transport sector produces around one quarter of CO2 emissions, with nearly 60 per cent coming from passenger cars. The report finds that while in most consumer markets, products become more efficient and smaller as they evolve over time, this has not happened with cars. In fact, the opposite is true: cars are now larger, more powerful and heavier than they have ever been. Studies show that vehicle weight has increased by between 30 and 40 per cent since the 1970s.

Drivers who require guidance on which cars to buy should call 0800 512012.

Haringey Council have taken the impressive move of shutting the High Road on Sunday, September 28, for an event to mark International Car Free Day, organised with the Sustainable Haringey Network. Cars will not be allowed in Wood Green as residents and shoppers enjoy entertainment, music, food and drinks between 10am to 4pm.

The occasions will also allow locals to try out cycles and discover other ways they can help enhance the environment. The council and Transport for London is helping fund the event.

Councillor Brian Haley, cabinet member for environment and conservation, said: “The day will give people the chance to see what Wood Green High Road would be like without vehicles, as well as learn about what they can do to improve the environment.”

The closure of Wood Green High Road will be in place from 7am to 8pm between the High Road’s junctions with Turnpike Lane and Gladstone Avenue. Further details of diversions will be announced by Haringey Council closer to the time.

This will be the second time that Haringey has enjoyed a Car Free Day.

 One of the most popular events at this year’s British International Motor Show has been the Ford Smart Driving Challenge, which has been fully booked every day since last Friday.

Attendees at the event are treated to a smart driving lesson on the Ford stand helping them to improve fuel consumption. The Ford Focus ECOnetic model, which has CO2 emission levels of 98g/km and fuel economy of 76.3mpg, has become the centrepiece model for instructors from the Energy Saving Trust who teach drivers how to use smart driving techniques to potentially save as much as 25% on their fuel bills each year.

Indeed the green car theme continues with the Nissan Cube City car also falling under the spotlight at the event.

The vehicle boasts a battery-electric motor, and was originally scheduled to be released in Japan only. However, thanks to advances with lithium-ion batteries Nissan is planning to release an electric car in Europe within three years.

“European sales will start in 2011, and we would like to be mass producing electric cars – not just one or two hundred – by 2012,” said Nissan’s vice-president of product planning Pierre Loing.

“Nissan’s first-generation European electric vehicle will be able to seat four to five adults and have a range of 100 miles.”

Don’t forget you can still attend the British International Motor Show – the events continue until August 03 at the London ExCeL.

 July 1998 was an eventful time for our world – France beat Brazil to win the World Cup on their home turf, the Monica Lewinsky scandal raged on at the White House, the UK banned the importation of landmines and the smart fortwo, a vehicle with true cult status, was born.

It’s fair to say a few eyebrows were raised when the two-seater smart fortwo made its first appearance with its distinctive design and a promise to be a more intelligent driving solution. However, with sales of the vehicle approaching the one million mark it’s difficult to argue with its success.

One of the key reasons the smart fortwo has broken out is because of its success as a green car. According to smart it is the ‘world champion’ for low CO2 emissions.

The smart fortwo cdi’s 33 kW/45 hp two-seater consumes an average of 3.3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres and can travel for about 1,000 kilometres before having to be refuelled. With CO2 emissions at 88g/km smart claims that the fortwo has the lowest CO2 emissions of a series production vehicle in the world.

Despite its success the company is not resting on its laurels. Last year it launched a pilot scheme in London with selected fleet customers testing 100 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles to determine how they perform under every day use. Currently the manufacturer is working on an electric-drive vehicle with lithium-ion batteries which it plans to launch in 2010.

So happy birthday smart – and here’s to many more successful innovations for the future.

Look out for the new Jazz on sale this autumn. Honda’s best selling supermini has some impressive modifications including more interior space and improved economy engines.

Despite being slightly larger than its predecessor and offering greater boot space than some MPVs, the 1.4-litre engine offers 54.3mpg (combined) for the manual model and CO2 exhaust emissions are as low as 123g/km. The 1.2-litre engine achieves an exceptional 55.4mpg (combined) while CO2 emissions are also improvement on the old model, at 120g/km.

There’s also the option of Honda’s next-generation 6-speed i-SHIFT automated manual transmission on the 1.4-litre engine – a first in this class. The unit is a development of the system first fitted to the Civic, with improvements made including; reduced gear change times, smoother shifts and more intelligent automatic mode shift logic. Equipped with this gearbox, the Jazz achieves an impressive 54.3mpg with some models recording an incredible 120g/km of CO2 emissions, putting it in VED Band B, along with the 1.2-litre car.

