Blogs

Chevy Volt confirmed: 40 miles, all-electric

Hank Green — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:12:33 PDT

Skepticism still surrounds GM's promise of the Chevrolet Volt. Test versions of the car, which, the company claims will go 40 miles on all-electric power before a backup generator recharges the batteries, are currently being tested in various conditions.

Now GM has officially announced that, even with a less-aerodynamic body (a Chevy Malibu), a suboptimal drive unit and "rough calibration" it is consistently going more than 40 miles on all-electric power with its current batteries.

GM's VP of product development Bob Lutz has said âI can almost say the battery is the least of our problems.â

In general, this is good news. But there are reasons to remain skeptical. First, the initial announcement of a $30,000 price point has already been raised to $35k, and it's been hinted that it could be "closer to 40."

Second, there is still nothing extremely firm about their November 2010 release date.

But the fact that the batteries work, and work as planned, is a big deal. I'm waiting patiently to get my "ecogeek" vanity plates along with my Volt in November of 2010.

Via GM-Volt.com

Automated parking saves space, fuel, and time

Peg Fong — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:04:17 PDT

This video explains the whole process, but I sugest you turn off your speakers unless you want to have the most awkward dance party ever.

Driving aimlessly is bad enough, so the only thing that could be worse is driving in circles looking for a parking spot. Then there are those drivers who deserve a special reserve space in hell for idling their cars waiting for a spot closer to the mall entrance because they can't be bothered walking a few extra feet.

A South Korean company may have a partial solution to this parking problem. There are more than enough cars on the road, but even so, there are even fewer parking spaces, especially in cities.

Automatic parking systems, which have been used for years in Europe and Asia because of space constraints, are beginning to be considered in theUnited States.

MP Systems designed the software and technology that makes parking simpler and easier by letting computers do the work. The system can fit twice as many cars in the same amount of space and eliminate hours of combined engine use every day so drivers don't have to drive around searching for that elusive space.

Drivers pull into a platform, and technology does the rest. When drivers want to retrieve their cars, each one enters a code and the car is delivered back via the platform.

There's also another bonus. With automated parking, the physical footprint of parking lots are smaller and there are cost savings in the maintenance of these facilites.

When people are out of the equation, it also eliminates the need for climate control, walkways, elevators, and lighting.

UPS makes world's largest order for hybrid trucks

Hank Green — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:35:36 PDT

UPS just announced it has ordered 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) -- the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company -- in addition to another 300 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for its U.S. delivery fleet.

The purchase of the 500 additional vehicles means the UPS alternative-fuel fleet -- already the largest such private fleet in the United States -- will grow 30 percent from 1,718 to 2,218 low-carbon vehicles.

Obviously, UPS has other reasons besides the environment to get more efficient. We expect that rising fuel prices are already cutting into their profits. Already it has been taking measures to decrease gasoline use through more quotidian measures, like favoring right turns over left turns in delivery routes.

Nonetheless, the focus on hybrid and CNG propulsion is definitely a good thing for the environment. The trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tons each year.

Delivery trucks are particularly useful for both of these applications because they spend so much time driving in cities. Hybrid technology is most useful when there are lots of stops and starts, while the ultra-low emissions of CNG does a great job of reducing pollution in areas where it generally collects.

The trucks' chassis is being supplied by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. while the hybrid drive-train was created by Eaton. They'll look just like regular UPS trucks, but don't worry, you'll be able to tell the difference due to UPS's big blazing yellow labels on the side of each one.

Full press release

Saturn Aura + HCCI

Benjamin Jones — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:59:17 PDT

Itâs not often that a blogger has the opportunity to meet with GM engineers and test-drive a prototype, but thatâs exactly the opportunity I was given the other day.

GM first presented a run-down of the interesting tech (which we've written about) and then handed over the keys so I could see what I thought. The HCCI-equipped Saturn Aura I drove was hot off the proving grounds and the only one of its kind in the United States (there are two HCCI Opelâs in Europe, like the one pictured), and it evolved out of an idea hatched way back in the '70s.

My first impression (and the first negative) came before even stepping into the car, and that was when I learned I would be driving an automatic. Evidently, Americans donât drive stick anymore, but I was still jealous when I learned the two HCCI Opels in Europe were stick-shift. Iâll try to put that aside since Iâm supposed to be considering the engine, not the whole car.

The Saturn Aura is a fairly large, family-size sedan and is not uncomfortable by any means. I was given the impression by Paul Najt that this was the type of car currently targeted for HCCI, so I would wager it was a fairly representative of what we as consumers might actually be seeing.

GM did hint at the possibility of a V6 HCCI in such a vehicle, but that is just speculation right now, as to the best of my knowledge, there is no such engine in existence.

Those disclaimers made, my first driving impression was âwow, this thing really is like a diesel.â It sounded and drove the part when in HCCI-mode, and then in switching back to standard ignition (SI) mode showed that side as a typical gasoline-powered car.

