by Julian Sale, Motorize Auto Direct –
With every passing day, engineers in Canada, Germany, Korea, America, Japan, Mexico, and India are developing and implementing new ideas to pollute less and recycle more. We’re not just talking about emissions from the tailpipes: we’re talking about using recycled products to build cars, and using less fossil fuel and more electricity to run them.
Technically, all car bodies are recycled, as used steel and aluminum is collected from all over the world and smelted into sheet metal to be used again for new body parts. What about the factories? They used to belch black smoke from tall stacks, waste millions of litres of water, leech contaminants into ground and water, and consume massive amounts of electricity while emitting massive loads of waste headed for local landfills. Today things are changing.
VW is one of many companies that have embraced clean energy on the production side. Chattanooga, Tennessee is home to a VW vehicle manufacturing plant that relies on electricity from the 65-acre solar field located on site. Rainwater is collected and recycled for bathroom plumbing, and natural light reduces electricity use. Many manufacturers are now using post-consumer recycled goods to produce sound-deadening mats, cloth and fabric for seats, headliners, etc. Automotive paint is now water based, not solvent based. Most plastics in use can be made from recycled materials. BMW’s i3 uses fast growing eucalyptus trees for interior wood trim because it’s sustainable. The new method has them all re-using and recycling as part of a cleaner existence.
We all know that electric vehicles are here to stay this time, unlike the quick visit we saw in the 1990s from the Chevrolet EV-1. What you may not have known is that Audi, Porsche, BMW, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Toyota, VW, Tesla, Mini, Nissan, Smart, Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Kia, Cadillac and Hyundai all now produce vehicles that can run on electricity from a plug-in power source. As with cell phones, laptops and cordless drills, we are all acutely aware of the vicious rate at which battery tech evolves and improves. Can you imagine what the next five or 10 years will bring?
EV’s used to be the awkward red-haired stepchild of the auto industry: loved by a select few and loathed by many who were convinced they were a passing fad. EV’s have fallen out of fashion twice before. Today, the elite have access to a the Tesla Model X, which is the world’s fastest SUV – and will out-accelerate about 98% of all vehicles on the road. It tows 5,000 lbs, seats seven, and is rated as the safest passenger vehicle your money can buy. That’s a game changer, and it’s not a one-off idea. This is the new normal.
This green push is transforming car dealers too, like Auto West BMW in Richmond, B.C. An on-site wind turbine, a rooftop garden, huge water cisterns, an aviary and a comprehensive recycling strategy made them eligible to be an “i” dealer – selling the electrified BMW models. Not every dealer gets access to these; it’s a privilege for the cleaner, greener dealers. Mercedes recently announced that all of its executives will have to choose between an all-electric, or plug-in hybrid model if they want a company car. Five years ago, I would have bet against the rate of EV adoption, but here we are. Buckle up, it’s going to be a fast ride … .