Dual front and side airbags are standard on all models, as are full length side curtain airbags and three-point seatbelts in all five seating positions (those in the front have dual-stage pretensioners). The front passenger airbag can also be deactivated to allow a rear facing child seat to be fitted to the front seat and for the first time Jazz is equipped with seatbelt reminders for both the front and rear seats.

There aren’t many cars you can describe as fun and practical, but I can’t think of two better words to sum up this car. You can happily drive your future grandchildren round in this vehicle guilt-free; knowing it is safe, environmentally-friendly and roomy enough so that they won’t kill each other while sat on the back seats.

 There may be efforts to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, but in the case of the emergency services it’s tough to argue when they say more cars are required. However, it seems that one political party is aiming to reach a compromise – you can have more police cars, as long as they’re green.

A report in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner stated that Kirklees Green Party wants more police cars in the rural area to make life a little easier for its hard-working community support officers, who are currently travelling to villages on public transport.

Now the Green Party wants the support officers to be given their own vehicles – as long as they are hybrid cars or low emission vehicles.

It’s not the first report of police taking the green route. According to an article in The Guardian, Sussex police have unveiled a new crime-fighting machine in the form of a two-seater electric patrol car with a top speed of 28mph.

It doesn’t exactly sound intimidating, does it? However, the vehicle, nicknamed ‘the Gem’, will emit no harmful emissions and offers an alternative for low speed pursuits.

The electric vehicle will be on trial by Sussex Police until the end of the Gay Pride Festival next Saturday.

 Dubai has been hailed as one of the fastest growing and most innovative cities in the world, so it’s no surprise that it is embracing green car use.

According to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), ten more green taxis have arrived in Dubai in the latest stage of an eco-friendly push. In June this year 10 green taxis – referring to hybrid cars – were trialled in Dubai and now the RTA has taken delivery for ten more Toyota Camrys.

The hybrid vehicles will be tested under hot and humid conditions for six months. It is the latest initiative from Dubai representatives to suppress pollution that emanates from vehicle exhausts and improve the quality of fuel used in public transport.

RTA Chairman Mattar Al Tayer stated that last month legislature was submitted to the National Transport Authority to improve air quality as it relates to transportation in Dubai.

The proposals would see any vehicles that are more than 20 years old banned from Dubai streets. Also under the new legislation, carbon monoxide would be reduced from around 4.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent; and hydrocarbons will be cut from 880ppm to 300ppm.

It is also expected that new hybrid cars will be offered to both the police and ambulance services in Dubai.

Japanese manufacturers such as Nissan and Honda, quick to spy an opportunity, are making the most of the push to go green.

While in the US, the big Detroit three (Ford, G.M and Chrysler) have struggled as a result of changing trading conditions and tightening credit conditions.

GM’s Chevrolet brand saw sales in North America down 16.5 percent for the second quarter of 2008. While Ford announced a terrifying loss of net loss of $8.7 billion for the 2008 second quarter. Chrysler announced it was withdrawing from the contract hire market in the US last week, The Independent reported that Chrysler is heavily indebted and their financial arm of the business just could not afford to offer competitive deals. The plummeting value of second hand vehicles, particularly S.U.Vs, which the US trio specialise in, is having a big affect on profit margins.

While on the other side of the Pacific, Honda announced surprise rise in profits on Friday (between April and June profits were up 8.1% on the same period last year). Investment in small, economical models such as the Jazz and the Civic Hybrid is paying off. Nissan reported net income increased 7.4 per cent in the 2007 fiscal year, ending 31 March 2008. Nissan sold a record 3,770,000 vehicles worldwide during the same period, an increase of 8.2 per cent. Small, frugal models such as the Micra and Note are benefitting the brand while Nissan continue to invest in researching improved and even greener technology, like the Denki Cube (pictured).

Toyota sales are likewise buoyed, the success of their Prius model has bolstered profit margins and the Financial Times reported recently that Toyota’s success pushed their sales ahead of G.M in US for the first time. 

The rush to “go green” is resulting in a widening gap between the proactive manufacturers and those who have been slower to recognise a shift in consumer interest to green cars. Offering fuel efficient vehicles is now a must for all car manufacturers. The US manufacturers are already investing in new, greener models in an attempt to to play catch-up.

Cost of diesel increase is enough to charge a Modec for a whole year…

Annual fuel costs have risen by £1,109* in the last 12 months for the average diesel van. Charging a Modec for a whole year costs just £1,050** on average… that’s less than the ADDITIONAL fuel cost and is far easier to predict thanks to stable electricity prices.

