Science NOW!

Does energy-efficient car protect the environment?

Honda's energy-efficient car, the Insight, can do about 15 miles on 1 litre of petrol. A normal car would struggle to do about 9 miles on this amount of fuel. How does it work?

The car works on 'combined power'. The source of the energy is petrol, but the car uses it more efficiently, by storing some 'unused' energy in the battery until it is needed.

As the car starts its journey, it relies solely on the fuel. When it is cruising, or travelling downhill, some of the kinetic energy is transferred to an electrical storage battery. This is because not all of the energy is needed to drive the car forward. When the car goes uphill, or needs to go faster, it can make use of some of the stored energy in the battery.

1. What information does Honda give that suggests that the Insight is an environmentally friendly car?
2. What further questions would you want to ask Honda, or what tests would you ask them to carry out, in order to prove that the Insight is a truly 'green' car?