To produce green cars is a fashion
By Xuefei Chen, People’s Daily Online correspondent in Stockholm /November 13, 2007
Source: People’s Daily Online
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/90879/6301828.html
To produce green cars is a fashion nowsdays, says Fredrik Wiss from Swedish Volkswagen Company at the just concluded three day Clean Vehicles and Fuels European Symposium and Exhibition 2007. Wiss said two years ago when the first time the clean vehicles and fuels exhibition was held in Stockholm, there were only specialists and experts attending the exhibition, but this year, there are many ordinary people coming here to ask about a green car which uses biogas or ethanol.
Specially producing Golf car in Sweden, Wiss said he is glad to see that there are more and more clean fuel producers because this will greatly facilitate the use of flexifuel vehicles. Gustaf Landahl, chairman of Clean Vehicles and Fuels 2007 said the symposium and exhibition create a meeting point and marketplace where manufacturers and other promoters of clean vehicles and renewable fuels can meet decision makers and potential customers. “If you are looking for clean road transportation, you find the alternatives at Clean Vehicles and Fuels. ”
About 400 delegates from all over Europe gathered in Stockholm to display their products and services. Manufacturers of clean vehicles and renewable fuels, buyers and users of clean vehicles from public and private sectors and decision makers of green solutions and infrastructure and companies operating within the field of environment and energy have all participated in the exhibition.
Landahl said that in 2004 when they opened the exhibition, clean vehicles in Sweden only accounted for 3% of the total while now 20% of new cars are using clean energy. With the advancement of technology, people can combine food with fuel so that both purposes can be achieved. “If you do the right thing from the very beginning, one can have a shortcut way to go and avoid a lot of problems.” Said Landahl.
For example, by using biofuel, district heating systems and electricity co-generation systems, Stockholm has reduced their CO2 emission from 5.3 tons in 1995 to 4 tons in 2005 and 3 tons by 2015 per person. Landahl said by using woods and waste, Stockholm has achieved 80% of renewable energy usage in heating sector in the city by using all kinds of incentives.
The incentives include free parking place, free from congestions fees, free of fuel tax for clean cars and if you buy a clean vehicle, you can get 10 thousand kronors of subsidies from the government. Per Jendman from Volvo Green Car Drive said his company is promoting a new project that is to rent green cars to students. Those who want to drive a car actually can rent a car from Volvo Car Drive by becoming their member first. He sees students as their future customers and their change of behaviour will totally change the pattern of future consumptions.