The transitions were definitely a little rough around the edges, but I was assured (and believe) that these things will be cleared up long before the car is sent to consumers.

Given the size of the car, the 2.2-liter 4-cylinder had a little less oomph than you would expect from your typical Detroit-built family sedan, but it definitely wasnât unbearable and I didnât find myself digging into the gas to keep up with traffic.

Monitoring the HCCI display screen while cruising you could see (and feel) the engine performing its unique compression ignition. Such a screen wonât be available in production cars, but even in the unusually aggressive driving cycle that I put the car through in the downtown, live-traffic course, I was in fuel-saving HCCI mode over 50% of the time.

That was, in fact, the most impressive part of the test drive. While I understand that an HCCI-mode monitor is unlikely to come with a production model (due to marketing reasons), even without being particularly conscious of my driving, this new technology was in use over half the time.

Even though HCCI-mode cannot carry the car to highway speeds (it only reaches up to 55 mph right now), the fact that is in operation the majority of the time bodes well for GMâs quoted 15% increase in fuel economy.

The car was a pleasure to drive, and it will be interesting to see how (and if and when) it is introduced to the public. If the car does maintain a slight transition between HCCI- and SI-modes or the sound difference is profound (which really gives the impression of driving a diesel while in HCCI-mode), driving an equipped engine will definitely take a shift in the mind of the consumer. However, I wonât fault GM for that now, as it seems that consumers are finally ready to make that switch.

Letâs just hope that those fears donât keep GM from putting the kibosh on this technology. It gets a definite thumbs up from me.

What is HCCI?

Benjamin Jones — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:50:59 PDT

Has GM struck gold, 30 years later?

HCCI, which stands for Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, is currently under development at General Motors. Under the watch of Paul Najt, who worked on the technology during his days as a PhD researcher, HCCI is coming to the forefront of GMâs work on eco-friendly gasoline technology.

The technology was put on the shelf years ago, but has made a comeback with several important improvements and a promise from GM to make it viable for use in passenger vehicles in the near future.

I recently had a chance to try out this new technology in a working Saturn Aura. You can check out my post-ride review of the technology. But right now we're going to dive in and talk about exactly what HICCI is and how it works.

What is HCCI?
At its most basic level, HCCI combines the best properties of diesel and gasoline engines into one.

Gasoline engines use spark ignition, whereas diesels are compression ignition, meaning that instead of using spark plugs to ignite the air-fuel mixture within the cylinder they use the pressure of the piston to compress the mixture, creating heat and ignition.

Because compression ignition is inherently more efficient, diesel engines are predisposed to good fuel economy, but at the cost of high NOx emissions. Gasoline engines, on the other hand, are less fuel efficient, but are also much cleaner in terms of NOx emissions.

HCCI partially bridges this gap by creating a gasoline engine where compression ignition is possible. This gives the engine both the operation and feel of a diesel, but without many of the associated pollution problems.

GM was careful to say, however, that it is not planning on a convergence between diesel and gasoline engines, but rather that it is working to make each as efficient as possible, since both are already well-suited for particular modes of operation (i.e., diesels make better large trucks, but gasoline engines are a better fit for sedans).

There are several new tech advances that have come together to produce the modern, 4-cylinder, 2.2-liter, 180 HP engine that I test drove. This includes direction injection, a dual electrical cam phaser (as opposed to hydraulic), 2-step valve lift, and combustion pressure sensors. The combustion pressure sensors are extremely important because they allow the engine to make minute adjustments on the fly, which is necessary because HCCI is extremely sensitive to operating conditions. These combustion pressure sensors have fallen in price rapidly, part of what makes an HCCI engine more commercially viable now compared to even a dozen years ago.

Another important advance is the ability to run in HCCI-mode in low-load and idle conditions. The biggest thing making diesel and HCCI-equipped gasoline technologies different is that HCCI engines are not always using compression ignition. Because of noise, vibration, and technical issues, engines can only operate in HCCI-mode in low-load situations.

This range has recently been improved, allowing HCCI operation in idle as well, but the Aura I test drove could only maintain HCCI up to about 55 mph, at which point it would switch back to standard ignition (SI) mode. Similarly, the Aura would enter SI mode during brisk and usually stayed in HCCI-mode when cruising.

Why HCCI?
Part of the excitement over HCCI technology is that it offers very little negatives for all the positives that are promised. Of course, not all promises and expectations are likely to be met, but for now the technology seems like one of the best things GM has to offer.

As I already mentioned, the HCCI-equipped engine that I test drove was able to cram 180 HP into a (relatively) small, 4-cylinder, 2.2-liter form factor. Because HCCI is inherently more efficient, it not only results in improved fuel economy, but also increased power output.

As far as fuel economy is concerned, there likely have not been any real-world or EPA-like tests done, but GM is quoting a modest 15% increase in gas mileage. I say modest not because Iâm unimpressed with the number, but because new technologies often come with wild claims about how quickly they will solve the worldâs problems, and this does not seem to be the case here.

