F1 Electric Formula Car: World's Fastest Electric Race Car

Formula 1 is changing quickly. Only a few months ago, F1′s governing body the FIA moved the sport in the direction of hybrid four-cylinder engines. A number of manufacturers are expressing interest in an all-electric F1 league. And now, the world’s fastest electric race car, the Electric Formula Car, is also purpose-built for Formula 1 motor racing.
French companies FCI and Formulec worked together to create the Electric Formula Car, which blasts to 60 mph in 3 seconds and has a top speed  of 155 miles per hour. FCI used its expertise in connectors to create an ultra-compact connector, the RCS800, which allows the car superb performance by transmitting power from the battery to the electric motor. It looks as though a new,eco green age of Formula 1 racing is nigh, which is great news for technical advances that will eventually hand  down to production cars.

Car Tax - Benefits of an Economical Car

Company Car Tax

So, you go to work. You work hard. You get a promotion.  you get a company car for your private use. Unfortunately, this also means that the government will require you to pay tax . Up until 2002, company car tax was calculated on business mileage, but now the key to calculating how much you pay is the effect that your car has on the environment.

Calculating Business Car Tax

Employees are liable to pay tax on any company car that is also available for private use, and if you are earning more than £8,500 per annum you will almost certainly be affected. If your employer pays for the fuel you use on business trips, you will also pay additional tax. To calculate the tax on the car you’re driving, there are a few steps to follow.

Work out the Value of Your Car

Work out the value of your car – Value in this instance is calculated by looking at the list price of the car, then taking into account any additions you have made to the vehicle that would increase its value. It’s also worth taking into account any lump payments you have made towards the purchase of the car, as this would reduce it’s value and therefore reduce the amount of tax you pay.

Calculate the Co2 Emissions

Find out the CO2 emissions of your car – Any car registered after 1st March 2001 will state the CO2 emissions on the vehicle registration certificate. Otherwise, check out http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/.

Examples of Savings

This is where it gets interesting. The more economical your car is, the lower the amount of tax you will pay. As the environment has become a more pressing political issue, the advantages of having an eco-vehicle have increased dramatically. For example, in 2008, if you bought a petrol-run Ford Mondeo estate, which belts out 170g/km in CO2, you would have paid a slightly painful 22% in tax benefit. However, by 2011, new government plans will mean that you will pay a massive 27% in tax on your vehicle. That’s a 5% increase in 4 years. Ouch.

Chose an Eco Car to Save Money

On the other hand, if you choose vehicles that are economical and environmentally friendly, you will save yourself a bundle, and the incentives to do so are only increasing. In 2008, a new lower 10% rate was introduced for cars with carbon emissions of 120g/km or less, so if you had bought a Peugeot 107 with 109g/km instead of the Mondeo, you would have saved yourself 12%. Nice.

Employers NI Contributions

Now, new changes to car tax are only making it more tempting for employees (and employers who pay Class 1A National Insurance Contributions (NIC), as they will pay more if employees drive vehicles with high CO2 emissions) to choose an eco-car.

Zero emission Cars pay no Tax for 5 Years

From this year, cars with zero emissions cars will have 0% tax for five years. Owners of cars that do not exceed 75g/km will pay just 5% for five years. That’s a whole lot of cash you could be keeping in the bank.

For a more detailed list of Green and Eco cars click here.

Peugeot 208 Review

Performance

Without the range-topping 156hp 1.6-litre THP turbo petrol available to try we figure you have two options: stump up the extra dosh you'll need for a diesel, or go for the new 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol.

That's not to say the other petrols are poor. We were only able to try the regular 1.6 and the 1.2, so can't comment on the 1.0 (also a three-pot) or the 1.4 (a more conventional four cylinder). But the 1.2 triple injects such verve into the driving experience you can't help but love it.

With 82hp it's hardly fast - 0-62mph takes 12.2 seconds, apparently - but a kerb weight of just 975kg 'topped up' means it's in keeping with the 208's whole lightness of being approach, it makes an amusing noise and loves to rev; wring out the 1.6, by contrast, and it resonates unpleasantly at around 5,500rpm.

