While drivers across the nation are getting increasingly cross with the rising cost of motoring, the smarter end of car industry is finding ways to save motorists a few quid while doing their bit for the environment.
US based electricity company Xcel Energy recently conducted a six-month study on hybrid electric cars and their findings prove the plug-in hybrid, that’s one with extra battery capacity and the ability to be recharged from an external electrical outlet, is considerably kinder to the environment and even more beneficial to the motorist’s pocket than the average motor.
Plug-in hybrids have the capacity to cut vehicle CO2 emissions by as much as 50%, and could save US drivers $450 a year in fuel costs, which – when translated onto pricier British forecourts – could save UK motorists up to £500 per annum.
Manufacturers are currently falling over themselves to create desirable yet environmentally friendly vehicles. Toyota have just unleashed their Camry Hybrid 50th Anniversary Edition, while Rinspeed and Bayer - the company who unleashed the first “all-plastic car” over 40 years ago - have come together to create the utterly ace, if not slightly bizarre looking, eXasis.
Housing a lightweight 150 bhp 750cc engine, fueled by ultra low emission bioethanol, this glorified beachbuggy weighs in at just 750kg. What’s more, its body is transparent, meaning you can really watch the road as you hurtle along at speeds of up to 130mph.
