Honda Civic GX Natural Gas - 2012 Green car of the Year

Civic trying to get to the Gas?

Surprise...... The Green Car Journal announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show it's 2012 Green Car of the Year is a 2012 Honda Civic, but it's not the hybrid!

When the curtain dropped on the stage, the jaws dropped in the crowd! The five finalists had been the Ford Focus electric, Mitsubishi i, Toyota Prius V, Volkswagen Passat TDi and of course the Civic Natural Gas

Green Car Journal cites natural gas abundance in the United States, low tailpipe emissions, and cheaper fuel cost (by about 30 percent!) than gasoline among its reasons for selecting the Civic Natural Gas as the winner and makes note that the Civic is "the only assembly-line produced natural gas passenger model manufactured for sale in the United States."

The Civic GX produces 110 horsepower from its 1.8-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine and has a range of about 240 miles on a full tank.


The GX was originally introduced with a 1.6 liter In-Line 4 engine. The 2001 model make-over carried a 1.7 liter engine. Beginning in 2006, the 1.8 liter inline four-cylinder engine was introduced to the Civic lineup.
Compression in the Civic GX is 12.5:1, much higher than that of most US pump gasoline-powered automobiles. The significantly higher compression ratio is usable without detonation due to the 130-octane natural gas that powers the car.

Acceleration is significantly slower than that of the comparable 4-door LX model due to both lower power (113 hp vs. 140 hp) and heavier weight (2910 lbs vs 2652 lbs). 0-60 MPH is achieved in a rather leisurely 12.6 seconds. And fuel consumption is estimated to be around 32 MPG.

The CNG cylinder (fuel tank) is carried in the trunk of the car and holds 8.0 GGE (Gasoline Gallon Equivalent) at 3600 psi.

Range on a full 3600 psi fill is variable, depending on driving conditions and driving technique, as with any vehicle.  The GX qualifies for HOV Lane access in California, Arizona, Utah, and other states.

Renault Twizy ZE (Zero Emissions) - Electric 2 seater

Renault Twizy

Renault have a vision of the future, and we've all seen concept cars similar to the Twizy before, but this one is being made! It has a tall, narrow stance, open sides and seats two people, but will the Twizy start a trend towards this type of commuter mobility vehicle that combine the safety and confidence of a car with the convenience and cost of a scooter?

Fitted with a 17bhp electric motor, which should give a top speed of around 50mph, and frisky linear acceleration, that comes with an electric motor. Charging the battery – which takes around three and a half hours – gives a range of up to 62 miles, and its low weight and centre of gravity promise safe, stable cornering.

Both models – £6,690 for the Urban and the £7,400 Technic – have as standard equipment, an immobilizer, driver’s airbag, a four-point seatbelt for the driver and a three-point seatbelt for the passenger. The more expensive Technic version gains alloy wheels, metallic paint & half doors to reduce the spray coming into the cabin space! Bluetooth connectivity and rear parking sensors are optional.  A huge range of colours and 'fun' graphics are available to help customers personalise their Twizy.

In addition to the purchase price, Renault will charge you for the lease of the batteries - £40 per month over a period of 36 months. The idea being that Renault owns the expensive batteries so the owner of the vehicle doesn’t need to worry about their replacement or the prospect of a scrap vehicle if they fail.

Due to hit the roads in spring 2012, a £20 deposit can be paid now to reserve your Twizy via www.renault-ze.com 

Saab Aero X

Saab Aero X




What a shame that Saab has gone into liquidation, as it means this stunning concept car will never become a reality.
Unusual to see car manufacturers look for alternative fuel sources to power their vehicles. However, this particular concept by Saab would have had an ethanol powered 2.8L twin-turbocharged V6 with 0 to 60mph in 4 seconds. Even cooler, the car has no doors, rather, the entire top canopy section of the car opens up, making it one of the most unique designs out there. Shame, Shame, Shame!

Venturi Fetish - Electric

The Venturi Fetish

Reported as the first 2 seater all electric car to go on sale in 2006, The Venturi Fetish is claimed to have a top speed of 100mph and a 0-60 time of under 4 seconds.

BMW efficientdynamics Concept car

This concept uses a a three-cylinder turbodiesel and two electric motors and the total output is 262 kW/356 hp, maximum torque 800 Newton-metres/590 lb-ft. All-wheel drive featuring an electric motor on both the front and rear axle. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h is made in just 4.8 seconds while the top speed achieved is limited at 250 km/h (155 mph). Fuel consumption is impressive: 3.76 litres/100 km (equal to 75.1 mpg imp), CO2 emissions 99 grams/kilometre.


As a plug-in hybrid, BMW Vision EfficientDynamics is able to cover the entire fuel consumption drive cycle under electric power alone. Taking the sources of energy used for generating the electric power consumed into account (EU electricity mix), this reduces the CO2 emission rating to just 50 grams per kilometre. Electric power is generated without the slightest increase in fuel consumption through a particularly efficient concept of Brake Energy Regeneration. Energy is stored in 98 lithium polymer cells. The car is able to cover a distance of approximately 50 km/31 miles in the electric mode alone. The impressive performances are also available due to the drag coefficient optimised to just 0.22.

Ford Fusion Hybrid

Name: Ford Fusion Hybrid 
Manufacturer: Ford
Sold in: North America
Engine: 2,500 cc
Fuel efficiency: Average: 41/36 mpg (City/Hway)
Fuel: Regular Unleaded/Electricity

Honda Insight Hybrid Petrol/Electric

Name: Honda Insight (last produced 2006)
Manufacturer: Honda  
Engine: 995 cc
Fuel efficiency: Average: 61-68 mpg. (manual)
Average range: about 700 miles (manual).
Fuel: Regular Unleaded/Electricity

Honda FC - Hydrogen Electric Sports Car

Honda's vision for Hydrogen power - the FC Sport

Paint it black with red pinstriping and imagine Batman stepping out!

Actually it's more likely some paunchy balding middle-age bloke with a fat wallet and a superiority complex, will tumble out, hopefully into the path of an oncoming bus! (Is the bitterness showing through?)

At the 2008 Los Angeles Motor Show, Honda unveiled their take on an alternative energy supercar. The sports-minded FC Sport  is powered by Honda's V-Flow  hydrogen fuel cell stack, already being utilised in the FCX Clarity, coupled with a high-performance electric power-train this striking light-weight Hydrogen muscle-mobile has been packaged to give a very low centre of gravity.

Configured with 3 seats, the driver sits front and centre (a-la Mclaren F1), with the two passengers enjoying an entertaining and clear view to the sides and behind the driver.

With Honda’s racing pedigree, this could prove to give traditional petrol/diesel consuming sport cars a run . Currently a prototype, don’t expect a release for some time.

Yeah....black would probably make your bum look a little less errr......less

Nissan Leaf - Electric only

Nissan Leaf  Electric Car

The Leaf is 100% electric zero emissions car. The perennial problem with electric cars has always been their range, combined with a long wait for re-charging. Nissan is putting rapid charging stations at all their dealers to help overcome this problem. The rapid chargers will take just 30 minutes to bring the batteries back to 80% of their maximum charge. The home charger (16 amps) will take 8 hours, and the street charger (10amps) 12 hours.  However the Leaf costs £30,000 in the UK, with a £5,000 government incentive bringing the price you pay to £25,000. Nissan claim a range of 109 miles and a top speed of 90mph. 

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