biodiesel

Up until very recently, whether or not a car is "green" was less important to most British motorists than the actual colour of the paint. However, the most important factor was, and still is, price. BCA - the UK's largest used car seller, has provided proof that motorists are now making the connection between the two by discovering that there is a strong demand for hybrid/electric and LPG powered cars in the used car market. In fact they are selling well above the market price for their petrol and diesel counterparts.

Our panel of expert judges used the e-factor: energy, efficiency & enthusiasm to decide on the greenest vehicles and drivers. Exhaust emissions were measured by VOSA and the driver's skill was tested in the eco-driving simulator provided by the Energy Saving Trust.

The Biggest Immediate Impact

This is the UK's first lorry to be converted to run on pure plant oil. Harry Wragg's transport fleet (http://www.harrywragg.co.uk) now operates sixteen of these vehicles and Marks & Spencers is in undertaking a six-month trial. The crucial question is where the vegoil is sourced - fish & chip shops are out of the question for a vehicle of this size and Harry Wragg stores his fuel in a giant tank on site. Biofuel is considered green because it is made from a renewable resource which soaks up CO2 from our atmosphere, thereby offseting the CO2 from the exhaust. Unfortunately, this cycle is not yet virtuous.

Biofuel or Agrofuel

First-generation biofuels currently being used are produced solely from parts of plants containing oil, sugar or starch: e.g. biodiesel from rapeseed oil and bioethanol from starch or sugar. In Indonesia, the conversion of tropical forest to commercial palm tree plantations to produce biofuels for export is a major cause of deforestation. Thankfully, the likes of BP and Linde are currently developing second-generation biofuels which don't use those parts of the plant containing starch or oil - only those parts of the plant that contain cellulose. More fuel is produced using this method, due to higher energy yields.

The Eco-Rally is a positive demonstration of the lowest emission vehicles on the market today, plus the most promising forms of future transportation. You can expect to see all kinds of green machines: rickshaws, bikes, pedal-cars, quadricycles, family run-abouts, taxis, sports-cars, limousines, vans and even lorries!