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Competition to Build a Zero-Emissions Snowmobile

September 7, 2009 in Biodiesel, Bioethanol, emissions by kristen | 1 comment

The Society of Automobile Engineers, better known as SAE International, has issued a new challenge to college students studying engineering: build a better, cleaner snowmobile.

The rules for the competition have been recently posted, and the goal is to get better fuel economy. Entries can run on biodiesel, ethanol, or, in the zero-emissions category, on electricity. The snowmobiles will be rated in categories like emissions, noise, and acceleration.The idea is to make internal combustion snowmobiles suitable for use in fragile natural areas, like in national parks. The quieter and cleaner a machine is, the less it will disturb both plant and animal life.

The goal for the zero-emissions category is even more specific: make a snowmobile that won’t skew the research being done at Summit Station in Greenland. Scientists there are working to understand the absorption of atmospheric gases by the ice cap, and any emissions from fossil fuels burned at the site can mess up the results of their measurements.

Can we expect to see any of these in the local Sno-Cat dealership? Probably. The SAE seems to expect that the biodiesel and ethanol versions would be pretty cheap to build for retail sale, and that they’d do pretty well on the showroom floor. Hybrids aren’t allowed in this competition for just that reason — the system is too expensive to be worth it for manufacturers or buyers at this point.

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.

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.

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.

CAFE Standards: What You Need to Know

May 26, 2009 in Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Consumer News, EVs, Hybrids, Hydrogen, MPG, PHEVs, diesel, small cars by kristen | 2 comments

Last week, President Barack Obama announced new CAFE standards. While these new numbers seem like a big leap to require auto manufacturers to make, they were a long time in coming. Fuel economy standards hadn’t been significantly revised in nearly a decade. The new standards have the benefit of being constructed with input from auto makers and states who wanted higher standards, so a bunch of potentially expensive and contentious lawsuits were dropped as a result. Whew.

Here’s how it all breaks down:

  • The average fuel economy of the manufacturers’ car and light truck fleets will increase by 5% every year beginning in 2012 and ending in 2016
  • Cars must average 39 mpg; light trucks and SUVs must average 30 mpg by 2016
  • Overall average will be 35.5; current overall average is 25 mpg
  • Will go hand-in-hand with EPA initiative to reduce tailpipe CO2 emissions by 40%

What’s not known is how extended-range electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt or hydrogen cars like the Honda Clarity will figure into the calculations. The feds say they’re working on it.

If you’d like this information in a live, five-minute video starring yours truly, check out Portland’s KGW NewsChannel 8.

Bentley Goes Greener, Gets Recycleable

May 19, 2009 in Biodiesel, Biz News, Future Cars by kristen | No comments

Bentley, maker of high-end British cars, announced that all of its Continental models will be 85% recycleable (or 95% recoverable). This in addition to its promise to make its entire lineup FlexFuel compatible by 2012.

The company pointed out that it has also reduced gas, water, and electricity consumption by 25% over the past nine years while the number of cars that roll of the assembly line has grown by ten times in the same period.

It may be a moot point, though, this recyclability, as the company also pointed out that 70% of all Bentleys ever built are still on the road. Longevity and the low miles these cars usually rack up may be the greenest things about any large luxury car. That and the green it takes to buy one in the first place.

Photo by theignitionpoint.co.uk.

VW Launches Diesel Tutorial Site for Americans

May 12, 2009 in Biodiesel, Consumer News, MPG, diesel by kristen | No comments

Well, anyone can visit the site to learn about Volkswagen’s TDI clean-diesel engines, but it’s aimed at U.S. car buyers, who are still a bit leery of the technology.

The first hurdle in America is cost. In Europe, gasoline carries a heavy tax, making diesel vehicles the cheaper choice in the long run, despite higher initial cost. VW wants to convince us here in the U.S. of the value of fewer fill-ups and great gas mileage — like the nearly 40 mpg I got in the Jetta TDI Sportwagen.

