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Green Cars… We have all heard the term before but just what does it really mean? A green car simply means an automobile that is environmentally friendly. Some of the ways a green car is propelled is by electricity or bio fuels.
In the past this usually meant that car owners with a green car usually sacrificed performance and power for being an environmentally conscious consumer.
However, today this is no longer the case as the term “green” has expanded well beyond simply using alternative fuel sources for propulsion.
Now days being green can mean a wide range of options. Being green is more of a concept and attitude than anything else so being green can mean simply having proper maintenance such as tune-ups and regular oil changes and even simple things such as keeping proper tire pressure. All these help with fuel economy.
Then there are the hybrid cars which utilize a Rechargeable Energy Storage System (RESS) to power their engines. This means that electric power is sometimes used or alternate fuels; typically regular gasoline and ethanol.
General Motors (GM) has pushed the envelope even further with their Active Fuel Management system employed in their larger V 6 and V 8 engines. This is the perfect compromise for people that don't want to sacrifice power for economy.
But how does it work?
What an Active Fuel Management system does is actually turn off half of the engine’s cylinders when the engine is under taxed and the extra power is not needed. The plain truth is that most of the time the V 6 and V 8 engines are not needed.
Through rigorous testing it turns out that daily power requirements for a V 6 or V 8 engine are less than 25%! Amazing, right? That means that 75% of the time you are wasting energy and gas running all cylinders.
When driving a GM automobile with an Active Fuel Management system you will experience improved fuel economy and an added bonus to the environment is a reduction in exhaust emissions. Bottom line your engine wear and tear is managed and you are driving a green car saving energy and most of all you are saving money.
So if you are the type of person that needs a powerful V 6 or V 8 for towing or demand quick acceleration but are also interested in being green and saving money, you will want to check out a GM car with an Active Fuel Management system. It truly is the best of both worlds!