What could be more reasonable than wanting to save the planet?

So far ‘environmentally friendly’ vehicles have been those which pollute our planet slightly slower than its rivals. But now, it seems there is new technology on the horizon that will see a change to that, giving the term ‘environmentally friendly’ much more credibility.

Or will it? It is looking like we are at some point going to have to accept that any form of self-propelling vehicle will in some way harm the environment, and this is no different with hydrogen. The problem lies in how to obtain the hydrogen, whilst the green activists out there are championing renewable sources of hydrogen such as solar power and wind; the most realistic way seems to be by extraction from natural gasses, which inevitably will produce CO2 emissions. So whilst your fuel may well be as clean as a whistle, the means by which it was produced is not.

All is not lost however, and there is still much to gain from switching to hydrogen power. Whilst there still will be emissions, they will be lowered across the board, quite significantly. But even so, all the usual problems present themselves; the car industry will have to undergo a massive, costly transformation, certain car parts will be made obsolete and wide spread hydrogen filling stations will have to be put into place. Garages will also have to obtain knowledge on the new technology also, which will make MOT and Servicing an interesting topic.

Despite all the hurdles, a recent report has claimed that there will be over 1.5 million hydrogen cars on the road by 2030, after their arrival which is expected as early as 2015. It all sounds a bit over ambitious to us, but we are very interested to see if there is any truth to it, or if hydrogen cars will eventually go the same way as the EVs seem to be going. If you want to save money and do good by the environment we recommend you get yourself a new or used Toyota Prius

One thing that often escapes applied reason is MOT and servicing. Most of us, me included just waltz in to the first garage we see with our pants down and wallets open, ready to present to people who actually know how cars work. Now there is a problem with this approach, it leaves us all very open to being overcharged without even knowing it. Now that’s not reasonable.

It is also something you cannot escape, no one can avoid the perils of MOT and servicing, rendering those of us who drive a new Rolls Royce, and those who own a used Daewoo as equals. The thought alone is heart wrenching. However, thanks to automotive site CarSite, we now have a way of going about our MOT and servicing obligations in a logical, well thought out fashion!

They have introduced a free and easy system whereby you enter the details of your model, your postcode, and then you are introduced to a list of eligible garages nearby, as well as their accurate pricing structure with regards to you model and its requirements. Choice is the facilitator of saving, pick your best price, pull your pants up, and save money.

Whilst we are on the topic, there was also a pretty handy car parts section on the site, so should you fancy your chances at being a mechanic, here’s the place to start.