June 2009

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Save Gas, Reduce Emissions with Better A/C

June 30, 2009 in Uncategorized by kristen | No comments

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory have set their sights on one of the least efficient systems in modern automobiles: the air conditioning. The laboratory says 6% of the total amount of fuel consumed in the U.S. — about seven billion gallons, if you can imagine — is used to run the a/c.  The EPA piles on the bad news by reporting that leaky automotive air conditioning units pump 50 million metric tons of CO2 into the air each year.

That’s where the NREL is hoping to make a difference. According to a post on the New York Times’ “Wheels” blog, engineers are hoping to improve the a/c in cars by as much as a third. If they succeed, it could be a big step toward the new CAFE standards, which require an average fuel efficiency of 35.5 mpg by 2016.

Audi, Facebook, and the Nature Conservancy to Reduce Carbon

June 29, 2009 in MPG, diesel by kristen | 1 comment

As part of the German carmaker’s promotional effort for its clean diesel engines, Audi will donate $1 to the Nature Conservancy’s carbon offset program for every Facebook user who joins the program, up to $25,000.

Audi TDI clean diesels reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 20% and increase fuel efficiency by up to 30% over gasoline-powered cars, according to the company. “Audi’s contribution will provide necessary support to our voluntary carbon offset program’s reforestation and forest protection projects, but it will also help us to bring the benefits of the project to a new audience of supporters,” said Zoe Kant of the Nature Conservancy in a press release.

If you’re a Facebook user and you want to take part in the program to offset your own carbon emissions and get that extra $1 donation per person from Audi, visit www.causes.com/natureconservancy.

Low Diesel Prices Mean More Diesel Car Sales

June 25, 2009 in Biodiesel, Consumer News, MPG, diesel by kristen | No comments

Remember when I said diesel prices were lower than gasoline for the first time in years? Remember when I wondered if that would change American diesel buying habits? Well, it has, apparently. Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz are both reporting increases in sales of their clean-diesel vehicles.

If you’re in the market for a clean diesel car, here are the 50-state diesels available right now, with their starting MSRP:

Each of these is available from the manufacturer as of today, and are eligible of a federal tax credit of about $1000. Check FuelEconomy.gov for details.

Image of a BMW diesel at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

Patrol Cars Get Solar Panels

June 24, 2009 in Uncategorized by kristen | No comments

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is outfitting its fleet of Ford Crown Victorias with solar power. The $37 panels are much smaller than the rooftop array found on, say, the 2010 Toyota Prius or the forthcoming Fisker Karma. The goal is to reduce the time that cops spend idling with the engine on by powering some of their gear with energy from the sun.

The panel is wired directly to the car’s battery, which would normally power the police gadgets when the car is turned off. To extend the battery’s run time, and therefore the amount of time the engine is running, the solar panel will add clean, zero-emissions juice to the system.

The panels, according to Edmunds.com, are mounted inside the rear window (ever leave a chocolate bar back there? A proven sun-catching site). The brackets used to hold the panels are green, too: they’re recycled from misprinted license plates.

Best Buy to Sell Electric Bikes

June 23, 2009 in Consumer News, EVs, Two Wheels by kristen | 2 comments

Hi-def TVs, iPods, digital picture frames … and now, electric two-wheelers. Best Buy announced last week that it would add plug-in bikes and motorcycles to its stores, starting with the Brammo Enertia in Portland, Oregon.

The Oregonian’s Hard Drive blog, the Portland Business Journal, Good Morning America, and the New York Times all reported on the sale of the bikes, which also include models from Currie Technologies and Ultra Motors.

The vehicles will be zero emissions and capable of commuting. The Enertia, for example, has a top speed of 55 mph and costs $12,000 before state or federal tax credits.

Price Announced for Mitsubishi i-MiEV

June 18, 2009 in Consumer News, EVs, Hybrids, diesel, small cars by kristen | No comments

We already knew that the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car would go on sale in July 2009, but we didn’t know how much it would sell for. I, for one, would never have guessed that the price tag would be a whopping $45,660. There’s a lot of new tech packed into that teensy package.

Other high-tech electric cars are expected to reach the $40,000, including the anticipated Chevy Volt and the already announced Subaru Stella, which starts at $49,255, according to the New York Times’ Wheels blog.

What other cars cost about $50,000? Let’s take a look:

  • 2010 Lexus RX Hybrid: $41,660
  • Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTec clean diesel: $48,600
  • Volkswagen Touareg 2 TDI clean diesel: $42,800

But all of these, for their steps in a green direction, require fossil fuels in one form or another and emit CO2 to a greater or lesser degree. The i-MiEV will be all-electric and zero-emissions.

