ABSTRACT
Domestic cars, typically weighing well over a tonne, will always use large amountsof energy to move around the country. This is a simple outcome of the laws ofphysics, and we should distrust those who claim that any new type of car will somehow avoid being bound by the usual rules. Although the average fuel efficiency of a new car continues to rise, the increase in the number of cars washes away much of this improvement. To get rapid improvement in the future we will need to switch to electric cars, which do not suffer from the inherent inefficiencies of internal combustion engines. Battery-powered cars capable of being driven long distances without being recharged will not become widely available until 2012. Before then, the typical car user can reduce his or her carbon dioxide emissions by 50 per cent by making some simple choices.
