New York’s Fleet of Electric Taxis in 1897

Would you even consider that in 1987 car hire usa stateside could be green?

Petrol driven cars are seen as sexy and dangerous, depicted in films like the classic ‘Bullitt’ and the boy racer franchise ‘The Fast and the Furious 1,2,3,4 & 5’.

The funny thing is that electric vehicles actually predated their petrol headed cousins. After the decline of the horse and cart, the first electric cars were born to replace them and were popping up in Europe as far back as 1832. The very first electric cars were horribly crude, more like giant open boxes on wheels, but they began to build in popularity in Europe over the next few years and were seen as a main form of transportation for more affluent citizens. It wasn’t until the 1890’s that America jumped on the electrical band wagon and AL Ryker and William Morrison began to build their reputable models across America. However, the style of the cars still had that horse and cart feel to them.

Typical form of transport in the 1800’s

The style did not really stretch beyond boxy in 1970’s with the high sided square Zagato Zele electric cars.

Jumping forward to 2011, how much has the environmentally friendly hybrid and electric car changed? Well for one, the speeds have been much improved. The Tesla Roadster Sport can reach speeds of 102.89 mph in 12.643 seconds. The other worthy features are the use of the technology. Not only full electric cars powered by batteries but shared battery and fuel powered sources as well as hydrogen fuelled cars and a mix of the fuel cell and a lithium battery as used in Ford Airstreams.

But let’s get to what we want to talk about – how sexy are green cars in 2011? Well, there has always been a stab of sexy design and 100’s of concepts through the years. But this list shows you what is actually being created and the types of green vehicles out there.They won’t make a statement about how “right on you are or how much you care about the planet, but will instead make you look like a rich, vibrant in speed monster and…..sexy.

1. Telsa Roadster – £106,901

This electric roadster by Telsa has been talked about for the past year or so ever since the first photos of the car were released. Those more interested in the performance of a car of course would be impressed by its statistics; ie it has a carbon fibre frame, making the car much lighter and therefore requiring less power to reach those top speeds. It gets 0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 125 mph.

 2. Venturi Fetish – $465,000

This beautiful car has the look of a concept car but it is actually moved from being a mere concept at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show to an on the road car. Top speed is less than the Telsa at 100 mph, the power is delivered by a lithium ion battery pack that gives 1 hour of charge and an extra 2 hours thanks to the on board charger.

3. Morgan – Concept begins testing 2012

Even if this is a concept, there is no denying that it is so beautiful and it is soon to be put into manufacture with electric engine technology company Zytek. The operations director of Morgan described it as “zero-emissions with near super car performance”. This is like something you’d expect a modern Sherlock Holmes driving – it’s slick, it’s got that typical classic Morgan look and it’s British.

3. Audi-E-Tron-Spyder – Audi still not releasing date or costs

Looking like something out of Judge Dredd this plug-in hybrid Audi is a force to be reckoned with. The back wheels are powered by a massive V6 diesel engine and the front by two electric motors producing 64kW. It is also said to hit speeds of 155 mph, making for a fast and hulking green machine.

5. Electric-Peugeot-ex1 –  release date 2015

This car has been described as having an evil Maserati-looking front grille. This full electric car is said to go from 0-60mph in 3.58 seconds, faster even than the Tesla if that’s true. The car is also said to reach a top speed of 160mph, has a 30kWh lithium-Ion battery and promises that the charge could get the driver 280 miles on one charge.

6. 918-spyder-hybrid – $845,000

For any die hard Porsche fans out there, this eco car will not let you down. The Spyder will go from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds beating both the Tesla and Peugeot and it has a whopping top speed of 198mph. Add to this its 8 cylinder engine that delivers 500 horsepower and a lithium-ion battery powering all four wheels, this is an all wheel drive hybrid. The upside of this car is that it can be charged from a standard electricity socket.

7. GM Volt – $40,280

The GM Volt is a “range-extended” electric car and is scheduled for 2011. It should be able to drive 40 miles in all-electric mode before a gas engine kicks in to recharge the batteries. More information and photos about the Volt can be found here.

8. Lightning GT – £120,000

This is another British electric sports car in the mix. The Lighting GT with its carbon fibre body can go from 0-60 in less than 5 seconds. Yes, this is slower than some we have mentioned, but superb for an all electric car. It boasts that the car takes only 10 minutes to recharge so long as the charge is available. Pretty impressive.

9. Fisker Karma – $95,90

Much like the GM Volt, the Karma has an extended all-electric range of 50 miles, upon which the gas engine starts to recharge the batteries. It is described as a plug-in hybrid sports sedan and is beautifully designed with a solar roof that not only recharges the car but controls the cabin’s climate. It features a top speed of 125 mph and for those who are serious about its eco credentials the wood interiors are all salvaged timber.

10. Jaguar C-X75 – will go on sale 2013 –  £700,000 and £900,000

This one had to make an appearance. Most Brits are rather fond of the good old Jag and if anything can prove that green is sexy it’s the C-X75. The beautiful C-X75 has four electric motors – one on each wheel making the car a four-wheel drive. This power will propel the car from 0-60 in less than 3 seconds which means you’ll have saved the planet even before you’ve left to get your shopping. I thought I would add a few more up close and personal photos of the car that make you feel as if you have just been dipped into warm melted metal and chocolate all at once.

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Mitsubishi’s popular range of electric cars begins with the i-MiEV.

