The green technology industry is in boom as more and more individuals go for choices that lessen the greenhouse gas emission impact on the environment and dependency on oil. In Washington, an auto show was held and it showcased green car alternatives and alternative fuels. There were more than 700 automobiles on display coming from more than 40 car manufacturers.
Green cars have been available in the market for a while now but it was only recently that they gained popularity. The recent oil price surge has made motorists seek for cheaper transportation alternatives. Green cars generally use cheaper priced alternative renewable fuels in place of the usual fuel and persons who drive this car benefit from less transportation costs. Also, the greenhouse gas emission effect of the usual type of fuel plays an important role in the popularity of green car technology.
In the part of the government or state, such as Washington, that approves green technology, the industry will also cause its economy to increase while they minimize the harmful effects of using fuel and oil energy sources. This theme of the Washington Auto Show was “Engineered for the Future”. The word engineered meant new advancement in car technology that applied to both engineering and fuel efficiency. The show was also meant to bring together car manufacturers and policy makers and encourage them to commit to a green and cleaner environment for the future.
Leading the Washington Car Show were electric cars. In particular, the Aztec solar car was the highlight. Electric cars are powered by pure electric motors powered by charged battery packs. Since they do not use any fuel, electric cars produce zero emissions. The first electric car was developed in the 1990s. In fact, the car on display during the car show was the Aztec solar car which was originally built by students from MIT of the same year. Compared to the usual fueled cars, electric cars are cost efficient.
Apart from electric cars, semi-electric cars were also one of the highlights of the Washington Auto Show. These cars are called hybrid cars and they differ slightly from electric cars in that they used other types of fuel to run engines apart from electricity. Some of the cars on display at the show were Fairfax County, Virginia’s Prius plug-in hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid. Hybrid cars are very efficient when it comes to city driving.
Other than green cars, the Washington Auto show also showcased alternative fuels. Among the display were cars using hydrogen fuel cells, bio-diesel and natural gas. Hydrogen is considered the cleanest among alternative fuels since the emissions coming from an engine purely run by hydrogen is only water vapor and heat. Bio-diesel is also another form of renewable energy that may come from various sources. Most sources are mainly from vegetable wastes. Natural gas on the other hand, is not a renewable energy source, yet it is the cleanest form of fossil-fuel. It is usually prepared in liquefied or compressed forms.
