In this section, I will be looking at what alt-cars are and how they fare in comparison to conventional cars.
For the purpose of this blog, I have chosen to focus on the types of cars that are available in Singapore. They are electric cars, hybrid cars and plug-in hybrid cars. Hybrid cars may refer to petrol-electric or diesel-electric cars. I have also chosen not to talk about Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-Petrol/Diesel cars on my blog due to the dying breed and the volatile prices of natural gas.
Alt-cars aka alternative cars. These cars challenge the conventional cars. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference at first glance if the car was the traditional fuel sort or if it was fuelled by alternative means (unless you were familiar with the car models).
Electric cars were first introduced back in the 1800s, around the same time period as the traditional fuel car. It is said that by the early 1900s, electric cars were all the rage amongst consumers, and many were driving them on the roads. Unfortunately, as the traditional fuel car gained popularity and found ways to be cheap, the electric car grew unpopular. Only till recently in the 1990s, did the electric car make a reappearance in the motor world. With new technological discoveries every passing day and growing environmental concern, the electric car and its counterparts are set to make a comeback.
Did you know that the Toyota Prius is a hybrid car? It operates on both petrol and electric batteries. (I didn’t know either)
More and more companies are now investing money into the production of alt-cars. This is due to higher demand, governments clamping down on traditional fuel vehicles, and the increase of taxes on carbon dioxide emissions. Watch this video by the U.S. Department of Energy that details to us the benefits of electric cars.
More and more manufacturers are producing hybrid cars and electric cars in addition to their traditional fuel cars. Luxury car manufacturer BMW has recently released a hybrid line called, iPerformance. On the other hand, famous Japanese car manufacturer, Toyota has hybrid cars too. The most popular being the Prius. Consumers in Singapore are given multiple options to choose from, depending on their budget. The best part about this all is that the image consumers wish to portray will not have to be compromised in the process of switching to an environmentally-friendly option.
Alt-cars are the future and we should move with the times. Visit this link to find out the comparisons between alt-cars and traditional fuel cars!