Second is the lingering perception that diesel is stinky and gross. Thanks to strict emissions standards in the U.S. — and stricter standards on the way — diesel is no longer the sooty, smelly mess of a fuel that it used to be. Clean diesel pretty much lives up to its name, and VW rival Mercedes has a tail-pipe treatment in the BlueTec system that cleans the emissions further.

Don’t forget the benefits of biodiesel, especially when it can be made from post-consumer oils. VW has long been on the biodiesel wagon, even allowing customers to use it without violating the warranties on their new diesels.

I was at a meeting with Stefan Jacoby, CEO of VW North America, last week. He said VW is leaning heavily on its clean-diesel and improved gasoline technologies to improve fuel efficiency by as much as 50% in the next few years rather than investing heavily in hybrids and EVs. We’ll find out in the next decade how that strategy plays out for VW, versus the likes of GM’s Chevy Volt extended-range EV or Mitsubishi’s i MiEV.

Image by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

No More Gasoline in Norway?

May 4, 2009 in Biodiesel, Bioethanol, EVs, Hybrids, Hydrogen, New Tech, PHEVs by kristen | 1 comment

Norwegian Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen has proposed to ban all gasoline-powered cars from Norway by 2015. Hybrid gasoline-electric cars would still be allowed, as would extended-range electric vehicles like the Opel Ampera (that’s Chevy Volt to us Americans). Biofuels would make the cut, too.

Halvorsen has no intention of busting down garage doors in the middle of the night to take away gasoline cars. The new rules, if enacted, would apply only to new cars sold in 2015 or after. Her idea is to push car companies to make cleaner-running cars, not to wreck the Norwegian economy–even though Norway is the sixth largest oil exporter in the world, according to Reuters. On the other hand, Norway is home to electric-car upstart Think.

WorldFirst Racing Builds Sustainable Racer

April 28, 2009 in Biodiesel, New Tech, racing by kristen | 1 comment

Corvette races on E85 ethanol, Audi runs on diesel, and F1 cars are getting regenerative braking, but none of them have anything on the WorldFirst racecar. The U.K.-based Warwick Innovative Manufacturing Research Center has created an F3-class racecar from sustainable and renewable materials.

A sampling of the veggie-based goodness found in the car:

  • Front spoiler and side mirrors made from a potato starch core and flax-fiber shell
  • Steering wheel that uses a polymer derived from carrots and other root vegetables
  • Seat with a soybean oil foam and recycled polyester fabric
  • Plant-based lubricants
  • 2-liter turbo engine running on biodiesel
  • “Smog-eating” radiators coated with a catalyst that turns ozone into oxygen
  • Non-carbon disc brakes and — coming soon — cashew shell brake pads

Michelin Sponsors 2009 ALMS Green Challenge

March 27, 2009 in Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Hybrids, MPG, diesel, racing by kristen | 1 comment

E85 Corvette in 2008 Le Mans

The American Le Mans Series will revive its Green X Challenge Award with Michelin tires as the sponsor for 2009. The prototype and GT cars that acheives the best performance and fuel efficiency with the fewest emissions will win the award.

Lest you doubters think Michelin is jumping on the green bandwagon, they’ve been rewarding eco-friendly innovations for a while now. Eleven years ago, they created the Challenge Bibendum for clean vehicles, then in 2006 sponsored the Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. In 2008, it extended the Energy Endurance Challenge to all European Le Mans-series races.

For its part, ALMS has been making the most inroads into green racing, with hybrid, biofuel, and clean diesels at the starting line. ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton has applauded President Barack Obama’s green auto initiatives, and sees the track as a proving ground for new consumer technologies.

Racing will probably never be as clean a sport as, say, competitive tree planting, but initiatives like the Michelin’s Green X Challenge can help sate our need for speed and our preference for breathing cleaner air.

Photo of the E85-powered Corvette at the last ALMS race of 2008 courtesy of American Le Mans.

