Archive for the ‘Autos & Transport’ Category
July 6th, 2008
Turbo Diesels Take on Hybrids
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Recently I test drove of the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI Diesel. It accelerated on to the freeway faster than my Toyota Prius. Driving freeways and stop-go city, I wondered which would be the bigger seller, the new European turbodiesels or the Japanese Hybrids.
For Detroit, May was the cruelest month, as they were outsold by Asia for the first time. Fuel economy is in; gas guzzling is being punished. General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler combined for a record low market share of 44.4 percent, compared with 48.1 percent for 10 Asian brands, according to the Autodata Corporation, the industry statistics firm. Toyota and Honda continued to gain market share. In the months ahead, Detroit will also lose share to the new fuel efficient diesels from Europe where diesel vehicles outsell gasoline alternatives.
The VW Jetta TDI Diesel has an EPA rated mileage on 41 mpg highway and 30 city with a 6-speed stick; 40/29 with an automatic. With 140 horsepower, the Jetta has plenty of performance. The diesel Jetta has a combined EPA rating of 33, compared with 25 for its gasoline cousin. In other words, diesel delivers over 30 percent better mileage, making a real difference to the pocket book even with diesel fuel’s higher prices, and to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
July 3rd, 2008
Volkswagen to Produce Plug-In Hybrid Electric Cars
By Andrew Williams, courtesty of Gas2.org
Hot on the heels of the announcement that Mercedes will produce electric cars, comes the news that fellow German manufacturer Volkswagen plans to produce a test fleet of plug-in hybrid electric cars by 2010.
A few months ago, to much excitement from the automotive press, the company unveiled a diesel-electric Golf but, according to VW chief Martin Winterkorn, “the future belongs to electric cars.” To help in mapping out the road to this electric future, the company have unveiled a plug-in hybrid powertrain, called the Twin-Drive, which will make its first appearance in a Golf kitted out with a 122-horsepower diesel engine, twinned with an 82-horsepower electric motor.
A key difference between the VW approach and typical hybrids is that instead of the battery providing supplemental power to the combustion engine, the Twin-Drive will work the other way around. According to Winterkorn, “here the diesel or gasoline engine supplements the e-motor.”
The car will use lithium-ion batteries and have a range of 31 miles on purely electric power. Over the last few months, Volkswagen has invested heavily in li-ion battery technology. In addition to teaming up with Sanyo in a $769 million dollar development project, the company has also formed the Lithium-Ion Battery 2015 Alliance (LIB2015) with Bosch, BASF, Evonik and others, backed up by a €60 million investment from the German government.
Volkwagen says it will have a test-fleet of twenty Twin-Drive Golf’s on the road in 2010, but there is still no news on plans to ramp-up commercial production. Given the level of investment being ploughed into the technology, I have a hunch that such an announcement won’t be too long in coming.
Posts Related to Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles:
- Prototype Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid: 88 MPG on 85% Ethanol
- Snapshot of Battery Technology for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Cars
- Google to Spend $10 Million on Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Project
Image credits - Volkswagen
June 17th, 2008
Honda Launches Zero-Emissions Hydrogen Car
Honda has just announced that it will be releasing the FCX Clarity in the US market in 2009. This is a major piece of automotive progress! The Clarity will get 68 MPG and be a zero-emissions vehicle.
How it works: The fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn propels the vehicle. Water is the only byproduct the FCX Clarity leaves behind. No carbon emissions, no reliance on foreign oil.
To learn more about hydrogen as a fuel for cars, and about the scarcity of hydrogen fueling stations, click here.
According the reviewers at Business Week, the new Clarity is ”a futuristic jellybean, first impressions suggesting a cross between the new Honda Accord and the Prius… If we had any complaint, surprisingly, it was rear visibility, despite the sedan’s expanse of glass.” You can read the rest of the detailed review here.
How much does it cost? Customers will pay $600 a month, over the course of three-year leases, including both maintenance and insurance. The first models will be leased in the L.A. area, but Honda hopes to roll it out to other major markets as well. The problem in those other markets will likely be that there are very few hydrogen filling stations, as compared to California where there are at least a few.
Well, we still can’t wait to see it on the road!
June 12th, 2008
Planning an Eco-Friendly Move
It’s summer and that means a lot of folks are getting ready to move. Typically moving is a major environmental hazard zone: wasted packing paper, discarded boxes and thousands of miles of smog-belching truck driving. The average American move uses 100-120 pounds of cardboard and emits 5,000 pounds of carbon dioxide for a cross-country move or 500 pounds for an intra-state move. Yee-ouch!
