March 31, 2011
Electric cars: 1 in 6 by 2030 – Why don’t you get yours today?
In order for the UK to meet its target for the reduction of CO2 emissions, it had been estimated that we will need more than 6,000,000 green cars driving on our roads by 2030.
This comes from a report from the WWF (The World Wildlife Fund) stating that if the UK is truly to decrease its dependency on oil, we would need at least 6.4 million electric cars by 2030 meaning approximately 1.7 million by 2020.
By 2050, the EU’s carbon reduction target is 80%. This means that if we stand any chance of succeeding, the electric car needs to intricate itself into the world at a much faster pace.
“Road transport accounts for 40 per cent of petroleum products consumed in the UK so a switch from conventional cars powered by petrol or diesel to electric vehicles would have a much needed impact on reducing fuel demand,” says David Norman, WWF.
May 27, 2010
Volkswagen Buys Italdesign
VW is expanding its empire with the announcement that are to buy the Italian design house that gave us the original Golf design.
VW will take a 90.1 per cent stake in Italdesign – Italy’s largest design and engineering firm, employing some 800 people – via Lamborghini Holding SpA, while the Giugiaro family will retain the remaining 9.9 per cent of shares in the company.
“The Volkswagen Group will be continuing its model initiative over the coming years and will benefit from the capacity and competence of Italdesign,” says VW’s CEO, Martin Winterkorn. “The company will therefore be making an important contribution to our 2018 global growth strategy.”
For his part, car design legend and Italdesign’s co-founder, Giorgetto Giugiaro, said: “Becoming part of the Volkswagen Group means revaluating ourselves and our strength. Entering Volkswagen means to open up a promising perspective for the company.”
Italdesign has created many models and concepts for the VW Group since the company was created in 1968, including the first Golf and concepts the first Passat, Scirocco and the Audi 80.
May 26, 2010
New front wheel drive Range Rover aimed at company cars drivers
Land Rover announced a few weeks ago that they will be making their first ever front wheel car, which is an attempt to lure the lucrative company car drivers away from their typical Audi’s and BMW’s.
With emissions reported to be less than 130g/km, the dinky Range Rover will fall into the much lower company car tax band than any previous models.
When it goes on sale sometime in 2011 it will be taxed 19% of its list price rather than the 28% of the current low emission Range Rover.
The company is also trialling hybrid technology in a Range Rover Sport model. The electric motor is allied to the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine, and the aim is for the Range_e model to cover 20 miles using electric power only.
A production version is scheduled to go on sale in 2013.
Lower tax bills with the new BlueMotion VW Golf
When you decide on your company car, the tax for it can quite often be the deciding factor, VW have recognised this and have just announced that their new Golf will be a lot cheaper when it comes to paying company car tax.
The new 140bhp 2.0 litre TDI diesel will now incorporate BlueMotion technology which was pioneered in ultra frugal Polo. The new Golf will feauture stop-start technology.
Other good news is that you will be able to guise you new Golf with the GT trim or the new match trim. The Match version replaces the SE trim level and adds £1,600-worth of extra equipment for a £300 price rise. The Match versions gain 16-inch alloy wheels, leather multi-function steering wheel, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, front and rear parking sensors and touch-screen stereo with six-CD changer.
The 2.0 litre will see monthly tax drop from £58 a month two the base rate of £42 a month. And the 1.6 TDI in BlueMotion Technology trim returns near-70mpg economy and CO2 emissions of 107g/km. This puts it in the lowest diesel benefit-in-kind tax band (13%) for the next two years.
February 25, 2010
Vauxhall’s Ampera has been charged and will drive to the Geneva Motor Show will it make it ?
In what could be major PR gamble Vauxhall have just announced that their prototype electric car the Ampera (subtle play on amp) has been charged, and will attempt to drive the 370-mile journey from Rüsselsheim, Germany, to the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, without emitting CO2.
At the wheel of this gargantuan challenge will be Opel/Vauxhall Director of Electric Vehicle Implementation, Gherardo Corsini, he said:”I am really looking forward to putting a lot of miles on our first Ampera prototype during this maiden test on public roads.
“With 370 Nm of instantaneous, electric torque under my right foot, it promises to be an interesting and almost silent drive to Geneva.”
With the news of a whopping £5000 discount for ultra-low carbon emitting cars, this presents a real opportunity to win over sceptics who don’t see the technologies viability.
Opel/Vauxhall bloggers will join the brave Ghersado Corsini on his journey which will start 9.30am on Saturday, February 28 and you cam follow their success or failure by checking their blog here www.opel.posterous.com or you can follow them on twitter here.
January 27, 2010
Land Rover offsets CO2 emission from manufacturing,
Land Rover have made history today by announcing that they are the first car manufacture to offset the CO2 emissions from manufacturing and assembly.
The proceeds of the carbon offsetting will go to to Climate Care and are used to support a range of environmental projects.
These project with the support of Land Rover will prevent the release of 2 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
January 25, 2010
Toyota takes environmental lead in 2009
Analysis of the CO2 output for all cars sold in the UK in 2009 reveals that Toyota is top of the low emission charts.
The chart, compiled by independent industry analysts, Clean Green Cars, uses a sales-weighted calculation (the CO2 output of each model multiplied by the number of those models sold in 2009) to produce the rankings by brand.
Whilst rating, the report also took into account the sales of Toyota’s full size 4x4s and SUVs.
Toyota headed the table as a result of making one of its biggest improvements over the 2008 score, a reduction of CO2 output by 11.21 per cent. This was due to the introduction of Toyota Optimal Drive across the range as well as increasing sales of the new Prius.
In 2009 Toyota is one of few brands to have already achieved 130 g/km in the UK, equivalent to the industry target set for 2012 in Europe.
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