Christmas Santa Fun Run

On Saturday 4th December a few of us from EcoForecourt are taking part in a Santa Fun Run to help our good friends at the KeepSmilin.co.uk. charity. The run takes place in a park in Manchester and how fun it is going to be we aren't sure as the snow here is heavy to say the least! But then I guess 70+ people running through the snow dressed as Santa can only be fun right!? So far we have only raised a little bit of money but every little helps! We will put up some pictures of us donning our Santa outfits after the run and let you all know how we got on : ) wish us luck!

BIG Decision - Seriously Eco

Today we made a pretty big decision at EcoForecourt. Until today we capped the C02 of our cars at a pretty respectful 155g/km C02, by large this is not bad going for most vehicles. However, we are ECO Forecourt and so we want to do exactly as our name suggests and bring you low carbon, green cars ONLY.

As a result this afternoon we have committed to capping our cars C02 at a highly respectful 130g/km C02.

What's the big deal you say? Well to give you an idea of why this is such a dramatic change for us, yesterday we had around 1000 cars on the site, today due to the re-capping our stock count has taken a significant hit and we are back down to around 150 cars! Almost like day 1.

It was a really hard decision for us but in the long run we believe this to be the best choice for our visitors. You don't expect to walk into an organic store and find your experience tainted by picking up battery produce, so why should you expect to visit our Eco car website and have your search results contaminated by the thought that some of our stock might not quite be as eco as you think.

We want to commit to eco in as big-a-way as possible and by making this drastic change we can be 100% confident in our message to our customers and guarantee that every car on EcoForecourt.com is 100% Eco with regards to the government criteria.

So, here are the benefits:

As all the cars on EcoForecourt are 130g/km C02 or under, we GUARANTEE that you will not pay a penny more than £90 for your road tax, with the majority of the cars listed with us being either £30, £20 or FREE. Pretty cool we think!

The cars on the site will fit into emissions bands A,B,C & D - those that are in band A have FREE road tax, free parking benefits where applicable and FREE congestion charge in London and other congestion areas too (do make sure that is assigned to your numberplate by the DVLA)

Running costs are typically substantially less with our cars from all sorts of areas indicated below:

• Fuel
• Insurance
• Road Tax
• Maintenance
• Free Parking (where applicable)
• CC Exempt (where applicable)
• Zero Emissions on many models.

Of course not only will eco cars be saving your wallet but they are also helping the environment too. Lowering our carbon footprint is the end goal and by looking for cars on Eco Forecourt now you can be 100% confident you are going green regardless of what you end up finding on our website.

Thank you so much for visiting us and we are really looking forward to the future of motoring with you.

James Walker

Founder

EcoForecourt.com

We are integrating! Eco Forecourt Links With Green-Car-Guide

Our first month out of beta and we are really happy to announce that we are forming a partnership with our friends over at www.Green-Car-Guide.com. By placing our Eco Forecourt search box on their homepage, green car fans from around the country, and indeed the world will be able to search directly through our stock at Eco Forecourt while still reading the recommendations and reviews of the Green Car Guide. Until recently there hasn't been a hub where green cars are collected in one easy place and we are delighted to be able to team up with such an enthusiastic team and help people identify what exactly is an eco car and point them in the right direction to getting in one! The Green Car Guide has been established since 2006 and has been writing about the latest industry news and reviews ever since and have become the go-to place for any and all info concerning the future of motoring and advice on which eco car could be for you. They also offer a fantastic Free Green Car Guide download indicating the very best glow carbon, eco cars in each category. The integration of the two sites should be complete by next week upon which we will let you know how it's going!

Updates & Improvements

It's been a very busy few weeks recently, the site has come out of beta stage and is ready for using! The first eco cars we have on the site so far have come from B.S.Marson & sons Fiat dealership in Keele, Staffordshire. Fiat dealerships are great to get on board because Fiats cars are already ahead of the game in terms of low carbon vehicles. The Fiat 500 is a fantastic little run around and we have loads of these on the site already! The biggie however is our FREE LISTING offer - to help get the site populated with cars for the first few weeks we are offering everyone FREE listings on the site for as many cars as they like - got something to sell? Get it on here! We have also made some upgrades to the Eco Search slider to help you identify what it is exactly you are searching for when considering how eco friendly a car you are looking for. After putting the site out on Facebook we also got some great feedback from people making suggestions on how to improve the site. Overall the vibe was great from everyone who used it and most of the suggestions have been applied to the site, such as putting pictures next to the cars in "Choosing The Right Car For You..." check it out here http://www.ecoforecourt.com/buying-a-car/ Ongoing we are now looking to get the site cram packed with lots of eco cars for everyone to browse around, it's a harder process than we thought, getting garages to listen and appreciate this massively expanding trend but we are already making progress. I look forward to giving you our next update! Go well.

BP Gulf Spill-O-Meter

Nobody really knows just how much oil is being pumped out into the ocean right now from the gulf oil crisis but this little widget is a good indicator as it is calculated by estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, from out side experts, from British Petroleum -- of how fast crude is flowing out of two remaining leaks (a third was plugged Wednesday).

