Carbon Works

In the news: Two Mercedes-Benz models were recently awarded with the Car Environment Certificate by the internationally renowned environmental institute Oko Trend. The Mercedes-Benz models that were awarded are Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI and the Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI which are both manufactured by the Stuttgart brand. The two Mercedes models received top marks during an extensive and critical analysis by specialists at the independent institute.

Both the Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI and Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI have achieved well-above-average results in all areas. According to the institute Oko Trend, the two Mercedes models have obtained excellent values in terms of fuel consumption and exhaust/noise emissions plus excel in virtue of its environmentally friendly production, materials and logistics.

The Oko Trend institute was so impress with the two Mercedes-Benz models that it said, “The Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI may be seen as one of the most eco-friendly vehicles with a conventional drive system. The development phase for this compact car was already based on a comprehensive environmental concept which takes the entire lifecycle of the vehicle into consideration. Numerous specific measures have reduced emissions during the production and operation of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class by approximately 17 percent compared to the preceding model. All in all, Mercedes has set new ecological standards for conventionally powered vehicles with the new A-Class.”

The Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI has a fuel consumption of 4.9 liters per 100 kilometers with a corresponding CO2 emission of 128 grams. Based on the research conducted by the Oko Trend, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class is distinguished by a “high degree of variability and spaciousness, as well as convincing environmental credentials”. The Oko Trend institute has high regards for the power unit of the Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI saying, “The 140hp diesel is equipped with a particulate filter as standard. Thanks to a high torque of 300 Nm, which is already available from 1600 rpm, this engine allows a relaxed style of driving and early upshifts. A fuel consumption of six liters per 100 km is feasible in practice. All in all, therefore, the Mercedes B 200 CDI achieves a very good environmental rating.” The Institute also stressed the high ecological standards that generally apply at Mercedes-Benz.

Aside from the environmentally friendly standards that Mercedes-Benz is implementing it is also renowned for its high level of safety features. Every component added to a Mercedes vehicle is carefully scrutinized and tested for quality and durability especially in terms of safety parts like Mercedes brakes which are the primary safety features of a Benz car. Mercedes brake parts are manufactured and designed by the carmaker itself to further ensure quality. This is in keeping with the long tradition of the automaker in creating not only top-of-the-line vehicles but also producing high quality auto parts.

The Oko Trend Institute for Environmental Research is founded by the Bergische University of Wuppertal and has been publishing research reports regarding the eco-friendliness of car models since 1997. And last year this financially independent and neutral institute has expanded their analytical activities and started giving their internationally renowned Oko Trend Car Environment Certificate. These certificates are awarded only to vehicles which meet the particularly high environmental standards set by the institute. In making their assessment, the specialists take not only the vehicle specific criteria such as exhaust/noise emissions and fuel consumption but also take into consideration the environmental parameters relating to production, logistics, including the manufacturer’s environmental management systems. And that’s not all; vehicles need to obtain at least 90 percent of the maximum score in all assessment criteria in order to be awarded with the car Environment Certificate.

At present only 15 car models worldwide were given the Certificate and two of them were from Mercedes-Benz: one from the Mercedes compact class and Mercedes compact van class.

Dwyane Thomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/two-mercedesbenz-models-awarded-with-car-environment-certificate-by-oko-trend-institute-116617.html

DaimlerChrysler AG’s Mercedes Car Group has proven their contribution with the environment by manufacturing vehicles with low fuel consumption and low exhaust emissions.

Oko Trend, one of the most internationally acclaimed environmental institutions based in Germany has awarded two Mercedes-Benz models: the Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI compact car and the Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI van with the prestigious “Car Environment Certificate”. Now on its tenth year, the Car Environment Certificate is awarded to the vehicle/s that meet the institute’s strict environmental standards for automobiles. Only 15 vehicles from international automakers have been awarded by Oko Trend since 1997, and that includes the Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI and the Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI.

The Oko Trend Institute for Environmental Research evaluated the two Mercedes vehicles along with other brands and selected the vehicles that achieved top ratings in various criteria. These include fuel consumption, exhaust/noise emissions, environmental friendly performance, and other environmental factors relating to the vehicle’s production, materials, logistics, and the environmental management systems done by the car manufacturer. The Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI and Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI obtained above average results in all of these criteria allowing the two vehicles to get Oko Trend’s Car Environment Certificate.

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Oko Trend was impressed by the two Mercedes-Benz vehicles’ performance. Experts at Oko Trend commented: “The Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI may be seen as one of the most eco-friendly vehicles with a conventional drive system. The development phase for this compact car was already based on a comprehensive environmental concept which takes the entire lifecycle of the vehicle into consideration. Numerous specific measures have reduced emissions during the production and operation of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class by approximately 17 percent compared to the preceding model. All in all, Mercedes has set new ecological standards for conventionally powered vehicles with the new A-Class.”

The institute gave a distinctive special praise to the Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI based on their evaluation. Oko Trend said: “The Mercedes-Benz B-Class is distinguished by a high degree of variability and spaciousness, as well as convincing environmental credentials”. The 140-hp diesel engine is equipped with a particulate filter as standard. Thanks to a high torque of 300 Nm, which is already available from 1600 rpm, this engine allows a relaxed style of driving and early upshifts. A fuel consumption of six litres per 100 km is feasible in practice. All in all, therefore, the Mercedes B 200 CDI achieves a very good environmental rating.”