2009 VW Jetta TDI SportWagen: The Fuel Economy Test Drive

March 25, 2009 in Biodiesel, Consumer News, MPG, diesel, test drives by kristen | 3 comments

2009 VW Jetta TDI SportWagen

This poor 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagen got a real workout during the week I had it. I had made plans to stay at the Oregon coast, about 100 miles from my home. Then I got roped into a meeting held near Olympia, Washington, about 120 miles from home. All told, I put nearly 500 miles on the odometer — and used almost exactly one full tank of gas.

The diesel engine was quiet, started immediately, and smelled like nothing. It took the hills and curves over the Coast Range like it was a game, and both my short self and my tall husband were comfortable during the ride. The EPA estimates for the Jetta TDI SportWagen are 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway. I ended up doing quite a bit of highway driving — more than I intended, actually — and was happy with my 37 mpg at the end of the week.

One word of caution to potential buyers: there was no indication on the gas cap that this car required diesel fuel. Drivers are not allowed to pump their own gas in Oregon (or New Jersey), and the attendant had the regular gasoline nozzle in his hand and was about to fill ‘er up. “No! No! Diesel!” I screamed inside the car. Luckily, he heard me and switched to good old B5 (that’s 5% biodiesel, suitable for winter driving). Close call, and one to be aware of if you’re not filling your own diesel tank.

Jetta TDI dash

  • 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagen
  • As tested: $29,410, including destination charge
  • 2.0L diesel engine rated 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway
  • 6.4 tons of carbon dioxide emitted annually, on average

Images by Kristen Hall-Geisler.

This car was provided for review by the manufacturer at no cost to the reviewer.

Future of the Auto Industry: EVs, Biodiesel, Bikes

December 1, 2008 in Biodiesel, Consumer News, EVs, Future Cars, Hybrids, Hydrogen, MPG, New Tech, PHEVs by kristen | No comments

Fiamp Charging

Oregon Public Broadcasting’s call-in show, “Think Out Loud,” was about the future of the automotive industry this morning. The program focused on the state of Oregon, and most of the guests and callers were from the state, but the show had a lot to say about where personal transportation is headed in the next decade for the entire U.S.

The show, which aired Monday, December 1, was called “A Sustainable Auto Industry.” Guests included John Viera, Director of Ford Sustainable Business Strategies; Mark Perry, Director of Product Planning for Nissan North America; a representative from Governor Kulongoski’s office; and an assistant professor at Oregon State University’s College of Business. So they had their bases covered.

Highlights of the show (though you should listen to the whole thing):

  • Viera says Ford will not go back to making so many trucks, no matter what the price of gas is. The company apparently is trying to learn its lesson and produce for the tomorrow instead of yesterday.
  • Perry says Oregon will be one of the first launch markets for its new EVs in 2010. Yay!
  • He also said Nissan wants to have 10% of its sales to be EVs by 2020 — that’s about 100,000 vehicles in the U.S.
  • My favorite phrase came from Chris Warner, Kulongoski’s transportation adviser. He says there is no silver bullet, only “silver buckshot,” which includes alternative fuel cars, bikes, walking, public transportation, and whatever else the future holds.

A lot of basic alternative-fuel questions were answered, like shifting emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack, and the recyclability of electric-vehicle batteries. It’s a good listen for newbies and alt-vehicle veterans alike.

A Sustainable Auto Industry

Find Your Alternative Fuel Station

November 7, 2008 in Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Consumer News, EVs, Future Cars, Hydrogen, New Tech, PHEVs by kristen | 1 comment

If you’ve been considering an alternative-fuel vehicle for your next car but were wondering where on earth to fill up, look no further than the U.S. Department of Energy. That’s right — the DoE has put together a handy web site where you can search for refueling stations for just about any kind of fuel except regular, ol’ gasoline:

  • Biodiesel (B20 and above)
  • Compressed Natural Gas
  • Electric
  • Ethanol (E85)
  • Hydrogen
  • Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
  • Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Propane)

It should surprise no one that California leads the way in most types of alternative fuel stations. E85 is huge in the Midwest, which is another no-brainer, but biodiesel is big in Georgia and the Carolinas, which I did not know. Texas has hundreds of propane filling stations, as anyone who watches “King of the Hill” would probably guess.