On top of the improved efficiency, HCCI-mode operates at a lower temperature than diesel, below the range where harmful NOx pollutants are created, making the engine extremely low-emission. Emissions are reduced across the board when in HCCI-mode compared to other diesel and gasoline engines. HCCI-mode is also possible with ethanol blends up to E85, making the engine fit in well with GMâs near-term plan for increased E85 use.

Perhaps the most salient upside of HCCI technology is the cost / benefit ratio it offers. Though GM isnât talking specifics yet, I was told that it would be cheaper than current hybrid and diesel technology, putting it within range of the average consumer and positioning it to make the largest impact on fuel consumption and air pollution.

Definitely exciting technology to watch. Hop on over to my test-drive review to learn more on how it performs in the real world.

Audi to build EVs within a decade

Andrew Williams — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:05:23 PDT

Audi, the luxury car unit of the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG), has announced plans to make electric cars within the next 10 years.

In a recent interview, Chairman Rupert Stadler said that he saw great opportunities for electric cars, and expects diesel and battery technology to dominate in the next five to ten years, saying, âBy then we will offer cars without exhaust emissions.â

When challenged with the idea that Audi was lagging behind rival German car giants Mercedes and BMW in the development of li-ion battery technology, Stadler stated that Audi's research capacities were larger than those of domestic rivals. Without elaborating, he also said, âelectric cars offer great opportunities, which we have already seized on.â

This mention of a superior research budget may indicate that Audi intends to throw money at developing a more lightweight, longer range battery than is currently available. Perhaps the most likely showcase for an all-electric vehicle might be a variant of the Audi A1 Metroproject Quattro concept showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show last October. This gas-electric hybrid boasted acceleration of 0-60 mph in 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 124 mph.

Itâs hard to know exactly what to make of Audiâs strategy. Perhaps it's planning some big alternative power-train project that it's reluctant to talk about, or else the announcement was calculated to be deliberately vague in an effort to confuse competitors or dupe the press (us) into talking about them without actually committing to anything.

Either way, 10 years is a long time in the auto industry, and itâs possible that the relentless rise in oil prices may force Audi to show its hand sooner than that.

Via Reuters

X Prize contenders debut online

Don Willmott , Forecast Earth Correspondent — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:14:12 PDT

A few weeks ago I reported on the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition, a $10 million contest that is designed to inspire dozens of new super-efficient vehicles that can make it in the marketplace.

More than 60 teams have taken up the challenge to design a vehicle that can exceed 100 miles per gallon, and starting in September, they will square off in real-world race stages all around the country. After the qualifying rounds are over, the big finals will take place in 2010.

So what do these cars look like? Now we can take a peek.

Popular Mechanics has pulled out all the stops, analyzing each of 64 entrants to see how well they meet the X PRIZE specs and compiling a list of what they believe to be the top 10 contenders.

Flip through the excellent slide show to enjoy some serious auto porn. These cars look cool. I recognized the name Tesla, but other than that, all the top contenders are newbies, including one model designed by a bunch of Philadelphia teenagers. Impressive.

This contest is going to be fun to watch, and I'll be bookmarking Popular Mechanics to stay on top of it.

Don Willmott's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.

Getting better gas mileage by reducing air drag

Aaron Westgate — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:50:22 PDT

A lot of us at Rocky Mountain Institute lead active lifestyles. Whether it's riding single track in summer or heading for the ski lifts in winter, we spend a lot of time hauling around outdoor gear.

We also spend a lot of time thinking about the efficiency of our vehicles.

Which got me thinking: Just how much extra fuel am I burning by keeping my roof rack on year-round, adding extra drag to my car?

And, more importantly, can I save money and reduce my carbon footprint?

The basic science
It turns out that air drag is the single largest factor affecting fuel consumption while driving on level ground at normal highway speeds.Â

The faster you go, the worse it gets, because drag increases exponentially with speed.Â Driving twice as fast quadruples your drag, and the amount of power required to overcome that resistance increases by a factor of eight (cube law: 2³=8).Â

Don't believe me? Think about what it feels like to stick your hand out the window at 80 mph vs. 40 mph. At the higher speed, you're paying to overcome the added resistance by burning more gas.

Improving performance
To improve your vehicle's aerodynamics, the primary solutions are to decrease speed, frontal area, and turbulent airflow.Â

Some people go the distance to customize their vehicles for improved drag performance. Check out this rather extreme example of "boat-tailing."

Fortunately for the rest of us, there are far simpler (and more socially acceptable) ways to boost your mileage by paying attention to the air flowing around your car.

Here are some simple things to keep in mind next time you get behind the steering wheel:

Your speed
First, slow down!Â Fifty-five mph may be too slow for your taste, but staying in the 60-mph range could save you quite a bit of money.

According to the Department of Energy's fuel economy Web site, driving at 80 mph is equivalent to adding roughly $0.80/gallon to the price of your fuel versus driving at 60.

