Environmental concern has come to define this generation, as the evidence of human-caused climate change continues to mount – and the consequences of greenhouse gas pollution continue to ravage communities around the world. Much of the blame towards carbon emissions has been rightly levied towards personal vehicles, and humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels; however, a new era is dawning. What is the make-up of today’s roads in the UK?
Fossil-Fuelled Vehicles
Conventional vehicles, and the vast majority of vehicles on UK roads, are powered by fossil fuels petrol or diesel. These vehicles use internal combustion engines for propulsion, and are responsible for a considerable portion of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions as a result.
So well-documented is the fossil-fuelled car’s impact on the environment that changes are already underway to render it obsolete. Not only do conventional petrol- or diesel-powered cars release CO2 into the atmosphere, but also carbon particulates into urban air – with morbid impacts for population health.
Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Electric Vehicles, or EVs, are the next generation of vehicle – for a number of key reasons. EVs represent a new wave of automotive innovation, with all the trappings of smart design and modern convenience installed as standard. More importantly, though, EVs are a new generation of environmentally friendly vehicle. Outside of emissions caused during construction, EVs are largely emissions-free; they do not release emissions directly, but instead contribute to load on electrical power plants (an increasing number of which are deriving power from renewable sources).
Hybrid Vehicles
Hybrid vehicles are supposedly the best of both worlds when it comes to fossil-fuelled and electric vehicles, combining an internal combustion engine with an onboard electric motor to provide two different options to the driver. The Toyota Prius is the most common example of this kind of vehicle, and a model that shows the concept at its best; lower-speed driving engages the electric motor, while acceleration and higher speeds engage the engine for more power.
Energy from the engine is conserved by feeding the battery, maximising fuel economy and making the hybrid vehicle a strong candidate for city driving. Hybrids are also more accessible, with those on the hunt for used cars more likely to find an affordable hybrid than a full EV.
However, the downside to most hEVs (hybrid EVs) is that fossil fuel is not just necessary, but still the sole source of power. Regenerative braking and the engine itself are the sole sources of electricity that feed the motor, dramatically improving miles-per-gallon but still resulting in carbon emissions.
Alternative Fuel Vehicles
There are some outliers with regard to private transport, too, in the form of alternative fuel vehicles. These are rare, and often unavailable from a commercial standpoint. The most common of these outliers are Autogas-powered cars, where Autogas is a propane-butane mix with lower carbon emissions; a fraction of a fraction of UK vehicles utilise Autogas, despite the cheaper cost to driver.
Also Read: Top 5 Electric Vehicle Charging Networks in the US
