Going Green and which Cars to Buy
In today world, having a car or driving is almost a necessity in daily life. However, that also makes cars one of the highest contributors of carbon gas emission in the worldwide, leading to both air pollution and climate change. Fortunately there are now many benefits to owning an environmentally friendly car. Furthermore, there are also plenty of green cars to choose from in the market at the moment.
Environmentally friendly cars include both full electric cars and hybrids. Hybrids use a combination of hydrogen and electric fuel cells to power the car. Both these options are certainly greener options to the traditional gas powered vehicle and provide many other benefits as well. One of the benefits to owning a green car is the amount of cost that can be saved from it. It is well known that the price of gas is inching up to record levels and this does not look like stopping as the world’s supply of fossil fuels dwindle. Also the green cars do not need as much maintenance as the normal cars so the cost is upkeep them are also lower. Another benefit of driving an environmentally friendly car is the smoother ride is provides. It is well known that these cars are less noisy and easier to drive than the traditional versions. This is because the former is powered by an electric motor while the latter by gas powered engine which is inherently noisier.
In many countries around the world, governments are providing many incentives to consumer when they purchase environmentally friendly cars. These include low excise taxes that will lower the purchase price or tax deductions that lower the cost of maintaining the car. Currently most of the car manufacturers have produced or are producing at least a hybrid version of their most popular models.
Arguably the most popular green car is thePrius, which is a hybrid from Japanese carmaker Toyota. The Prius is a mini hatchback which was first introduced into the market way back in 1997. Up till October 2012, the Prius has sold over 2 million cars worldwide. It has now become a brand in itself and the range has expanded to include a sub-compact model.
In terms of full electric cars, one of the most popular models is the Nissan Leaf. Up till the end of 2012, it has sold over 45,000 cars worldwide. The Leaf is a five door hatchback and run on a 24KW-h Lithium Ion battery. Electric cars are not limited to just hatchback or subcompacts are shown by theTesla Roadster. This car was the first fully electric, highway capable car in the world. It was also the first car to use lithium ion batteries and is able to travel more than 300 kilometers on a single charge. Since its launch in 2008, more than 2500 Tesla Roadsters have been sold worldwide.
