Green car jargon explained
Biodiesel
Made from a variety of vegetable oils, Biodiesel is a fuel type
that offers significant potential reductions in CO2 emissions.
CO2 emissions
CO2 emissions refer to the amount of carbon dioxide produced by
a car. Although not directly harmful to human health, CO2 is the
most significant of the greenhouse gases contributing to Climate
Change.
Fuel cells
Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce the
electricity that powers a fuel cell engine. Fuel cell technology is
genuinely pollution-free, but is currently.
Hybrid car
Hybrids combine a conventional petrol engine with an electrical
one. The electric motor runs on batteries that are charged by the
petrol engine and regenerative brakes. Hybrids conserve energy by
using the zero-emission electrical engine when the car is running
at low speeds, and to add extra power when the car accelerates.
LPG
LPG is Liquid Petroleum Gas, a by-product of the oil-refining
process that can be used instead of petrol. LPG is purer than
petrol, with 10% less carbon emissions.
Particulates
Particulates are small pieces of soot produced by diesel
engines, which are often linked to cancer and respiratory problems.
Diesels produced significantly fewer particulates than they did
just a few years ago, due to strict fuel quality standards and new
features such as particulate filters.
Plug-in hybrid car
Plug-in Hybrids can be charged from an external power source,
which can give them enough charge to travel short distances without
using the petrol engine.
Regenerative braking
Regenerative braking technology uses the car’s momentum to drive
an alternator, so that the energy lost when the car brakes is
partially stored in the battery. The battery powers the electric
engine, which reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Well-to-wheel
'Well-to-wheel’ is a term used to refer to the overall impact of
a car on the environment – from the extraction of oil that powers
the car and its distribution around the world, to the
fuel-efficiency of the vehicle itself.
