When it comes to buying new cars, a lot of people fall in to one of two groups ? those who don?t particularly care about the car itself, and will be looking for the cheapest option or the least likely to break down, and petrol heads who want the fastest, sleekest, coolest car they can find. ?Green? cars, using alternative or adapted technologies to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions, have never really fitted into either of these groups.
Sure, it?s a nice idea that you could help to save the planet by driving a different car, but let’s face it these environmentally friendly cars just aren’t capable of performing as well as their petrol-powered counterparts, and they’re normally not cheap either.
But that may all be about to change. Growing concern over the environmental issues caused by cars and other vehicles, combined with the effects of the global recession means that people are starting to move towards buying more fuel efficient vehicles. Car buyers are starting to consider greener alternatives to petrol as a viable future for the car industry, and the technology is developing and improving in leaps and bounds.
The recent Revolve Eco Rally showcased the latest in environmentally friendly cars, driving en mass from Madeira Drive in Brighton to gather outside London’s City Hall. A whole host of celebrity guest drivers took part and they were met in London by Mayor Boris Johnson, who is a strong supporter of green transport and aims to cut London’s carbon emissions by 60%, for the What Car? Green Awards.
The purpose of the rally and the awards was to show what the latest developments in green cars are capable of, and awards were given to vehicles in a number of categories. The overall winner was the Volvo S40 DRIVe for combining its green credentials and supreme fuel efficiency with safety, security and being an all-round good small family car ? it?s still not cheap though, and for around