Oil has been flowing out of ruptures in the Deepwater Horizon well on the ocean floor since around 10 a.m. on April 22, two days after the BP-leased rig exploded, leaving 11 workers missing and presumed dead.

According to NOAA an estimated 210,000 gallons (5,000 barrels) a day is coming from the remaining ruptures. At that rate, this leak would surpass the 11 million gallons spilled by the Exxon Valdez in 1989 in mid-June if left unchecked.

Vehicle 'DNA' Signals A Stop To Roadside Breakdowns

Bank Holiday car misery could be a thing of the past with a new vehicle black-box

The Bank Holiday mayhem could be worse than ever this weekend as Brits stay in the country to avoid flight disruptions.

But by the end of the decade the traditional traffic jam and breakdown misery which sends us nuts in May will be a thing of the past – thanks to new technology dubbed ‘Vehicle DNA’. That’s the name being given to this latest innovation which could soon change the way we run and treat our cars.

Trimble MRM, an expert in telematics, has developed the in-vehicle black-box – officially called the TVG660 – and already provides it to some of the UK’s largest fleets.

Andrew Yeoman, Managing Director of Trimble MRM Europe, sees no reason why drivers of private vehicles can’t benefit from ‘Vehicle DNA’ too.

“The technology provides real-time information on vehicle condition as well as fuel efficiency and Co2 emissions,” he says. “This would mean the worry over breakdowns will be a thing of the past.

“We’ve already seen how useful ‘Vehicle DNA’ is to our fleet clients but families could also benefit hugely from having it in their cars.”

The pioneering device sends alerts with information on engine, health, faults and even battery life, improving both fuel economy and of course, the dreaded repair and breakdown costs.

“Taking the family to the coast for a long weekend is always hampered by the stressful car journeys at either end. But Trimble MRM’s latest technology could save time, money and any breakdown possibilities, relieving a great deal of stress and getting the Bank Holiday off to the perfect start,” says Yeoman.

The technology sounds a very welcome accessory for motorists all over the world, it's just a shame it's so far away until we can get our hands on it! Until then, set off early and be prepared for Bank Holiday queues - i've got to travel to Cardiff this Saturday and it's going to be crazy i know it!

Go well.

Lack of fresh air costs UK motorists £440 million a year

Coinciding with our post on '10 Ways To Get More Miles Per Gallon' Drivers in the UK are losing out on more than £440million pounds by driving with under-inflated tyres.

The research*, revealed by Michelin discovered that not only are motorists letting poor tyre pressure affect their bank balance, but more than 370 million litres of fuel are being wasted each year.

Luckily for the UK, Michelin is racing to the rescue of drivers who are in the dark when it comes to tyre pressures.

The Michelin Fill Up With Air team is taking to the road to offer free tyre checks to help improve safety and reduce vehicle CO2 emissions, while also helping motorists save cash.

Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: “Based on the findings of Michelin's 2009 campaign, if all of the cars in the UK were running on correctly inflated tyres then motorists would save more than £440 million and more than 370 million litres of fuel a year. As a result, CO2 emissions would also be reduced by almost 1 million tonnes.

“Michelin’s 2010, Fill Up With Air campaign is going to be the biggest to date with more than 50 locations included in the tour.

“It really is a matter of life and death and people should learn to check their tyres regularly and thoroughly which is what we can help them to do.

“Tyres that are under inflated can cause poor handling on the road and potentially lead to serious accidents and put lives at risk.

“Last year we checked more than 5,000 cars and the results showed that some motorists in this country are simply not taking tyre maintenance seriously. This year the Michelin Fill Up With Air team will be visiting more locations than ever before, so if we’re in your town please take 10 minutes to come in for a free tyre check.”

Michelin is campaigning to make drivers aware that the wrong tyre pressures can mean tyres wear out more quickly as well as increasing the car’s fuel consumption. With fuel prices at an all-time high it is now more important than ever that people set their tyres to the correct pressure.

Peter Snelling added: “It is not only the nation’s purse which is suffering but the environment too. If motorists consume less fuel by having the correct tyre pressure then they produce less Co2 emissions which is much better for the environment.”

The Fill Up with Air Roadshow will be touring the UK and Ireland from May to October.

*Figures are based on a parc of 30.3 m cars driving 12,000 miles pa at 35 mpg, with fuel costing £1.20 per litre.

10 Ways To Get More Miles Per Gallon

People are often asking me how to get better fuel economy from their car, however, while there are quite a few people asking this question, there are not nearly enough overall! Most people, believe it or not, just take their cars fuel economy for what it is, be it good or bad there is nearly always room for improvement, be it major things like driving with a lighter foot and cruising in higher gears, to the finer details like maximising your cars aerodynamic properties by keeping it waxed and clean - we'll go into that one later!

So, for those of you looking to squeeze every last drop of fuel out of your tank and increase your miles per pound - take a look over these essential fuel saving tips, use them all together, and you will be surprised at the improvement to your mpg and your wallet!

