Jun
2010
Green cars are now cool
I never thought I would say this but I think I may have just found a hybrid car that I actually like thanks to the guys at Top Gear. Most of the hybrid cars built so far have done very little to excite me, the generally look very square, dull and not very sporty but the Bentley Continental Supersports has everything a dream car should have – looks, heritage and power and it comes in a hybrid version. OK, so I will probably never own one but it goes to show that car manufacturers are waking up to the fact that if they are going to get people driving greener cars, they need to give them more va va voom!
But, there is a little point having a biofuel-powered car if you can’t refuel it. In the UK, there only a small number of stations that sell E85 Bioethanol fuel so unless you happen to have one near you, it may be quite hard to top up your car on those long journeys. So will this change anytime soon?
The UK government’s plans to develop a network of electric charging points to encourage greener motoring, along with the gradual development of a high-speed rail network, means it could be sooner than we think. But with the G20 apparently dropping a pledge to invest in climate-friendly energy generation from their final summit statement last week, it seems we may have a long battle to change perception and get to a point where we’re all driving vehicles that are powered by greener means.
I guess only time will tell, but if investments in alternative fuels and access go ahead and if manufacturers continue to develop pioneering and attractive hybrids, then there may come a time when we abandon traditional fuel-powered cars and drive luxurious, sporty green vehicles.
But until then, I will stand by my beloved petrol engine and look at other ways I can do my bit for the planet…the Exhaust Burger (as featured on Top Gear) is looking like an interesting option.