There is a ton of information on the Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center, and it will be a valuable resource as more alternative-fueled cars come to market in the next four years or so. Bookmark it now, folks, and tell all your friends who love green cars.

Interstate 65 Is a “Biofuels Corridor”

October 24, 2008 in Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Consumer News, diesel by kristen | No comments

Interstate 65, now a biofuels corridor

This month Interstate 65, which runs from Gary, Indiana, to Mobile, Alabama, become America’s first biofuels corridor, with help from the U.S. Energy Department, General Motors, and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. What does a biofuels corridor mean for drivers? It means that there are dozens of stations along I-65 offering E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) or B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% regular diesel), each spaced no more than a quarter tank apart.

The idea is less romantic than Route 66, but far more practical and forward-thinking. The route covers four states: Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. Seems like the perfect place to try out your new $2.4-million Koenigsegg CCXR supercar, which runs on E85. It could do this route from stem to stern in a cool three and a half hours.

Photo by peggydavis66.

Ike Closes Larget Biodiesel Plant

September 19, 2008 in Biodiesel, Biz News, Consumer News by kristen | 1 comment

While the headlines are filled with the effect Hurricane Ike had on oil refineries in Texas — and the speculation surrounding oil prices that drove gasoline prices wild — green fuel took a hit, too. GreenHunter Energy, Inc. said its Houston biodiesel refinery, the largest in the country, would be out of commission for six to eight weeks due to damage sustained during the storm.

The Green Car Advisor reports that the zero-emissions Texas plant can produce 105 million gallons of biodiesel on its 20-acre site. When Ike came ashore, the plant suffered flood damage, and its power was knocked out. The utility company said it can restore electricity and natural gas service to GreenHunter in six to eight weeks. The company will use diesel- and gas-powered generators in the meantime.

GreenHunter officials stated that the damage to the main equipment seemed to them to be minimal, and that the company would be back up and running ASAP. The second-largest biodiesel refinery is the Imperium plant located in Grays Harbor, Washington, which refines 100 million gallons of biodiesel per year. Here’s hoping they, along with the smaller plants around the country, can pick up GreenHunter’s slack until the Houston location comes back online in November.

“Kill Bill” Trans Am to Be an EV

September 2, 2008 in Biodiesel, EVs by kristen | 1 comment

Darryl Hannah is at it again. Hollywood’s eco-warrior extraordinaire (and actress) plans to convert Elle Driver’s 1980 T-top Trans Am from gasoline to electric power. It’s like my two favorite things melding into one: the Quentin Tarantino two-part modern-day samurai flick “Kill Bill” and alternative-powered automobiles. Maybe they could program the horn to play that song Elle whistles as she walks down the hallway in her nurse’s uniform to kill The Bride.

Hannah recently auctioned off her biodiesel-powered El Camino, so she has some experience with converting ’70s iron to new-millenium power. The trouble with the Trans Am will be its weight. EVs are typically tiny and light, neither of which describe the black American road hog from the film. The batteries will be under a lot of stress to power such heavy car, and Hannah admits in the Denver Post that she doesn’t expect it to have much of a range.

The power she’ll use to charge up the car will be as clean as it gets, though. Hannah says she’ll use her own solar power (as opposed to her more ethereal star power) from her off-the-grid Colorado ranch.

Alt Car Expo 2008 — Two Shows, Two Cities

August 28, 2008 in Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Consumer News, EVs, Hybrids, Hydrogen, New Tech, PHEVs, diesel by kristen | No comments

The Alternative Energy and Transportation Expo will roll into Santa Monica for the third straight year September 26-27, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. For the first time ever, the show will also set up camp in Texas, at the Austin Energy Alt Car Expo inside the Palmer Events Center October 17-18. Both events are free, free, free.