Roof racks
Racks are great for getting weekend gear to the trailhead, but costly on the daily commute. It's best to use them when you need them and take them off when you don't. I've got my swap-time to less than 5 minutes.

Most sources claim a roughly 5 percent drop in fuel economy from roof racks; from personal experience, Iâve measured about a 10 percent drop. If you take the racks off of the car for half of your driving, you'll save an average of 15-30 gallons of gas per year. If you swap them 12 times per year, that can work out to over $100/hour for your efforts. Who knew aerodynamics could be so lucrative?

If that sounds like too much of a hassle, a wind-deflecting fairing for the front rack costs about $50 and will do a good bit to reduce drag and noise. The wider the better: try to find one that smoothly bridges the gap between the windshield and the front bar.Â

A model that improves efficiency by even 3 percent will pay off the investment in around a year of average driving (assuming 15,000 miles/year, 27.5 mpg, $3.50/gallon).

Other options
Any time you have the option of carrying gear behind rather than on top of your vehicle, do it.Â

Trunk-mounted bicycle racks are typically much cheaper, and offer substantial savings compared to carrying your bike on the roof.

On a recent 440-mile road trip to Moab, I found that having one bike on top of my car cut my mileage by 25 percent. That meant I burned almost 4 gallons of fuel just to move the bike!

On vehicles equipped with hitches, using a rear-mounted cargo box in place of a rooftop box will save lots of gas -- and be easier to access.Â

If you have a rooftop box, for the sake of your wallet and the planet, take it off in between uses.

Most importantly, though, enjoy the time outdoors!

Aaron Westgate is Special Aide to Rocky Mountain Institute co-founder and Chief Scientist Amory Lovins.

Chrysler promises SUV buyers $2.99 gas, world rolls its eyes

Hank Green — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:50:07 PDT

Chrysler promises that it is working on green cars and advanced technology vehicles, but I don't see it.

GM is promising a gas-electric car with a 40-mile EV range. Toyota is planning on launching an even-more-efficient Prius. And VW seems to have a 200 MPG two-seater in the works.

But Chrysler is addressing its customers' fuel-cost concerns by trying to help them ignore the problem.

Chrysler has just announced that, instead of making its vehicles more efficient (thus saving customers money) it's simply going to charge more for large trucks, and use the money to artificially deflate customers' gas prices to $2.99 per gallon for three years after purchase.

And then the well suddenly runs dry and vehicle owners are stuck with a car that neither they, nor anyone else, wants, in a world where gas costs, at best, more than $4 per gallon.

Of course, Chrysler should be worried. A great deal of its business in its Dodge and Jeep brands are SUVs and large trucks, and SUV sales are not doing well. SUV sales for the month of April are down 33% from last year. That's a HUGE drop, especially when so much of Chrysler's profit comes from these high-markup vehicles.

Not only is this a bad deal for the environment, it turns out its a bad deal for consumers too. The $2.99 offer comes at the expense of giving up other incentives. While the program will only ever save consumers about $1,200, straight-cash incentives on the RAM and Durango are currently worth about $5,000.

Of course, this is all ignoring how extremely short-sighted this policy is. A measly 3 MPG gain would save consumers far more money than the $2.99 deal, while also decreasing demand for oil and emissions of CO2.

But Chrysler, apparently, would rather remain technologically stagnant. Should we let people pretend oil prices will never rise again? Or should we actually do something about the increased demand for gasoline and skyrocketing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. You know where my vote lies.

The good news is that a similar program from GM a few years back (promising everlasting $1.99 gas) was a complete flop. Not only did GM catch a nationwide PR backlash, as Chrysler now seems to be experiencing, but it also saw no increase in sales of large trucks and SUVs.

Via AutoBlogGreen and AutoObserver

6 stupidly simple steps to save billions of gallons of gas

Hank Green — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:58:05 PDT

OK, gas prices are getting out of hand, and carbon emissions have been out of hand for a long time. So let's kill two birds with, well, five stones.

We generally focus on high technology here at EcoGeek, and how we can save energy with smart designs. But sometimes, there are simpler ways.

An absolutely tremendous amount of gasoline could be saved in America with some very simple measures. Such as:

1. Lose some weight = 900 million gallons of gas
Americans weigh about 24 more pounds per person than we did in the 1970s. That weight, when we're driving, has to be moved around with our cars. Multiplied over the three trillion miles driven in America each year, suddenly we need a lot of gas to move around our extra chub. If we could (preferably through walking and biking) lose those 24 lbs. and reach 1970s sizes, America would used nearly one billion gallons of gas less than we currently do.

2. Intelligent traffic lights = 1,000 million gallons of gas
Studies have shown that altering traffic lights to ensure maximum flow can reduce gasoline consumption in cities by between 10% and 20%. Already, lots of places have traffic light systems that use sensors to detect when and how often to change lights.

