Imagine a place with foggy skies, thick smoke and people everywhere wearing surgical face-masks. It doesn’t sound like your ideal vacation spot, right? Nor is it a movie you’d see just on the big screen. Unfortunately, you would witness this in common places around the globe, such as in China, Hong Kong and Japan.
The transportation sector has an unfavorable reputation when it comes to carbon footprint. The sector has the dubious honor of being the second largest emitter in the US, with a whopping 28% of the total annual CO2eq emissions. Even in the EU, where overall emissions have been steadily falling, the transportation sector has increased its polluting contributions by 36% since 1990.
The aviation industry has drawn a lot of attention in the last decade; due to the exponential growth of air travel – most of us travel more now than our parents did when they were our age. Still, when it comes to the transportation sector, light individual vehicles are the major culprits; with a shocking 60% slice of the total CO2eq contributions, including the most emissions of nitric acid vapor.
The use of bikes, buses, trains and subways is on the rise; however, some of us cannot completely make do without a car. If you live in the suburbs, have small children or if you spend most of your time running errands, you need a private vehicle. Car manufacturers are constantly striving to catch our eyes with flashy designs, faster cars and more powerful motors; but the real edge now is more eco-efficiency features. Now that’s what we call a real muscle car!
Many carmakers are moving slowly, but surely, towards the hybrid and electric vehicles. In this line of eco-friendly creations, BMW has raised the bar with its ActiveHybrid, i3 and Clean Diesel models. The range covers all preferences: SUVs, compacts, luxury and sport cars, with the trademark precision and quality associated with the German firm.
If you’re already looking into BMW for your new power ride, you’ll be glad to hear that less emissions are in the same price range as the standard models. No offense meant, BMW, but some of your cars are better than others at keeping that CO2eq under control.
First in line are the hybrid models, called very accurately “ActiveHybrid.” These dynamic and economical cars with electric motors and combustion engines, only release 139g of CO2/km. What’s that? We don’t know where hybrids got the reputation of tame, family friendly cars, but the BMW ActiveHybrid line packs the same 300-hp, inline-six as other cars in the 3-series. If you can go cleaner without losing power, why not do it?
In urban areas, it just makes sense. You can get around 100% electrically, thanks to the lithium-ion high-performance battery that feeds the 54hp motor. And even though we know you won’t speed, the fact this car can jump from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, makes other hybrids purr with envy. With this model, you’ll only use 5.9 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers. Less trips to the gas station, anyone? Count us in!
If you like to show off your green side, then you’ll want to check out the new BMW i3. These masterpieces of German design are aerodynamic, light and sustainable as no other eco-friendly drive. Compact on the outside, but roomy on the inside; they are driven by pure electric power, and are manufactured with sustainable and recycled materials. All the textiles used in the car come from 100% recycled fibers. Plus, 25% of the plastic in the interior is either recycled or from renewable sources.
Emissions. What emissions? With its lithium-ion high-voltage battery, designed for city traffic, you’ll be able to go up to 125 kW/170 hp and from 0 to 60 km/h in under 4 seconds. In case you’re in a particular city with absolutely no traffic, you could reach 100 km/h in only 7.2 seconds. But with such a gorgeous ride, who’d like to rush? If you drive in an efficient mode (minimum energy loss in A/C or lights), you can drive up to 340 km before needing to recharge again. And the motor is so silent, you won’t even notice it’s running. Less pollution from noise – check. To know how much you’ll be saving in fuel, BMW has prepared this nifty calculator, just in case all the amazing features of this model haven’t wowed you enough.
If you don’t live in the city and need to cover more distance, then you need a diesel vehicle. Oh, yuck, you mean one of those noisy, stinky old trucks? No, we mean BMW Clean Diesel. With these vehicles, you can go up to 795 miles on one tank, being 18% more efficient than a regular car. Clean Diesel won’t be to blame for dark clouds of smog, since it has met the highest standards of all States – thanks to its ultra-low sulfur content.
Delivering 45 mpg on the highway, diesel engines cut NOX by 98%; so you’ve got the power without the guilty conscience. According to BMW, if one third of Americans made the move to clean diesel vehicles, we would reduce our carbon footprint by 532-million pounds of CO2 per day.
As you can see, there are plenty of choices to become more environmentally responsible and we have just shown you some eco-friendly examples. However, as a consumer, you can – and should – look into what suits your needs and meets your personal carbon-footprint target, in style.