Are the latest hybrid and bio-fuelled cars really going to cut down on pollution or just cut the flak car makers are getting from environmentalists? Daniel Atwoodreports
There is a growing realisation that petrol and diesel-powered vehicles are on a road to nowhere and that driving an increasing number of polluting cars on heavily congested roads is a formula for environmental disaster.
Brussels bureaucrats are determined to avert this disaster and, if they get their way, fossil-fuelled cars will be consigned to the history books sooner rather than later.
However, the European motor industry, especially in Germany, is a powerful force with significant political sway.
It's intense lobbying won it a reprieve from the EU's ambitious targets to reduce the average CO2 emissions from new cars.
The agreed deal is that improvements in vehicle technology will reduce average emissions to no more than 130g/km, while complementary measures, such as improvements to tyres and air conditioning systems, will contribute a further cut of 10g/km, thus reducing overall emissions to 120g/km. That's still going to be a struggle for car firms to achieve.
Despite this small victory for the industry, the writing remains on the wall - carmakers must find alternatives to oil-dependent vehicles.
As a result car firms are investing heavily in alternative technologies. Thel long term betting seems to suggest that hydorgen is the way forward.
BMW recently introduced what it called "the world's first production hydrogen car" that produces only water vapour as a bi-product.
In reality only 100 of these 'Hydrogen 7' cars will be built and major problems face hydrogen pioneers, such as the availability of refuelling points, the high cost of technology and the need to store the hydrogen at -250c. All this means the 7-Series is more a show car than a serious production model.
Yet BMW insists it is on the right track: hydrogen has significant advantages if its problems can be overcome.
Indeed, not only will hydrogen cars emit nothing but water vapour, but, unlike fossil fuels, hydrogen is available in virtually infinite supply when renewable energies such as solar, wind and wave power are used to produce the liquid hydrogen.
But while hydrogen cars remain a distant dream, it is hybrid and bio-fuels that are the short-term future for greener motoring.
Even the early critics of hybrid - BMW, GM and DaimlerChrysler - are now busy working to finalise their own hybrid engines developed under the umbrella group, Global Hybrid Co-operation.
The Irish Government is doing its bit to encourage motorists into alternative fuel or hybrid cars, even though it admits that just 5.5 per cent of transport energy would come from bio-fuels by 2010.
Currently all hybrid and bio-ethanol cars, which can run on any combination of the green fuel, E85, and unleaded petrol, are eligible for a 50 per cent Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) rebate. This relief ends this December unless the Minister for Finance extends it once again in the 2008 Budget.
But are these cars really as green as they purport to be? How can cars with petrol engines over 3-litres - and up to as much as 5-litres in the new Lexus LS600h - be portrayed as "green machines" while keeping a straight face?
Toyota is best known for its Prius, a car that does meet the "green" criteria by matching a relatively small petrol engine with battery power source to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, particularly in urban driving.
However, the brand is also leading the charge for hybrid models in the premium segment and these feature much larger petrol engines and feature fuel consumption figures that - while better than equivalent petrol competitors - are hardly on a par with Prius.
At next month's Geneva Motor Show, Toyota will continue this theme by unveiling two hybrid concept cars including its FT Hybrid Sports - a front-engine, rear-wheel drive hybrid sports car with a 0-100km/h sprint time of less than five seconds.
"FT-HS demonstrates the potential of hybrid technology to deliver a new, powerful driving experience, as well as outstanding environmental performance," says Toyota.
But this idea of marrying performance cars with environmental responsibility has its critics.
In Ireland, there is a growing backlash against the VRT tax rebate, especially following the arrival of the powerful Lexus hybrids.
"It simply does not make sense to provide a tax break for the purchase of large cars," argues Ciaran Cuffe, Green Party environment spokesman.
"We should be encouraging the purchase of smaller, fuel-efficient hybrids, not these gas guzzling monsters."
His argument stems from the fact that the Lexus GS450h has a 3.5-litre V6 engine as well as a hybrid motor, which means it pumps out 186g of CO2 every kilometre - far more than the EU's aspirational target of 120g/km.
While Lexus points out that all of its hybrid models produce less CO2 than similar vehicles with no hybrid power source, environmentalists still argue that such powerful cars should not benefit from tax rebates aimed at 'green' vehicles.
The same tax break is also available for bio-fuel cars. But even here there is concern about the way this rebate can be exploited as these cars can be bought at a reduced rate and then simply run solely on unleaded petrol.
Bio-fuel cars, such as versions of Ford's Focus and Saab's 9-5, do produce less CO2 emissions - up to 70 per cent less according to Ford - but fuel consumption actually increases by up to 30 per cent when run on E85.
However, because the bio-ethanol is considered carbon neutral - it emits only the carbon already taken from the atmosphere when the plant matter was growing - it is greener than oil-based fuels.