But a great deal of traffic infrastructure is still extremely primitive, and most of it is programmed by hand. Researchers have begun to attempt to create traffic lights that can make decisions for themselves. Stoplights might soon communicate with other nearby lights about when they plan on changing, how much traffic they've seen, and what's working for them recently to keep traffic flowing. They will even be able to remember what worked in the past, and use those same techniques in the future.

3. More expensive gas = 450 million gallons of gas (so far)
OK, this isn't necessarily the best solution to our problems, especially since most people who really need to drive can't afford to pay much more for gas. But 2007 showed the first decrease in the number of miles traveled since the gas crisis of the '70s. As gas prices sored to upward of $3 per gallon, people actually drove less. The amount driven dropped by about 10 billion miles. At an average fleet efficiency of 22 mpg, that's 450 million gallons of gas saved.

4. Drive a little slower = 600 million gallons of gas (just for semi trucks)
Recently, with diesel prices topping $4, Con-Way Freight, owner of one of the largest truck fleets in America, decided that it would decrease the maximum speed its drivers could drive from 65 mph to 62 mph. This will save the company 3.2 million gallons of fuel per year. And that's just ONE trucking company going 3 mph slower! If this were expanded to all 1.5 million semis on American roads, it would save 617 million gallons of fuel!

If it the national speed limit were lowered to 65 mph, the savings would be extreme. Already, the U.S. trucking industry is calling for a decrease in the national speed limit, first because the difference in speed between trucks and cars creates possible safety issues. And because it would ultimately decrease the price of fuel.

5. More people per car = 1,500 million gallons of gas
If every car in America that transported one person instead transported two people, we'd save about 8 billion gallons of gas per year. But we'll aim lower. If just 20% of these solo-driver trips became two-passenger carpools, we'd use 1.5 billion fewer gallons of gas per year.

6. Increase mileage to 35 mpg = 55,000 million gallons of gas by 2015
This needs to be said. The current average fuel economy of an American car is 22 mpg. It would be lower if there were no law in place requiring that efficiency. The auto industry has been fighting any increase for decades. We finally have a law on the books that will increase the average to 35 mpg by 2020.

But if we, in America, had 35-mpg cars today, like they currently do in Europe, we would use 55 BILLION less gallons of gas. Looking back through the rest of the list, this trivializes the rest of the options.

Each of these measures would, without a doubt, help us deal with the supply shortages and environmental implications of our massive oil addiction.

VW will sell a 200-mpg car in 2010

Hank Green — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:01:09 PDT

So you're excited about the 2010 Prius with its modest mileage gains. Or maybe you really want a Chevy Volt with a 40-mile all-electric range.

2010, as we've noted, is going to be a good year for green cars.

But this is ridiculous.

VW has been talking for a long time about its L1 concept, so called because it uses a measly 1 liter of gasoline to go 100 km. For us Americans, that translates to about 230 miles per gallon.

Of course, the amazing mileage comes at a price. The car is tiny, more of a toboggan than a car. The single passenger actually sits behind the driver, like in a small airplane.

The tiny engine will only get the car up to about 75 mph and, as such, VW doesn't expect to sell a lot of these vehicles. Safety concerns might also keep the car from being a best seller. But, since it does have four wheels, it will have to meet all of the normal safety regulations for cars.

VW will continue to release details on the car, but it is firm that this vehicle will be produced by 2010. And, in terms of pure efficiency, its only real competitor will be the 300-mpg Aptera.

Via MotorAuthority and Gas2

The asthma and car connection

Mel Peffers — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:23:22 PDT

This post is by Mel Peffers, a project manager in the Living Cities program at Environmental Defense Fund.

May 6th was World Asthma Day. Since car exhaust can lead to asthma as well as global warming, we thought it would be a good time to highlight the importance of not idling your car or truck engine.

What makes idling especially bad for health is that drivers tend to idle in gathering places -- by sidewalks, schools, playgrounds, homes, and offices. Breathing in pollution close to the source is more dangerous than farther away.

Take a look at the evidence.

Tailpipe exhaust may cause asthma

Tailpipe exhaust from both gasoline- and diesel-burning vehicles contains the pollutants that produce ozone when combined with sunlight and heat. Ozone occurs mostlyÂ during the summer months. A warming planet means more hot days and thus more ozone.

Breathing in ozone irritates and inflames your lungs, and repeated exposure can reduce lung function. Thereâs a lot of evidence that ozone makes asthma worse.

But the Childrenâs Health Study in California found evidence that ozone causes asthma. The study also found that children can suffer irreversible lung damage as adults from breathing smog.

On top of that, diesel exhaust contains particulate matter (soot). This has long been known to cause a variety of health problems, including aggravated asthma (see CARB report on health effects [PDF]).

As with ozone, there is evidence that diesel exhaust particles may cause asthma and not just worsen it.

California kids arenât the only ones to suffer from tailpipe-induced asthma. A 2005 NYU Medical Center study showed that asthma symptoms among children in the South Bronx doubled on high-traffic days.

