Green Cars - Transportation Alternatives
Green mode of transport is fast gaining importance. Use of public transport and car-pooling is being promoted at a large scale in an effort to reduce dependency on usage of private vehicles. However, ambiguity lies in the exact definition of green transport. For some, it means using machines that use renewable sources of energy while for the others it is using machines that use no fuel whatsoever (ex. Cycles). Truly enough, both definition suits the definition. It would be unfair to give precedence to one over another.
Some entities that get included under this umbrella include electric cars, hybrid cars, cycles, solar energy powered vehicles, vehicles running on water energy, using wind energy, walking etc. As you can imagine, this scope is pretty wide. This is the reason why green transportation is of importance. Over years, it has acquired for itself a new name - Transportation Alternatives.
Green Transportation is an alternative in terms of finding ways to reduce environmental degradation while at the same time keeping important aspects like low cost and space efficiency in mind. Low cost is to keep the interest of customers alive. No one would buy a vehicle that does not fit into their budget. Space efficiency is in terms of parking spaces at home and work alike. A huge vehicle cannot be accommodated comfortably, especially when cities across the country are already facing parking space crunch. This becomes even more important in case of trucks which are bulky in size anyway.
Many car manufacturing companies have started conducting research on their development. A number of cars have been launched with the potential to compete with the famous hybrid vehicle Toyota Prius. Of these, Chevy Volt has been able to make the biggest impact. Based on electric platform, it has been developed by General Motors which aims to instill the same in cheaper models in the future. According to market experts, green cars are the future of the car industry and any company which does not succeed would not be able to survive the tough competition that is bound to start post their release.
Until these green cars hit the market, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to contribute towards saving the environment. You can make an impact by doing the following: (These too are included in green transport mechanisms)
a) If it is possible to reach the destination by public transport, use it instead of taking out your private car.
b) Smaller distances can be walked or cycled to. It also helps in reducing heart problems.
c) Once a week, opt for public transport. It would have a huge impact if everyone does it.
d) Remove unnecessary weight from the car. It would increase the mileage. Ex. Roof Bars
e) Drive at the optimum speeds of the engine. Driving at higher or lower speeds consumes more fuel.
f) Acceleration should be smooth and the driver should change into higher gear as soon as possible.
Last but not the least; do not forget to switch off the engine when at short stops (ex. at traffic signals etc.)