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:
“A government deriving its energy from the will of the society, and operating, by the reason of its measures, on the understanding and interest of the society ... is the government for which philosophy has been searching and humanity been fighting from the most remote ages ... which it is the glory of America to have invented, and her unrivalled happiness to possess.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)
“I’ll take fifty percent efficiency to get one hundred percent loyalty.”
—Samuel Goldwyn (1882–1974)