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(ARA) - More and more consumers have recognized it’s time to drive green.
According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Californians drive 825 million miles every day -- in cars producing 5.4 million tons of smog pollutants daily.
To combat this, automakers have made great strides recently to develop cleaner, more affordable cars that pollute less than ever before.
For consumers in the market for a new car, a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) is an excellent way to drive green, meeting the exact same emissions standards as the most popular hybrid vehicles, but often at lower prices.
“PZEV vehicles are the cleanest gasoline-powered vehicles on the road today,” says Hal Dewsnap, Ford Motor Company Los Angeles regional manager. “PZEVs have zero evaporative emissions, making them cleaner than some hybrids, plus they produce 76 percent less smog-forming emissions than today’s average new car.
The Statistics are Amazing.
A vehicle with a PZEV rating emits about two pounds of hydrocarbons in 100,000 miles of driving, the equivalent of spilling a pint of gasoline."
To be PZEV certified, the vehicle must meet three criteria:
1. Its tailpipe emissions must meet California’s Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) standard;
2. It must demonstrate zero gasoline evaporative emissions;
3. Its warranty must ensure that these criteria will be met for 15 years or 150,000 miles.
“Ford offers more PZEV-rated models than any other manufacturer," says Dewsnap. "If you drove 2,100 miles -- roughly five trips between LA and San Francisco -- in a PZEV-rated Ford Focus, Fusion, Taurus or Escape, you would equal the emissions produced by a 5.4 horsepower lawn mower in just one hour of use."
Believe it or not, exhaust from a PZEV tailpipe could actually be cleaner than the air you breathe in smoggy urban areas. With thousands of PZEVs on the road – over 750,000 have been sold since 2003 -- the benefits PZEVs have on air quality are immediate, and long lasting.
"Our philosophy at Ford is to emphasize affordable, high-volume clean vehicles," continues Dewsnap, "in the knowledge that real environmental gains must come from hundreds of thousands of cars, not just thousands."
PZEV vehicles are readily available to the public and are mass-produced at affordable prices. For instance, you can buy a PZEV-rated Ford Focus starting at $14,395.
Plus, the 150,000 mile warranty ensures these criteria will be maintained for years.
To find out more about PZEV vehicles visit www.arb.ca.gov or www.fordvehicles.com.