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Latest News & Information for Eco-Friendly Cars

eco-friendly carsAre you in the market for a new car? There are many options including an eco-friendly car. These are also known as “green” cars because they use sustainable energy sources like electric, solar, and hydro.  Regardless of which vehicle you pick it’s important to select the right Car Cover to protect your investment.  This is critical because even an Eco-friendly car or truck must still be protected from the elements.

A Brief History of Hybrid Cars

Today all-electric vehicles from automakers like Tesla, Nissan, and Chevrolet are becoming more common due to various factors like innovations in engines, batteries, efficiency, etc. However, you might be surprised the hybrid vehicles have been around for quite a while. In fact, the history dates back to the start of the 1900s and the German automaker Porsche.

A hybrid vehicle is one that runs on two power sources. There are different combinations but one of the most common ones is gas and electricity, which is called a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The first hybrid automobile was built in 1899 by the engineer Ferdinand Porsche. The system used a gas engine to produce power for an electric engine that powered the vehicle’s front wheels. More than 300 units of the “Mixte” vehicles were produced.

However, half a decade later in 1904, Henry Ford launched the world’s first auto assembly line.  He made it easier to build gas-powered vehicles and sell them at low prices. This shrunk the market for hybrid vehicles. Porsche’s technology was used to build hybrids into the 1910s but low power and high prices caused their sales to be much lower than gas-powered vehicles. It was nearly half a century until hybrids became more mainstream in the auto industry. While hybrid vehicles weren’t trending during that time the Car Cover was still in high demand.

Latest Green Car News 

One of the most-anticipated eco-friendly cars to be released soon is Tesla’s Model 3. It will be the company’s first model that’s priced for the masses. In fact, the company has plans to start production of the Model 3 in July 2017.

The Model 3 is part of the company’s “Master Plan” to provide its customers with sustainable transportation. The vehicle was unveiled in March 2016 and since then the company received $11 billion worth of pre-orders one week after Elon Musk’s company introduced the new product. The company will sell the first units to workers who will help to troubleshoot any bugs the vehicle has.

The car’s sticker price will reportedly start at $35,000. That will make it the second electric vehicle (EV) with a 200+ mile Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-rated range with a price tag under $40,000.

Volvo also just announced it will launch a new EV brand named Polestar that will challenge Tesla. This spring the Swedish automaker suggested that it will focus more on electric cars over gas-powered vehicles, as well as the Chinese auto market. Volvo is now added by the Chinese company Geely.

In fact, Volvo has been working with Polestar for two decades since 1996. Polestar will become a spin-off high-performance auto company. So the vehicle won’t carry the Volvo brand from this point on.

Green Car Trends

What are the latest trends for eco-friendly cars? It’s projected that sales for 2017 green cars will result in several innovations in auto tech. It’s projected that green car sales will level out after 2 record-breaking years. However, it’s still projected that 17 million autos will be sold in the US alone for the third year in a row. Today customers have more options than ever in the eco-friendly car sector.

One major trend is that for the model year 2017 there’s been more EVs, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). That includes several auto types including minivans, SUVs, and crossovers, which can all be protected in storage with a Car Cover. Today’s engines often provide better fuel efficiency and better performance than gas engines.

This helps to produce lower prices for green cars. That, in turn, makes it more practical for consumers to purchase EVs and hybrids. The new all-electric Chevrolet Bolt has an EPA range of 238 miles and has won Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award. The car also has a price of about $30,000 after US federal tax credits.  This is a sign that EV vehicles are moving towards affordability and versatility.

Clay Miller
the authorClay Miller
I am the creator/writer of Ways2GoGreen.com and Ways2GoGreenBlog.com. I'm an advocate for oceans, beaches, state parks. I enjoy all things outdoors (e.g. running, golf, gardening, hiking, etc.) I am a graduate of the University of Kentucky (Go Wildcats!!). I'm also a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Kentucky.

2 Comments

  • With the growing number of conventional car the air pollution is also increasing. So, such conventional vehicles should be replaced with electric vehicles. EV doesn’t emits pollutants and are Eco-friendly. However, EV has several limitations including it’s lower range of operation, expensive cost. A plug-in hybrid has much more advantages over hybrid car and electric car. And it looks like that plug-in hybrid is the next generation Eco-friendly car.

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