Tyre Pressures

Tyre pressures really can make a big big difference to your cars efficiency. In a nutshell the flatter your tyre the more friction there is on the road and the more energy is required to move your car along, so making sure your tyre pressures are at the right level is essential for not only fuel consumption but safety too. The optimum pressure for your cars tyres can be found in your vehicles manual, sometimes on the inside of your driver side door, and if not then often your cars tyre pressure information can be found on the side of air pumps at petrol stations too. Once you have the pressures right in all four it is a great start to maximising your tanks potential - this little adjustment can improve fuel economy by 5%!!!

I know we are talking about fuel economy here but while we are on the subject of tyres I cannot stress enough to you just how important it is to get your tyres right for safety reasons too. Tyres are the first and last point of contact with the road, and incorrect pressures, be it too high or too low, will have an effect on handling, breaking, ride quality, can result in uneven tyre wear and compromise overall performance. So please put some time into getting it right, you will have a much better all round driving experience.

Using The Right Oil

An oil change is not something all car owners get carry out for them selves these days as this is often part of a routine service packaged with many cars. However, using the right oil in your car is not only advisable in looking after your engine, but good quality oil will allow the moving parts in your engine to operate more efficiently and with less friction which in turn requires less energy to once again power the car. This is proven to improve fuel economy so make sure your car has an oil change from time to time - if you aren't sure if you need one - contact your local dealer and book one in specifying they replace the old stuff with the best new oil for your car.

Air Filter

Having a clean or uprated air filter allows your car to breathe better making for a better fuel to air mixture which allows the petrol or diesel in your engine to ignite easier, this basically means it will require less petrol to make your car move so for cars over 3 years old it can be worth looking into replacing your air filter.

Combine Trips

Try not to do lots of short trips throughout your day or week, stopping and starting and stopping again, especially with a cold engine is a nightmare for efficiency. The idea is to get your car up to temperature and do the majority of your travelling while your car is warmed up - so try not to nip to the corner shop and then come home only to then go out a little later to town and then come back again. This kind of stop starting with a cold engine and short trips will sap the juice so combine your trips and it will add up to improvement over the week.

Cool It

Having the air conditioning on uses fuel even when the car is stationary and having the windows open increases drag on the car when moving at higher speeds. So, the ideal moment to use air conditioning is motorway driving with the windows up, as energy from the engine is at it's optimum, available to power the air con, and try to have your windows down when moving at slower speeds as to avoid unnecessary drag. Both little details but over journeys can save those precious litres!

Nice and Easy

Possibly the worst thing you can do for your fuel consumption is fast erratic driving, especially heavy acceleration from stand still and slow speeds and last minute heavy breaking. Having a heavy foot (pressing the pedal to the floor) will seriously sap your fuel and by scrubbing off speed quickly and heavily this expels your hard earned momentum that costs in fuel and energy to maintain. In short the biggest contributor to wasting fuel is fast driving, so keep it steady and consistent with moderate acceleration all while changing gear at lower revs and you will notice a world of difference.

Weight

Power to weight is key to both performance and economy, try not to keep heavy loads in your car all the time, extra weight requires more energy to move around and therefore uses more fuel. So keep your car light

High Gears

Driving in high gears is a great way to conserve fuel. Changing into a high gear as soon as possible around town will help increase your MPG but especially once you are up to speed on longer journeys and on Motorways, staying in a high gear allows the car to waft along with less effort therefore less energy is used than it does in lower gears.

Idling

If you are waiting somewhere or stuck in traffic for a longer than normal period of time, it is worth turning off your engine because idling not only uses petrol but you aren't even making any progress!

Wax On Wax Off

This is a funny one I came across once. Waxing your cars bodywork can make it more aerodynamic by filling in minute imperfections which in turn helps to reduce it's drag coefficient. Really this is down to a scientific level but every little helps!

Fair Fuel Stabiliser - What Is It Exactly?

So, what is this new fuel pricing regime the government has come up with? Well here it is in a nutshell...

Under a Fair Fuel Stabiliser, when fuel prices go up, fuel duty would fall. And when fuel prices go down, fuel duty would rise.

This is a new way of setting fuel duty that will strengthen environmental signals when oil prices fall, and cushion the blow when fuel costs rise. Government will be sharing the pain when prices rise and sharing the gain when they fall.

If, for example, a Fair Fuel Stabiliser had been introduced at the 2008 Budget:

 Fuel would be 5p per litre cheaper.

 This would save up to £3.50 on each tank of fuel for a Ford Mondeo, or £2.60 for a Vauxhall Astra.

 If, instead of rising, oil prices had fallen below the $84 forecast in the Budget, then fuel duty would have risen. In either case forecast government revenues would have been unchanged.

If a Fair Fuel Stabiliser had been in operation over the last year:

 The average household would have saved more than £90 in fuel costs.

 Instead of being 3.3%, official CPI inflation would now be below 3%.

The Proposal

Under a Fair Fuel Stabiliser, when fuel prices go up, fuel duty would fall. And when fuel prices go down, fuel duty would rise. Government would save in the good times in order to help in the bad times. It’s a classic example of fixing the roof when the sun is shining.

