Energy Efficiency
See also: Low-energy vehicleCars with similar production energy costs can obtain, during the life of the car (operational phase), large reductions in energy costs through several measures:
- The most significant is by using alternative propulsion:
- An efficient engine that reduces the vehicle's consumption of petroleum (i.e. petroleum electric hybrid vehicle), or, preferably, that uses renewable energy sources throughout its working life.
- Using biofuels instead of petroleum fuels.
- Proper maintenance of a vehicle such as engine tune-ups, oil changes, and maintaining proper tire pressure can also help.
- Removing unnecessary items from a vehicle reduces weight and improves fuel economy as well.
| Comparison of several types of green car basic characteristics (Values are overall for vehicles in current production and may differ between types) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of vehicle/ powertrain |
Fuel economy (mpg equivalent) |
Range | Production cost for given range |
Reduction in CO2 compared to conventional |
Payback period |
| Conventional ICE | 10-78 | Long (400-600 mi) |
Low | 0% | - |
| Biodiesel | 18-71 | Long (360-540 mi) |
Low | 100% | - |
| All-electric | 54-118 | Shorter (73-150 mi) Luxury models Medium (160-300 mi) |
High Very high |
varies depending on energy source |
- |
| Hydrogen fuel cell | 80 | Astronomical | |||
| Hybrid electric | 30-60 | 380 mi | Medium | 5 years | |
Read more about this topic: Green Vehicle
Famous quotes containing the words energy and/or efficiency:
“In the west, Apollo and Dionysus strive for victory. Apollo makes the boundary lines that are civilization but that lead to convention, constraint, oppression. Dionysus is energy unbound, mad, callous, destructive, wasteful. Apollo is law, history, tradition, the dignity and safety of custom and form. Dionysus is the new, exhilarating but rude, sweeping all away to begin again. Apollo is a tyrant, Dionysus is a vandal.”
—Camille Paglia (b. 1947)
“I’ll take fifty percent efficiency to get one hundred percent loyalty.”
—Samuel Goldwyn (1882–1974)