Green cars for state institutions

Prime Minister- designate Victor Ponta announced that if the government is sworn in , he intends to take a decision for to public institutions buy only environmentally friendly cars.

Prime Minister- designate wants that his official car to be a hybrid one.

Victor Ponta hopes by persuading institutions to buy less polluting cars will

improve air quality in Bucharest.

But experts believe that such a measure would contribute little to clean the environment in the capital.

As president of Social Democratic Party(PSD) , Victor Ponta has been provided from the party a Toyota Prius hybrid car.

It is the most popular hybrid car model in the world, by now being sold over 2,5 million items.

Hybrid cars have a classic engine, but they can also run with an electric motor powered by a battery.

“ As operates like a hybrid, in principle, first, it has to be run relatively at slow speeds, so urban speeds up to 50-60 km/ h maximum, because at railway speed the gasoline engine already takes by itself the car load drive, meaning in heavy traffic, when it runs bumper to bumper, when it runs with a speed up to 40 km/h, but in a very small range, said editor-in-chief of “ Auto Pro” magazine, Daniel Costea.

Reducing pollution

Hybrid cars are perceived as some cars bought by people interested in environmental protection.

Gasoline consumption is about five litres per hundred kilometers.

The battery that powers the electric motor provides the displacement on a several kilometers distance , but only on a very slow movement.

But at the same performance features, hybrid cars are more expensive than an average car.

Toyota Prius models price is between 27,000 and 34,000 Euros, but plus optional cost improvements.

To save the price difference to a classic car by less fuel consumption, a hybrid car has to run over 300,000 km.

The main reason for such cars are purchased is reduced pollution in comparison with conventional cars.

Hybrid cars will not have “ a significant impact on air quality”

Hundreds, thousands or even tens thousands of hybrid cars purchased by state institutions however would not have a significant impact on air quality, considers editor-in-chief of “ Auto Pro” magazine, Daniel Costea.

“ Unfortunately, it would not mean much, because it would be pretty small numbers, considering how many cars are in Bucharest and how many highly polluting cars are in Bucharest, too”.

“ It is commendable what happens if you do so, but we need long time in conjunction with other methods of reducing pollution , not only for polluting cars”.

“ There are industrial activities that still take place in Bucharest , so there are many contributing factors, “ said Daniel Costea.

The huge number of cars forced the authorities to proceed to three digits number plates.

According to the data submitted in 2009 by the Bucharest Registrations Department , in the capital there were registered almost 1,3 million cars.

To these are added cars registered in other counties, but whose owners live in Bucharest.

At national level, the number of registered cars without taking into account minibuses, buses or trucks is about five million.

Translated by Denisse-Meda Bucura

MTTLC, Bucharest University