Expect nothing, live frugally on surprise.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Eco-Friendly cars

MARUTI SUZUKI India Limited (MSIL) plans to refurbish all its cars under production so that it will be compatible with the stringent recycling norms, laid down by the European Union’s End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) recycling norms by 2010. The upcoming A-star hatchback car from MSIL would be the first car to meet the ELV norms, which would be 85 per cent recyclable. After that, MSIL would launch its upcoming Splash and D-segment’ Kizashi car during 2009. The new technology will reduce the consumption of fuel of the car by 10-15 per cent. Maruti would also replace hazardous raw materials like mercury, cadmium, lead and chrome with such commodities which are more eco-friendly.Speaking to the media, a senior representative of MSIL said that the automobile organisation has planned to adopt a new procedure of metal plating in all its future cars. Instead of using intra-valent chrome, the company would now use the extra-valent chrome, which would completely change the metal surface treatment processes. Most of its vendors have already been asked by the concerned authorities of the MSIL to adopt the new ecological balanced process and use eco-friendly materials in their manufacturing. It is expected that all its vendors will switch over to these newly adopted technologies by 2010.In the EU, ELV directive covers the disposal of vehicles and their components. It has also sorted out the four heavy metals whose use has been severely curtailed on all vehicles sold in the EU since July 1, 2003. The metals are - lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium. Later, an amendment was done to the directive, which stated the maximum concentration values of 0.1 wt per cent for lead and mercury and 0.01 wt per cent for cadmium. All these were established for each homogeneous material in a vehicle. The norms laid down by ELV would be applied to any on-road vehicle or equipment, capable of speeds greater than 25 kph. But, the ELV norms excludes off-road vehicles, railcars, mining and agricultural equipment and vintage cars. ELV focuses on producing, dismantling and recycling vehicles in a more eco-friendly manner and establish clear quantified targets for reuse, recycling and recovery of vehicles and their components. The ELV also pushes the manufacturers to build new vehicles with a view to their recyclability.

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