If you’re new to alternative-energy-powered vehicles, these events would be a good place to start. More than 150 exhibits will detail different fuels, such as hydrogen, hybrids, ethanol, electricity — both AC and DC — and even natural gas and propane. Experts will be on hand to answer any questions you may have, whether you’re an SUV driver thinking about driving greener or an engineer who converted his Porsche 914 to an AC motor.

Perhaps the most useful part of the expo is the Ride and Drive lot, where visitors can experience alternative fuels first-hand and evaluate their pluses and minuses from the driver’s (or passenger’s) seat. Seminars and panel discussions will be held during both weekends, featuring authors who’ve analyzed the future of the auto industry and movers and shakers from within the industry itself.

Ford to Double Number of Hybrids

August 25, 2008 in Biodiesel, Biz News, Consumer News, EVs, Future Cars, Hybrids, Hydrogen, MPG, New Tech, PHEVs, diesel by kristen | No comments

2009 Mercury MilanAt a press event in Portland, Oregon, Dan Kapp, Ford’s director of powertrain research, said that the company has plans to become the number-one hybrid  producer in the country next year. By adding hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan to the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids already on the market, Ford will double the number of its hybrids on the road.

Kapp laid out Ford’s long-term strategy, from today to 2050. The company plans to migrate its advanced fuel-saving technologies, like hybrid systems and the new EcoBoost engine, across the product line by 2012, so at least a few Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles will get a little better gas mileage. By 2020, Kapp said Ford will fully implement current technology and begin to delve into more gasoline-electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and more. After that, the plan is to roll out hydrogen fuel-cell cars, biofuel-powered vehicles, and whatever other new technologies have developed by then.

Kapp was eager to point out the advantages of Ford’s new EcoBoost engine, which uses gasoline direct injection and turbocharging to raise fuel efficiency by as much as 20% and lower tailpipe emissions by as much as 15%. The physically smaller engine will be able to deliver the same or greater power as traditional Ford engines, and will be available first in the 2009 Lincoln MKS sedan.

Kapp pointed out that while Ford was not pursuing hydrogen-powered cars as quickly as Honda, nor was it chasing Chevy’s PHEV Volt with any conviction, it does have the first driveable hydrogen fuel-cell PHEV in the Edge HySeries. The fleet of 30 cars is still very much in the test stage, and Kapp noted that hydrogen fuel has “monumental infrastructure problems.”

When fielding questions about bringing clean diesel cars from Europe (answer: not any time soon), a fellow journalist mentioned that he ran his diesel-powered Ford truck on B99 every summer. Kapp nearly choked on his coffee when he heard that one of his trucks was being powered by 99% biodiesel a few months out of the year. I was surprised that he was surprised — he was in eco-conscious Portland, after all.

Willie Run, the Cross-Country Biofuel Tour

August 21, 2008 in Biodiesel, MPG, diesel by kristen | No comments

Inspired by Willie Nelson’s commitment to biodiesel and the cross-country races of the ’60s and ’70s, Nik Bristow and a partner will bomb non-stop from New York to L.A. in a biodiesel-powered Jetta starting September 22. The trick? They’re going to do the Willie Run, as they call it, on one tank of Bio Willie fuel.

While biodiesel does get good mpgs, it doesn’t get 3,000 miles per tank. That’s why, according to Autobloggreen.com’s interview with Bristow, the Jetta has been outfitted with a huge spare fuel tank, just like the Cannonball Run guys used to do.

The Willie One, as the Jetta has been dubbed, has plenty of room for sponsors’ names. So if you’ve always wanted to see a car with your name on it but don’t have the $300,000 to slap a sticker on Dale Jr.’s car, this is your chance. Sponsorship of the Willie One starts at five bucks.