Time for a Carbon Tax, says Toyota

Global warming...there are programs warning us on the Discovery channel about the global warming phenomenon, National Geographic says the same thing over and over again and Animal planet shows us that we have one planet...a beautiful one at that, with diverse species and a whole lot to lose if we don't wake-up soon. The thing is, there is just one species on this planet that has the power to save and protect all the other species...and that's us. So I ask...what is being done about it? Carbon emissions, the leading cause for Greenhouse gases (GHGs) which cause global warming has to be looked into. This is where a carbon tax comes in...

What is carbon tax u ask? It's a tax proposed by Arthur Pigou on energy sources which emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is simply a tax which taxes the bad (in this case pollution) rather than the good (such as income). For example take automobiles...as a collective automobiles all over the world give out a huge amount of carbon emissions which destroy our climate. A producer/company comes out into the market with cars which are faster, bigger and more powerful but also fuel guzzlers. The tax is on the income and not the resulting pollution. As a result, firms would consider it cheaper to pollute than to find other means of production, because not all the costs of production have been "internalized". The European Union implemented this tax starting January 2005.

Toyota New Zealand's executive chairman Bob Field said "Corrective and collective action is long overdue if we are serious about reducing carbon emissions." This was at launch of the hybrid Lexus RX400h, the luxury petrol-electric all-wheel-drive sports utility vehicle (SUV), priced at $99,050. Also most New Zealanders recognized and supported the need to take action on climate change, to which he says "The time could therefore be right for imposing a carbon tax at the same time as reducing company and personal income tax so the whole exercise would be fiscally neutral." The trade-off for the higher pump price would be a tax rebate - motorists would get back from the taxman much of what they paid in carbon tax at the pumps which would make the carbon tax neutral. "Drivers of gas-guzzlers should be encouraged to think of alternative choices or be prepared to pay more for the environmental damage that they are causing." he said to which other executives in the automotive industry agree and are pushing for a carbon tax at fuel pumps in an effort to coax buyers into more fuel-efficient vehicles.

These include the hybrid vehicles such as the RX400h. The RX400h is a hybrid based on the petrol-only RX350. It is powered by a 3.3L V6 petrol engine and two electric motors, a high-torque electric motor/generator and a rear electric motor/generator. It uses a 288-volt DC nickel-hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack under the rear seat. The power from the two electric motors and the petrol engine is controlled by a computer control unit which allows the vehicles to operate in different modes: electric-only mainly around town, petrol-only on the highway or a combination of both when it is necessary.

The RX 400h's EPA combined fuel economy rating of 29 mpg exceeds the average for new compact sedans and marks a 38 percent improvement over RX 330 AWD. At 31 mpg in the city, it also gains a 72 percent edge over RX 330 and exceeds most V8 and many V6-equipped luxury SUVs by over 100 percent.

The V6 delivers 155kW at 5600rpm and 288Nm of torque at 4400rpm. The front electric motor delivers 123kW of power at 4500rpm and 333Nm of torque from 0 to 1500rpm, while the rear-axle electric motor has 50kW of power from 4610 to 5120rpm and 130Nm of torque from 0 to 610rpm. Energy-saving features include regenerative braking and a new electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system that operates only when the vehicle requires four-wheel traction and when accelerating from rest.

Like all other Lexus vehicles, the RX400h comes with a four-year/140,000km warranty, including four new tyres. The hybrid battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km

So there u have it. Hybrid cars, such as the Lexus RX400h, the Toyota Prius, and Honda Civic, reduce carbon emissions in the form of exhaust gases by more than half. Hydrogen fuel-cell technology can reduce it even further but the hydrogen-powered vehicles are at least 10 or 20 years away from being an affordable option for the average motorist. Bob Field furthermore goes to say "In the meantime, we cannot afford to postpone taking decisive action to mitigate the impact of fossil fuel emissions, and this includes an accelerated take-up of hybrid vehicles like the RX400h."

It's a good thing Toyota has called for the Carbon Tax to be introduced because it's a necessity if we as a planet need to survive. It's one of the many steps that we as a whole need to take. I'll leave you with a saying - "We don't inherit our planet from our ancestors, but loan it from our children instead" - Anonymous. So now u see why we need to be accountable to our actions...think on it, will you?

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November 29, 2006 - 6:39 AM | Posted in - Others | Toyota

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