Finalists for ‘Green Car of the Year’ Announced

The 2014 “Green Car of the Year” finalists have been announced ahead of the L.A. Auto Show and the BMW i3 is among the final candidates.

The other finalists are the Audi A3 TDI, Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel, Honda Fit hatchback and Volkswagen Golf.

Here is a closer look at the cars:

BMW i3

The i3′s electric drive-train generates output of 125 kW/170 hp and peak torque of 250 Newton meters, which is immediately available from a standing start. The BMW i3 sprints from 0 to 60 km/h in 3.7 seconds and from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds. Its top speed is limited to 150 km/h for efficiency reasons.

The US EPA says the i3 has a range of 81 miles with a combined MPGe of 124 (138 MPGe City, 111 MPGe Highway).

Audi A3 TDI

Audi’s all-new A3 TDI presents an exciting choice for those looking to go upscale and ‘green,’ appearing for the first time as a stylish four-door sedan featuring the automaker’s new fuel-efficient, 2.0-liter TDI clean diesel power plant with a 150-horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, driving the front wheels.

Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel

The vehicle is available only with a 3.6L hardened engine with hardened valves and valve seats for improved wear resistance and durability with the CNG fuel system. The CNG tank mounted in the trunk has the equivalent capacity of 7.8 gallons of gasoline, which is expected to offer approximately 150 city miles of range on compressed natural gas based on GM testing.

 Honda Fit

The fit features a 1.5-liter inline-four which includes direct-injection and increased compression ratio. It’s rated at 130 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque. The EPA rating the Fit LX with CVT at 33/41 mpg city/highway.

Volkswagen Golf

Under the hood of the latest Golf,  VW placed a 1.8 liter inline-four engine producing 170 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque.  The Golf now achieves 26 miles per gallon city and 37 mpg highway.

By: Unknown On 10:00

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How your tyres contribute to green driving

Concern for the environment is growing daily and rightly so. Electric vehicles, hybrid cars and plug- in hybrids are increasing in popularity. Did you know that you tyres too play a significant role in preserving the environment?

How exactly do tyres contribute to green driving? 

Tyres and the Environment

In general, tyres do not have a very good name when it comes to environmental friendliness; the fact that they are composed of rubber and several chemical additives works against them. The process of tyre manufacturing includes several chemical processes that involve heating natural and/or synthetic rubber and fusing it on to a steel framework. Certainly not environment friendly!

Yet tyres today do play a big role in green driving.

Introducing: Green tyres

Eco friendly tyres, popularly known as green tyres, are equipped with certain technologies that reduce the environmental impact of driving. Driving pollutes the atmosphere with carbon dioxide emissions. Modern tyre design and technology is helping counter that.

The fuel efficiency of your car depends significantly on your tyres. While moving on the roads, tyres encounter a frictional force, also called rolling resistance, which resists the movement of the tyre. The tyres need greater energy to overcome this resistance, which comes from fuel, thereby pushing up fuel consumption and thus increasing the carbon dioxide emissions.

The first step in creating eco-friendly tyres is therefore to create tyres with significantly reduced rolling resistance. With low rolling resistance, fuel efficiency increases, reducing fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Green tyre technologies in practice

Tyre manufacturers are exploring innovative alternatives to produce tyres that reduce their environmental footprint, without compromise on performance and safety. Reducing rolling resistance of tyres has an impact on the wet braking ability. Manufacturers, therefore have to ensure that there is an ideal balance between the two.

In its Cinturato range, Pirelli tyres has incorporated several eco- compatible materials, thus reducing the environmental impact at the production stage and over the life of the tyre. The Green Performance technology of these tyres reduces rolling resistance by 20% bringing down fuel consumption by 4% with corresponding reduction in emission levels.

Bridgestone has its Ecopia range of tyres, Continental its ContiEcoContact range and Michelin’s green X range are some examples of tyres with low rolling resistance and corresponding high fuel efficiency and green nature.

What can you do?

Driving on under-inflated tyres greatly increases the rolling resistance and thereby harmful emissions, besides being unsafe. As a responsible vehicle owner, check your tyre pressure at least once a month. Best practice driving techniques and tyre care will also ensure that you tyres last longer, removing the need for more frequent tyre purchases. This decreased demand for new tyres will directly reduce the burden of tyres on the environment. 

By: Unknown On 13:30

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