Here’s a worrying
thought. The total production of cars and light trucks rose from 74.4 million
in 2010 to 76.8 million in 2011, with predictions this year that the number
will exceed 80 million.
According to the
Worldwatch Institute, the major driver of increased production and sales are
the so-called emerging economies, especially China.
In 2011 an
estimated 691 million passenger cars were on the world's roads and when you add
both vans and trucks, the number rises to 979 million vehicles.
That’s 30 million more than just a year earlier. Again, predictions indicate
that by the end of this year, the total number of vehicles running around the
world’s roads could top 1 billion – that’s one vehicle for every seven people
on the planet.
The Chinese
market for motor vehicles grew at an annual average rate of 25 per cent during
2000-11, up from fewer than 10 million cars to 73 million cars.
The top four
producers of light vehicles are China, the United States, Japan, and Germany,
and together they account for more than half of all global output.
And whilst
manufacturers continue to make improvements to petrol and diesel engines,
alternative fuels are not having the public impact that Governments would like.
Hybrid vehicles are growing in number, but they still remain below 2 per cent
of total vehicle output.
So is that good
news or bad news for the world’s polar bears and melting ice caps?
Until the experts
agree, we won’t really know!
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The life and times of a partially retired motoring and motor rallying journalist in Scotland. Author of the book 'The Scottish Rally Championship 1980-1989' https://fife-motor-sports-agency.square.site/
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Blethers - Global warming
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