An electric vehicle uses a motor that is powered by a rechargeable plug-in battery; that means absolutely no forecourt fuel is required.
As with hybrids, you can charge your car at home, or there are various plug-in points across the UK, in supermarkets, retail parks, motorway fuel stations etc.
Verdict: Electric vehicles can be used for journeys of any length, though you may need to factor in some charge-point planning if you have a particular long trip in mind
A hybrid employs two or more different kinds of energy. In the case of a car, it can run on petrol or diesel, as well as an electric motor driven by a rechargeable plug-in battery (depending on which fuel type a vehicle should utilise).
The car will switch back to its internal combustion engine and start burning petrol when the electric energy runs out.
Verdict: The main benefits of a hybrid are that it should consume less fuel and emit less CO2 than a comparable conventional petrol or diesel-engine car. You can still charge your car at home, or there are various plug-in points across the UK.
The most popular types of gasoline around here in the UK are:
RON
: Definition of Octane Rating
Let's get a little more specific now; 95/97/98 RON
refers to the octane rating. This gauges how quickly fuel in an automobile engine will ignite. It is more difficult for fuel to ignite with a higher-octane rating since it needs more compression to do so.
High-octane fuel, on the other hand, works better in higher-performance car engines because it burns much hotter and can burn more effectively.
Premium Unleaded (95 RON)
Although it bears the signature Premium
, Premium Unleaded is really the most widely used fuel in the UK and Europe and is compatible with practically all petrol engines.
Super Unleaded (97/98 RON) Super
Here in the UK, Super Unleaded, which has a higher-octane level (97/98 RON), is generally accessible. High-performance vehicles are the ones that use it the most since they need it and will gain from doing so.
High-End / Premium Fuels (e.g. Total Excellium Unleaded or Shell V-Power)
Octane ratings for premium fuels like Shell V-Power are greater (99 RON in this case). These premium fuels' producers assert that in addition to having a higher-octane rating, their fuels also have advantages including better lubrication, cleaning action, and higher performance.
Verdict: When your car journeys are shorter and you journey fewer miles, a petrol engine may be more appropriate for your car needs, rather than a diesel engine
The most common diesel varieties within the UK are:
Cetane rating
explained
A cetane rating or cetane number is that of the rating provided to diesel oil for its combustion quality. It measures the fuel's delay of ignition time.
Generally, diesel vehicles use fuel with a rating of forty-five to fifty-five. The higher the cetane rating, the better and more efficiency it'll ignite and burn.
City diesel and low-sulfur diesel
There is usually just one variety of diesel on the market at a petrol station, and generally it's even simply labelled 'diesel'. Any fuel tagged 'diesel' essentially ought to be fine to use in any current diesel car or van.
Premium diesel
As with petrol, some producers provide premium diesel too.
The premium fuels typically have a higher cetane rating, thus once it's employed in a vehicle it ignites and burns more rapidly and with efficiency, while collectively lubricating and cleaning the engine.
Verdict: When you cover a plenty of miles, journey on the motorways often, or you need to tow, diesel engines are well suited. Although it may be more costly to purchase, you'll possibly save money over the long-term as they are more fuel-efficient and are excellent at producing huge amounts of torque.
Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) is created from butane and propane. It's cleaner and not expensive to purchase and is offered at variety of UK fuel stations.
Nearly all petrol engines can be converted and be able to run on LPG. Conversions are also relatively good value.
Verdict: If you considering using LPG, you will only see the advantages if you do high mileage or you are preparing to keep your car for a number of years.
Biodiesel is produced by rapeseed oil and other plant oils while bioethanol is made up of sugar cane sugars, wheat, and other plant supplies. They can solely be used on their own or combined with regular diesel (biodiesel) or petrol (bioethanol).
It's extremely important to check if your car is compatible before using biofuels - it's highly likely that your car will need modifying in advance.
Verdict: Combining petrol or diesel with biofuels can have evident benefits. Even though biofuels aren't as efficient or powerful on their own but when they're combined with conventional fuels, they can enhance performance and fuel economy. Several biofuels are derived from plants, which will have lowered the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
