Pete Stewart - EcoVoice

I was treated to a Holden Drive Day whereby I was brought up to date on the latest offering from this company, the Series II VE & WM "Very Clever" Commodore.

As part of a gathered army of media we were brought up to date on the advantages and technology that make this new model so special. From the outset we were informed of the close working relationship between Holden and Caltex, and how they are striving to develop alternative fuel sources for our motoring future. Moving forward this is where the Series II comes into its own as it has a new "flex-fuel" engine that allows it to run on normal fuel or up to a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol developed by Caltex. This dramatically reduces emissions and particulate content whilst the car loses nothing in the way of performance. There was a lot more detail in the briefing and it covered a lot of ground leaving this individual believing that there was some hope in the development of motoring for a future. Rather than go into all the intricate details, it is probably easier for you to go to the following links to understand just how all this ties together for cleaner motoring. Try going to www.ethanolanswers.com.au and www.holden.com.au/holden-innovation/ecoline to find out more. Better still, go to your closest Holden dealership and take one for a test drive.

With the briefing over we were all then treated to a drive of the new Series II. I had the pleasure to drive the top of the range Caprice V8, the complete opposite of the Smart Car I was driving a week earlier courtesy of a door prize at announcement of the finalists of the Banksia Awards. In the Smart Car the rear bumper was just behind the driver, the rear bumper on the Caprice seemed to be a football field away and lent itself to an entirely different style of driving. Being a bit of a greeny I was a little perturbed to find that V8's were still around but this is where the intelligence of the car begins. When cruising the engine only uses 4 cylinders and ambles along using less amounts of fuel leaving the other four cylinders idle until required. I didn't quite believe this fact, so in the name of science, tested the new technology by impetuously flooring the accelerator 30 seconds after taking the wheel. I quickly found myself trying to drive the car wedged into the rear shelf like a pensioner's silky terrier, and had my GMH representative scrabbling for control then wiping his furrowed brow in consternation and worry. I decided then not to test my lack of driving skills further and continued in a more sedate fashion.

I then found the car's new Holden-iQ system which not only entertained with an easy to use touch screen, it also warned me of impending red-light cameras, told me which way to go when lost, and allowed me to answer my mobile phone with the flick of my thumb from the steering wheel. The system is very easy to use (if I can use it anyone can), and allows the driver to effortlessly adjust the multi -media options and bop along to their favourite tunes. Clearly this vehicle is smarter than me as I would now be paying off fines and helping to prop up the state budget, and still be lost in the Chadstone car park trying to find a way out. Overall the Commodore Series II was a pleasure to drive and, whilst on politics, urge the governments around Australia to show some leadership and consider alternative options when purchasing vehicles for their operations.

Finally before you start saying that I'm an advocate for more cars on the road, I am not. What I do recognise though is that there is a need for car manufacturers to start thinking outside the box and look at alternative fuel types and new technologies. Using a new car design that is not stereotypical of what we know as the modern automobile, and using an engine that incorporates 4 cylinders when cruising and 8 when power is needed may not appeal to all. However, it is a start to help sway the "hard to convince" drivers out there that green driving doesn't necessarily mean winding up a rubber band, or pedalling like a person possessed. Ideally it would be great if we had a new renewable energy source for transport that had no impact, and had all petroleum fuelled vehicles banned from the road tomorrow. But realistically this is just not going to happen. The future of transport is a complex issue and moving towards more efficient alternatives is a natural progression that car buyers and fleet managers must consider.