LPG, CNG, pure electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, micro-hybrid (Mild Hybrid), in addition to the traditional gasoline and diesel are the alternatives that we can find today in dealerships if we intend to buy a new car.
With each of them, and according to their particular characteristics, we can choose to
environmental badges of the
DGT, from «C» to «0 emissions». If at first we might think that the best option is to always choose the car with the fewest restrictions, it is also true that depending on the use we are going to make of the vehicle, this does not mean that we are going to make the right choice.
With the entry into force of the
Low Emission Zones (ZBE) In towns with more than 50,000 inhabitants, before making a purchase it is a good idea to get good advice about the regulations, since access to these LEZs will depend on each of the municipalities.
As a general rule with
the labels “0 emissions” and “Eco” we will get rid of the access bans for a longer time, but for the moment a new car with the ‘C’ badge, whether it is diesel or petrol, will be able to access most of the restricted areas, although we may not have some benefits such as possible discounts on parking meters.
But in exchange, the most normal thing is that the car is cheaper at the time of its acquisition, and if our area of circulation is mostly the
highway or highwayand we do not need regular access to the city center, consumption is very likely to be lower than that of, for example, a conventional hybrid or plug-in hybrid.
Therefore, before purchasing a new car, in these times of change due to emission limitations, the kilometers traveled must be taken into account to find out what engine we need.
Diesel cars have lost their dominant position in sales in the last two years in favor of gasoline cars, demonized for their
alleged polluting emissionsas much as it has been shown that a modern diesel car does not pollute at all more than a gasoline one, and even the CO2 emissions in the new models are lower.
But the message has caught on, and has led many buyers to opt for supposedly more ecological alternatives, later verifying that the choice that may seem more “green” is not always the most appropriate to respond to their needs for use. To give a few examples, a person with a sales job that requires them to do
many kilometers by roadmore than 30,000 a year, you will have your best alternative in a diesel car, as it is the most efficient engine and with a better price/consumption ratio.
In this case, it would be a mistake to opt for a conventional hybrid car, since these “Eco” vehicles are really efficient in the
short and mainly urban routes, where electrical assistance when braking and starting fulfills its mission. A hybrid on the road will not take advantage of the electrical potential, and the batteries will become a “ballast”, an extra weight that will contribute to increasing consumption and therefore emissions.
At the opposite pole, we would find a person who only travels a few tens of kilometers a day and in an urban environment. In this case, the mistake would be to opt for a diesel model, since the extra price would not compensate with the savings due to lower consumption. And also, given the characteristics of diesel engines, not having enough time to warm up and eliminate
particles from filters and valves like the famous EGRin the long run it would cause us possible mechanical problems and a significant extra cost in maintenance.
In this case, the best alternatives would be electric cars or plug-in hybrids, as long as there is the possibility of having a domestic charging point and a rate to plug in the car at the best price. If this is not possible, you can always resort to conventional hybridization or micro hybridization, which has shown its ability to achieve important
emission reductions and consumption compared to conventional thermal cars.
Currently we can choose between gasoline, diesel, hybrid combustion/electric, LPG/CNG bifuel, electric, and fuel cell (hydrogen) engines.
Gasoline
Gasoline engines, also known as four-stroke engines, are those that work on a thermodynamic basis that is responsible for converting the chemical energy of ignition, caused by the mixture of air and fuel, into mechanical energy. In this way, the vehicle obtains the necessary energy to carry out its movements. And said operation
in four-stroke cycles which could be classified, roughly, as follows:
-Intake phase: the intake valve opens, allowing the air-fuel mixture to flow into the cylinders.
-Compression phase: during this phase, the valve closes and the piston rises to compress the mixture.
-Phase of explosion: the spark plugs originate the necessary spark to produce the explosion and the descent of the pistons.
