a)   Car Design

Tracking the Best Mileage
If you are looking to compare the fuel efficiency of cars, the Auto Smart Program (Part of Energuide) gives consumption ratings for all cars.

Hybrid Designs
The best designed cars are called "hybrids", and they beat the conventional cars hands down for gas mileage. Currently, only Honda and Toyota offer hybrid designs.

Most of the worst offenders for gas consumption in the 2001 model year are sport utility vehicles (SUVs):

 
Electric Cars
Feel Good Cars (FCG) sells the Dauphine Electric, which has a range of about 80 kilometers on a single battery charge-a range that accommodates most local commuting and shopping days.

• Approximate annual electricity cost for a FGC electric car over 18,000 km at today’s price: $148 
• Approximate cost to fully charge the batteries of a FGC electric car: 80 cents 
• Length of time you can dry your laundry on 10 kilowatt-hours of energy: 1 hour and 45 minutes
• Kilometers you can drive an electric car in the city on 10 kilowatt-hours of energy: 79
  

Fuel Cells
Ballard Power Systems, a Canadian company, is recognized as the world leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing zero-emission proton exchange membrane fuel cells for use in transportation, electricity generation and portable power products. Ballard Power Systems´ proprietary fuel cell technology is enabling automobile, electrical equipment and portable power product manufacturers to develop environmentally clean products for sale.

A fuel cell combines hydrogen (which can be obtained from methanol, natural gas, petroleum or renewable sources) and oxygen (from air) without combustion to generate electricity.  

Ballard is partnering with strong, world-leading companies, including DaimlerChrysler, Ford, GPU International, ALSTOM and EBARA, to commercialize Ballard fuel cells. Ballard has also supplied fuel cells to Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, Yamaha, Cinergy, Coleman Powermate and Matsushita Electric Works, among others.  
  

Gas Guzzler Tax (Ontario Fuel Conservation Tax)
In 1992, the Ontario government implemented an additional sales tax on the purchase of new passenger vehicles. The "gas guzzler" tax ranges from $75 to $7,000 in seven categories, depending on the extent to which a vehicle exceeds a fuel consumption threshold of 6.0 L per 100 km. Sport utility vehicles are also taxed, but at a rate that is between one-half and one-third the rate for passenger vehicles.

On the other end of the scale, people who buy a new car that uses less than 6.0 litres / 100 Km can receive a rebate of up to $100 on the retail sales tax.  The rebate does not apply to SUVs, which is a moot point given that the best efficiency of a 2001 SUV is 9.2 litres / 100 Km.  

Details on the tax are on circular #513 which can be ordered via the Ministry of Finance Tax Fax line, 1-877-482-9329.  Enter the number 513 when prompted.
  

b)  Reducing Environmental Impact 

Manufacturing 
In 1992, members of the Canadian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers' Association (Chrysler Canada Ltd., Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd. and General Motors of Canada Ltd.) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada (Ontario Region). Member companies have avoided or minimized the creation of pollutants and waste through prevention activity and have used recycling, treatment, reuse and other environmental protection measures to manage waste.  After the first year, the Association reported a reduction of 2,200 tonnes of hazardous substances. By the fourth year, the reduction had climbed to over 4,400 tonnes. 

A similar pollution prevention project established in 1993 with the Canadian Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association has resulted in participating industries reducing or eliminating 623 tonnes of environmental contaminants since March 1996.

Low-Sulphur Fuel
Sulphur in gasoline is a significant contributor to air pollution.  Canadian gasoline has an average sulphur content of 320 parts per million (ppm), one of the highest levels in the world. In 1999, Ontario gasoline averaged 460 ppm. New Canadian regulations will limit sulphur in gasoline to an average of 30 parts per million (ppm) by 2005, with an interim step to 150 ppm in 2002.  Imperial Oil and Petro Canada have the highest levels in Canada  (see Environment Canada's Backgrounder on Sulphur in Gasoline for details).  

In Ontario, Imperial Oil’s Sarnia refinery reported the highest sulphur level in regular grade gasoline 810 parts per million (ppm) in the summer smog season (July to September) of 1998. Sulphur content for the previous three smog season quarters were 840 ppm (spring1998); 760 ppm (summer 1997), and 810 ppm (spring 1997).

As an alternative, auto manufacturers have developed a high quality gasoline specification called Auto Makers' Choice. Use of the Auto Makers' Choice gasoline logo will be licensed by the auto industry to fuel providers, for use in pumps where gasoline that meets this specification is available.  Details can be found at the Canadian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association website. 

The Auto Makers' Choice logo will identify only those pumps which sell gasoline that complies with the auto industry fuel specifications of maximum concentrations of sulphur at 150 parts per million (ppm) average and 200 ppm maximum in 2000 and 30ppm average and 80ppm maximum in 2001.  Irving Oil is the first company to comply.

 
Ethanol Blended Fuels
Gasoline mixed with 10% ethanol from renewable sources is available throughout Canada.  The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association has a complete list of retailers across Canada.

  
Car Sharing
Auto Share is an innovative program available in Toronto. Car sharing significantly reduces emissions that contribute to smog and climate change - by over 50% per member on average - and every AutoShare car replaces 5 to 6 private cars on our roads. One less car won't save the earth, but car sharing is about thousands fewer cars and tonnes less greenhouse gases. 

It's also a lot cheaper than owning.  

c)  Stewardship (Looking After Your Car)

Drive Clean
Keeping your car well-tuned is a responsibility all car owners share.  Ontario's Drive Clean Program requires that all passenger cars and light trucks have their emissions tested every two years.  The program sets minimum emission standards based on the make of the car.  The web site will help you find the nearest testing facilities.  

Car Care
Biodegradable antifreeze is available, but may be hard to find in Ontario.  For example Irving Oil offers Evertech long-life antifreeze, which lasts up to five years compared to two for regular antifreeze and contains no toxic amines, phosphates or nitrates. In the States, Sierra Antifreeze is made from propylene glycol and is less toxic than ethylene glycol.

  
Recycling 
Don't drive that old car to the dump! Recycle it.  There are several charities that run car recycling programs.  You call them, they pick up the car and have it towed to an accredited recycler.  They get paid the value of the car and you get a charitable donation receipt for the same amount.

• Car Heaven is the recycling program of the Clean Air Foundation, a partnership between several organizations, businesses and governments.  Car Heaven brings together under one roof the individual programs offered by the Recycling Council of Ontario, the Kidney Foundation and others. 
• ReinCARnate is (or was) the original recycling program offered by the Recycling Council of Ontario.  (The link can't be reached from the RCO home page).
• the Kidney Car Program, is associated with the Kidney Foundation.

The Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association is the association for companies specializing in car recycling.  Their website has a code of ethics that promotes recycling, energy efficiency and pollution prevention at member facilities.