The Fair Fuel Stabiliser would bring three key benefits as outlined in the Conservatives manifesto:

"1. It would increase the stability of family finances. Government would be helping when the cost of living was rising sharply, by setting aside money in good times to help in difficult times.

2. It would enhance economic stability by reducing the sensitivity of the public finances and inflation to unpredictable changes in oil prices.

3. It would provide greater certainty about the price of carbon, consistent with the principles outlined in the Stern Review."

So what do you think fo the proposed Fair Fuel Stabiliser?

Conservatives New Plans For Modern Motoring

Below is a list of promises the Conservatives made as part of their "Vote For Change" campaign regarding their proposed action on fixed speed cameras...

"We will stop central funding for new fixed speed cameras and focus on better ways to make our roads safe, including authorising 'drugalyser' testing technology.

"Road users have had a raw deal under Labour, so we will:

• Crack down on rogue clampers.
• Consult on our Fair Fuel Stabiliser.
• Give more powers to local councils to get traffic moving.
• Introduce a lorry road user charge, so foreign lorries pay their fair share of tax.
• Facilitate the switch to green cars by creating a national car recharging network.
• Crack down on road works, introducing lane rental for some of our busiest roads.

"We will free local transport funding from the requirement to introduce congestion charging and create a Transport Carbon Reduction Fund to support green projects such as initiatives to encourage walking, cycling and bus use or measures to help reduce the need for work-related travel - supported by our roll-out of fast broadband..."

If all of the above points were to be introduced today the future of motoring in Britain dosen't look so bad after all, however, the implementation of such things as we all know takes so long to actually do it'll be a wonder if we see a couple of these new schemes in place within the next few years.

Of all of the above pointers, one of the more likely to be carried out sooner than later, surprisingly, is the introduction of a national car recharging network. Due to the EU commission clamping down on emissions from all major manufacturers, by 2013 we are going to see the introduction of millions of electric cars on our roads whether the government likes it or not and so a stable recharging infrastructure is going to need to be in place sooner than later to both support the citizens driving the cars and the manufacturers making them.

New Government To Introduce Car Charging Network

Interesting news! Our new Con-Lib government is said to have identified the importance of introducing a nation-wide network of charging points for electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

In a joint statement the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats said:

"The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to fulfil our joint ambitions for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy, including the establishment of a smart grid and the roll-out of smart meters."

Prior to the general election last week the Conservatives promised to create a national car recharging network, while the Liberal Democrats promised a 'zero-carbon Britain.' It is now a priority of the new government.

Our Holding Page Is Live!

Development of the actual site is progressing really well now, so we thought it's about time to make our holding page live so people can get a little more insight into what we are all about until the big day.

The temporary page features links to all of our social networks, including our facebook and twitter page and even a place to sign up for the exciting launch day announcement, you could be some of the first to join us!

Please feel free to have a poke around and we would love to hear your feedback, thanks!

James Walker

Founder

EcoForecourt.com

Eco Baby! Our Sandwich Man Has A Baby Girl

Matt, our sandwich man, has been delivering our lunch to us every day for the past 9 months, and every day when we walk out to collect our hot jacket potatoes or tuna sandwiches, we have a bite-size update on the baby progress.

Is it a boy is it a girl? What colour should he paint the walls in the new bedroom and will the little one need a little pink dress or mini dude dungarees!? As time progressed they discovered it was a girl and so the updates changed from speculation to progress and understandably a little stress too!

Well today we are happy to announce that Matt and his girlfriend Liane have given birth to 8lb,6oz baby Ashli. Congratulations you two!

Updates are surely to follow when Matt returns to bringing us our awesome sandwiches...which better not be long!

BMW Secret Megacity Eco Car

BMW have recently released more confirming statements that they are working on an all electric, zero emissions, city car called the Megacity. The Megacity is said to be just the first in a line of many new technically innovative and efficiency orientated vehicles that BMW are planning on launching in the future.

With an estimated launch date within the next 3 years the Megacity is positioned to take on the likes of Audi's plug in electric A1 e-tron, which is with no surprise, also scheduled to launch within the same time frame of BMW's Megacity. Among other competitors from the likes of Ford and Infinity to name but a few.

Teaming with carbon-fibre specialist SGL, BMW is making use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastics for the vehicles body panels, clearly indicating a focus on light weight components which will greatly aid in the performance and agility of an electric car and especially the battery range which in early electric cars are often criticised.

At the Detroit motor show this year, BMW displayed an all electric 1 Series to demonstrate its innovation on electric drivetrains. Although it’s not certain if the final Megacity car will share any components with the 1 Series, the Bavarian manufacturer is displaying an early foothold in the soon to boom electric car market.

As part of their Project-i development program, there has been rumors that BMW might be adding another brand to their range in order to sell these new types of vehicles under. But there is no evidence of this just yet.

Dr. Norbert Reithofer, BMW's Chairman of the Board of Management said: "This vehicle will be the first of a range of near-zero emission vehicles. Customers will have the choice between a fully electric drive and a high-efficiency combustion engine. Large-scale production could start in the first half of the next decade. With the Megacity Vehicle, we are also pursuing a radical approach toward establishing a truly sustainable value chain from development to production and sales."

