Alternative Transport:Practical solutions to reducing your carbon emissions on the road

Some manufacturers are already branding some terms to make them their own. In these cases we've highlighted who (we believe) they're specific to, along with any particular claims that the word or phrase has.

A - F

7 Series - Model of BMW vehicle capable of using hydrogen and petrol.

ABD - Association of British Drivers. Voluntary group that lobbies Government for the 'beleagured British Motorist'.

AdBlue - Fuel type. A stable and colourless liquid that is completely harmless and odourless. The active substance – urea – is produced from natural gas. AdBlue consists of 32.5 per cent urea diluted in distilled water.

Antonov Automotive Technology BV - Wholly owned subsidiary of Antonov Plc.

ATF - Authorised Treatment Facility. All manufacturers, due to legislative reasons, have to be responsible for the models they manufactured or distributed at the end of their useful life.

Autogreen - Services Partner with vehicle take-back ATF facilities.

Avis - Car Hire Company.

BEN - The Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund.

BER - Brake Energy Regeneration (Regarding hybrid models).

BEST - BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport.

Biodiesel - More often a 'homemade' mix of vegetable oil for use in older vehicles with conventional diesel engines.

Bioethanol - Sustainable fuel type made from agricultural crops or forest residues.

Biofuel - Usually meaning an overall term for vehicles powered by bioethanol.

BioPower - Overall term for vehicles powered by biodiesel or bioethanol fuel.

BLUETEC HYBRID - Concept hybrid model by Mercedes-Benz.

BTL - Biomass To Liquid technology. Any form of organic or biomass residual material is used to produce fuel.

CARB - California's Air Resources Board. (US body)

CDI - Description given to a particular type of diesel engine.

CEA - Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, The French Atomic Energy Commission.

CKD - Completely Knocked Down (Term applied to transport logistics).

Climate Change Now - United Nations-backed initiative.

CNG vehicle - Model of Volvo V70 vehicle capable of using Biofuel.

Comma - Distributor of motor oil and car care products.

dCi - Diesel Common-rail injection. Description given to a particular type of diesel engine.

DEFRA - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

DIAmond Advanced Motorists - Driving Instructors Association.Organisation that is a member of the Safety House group.

DISI - Direct Injection Spark Ignition. Description of technology used in the MZR (Mazda) model.

DPFS - Diesel Particulate Filter System.

Duo - Production hybrid model by Audi launched in 1997.

Dyna - Model of 'light duty truck' manufactured by Toyota capable of using hybrid technology.

E100 - Ethanol fuel type using 100% bioethanol fuel. (As opposed to E85).

E85 - Ethanol fuel type. Ethanol vehicles can take up to 85% ethanol and 15% petrol mix to run.

Eco-driving - Driving in the most efficient way possible and ensuring your vehicle is serviced regularly and tyres are at the correct pressure for optimum fuel efficiency.

Effpower - New type of battery being developed. (By Volvo).

E-Four - A second electric motor at the rear axle enables Lexus to give the RX 400h electric four-wheel drive capability.

EFV - Environmentally friendly vehicle.

EGR - Exhaust Gas Recirculation.

Elise - Model of Lotus vehicle capable of using natural gas.

Environment Agency - Organisation responsible for protecting the environment in England and Wales.

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency (US body)

EPI - Environmental Performance Indicator.

Escape Hybrid - Model of Ford vehicle.

EST - Energy Saving Trust. Not for profit organisation funded by the Department for Transport, Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government.

EurotaxGlass's - Known for many years as simply 'Glass's' this company offers products and solutions that are essential at every stage of the vehicle lifecycle – from valuation, technical and fleet management data, through to estimating, bodyshop and dealer management systems and web-based services.

Fabia - Model of Skoda vehicle capable of using synthetic fuel.

FC Stack - Fuel cell stack.

F-Cell - See Fuel cell.

FCHV - Fuel Cell Hybrid Car (Possibly specific to Toyota).

FCHV-BUS - Fuel Cell Hybrid Bus (Possibly specific to Toyota).

FCX - Hydrogen-powered fuel cell model by Honda.

FINE-N - Fuel Cell Innovative Emotion - Next generation. Toyota description of fuel cell concept vehicle.

Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV) - Vehicle using Bioethanol fuel mix. (Possibly specific to Ford).

FoE - Friends of the Earth. Environmental group.

