On our little Island there are currently over 48,000 registered vehicles on the roads (this according to a 2008 study by TCD).

That means 48,000 individuals releasing greenhouse gases into the air on a regular basis. (Fast fact: did you know that bikes actually burn MORE greenhouse gasses than cars?)

While the overall air quality in Bermuda is surprisingly high, the fact remains that vehicle emissions are harmful to the environment.

As of 2009, legislation was passed to update vehicles emissions testing — examination of motor vehicles will now include testing for compliance with approved emissions standards. Although the testing fees were raised — from $30 to $45 for cars, and $21 to $31 for bikes, it's a valiant effort to reduce pollution from exhaust fumes.

Hybrid cars are also a great solution to the problem. Hybrids, in a nutshell, run on two or more fuel sources (gas and electric). The Toyota Prius is probably the most widely known of all hybrid cars, and came out of Japan back in 1997.

Unfortunately for the moment, the Prius isn't available on the Island because it's about a half an inch too big.

Jeff Stirling, manager at Continental Motors, thinks that hybrids would be beneficial to the problem in Bermuda, but "with (the Island's) abundant and steep hills, only testing will tell — although normal advantages [of hybrids] are gained during highway driving."

According to Mr. Stirling, the new diesel-powered vehicles have almost the same environmental footprint of petrol hybrids.

"And Peugeot is currently testing a diesel hybrid, which gives much better results," he adds.

In lieu of hybrid availability, the other eco-friendly fuel source available locally is electricity.

While there are many makes and models of gas and diesel cars available on the Island, presently there is only one brand of electric car — the e-Ride — brought in by Michael Burke for his company greenhousebermuda.

"(Electric cars) should have been introduced years ago — the distance we travel and the speed makes it a no-brainer," says Mr. Burke. "Instead, we went the other way and allowed SUVs to take charge of the roads and very powerful, very fast 'stock' bikes that kill and injure."

Mr. Burke, an avid environmentalist, has been importing sustainable and environmentally friendly products through his company greenhousebermuda.com. His latest product, the e-Ride — a "Hummer-esque" vehicle that can seat up to four people and comes in 10 different models — has garnered great interest locally.

Still on the fence? Mr. Stirling and Mr. Burke weigh in on the pros and cons of gas and electric vehicles, respectively:

Price

Gas: Avg. $35,000

Electric: $31,000-$35,000 depending on the options

Maintenance

Gas: "Peugeot recommends one service per year (others recommend two)."

Electric: "There is no real maintenance — just rotate tyres annually, top up batteries and grease the axles."

Insurance

Gas: "Depends on price, age of owner and driver's claim history, but a 30-year-old with a good history will pay about $1500 a year."

Electric: "The insurance companies offer no incentives, although I've negotiated a 10 percent discount with Freisenbruch-Meyer." NB: the Government does not offer incentives, such as TCD relief.

Average fill up

Gas: "About $70 if empty."

Electric: "About a quarter to a third of the price of purchasing fuel."

Environmental benefits

Gas: "New European cars are extremely environmentally friendly, as they have to conform to the EURO5 emissions specifications, which are strict. Our Peugeot 109 produces only 106gCO2/KM and the fuel consumption for the urban drive cycle is 51.3 mpg (5.5 litres/100 m).

Electric: "No noise pollution, no pollution from the exhaust, no oil to be removed and then collected to be sent off the Island, the vehicle is 90 percent aluminium, which is recyclable, and you can set the max speed, removing the speed issue which is the cause of most accidents on the Island."

Moving forward, the Government and private manufacturers are and will continue to make great strides to reduce the carbon footprint we leave on the environment — how will you do your part?