There
are several ways to measure how environmentally friendly a vehicle is. Some
manufacturers talk of the fuel saved over a year, some talk about the reduction
in deadly gases and some even compare it to a cow, well, not just the cow as a
whole but one cow’s farts.
Yes,
Elio Motors is more environmentally friendly than cow farts. You have read that
correctly. The company’s revolutionary three-wheeled vehicle will launch in
2015, will sell for $6,800 (Rs 4.11 lakh) and get an astounding 84 miles per
gallon (35 km per litre)
With
Earth Day (April 22) approaching, Elio Motors, Inc., CEO Paul Elio challenged
his team to put into context the vehicle’s positive environmental impact. Of
course, the team came up with some compelling information. Driven 15,000 miles
(24140 km) annually, the vehicle will save its owner $1,500 (Rs 90735km) in
fuel costs. Over 10 years, the vehicle could save American drivers 4.7 billion
gallons (17.79 billion litres approx.) of fuel a year and reduce CO2 emissions
by 91 billion pounds.
Founded
by car enthusiast Paul Elio in 2008, Elio Motors Inc. represents a
revolutionary approach to
manufacturing
an ultra-high-mileage vehicle. The 3-wheeled Elio will attain a highway mileage
rating of 84 mpg while providing the comfort of amenities such as power
windows, power door lock and air conditioning, accompanied by the safety of
multiple air bags and an aerodynamic, enclosed vehicle body. Elio’s first
manufacturing site will be in Shreveport, La., in the US with plans for the
first production vehicle to roll off the assembly line in 2015 and significant
production, sales and distribution during the next two years.
According
to a company statement, the team also found an interesting fact to put the
vehicle’s environmental impact in every day terms. Elio Motors’ vehicle will be
more environmentally friendly than a year’s worth of one cow’s farts. Here’s
the science:
One
cow produces 242 lbs of methane a year through burps and flatulence. Methane traps 20 times more heat than CO2
over a 100-year period. (SOURCE: Get Green Living) In a year, the average cow
will emit 4,840 lbs of CO2 equivalent greenhouses gases. Elio Motors vehicle,
driven 20,000 miles, will emit only 4,500 lbs of CO2. So… the Elio is more
environmentally friendly than cow farts.
“I’ll
admit, it’s not the most conventional measure for environmental efficiency,”
Elio said of the cow comparison. “But, when you realise that we are more
environmentally friendly than something found in nature every day, we are
clearly on the right path. The internal combustion engine is going to be part
of the transportation industry for many years into the future. The key will be
for companies such as Elio Motors to come up with revolutionary vehicle designs
to use existing technology in a more Earth-friendly way.”
Elio concedes that there are other futuristic
technologies such as electric vehicles and hydrogen propulsion that will
eventually reduce emissions even further. But, consumer demand and
infrastructure needed to support these technologies might keep them from the
mainstream for another 20 years. In the meantime, he sees the Elio Motors
vehicle as an important bridge to the future – an affordable, efficient vehicle
that meets consumer demand and can hit the road right away.
In
fact, Mr. Elio has his own “Cash for Clunkers” plan, aimed at getting rid of
some of the 95 million “clunkers” on America’s highways today. Most people
drive a low-mileage, low-price clunker because they don’t believe they have any
other option. With a vehicle from Elio Motors, clunker owners can get a new
vehicle for a low price that is under warranty, inexpensive to insure and
provides significant fuel savings.
“Many
people simply don’t believe they can afford a new vehicle,” Elio said. “But, we
are providing a transportation option that can get literally thousands of
people into a new vehicle who couldn’t afford one before. A good outcome from
this will be getting a lot of inefficient, gas guzzling vehicles off the road.”
Initial
customer enthusiasm for Elio Motors is high, as more than 14,000 people have
made reservations for the vehicle. The company already has more than 100,000
fans on Facebook and is averaging more than 250,000 unique visitors per month
to its web site this year.
Source: Elio Motors, USA