The rest of the line-up - bar that elusive 156hp THP, which also enjoys six gears - make do with a five-speed arrangement. Regardless of ratio count, Peugeot has given the gear selection a positive, well oiled, mechanical feel; the 'boxes don't like to be rushed, but they don't need to be. Fingertips are all you need.Based on exposure to both 92hp and 115hp power output variants of the 1.6-litre HDi, the turbodiesels are also noisy affairs. However, a big slug of extra torque makes for more effortless progress in general - especially in the case of the 115hp version, which gets a sixth cog in its gearbox.

A final word on that 1.6 THP turbo petrol, even if we weren't able to drive it; weighing only 1,090kg it claims 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 133mph. It sounds like a riot - yet is considerably less powerful than the likely 208 GTI, which just debuted in concept form at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Ride and handling

That 173kg headline weight reduction is certainly an attention grabber (it comes on the 975kg entry level 1.0-litre petrol model, incidentally, helped by the significantly downsized engine), but an average cut of 114kg is arguably even more so.

Some rivals - notably the Ford Fiesta / Mazda2 twins - are almost as light, but Peugeot has really made it count when it comes to the 208's ride and handling. This is a very driveable little car, comfortable over rough surfaces but grips in the corners and keen to please. It instantly had us grinning.

Peugeot has fitted an unusually small steering wheel, which pokes out of the dashboard at you and dispatches most bends with a mere flick of the wrists. The diesels are particularly pointy, and you can trim the line quite predictably with the accelerator. It reminded us of a more compliant Renaultsport Twingo. Brilliant.

The steering assistance is slightly odd, however. It takes a while to get your inputs exactly right, and the numb centre point combined with the 208's eagerness to change direction makes motorway driving less relaxed than it could be. But this is a price we'd gladly to pay for such enjoyable additional agility.

Interior

The 208 is slightly smaller than the 207 - but the smart design makes it seem even more compact
on road while actually increasing the amount of interior space. Slimmer front seats free up an
additional 5cm of rear knee room for example, and an enormous optional glass roof lets in loads of light.

But the biggest changes are up front. Peugeot has placed the gauge pod right on top of the
dashboard, closer to the driver's line of sight - meaning you look above the steering wheel rather
than through it to see how fast you're going. Right next to that, also high in the dash, is a slick
 new touchscreen interface.

Fitted as standard on all but the entry-level Access trim, this not only looks ace but works extremely
well. Moving around within its many functions - including the £400 satellite navigation option - is
intuitive, the touch control speedy and responsive, and the graphic interface pleasingly modern
without being derivative.

There's Bluetooth connectivity for smartphones and iPads, and all the test cars had dual USB
sockets and a 12v power connector. Neat flippy air con controls, beautifully detailed seats
and other accessories, such as handbrake levers and pedals, mean we can easily forgive the
 208's occasionally cheap feeling plastics.

Safety and economy

In addition to the performance and the handling, the 208's low weight is great for economy and
efficiency. The worst polluter will be the 156 THP and that emits just 135g/km CO2, with
claimed fuel economy of 48.7mpg.

Greenest of all is the 1.4 eHDi - fitted with an eco-centric automatic gearbox this is said to achieve 
83.0mpg and 87g/km CO2 - but no diesel variant emits more than 99g/km or returns less than 
74.3mpg, according to the official calculations. In the real world it won't be quite that good, but 
the 208 is still hugely green.
The 1.0-litre petrol is a zero road tax 99g/km CO2 car - 65.6mpg - while the 1.2 will drop from 
104g/km to just 95g/km when a stop-start system is added in 2013. Even as it is it returns a
claimed 62.7mpg. Stop-start is mostly standard on the rest of the range already.

All that said, don't let the lightweight engineering worry you on the safety front. The 208 is yet
to be Euro NCAP crash-tested, but it's built with a large amount of Very High Strength Steel
and Ultra High Strength Steel. Peugeot also fits six airbags and ESP as standard.

Verdict

Beyond telling us that it will start at just £9,995, Peugeot isn't yet revealing the 208's pricing
structure; we suspect that once you load it up with some of the tastier personalisation options
it will get quite expensive quite quickly - but even this presently unknown factor doesn't stop it
becoming a five-star car for us.

The 208 is stylish, compact yet spacious, and engages the driver with a sense of fun, expressed
with a quality and maturity in defiance of any use of that supermini catchall "cheap and cheerful".
Solid build quality, impressive attention to detail in most areas and a wide-ranging engine line-up
complete the picture.