What is needed is a car that can run on 100 per cent bio-ethanol making it completely carbon neutral. And that is what Saab will unveil next month at the Geneva Motor Show. This concept has a 2-litre turbo-charged BioPower engine that negates the need for fossil fuels altogether and yet produces 300bhp - the same power as a naturally-aspirated 4-litre petrol engine.
This technology, says Saab, points the way forward: "Bioethanol is a potent, high-quality fuel which opens up exciting possibilities in helping to meet the environmental challenges that face us," says Kjell ac Bergström, the man leading the BioPower development team.
"As the need to reduce energy consumption increases, we are exploring ways to run smaller engines that give relatively high power, with and without hybrid technology."
However, while bio-fuels appear to be a perfect short-term answer, there are significant hurdles to overcome, including the problem of where to grow the large amount of crops needed to produce the fuel.
Estimates suggest that if Ireland were to meet only its current diesel requirements entirely from vegetable oils, about one-quarter of the island would have to be given over to oil crops, which is clearly unworkable given that only 13 per cent of land is currently used for cultivated crops.
This is why some manufacturers still insist hybrid technology is best.
Honda, for example will also use Geneva to display its commitment to hybrid technology with the unveiling of a hybrid sports car.
Although even Honda is hedging its bets by also unveiling a fully functioning drivable fuel-cell car, which will go on sale in the US and Japan in 2008. In addition, it will also launch a new diesel engine that it claims produces the same level of emissions as a petrol engine.
What is clear is that while neither hybrid technology, which is best suited to stop/start city driving, or the so-called carbon neutral bio-fuel cars are the panacea to cure our addiction to polluting the environment, they are currently the only alternative we have and the technology behind them is advancing very quickly.
But until zero-emission cars arrive, for those concerned with their carbon footprint (or tyre mark) they should consider very carefully the type of driving they intend to do and match their choice of car to suit.
Idiot's Guide
HYBRIDS:
Hybrid cars currently on the market have an electric battery power supply that supplements a fossil fuel-powered internal combustion engine.
Only the electric motor is used in stop/start situations and therefore no emissions are produced.
When more power is needed the internal combustion engine takes over and when full power is needed, both sources work in unison.
BIO-FUELS:
Bio-fuel cars are those that are fuelled by E85 - a mixture of 15 per cent bio-ethanol and 85 per cent petrol.
Bio-ethanol can be produced from any organic matter. Unlike petrol, its consumption does not significantly raise atmospheric levels of CO2.
What's on the market and how green are they?
HYBRIDS
Lexus GS 450h:€84,757 excecutive saloon powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and a hybrid electric motor.
Emissions: 186g/km of CO2.
Fuel economy: combined 7.9l/100km (35.8mpg)*.
Lexus RX 400h:€74,193 four-wheel drive SUV powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and two hybrid electric motors.
Emissions: 192g/km of CO2.
Fuel economy: combined 8.1l/100km (34.9mpg)*.
Lexus LS 600h:A luxury saloon powered by a 4.6-litre V8 coupled to a hybrid electric motor (the 600h will be launched here in July and will cost in excess €130,000 even with a 50 per cent VRT rebate).
No emission or fuel consumption data available.
Toyota Prius:€30,055 compact hatchback powered by a 1.5-litre 88bhp petrol engine coupled to a hybrid electric motor. Emissions: 104g/km of CO2. Fuel economy: combined 4.3/100km (65.7mpg)*.
Honda Civic Hybrid:€27,995 compact saloon powered by a 1.3-litre petrol engine coupled to a hybrid electric motor. Emissions: 109g/km of CO2.
Fuel economy: combined 4.6l/100km (61.4mpg)*.
BIO-FUEL CARS
Ford Focus Flexi-fuel:€23,060 saloon (estate also available) powered by a 1.8-litre 125bhp engine that can run on E85 or unleaded or a combination of both.
Emissions: 169g/km of CO2.
Fuel economy: combined 7.0l/100km (40.35mpg)**.
Saab 9-5 BioPower:€48,900 executive saloon (estate also available) powered by a 2-litre 180bhp engine that can run on E85 or unleaded or a combination of both. Emissions: 214g/km of CO2. Fuel economy: combined 11.7l/100km (24.1mpg)**.
Volvo S40 Flexifuel:€28,300 compact saloon (estate also available) powered by a 1.8-litre 125bhp engine that can run on E85 or unleaded or a combination of both.
Emissions: 177g/km of CO2.
Fuel economy: combined 7.4l/100km (38.17mpg)**.
* All emission and economy figures are supplied by the manufacturer
** All bio-fuel figures are based on petrol use - no figures are available for CO2 emissions from E85 cars.