subject: Green Driving and Toxic Emissions [print this page] Most people are aware that motor vehicles produce toxic emissions which are bad for the environment. However less people are aware that the amount of emissions produced vary, dependant on the car make and model. The toxic emissions produced by motor vehicles are predominately made up of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which contribute to air pollution. These toxins are released as a result of the engine burning fuel. Therefore the amount of these toxins produced by a car is directly related to the amount of fuel it consumes.
The good news is that those cars which produce fewer emissions do so because they use less fuel and are therefore also cheaper to run. So choosing a car which is more fuel efficient will not only help the environment but also your bank balance. But it is not just fuel efficiency which impacts on the amount of fuel a car will use in the course of a journey, other factors also play a part. The weight of your car is one such factor. Heavier cars will use more fuel to complete the same journey than lighter cars. If you need a larger, heavier car then consider the amount of things you pack into it on a daily basis. Remove items you don't need for the journey you are taking so that you are only carrying the items that you need. It is important to note that the weight of a car has more bearing on the amount of fuel that it consumes than the engine size of the vehicle. The type of fuel that your car uses will also impact on the amount of toxic emissions that it produces. Petrol cars for example use more fuel than those which run on diesel and therefore produce around ten percent more carbon dioxide. Cars which run off LPG fuel give out less toxic emissions that Diesel and pre Euro IV petrol engines, but overall their fuel consumption is worse. Diesel cars tend to have the best fuel economy but can be more expensive to buy which can dissuade some motorists. Advances in modern technology over the years mean that newer cars are able to filter toxic emissions better. Nowadays there are stringent tests in place to ensure that the exhaust emissions of new cars meet agreed European standards. These standards first came into play in the 1990's with the introduction of the Euro 1 standard. Euro 1 made it compulsory for all new petrol cars to be fitted with a catalytic converter, which is a device that reduces the toxicity of the emissions released into the environment. A car which has not been fitted with a catalytic converter gives out the same amount of toxic emissions as around 20 of today's modern cars fitted with the device. Since then the European standards have been getting tougher and tougher with the Euro V standards coming into place in 2009 and demanding more from car manufacturers than ever before. The best way however to reduce toxic emissions from your car is to drive it less. Not only will driving less help the environment but it could also reduce your motor insurance premiums and other motor costs.
Green Driving and Toxic Emissions
By: Rochelle Martinez
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