Both Mercedes-Benz A 160 CDI compact car and the Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI van are equipped with diesel engines that offer improved fuel efficiently and reduced harmful exhaust emissions, without affecting the handling and performance. Both models are also equipped with quality Mercedes parts inside and out like those Mercedes cargo liner and Mercedes cargo mat found on the luxurious GL-Class.

Dwyane Thomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/two-mercedes-models-receives-car-environment-certificate-116606.html

The Volvo Multi-Fuel is a five-cylinder, 2.0 liter prototype car that runs on five different fuels namely: hythane which is 10% hydrogen and 90% methane, biomethane, natural gas (CNG), bioethanol E85 (85% bioethanol and 15% petrol) and petrol. This concept car was first introduced at the Michelin Challenge Bibedum 2006 and considered to be the only one of its kind.

According to Mats Morén, Project leader Engine at Volvo Car Corporation, the whole car is equipped with top-of-the-line Volvo accessories designed for high performance and perfect for driving on any of the five different fuels. The Multi-Fuel is just as safe as all the other Volvo vehicles plus it is exceptionally clean. He also said that the Multi-Fuel car is the first step towards a hydrogen powered society.

Volvo Car Corporation believes that the road to the future is not one but many and no renewable fuel type can alone replace the fossil fuels of today. And since local conditions vary, different markets need engines for different alternative fuels coupled with cleaner conventional ones. These are the very same considerations of Volvo Car Corporation when it has developed the Multi-Fuel car. The main idea of the Multi-Fuel car is to make use of the locally produced fuels thus reducing the need to import fuel from other countries.

The Multi-Fuel car is equipped with one large and two smaller tanks containing 98 liters of gaseous fuels (hythane, biomethane and CNG), and one 29 liter tank for liquid fuels (bioethanol E85 and petrol). The small gaseous fuel tanks are made of steel while the large tank has a durable, gas tight aluminum liner, reinforced with high performance carbon fiber composite and an exterior layer of hardened fiber-glass composite, according to Morén.

The fuel tanks are placed under the luggage compartment floor thus preserving the full loading capacity of the Multi-Fuel car. The two fuel fillers are used to fill up all five fuel types, one for gaseous and one for liquid fuels. In order to switch between fuel types the driver would simply have to push a button.

The Multi-Fuel car, its engine, tanks, transmission and the fuel system is designed to function on the five different fuels. This means that it can be started directly on gas which is said to be unique for this system. The Multi-Fuel is remarkably clean and meets the emission standards for Euro 4 and the proposed levels for Euro 5. It also has an alternative catalyst system that is developed to meet the tough demands on extremely low tailpipe emissions for PZEV/SULEV on the US market.

The vehicle has two catalysts, one close coupled to the engine that lowers initial start emissions while the one under the floor reduces high-speed emissions. The double catalysts and advanced engine control system lead to very low emissions. High temperature materials in the exhaust and turbo allow extremely high exhaust gas temperatures of up to 1050 °C. This enables the car to run cleaner, accelerate quicker and operate smoother at higher speed.

Glady Reign
http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/volvos-multifuel-car-run-on-5-different-fuels-97855.html

According to the leading carbon offsetting scheme for car drivers in the United Kingdom, the cost of offsetting the CO2 emissions of a typical 4×4 vehicle is less than £25 annually.

Drivers are infuriated by increasing parking bills, congestion charges and other high-emission penalties. This is especially true with the 4×4 drivers. However, to show concern to the alarming global warming issues, drivers surely could take an extra mile to offset the harmful CO2 emissions. According to the online targetneutral.com scheme, offsetting a 4×4’s CO2 emissions costs from just £16.71 for a Land Rover Discovery to £24.69 for a BMW X5.

Offsetting is a simple way for beleaguered 4×4 drivers to show their environment concerns. “Targetneutral supports the concept of taking steps to consume less energy as well as offsetting the emissions of your current mode of transport. But offsetting is a helpful and thoughtful step to take, whether you drive a Range Rover or a Mini,” said Sheila Williams from the mentioned scheme.

The targetneutral scheme recommends three practical steps that drivers could take to remedy personal CO2 emissions. First, the website suggests that drivers could reduce emissions as much as possible by changing behavior to use less fuel and be more fuel efficient. This step could also save a significant sum. The second step is to replace the fuel, oil, tires and car with more fuel efficient products and models, specifically high efficiency diesel vehicles, when such would be possible. Finally, drivers could neutralize the effects of the CO2 emissions that cannot be reduced or replaced by joining its scheme.

Based on the targetneutral’s calculator, the annual CO2 offsetting cost, on an average annual mileage of 10,000 miles of selected 4×4 cars in the United Kingdom are the following: the Range Rover 3.6 TD V8 £19.97; Land Rover Discovery 2.7 TD V6 £16.71; Volvo XC90 3.2 SE Sport £20.97; VW Touareg 3.0 V6 TDI £19.28; Mercedes ML 320 CDI £17.40; and the BMW X5 4.4i SE £24.69.

