Is 'Green Limousines' an Oxymoron?
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 09.15.07
Luxury car maker, Bentley, want to create a greener range of cars in order to get closer to tighter proposed EU limits on emissions. The head of the company, Franz-Josef Paefgen, said, "We are currently forming a view on the matter, for instance by talking to politicians in England. And when the view is complete, we will decide in spring 2008 what to do."
However, whatever measures the manufacturer takes, don’t get your hopes up - they won't be drastic. Paefgen went on to say that no one should expect the car maker to release a small, three-litre car - which would still be an enormous car by other manufacturer’s standards.
This news, that the relatively small number of Bentleys on the road will get greener, is good - even better when you consider that Bentley are aiming to become far more common on the roads (Paefgen also wants to boost sales to over 10,000 per year), but still reeks of hypocrisy. For a car manufacturer such as Bentley to even try to align themselves to the environmental movement is ridiculous. Of course, every step they take towards sustainability is positive, but if they truly believed that it was important to reduce emissions then they wouldn't make such enormous and energy-hungry cars. On the other hand, if people didn't want them, then they wouldn’t be able to sell them. ::Terra Daily
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- 2008 Green Car Of The Year: Jetta TDI
- Near Future for Green Movement: Speed Bump or Precipice?
- From the Forums: Most Offensive Non-Green Junk Mail Ever?
- German Solar Company Offers GM €1 Billion
Doe's anybody besides me smell a load?Even if it used e85 corn based fuel.It would not be green.The same applies to biodiesel.This is just the lesser of two evils.
pictured is a Chrysler FYI.
Maybe Yoko Ono will be happy.... (rolls eyes)
That's not a picture of a Bentley. You need to get some better proof readers for this site.
'Green Car' is an oxymoron.
Bentley makes some of the very meanest cars in terms of mileage, but historically, since these cars last forever, that may mean fewer replacement cycles. Also, they tend to only be driven on special occaisions. They're more jewelry than cars. In terms of absorbing the planet's resources, I'd picket SUVs long before Bentleys.
During the 30s and 40s, Rolls and Bentleys were actually pretty small, not nearly the size of an Escalade. Bring back those designs!
I bet you could get carpooling accepted on a wide scale if it was done with stretch limos instead of vans. People are willing to ride 10 at a time in a limo but wouldn't be seen dead in a vanpool. Have one of them pick you up at your house...pretty sweet!
At least the doors (pictured) are the kind that don't kill bicyclists.
I understand limosines do not generally have upgraded engines (the standard V8 is usually sufficient)
And since they can(though often do not) carry many more people than the standard car wouldn't they therefor be more efficient on a people-miles per gallon basis?
I would rather see full limosines on our roads than the standard V8 cars with one passenger each.
The last line says it all, "On the other hand, if people didn't want them, then they wouldn’t be able to sell them."
The fact of the matter is that corporate and luxury transportation services are still in high demand, and growing each day. We need more green limousine builders and companies that will to invest in not only the vehicle, but the transition in general.
As commented above by Shaun, YES, many of our companies are now offering employee car pools and private shuttle services by vans and Biodiesel conversions (ex: http://www.asavannahnite.com/greenlimousineservice.html and http://www.myspace.com/greenlimousine) This is as part of their effort in providing more economical and green options for their consumers. This is more than marketing and they are very limited in their options; especially those who have been in the industry for an extended length of time and would have a huge fleet to replace.
Our industry thinks that it would be awesome to have Bentley raise the bar.