It’s not a secret that over the years the motorcar has been responsible for its fair share of pollution and environmental damage.
Millions of vehicles pumping out exhaust fumes all over the planet haven’t exactly been good news for the environment. Yet they are easily the most convenient form of transport and an essential one for the way the modern world works. In short, the car is never going away, so that leaves manufacturers and consumers one option - to make and purchase greener cars. Fortunately, that is exactly what has been happening over the last decade.
The days of the big gas-guzzlers are numbered and popular opinion has swung towards cars that are more efficient and greener. Hybrid technology is finally making an impact and modern car engines are being designed and engineered to be more efficient. One of the key factors prospective car owners now look for is fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions. It might have taken a while but the message is finally being received loud and clear.
Figures released by the European Environment Agency clearly show that across the continent Europeans are buying more efficient cars and that carbon dioxide emissions are continuing to fall. Europe’s car manufacturers are meeting their CO2 reduction demands. It’s a very good sign that they are able to do this without suffering a fall in productivity.
With continued pressure from consumers to deliver greener cars, it looks like manufacturers will continue to produce cars with improved fuel efficiency. More and more manufacturers are also producing hybrid cars that utilise the power of both fuel and electric motors. New technology allows the cars to switch between the fuel sources to reduce fuel consumption. At lower speeds, the electric motor powers the car with the engine switching to traditional fuel supplies when it needs to accelerate or drive at increased speeds.
Of course, this technology is not yet perfect and there is still a long way to go. When some of the world’s most prestigious car manufacturers are on the case, however, you know the improvements will continue at quite a pace. For example, Mercedes are constantly striving to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions of their cars. Their latest SUV and crossover vehicles already have some of the most impressive fuel consumption statistics around. Hopefully, things will continue to move in the right direction at the same pace.
The car is not perfect. It has its flaws but if we all work together, with manufacturers producing the technology and consumers driving the demand, then we will eventually arrive at a place where the car no longer has any detrimental effects on the environment. That will be a good day indeed.
Richard has been writing about cars since 2008. His favourite motoring topics include the latest fuel-saving technology but also high performance cars – he's conflicted like that. When he doesn't have his writing (or marketing) hat on, he can be found traipsing around the British countryside. Or drinking a skinny latté.
Richard Lawton
October 26, 2012
Filed under: Mercedes
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