With innovative finance packages like 'Just Add Fuel", it's surely going to attract a whole spectrum
of buyers in the UK, while in Europe Peugeot is ambitiously targeting a full return to the very top
of the supermini sales charts. And you know what? We think the 208 might just do it.

Eco Car Tyres - save fuel costs

03 April 2012

With fuel prices at a record high,  choosing more fuel-efficient tyres to help you car achieve better fuel economy (mpg).

Keep tyre pressures up

Maintaining the correct tyre pressures is always sensible

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One way drivers can make sure their car isn't costing more than it should to fill up is by keeping tyre pressures at the recommended levels. Tyre manufacturer GT-Radial  claimed under-inflated tyres could be costing drivers 10% more in fuel. 

 Motorists should keep tyre pressures topped up (to ensure safe handling and braking as well as to save fuel), research suggests that buying more fuel-efficient tyres is likely to save more money at the pumps.

Choose the right tyres

Testing some popular tyres on a Peugeot 308, we measured an increase in fuel consumption of around 3% when we dropped tyre pressures by a substantial 15PSI (one Bar). The same exercise showed drastic changes to handling and braking, making running with the correct pressures  a must for a safe journey.

But your choice of tyre can actually make a bigger difference to fuel economy - so it's important to choose thebest tyres from the outset and then maintain them properly.

'Eco' tyres can save 6% on fuel

In our latest tyre tests, one of  the sizes we assessed was 205/55 R16V - one of the UK's most widely fitted tyre sizes. The tyres which came top for fuel economy were the Pirelli Cinturato P7s and the Hankook Kinergy Eco K425, which both beat big names like the Continental PremiumContact 5, Goodyear OptiGrip and Bridgestone Turanza T001 for rolling resistance. 

In fact, fitted to a car returning 40mpg, either the Pirelli or the Hankook would give you an extra 2.4mpg (around 6%) compared with the worst tyre in our test for rolling resistance, the Nexen N8000. That equates to around £50 a year at today's record fuel prices. 

And given that the Pirelli was among the lowest priced tyres in our test batch (at £68 each), you'll be saving money from the moment you visit the tyre retailer.

Celebrities Eco Smart Cars

The Smart set

Tiny eco car is must-have accessory for stars

Rock's car ... Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl behind the wheel

SMART cars are cool – just ask Simon Cowell. He was pictured driving the dinky two-seater out of his LA mansion this week.

Even tough Aussie Mel Gibson has swapped his Mad Max motors for an economical Smart. It has been a motoring trendsetter ever since owners Mercedes shocked the automotive world when they brought it out in 1998.

Peace ... Simon Cowell's navy Smart car

Looking Smart ... Justin Bieber

NATIONAL PHOTO GROUP

The revolutionary 8ft 10in-long motor made small cars cool for the first time since the British Mini.

Simon was driving his in Los Angeles but the pop mogul missed a trick, driving the ultimate Smart which debuted at the LA Motor Show.

Shades ... Britney Spears

X17Online.com

Forjeremy ... designer Jeremy Scott's special edition

Jeremy Williams Photographer

The electric version with wings was designed by Jeremy Scott, who usually makes outfits for stars including pop’s Lady Gaga. Smart bosses say they will be bringing out a special edition Forjeremy in the UK next year.

The company have been one of the leaders in the race to get electric cars to become part of mainstream motoring. In London, they are launching a groundbreaking car-sharing scheme.

The story is set to continue with an all-new model due in 2013 and a four seater version in the future. So the Smart money will keep rolling in.

Smiles ... Joanna Lumley

The Picture Library Ltd

Reem motor ... TOWIE star Joey Essex's convertible

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Eco Friendly Public Transport

Denmark and Japan lead the way

Denmark is one of the leading countries to effectively introduce environmentally sustainable transport. The sustainable transport policy of the Danish government aims to promote an efficient transport system for the benefit of the general public and for its industry. The policy ensures that pollution and accidents are minimized in accordance to specific goals.

Radical changes occurred after the implementation of national transport policies in the1990s against the backdrop of growing concern over global warming. The policy was inspired by the Brundtland report in 1987. Sustainable transport maximizes transport efficiency and enhances the social well-being by providing greater mobility for people. It contributes significantly to reduce environmental impacts of transport infrastructure.

