GreenZone rides again

TWELVE new low or zero-emissions vehicles will be available for the public to test at this year’s 2011 GreenZone Drive event, which kicks off on August 29 in Melbourne.

The RACV-sponsored test drive event, held last year for the first time, aims to show members of the public how easy it is to drive an environmentally friendly vehicle.

Cars available to drive at this year’s event will include Mitsubishi’s pioneering i-MiEV city-EV, Nissan’s all-electric Leaf hatchback, which goes on sale in April next year, and Honda’s all-new CRZ hybrid coupe, which is also due in local showrooms in 2012.

Recently released models on offer at the event, which will take place at Rialto Plaza, 525 Collins Street and runs until September 2, will include Audi’s new A6 3.0 TDI quattro turbo-diesel and the A1 1.4 TFSI Sport, the Honda Jazz GLi and Insight VTi-L hybrid, Volvo’s XC60 D5 diesel and C30 DRIVe, and Renault’s Latitude 2.0dCi.

“This year we have two zero tailpipe emission cars for the public to drive - the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which was a huge success last year with GreenZone Drive testers, and the all-new Nissan Leaf, the first small zero-emissions competitor for the highly popular five-seater hatchback market,” said RACV GreenZone Drive spokesman, Simon Mikedis.

“Like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the new Nissan Leaf is already involved in the Victorian government’s electric vehicle trial. These two vehicles in particular demonstrate how quickly the industry is moving forward to a zero-emissions driving future“Last year a significant proportion of people who took a test drive at the GreenZone Drive were RACV members, bearing out our research that RACV members want to do something practical to reduce their automotive emissions.”

The 2011 RACV GreenZone Drive is being staged by RACV and the Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Automotive Partnership with support from Shell, Michelin, the Global Fuel Economy Initiative and Better Place.

Booking are on a first-in-best-dressed basis, and can be made online at the www.greenzonedrive.com.au website or on site at the Rialto on August 25 and 26.