Green Cars: An Introduction and Brief Economic Alalysis

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Green Cars
An Introduction and Brief Economic Analysis
Since its invention in the late 1800s, the car has been a major part of our nation’s history and development. As the car matured, it started to become the primary source of transportation for both people and goods. As their technology continues to advance, the demand for more fuel efficient and cleaner emitting cars began to rise, and thus, the green car was born. But what makes a car “green”?
What is a Green Car?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates vehicles “greenness” based on several specific factors. If vehicles score in the upper tier of their class, they are given “Smart Way” certification. These scoring categories include: air pollution, fuel economy, and greenhouse gas. The air pollution score focuses on the amount of air pollutants that a car emits into the atmosphere. The less harmful gases the vehicle produces, the higher the score. Next, the EPA’s fuel economy score looks at the mileage a car gets based on accurate representations of real world conditions. They are only estimates, but the higher the estimated mileage, the better. Finally, the greenhouse gas score looks specifically at the greenhouse gases that a vehicle discharges. This score is based on the fuel type and the mileage. So according to the EPA, for a car to be “green”, it must sport good gas mileage as well as low harmful gas emissions. (2013)
Different Types of Green Cars
Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid
There are many different kinds of green vehicles and one of the most popular and most common types is hybrids. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV’s) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV’s) use a mixture of gas and electric power to help improve mileage and reduce emissions. An HEV only u...

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...N 0301-4215, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.05.122.
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