When it comes to cycling Denmark is way ahead of Germany and Austria, the other two European countries with significant achievements in eco-friendly transportation. The emergence of Denmark as one of Europe's foremost cycling countries is significant, as cycling is widely regarded as a key mode of sustainable transport.

Japan doesn't lag far behind the European countries when it comes to environmentally friendly transport. A staggering 70% of people in Tokyo metropolitan area depend on public transportation. Japan is making giant strides to incorporate sustainable transportation to minimize carbon emission. It has already decided to develop hydrogen fuel as an alternative to oil dependence. The country plans to invest $11 billion for hydrogen development efforts in a project spanning 28 years.

Japan's motor vehicle emissions and fuel quality standards are some of the strictest in the world (e.g. benzene in gasoline, under 1% and sulphur in diesel, under 0.05%). Though there has been an increase in the volume of traffic it has been offset by an increase in fuel efficiency.

Japan already had a 1992 law in place on automobile NOx emissions which calls for special measures for sensitive metropolitan areas. This law was amended in 2001 to cover particulate emissions from diesel automobiles. There has been a considerable increase in the number of in-use low-emission vehicles. Though LEVs still account for a very small share of the total fleet they total more than 2400 electric vehicles, 5300 natural gas vehicles, 200 methanol vehicles and 37700 hybrid vehicles.

The Japanese government recognized the advantages of bike travel some time ago and provided necessary urban design changes and 37,000 miles of additional bike/ pedestrian pathways during 1970s. Such policies have reaped rich dividends with Japan's cycling modal share reaching a noteworthy 14%.

The bicycle intensive transportation system in Japan has its own merits. With over 80% of Japanese households owning at least one bike the national average is 1.42 bikes per household. The high non-motorized mode share has lowered the Japanese per capita fuel consumption to 10% of Americans.

The high ownership costs for automobiles in Tokyo which include automobile registration charges averaging $1,000 a year and exorbitant gasoline costs which is nearly 3.1 times the U.S. rate, have led to Japanese aversion to pollution-emitting vehicles.

Better Fuel Economy

We love our cars, no matter what style or how battered they might be, we love them. Apart from a house, we tend to spend more money and time on our vehicles than any other of our possessions. The cost of fuel has also started to spiral out of control, and these two factors seem to be begging us for a solution. If we start to drive more economically we can kill two birds with one stone. By producing less greenhouse gases we can also spend less on  fuel. This article looks at some simple ways to continue enjoying our beasts without adding to that guilt trip.

Maintain Your Vehicle

Before we even depress that accelerator, we can begin to take that first step to reducing our motorised carbon footprint. If your car is set up to run correctly, it will use less fuel and produce less  emissions. Most cars have electronic ignition systems, but we still need to show a little technical love nonetheless. Even though the manufacturers may recommend a 30k service, there is nothing to say that you can’t check your car every 3 or 6 months instead. If you are handy around a car, you can do most of the servicing yourself, but if you are not so sure, you should leave it to the professionals. Just ensure you change the filters and oil and fluids on a regular basis. Arrange for a tune up to get the best out of your car’s engine, even if it is a 1 litre mini marvel!

 Less Drag Equals More Bucks!

When you look at those racing cars on television, you may tend to notice that they are pretty streamlined in comparison with a typical street car. The sleeker the car is, the less fuel it will use as a result.  If you use a roof rack on a regular basis, it may seem a pain to remove the darn thing. But on a long run you will be forking out extra cash for no reason. If you have a sports car with a fancy rear spoiler, you should think about your wallet first. The spoiler is great for adding more down force in order to grip that road. But the side effect of this activity is the increased use of fuel.

A Weighty Issue

We are all guilty of occasionally carrying too much gear in our cars, but you may be surprised to learn how much more fuel we use as a result. If you are too lazy to unload that set of golf clubs after a round with the boys, maybe you should take up poker instead! For every 40 kg’s of extra weight in your car, you can reduce your fuel economy by 5 percent!

Driving Cheaply

If you are waiting for some buddies to get their stuff together while you are in the car, turn off your gas and ring on the doorbell. As well as using fuel for no good reason, you can damage your own engine by idling in park for too long!

Think Green!

We can’t all afford to drive around in a hybrid car, nor would we all want to, but you can keep your old beast and still help the environment – Just Be Smart!