Eco-friendly vehicles: what are the hot trends to follow

Driven by both consumer demand and the necessity to adopt more sustainable energies in the near future, the automotive industry has been forced to innovate in this new technology trend.

Indeed, environmentally friendly cars are the results of several factors including worldwide governmental regulations, the increase of user awareness regarding the environmental impact of conventional internal combustion automobiles, and the growing business opportunities for green-technology focused organizations. As an example, Toyota decided to take opportunities offered by green markets quite seriously and adapted its forecast accordingly.

This section will present different green technology trends in the automotive industry which are likely to expand and become more popular and accessible in the coming years and decades.

One of the challenges faced by auto manufacturers in the pursuit of eco-friendly vehicle design is to figure out how to continue providing the technological innovations in comfort, performance and safety while at the same time ensuring the reduction of CO2 emissions. Two sustainable solutions are, for the moment, meeting these requirements: electric and hybrid cars.

The rise of electric cars

An all-electric automobile is a car which uses one or more electric motors, the energy for which is primarily stored in batteries. This type of sustainable transportation allows the user to drive, on average, up to 125 miles (200 kilometers) without needing to re-charge. Some models such as the Tesla S can drive up to 265 miles with an upgraded battery. Although this technology still shows limitations, innovations are shaping a better future. For example, electric-battery costs are declining faster than analysts expected.

According to EVObsession, more than 46,000 100%-electric vehicles were sold in 2013 in the United States, which is one of the leading markets worldwide. This represents an increase of approximately 228% over 2012, which proves the huge potential of this technology as it evolves.

The complementary hybrid solution

Popularized by the Prius model from Toyota or the Chevrolet Volt, the concept of the hybrid car attracted users wishing to combine the environmentally friendly electric engine with the greater autonomy of a traditional fuel tank.

All versions of the hybrid concept available on the market (see a detailed list on Edmunds.com) offer the potential to reduce carbon emissions, ensure a higher resale value for the automobile, and, perhaps most importantly, provide financial benefits (either in tax credits and incentives, as in certain countries, or via cost savings on fuel).

Solar, compressed-air vehicles and other alternatives

Other innovative solutions have been unveiled by inventors around the world, offering other means by which to reduce the use of fossil fuels in the future. Vehicles which use solar energy (companies such as Nissan with its Leaf model encourage solar-panel usage) converted into electric power by photovoltaic cells implanted in roof-panels, green automobiles powered by compressed-air motors, and self-driving connected cars which consume less energy are all promising trends that should gain in popularity in the following years.

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