The dependency on foreign oil is higher than it has ever been. With nearly all American families having two cars or more, our fuel consumption is at an all time high. And as we can probably all attest so is the cost of gasoline. It used to be that it only took forty or fifty dollars to fill up our tanks, now it costs upwards of sixty dollars.

It’s no surprise that so many people are downsizing their vehicles. Trading in guzzlers for eco-friendly models is en vogue as well as practical. People who drive trucks or SUV’s are second guessing those choices. Gasoline for larger vehicles like trucks and SUV’s costs nearly twice as much as it does to fill-up compact cars. Car dealerships across America are selling more compact and hybrid cars than any other vehicle.

To lessen America’s dependency on foreign oil and to attempt to bring down the cost of gas, many car manufacturers are working hard to produce cars that can run on electricity or use much less fuel to operate. A good example of this is the Prius, manufactured by Toyota. Prius drivers get up to 50 miles per gallon of gas. Considering that many trucks only get 12 miles per gallon, this is a tremendous difference in fuel consumption and therefore, expense. This gas saving feature is what makes the hybrid Prius so popular.

With gas becoming ever more expensive, and the economy decreasing as it has been, many Americans can’t afford to keep serving up $150 or more a month for gasoline. And that’s typically for just for one car! For families with two or more vehicle, that’s upwards of $300 a month in fuel costs.

Many companies are trying to find alternative forms of energy. Motor vehicles companies are working on producing more electric cars and vehicles that use gasoline made from corn. The major advancements made in substitute fuel sources come in the form of biofuels. Some scientists and companies are experimenting with recycled frying oil from restaurants to produce crude oils needed for gasoline.

Our dependency on foreign oil has had a very negative effect on our country’s economy. There are many commuters who regularly travel an hour or more to and from work. In most areas, public transportation is not an option, so they must drive their own car at tremendous expense. This forces them to cut spending elsewhere. When a family cannot afford to pay its bills for basic subsistence like food and rent because the price of gas is so high, something is terribly wrong. This is why supporting alternative fuel research is so important to this country.

Many people in America have no option but to drive a car. I’m sure we all would love to be able to walk or ride our bikes everywhere we go. This is simply not an option when commuting an hour to work on crammed roadways. We have to work to be able to support our families and pay our bills, and it’s not fair to have a huge percentage of that go to oil companies in the Middle East. If we had other forms of fuel that cost less money, not only would it be better for our environment, but it could also drastically improve the state of our economy. It’s important that we all stand behind companies researching new forms of fuel. Maybe, with enough encouragement and support, they could come up a fuel source that revolutionizes the way we think about traveling. Then all of our money could stay here in the United States and fuel our economy.

Driving to work at rush hour and heading home, shopping, socializing and more – a large amount of time spent in London involves a lot of travelling and patience. The most popular method of travelling is by car, since the London car population has reached millions. Consumers should therefore be well aware of the London congestion charge which counts as a significant extra expense to the home budget.

However, due to new arrivals to the eco-friendly vehicle market, certain types of cars are now exempt from the congestion charge. This is due to their low emission level and the fact that they meet the Euro 5 standard, which is also available for plug-in hybrid vehicles. However, since green vehicles are quite high-priced, there are other ways of cutting down the congestion charge by fuel consumption.

The congestion charge has been implemented to improve traffic and enable a smoother flow to the Centre of London. The scheme applies from Marylebone to the Northern Euston Roads and is available Monday to Friday from 7a.m. to 6p.m., with the exception of civic holidays. At the beginning of 2011, a Greener Vehicle Discount has been implemented, stating that cars which aim to improve air quality and have an emission level limited at 100g per kilometre meet the Euro 5 standard and are therefore completely exempt from congestion charges. Furthermore, the Alternative Fuel Discount also enables drivers which cannot benefit from the greener car charge exemption, to discounts of the congestion tax by opting for an alternative fuel.

The Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 comprises of the latest cutting-edge technology, which brings the diesel and electric motor combination at a whole new level. The hatchback emits 99g CO2 per kilometre, which meets the Euro 5 standards and holds the status for the world’s first diesel hybrid. The emissions exceed the performance of the Toyota Prius with just 10g CO2 per kilometre. The 3008 Hybrid uses Peugeot’s first class 2.0-litre HDi diesel engine which produces 164bhp and an additional electric motor which can produce up to 37bhp; together, both engines add to a total of 74.4mpg in fuel consumption. The difference between this and other hybrid vehicles is that the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 benefits from Peugeot’s diesel engine which provides more torque. The front wheels of the car are powered by the diesel and generate 300Nm torque and the rear wheels produce up to 200Nm in torque. The Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 brings a lot of enthusiasm to the green car industry, as it is only 70Nm slower than an Aston martin DBS. Its performance can easily make the hybrid hatchback the most agile green vehicle on the market.

Diesel Hybrid cars such as the Peugeot 3008 have a huge advantage on London roads. As the cars usually emit less than the 100g/km CO2, they are completely exempt from the congestion charge. A daily tax has a 10 value, which means that people who work in Central London and travel to and from work daily can save up to 200 per month. Hybrid cars have the potential to be both environmental friendly and economical and as a result, make a great choice for London workers.

An alternative to the hybrid vehicle is the electric car. The Peugeot iOn is a battery-powered vehicle capable of 74.3mpg and a range of up to 80 miles. The disadvantage with the electric vehicles is that the technology has not been fully-developed yet and the cars do not enable long-distance travelling. Therefore, it is in the consumer’s disadvantage if the distance to and from work is longer than 80 miles, as there are very few charging stations available. The benefit of the Peugeot iOn is that it has zero CO2 emissions; as a result it meets the Euro 5 standards and is exempt from the London congestion charge. Unfortunately, the new technology is quite unreliable as the battery has a short durability and any of the accessories such as wipers, air conditioning and radio consume even more. However, the Peugeot iOn would be excellent as a second car, with the purpose of getting to Central London and back home every day. The maintenance and running costs are even more reduced than for a hybrid as the car can run at a top speed of 81mph for a maximum of 6 hours.

If the exemption from the London congestion charge is not an option, there are ways of reducing the tax value by opting for alternative fuel. Cars like the Peugeot 308 and the 508 diesel version emit up to 149g CO2 per kilometre which does not classify them as the Euro 5 eligible. A discount has been made available for such vehicles which in order to benefit need to be converted to alternative fuel sources such as LPG or natural gases. These resources save up to 40% more in fuel consumption than diesel and petrol-power vehicles. The discount from the London congestion charge is available 100% for LPG or natural gases converted vehicles and registered before 24th of December 2010. An annual fee of 10 needs to be paid to benefit from the discount. The vehicles which are approved by the government test are ultimately included in the Energy Saving Trust Powershift Register, which installs and maintains all the necessary features to enable the conversion.

The congestion charge is an obligatory burden initiated to enable a simpler access into Central London. However annoying it may be, the tax encourages vehicle owners to reduce CO2 emissions by opting for more environmental friendly cars. Efforts to do so are rewarded by a full exemption from the London congestion charge, which during a whole year could add up to 2,400.