The Land Rover V8 engine is a compact internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder heads and cylinder block. The said engine was originally designed by General Motors Corp. but was later redesigned and produced by Land Rover in the UK. Volvo XC90 parts used here boast the power of its V8 engine based on Duratec V6. The V8 was developed in cooperation with Yamaha Motor Corporation. The VW Toureg, on the other hand, uses different engines that include the 2.5 L diesel I5/R5, 3.0 L diesel V6, 3.2 L gasoline V6, .2 L gasoline V8, and 6.0 L gasoline W12. Mercedes and BMW are famed in developing efficient and easy to maintain engines.

Targetneutral is administered by a panel of leading environmentalists in the UK including Jonathon Porritt and Tim Smit. The company works through a simple online carbon calculator. The said online calculator could be used by drivers to input the make and model of their cars and the number of miles they drive a year to show the cost of offsetting their cars’ CO2 emissions. The proceeds of the website go to CO2 reduction projects including alternative and renewable energy.

Some automakers have underestimated cars’ CO2 emissions casting doubt over the road tax system of the UK. According to Auto Express’ own fuel efficiency investigations automakers’ quoted combined economy figures are unrealistic. “We found their claims to be 17-20 per cent above what motorists will achieve in everyday driving,” said road test editor Oliver Marriage.

CO2 emissions and the Government’s car taxation measure are directly proportionate to fuel efficiency. The United States environmental protection agency said, “Each one per cent rise in consumption results in a one per cent rise in emissions.” Therefore, official CO2 fig­ures could be up to 20 percent too low.

Auto Express’ findings mean top-selling cars could be contributing more to global warming than first thought. Ford’s Focus 1.6, for instance, officially puts out 161g/km of CO2 however; it is more likely to emit 193g/km. That would move Focus from Band D to Band F, increasing road tax by £65 a year.

Further, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) states on its website that “emissions tests cannot fully represent real-life driving conditions.” This information should be taken vigilantly by car owners.

Glady Reign
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/offsetting-4×4-emissions-costs-less-than-25-annually-109153.html

Greenhouse gases are those gases that soak up and give off radiation in the atmosphere, leading to the greenhouse effect, which simply means heating. The main gases involved in creating the greenhouse effect on our planet are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, water vapor, ozone, nitrous oxide and CFCs, that is, chlorofluorocarbons. These gases are emitted on a regular basis by human beings, which cause more and more global warming. Having a personal greenhouse gas emissions calculator is one step that can be taken to reduce the emissions every day.

Also referred to as a Household Emissions Calculator or Climate Change Calculator, the Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator helps an individual to understand how their consumption of fuel and other energy sources contribute to global warming and provide ideas on how to cut down their emissions.

The calculator is available online from such websites as the EPA and NASA websites . The calculator enables the user to estimate the current level of emissions in their household, to find out what the person can do about it if their emissions are high, and to give a monetary value to saving on greenhouse gas emissions. The calculator shows how much money one can save by cutting down on how much they use on their energy needs.

The Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator takes about 10 to 15 minutes to fill in. One may need to collect their recent bills for gas and electricity in order to receive the most accurate results from the calculator. There is also an allowance for more specific details about the home, such as the exact square kilometers it occupies. Having more details reveals a more accurate calculation of greenhouse emissions in the home.

The main aspects that the calculator incorporates are the number of people living in a particular household; modes of heating in the home such as electricity or gas; transportation, meaning the number of vehicles currently owned by the residents of the home as well as the mileage on each one; and waste and recycling. Assumptions made by the makers of the greenhouse gas emissions calculator are based on national and international statistics on energy consumptions and global warming.

Emissions from air travel are not included since the calculator is mainly focused on the household. For individuals who are frequent flyers, the emissions calculations should include the amount of fuel they spend on ground transportation such as fuelling the car to get to the airport. Air travel emissions will be included in the calculator in the future because aircraft consumption is calculated differently from the household consumptions.

Several suggestions are offered at the end of taking the personal greenhouse gas emissions calculator that can be done in the home, in the office and on the road. They include switching to energy saving light bulbs, cleaning air filters to decrease the energy spent in heating and cooling the household, insulating the attic and the basement of the house, and the three Rs of handling waste: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

The reminder to spread the word about the personal greenhouse gas emissions calculator should not be taken for granted because the more the people who know about changing their lifestyles to fight against global warming, the greater the change that can be made in the environment.

Daniel Beeler

Okay, everyone knows a car emits smoke which is poisonous, causes smog and the green house effect right? what if you can contain that smoke, cool it, and send it back to the engine to be reburnt. would it work? would it make emissions less harmfull?
no i mean to continuously use the same exaust then when their useless, let them out the tail pipe and use new exaust fumes for the cycle

It’s called exhaust because all of its potential energy to be tapped and used is exhausted.

http://www.stuffintheair.com/air-pollution-by-cars.html

will give you a bit more on the subject.