If you've ever bought a car, you've probably come across greener cars. The term "green cars" refers to vehicles that emit fewer emissions and leave a smaller carbon footprint than conventional gasoline or diesel vehicles. However, according to Nationwide, not every alternative fuel car is environmentally friendly. Let's take a look at what is required to classify vehicles as environmentally friendly, what kind of fuel they use, and their overall impact on the environment.
Definition of "green cars
In some countries, all vehicles that meet the world's most stringent emissions standards are currently classified as environmentally friendly. According to Lexus, these standards include ZEV, ULEV, PZEV and SULEV emission standards for zero-emission cars in California, Euro6 standards in Europe and various other low-carbon fuel requirements set by other countries. Read more about cars here.
What powers a green car?
According to Green Car Reports, the fuels that power green cars can vary widely. In most cases, they are powered by non-fossil fuels, z. B. With lithium-ion or other batteries in plug-in or hybrid models. They can also run on compressed air, hydrogen fuel cells, natural gas, ethanol, or even biofuels made from corn oil. Some are powered by a combination of fossil fuels. Powered by other energy sources. This includes gas/electric hybrid vehicles as well as vehicles that run on biodiesel in combination with ethanol, gasohol or regular gasoline.
When were electric cars first introduced?
According to Kelley Blue Book, the idea for electric cars originated in the early 1970s when there was a global oil crisis. This caused gasoline prices to skyrocket, prompting people to explore alternative fuel sources as a viable option for cars. To date, gasoline prices have never returned to pre-oil crisis levels, and they are far higher on average than they were during that period.
In the late 1990s, alternative fuels were actively sought on a broad front, and concept vehicles using alternative fuels were introduced at auto shows everywhere. This led to the modern electric and hybrid vehicles.
What are the types of environmentally friendly vehicles?
Almost all truly environmentally friendly vehicles run at least in part on fuels other than fossil fuels, which are also called alternative fuels, according to Nationwide. By reducing dependence on fossil fuels, these vehicles produce fewer emissions and a smaller carbon footprint.
There are options where alternative fuels are mixed with conventional gasoline and used in regular cars. This option helps your normal vehicle to use renewable energy. Let's look at a few types of environmentally friendly vehicles.
Electric and fuel cell vehicles
Perhaps the most environmentally friendly vehicles on the road today are those that run on electricity, either as rechargeable plug-in models or with hydrogen fuel cells. In most cases, plug-in electric cars are more efficient than vehicles powered by fuel cells, but both types have far better fuel economy than regular vehicles.
The disadvantage of electric cars is that they have a limited range before they need to be recharged. This can turn a one-day drive into a two-day drive if you need to stop and recharge your vehicle for a few hours. Yet many of them can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 100 percent compared to gas-powered vehicles.