-Exhaust phase: the exhaust valve opens and the pistons rise to expel the burned gases to the outside
Diesel
In general, diesel engines are mainly used in means of transport that require an extra dose of power and that are designed for a greater daily workload, such as industrial vehicles, cargo vehicles, machinery, aeronautical means, etc. However, since this type of engine was born by Rudolf Diesel in 1893, technology has also spread to private means of transport, currently in Spain surpassing vehicles that run on gasoline.
diesel engines
They work in a similar way to the gasoline ones. and its process can be divided in the same way into four times, which are the following:
-Intake phase: air filling occurs and the intake valve remains open while the piston descends towards the bottom dead center.
-Compression phase: the intake valve closes when the piston reaches the bottom dead center and begins its journey to the top, compressing the air inside the cylinder.
-Combustion phase: the injector sprays the fuel inside the chamber and it ignites immediately when it comes into contact with hot air.
-Phase of exhaust: the burned gases are expelled and the inertia is allowed to start the cycle again.
Electric and Hydrogen
Although it may not seem like it, electric motors predate diesel or four-stroke gasoline. Between 1832 and 1832 Robert Anderson developed the first automobile.
with pure electric motorcapable of transforming electrical energy into mechanical energy through the magnetic fields it generates, without the need for explosions or combustion typical of gasoline and diesel engines.
Today when we think of pure electric vehicles, we often refer to BEVs, or battery electric vehicles. However, in the market we can find other options such as FCEVs, fuel cells, which are combined with hydrogen and HEVs and PHEVs, known as hybrids and plug-in respectively, which alternate a permanent magnet electric motor with an internal combustion one. (mainly gasoline).
Although in Spain
FCEV vehicles are not that well known As in other countries like Japan, it is a type of technology that is already being worked on, above all, to make hydrogen a fuel for the masses. Fuel cell electric cars use hydrogen as fuel to generate a conversion in which the hydrogen is oxidized and the electrons it loses are the electric current that will circulate through fuel cells that drive electric motors.
Natural Gas and LPG
Vehicles that run on alternative fuels such as LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) or CNG (compressed natural gas) are gaining ground in the automobile industry, and more and more manufacturers are betting on marketing versions of some of their models. , powered by this type of fuel.
Any of the two options, LPG or CNG, favor the increase of the useful life of the engine, since they do not generate so much wear in the cylinders and less residues are deposited in the system. However, it must be taken into account that sometimes it makes lubrication difficult and can deteriorate the valves at a higher speed, something that we can solve thanks to preventive mechanics and by carrying out good maintenance.
The DGT has wanted to simplify the number of labels, and there are only four options to locate each vehicle. The B (yellow), applies to gasoline vehicles between 2001 and 2006 and diesel between 2006 and 2015.
The C (green) it is the best that internal combustion vehicles can aspire to, it points to diesel registered after 2015 (Euro 6) and gasoline after 2006 (from Euro 4).
For those with electrical assistance there are two labels,
Eco (green and blue duotone)which includes conventional hybrid cars (HEV), plug-in cars with less than 40 km of autonomy, zero emissions (increasingly rare) and those that move powered by gas, either natural (CNG) or liquefied petroleum (LPG). .
Finally,
the Zero label (blue) It is intended for 100% electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids with more than 40 km and extended-range electric vehicles, which use a combustion engine as a generator for their zero-emission propellant, and Hydrogen or fuel cell.
With these four labels, Tráfico leaves out 50% of the Spanish mobile fleet, the most polluting, to which the A classification corresponds, that is, without an environmental label.
The placement of the sticker is not mandatory, but municipal ordinances that use them as identifiers may limit access to
vehicles that do not have itso it is advisable to put them in the lower right part of the front windshield – not doing so could mean a fine of 200 euros.
There are several ways to get the environmental label. This,
at a cost of five euros It can be purchased at Post Offices, in the workshop network of the Spanish Confederation of Workshops (Cetraa) and other authorized repairers, in administrative managers and in the Institute for Automotive Studies (Ideauto). In addition, in the case of fleets, it can be requested en bloc through Ganvam.
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