| It was an incredible bombshell - a mysterious press release that set the motoring media alight. A Toyota Prius, it claimed, was more damaging to the environment than a Hummer, the gas-guzzling, military-style four-wheel drive so enormous that it can take up more than one lane. Though subsequently labelled scientifically questionable by some, and complete poppycock by most, it revealed an interesting problem. If someone can so effectively spread an obviously incorrect set of “facts”, and if that information goes on to become urban myth often repeated at dinner parties, how do you make an informed decision about buying an environmentally friendly vehicle? |  |
First things first. Most experts agree that in the race for a cleaner car, the best thing you can do is downsize to the smallest possible vehicle to suit your lifestyle. If you have four kids and a large dog, a Daewoo Matiz is only going to mean you’ll be doing lots more trips to ferry the tribe from place to place. But if there are just two or three of you and you’re driving a LandCruiser to work or to the shops every day, it’s time for an audit of your environmental footprint. Likewise, if you’re single or a couple and you’re hankering for a Prius because of its environmental merits, there are many smaller vehicles that will use fewer resources and cost a great deal less.
Once you’ve made the decision to downsize and you’re looking forward to discovering the joys of a more nimble vehicle that’s easier to park and cheaper to fill, you suddenly find you’re facing a dazzling array of vehicles, engine types and fuel sources. That’s where the experts who’ve done the research come in.
These engines are currently all the rage thanks to the importation of some of Europe’s sportier turbo-charged models, and they’re popular for good reason. According to the automotive technology and engineering company Ricardo, diesel engines offer more than a 20 per cent fuel economy improvement over a typical petrol engine. A saving that increases to another 10-20 per cent when you add advanced turbo charging to the mix. Diesel has always suffered from the fact that particulate emissions are higher than those from a petrol engine, but new filters fitted in the exhaust to meet strict European standards, says Jack Haley, NRMA’s Program Specialist Vehicles and Fuels, have narrowed that margin considerably and within the next few years will bring them to a level where there’s no difference. “There’s an inherent improved efficiency in a diesel cycle compared to the spark-ignition petrol cycle,” explains Haley.
“The greatest users of resources, on the other hand, are the larger vehicles with more materials in them, more metals and more plastics, vehicles like the larger luxury cars and four-wheel drives.”
David Carr, NRMA’s Acting Manager of Motoring Research, agrees that for those who can live with a slightly smaller car, diesels are currently the smartest choice for the smallest environmental footprint. “The small-capacity turbo diesels are the way to go for CO2 emissions, purely because once you start using them outside the city their low emissions outstrip the hybrids,” he says.
“You’re basically looking at the turbo diesels with 1.6 to 2-litre engines, like the Audi turbo diesels and the Ford Focus turbo diesel. A lot of motoring journalists say they’d always prefer to drive a turbo diesel as it’s simply much nicer to drive.”
Which, of course, brings the important question of performance into the equation. While few of us can claim to have the skills and talent of a Schumacher or a Skaife, it’s always a pleasure to drive a car that feels as though it’s a performer. Once again it’s the diesels that deliver.
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“Gone are the days when diesels were dirty rattle boxes,” Carr says. “I had a chance to drive a Peugeot 307 turbo diesel and the quality of cars such as these mean you simply don’t realise you’re driving a diesel until you fill up or lift the bonnet. Performance-wise, diesel actually now has the edge.” |
“We get the top-shelf diesels from Europe,” says Greg Fraser, NRMA Motoring Information Consultant. “They’re very economical but the performance, in some models, is better than petrol because the diesel engine, by its very nature, is a torquey engine. Last week I drove a new Ford Focus diesel as well as a Focus with a petrol engine. After I’d hopped out of the diesel the petrol engine felt lacklustre.”
But there is one major downside to driving a diesel. Some service stations don’t even have diesel pumps. And most that do don’t regularly clean them, meaning gloves are necessary.
