Green is in vogue in the car industry, COP 15
Release Date: 2009-03-05
Almost all car manufacturers are supplying their new models with green features to accommodate the demand for fuel economy and emissions curbing technology.
Stop-start mechanisms that save fuel by automatically stopping the engine during a standstill. Plug-in electric vehicles. Hybrids combining petrol or diesel engines with electric power. Lower weight and smaller engines that are optimised for fuel economy.
Like a broad palette dotted with different shades of green, the Geneva Motor Show which opened Thursday shows a wide range of environment-friendly features in the new car models. Most of the 120 new or modified models on display in Geneva offer fuel-saving or lower emissions features.
According to Volkswagen chairman Martin Winterkorn, the green trend is not a passing fad. In fact, the demand for ecology could save car manufacturers from the brunt of the financial crisis.
"The future is green," he declares as the company launches a new Polo, claiming eight percent less weight, more economy and lower emissions.
Even luxury car makers such as Bentley have realised that soon they will no longer be able to rely on oil.
"Everyone will have to do something," says communications director James Rosenthal.
Four leading international agencies are urging the motor industry to halve CO2 emissions from cars by 2050 ("50 by 50"). By then the number of cars in the world is expected to triple.
The "50 by 50" call comes from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the FIA Foundation, an independent charity which promotes road safety, environmental protection and sustainable mobility. Industry executives have responded positively.
| Type: | NORMAL |
| Company: | COP 15 |
| Country: | Denmark |
| Url: | http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=814 |