When choosing a green vehicle you might want to consider a hybrid because they are very fuel efficient and have reduced emissions. You should shop around because all hybrids are not created equal. Some are considered mild hybrids which are not quite as fuel efficient as a full hybrid.
The size of engine and type of transmission can make a big difference even within the same vehicle family. The weight also will make a difference on what type of fuel efficiency you might have. Options like four wheel drive and third row seats will add extra weight to a vehicle and also increase fuel consumption. If you really have no need for these types of options it is in your best interest to leave them off.
If you want to have a vehicle that reduces emissions while still getting good fuel economy you might want to look into a vehicle with a Multi Displacement System. These systems deactivate half of the engine’s cylinders under certain driving conditions.

If you want to find out exactly what a vehicle’s emission scores are, you can look at the EPA Green Vehicle Guide. The US government has broken down the tailpipe emissions of all cars that are sold in America and assigned them a rating. You can look up any vehicle and the list is searchable by state.

These are just a few things you can keep in mind when you are looking for a new car to purchase. If you shop around you will be able to find a car that is environmentally friendly and also fuel efficient.

GM has had its plans and strategies thrown back with the government initiating much greater concessions from the company including the current CEO, Rick Wagoner, to step aside in favor of Frederick “Fritz” Henderson. In a move designed to allay the fears of potential buyers the US government will also from Monday back the manufacturers warranties on the vehicles it sells but it is clear the US government feels GM has something worth salvaging and has agreed another 60 days of working capital financing will be made available.

Chrysler is a much more troubled child with serious financial entanglements, however the US government is again stepping to help with the potential sale of the company to Fiat, the Italian car giant. President Obama announced the provision of another $6 billion to the car giant which is contingent on finding a buyer whether it be Fiat or another potential partner.

The announcement yesterday is very interesting for the comments made by the President on the issues not directly at hand with the survival of these two giants – GM in particular came in for serious mention when President Obama said,

I am absolutely committed to working with Congress and the auto companies to meet one goal: the United States of America will lead the world in building the next generation of clean cars.

Now if the administration is as serious as it sounds on delivering fuel efficient green car technology to the mass market then someone, somewhere will have to be around to produce the technology and manufacture the cars. The scale of the market in green cars is simply enormous and it makes a great deal of sense for USA, Inc to have a share in manufacturing these vehicles for the future instead of allowing the country to slip further into debt down the road by importing cars we could be making right here at home – but first we have to deal with the financial issues surrounding our automobile industry.

A serious reminder that green issues are just like any other – the money issue must be resolved first for everything else to follow on.

Back in December 2008 with the parties still celebrating Obama’s election success, a deal was struck with China on the development of electric batteries for car power.

Now we have touched on battery development previously and it is right we do so again because battery-powered vehicles are a prime player in the future of green cares while development and progress within this field will be a fair weather vane of progress in delivering green initiatives across the board.

China is in an even worse position than the US when it comes to the need to develop green power sources – over half of the oil it uses comes from imports leaving it highly susceptible to the global oil markets (remember when $5 a gallon was a reality for us – now imagine that multiplied several times).

The deal involving the US Department of Energy, involves BYD Autos, a Chinese company which is heavily involved in green car development and with a market such as China which is beginning to open and has billions of consumers in it, there is a huge profit potential.

What’s in it for the US?

Green car developments are not going to be 100% American researched and developed – the technologies involved are diverse and many are leading edge; no one country will have a monopoly on the technology or the cars. The US in this instance gains direct access to battery testing and benchmarking standards that are essential to measuring true battery performance and in turn this has a direct impact on the actual battery development for use by consumers.

The battery market alone is thought to be worth some USD $40 billion by 2020 based on one million electric cars on US roads – this is the target now set by President Obama for the country.

In short, the US government is not exactly raising the bar when it comes to environmental standards!

The green lobby has been bitterly disappointed by the ruling announcement but many observers have been questioning the real reason behind all of this – it certainly is sending a very different signal than that delivered earlier on in the year by President Obama when giving speech after speech on green and environmental issues.

One of the major motivators appears to be the current economic crisis and a desire not to impose any further costs on auto makers to achieve the CAFE standards. By setting the CAFE standard at a level that is already being achieved it relieves the burden off of the major car manufacturers and especially at a time when GM is in merger/takeover talks with Italy’s Fiat car giant and the financial issues surrounding the future of Chrysler are even more delicate.

