Taking the green way from Europe to Mongolia in a Citroën 2CV
We have already spoken about one of the contestants in the Mongolian Rally but, besides the whole concept of the event, which is itself quite remarkable (scroll down for more information), we found another team that is doing their part on being eco-friendly.
This team is the Green Team to Mongolia which we will define using their own words: "A chance conversation at work led to coleagues Graeme-Francis Mullin and Mark Whitworth from Envirolink Northwest decided that travelling 10,000 miles across two continents and nineteen countries in a car with an engine of less than 1000cc was not a bad idea, in fact it was an idea approaching genious."
Their chosen model is a 24 year old 2CV (with 602 cc and 29 HP) that they purchased on eBay for 473 GBP. Why is it green?
- They're installing a solar panel on the top of the car to power all their electrical needs.
- The engine itself was very frugal at its time.
- The team will use Lofrix grease for the best lubrication possible.
- They have bought offset carbons for the whole trip (including the flights).
- They will prepare the car using thermal imaging to test thermal efficiency and improve it where possible.
The Mongolian Rally is an event designed to raise money for charities that invest in development projects in Mongolia. Contestants must use the cheapest car possible with an engine capacity of less than 1000 cc (1 liter), although some exceptions can be accepted (such as the Ecochallenge team). It runs from London (or Madrid) to Ulaanbaatar, which are distances of 8,000 and 10,000 miles, respectively.
[Source: Green Team]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Motorcycle website marketing 4:23AM (12/02/2008)
i too say its not all green tho somehow better than other engines that do not try to be green.
anyways if this is for a good cause lets hope for the best
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Randy 10:54PM (7/05/2007)
Okey ...let me get this straight..they are paying...for offset carbons. So, if you pay for it, it will just vanish off the face of the earth.
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Calamity 8:05AM (7/06/2007)
Yes, just like in the old days, when you could pay the church for your sins and still go to heaven.
And off course, CO2 and H20 are the ONLY emissions of these vehicles...
This is not "green" by any definition, in fact it's not even green PR...
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Phil L. 1:06PM (7/06/2007)
That small, old engine is frugal - but likely very dirty. I'll guess it still has a carburetor; not really green at all.
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