by Ying Yang

Created on: August 31, 2010

All over the developed world, the transportation sector is one of the leading causes of green house gas emissions. Everyone uses some form of transportation to get around, but by far the most common is the passenger car, arguably the least environmentally-friendly mode of transport there is. However, because of its huge customer base, the humble car also has the most potential to affect changes in popular opinion and lead efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.

That is where the new “green” cars come in. A green car is one that employs innovative technology to reduce the need for fossil fuels and therefore emits fewer green house gas emissions. There are several main types of green cars, each with their own pros and cons.

Hybrids:

Hybrid cars have a battery pack and an electric power train as well as the traditional gas engine. The electric motors are used to power the car under low speeds and can shut the gas engine down when in traffic, so there are zero emissions. The battery pack is charged by the excess engine energy and braking, so it is essentially reusing energy that would otherwise be lost. Hybrids cost more than the average gas-engine vehicle, but they have much better fuel economy, produce less emissions and are especially good for urban areas.

Some examples of hybrid vehicles include: Toyota Prius (no. 1 green car on the market), Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Lexus HS250h… and the list goes on. In fact, nine out the top ten cars on the EPA’s List of the Top Ten Most Fuel Efficient Cars of 2010 are hybrids.

Electric Cars:

One step further than the hybrid is the fully electric-powered car. It is the greenest because it produces no emissions at all. All-electric cars contribute to reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and operating costs are more stable as they are not affected by global oil prices. The problems are that electric cars require regular charging, which limits the range the cars can travel. Also, unless the electricity is coming from a clean green source like wind, solar or hydropower, the emissions are really only being moved to a different source (the coal-powered energy generators). These are serious issues which still need to be worked through, which is why there are currently only a few manufacturers who do electric cars.

Electric cars currently on the market include: REVA L-ion, Th!nk City, and (the one I want to get my hands on!) the Tesla Roadster. There are several other electric cars with

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