Earthwatch goes electric to cut exhaust fumes

Earthwatch has unveiled its new acquisition, a custom-built electric car, with the message that "it's the way to go" in increasingly traffic-clogged urban areas. The "zero emission" car is to be the focus of a campaign calling on the Government to take a lead by transforming Dublin, where poor-quality air is associated with huge traffic volumes, to a city "where its citizens and visitors are no longer slowly choking on exhaust fumes".

The electric car should become an important part of urban transport policy, according to campaigns director Ms Sadhbh O'Neill. "It has no exhaust fumes whatsoever and for this reason has great potential for reducing air pollution associated with vehicular emissions. Imagine walking down Nassau Street without the familiar fumes."

She called on the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, and Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, to support sustainable development by introducing the type of transportation initiatives being implemented in other countries.

A significant element of this, she added, should be to encourage electric car use. The electric car was ideal for short turnaround trips in urban areas.

The car was built from a kit by Mr Quentin Gargan - a supporter of Earthwatch and spokesman for the group, Genetic Concern - with some parts from a 1991 Rover Metro. It cost about £10,000 and is run on rechargeable lead acid batteries. It has a range of 40 miles and can do speeds of up to 65 m.p.h. "If this is what someone can do in their garage at home, imagine what the big car manufacturers could do," he said.

It is of most environmental benefit in the repeated stop-start conditions associated with heavy urban traffic, where cars with catalytic converters rarely operate to their full potential.

Minister of State Mr Dan Wallace, who has responsibility for environmental protection, said he was pleased to be associated with the car going on display in Dublin's Stephen's Green. While overall Irish air quality was good, increasing vehicle volumes had "potentially significant implications in terms of exhaust emissions", he said. The Government was supporting more stringent EU air quality standards and introducing new traffic management strategies with this in mind.

The Earthwatch car is sponsored by the Swiss healthfood company Bioforce, which it says "is a tongue-in-cheek response to sponsorship of Formula 1 by tobacco companies".

The car will be shown at the Woman's World exhibition in the RDS this weekend.