With many key manufacturers planning and announcing production of eco and electric cars within the next few years, it is no surprise that BMW are planning on throwing a lot of resources and investment into this compulsory future technology and by the looks of the concept picture we can expect some pretty cool cars ahead.

Ferrari Trying To Hold On To V12

As rumors of the next Ferrari Enzo heat up there is speculation and even some concern over what engine is going to make it into the final version of Ferrari's next hypercar.

The V12 has always been an iconic engine for Ferrari, for both it's performance and it's sound, and as much as the signature tone of Ferrari's flat plane V8's are music to your ears, there is nothing quite like a high revving V12. However, as the government is clamping down on all manufacturers emissions, both big and small, and eco credentials are becoming more important than ever, Ferrari are having to fall in line and reconsider the viability of putting a V12 in the next Enzo.

The boss at Ferrari, Amedeo Felisa, has hinted that the new Ferrari Enzo will be powered by a direct-injection twin-turbo V8 when it is launched in 2012.

Reports have long suggested that the new Enzo would be powered by either a V8 or a twin-turbo V6. However, Felisa has ruled out a six-cylinder engine, which i think we are all happy to hear!

“There are no plans for a six-cylinder engine,” Felisa said. “Ferrari will not build a six-cylinder engine until customer attitudes towards smaller engines change".

“The perception today is that the number of cylinders equates to the possibilities of the car. That is why we are developing hybrid technology that can be applied to our V8 and V10 cars. Hybrid means we can protect the V12.

The governmental rulings over emissions states that a portion of a companies emissions must be reduced in order to bring down the overall emissions of each car the manufacturer churns out, or else big fines are heading their way. These rules are of course important for the car giants such as Volkswagen and Fiat who are churning out millions of cars each year with a whacking great C02 contribution, however, Ferrari produce so little cars in comparison and so little miles are driven in a Ferrari compared with normal cars that these emissions policies may come across as unfair in the eyes of the niche manufacturer.

"The issue of emissions for Ferrari is more a political one than a real one. Lowering emissions of every Ferrari will not save the planet, but it will cost us a lot of money" said Felisa.

New Audi A2 On It's Way By 2012

Audi today has revealed some details that it intends on producing an all new version of their late model A2. Doing away with the traditional space-frame construction of it's predecessor the new A2 is taking a leaf out of the A1's book and utilising it's steel monocoque which saves both weight and cost.

In a move to obtain some of the market share in front wheel drive eco cars from the likes of BMW and Mercedes the new A2 is rumored to be sold at an ultra competitive price with a strong focus on economy. The original A2 which was discontinued in August of 2005 was the first five door car in Europe that averaged a fuel consumption of less than 3 litres per 100km, thats 94.2 mpg! Today the importance of eco credentials is even more important resulting in Audi chairman Rupert Stadler saying that electric drive will be a priority of the A2 and acknowledges that the range extender technology in the A1 e-tron is a likely possibility for the new A2. Of course conventional petrol and diesel engines will also be on offer, likely in the 4 cylinder variety derived from the A1

At this stage the majority of the news is acknowledgment and confirmation from Audi, but the styling is likely to reflect that of the previous A2, featuring a taller box (smooth box) like construction with a relatively narrow track pitching it as a great city car.

Stay tuned for further info

New All Electric VW Golf Announced

Set to go on sale in 2013 Volkswagen have announced it will be producing an all electric plug in version of the hugely popular Golf. Called the Golf Blue-e-Motion the new EV features a zero emission drive train powered by increasingly popular lithium ion batteries.

The Golf is to make up just one segment of the intended broad spectrum of electric vehicles to be added to Volkwagens range by 2013, including an electric Jetta and Lavida - focused on the chinese market.

Until multiple electric vehicle models hit Volkswagen showrooms in the future, the car giant plans to launch its electric car range with the introduction of the first Blue-e-Motion vehicle, the 'Up'. This is a car described by VW as a “city specialist” and was previewed in concept form at last year’s Frankfurt motor show.

Unveiled by German chancellor, Angela Merkel, the launch model is based on the 6th generation Golf, however, the showroom version of the Blue-e-Motion is planned to form part of the seventh generation Golf range that will begin heading into UK showrooms in the same year.

The 115bhp electric motor sits up front in the space normally occupied by the Golf’s petrol or diesel engines, develops 113bhp and 199lb ft of torque demonstrating once again the torque benefits of electric motors. This all drives the front wheels through a new single gear gearbox developed by Volkswagen called the "MQ210".

The lithium-ion battery pack mounted within the middle tunnel of the floorpan sits under the rear seat and in the floor of the boot, this makes a welcoming change to how Mini have replaced their back seats in place of the battery. The pack is said to allow for a range of 93miles and in an effort to reduce mechanical drag, it uses a separate clutch that automatically decouples its electric motor on a trailing throttle to provide what Volkswagen describes as “sailing effect”.