We’ll help you make your move more eco-friendly. Here are some tips on Lower Impact Moving:
1. First of all, don’t move what you don’t need! Go through your closets and boxes and get rid of the books, clothing and knick-knacks you won’t be using at your new home. You can give things to your local Goodwill or sell them on Craigslist. You’ll cut the carbon footprint of your move by limiting your junk!
2. A couple of months before your move, start saving your newspapers. You can use these for packing paper and then recycle it after your move.
3. We really encourage you to not use styrofoam “peanuts.” But if you do, please do check to see if you can recycle them. Many cities now recycle styrofoam– click here to check for your city.
4. You can go to your local grocery store or electronics store and ask them for their discarded boxes– this will save you hundreds of dollars and will conserve precious paper resources. Then you can recycle the boxes when you’re done.
5. Or if want clean, great quality boxes, you can go to our friends at UsedCardboardBoxes.com. You simply go to their site, order the quantity of boxes you want, and they send them to you. All of the boxes are recycled and can be recycled again. We have used this service and can give it a personal testimonial!
6. You’ll probably do some house-cleaning either when you move out of your old place or into your new place. Be sure to use non-toxic cleaning products, or if you want someone to do the cleaning for you, click here to find a green home-cleaning service in your area.
If you’re lucky enough to live in Southern California, you have another couple of great options for green moving services. Go Green Moving, based in Irvine, will move you using their biodiesel powered trucks. Another great company, MoveGreen, based in Santa Barbara, also uses biodiesel trucks, recycled moving supplies and plants 10 trees for every move!
We really hope some of the big national moving companies will investigate using biodiesel or other lower-impact moving options. (hint, hint, nudge, nudge.)
Do you have any other good ideas for green moves? Please share them in the comments section.
June 11th, 2008
Electric Cars for 2010
by John Addison, courtesy of GreenOptions.com
With oil prices rocketing past $130 per barrel, a growing number of vehicle makers are planning to offer electric vehicles by 2010. Zero gasoline will be used.
Over 40,000 electric vehicles (EV) are currently used in the United States. Most are used in fleet applications, from maintenance to checking parking meters; these EVs are mostly limited to 25 mph speed and 20 mile range. A growing number of fleet EVs, however, are early trails of a new generation of freeway-speed EVs that will be available to the mass consumer market in 2010.
Mitsubishi is on target to sell its electric vehicle in the U.S. in 2010. The i-EV is a friendly looking sub-compact which easily handles freeway speeds. It’s expected 100 mile-plus range per charge will meet the needs of urban dwellers and most in suburbia. The drive system uses three permanent magnetic synchronous motors which receive power from a 16kWh lithium battery stack. Tokyo Electric Power is currently testing ten i-EV
Nissan’s and Renault’s famous CEO, Carlos Ghosn, plans to be selling electric vehicles in the U.S. market in 2010. He anticipates more cities following London’s model of expensive congestion fees, with fee exemptions and preferred parking for zero-emission vehicles. In many markets, Nissan will offer electric vehicles with permanently installed lithium batteries that will be trickle charged. Nissan owns 51% of Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, which plans to be producing lithium batteries for 10,000 vehicles annually by 2010. Plant expansion has begun to produce lithium batteries for 60,000 electric vehicles annually.
By 2012, Ghosn plans to have a Renault-Nissan alliance offering a wide range of electric vehicles in many major markets, charging ahead of all competition. Economist Article
In Israel and Denmark, Renault and Nissan will partner with Project Better Place to sell electric vehicles without batteries. Project Better Place will lease batteries that can be quickly exchanged at many locations. The exchange will take no longer than a traditional gasoline fill-up, appealing to motorists needing extended range. The battery lease will cost a fraction of what most now spend on gasoline.
June 9th, 2008
Eight Ways to Green Your Road Trip
Written by Leslie Valentine of Environmental Defense Fund, republished courtesy of Sustainablog
Peak driving season, when many Americans hit the road to visit relatives or see the sights, is now in full swing. With U.S. gas prices topping $4 a gallon in some places — and likely to edge up more during summer’s high demand — you may want to consider taking more efficient mass transportation.
But if you travel by car, you can still cut your fuel usage, save money and reduce your carbon footprint by driving smart.
