Greener Wheelers: Towards Cleaner Vehicles

Environment-friendly vehicles may have come to prominence recently, but their evolution has been more lengthy than many might imagine. The origins of hybrid cars stretch back more than 100 years, to the year 1899. It was in this year that Ferdinand Porsche (yes, that one) first invented a car that used a gasoline engine to power an electric motor, named the System Lohner-Porsche Mixte. While this car was well-received when first released, its popularity waned when Ford began releasing purely petrol-powered cars for much cheaper prices. Hybrids were produced throughout the 1910s by various companies, but their limited popularity was weighed down by their hefty price tags.

In the 1960s, the US began to issue legislation that encouraged greater usage of electric cars as a means to reduce air pollution, but the public didn’t really get on board until 1973. It was in this year that the Arab Oil Embargo took place, causing oil prices to skyrocket the world over and reducing its availability. This, in turn, caused interest in electric and hybrid cars to pick up some momentum again amongst consumers and manufacturers.

However, it was still some time before a truly market-viable option became available that could combat the price and performance of gas guzzlers. By the end of the 1970s, the gas crisis had largely subsided, and interest in environmentally friendly transportation options had once again decreased.

The Prius Sedan then made its debut in 2000. Even though the Honda Insight was beginning to gain popularity in the US and the Prius had been a hit in Japan since its introduction in 1997, the arrival of the Prius Sedan in 2000 was a real game-changer. This car, which features a gas-electric motor, was the first fully marketable hybrid in the sector and has since remained the most well-liked hybrid globally.

Even with the advances being made in hybrid and electric cars, it’s worth noting that the average gas-powered car has reduced its emissions massively over the last 50 years or so. In 1970, amendments to the US Clean Air Act signaled the rise of pollution control as a national priority. It required all new cars to reduce their emissions by 90% by the year 1975. This was considered a reaction to the masses of smog that could be seen over major cities such as New York and Los Angeles. Plus, Richard Nixon also established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whose primary function was to set standards for air-quality based on health.

Over the years, numerous amendments to the Clean Air Act have been made. One major development was the removal of lead from gasoline, a process that started in the 1970s and was fully phased out by 1995, reducing the cases of lead poisoning by massive degrees. Today, all new cars, trucks, SUVs, and buses that get manufactured are 99% cleaner than the models being sold in the 1970s. While the step away from fossil fuels is largely considered necessary, a lot has been done to reduce the damage done by the most commonly used gas-powered cars.

The Canadian Clean Air Act came into force in 1971 to bring a uniform approach to combating pollution across provinces. It was spurred by rising concern over air pollution as a national and global problem. Over the years, it has undergone amendments to expand its ability to combat the challenge of air pollution.

The Canadian Environment Protection Act 1999 is a more comprehensive regulation that regulates a variety of businesses and forms of pollution, including the auto industry. To increase the effectiveness of counter-climate change initiatives, Canada and the US are working together to develop common emissions regulations.

Since the dawn of the Prius, many car companies have started releasing more hybrid and electric options. As the public’s insight into pollution has increased, governments have also supported the movement toward sustainable transport. One example is that Obama introduced the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge in 2012, bringing together scientists, engineers, and businesses to make electric and hybrid cars just as affordable as gasoline-powered alternatives by 2022.

Schemes like these indicate that the future of four-wheeled travel is green, and that’s a good thing for our planet.