Neighborhood Electric Vehicles or NEV have come and gone. However, rising oil prices have really brought these vehicles from the dead. Recently, the Canadian company called Bombardier just launched the Bombardier NEV. Compared to other NEVs, this one is a lot cheaper because it only costs around 7,000 USD.

Basically, the Bombardier NEV is a simple, small, and efficient vehicle that is built for short-distance driving. Like other NEVs, the Bombardier NEV has the standard lighting, brakes, and independent suspension. For only 700 dollars, you can choose to have detachable doors, cassette stereo system, and even stylish curtains. Also, its 25 mph is pretty decent for a vehicle that runs solely on batteries.

There’s only room for two people inside and it has limited horsepower as well. However, its pretty good steal especially with the tag price that it comes with.

If you’re looking for a green car that can torch the road at the same time, then the Scorpion Roadster is clearly the runaway winner. With an MPG rating of 40 and with a capacity to generate as much as 450-horsepower, it’s definitely something that mother Earth and the Lewis Hamiltons would smile at. The great thing about this car is that it is powered by hydrogen, which makes it a real toast for those rabid environmentalists out there. According to its manufacturer called Ronn Motor Company, they expect that it’s the second coming of the Tesla Roadster. Instead of using batteries, their car uses Hydrogen to go around the place.

Meanwhile, The Scorpion Roadster uses electrolysis in order to convert water to hydrogen. After that, it is mixed with 91-octane gasoline for better fuel economy and reduction of fuel emission. Basically, the whole idea is to sell the electrolysis technology and prove to everyone that it works. That means that if the electrolysis system works with the Scorpion Roadster, there’s no way that you can’t use it for your Chevrolet or a Ford.

The company guarantees that you’ll get at least 15 to 33 percent of increase in gas mileage. That’s a lot of fuel, considering how much you have to pay for gas these days. On the other hand, unlike BMW’s Hydrogen 7, the Scorpion Roadster does not have any 30-gallonn tanks full of liquid hydrogen. That’s good news, especially if you don’t want to bother dealing with it all the time.

When it comes to the car’s performance, it is expected to reach 200 mph in open speedway. If that’s not enough, it also boasts of a 3.5-liter V6 engine, while all in all, the whole car weighs only an astonishing 2,200 lbs. Overall, you can call the Scorpion Roadster your own if you have at least 150,000 USD.

Let’s face it. The conscious decision of trading a fuel-powered, high-performance vehicle for a less-powerful but greener alternative is not exactly the easiest thing to do. For starters, in most parts of the world, biofuel can be pretty hard to come by. As for electric vehicles, well, keeping your car fully-charged for hours of travel can be near impossible. But going “Green” does have its benefits.

Let’s not get started on the “save the world for the children” campaign. It’s something we’re all familiar with, and it’s something that we all understand perfectly. Instead, let’s focus on the benefits that will affect YOUR life.

(1) Green Cars Save Lungs (and Lives)

Since you won’t be emitting as much carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide with your green ride, then you can expect less pollution to damage your health. While you won’t inhale enough pollutants to develop a respiratory or cardiopulmonary sickness in one day, everyday exposure to these pollutants can and will damage your lungs in the long run. By going for a green car, you minimize the pollutants released in the environment, thereby cutting everyday air pollution by the tiniest bit. If you persuade others to join you and to get green cars for themselves, you make a bigger change in helping make the environment safer for you, if not your children, or your children’s children.

(2) Lower C02-Related Taxes

In some parts of the globe (like London, we’re told), the road tax you pay the government increases or decreases based the amount of C02 your ride releases and the type of fuel your vehicle uses. Naturally, fewer emissions can help lower your road tax. Now, an article from EzineArticles.com, entitled: “The Benefits of Having a Green Car”, also mentions that you won’t have to pay any taxes if your gas emissions are way below 100g/km. Now if this rule applies to your area, then this can mean pretty sweet savings in the long run.

If you drive an electric car, then you also won’t have to pay a single dime for fuel tax. After all, your car doesn’t run on fuel, it runs on power. Fuel tax for natural gases are also a lot lower than what you’d have to pay if you were driving using diesel or petrol.

(3) Green Car Insurance Companies Usually Offer Low-Priced Insurance

Some Green Car Insurance Companies have better and cheaper offers when it comes to green car insurance. It acts as a type of incentive for people to buy more green cars.

So actually by buying a green car, you’re saving more than just the environment, you’re also saving more money. That’s why, if you don’t own a green car now, you might want to think about purchasing one in the near future.

Again: It’s not easy being green—but if you stick with it, the rewards can be incredibly fulfilling.

Yes, oil prices are at an all-time high and they become more and more volatile each month. Yes, people are also looking for better ways to get their cars running without having to rely on black gold AKA gasoline. So what’s the solution? Well, one promising source however is biodiesel, which has been attracting so much attention as of late. Then again, before you jump on the bandwagon like most Celtic fans, here are five things that you should know about biodiesel.

1.We Owe Something to the Man Named Rudolf Diesel

Rudolf Diesel was a visionary who thought that using vegetable oil to run cars is possible. People laughed at him of course but a hundred years later, no one would ever do that at all. Did I also mentioned that he was the one who invented the diesel engine?

2.Biodiesel is a Huge Threat to Petroleum

How huge? For starters, biodiesel is a domestic fuel and that means countries can grow plants that would produce biogas. With that being said, you can see the end of relying on petroleum from foreign countries. The downside though is that you need enough land area to cultivate these crops. Smaller countries would have a harder time producing biodiesel because there’s not much space to these biogas plants. You just can’t use precious are that is meant for planting food crops and food is definitely more important than oil.

3.It’s Made From Many Sources

When we say biodiesel, we’re actually looking at a very broad range of sources that can produce energy. The most common source right now is soy and the best thing about it is that it’s easy to cultivate, while acclimatizing very well in all kinds of climates. Also, soy is so cheap that it’s even affordable for third-world countries. Other crops and plants that can be used as sources are flax, rapeseed, mustard, sunflower, palm, hemp, jatropha, and even pennycress. Aside from that, animal fats and unused vegetable oil are also likely candidates.

4.Algae?

Yes, these green things that we end up taking for granted might be the ones that will save us in a world where energy is more than valuable. Although still in its developmental stage, algae have a huge potential to become a legitimate energy source sometime in the near future. Why? Well that’s because it can double its size and weight under the proper conditions in just one day. Aside from that, alga essentially takes in carbon dioxide while releasing lipids, which are actually a type of fat during the process. Planting algae makes everything around us greener and it will be one way of solving one of the biggest concerns in our time- global warming. The best part is, there is no need to worry about where it should be planted so there’s no need to think about wasting precious farmland. That’s because algae can grow anywhere and in fact, can even grow in outer space. So if you put everything in numbers, scientists have calculated that this energy source can produce as much as 20,000 gallons of oil every year. Not bad eh?

5.Any Diesel Auto Can Use It

Unlike other alternative energy sources, you don’t need to buy a new car or have a complete engine overhaul just to enjoy the benefits of biodiesel. Using a vehicle that runs on diesel is enough to make your ride green and ready.