Though it remains to be seen whether this year’s oil and petrol price hikes will prompt a fall in emissions stateside, it’s clear that prior to this summer’s events Americans were failing to get the green message. According to Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2007, a report released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), there was an increase in greenhouse gas emissions of 1.4 per cent over the course of last year. The figures do not make for ... read more

 Green cars are all the rage in the motoring Press with every motor show seemingly devoted to exciting new concepts and talks about establishing fuel efficient cars to prompt a resurgence in a flagging market. Why, hybrids have even increased their market share to more than three per cent. However, it seems that in some areas green cars are not catching on so quickly. In particular, electric cars are failing to get off the ground in Dublin with reports that only two NICE Mega City vehicles ... read more

 While the “big three” in the US automotive industry - Ford, Chrysler and General Motors - plead their case to Congress for a $25billion federal aid package, a number of smaller companies have set their sights on a slice of a golden… but green… pie of their own. The Department of Energy has already set up a $25billion loan programme to speed up the development of green cars and many companies are competing hastily to grab their share of the cash. Earlier this week ... read more

 Another motor show is being dominated by the latest green car concepts - this time it is the turn of the New England International Auto Show, held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Centre, to be bitten by the environmental bug. The 52nd annual version of the show has adopted a special theme, entitled “Fuel Solutions” in an attempt to show car shoppers that there are still affordable options available despite the slumbering economy. Although the exhibition still includes ... read more

 The green car race is in overdrive with reports from the Nikkei suggesting that Toyota Tsusho Corp, a Toyota affiliated trading house, will start importing rare earth elements from Vietnam and India. If proven accurate, the acquisition of independent sources of key materials would give Toyota a sizeable advantage in the production of hybrid cars. Currently, China supplies around 90 per cent of the rare earth elements used in Japan but it is beginning to tighten its export restrictions. In ... read more

 An agreement has finally been made on future targets for CO2 emissions from cars following a series of meetings between the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the French Presidency of the Council. A compromise has been reached based on the Commission’s proposed target of 120g/km for new passenger cars by 2012 compared to the current levels of 160g/km. The target of 130g/km has now been settled on and is to be reached by improvements in vehicle motor technology with the ... read more

 How do you ‘go green’ without sacrificing a vehicle’s performance? Fiat believes it has found the answer with an extension of its Bravo mid-size hatchback range. The five-door Bravo will now boast a more powerful and yet a more economical and a lower emissions engine. The engine in question is the 165bhp 2.0 Multijet unit which meets Euro 5 standards and includes a diesel particulate filter. The vehicle will be available in both the Sport and Dynamic specifications and is ... read more

 Even those vehicles that don’t exactly fit the description of a ‘green car’ are adopting a more environmentally conscious outlook in an effort to expand their appeal. The latest is the Ford Kuga crossover, with three new additions of the vehicle introduced providing lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions combined with greater power and torque. The Kuga 2.0litre TDCi crossover retains the style and refinement of the existing Kuga but combines it with emissions of just 159g/km. ... read more

Alternative fuel vehicles and electric vehicles have been the stars of 2008 so far according to a new report. The latest Experian ‘Automotive Market Insight Report’ from the global information company, details car buying trends between January and June 2008. In difficult trading circumstances, diesel, alternative fuel and electric vehicles and cars within the mini segment were among the few to post a growth in sales. While, slightly surprisingly,  the used MPV segment was the biggest ... read more

 Road transport is being blamed as the European Union looks likely to miss its targets for air pollution levels. Although emissions have been falling across the continent, the limits set by the EU National Emission Ceilings Directive are likely to be missed particularly because the limit on nitrogen oxide is difficult to meet, especially with the demand for road transport continuing to grow. Now only 11 EU member states are expected to stay within their emission limits. The directive covers ... read more