1. Look into going by train or bus instead of by car or plane.
Taking a train or a bus, instead of driving or flying, results in less global warming pollution per person for the miles traveled (and may cost less, too).
On average, taking a trip by bus produces the least amount of greenhouse gas per passenger mile, followed by train travel, then air. Cars, light trucks and motorcycles contribute the most to global warming pollution.
Put another way:
+ Air travel results in nearly two times as much global warming pollution as intercity bus travel.
+ Rail produces slightly more greenhouse gas emissions than buses.
+ Cars, trucks and motorcycles produce three times the pollution of buses.
These comparisons assume the vehicles are not filled to capacity on average. Trains come out even better in comparison to planes when both are full. (Note that Amtrak offers discounts on some routes for people over age 62.)
2. If you decide on a road trip, get your car in good shape.
Getting better gas mileage is no longer just about cutting greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also about saving some serious money. By following these rules of thumb, you will save gas and money — and your car will last longer.
+ Keep your engine tuned properly. Checking spark plugs, oxygen sensors, air filters, hoses and belts are a few examples of maintenance that can save a vehicle owner up to 165 gallons of gas per year — for a potential savings of $625 a year (based on 12,000 miles of driving per year and $3.79 a gallon, nationwide average as of 5/19/2008).
+ Check the tires. Have your wheels aligned and keep your tires properly inflated. Low tire pressure wastes over two million gallons of gasoline in the U.S. every day. Keeping your tires properly inflated raises your car’s gas mileage by about 3.3 percent.
3. If you’re renting, choose a fuel efficient car.
The rental car business is slowly turning over a green leaf. Many of the major national rental companies (such as Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz) are offering a small number of fuel-sipping hybrids like the Toyota Prius in selected cities.
If a hybrid is not available, a subcompact, compact or economy car usually goes easier on the gas and is less costly to rent than a larger vehicle.
Get more details at Yahoo’s Green Center and find the top cars by green rating to help you select a rental car that meets your family’s needs.
4. Plan your trip well.
Part of the fun of a road trip is the adventure of exploring unknown territory. But getting lost and going miles out of your way is no fun — and wastes precious gas. So map out your route and keep maps handy to recheck.
A car navigation system is one high-tech way to keep on track in unfamiliar areas and get to your destination without wasting time and fuel.
5. Pile your friends and family in the same car.
Is one big, packed car better than two small, half-empty cars? The answer depends on the average gas mileage of the vehicles being compared.
But in general, if the larger car has a fuel economy at least half that of the two small cars, then it is more efficient to take the one large car. Here’s the math.
Take this hypothetical example: an SUV that gets 15 mpg on average versus two cars that get 30 mpg. For two people on a 30-mile trip, you’d burn roughly two gallons of gas in the SUV , and you’d also burn two gallons in the two cars (one gallon per car times two cars).
So in this case, the two options consume the same amount of gas. If the SUV had higher gas mileage, it would be the better option, and if it had lower gas mileage, it would be the worse option.
The average car in the U.S. carries 1.6 passengers, so if you carry more than that, you’re helping to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint. Plus, you can pool expenses and save on gasoline.
6. When you’re finally on the road, drive gently.
You can increase your gas mileage by as much as 50 percent for highway driving (and by five percent for stop-and-go city driving) simply by accelerating and decelerating smoothly and slowly. Aggressive driving, such as mashing down the accelerator or the brake, uses an extra 125 gallons a year on average — so by driving gently you can save $473 a year in today’s prices.
7. Follow the speed limit.
You’d be surprised at how much fuel is squandered by driving over 60 miles per hour. Generally, each 5 mph over 60 mph you go is like paying an extra 20 cents per gallon of gas.
To keep your speed down while taking in more local color, consider taking less-traveled back roads, rather than the Interstates. It’s easier to keep the speedometer below 60 mph when other cars aren’t whizzing by you at 85 miles an hour!
8. Avoid unnecessary idling.
When you are unloading or packing your car, turn off the engine. An idling car gets zero miles to the gallon and contributes to global warming pollution. Contrary to popular belief, restarting your car does not burn more fuel than leaving it idling.
Learn more about cars and global warming at Environmental Defense Fund.
Sources
- CBS News: “Rental Cars Slowly Going Green“
- fueleconomy.gov, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- “The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from The Union of Concerned Scientists” by Michael Brower and Warren Leon.
- Transportation Energy Data Book, U.S. Department of Energy