At 1545kg, the electric Golf weighs in as a chunky little devil at more than 305kg than the existing Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion. As a result Volkswagen says it hits 62mph from standstill in 11.8sec and reaches a top speed that, in the interests of retaining battery charge, is limited to 87mph. Not the most performance orientated vehicle to then but nonetheless the purpose of the new electric Golf is to make city driving more eco friendly.

Electric Mercedes SLS AMG On It's Way

Mercedes had recently announced it's plans to produce an all electric version of it's flagship SLS AMG by 2015. However, it has just been confirmed that Mercedes are now brining forward the launch of said electric supercar to as early as 2013, 2 years earlier than planned presumably to get a better foothold in the race for the electric car market. AMG managing director Volker Mornhinweg says he has already driven the prototype cars and promises they will be as exciting as the petrol powered SLS AMG they are based on. "I can tell you that it is an amazing kind of experience" he said.

Of course, Volker being slightly biased one might expect his praises of the car, but the figures might suggest that he's right. The car is to feature 4 motors at each wheel with a combined output of 400 kilowatts equating to 536bhp, no spring chicken then! And due to the inherent nature of electric motors the available torque is staggering at 649ft/lb, thats 170ft/lb more than the existing petrol version, pretty awesome I think you will agree. As an added bonus, with their being a motor at each wheel the electric SLS will of course be all wheel drive, allowing all of that power to be put down with brilliant potency as we are seeing from the likes of the 'un-driftable' Murcielago SV.

“We can remove the combustion engine and transaxle and make no changes to the body, and we can put in two motors with the gearbox in the rear, two motors and the gearbox in the front and we can take the center console as a battery place – it looks like a T and it is perfect,” said Volker.

The car is said to have fantastic handling too because the motors are able to adjust the power going to each wheel and now the traditional coilovers have been beefed up with a pushrod actuated system that also removes the need for double wishbones found on the petrol models front suspension.

However, while all this new tech is fantastic stuff, it does carry a weight penalty, and at just over 4,600 pounds it weighs nearly a 1000 pounds more than the current SLS AMG. Ouch.

Though despite this extra weight Obias Moeres, AMG’s head of vehicle development, says it “covers its weight very easily,” Once more that is what you would expect any self respecting head of AMG development to say, but, with all that torque Moeres goes on to say it's 0-60 time is under 4 seconds and a top speed of 118mph (limited to maximise range) putting it in the same league as the Tesla Roadster, which, in comparison is a matchbox with a lego technic motor in it. so well done AMG.

Now, the setback with every electric car at the moment is the notorious battery charging time, and a good comparison to this is always the Tesla Roadster as from 'empty' to 'ready' it can take 16 hours fora full charge. I know i know it still pains me each time i write it. Despite all the above fantastic performance figures then you would expect the electric iteration of the SLS to be around the same time or even worse due to it needing extra power to pull the giant mass that it is along. But you would be wrong. Using the same lithium-ion batteries as found in all current and future production electric cars, the electric SL AMG can reach an 80% charge in... wait for it... 20 minutes! Now this has to be based on input from a Level 3 440 volt charger, but nonetheless this is incredible stuff. And by the time this thing is in showrooms in 2013 Level 3 chargers will be more accessible and probably be an optional extra with the car!

So all this leaves us to one last thing. The price. After reading back through this post the electric SLS AMG is about the first electric car that really does sound desirable and there is a reason for that, because all of that fantastic technology and performance figures is expected to cost you over a quarter of a million pounds. I think i'll leave it there for now then.

Go well.

Europe To Get Standardised Charging Points

With electric cars ready to hit the showrooms this year Europe's electric vehicle market is already inline for an element of standardisation. Antonio Tajani, the European Industry Commissioner, has released plans to standardise charging points.

"This is no abstract concept, it's a set of 40 practical actions" he said "Electric cars are being keenly awaited by European citizens, it's important for those people to be abel to cross boarders and still charge their cars.

With senior authorities such as Antonio Tajani already looking to benefit the charging facilities across the continent it is evident that electric cars are going to become an integral part of motoring in the near future, I for one am looking forward to the next evolution of electric motoring to see if any manufacturer is capable of making a car with serious performance and convenience, and yes Tesla have made a good job at the performance side of things but a 16 hour battery charge...Seriously?

Less Emissions Than A Hamster Fart - New Ford Start Leaked

Ford must be a little upset by the circumstances in which the entire world has discovered it's latest concept, the 'Start' car, as it was leaked out on the internet a day before it's official unveiling was meant to take place at the Beijing auto-show. Nevertheless it's great news for us car fans! Of course lots of car companies are kicking out concepts at the Beijing auto show, it's the the place to do it these days, but Ford's design team in California are targeting this little dude at the ever growing cities in the far east and of course it is packed full of eco credentials.

Under the wee bonnet is a 1.0 litre, 3 cylinder turbo engine that ford has donned with 'EcoBoost' technology which manages to get under 100g/km of C02. We are talking 90mpg here and less emissions than a hamster fart. Ford have also said that despite it's miniature power plant it will still have the power of a 1.6 four cylinder engine, pretty impressive stuff and perfect as a city car. It is also made of super light weight composite panels and other eco-features such as one piece moulded rear seats to keep costs and resources to a minimum.

