Henry Ford is famously quoted as offering cars in “any colour – so long as it’s black”. Were he alive today, he would be more likely to offer any colour – so long as it’s green.

The environment has turned into big business for big business, as consumers demand better fuel efficiency and tree-hugging properties from their transport than ever before. Hot summer days with record temperatures and water shortages only serve to hammer home the message that everybody should be doing their bit.

There have been many false starts, such as the stuttering growth of liquified petroleum gas, but to really win consumers’ hearts, they need to be offered more of the same, only greener.

This means the same refuelling network, the same convenience and as little confusing technology as possible.

Research and development

Manufacturers are working hard to provide the vehicles that meet this requirement. Ford is to invest £1bn in its UK research and development centres in a bid to reduce the impact of its cars on the environment.

The move will see Ford’s four UK engineering centres researching ways of improving the efficiency of its existing petrol and diesel engines by using direct injection technology as well as investigating the use of new materials.

The centres will work alongside the new Ford department in Sweden, which will develop hybrid powertrains for its European models and also vehicles from the Premier Automotive Group (Jaguar, Land Rover and Mazda).

Ford is promising it will result in more than 100 vehicles, which offer emissions or fuel economy improvements.

Put into practice

Its promises are already turning to reality, with its Flexi-Fuel Vehicle range, which can run on bioethanol, a fuel similar to petrol derived from plants such as cereals and sugar beet, or biomass such as wood waste.

Somerset County Council has become the first council in the UK to take on a fleet of bioethanol cars following a successful pilot scheme.

Somerset county councillor Paul Buchanan says: “The fleet will help the council achieve its goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2010 and they will be used by our staff, promoting sustainable transport across the county.”

Other manufacturers on the biofuel trail include Saab, which offers a bioethanol-powered 9-5.

Some companies have gone further, such as B9 Energy Services, which has run its vans in the most environmentally friendly way for many years. It has used a small fleet of Citroën Berlingo Electric vans and instead of charging the vehicles using electricity from coal or gas-fired power stations, or even nuclear plants, its power is generated in the most environmentally-friendly way – by a wind turbine situated outside the firm’s office.

The problem is that they can’t be replaced, as Citroën has stopped making them, due to low demand.

However, there is still a niche market for electric vehicles, especially in the commercial vehicle sector. Recently, supermarket giant Sainsbury’s became the first major UK retailer to use battery power for home shopping delivery, after signing a deal with Europe’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer.

Sainsbury’s has bought a zero emission, battery powered delivery truck from Smith Electric Vehicles. The Faraday model will be used for pioneering home shopping delivery trials in London, in a partnership between Sainsbury’s, Smith Electric Vehicles and refrigerated vehicle solutions provider, Petit Forestier.

Darren Kell, business development director for The Tanfield Group, which owns Smith Electric Vehicles, says: “Sainsbury’s is serious about reducing vehicle emissions and has invested considerable resources in searching for a practical, cost-effective solution.”

Faraday has a top speed of 50mph, a range of up to 120 miles between battery charges and a payload of up to 4,000kg. It has a fast charge facility that replaces 80% of the battery power in less than an hour.

And for some companies, there is the do-it-yourself approach to helping the environment. A west country business has put the environment at the heart of its fleet policy with a pledge to run its vehicles on used cooking oil, a variation on biodiesel.

Burts Potato Chips uses about 3,000 litres of cooking oil a week producing speciality crisps for distribution throughout Europe, oil it would ordinarily sell on to the pet food industry. But instead of making money from the oil, it is being refined and used in place of diesel on its van fleet. A local farmer refines the oil, before selling it back to the crisp firm.

This is similar to biodiesels made from organic materials such as rapeseed oil, which help cut emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Jonty White, owner of Burts, which operates three Mercedes-Benz vans, said: “Since the rise in diesel prices, bio-fuel is cheaper. It costs about 70 pence a litre, which is mainly duty. This is part of our commitment to helping the environment.

“You can smell cooking oil from the exhaust, but in a way that is better. When the van goes past, people say they really can smell the crisps.”