Image of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

Cars Are the World’s Most Recycled Product

June 17, 2009 in Consumer News by kristen | No comments

So say the geniuses over at Popular Science, anyway, and who am I to disagree? Each year, more than 95% of the 10 million vehicles headed for the parking garage in the sky end up being recycled. Of those cars, 75% of the parts are recycled. Thus, the crown for world’s most recycled product.

Here’s how PopSci breaks it down:

  • 65% of the average vehicle is metal, like steel, iron, or copper, which can be used in construction
  • 90% of all lead-acid batteries are recycled
  • 86% of rubber tires are used to make pavement or fuel paper mills
  • 380 million gallons of oil are refined and reused

Better Fuel Economy … from a Tire

June 16, 2009 in Consumer News, MPG, New Tech by kristen | No comments

Michelin has announced its new tire, the Energy Saver A/S, calling it “the most fuel-efficient tire on the road.” It promises up to 8% better fuel economy and reduced carbon dioxide emissions for any car that uses the tire, plus Michelin says its even offers better braking capabilities than other tires.

Here’s the Energy Saver’s claims to fame:

  • New construction and tread rubber keep the tire cooler, delivering the 8% increase in mpgs
  • Stops 8 feet shorter than similar tires
  • Longer tread life means fewer tires get tossed in the garbage
  • Available for conventional and hybrid cars

The tires are in the $140-$150 range per tire, depending on the size required for your car. Definitely not cheap, but if you can swing it, they may save on gas in the long run in addition to helping reduce CO2 emissions.

GM Puts the Brakes on Malibu Hybrid

June 15, 2009 in Biz News, Hybrids, MPG by kristen | No comments

2009 Chevy Malibu

The Chevy Malibu hybrid will see the end of production in 2009, along with the Saturn Aura, as GM slims down its lineup and makes an attempt at building cars people want to buy.

The Malibu and Aura are both mild hybrids, meaning their electric motors cannot power the car alone. The motor can only assist the gasoline-powered engine, which increases the fuel efficiency of the car. The problem is, the fuel efficiency of the Malibu only increased by about 4 mpg — but the hybrid system added $4,000 to the price tag.

According to a report on Manufacturing.net, GM isn’t abandoning gasoline-electric hybrids. It plans on having new models out as soon as summer 2010, but it wouldn’t elaborate on what models or technologies we might see.

GM has affirmed its commitment to building the extended-range electric Chevy Volt/Opel Ampera, despite its economic woes.

Image of the 2009 Chevy Malibu Hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

Volvo Announces Plug-In Diesel-Electric Hybrid

June 11, 2009 in Consumer News, Future Cars, Hybrids, MPG, New Tech, PHEVs, diesel by kristen | No comments

I’ve long said that the future of the automobile won’t rest on any one new technology. Volvo apparently took this to heart and threw several of the latest alternative-fuel technologies into one model, which could appear on the market as soon as 2012.

There were few details released, but here’s what we know about the first model to embody Volvo’s “Drive towards Zero” mission:

  • It will use a diesel engine and lithium batteries
  • It can run on battery power alone for about 30 miles
  • Emissions would be below 50 grams of CO2 per km
  • The new technology will make the car really expensive, so Volvo is encouraging governments to offer subsidies and incentives

Photo of the concept Volvo hybrid courtesy of Volvo Cars.

Diesel Cheaper than Gasoline!

June 10, 2009 in Biodiesel, Consumer News, MPG, diesel by kristen | 2 comments

Diesel prices are, on average, lower than gasoline prices for the first time in two years. The question is, will it matter to Americans?

In the wake of crazy high gas prices last summer and the collapse of the U.S. auto industry over the past nine months or so, all three Detroit car makers shelved plans for new diesel engines slated for pickup trucks. Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen forged ahead with their clean diesel plans, but sales haven’t been as peppy as they had hoped.

Now, with cheaper diesel and tougher CAFE standards in the future, will U.S. car buyers flock to clean diesels? Or will the stinky stigma remain while we save our pennies for the Tesla S electric sedan or the Chevy Volt, which GM has promised not to abondon despite bankruptcy?

I’ve driven a couple of the clean diesels on sale in the U.S. and had pleasant experiences. You can revisit the Mercedes Blue-Tec and VW Jetta TDI posts for the scoop.

i-MiEV Sales to Start in April 2010

June 9, 2009 in Consumer News, EVs, small cars by kristen | No comments

Mitsubishi announced that it’s little egg-shaped EV, the i-MiEV, will start production ASAP, with limited test leasing of about 1400 cars to select customers begining as soon as July 2009.