Conversely, reducing ozone can improve asthma rates. During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the city closed downtown to private cars for 17 days. During this time, daily peak ozone levels dropped more than a quarter and hospitalizations for asthma fell by almost one-fifth.

Fight global warming, save money

Thereâs no reason to idle your vehicle engine. As I explained in a previous post:

Todayâs engines donât need a warm-up period.
If youâre stopped for more than 10 seconds, your car uses more gasoline to idle than to restart.

Many cities, including New York, have laws against idling, but theyâre rarely enforced. We need better enforcement, but we can make a difference with our own actions and behavior.

So in honor of World Asthma Day, switch off that idling engine. Youâll curb global warming pollution, save money on gasoline, and help everyone to breathe better.

Landfill gas will fuel garbage trucks

Peg Fong — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:12:47 PDT

Turning garbage into gold isn't going to happen anytime soon, but perhaps all that waste doesn't need to go ... waste. Landfill gas, which comes from the natural decomposition of organic waste, can be purified and liquefied into clean fuel.

A new joint venture between North America's largest waste management company, Waste Management, and Linde, a leading gases and engineering company, is hoping to "close the loop" by producing fuel from garbage and using it to power garbage trucks.

The companies will construct a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility at the Altamont Landfill near Livermore in California that (when it begins operation next year) could produce up to 13,000 gallons a day of LNG.

That gas will be used to fuel the collection trucks. Natural gas is already the cleanest burning fuel available for Waste Management trucks. Additionally, collecting methane for burning has an overall positive effect on global warming, because methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2.

Linde North America estimates that capturing and reusing landfill gas could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30,000 tonnes per year.The LNG produced from the Altamont landfill gas will be a virtually zero-carbon transportation fuel and eventually lead to more facilities that can produce more than 200 million gallons of clean transportation each year from the garbage in California's landfills.

There's a lot of garbage out there and any way it can be re-used instead of just letting it rot away in landfills is a great thing.

Waste is a terrible thing to waste.

Via TreeHugger

Electric car too quiet? Just add noise!

Don Willmott , Forecast Earth Correspondent — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:43:23 PDT

Auto show season always brings a few surprises. One of the more impressive head-turners at the recent Geneva auto show was the Fisker Karma, and upcoming hybrid sports car out of California designed to compete with the equally compelling Tesla Roadster.Â

In an Associated Press article, company founder Henrik Fisker said, "For me it's important to create a vehicle that's so sexy you've just got to have it, and later you find out that you can go 80 kilometers (50 miles) without using any gas." In Europe, he said, few people drive farther than that on a daily basis anyway.

The Aston Martin-like Karma will sell for $80,000 in the U.S., and Fisker claims the orders are pouring in. The car's battery can be recharged in three and a half hours, and the car even features solar panels.

But here's the catch: The car is silent in full electric mode, and who wants a silent sports car?

Fisker has decided to build in internal and external speakers so the driver can turn on the sound of a cool sports car to impress the ladies. "It's been enhanced and manipulated to make sure it sounds good," Fisker told the AP. "Part of any experience is the acoustic experience."

Getting to know your Prius

Kastle Waserman — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:16:56 PST

As the proud owner of a new Prius, I love driving my car knowing I'm doing a little bit every mile to lower my carbon footprint.

But I have to say, getting acquainted with the Prius has been unlike any of my previous cars. It took a little time to get used to the start button in place of a key ignition, that funny little gear shift knob located on the dashboard, and the fact that it's so quiet you can hardly tell it's running.

My first few spins felt a bit like being in an episode of a Jetsons cartoon, zooming around in my space-age mobile.

I can't say the experience hasn't come with some annoyances, like when I put the car in reverse and get an incessant beeping sound from the inside.

Shouldn't I already know I'm in reverse, especially since the TV-sized monitor shows the backup camera view? (This, by the way, is a funky new feature I do like, especially when parallel parking in tight spaces.)

All I can say is thank goodness for PriusChat.com, a website devoted to the growing contingent of Prius owners who want to get to know their new wheels, share how to troubleshoot problems, and, yes, how to override default settings such as those annoying beeps, which some sharp hacker figured out (thank you!).

You can also shop for custom-fitted accessories and find out how to pimp your ride with accessories such as replacing the whip antennae with a groovy shark fin.

Folks on this unique site also love swapping numbers about the mileage they're getting and how to increase mpg even further. (I'll share: 41 most days, which you can find out from the car's handy "consumption" screen.)

And unlike other social networking sites, most people don't post photos of themselves -- they post pictures of their beloved cars or an avatar of the model they have.

For those considering their next car, it's a great way to find out if the Prius is right for you. I've certainly been pleased with my purchase so far and with gas prices going nowhere but up -- beep or no beep -- you can't beat the mileage.

This car is certainly worth chatting about!

