Would you consider buying a green car?
When it comes to green cars, countries like Europe and USA are in the lead, but buying a green car is becoming more readily available in South Africa.
It is a little easier now, than it was in the past to be an eco-friendly driver. When choosing a car, you should consider the vehicle’s emissions as well as fuel consumption. Although diesel driven cars use less fuel, they give out more emissions. The carbon footprint of the manufacturing process also determines whether or not your car is environmentally friendly or not.
We compare the Hybrid Toyota Prius with the Electric Nissan Leaf.
Toyota Prius
Cost: R401 400
This car boasts the lowest carbon dioxide emissions in its class, with fuel consumption of 3.9 litres of fuel per 100 km. It offers high-tech features like an eco savings calculator; a touchscreen for audio, multimedia connectivity, satellite navigation and Bluetooth; voice recognition for music search and play and phone contacts; Intelligent Park Assist to guide you into those tricky parallel bays and a Solar Panel Roof that regulates the car’s temperature by forcing in fresh air.
Electric Nissan Leaf
Cost: R446 000
This is the first 100% electric vehicle on sale in South Africa. The big advantage is that this award-winning car gives off no emissions. Other features of this green car – include aerodynamic design and energy efficient LED headlights as well as eco-friendly tyres. It performs just as well as other cars, because the torque kicks in the minute you press down on the throttle pedal. You charge up the car for eight hours overnight using a home charge unit, or plug in at a Nissan LEAF quick charge station.