The press release for the unveiling of the production version of the i-MiEV calls it “the pioneer that will open the door to the next 100 years of our automobile society.” While electric cars will figure in the next century of driving, let’s remember that improved gasoline technology, clean diesel, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, liquid natural gas, and hydrogen fuel cells will all play a part in transportation in the decades to come.

Image of the production Mitsubishi i-MiEV provided by Mitsubishi Motors.

Tata Says Hello to U.S. in 2011

June 8, 2009 in Consumer News, small cars by kristen | No comments

Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors, told the Cornell Global Forum on Sustainable Enterprise that he plans to bring the uber-inexpensive Tata Nano to the U.S. by 2011. The car is slated to go on sale in Europe that same year.

According to a Reuters report, Tata mentioned the fact that before it can be sold in America, the Nano would need to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards. He didn’t mention that doing so would raise the price of the Nano significantly, since the EPA and the NHTSA set a pretty high bar for these things. Higher, even, than in Europe, where emissions standards are voluntary.

So, if the Nano does make it here, expect it to be safer, cleaner, and much more expensive than the version sold in Tata’s home market of India, where the teeny car goes for about $2,300.

Honda Fit Hybrid for 2011?

June 4, 2009 in Biz News, Future Cars, Hybrids, MPG, small cars by kristen | No comments

The Internets are buzzing with a quote from an unnamed Honda spokesman who says the company is planning to produce a Honda Fit Hybrid as soon as the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The accelerated timetable for the hybrid model may be a response to the accelerated CAFE standards announced by the White House last month.

Honda will also produce the sporty CR-Z hybrid in 2010 — and that’s a definite. The Fit will follow, Honda says. The current Honda Fit already gets 27 mpg city, 33 mpg highway. John O’Dell, senior editor at Green Car Advisor, speculates that the Fit Hybrid could get fuel economy numbers somewhere around 50 mpg and a price tag in the neighborhood of $20,000.

Image of a gasoline Honda Fit by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

Eco Race Car as Fast as It Is Green

June 3, 2009 in Biodiesel, New Tech, racing by kristen | No comments

Last month, the WorldFirst race car hit the scene; one month later, the car hit the track and topped 130 mph. Though the car can run on the waste produced at a Cadbury chocolate processing plant in the U.K., it used a 30/70 mix of vegetable oil and conventional diesel fuel for its first run at the track, according to the New York Times.

The Formula 3-class car is based on a Lola chassis, but as much of the project as possible was converted to sustainable parts, such as a front spoiler made from potato starch and flax fiber, and a steering wheel derived from carrots.

First Mini E Tester Gets Himself a Blog

June 2, 2009 in EVs, small cars by kristen | 1 comment

The first person in the U.S. to take delivery of the Mini E electric car, Peter Trepp, was kind enough — and smart enough — to set up a blog to satisfy our curiousity about his experience. Trepp picked up Mini E number 111 on May 24, and he gets to keep it for real-word testing for exactly one year.

After 81 miles, he’d charged the car twice (saying it was “very easy”), but was coy about his top speed. He does say he’s getting 95-100 miles per charge, which is impressive compared to many of the EVs on the road today. Trepp says he can do better, though, once he smoothes out his driving and stops driving like a guy with a new car.

Mini/BMW asked Trepp to make himself and his tester available for the media, and he’s doing just that. It’ll be interesting to keep reading his blog when the newness of the E wears off and he starts experiencing whatever quirks come up in using it as a daily driver.

World’s First Electric Jet Ski

June 1, 2009 in Consumer News, EVs by kristen | No comments

I know on first glance that putting an electric jet ski in the water seems like a bad idea, but the folks at ECO Watercraft swear that riders of it battery-powered personal watercraft won’t end up fried. The batteries and motor will be sealed for safety.

According to the company’s web site, a seven-hour ride on a two-stroke jet ski emits “more pollution than an old model car driving 100,000 miles.” Like all EVs, the ECO Watercraft will be zero-emissions. Since it runs cleaner and quieter than even four-stroke jet skis, the ECO Watercraft should be able to run in areas where gasoline-powered jet skis are banned.

ECO Watercraft also promises to build its products in a facility powered by renewable energy and to hold “green” workshops. Details on this facility — and the jet ski itself — are scarce, as the company is still developing the product. No word even on when the EV jet ski will hit the market, but keep your eyes peeled.