Six ways to stretch a tank of gas

Joan Shim — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:01:17 PST

Buying a hybrid automobile isn't the only way to conserve fuel, reduce emissions and save money at the gas pump. Squeezing just a few more miles per gallon out of your car with some simple adjustments and different driving habits can increase mileage per gallon by as much as 33 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The financial benefits of better gas mileage can be significant. Say your car gets 20 mpg and gas costs you $3 a gallon. "If you increase your fuel efficiency by 33 percent, that's a savings of about $44 a month," says Diane MacEachern, author of "Beat High Gas Prices Now!" and founder and CEO of BigGreenPurse.com, which helps women shop for environment-friendly products.

Here are six ways to stretch a tank of gas:

1. Drive smoothly
Eliminating jackrabbit starts, speeding and hard breaking can increase your fuel economy by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city, netting you up to 92 cents per gallon, the EPA says.

"I don't know many people who would take money out to the driveway and set it on fire," MacEachern says. "You just don't burn up money. But when you put it in the gas tank and drive like mad, it has exactly the same effect."

Editors from the automotive Web site Edmunds.com tested some common driving tips for improving gas mileage and found that driving moderately rather than aggressively has the greatest impact per gallon -- as much as 37 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

"You see a lot of people doing a lot of mid-range accelerating; the idea is that I need to jump into that little hole in traffic there," says Philip Reed, Edmunds.com's senior consumer-advice editor. "So they're going 55 mph, and they mash the gas pedal and then they're going 70. That type of behavior is extremely fuel-consuming."

Take a long view of the road, Reed advises, and brake slowly when you need to stop.

2. Use cruise control when you can
It's an easy way to keep erratic driving in check.

"When you're on cruise control, not only is the car operating differently and more efficiently, but you're in somewhat of a different frame of mind," Reed says.

His tests found that using cruise control can yield as much as 14 percent better gas mileage.

3. Slow down
Vehicles' optimal cruising speeds vary, so it's worth experimenting with a few tanks of gas to find your car's most efficient speed. That said, higher speeds generally increase aerodynamic drag and decrease gas mileage. The EPA estimates that for every five miles per hour you drive over 60 mph, you pay another 20 cents per gallon of gas.

4. Minimize idling
Reed was surprised at the difference it makes in fuel economy to simply turn off the engine when you stop for longer than a minute. Cutting down excessive idling can save 19 percent of fuel, he says. Cars with bigger engines burn more fuel when idling than cars with smaller engines, according to the EPA.

5. Drop excess weight
Aerodynamics and weight both greatly affect fuel economy, so reconsider your roof racks, cargo boxes and whatever you keep in the trunk. Every additional 100 pounds of weight reduces fuel efficiency by 2 percent. If that weight is on the roof, it adds aerodynamic drag.

When Consumer Reports tested the effect of adding a car-top carrier to a 2005 Toyota Camry, the Camry's mileage per gallon dropped from 35 to 29.

6. Maintain your car
Would you go out of your way to save 55 cents per gallon on gas? The EPA estimates that a well-tuned engine can save its driver 13 cents a gallon. A clean air filter can yield a savings of 32 cents a gallon. And keeping car tires properly inflated can earn you another 10 cents per gallon.

"If everyone's tires were properly inflated, we would be saving about 4 million gallons of gasoline every day," says MacEachern.

LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers. Joan Shim is a freelance writer and former editor for automotive business magazines.

Better gas mileage for all

Jeff Ronning — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:34:02 PST

Jeff Ronning is a senior consultant at the Rocky Mountain Institute.Â

With near-historic prices at the pump, a lot of us probably wish our cars could get better gas mileage. What few people realize, however, is that just changing our driving technique can help us squeeze a few extra miles out of every tank.Â

One hurdle to learning how to drive more efficiently has been that our cars don't give us feedback on how our specific driving methods affect fuel economy.Â

But times are changing. Many newer models are equipped with fuel-economy computers that give critical information that can help us do a better job. Chevrolet, Toyota, Nissan, and others are planning to add fuel-economy features to all new models in the next few years. If your car doesn't have one, there's at least one add-on device that offers the same information and more, LinearLogic's ScanGauge II. (Similar devices that cater to drag racers give many other data but leave fuel economy off the list.)Â

Here's the lowdown on what these devices will tell you.Â

Built-in devices
The built-in computers on many new vehicles normally include a button that lets you scroll through trip miles, average speed, average mpg, and instant mpg.Â

Instant mpg
You'll notice the instant mpg is mercurial, zipping up to 99 mpg at some times and down below 10 mpg at others. This figure gives you direct feedback to inform your driving. The value can be quite high when you're coasting and low during both low-speed driving and acceleration.Â

Unfortunately, we can't coast everywhere, and driving uphill is especially troublesome. However, by observing the magnitude of the benefit of coasting, you can begin to appreciate it more and find ways to integrate more coasting into your driving. For instance, you might find more opportunities to coast into traffic signals rather than traveling full speed and slamming on the brake at the last minute.Â

Average mpg
The average mpg is much more stable than the instant number. It tracks the average fuel economy since the last time the device was set.Â

Typically, you can reset these devices as often as you like. You can observe your car's average mpg over a period of time to spot rising or falling trends. Doing so can help you figure out if your most recent driving activity is improving fuel economy.Â

Once you're confident with fuel-saving techniques-like more coasting, not using excessive braking, and avoiding high-revving the engine-you may want to switch from instant to average mpg display. It's easier to read and can feel almost like a video game, where your goal is to keep pushing the number higher.Â

Aftermarket devices
Like other feedback units, the ScanGauge II can also display a lot of other data, including fuel-burn rate in gallons per hour.