The styling is really cool, a futuristic take on the now seriously old Ka which it would make an ideal replacement for. However, both interestingly and annoyingly, Ford have said this really is strictly for the Asian market and it will not be making it's way to Europe any time soon. This is a shame because if it ends up resembling anything like it's concept (and it probably will) the Start would be a great seller, certainly in the UK, and by the time this car hits the roads motorists will be even more eco conscious and willing to adopt this new wallet friendly mobile.

So the styling won't make it to europe but the engines will, expect to see the EcoBoost technology in the new Focus and Fiesta soon, this will be a necessity for Ford not only to benefit consumers wallets but also to stay on top of the new emissions rules which could result in major fines by 2015, for more on that story feel free to Click Here.

I digress...Of course being a car from the future means it also features some great new tech. For example, the 'MyFord Mobile' concept may well be featured in the Start where owners of the iPhone for example can have a custom profile on their phone which when plugged into the car will set the the radio to their favourite stations and be able to voice control the heating and air conditioning.

We are seeing lots of these eco babys coming from various manufactures recently, a testament to the future of efficient motoring. Stay posted for further updates on the Start and more eco minis soon.

Ultra Eco Leaf Car - More Pictures!

Doing the rounds I came across a few more leaf car pictures earlier and thought i'd throw them up here as the original post only had the one image. These detail a little better how the unique roof of the Leaf car looks and works. Just like a real leaf, the roof is able to emit oxygen from it's surface as well as doubling as an ultra efficient solar panel which is one of the ways in which it provides power to the car as well as using the wheel turbines. Obviously this is a concept project but it actually works! Give the technology a few years and we could very well see elements of this vehicle making their way to mass produced cars in the future.

How To Design Your Twitter Background - Eco Style

We decided to feature this post as setting up a descent background for our twitter profile has been harder than it first seems and so we wanted to share it with you guys just in case you were scratching your heads too!

Even though we have had our twitter page set up for a little while now, this was mostly to register our name and get in the twitosphere as soon as possible. I decided now was the time to bling up our page with a purposeful twitter background that was both informative and aesthetically pleasing. The trickiest element of designing the page is getting the sizing right. This isn't because you dont know what size to make it, it's finding the optimum size which will display your background on all monitor sizes without hiding your content thats the problem.

As twitter gets displayed on different size screens the content column fluctuates in it's location which can often hide elements of your design, some of which might be important information. Very annoying! In an ideal world you need your content on the left of your background to be visible on a 15" laptop screen up to a 30" desktop monitor and everything in between.

By starting your design with a panel 250x1000 (tall and thin) everything you want people to be abel to see must fit within here and be located at the far left of your canvas. By constraining all of the important info in here, it will allow for people with 15" monitors upwards to view your juicy content. This is pretty much the most important thing to consider when designing your page. After you have accommodated this space into your design you are free to go wild with the rest of your content.

Here is our twitter background for a little bit of inspiration...

25 Awesome Jeremy Clarkson Quotes

Stumbling around the internet over lunch we came across a great post from RideLust detailing 25 of Jeremy Clarkson's best quotes, such as; 12. “The air conditioning in Lamborghinis used to be an asthmatic sitting in the dashboard blowing at you through a straw.” and 3. “When they debate as to what the sound of the SLR engine was akin to, the British engineers from McLaren said it sounded like a Spitfire. But the German engineers from Mercedes said ‘Nein! Nein! Sounds like a Messerschmitt!’ They were both wrong. It sounds like the God of Thunder, gargling with nails.” Click Here for more awesomeness

Our Website Development Progress 5 - The Holding Page

Time is flying by! It's been around 6 weeks since we started development of EcoForecourt and now the nitty gritty hardcore coding work is taking place. Until recently things have been relatively hands on for us in terms of liaising with the designers and making decisions on usability, structure and layout etc. As the look and feel of the site has been finalised, work on the CMS (Content Management System) is now being carried out which, among other things, involves linking up all the necessary components of the site that will be editable by admin and putting together a profile layout and control for users of the site. In the mean time then, and seeing as we at EF are not coders, we have been putting together a holding page that will be live very soon over at www.EcoForecourt.com. A holding page I hear you say? Don't underestimate the power of the holding page! It will be the hub of all pre-launch activity, detailing what the site is all about, what we stand for and how to keep up to date on our progress, it also includes the all important count down timer! Once our domain name is hosted on our own servers the holding page will go live and be announced! Just as a side note and on the off-chance any of you are interested, it takes up to 60 days to transfer a '.com' domain name after registering it so thats what we are waiting for. It should be any day now so stay tuned!

17 DIY Cars Hacked For Maximum Econess!

Treehugger.com have posted a great little article featuring some hilarious examples of home made eco 'improvements' to enthusiasts cars. From actual wood burners to DIY aerodynamics there are some brilliant modifications to put a smile on your face. Despite the light hearted approach to many of these conversions there is an element of ingenuity in all of them that has to be admired and makes you wonder if there might actually be a commercial application to be found in some of the more unique modifications. Check it out here

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Our Website Development Progress 4 - News

News section added! In addition to our Daily Thoughts blog and as one of the primary features of the site, EcoForecourt has a fully fledged News section where by the latest updates and reviews from the eco world of motoring will be featured on a daily basis. Among others, I shall be a contributor to the news pages but we will also be on the look out for young, budding journalist talent who are looking for great experience in writing for a professional website on one of the most in vogue topics of our time; the future of motoring.

