Could gas guzzlers soon be a thing of the past?

These days, we’re all becoming very aware of the effects of climate change, and everyone seems to be obsessed with reducing their carbon footprint in every aspect of their lives.  This obsession is gradually creeping into the motoring world too, with some of the world’s biggest car manufacturers being profoundly affected by the so-called green revolution.

General Motors, for instance, have recently announced that due to a failed take-over bid of the Hummer brand, they are to wind down production of the gas guzzling road-legal version of the US military vehicle, the Humvee.  The Hummer is quite possibly the least economical and planet-friendly vehicle around: it weighs over three tons, emits three times more carbon dioxide than the average small car, and manages just thirteen miles to the gallon.  Despite its status as a symbol of obscene wealth and extravagance for many celebrities and famous faces, the changing motoring market took its toll on the Hummer.  In 2009, year-on-year sales for the Hummer fell by 67%, the final death knell for a brand which became synonymous with pre-recession greed and over-spending.

However, the growing trend towards more eco-friendly cars is being met with enthusiasm rather than dread by many of the world’s largest car manufacturers.  The Geneva Motor Show opened this week to countless unveilings of new hybrid cars, with the Ferrari 599 getting the most media attention.  The hybrid however, is set to become a more affordable reality as Audi, BMW, Toyota, Nissan and Vauxhall are all set to begin selling their own hybrids in the not too-distant future.

So, this means we may be seeing more eco-friendly cars gracing the adflyer motoring section before long.  In the meantime though, we have a veritable plethora of cars for sale, ranging from environmentally-friendly hybrids to defiantly uneconomical gas guzzlers.  Plus, don’t forget to keep up to date with our adflyer property blog where you can find the latest motoring news and advice, and look out for a great deal on the newest listings added to the site via the motoring classifieds blog.

Are hybrids really carbon neutral?

Are you looking for a great deal on your first car?  Or are you currently searching for a replacement car?  No matter how long you’ve been driving for though, you’ll certainly have heard a car myth or two.  adflyer have found loads of car myths doing the rounds, and they range from the sublime to the ridiculous.  So, which, if any, are actually true?  Here at adflyer, we’ve researched into some of the more well-known myths about cars to find out once and for all if there’s any truth in them.

Driving over 100mph will get you an instant driving ban. This sounds like something made up by driving instructors to keep wannabe boy racers in check, but surprisingly enough, it’s true.  If you’re caught speeding at over 100mph (or 30mph over the relevant speed limit) the punishment usually starts at disqualification from driving, although this decision is at the court’s discretion.  So, the lesson here is if you’re going to speed, be nice to the policeman who pulls you over!

CDs block speed detectors. If when you first read this, you thought it meant that the music from a CD would block speed detectors, you’d be wrong.  As bizarre as it may seem, this myth actually suggests that attaching a CD to your windscreen or even mounting it behind your grill will reflect the radar’s wave away from the car, thus making it impossible for the speed camera to record and detect your speed.  Who on Earth thought that up?!  In fact, vertically mounting a CD onto your car presents an even better target for radar and laser beams, so just don’t do it!

You should always rev the engine just before you switch it off.  ‘Why would I do that?’ I hear you ask.  Well, according to some complete idiot, revving your engine just before you switch it off leaves a spark, ready for the next time you switch the engine on.  It didn’t require much research to figure out that this myth is complete rubbish!  If they’re not ignited straightaway, electrical sparks go out as quickly as they began, so there’s no possible way to store them.

Hybrid cars have zero carbon emissions.  Not true!  A hybrid car has an electric and a petrol motor, which means that it still produces CO₂, but its carbon emissions are lower than that of a normal car.

‘Empty’ on a car’s fuel gauge doesn’t actually mean empty.  It is indeed a little-known quirk built into most cars that when the arrow on the fuel gauge first points to empty, the tank will usually have about two gallons still left in it.  This clever little trick is designed to avoid cars running out of fuel before you can get to the nearest petrol station.  So even though it’s not exactly telling the truth, don’t ignore the fuel gauge when it goes down to empty, unless you like the idea of sputtering to a halt in the middle of a busy road!

Well, now you know the truth!  We hope that this has helped to answer a few of your motoring-related questions, or at least ease the tedium of your day.  So, if you’re done with the procrastination, why not take a look at adflyer’s great motoring section?  We’ve got a great range of cars for you to try out your new-found motoring knowledge on, as well as car parts and accessories, registration plates and even motorcycles and scooters if you fancy a change of pace.  Or, to carry on whiling the hours away, take a look at our brilliant adflyer blog, pets blog and property blog for even more news, advice and fun trivia.

When it comes to modes of transportation, a scooter isn’t exactly the speediest or perhaps the coolest way to get around.  But, as a scooter costs much less than a car, and is much less hassle to get licensed, scooters are only growing in popularity.  So, how do you get to be a licensed scooter driver?  Here at adflyer, we’ve done all the legwork for you, and found out exactly what you need to do before you can take your new scooter out on the road.

When it comes to getting licensed to ride your shiny new scooter, everything depends, oddly enough, on whether or not you already have a car licence.  If you already have a full car licence which you obtained before the 1^st of February 2001, then you’re already fully entitled to ride a scooter without those pesky L-plates-good times!  However, if you got your car licence after this time, it’s a wee bit more complicated.  You’ll need to attend a full day course of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), which has five different elements to complete and pass.  Once you’ve completed your CBT, you’ll be given a DL 196 certificate, which means you can ride your scooter wherever you want, L-plate free.

If, however, you’re not the proud owner of a car licence and you’re sixteen or older, there’s a bit more to be done before you can be licensed to ride a scooter.  Firstly, you’ll need to get hold of a provisional moped licence, which allows you to take your scooter on the road with L-plates, but not to take a passenger or to ride on the motorway.  Then, you’ll need to take the CBT course, and pass a theory and practical test to become a fully licensed scooter owner.

So, we hope that this has helped make sense of all the forms, tests and bureaucracy you’ll need to go through before you can take your lovely new scooter out on the road completely L-plate free.  Don’t forget to look at adflyer’s great motoring section, where we’ve got a huge range of scooters to choose from, and keep up to date with our motors blog for all the latest news, advice and information you need on everything petrol-related.