IN THIS FEATURE Cleaning up the motor industry Injecting some sense into engines Less-polluting petrols One cylinder at a time Electric avenue Alt.fuels The regional response

And back at base, the car companies themselves are cleaning up their acts as well. Though opening manufacturing plants in less-regulated regions such as China and Russia side-steps some barriers, the main manufacturing clusters in Europe, Japan, the US and Canada are subject to ever-more stringent controls on harmful emissions, and pressure to reduce their immense energy demands for the manufacturing processes. The air quality in areas like Detroit, and around the huge facilities in Ontario, Canada, for example, is said to have improved significantly in recent years, and as ageing facilities are upgraded and updated, this can only improve. Legislation on the safe scrapping of vehicles and recycling is pressing home further issues, especially in Europe, where manufacturers will soon be forced to take back all the cars they have produced when they reach the end of their viable working life. All in all, it's fair to suggest that the motor industry is now the cleanest it has ever been, and it's getting cleaner every year.