Fuel Efficient Cars Part 1: Smart Cars

Faced with rising gas prices and stringent CO2 emission standards, auto manufacturers have been developing new fuel efficient cars with either reduced or zero carbon footprints. Many different technologies are emerging and are in various stages of development.

This is the first in a series of posts outlining the initiatives and issues regarding fuel efficient vehicles.

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Some fuel efficient designs are conceptual and will never make it beyond trade shows. Some are in the demonstration and/or trial phase but still several years away from being production-ready. Other fuel efficient cars are a reality today and being shipped as you read this.   The first vehicle examined in this series is the Smart Car made by Mercedes-Benz.

Smart Cars
If you are looking for a 2 passenger fuel efficient car to commute across town, no storage space and not much power over 45 mph then the fuel efficient Smart Car may be the choice for you. The small body in conjunction with a diesel engine makes it possible to achieve up to 70 mpg. Diesel engines are more efficient than gasoline and inherently low in hydrocarbon and CO2 emissions, achieving a very low carbon footprint.

The big surprise with the Smart Car is the results being attained on safety crash tests. This very small vehicle performs better than much larger and heavier cars with regards to passenger safety. The Smart Car has turned out to be extremely popular with the dramatic rise in fuel prices.

This very fuel efficient car isn't the answer for everyone, however. Larger individuals, and drivers seeking good acceleration, will be disappointed.  In the next part in the fuel efficient car series I will cover hybrids and micro-hybrids. A micro-hybrid version of the Smart (Car) Fortwo is being introduced in 2008. This model is anticipated to be one of the most environment friendly, fuel efficient cars available to the general public. 

Stay tuned...

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