Green cars, also known as clean vehicles or eco-friendly vehicles, are road motor vehicles that produce less harmful impacts to the environment than comparable conventional internal combustion engine cars running on gasoline or diesel fuel or using certain alternative fuels. They can be powered by renewable or other forms of clean energy and can have a lower environmental impact over their entire lifecycle.
The most commonly used Green cars are hybrids, electric vehicles and biodiesel or vegetable oil-powered diesel engines that meet various low carbon emission standards. However, even conventional gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles can be Green if they have high fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, such as those certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with their SmartWay label and higher Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Scores.
Hybrid cars are some of the most popular Green cars available, with many models boasting impressive fuel efficiency figures and driving ranges, and some offering nearly 100 percent cuts in CO2 emissions compared to their fossil-fuel counterparts. These vehicles combine a traditional gasoline or diesel engine with an electric battery-driven motor to offer the best of both worlds, and can be operated on any type of fuel. The most popular hybrids on the market today include Toyota’s Prius hybrid, which features the EV version of the car’s famous gas-powered engine and Honda’s Insight model.
Some manufacturers are taking things a step further with their own take on the Green vehicle, such as Mazda’s new MX-30, which uses a combination of Toyota’s e-Skyactiv X technology and a lithium-ion battery to offer a claimed driving range of over 100 miles. Alternatively, some of the top Green cars on the market use hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity by converting hydrogen into electrical energy using water. Examples of these models include the Mirai from Toyota and others by Volkswagen.
With governments and automakers around the world moving to phase out fossil-fuel vehicles in favor of electric power, the number of Green cars on the road is growing rapidly. And with prices expected to continue falling as production and battery costs decrease and driving ranges increase, it could soon be cheaper and more environmentally friendly to buy a new electric or hybrid vehicle than a conventional petrol or diesel car.
Green vehicles can also have a positive impact on the health of local communities. Gasoline-powered cars spew health-harming particulate matter into the air, which is linked to tens of thousands of premature deaths in the United States each year. By contrast, EVs emit zero tailpipe pollutants, and can help improve air quality in cities, reduce noise pollution and cut Australia’s dependence on imported oil.
Of course, the most environmentally-friendly way to get around is by bike or scooter. These can be made more environmentally-friendly by combining them with electric motors and by using a mix of renewable or low-carbon fuel, as recommended by Nationwide. However, if you do choose to purchase a Green vehicle, make sure to protect it with the right insurance.