This still leaves the bill which President Bush signed mandating an average of 35 mpg for cars and trucks by the year 2020 and which was signed into law in 2007 however, the dates and milestones as to how this was to be achieved were left blank for the 2011 phase in transitional period. The buck has been firmly passed on this one to the Obama administration and now they only have until April 1st to determine the rule itself – almost an impossibility and serious argument for throwing this in the trash and starting again with something more workable, especially in view of the economic impact on the industry.

Does it mean squeezing the last MPG out of existing technology, or lowering emissions as far as possible, or even developing a recyclable vehicle with minimal environmental impact to produce or dispose of?

Well it is all those things and more yet to come as environmental concerns increasingly push through to the forefront of responsible peoples’ thinking and we all start doing our bit to help save our planet by reducing, reusing and recycling more.

The car and transport is at the frontline of the environmental battle.

Motor manufacturers are busy developing more eco friendly vehicles, not least because of government incentives to do so, but also because to lag behind in the race to be green would be a business disaster.

Forget the environmental side of things for a moment; if you have a choice of two cars with similar space and performance yet one does twice as many miles to the gallon, which would you choose?

With gas prices back at a more realistic sub-$2 level perhaps you don’t care right now but this time last year gas prices were threatening $5 and you probably cared then!

Now if the emissions of that car were considerably lower too, you can give yourself a pat on the back as well as dollars in your pocket for making a sensible choice.

This is the green economic argument – lower costs and lower environmental impact and customers will buy the product.

Honda are at the forefront of the green race and will soon have a complete range of hybrid cars on the market, these use energy wasted in other cars, such as during braking, to top up batteries which are used when additional power is required. This allows a small engine to be used. Emissions are lower than on an equivalent non hybrid car. Additionally the FX fuel cell car is now in production which uses hydrogen to produce electricity and only water as output, the problem with this technology being the requirement to top up with hydrogen so a complete infrastructure would need to be in place to make use of this type of technology viable.

In addition the fully electric car is becoming more available but, apart from the fact that its carbon footprint includes the generation of the electricity used to power it, battery limitations are such that it is only relevant at the moment to short journeys.

Main Street America is suffering, that much is obvious and certain, but the idea that R&D expenditures on developing the auto industry of the future is the root cause behind the economic woes hitting Motor Town is far off the mark.

To be fair to the CEO’s of the Big 3; they are not guilty of mismanagement of their companies but certainly are of handling their PR.

Take a look at the performance of major car makers outside of the US and the story is universal doom and gloom; every major car manufacturer in the world is delivering equally poor profit and sales performance from the high end, luxury market to the bottom end, budget compact sector.

Congress has an opportunity to help guide the development of the car industry as America seeks to reduce its reliance on oil and especially foreign imports.  The cost per mile of running an average car is one cent per mile on electric and even with gas prices coming down to more reasonable levels, a gas beased business model simply cannot compete on economic terms with a green alternative; what is missing for rapid adoption of green car alternatives is the infrastructure for refueling and servicing green cars and this is again something Congress can assist in developing as and when (not if) America’s car makers get a helping handout from the US taxpayer.

With the rest of the world’s car makers developing green car alternatives, America cannot afford to stand still and simply cut back R&D on creating green cars for the home and overseas markets unless we are prepared to acquiesce and see the end of the American car industry and turn to importing foreign cars made overseas and with the loss of tens of thousands of American jobs.

The doomsayers blaming green car R&D for the current financial crisis facing America’s carmakers should think again.

There are many engine and transmission choices that you can make to drive more green. You should try to go leaner on engine sizes and manual transmissions usually give you better gas mileage. Curb weight can also make a difference. Certain options such as third row seats and four wheel drive will add weight to the vehicle and cut down on your fuel efficiency.

Some automakers have designed systems that will deactivate half of the cylinders in your engine under certain driving conditions. This helps improve fuel economy and also lowers emissions. Chrysler has the Multi Displacement System and Honda offers a Variable Cylinder Management system that will make your driving greener.

If you buy a hybrid vehicle you can lower your fuel consumption and also reduce harmful emissions. Today there are many different vehicles to choose from and almost all of the major automakers have hybrid models. New technology has also made diesel fuel cars cleaner. They now have lower emissions and you will also get great fuel mileage.

One of the best ways to reduce your car’s environmental impact is to buy a small car. The subcompact cars on the market today have become surprisingly roomy and versatile. The automakers have made smaller cars more comfortable and have added many amenities to add to your driving experience.

By making smart choices and being more informed about green technology you can drive a vehicle that is fuel efficient and also better for the environment.