We will be making an official announcement about this soon so stay tuned if you are interested in writing for us!

EcoForecourt.com vs World Cup

So it looks like the launch of EcoForecourt.com will probably coincide with the most popular sporting event of the decade - The World Cup. So it's probably wise for us not to try and grab attention during the intense football action when everyone will only be glued to the TV and be in pubs across the land thinking about goals and beer. We'll keep you posted but expect an EcoForecourt.com holding page to be up and running any time now!

Format Wars - What New Fuel Will We End Up Using?

One of the most recent format wars that comes to mind is BluRay vs HD-DVD. A few years ago the tech blogs, websites and news pages were often awash with information, speculation and reviews of which format was dominating the digital entertainment industry each week. There were of course key players on both teams and if it were not for the withdrawal of Toshiba from the format race we might have been left with the choice of 2 or more formats to run your entertainment on - not that this is a bad thing. Lets face it though, most of us aren't really that fussed about what format the disc is that goes in your player, just as long as it does a good job right?

The future of fuel however is likely to be a very different story. What about our new alternative fuels? Which one will dominate? Which companies are going to get a sturdy foothold in the market share, Which fuel will you likely use and which will come to market first?

To cut this short, hybrid cars are already winning the race, which currently leaves, not the notorious oil conglomerates to mop up the money, but instead we are seeing battery manufacturers, with the likes of LGChem, laughing all the way as they struggle to keep up with the demand for ever improved lithium-ion power packs.

At this years Geneva motor show nearly every manufacturers stand featured eco inspiration in their new models and press releases, from Volkswagens super high MPG blue efficiency Polo to Ferrari's 599 HY-KERS. One particular company however, stood out the most; Porche. Typically being a manufacturer of performance orientated (and therefore uneconomical) cars, Porsche simultaneously unveiled 3 new hybrid vehicles this year, a GT3 leMans racer, the jaw dropping 918 Spyder and their all new Cayenne 4X4.

When the Carrera GT was first unveiled or even the first Cayenne just 4 years ago, the last thing on peoples minds would of been efficiency, economy or environmental responsibility. Merely a few years on and the primary focus of Porche's show as it unveiled it's latest range of super cars was it's hybrid technology and advancements in fuel and energy efficiency, demonstrating, that even companies who's last concern that seems to be only a blink ago, is now part of their flagship car, paving the way for the future and setting the benchmark for other companies to follow suit.

Hybrids, however eco friendly they are perceived today, are probably going to be an interim technology in the long run though. While the governments and super companies of the world are for ever recognising the importance of going green and eco, hybrid technology, while seemingly new, is something they have been able to turn their attention to in the short term to maximise green credentials.

The future of automotive design is looking at 100% electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell alternatives as well as cars that essentially power themselves from energy developed by wheel turbines and are carbon neutral as they clean the air in their immediate environment. As a personal thought, if an infrastructure (petrol stations and refineries being the primary candidates) can be developed to support hydrogen as we have done with petrol and diesel, the future of hydrogen powered cars looks healthy. There are already hydrogen fuel stations in California acting as a development program for the technology as well as serving the few hydrogen drivers currently cruising the sunny highways of LA. As we have the option of petrol and diesel today in the future it will not be unlikely to have the option of classic fuels as well as hydrogen and electric available to us at “fueling” stations.

Electric vehicles are already making a big push in the industry too. With the likes of the Silicon Valley designed Tesla Roadster making a prominent statement that performance does not have to be compromised for efficiency. With a 0-60mph time similar to that of a 911 Turbo it is a clear indicator that there is vast potential in the application of electric motors in the future of transport. Further supporting the electric trend is Volkswagen, while not focusing so much on the performance benefits electric motors bring to the table - such as 100% torque 100% of the time - Volkswagen have recently announced their Milano Taxi model which will be cleaning up the streets by 2013. Of course like all of these alternative fuels, in their infancy they each bring with them their own problems and electric cars biggest problem by far is the charging time and range. Where you might be able to drive 250 miles or so on a full charge in the Tesla, the 'empty' to 'ready' time can be 16 hours! Volkswagens Milano Taxi, albeit a lot better still only gets you an 80% charge in 4 hours - imagine standing next to the pump for that long, these are all substantial stationary charging times which the industry needs to overcome as best as it can before the masses will be able to adopt electric vehicles, even if they really want to.

In the grand scheme of things we are just scraping the surface of AF (Alternative Fuel) vehicles and their accompanying technologies, and while traditional fuel prices and gas guzzlers tax brackets are only continuing to rise, there are engines out there developing some fantastic economy figures running on traditional fuels. That being said, we are witnessing a pivotal point in automotive history that will eventually change the way the world fuels it’s transport in years to come.