With a running cost of only 7p per mile, compared to the 29p per mile it costs to fuel an equivalent sized diesel van, the vehicles are cost effective and the stable electricity price allows fleet managers to forecast more accurately.

“We’re all aware how much pressure the transport industry is under. Rising fuel costs and strict CO2 targets only add to this pressure” comments Roger Atkins, Modec.

“During the six years of research and development invested in the Modec vehicle, we made significant advances in the technologies used and have created a commercial vehicle that offers a serious alternative to the diesel fleet. Needless to say, Modec vehicles cut emissions significantly and will not be affected by rising fuel prices.”

How the figures stack up:

* Diesel Van
2007- 98p per litre x 4.27 = £4.41 per gallon ÷ 20 (mpg) = 21p per mile x 15,000 miles = £3,241 per year
2008 – £1.28 per litre x 4.27 = £5.76 per gallon ÷ 20 (mpg) = 29p per mile x 15,000 miles = £4,350 per year
Price increase in diesel = £1,109 between 2007 and 2008

** Modec Van
Electricity – 8.5p per kWh. 1.2 miles per kWh = 7p per mile x 15,000 miles = £1,050 per year

(Figures based on 15,000 miles per annum with diesel vehicles achieving
20mpg)

As a part of its ambitious programme of automotive transmission concept development, Ricardo has unveiled a research prototype vehicle that demonstrates the company’s patent pending electromagnetic linear actuation technology.  This technology offers a low cost route to robust and highly efficient Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) and dry Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) vehicles, capable of delivering increased fuel economy and lower emissionsThe development vehicle unveiled today is based on an Opel Corsa 1.2l gasoline automated manual transmission in which the control and actuation system of the original Easytronic system has been replaced with Ricardo’s patent-pending electromagnetic linear actuator technology.  This advanced technology is sufficiently versatile and controllable that it can be multiplexed in order to operate both the clutch control and gear selection functions. In the research prototype vehicle this eAMT system demonstrates:

• Two-pedal vehicle automation at low cost, owing to a significantly reduced parts count through use of a single electromagnetic actuator in place of separate clutch and gear actuator units
• Opportunities for reduced size and weight
• Controllable actuator force of up to 800N peak and 350N continuous
• A torque interrupt of as little as 0.35 seconds during shifts
• An advanced implementation of Ricardo AMT control software employing clutch ‘kiss’ point adaption techniques and DCT-like microslip control of a single dry-clutch.

The eAMT research vehicle provides an ideal environment for the actuator and control technology to be tested, evaluated and refined in real-world driving conditions.  While the vehicle was intended as a first step in proving the capability of this technology for an advanced, dry clutch eDCT system, the transmission architecture of the eAMT vehicle represents a potentially attractive automated two-pedal solution for smaller (A/B class) vehicles in price and/or manufacturing cost sensitive markets.

Efficient, low cost and fully scalable control
The patent-pending linear electromagnetic actuator and control technology demonstrated on the eAMT vehicle offers a highly practical and cost-effective solution for advanced transmission systems.  This technology is fully controllable in terms of position, force and velocity, and is scalable from small passenger car applications through to large commercial vehicles and off-highway equipment. In an AMT configuration such as that demonstrated in Ricardo’s eAMT prototype, a single actuator substitutes for the separate clutch operation and gear selection systems of the current production unit. Clutch control is achieved without modification to the release bearing arrangement.  Moreover, it is extremely fast-acting: in benchmark step response tests carried out against a current production hydraulic valve actuated system, the Ricardo system was shown to be in excess of eight times faster.

Towards a more cost-effective and fuel efficient DCT implementation
Ultimately this research programme will see the implementation of this same technology in an eDCT transmission for a European C/D segment vehicle.  With further IPR developments planned for the cooling of dry clutch modules, the dry clutch eDCT system will aim to provide a high efficiency, zero torque interrupt transmission system that, based on the results of simulation and component testing, aims to provide a fuel consumption saving of in the region of 5 per cent in comparison with a hydraulically actuated wet clutch DCT, while also offering significantly lower manufacturing cost.

Lee Sykes, Ricardo global product group director for driveline and transmission systems, said:

“The advanced electromagnetic linear actuation technology in the eAMT vehicle shows huge potential for the practical implementation of next-generation transmissions in the automotive as well as the commercial vehicle and off-highway sectors. This is just one of the positive results of the eAMT research which includes the demonstration of next generation software control – the art of the possible in terms of multiplexing.  The eAMT and on-going eDCT research projects show Ricardo’s commitment to providing its clients with advanced technology and services that will be key enablers of the more fuel efficient and cost-optimised automated transmission products of the future, as demanded in the major global automotive markets of Europe, the Americas and Asia.”