Getting Attention

Raising environmental awareness is the aim of government departments, utility companies and green campaigners alike. In the past we have been faced by harsh truths and catastrophic billboard images. While these drives are worthy, they serve to turn people off and repulse them. It is only in recent years that the use of comedy and wit has been used to draw attention in a more engaging way.

Atmospheric Air Pollution

In May 2003, Singapore Environment Council released a trio of adverts designed by Fallon Singapore to draw attention to pollution and air quality. They used a suffocated alien Grey, a crash-landed witch and a conked-out Cupid surprising members of the public.

“Alien”

“Cupid”

“Witch”

 Vehicle Emissions

The World Wildlife Fund has many comical, eye-catching green campaigns. The first one I’m featuring used a static display at Fudan University in Shanghai. In case you can’t read the writing on the smoky balloon it translates from Mandarin to: ‘Drive less and see how your carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced’.

Reducing Power and Resource Consumption

The South African power company, Eskom, utilized just one light bulb on this billboard to great, simple effect that not only gets your attention but also makes you smile. It’s a successful blend of message and advertising nous in action.

Water Conservation

Denver Water Company in Colorado, USA proclaims ‘Use Only What you Need’ and illustrates this with clever use of street furniture and billboards.

Animal Conservation

The World Wildlife Fund created this campaign to illustrate the plight of the bluefin tuna whose place on the ‘Threatened List’ has been raised to ‘Critically Endangered’ due to over-fishing. They aren’t cute, they aren’t cuddly and because they live in the ocean you don’t see them. So the campaign centered on emphasizing the differences in at-risk species and drawing our attention amusingly and poignantly to our own biases.

Guerilla Campaigning

If you get laughs from slapstick comedy and shows like ‘You’ve Been Framed’ then you would probably appreciate the German Friends of the Earth – BUND’s, surprise attacks on motorists. With Earth printed balloons these cheerful chaps would attach them to unsuspecting motorists’ car’s exhaust pipes and sit back as the gases would burst the balloons with ‘hilarious’ results. Let’s hope that they used biodegradable plastic.

Global Warming

WWF makes its final appearance in my article; this time with its ‘You can’t afford to be slow in an emergency’ and its great tagline: ‘Act Now to Save the Planet’. Using funny staged shots of emergency services taking their time to respond by either a bit of sales shopping, taking the time to photograph a beautiful sunset or pausing for a bit of roadside urination these high contrast images illustrate the need for immediate action.

Greenpeace also have a quirky twist on the impacts of global warming on our seasons. The strap line reads, “Winter. You’ll miss it when it’s gone”.

Public Transport

Acts of Green

April 22nd marked Earth Day 2011. This environmental movement recently celebrated its 100 millionth ‘Act of Green’. Their aim is now to reach their billionth act prior to the Rio+20 Earth Summit next year.

And finally…

Comical Green Campaigns don’t need to be explicitly from a lobby or pressure group. This selection of advertising posters was ostensibly to promote Diesel’s latest clothing range but with the tagline ‘Global Warming Ready’ and imagery of a world with massively raised sea levels it makes a witty comment on the way things are heading. Mount Rushmore’s presidents are trying to keep their heads above water and scarlet macaws on Venetian streets are more than thought provoking.

Guest blogger, Greg Coltman, has his eye on environmental issues and reduces his carbon footprint by walking (downstairs!) to work.

What would happen if a team from Google designed the car of the future?

What would it look like?

It seems Mike and Maaike, the pair that designed the Google G1 phone, have come up with their own concept of what personal transportation should look like.

The first big change would be to get rid of the driver and the roar of an engine.  Their mobile device would be autonomous and electric.

Simply summon your vehicle with your phone, step through the electric glass door and choose your seat … no driving required.

Whohoo! The Volt is coming some time in 2010 and they are looking fine. … Big question is..

How much are these new Chevrolet Volts going to cost?

Many people are under the illusion that the electric car is a new idea. What they don’t know is that electric car history is something that dates back to a time before the gas-powered automobile we all have come to know about was created. These competitors were not efficient, produced a lot of noise and unpleasant smells, and sometimes took nearly an hour to even prepare before heading out on the road. Though only suitable for the upper class who could afford one, there was a long period in the 1800s and early 1900s when electric cars dominated the industry as the top selling of its kind.

Once the roaring 20s hit, there was a change in the tides of electric car history. Crude oil was discovered in the US, making it much more affordable to produce gasoline powered engines and the highway system grew to the point where a single charge on an electric could not get a car from point A to point B. This industry simply did not have the means to keep up with the booming auto market. As a result, much of the remainder of the 20th century was reduced to golf carts and small neighborhood vehicles as the only forms of production.

Pollution is a topic that is all around these days as it plays a huge role in our environment. Steps were taken in the 1970s and 80s to promote cleaner air through emissions checks, but it wasn’t until the 90s that the government stepped in to mandate the selling of fully electric cars. These stipulations were shot down in court by automakers and the EVs (electric vehicles) that they produced during these years were repossessed and destroyed. Only one company allowed the rest of their stock to be sold off (which these are currently prized possessions).

Electric car history has had its ups and downs but the result is public demand being higher than ever. You may consider the unsteady price of gasoline to account for this frustration. Regardless, numerous car manufacturers have taken the initiative and have announced future plans to mass produce an EV under their names. Some of the models which have been talked about appear to be quite impressive. This is only the dawn of a new age in the evolution of the electric car. No one can be certain, but if this trend continues on its way, the electric car may be here to stay!