The world’s first eco car show opened at the Eden Project in the UK last week. Let’s discover which type of green motor we’re most likely to be driving in the future.
Love them or hate them, cars are not going away. But road transport accounts for a fifth of our carbon dioxide emissions in the UK, so it’s time to transform the way we buy and use them.
The good news is that in the UK the government’s King Review of transport tells us we can reduce road transport CO2 emissions by a massive 80% by 2050 if we start buying the right vehicles now and take our old bangers off the roads. Now, the technology is out there and our Sexy Green Car Show brings it to you.
Traditionally, environmental organizations have not had much to say about cars, except to try and persuade people not to use them. But at Eden, based in rural Cornwall, people are acutely aware of a dependence on cars. For many it’s just not practical or affordable to travel another way.
Green cars have suffered a bit of an image problem in the past but now there are all sorts of exciting advances – hybrids, super-light, carbon fibre bodies, developments in aerodynamics, engines and biofuels.
The Sexy Green Car Show is a chance for people to find out about it all first hand.
All the major manufacturers will be flaunting their newest, greenest models, with some even making their first public appearance.
Greener materials and fuels are hitting the market all the time, with many more on the drawing board. Of course no one knows which technology will win the race which is why we’ve included a wide selection of cars, ranging from concept models experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells (the Morgan LIFE) to family cars so well designed they do over 60 miles per gallon. Look out for the hybrid vehicles, which use petrol at high speeds and then exhaust-free electricity for city driving.
The cars showing include:
Ford, Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Volkswagen, SEAT, Honda, Axon, Lotus, Saab and Morgan. Vectrix’s electric motorcycle will also be on show, and the hydrogen-powered Morgan LIFE car will make its first public appearance in this country.