“Diesel is a very oily, heavy fuel so it tends to froth up when you’re filling the tank,” Fraser explains. “It’s very easy to let it overflow. When you’re filling you need to let it settle for a second or two then fill some more.
As a result a lot of diesel pumps are filthy. A mum, with her kids in the car, is not going to want to get fuel all over her hands at the pump.”
Fortunately, things are improving. As diesel vehicles become more popular, fuel companies will ensure their representatives on the front lines - the forecourts - will make a greater effort to keep things clean.
A recent survey by Roy Morgan found that with the astronomical rise of fuel prices, more than half the Australians in the market for a new car are seriously looking at hybrids. The research shows 74 per cent of buyers considered fuel efficiency a bigger decider than performance - with women being the hybrid’s key driver, especially in high-income households.
For a medium to large car driven mainly in the city, most motoring experts agree a hybrid is also still the best option for the environment. But, as the original Prius reaches the ripe old age of seven, questions are being asked about how much a new battery pack is likely to cost, both financially and environmentally, when replacement becomes necessary.
“Hybrid engines do reduce fuel consumption,” Haley says. “Our testing shows the Toyota Prius reduces overall fuel consumption by about 25 per cent compared to a conventional vehicle of the same size - that’s in a general urban environment. Where you get into difficulties is the extra environmental impact of the highly-specialised battery pack, including the cost and the benefits of recycling, which is currently unknown.”
Vic Johnston, Toyota Australia’s Prius guru, says research from Toyota in the USA shows the original battery pack should have a typical life of at least 250,000 kilometres.
But as very few models of the car have actually travelled that far, it’s impossible to say for sure. One taxi driver in Canada is reported to have driven his Prius 200,000 miles (over 320,000 kilometres) with the original battery pack remaining strong.
“It’s not something we’re worried about,” Johnston says. “Any car that has travelled 250,000 kilometres will require expensive work, whether it’s the transmission, the engine or replacement of the keys - which these days can cost around $1500. A new battery pack will cost around $3500, and this should come down over the years. But once again, it’s going to be one of many expenses for a car that has travelled that far.”
Some argue that replacement batteries, due to their size and weight, will waste a great deal of resources being shipped to Australia. But the battery pack, without its protective casing, only weighs around 28 kilograms and is the size of three to four typical car batteries. The car itself weighs around 1300 kilograms, so the shipping of the batteries represents only a very small percentage of a typical car’s needs. And when the batteries do finally run out of puff they will be collected, disassembled and completely recycled by a specialist company Toyota has contracted.
Performance-wise, hybrids do what they’re made for. The Prius is not marketed as a performance car, nor are the traditionally powered cars in its market such as the Camry. But road testers report that it has ample power and fine manners on the road. The Honda Civic hybrid also varies little from its traditional counterpart, and if super performance with a green tinge is what you’re after, there are always the powerful hybrid offerings from Lexus.
Biofuels - made from vegetable oils, crops or recycled plastics in the case of biodiesel, and from sugar cane, wheat or sorghum in the case of ethanol - are increasingly available, and many new cars now come with an advice plate inside the fuel flap indicating whether they can take fuel containing a particular percentage of ethanol. Some vehicles currently being produced by Saab for the European market, and many US vehicles, have fuel systems that automatically adjust for any mix of ethanol in petrol up to 85 per cent, called E85.
LPG is another choice. Compared to petrol engines, it costs less at the bowser and reduces CO2 emissions.
Another development to look out for is the recyclability of vehicles. German manufacturers in particular, Haley says, are beginning to manufacture their cars with ease of end-of-life scrappage in mind, so that more parts can be re-used or melted down and recycled.
Finally, corporations are beginning to wise up to their own carbon footprint, so expect to see automotive manufacturers offering to offset a certain amount of greenhouse gas production by bankrolling the planting of a large number of trees in return for your purchase.
