Lately, “green” has become a very popular buzz word in many social circles. The term is used in reference to being environmentally conscious and making changes to your lifestyle in order to incorporate environmentally friendly features. Many organizations have gone green by converting to electronic documents in order to save paper and some have even gone so fart as to incorporate a four day work week to conserve energy. Individuals are also conserving energy in their own homes by turning down the air conditioner when no one is home and converting to energy saving light bulbs. In addition to the efforts put forth by many organizations and individuals, the automobile industry is also taking strides to go green.

When auto manufactures make an effort to go green it not only benefits the company, but it benefits the environment and their customers as well. By going green, auto manufactures are making automobiles with higher miles per gallon. With higher miles per gallon, less gas is used saving natural resources. It also means that less emissions are emitted into the environment and polluting the air. The government is currently creating regulations on the amount of emissions released by vehicles as well as the miles per gallon of a particular car. These efforts are to help reduce pollution in the environment.

In addition to the environmental benefits to going green, auto manufactures are also providing a benefit to their customers by saving them money. The higher an automobile’s miles per gallon is the less a driver has to go to the pump. Since gas prices are constantly on the rise, this can mean a big savings when they do need to fill up. When customers go to research or purchase a vehicle one of the most common factors they look at is the miles per gallon. Because of this auto manufactures are more enticed to build environmentally friendly vehicles. Many auto retailers are also offering incentives to customers by offering free gas cards or even gas at a set rate, such as $2.99 per gallon, for a certain amount of time.
 

With gas prices constantly fluctuating as well as the economy, many manufactures in the automobile industry are seeking to find creative ways to go green and also save green for their customers. One of the biggest ways that auto manufactures are going green is by creating fuel saving solutions for the different automobiles they make.

While there is a high demand for more environmentally friendly, fuel efficient vehicles, the challenge is making enough of them. On way auto manufactures are going green is by manufacturing hybrid vehicles. These particular vehicles use two or more power sources to propel the vehicle, which results in gas savings. The most common form of a hybrid vehicle uses a rechargeable energy storage system and a fuel power source. Ten years ago hybrid vehicles were only in the planning stages. Now every auto manufacture has a version of the hybrid, whether it is a compact car or a mid-sized SUV.
 
The hybrid vehicle has become very popular in the United States with many auto manufactures having wait list for these vehicles. In addition to the hybrid, there are other vehicles available that aim to provide fuel efficiency and cost savings. One vehicle that is starting to catch on in the United States is the “smart car.” This particular car is very popular in Europe and other parts of the world. It is an extreme compact car that gets up to 70 miles per gallon depending on the model and just became available in the United State in 2008.