Foresight Vehicle - Prime knowledge transfer network for the automotive industry.

FTSE4Good Index - Stocks and shares ratings of companies with 'good' social, ethical and environmentally responsible ratings. Started at close of trading 17/03/06.

Fuel Cell - Technology that replaces the petrol or diesel engine in a vehicle with a hydrogen fuel cell.

Futura Petroleum - Provider of environmentally-sound motorfuels.

G - Z

g/km - Unit measurement of CO2 used to categorise the emissions of different vehicles.

GENEPAC - GENérateur Electrique à Pile A Combustible (Fuel Cell Electricity Generator). Used by the PSA Group.

GLH - Greater London Hire.

Goingreen - Vehicle distributor specialising in alternative transport solutions.

Greenpeace - Environmental group.

GS 450h - Hybrid luxury saloon model manufacturerd by Lexus.

G-Wiz - Purely electric-powered 2+2 vehicle. Manufacturerd by Reva and distributed in the UK by Goingreen.

HDi - Description given to a particular type of diesel engine.

Hi-Flex - Description of Flex Fuel vehicles, used by Renault.

Hybrid Synergy Drive - 'Second generation' of hybrid technology being developed by Toyota. (The term is a registered trademark of Toyota).

Hybride - Name given by Citroen to their C4 'hybride' HDi model.

HyTrans - Micro-hybrid commercial vehicle. (Transit).

IEE - Institute of Electrical Engineers.

Inchcape - Large franchised dealer retail group.

Integrated Vehicle Dynamics Control System - Term used by Mazda.

I-SAM - Hybrid concept for trucks. (Possibly specific to Volvo).

I-SHIFT - Automatic gear changing system for trucks. (Possibly specific to Volvo).

LCV - Light Commercial Vehicle.

Lex - Lex Vehicle Leasing.

LowCVP - Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership.

LPG - Liquid Petroleum Gas.

Mega - Manufacturer of, amongst other conventional models, the purely electric Multitruck.

MPV - Multi-purpose-vehicle. (People carriers).

NEBUS - See NECAR description.

NECAR - Ongoing family of vehicles developed by Mercedes-Benz from 1994 that used alternative fuel technology.

PBS - Polybutylene Succinate.

Powershift Grants - Government grants to incentivise drivers to buy 'cleaner' vehicles. Disbanded in 2005.

Prius - Hybrid vehicle manufacturerd by Toyota.

Q7 - Model of SUV with hybrid technology manufacturerd by Audi .

RAC Foundation - Royal Automobile Club. Breakdown service and founding member of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership.

ReMIT - Retail Motor Industry Training.

Reva - Indian company responsible for the development and manufacture of the G-Wiz.

RME - Rapeseed Methyl Ester. (A fuel type).

RMIF - Retail Motor Industry Federation.

RX 400h - Hybrid model manufacturerd by Lexus.

SCR - Selective Catalytic Reduction. (Pssibly specific to Mercedes Benz).

Smart Idling Stop System - System developed by Mazda.

smart LPG - DaimlerChrysler smart brand converted to run on LPG.

SMMT - Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

STOP & START system - System that stops the engine when the vehicle is stationery and starts automatically when the vehicle pulls away. (Possibly specific to the PSA Group).

SU-LEV - Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle.

Super Caps - Double-layer capacitors located in the sills of a vehicle. BMW terminology.

SUV - Sports Utility Vehicle. Often used as an overall description of 4x4 / 'gas-guzzling' or 'Chelsea Tractor' vehicles.

Tourans - Model of Volkswagen vehicle capable of using fuel-cell and hybrid technology.

Toyota Plug-In Prius - Conversion of the standard hybrid Prius to give it pure electric capabilities.

TPH - Turbo Parallel Hybrid. Name given by Subaru to their hybrid technology.

Trionic - Term by Saab to describe a particular engine management system.

UCS - Union of Concerned Scientists (US body).

VALVETRONIC - Throttle technology by BMW with High Precision Injection technology.

VED - Vehicle Excise Duty (Road Tax).

VOC - Volatile Organic Compounds.

What Car? - Retail car review and news magazine.

X3 EfficientDynamics - Model of BMW X3 vehicle with hybrid technology.

ZEV - Zero Emission Vehicle.

NEW! ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT

Glossary

Chronological Postings coming soon