Scientists in the US have taken another step to make eco-friendly motoring a reality for
car insurance holders in the UK.
Chemical engineers at GM, writing in the journal Science, discovered that a cheap mineral can be used in place of platinum in catalytic converters.
The cost of platinum and other high-quality materials has been a hindrance on the mass production of eco-friendly vehicles but the scientists believe that perovskite mixed with strontium could be the answer.
Charles Peden, a chemist and director of the Institute for Interfacial Catalysis at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington, told USA Today that this is a major breakthrough in helping car insurance customers gain access to clean technology.
"It's a really significant step forward. The high cost of platinum is really causing problems for these new emissions control technologies," he added.
The authors added that while the discovery is an important one, it will still be a few years before such technology becomes commercially viable.
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