Most people these days like to think they care for the environment – we’re having shorter showers, turning lights off and recycling newspapers like OUTinPerth. However Australians emit the most carbon dioxide emissions per capita in the world, according to 2009 data.
Motor vehicles in Perth generate over half of the air pollutants for the city and nationally, our carbon emissions from cars and light vehicles make up about eight per cent of our total carbon emissions, according to the RAC. With all this doom and gloom surrounding climate change, alternative fuel technologies have become real options to petrol guzzlers.
These technologies are drawing on electricity to create hybrids with unleaded petrol engines. Here’s a brief breakdown of some of the current technology.
Electric Cars
Electric cars have moved along way since juiced-up Combi vans and solo-driven science experiments. These days Electric Vehicles (EVs) have stronger acceleration, they’re quieter and smoother than their petrol counterparts. Mitsubishi has broken ahead of the pack in Australia with their iMiev model. The iMiev can run 150 km before the next ‘charge’ and reach speeds up to 130km/h. Since it runs only on electricity, there are no direct carbon emissions. It can plug into a 15amp household power socket for a full charge in seven hours. Alternatively, Mitsubishi’s EV also has a quick charge option which will provide 80 per cent charge in around 30 minutes.
Renault has launched their own EV, the Fluence Z.E. while most other brands have introduced their electric-petrol hybrids like the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic or the Toyota Prius. A couple of things worth considering about EVs are price and recharging facilities.
Currently, recharging infrastructure is still very limited but charge spots are popping up around the country. Better Place, the company responsible for the electric car network roll-out has installed public charge spots in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney plus private charge spots in other cities (but not yet Perth). Pricewise, the iMiev is about $54,000 drive away although hybrids are significantly cheaper.
Electric Hybrid Cars
Funnily enough, some of the first automobiles ever made were electric/petrol-powered hybrids. In 1900, Ferdinand Porsche developed a four-wheel drive hybrid with a petrol generator that powered an electric engine however these hybrids petered out after Ford introduced the assembly line. Nowadays, Hybrid Electric Vehicles (VEHs) generally have conventional petrol engines like regular cars combined with an electric propulsion system. The idea is HEVs use the smaller conventional engine most of the time until it needs some extra torque like driving uphill or accelerating which is when the battery pack kicks in.
This combination achieves better fuel economy that translates into reduced carbon emissions.
Honda and Toyota have been the first brands in the industry to introduce hybrids but now most brands have hybrid plans in the pipeline. Commentators have pegged Toyota’s Prius slightly ahead of the Honda Civic Hybrid although this endorsement is based on minor technological refinements from Toyota. Currently HEVs are still quite pricey but not as expensive as all-electric vehicles. Both the Toyota Prius 2011 model and Honda Civic Hybrid are priced at just over $38,000 drive away from Perth with the Civic just cheaper.
Until recharge stations for all-electric cars are rolled out across the country, HEVs will remain the pragmatic option for anyone interested in the future of motoring.
Benn Dorrington
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