Hybrid Cars and Cutting Down Your Carbon Footprint

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by: Glenn Tucker
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Word Count: 640
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2011 Time: 3:52 AM
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All cars on UK roads need to contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, as the increased ratings have reached vast proportions. Even if eliminating the emissions completely is not possible, people can attempt to reach that goal as hard as possible. Cutting down emissions can bring financial and safety benefits in both long and short run. To understand the ways in which these measures can be undertaken, the performance of hybrid cars and low emission cars needs to be analysed; this will ultimately expose the efficiency of the methods.

The Peugeot 308 is the newest environmental friendly vehicle from the Peugeot low emission car range. The innovative Stop-Start technology is featured alongside the industry leading 1.6-litre HDi FAP Euro 5 diesel engine. These two features enable low CO2 emissions, as the new incorporated technology stops the car's internal combustion engine to reduce its idling speed; it also keeps car features such as the air conditioning and the radio on, while the engine is off. In consequence, the Peugeot 308 has a low level of carbon dioxide emissions, which have been recorded from 98g to 110g per kilometre. As the electronic accessories are on and the engine idles, the car consumes a lot of fuel which in the end emits more CO2. A recommendation for vehicles which do not benefit from the Stop-Start technology is to shut down the engine if it is likely to station more than two minutes.

Benefiting from enhanced environmental friendly factors, the Peugeot 308 ensures low emissions by firstly reducing the car weight. This has been done by fitting resilience tyres of 16 inches extra-low functionality, which made the vehicle 25 kilograms lighter. In conclusion, another way to reduce CO2 emissions with a car is to reduce its weight by eliminating any extra loads from the boot, the backseat or from any of the car's compartments. Also, maintaining the tyres can also add to enhanced car performance, fuel consumption and as a result, low emission cars. This means replacing the tyres when they are close to exceeding their lifespan, making sure the tyre treads are deep enough to provide enough grip and mileage, along with ensuring they are always pumped up.

Another interesting new model in the Peugeot low emission cars range is the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4, also known as "the world's first full diesel hybrid car". It consists of a 2.0-litre diesel engine, with a capacity of 163bhp and an electric motor which can provide 37bhp. The consumption on the motorway adds up to 74.4mpg and emits 99g CO2 per kilometre, which also saves a lot of running costs like fuel, maintenance and council tax band. The reason for this is the vehicle's moderate speed; the top speed is only 112mph and 0-60mph takes 12 seconds. Therefore, the appropriate driving speed can have a significant impact on reducing CO2 emissions. Due to the growing number of speed limits on UK roads, drivers have to reduce their running speed; a vehicle running on petrol could emit 15% more CO2 at 75mph rather than at 60mph. Gear shifting is also a factor in CO2 emissions, as an earlier shifts can increase engine lifespan and save fuel. In a diesel car, gearshift is recommended at 2000rpm, while for petrol-powered vehicles shifting is advised at 2500rpm.

The secret to reducing as much CO2 emission as possible is to reduce the activities which create unnecessary greenhouse gases. With new legislations and the growing public interest, vehicle manufacturers are determined to improve the efficiency of their products by reducing CO2 emissions. By making the most of the current technological equipment, a further exploration of the car industry privileges is available; the new developments of power generators and innovative technologies will benefit car manufacturers, consumers and the environment over a lifetime.

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Find the right Low emission cars for you, with more information regarding hybrid cars, electric cars and even diesel hybrids