These cars get the Green light |
| Toyota Prius from $37,400 A full-size family car with five-star safety, blue chip Japanese quality, all the gear you need and (by our tests) a consumption rate of only 5.6 litres/100km - on regular unleaded - in city traffic? The Prius proves it is possible. The 1.5 litre petrol engine/electric motor/battery hybrid drivetrain shifts the Prius from rest to 100 km/h in 11.6 seconds - comparable with a Corolla. Its CO2 emissions are 106 grams/km. |
| Honda Civic Hybrid Sedan from $32,990 The 1.3 litre Honda Civic, like Toyota’s Prius, boasts an exceptionally clean petrol/electric drivetrain engineered for maximum full efficiency and minimal emissions. In addition to a maximum power of 69kW, our tests revealed an average fuel consumption of 5.1 litres/100km. Its CO2 emissions are 109 grams/km. |
| Fiat Punto from $19,990 One of the best handling small cars around and quite spacious as well. The specific Punto model which scores five stars is the 1.4 litre petrol version. But with only 57kW of power, you’ll have plenty of drive time to feel good about your minimal contribution to climate change. Average consumption is 5.7-5.9 litres/100km, using premium unleaded. CO2 emissions are 134-140 grams/km. |
| Citroen C3 from $17,990 The newer 1.6 litre just shades the smaller 1.4 litre (which scores four stars) due to its cleaner technology and better air pollution rating. Like the Fiat, however, the 1.4 litre engine is not petrolhead material - even if it is one of the cutest things on four wheels. The 80kW 1.6, starting at $21,990, is worth the extra spend. Average consumption (1.4/1.6) is 6.2/6.4 litres/100km. CO2 emissions are 148 grams/km for both. |
| Mercedes A and B Class from $29,990 The 85kW 1.7 litre A170 variant is better value but the 70kW 1.5 and 100kW 2.0 litre A200 (from $40,400) are more eco-friendly. The 1.5 has a fuel consumption of 6.7 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of 159 grams/km. The A200 averages 7.4 litres/100km and emits 177 grams/km, as does the larger B200, (from $44,900) which is worth test driving back to back with a Prius. |
| Holden Astra from $23,990 Available as a coupe or a five door hatch, the Astra is one of the better drives in the crowded small-medium field. It has plenty of space for four adults and their gear, excellent ride and handling, and a secure, solid feeling on the road. The 90kW 1.8 litre petrol manual variant scores top billing in the Green Vehicle Guide’s overall ratings, using 7.4 litres/100km and producing 177 grams of CO2/km. |
| Lexus RX400h from $94,100 Just as quick as, and arguably more responsive than, its RX350 petrol counterpart, the RX400H utilises a 3.3 litre V6 petrol engine/generator/high voltage battery as its power supply and its power output is rated at 203kW. In Sydney traffic, we recorded just 9 litres/100km, comparable with a 1.6-1.8 litre small car. This, from a wagon that weighs nearly two tonnes! CO2 emissions are 192 grams/km. |
Being green on the road isn’t all about the car you drive - sometimes it’s about not driving at all. A recent survey conducted by the Western Australian Department of Planning and Infrastructure discovered the frightening fact that 10 per cent of all car journeys were less than one kilometre, 30 per cent were less than three kilometres and 50 per cent were less than five kilometres. Carbon Planet estimates these short trips, which in many cases can be replaced by walking, cycling or catching public transport, are responsible for 3.15 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year in Australia.
To save fuel and help prevent greenhouse gas emissions, drivers can also:
Did you know vehicular emissions account for Australia’s fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions? You can do something about the impact your car is having on the environment by signing up for an environmental initiative such as Greenfleet’s tree-planting program.
Greenfleet is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to plant native trees to neutralise greenhouse gas emissions and promote fuel-efficient technologies and low-carbon fuels. For $40 (tax deductible) Greenfleet will plant 17 mixed-species trees on your behalf. These trees will absorb the 4.36 tonnes of CO2 that the average car is estimated to produce in a 12-month period. According to Greenfleet, the program has also achieved significant gains in tackling salinity, improving water quality and providing habitat for native species.
You can do your bit to reduce your car’s emissions by visiting Greenfleet.
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