Sustainability is an increasingly popular consideration when choosing a vehicle to purchase. Car manufacturers are listening to the demands and responding. In electric car news, nearly 70 percent of Canadians plan to purchase an electric model for their next car. In hybrid car news, provincial and federal grants given to Toyota have led to plans for Canada to build its first in-house hybrid vehicle.
The benefits of sustainability
People are asking for sustainability in their vehicles because going “green” and using less fuel saves money. In addition, in British Columbia and Quebec you can get rebates and tax credits if your vehicle qualifies.
There are other perks to driving sustainable vehicles, as well. Some high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes allow green vehicles, even if there are no additional passengers. Just check your local rules and laws to see if this applies in your area.
People also want to do their part in reducing tailpipe emissions to cut down on pollution and save the environment.
There are three kinds of sustainable vehicles:
Electric cars
Electric cars are powered by an electric motor and battery, and have no tailpipe emissions whatsoever. Their range (how far a vehicle will go on a charge) can vary from 200 km to 250 km. Charging facility availability is a factor for electric cars, but more electric car sales will mean more facilities.
Plug-in hybrids
Plug-in hybrids use both electricity and gasoline. Once the battery has run out of charge a gasoline engine or generator kicks in. They can travel from 20 km to 80 km on a full charge, and the gasoline engine or generator adds another 500 km to the range.
If you are commuting or city driving and not travelling a long distance, you can opt to use the electric feature only, and really save.
For those who fear running out of charge and have “range anxiety,” plug-in hybrids are a good compromise to totally electric cars. They are also good for use in areas without EV (electric vehicle) charging stations.
Hybrid cars
Hybrid cars have both electric motors supplied by a battery and an internal combustion engine that uses a balance of both. While it doesn’t have a great range on pure electric power, the combination of electric and combustion engines means a reduction in fuel consumption and conservation of energy.
The number of fully electric cars in Canada is currently limited, but plug-in hybrids and hybrids come in different body types and sizes. Search by the Eco-friendly cars category or fuel type to find them. In the electric car reviews and hybrid car reviews in the model overviews, under the listing of features, you will find the category of engine and under that category, it will show you the exact fuel consumption of each vehicle and its range. An electric car example is the Nissan Leaf and a hybrid car example is the Toyota Prius.
You can easily find sustainable vehicles at Kijiji Autos. Check out sustainable vehicles under the category eco-friendly cars. One is sure to be right for you!
