Automobile News

The theme of this year’s British Motor Show, taking place now, appears to be frugality and energy conservation. Other than driving less, one the best ways to save fuel is naturally to purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle, and thankfully the industry has started to offer some truly thrifty models. The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic currently being introduced at the Motor Show exemplifies this new demand for petrol saving cars, and impresses with an astounding fuel mileage of 76.3 mpg.

The Fiesta ECOnetic’s economical features don’t end there either. Other than officially being the most petrol efficient car in the UK, the Fiesta ECOnetic is not called ECO for nothing. It manages to also be one of the most environmentally friendly cars on the road as well, with carbon dioxide emissions of only 98g/km. A structural change in design, as well as a lowered suspension and better tyres, have helped contributed to this low CO2 output. Clearly, the Fiesta ECOnetic speaks directly to the needs of everyday people today, with its high emphasis on fuel conservation and the environment. The Focus ECOnetic sold particularly well in the UK and this long anticipated model can definitely expect similar success.

If there is one car brand or model that represents the antithesis of an environmentally friendly and fuel conserving vehicle, then it would no doubt be the General Motors Hummer. In fact, one site called FUH2.com has thousands of user submitted pictures of people hating on the vehicle, and it is often targeted and burned by radical environmentalist organizations.  Among other reasons, this apparent animosity arises from the perception of the Hummer as very bad for the environment. Of course, to many other people the Hummer means something else altogether.

Originally used by the US Military and then popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger and famous American rappers, the Hummer signifies both wealth and power. Of course, it also happens to be one of the least fuel efficient cars on the market, some models only get around 10 mpg, and most drivers never use the vehicles for their original purpose, namely, off-roading. Then, due to the onset of far higher petrol prices, the Hummer became an especially expensive status symbol to own, and began facing slumping sales. So what has the company done to make the Hummer more marketable and appealing? General Motors has taken an unexpected and surprising turn by unveiling the new green (that is, environmentally friendly, not green coloured) Hummer at the British Motor Show in London.

Yes, you read correctly, the symbol of immense power and terrible petrol mileage is now being made over to symbolize green technology and fuel efficiency. The new car is named the Hummer HX and is currently on display at the Motor Show along with many other green cars, although this model is doubtlessly one of the most surprising. The major technological revolution that causes the car to turn green is its reliance on biodiesel, instead of normal petrol. According to General Motors, this shift will make the cars substantially more environmentally friendly. Of course, other companies have already made the shift to biodiesel, including most notably Saab and Ford with their Ford Focus, so the technology is hardly revolutionary.

The next generation green Hummer will also getter a better fuel mileage because of other factors, including lighter materials and a slightly smaller size. The HX is constructed from light materials like aluminium and carbon fibre, whereas the original Hummer was made firmly of heavy steel. General Motors has also decided to make sure the materials used in the car were themselves environmentally friendly, by, for example, using recyclable fibre for the seats. However, two significant questions still linger. Firstly, how much more environmentally responsible will the Hummer truly be as the result of these changes, and, secondly, will traditional Hummer consumers still want to purchase a vehicle that is smaller, less powerful, and overall more ‘girly’ because of its focus on the environment?

Electric cars seem like the new hot trend. Gordon Brown is saying the country should completely switch to them by the year 2020, and electrically powered sports cars, like the Tesla Roadster, or even the 500 horse power SSC Ultimate Aero EV, are showing people just how powerful the technology can be. Even so, the technology still has some notable drawbacks, such as expense or time spent charging the battery, that are preventing it from completely and immediately taking over the auto combustion engine world. However, one car currently being presented at the British Motor Show in London, might at least put one of these concerns to rest.

The Electric Lightning sports car, from the Lightning Car Co., was unveiled yesterday at the British Motor Show. Aside from its high performance, a key feature of the car is the battery technology it employs, which is actually quite revolutionary. Most electric sports cars, or indeed all electric cars, use lithium-ion technology, the same as is commonly found in mobile phone batteries. The Electric Lighting on the other hand, makes use of new and far more efficient lithium-titanate battery technology. In fact, the new battery technology is so efficient that the entire car can be charged in a matter of minutes (no more than 10 minutes), while drivers of ordinary electric cars typically have to charge their vehicles overnight or at least wait for many hours. This vast improvement in charging time completely eliminates one of the inconveniences associated with the electric car, namely, the time it takes to charge.

Such an innovation clearly gives the Electric Lightning an advantage over its competitors and, should the technology prove to be reliable, will probably be the future of electric cars. Of course the company themselves assert that the technology has been tested and is full-proof. Should this in fact be true, then we can get excited over a huge innovation in the electric car industry and look forward to faster charging cars in the future.