This stat can be useful in observing engine efficiency. For example, a cold engine generally idles faster and draws more fuel. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to combat this condition except to drive your car and let it warm up.

Another nice feature of these devices is that they can scan a car's databank for trouble codes-the numbers mechanics use to diagnose problems with your car. This information can alert you to mechanical issues. It can also potentially save you some money, if you're inclined to do a little home auto repair.

Real-world results
Improving your fuel economy can be as easy as paying attention to how you drive and closing the "feedback loop."

I have been able to get about a 15 percent improvement, averaging 45 mpg in the summertime in a car that normally averages 39 mpg. I also use a driving technique called "Pulse-and-Glide" that works best in combination with feedback.

So check out these devices, or maybe you've got one on your new car. But don't forget to watch the road!

Diesels still aren't very green

Sheryl Canter — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:02:53 PST

This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense.

John DeCicco, Ph.D. is Senior Fellow, Automotive Strategies at Environmental Defense.

The American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) just announced its eleventh annual ratings for the greenest and "meanest" vehicles. Natural gas and hybrid vehicles do best -- no surprise there.

But the meanest (dirtiest) list is dominated by diesels, despite their higher fuel efficiency, because they spew out high levels of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter.

I spoke about this with our resident car expert John DeCicco, who was the original creator of ACEEEâs Green Book when he worked for that organization.

"I do have my morbid moments", John said, "but no need to give up hope yet!"

How gas guzzlers could help pay for more efficient cars

Natalie Mims and Noah Buhayar — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:54:53 PST

Natalie Mims is a consultant with the Energy and Resources Team, and Noah Buhayar is a fellow at Rocky Mountain Institute.Â

Concern over energy security, rising oil prices, and global climate change has put automobile fuel efficiency on the agenda for many lawmakers in recent months.Â

In December, President Bush signed into law an energy bill that will increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. That means U.S. automakers will have to increase the average fuel economy of the cars and light trucks they produce in the next 12 years. Â

While the new CAFE standard is a landmark event -- U.S. fleet efficiency has been relatively flat since 1985 -- this command-and-control style of regulation oppresses market forces and requires automobile manufacturers to install fuel economy technology, regardless of the cost.Â

Fortunately, there is an alternative to this expensive and ineffective approach to regulating fuel economy. It's called a feebate.Â

What is a feebate?

A feebate is a policy that provides a one-time rebate on fuel-efficient vehicles and places a surcharge on vehicles that are inefficient.Â

New light vehicles that exceed a defined fuel economy benchmark, called the "pivot point," qualify for a rebate. The logic is that people who choose to drive more efficient vehicles deserve a rebate, because they are working to reduce social costs such as pollution and oil dependence, congestion, health problems, and climate change.Â

The amount of the rebate would depend on where the vehicle's fuel economy falls in relation to the pivot point for vehicles in the same class. A Honda Civic, for instance, would qualify for a rebate because it's more efficient and consumes less fuel than comparably sized vehicles.

Conversely, new vehicles that are less fuel efficient than others in the same class would be subject to a fee.

Why feebates work

A feebate is a better approach to regulating the automotive industry because it allows manufacturers to install as much fuel economy technology as is cost-effective, as opposed to requiring manufacturers to install technology regardless of the cost.

Feebates also help consumers to consider the long-term impacts of a vehicle's fuel economy when they purchase the car.

Better yet, a well-designed feebate can be self-financing. Fees could pay not only for the rebates, but also the administrative costs of running the program. Â

Feebates in action

There are a number of factors that affect both how the feebate works, as well as the success of the policy. These include where the pivot point is set, the number of vehicle classes, and the size of rebates and fees. RMI recently analyzed these factors in a white paper.Â

In principle, though, feebates are gaining acceptance. Canada has had a feebate law in effect since 2007. Last month, several European countries adopted feebates: Finland and Ireland changed their automobile tax structure to vary based on greenhouse gas emissions, and France just implemented what's being called the "bonus-malus" law last month.Â

California's State Assembly recently considered a feebate bill to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions after the EPA denied the state a waiver to regulate tailpipe emissions.Â

Feebates and you

So how would a feebate affect the average American?Â

For starters, it would create an incentive program for manufacturers to produce more efficient vehicles, offering more fuel-efficient vehicle choices to consumers.Â

By setting a pivot point for each size class, it would allow consumers to choose the type of automobile that fit their needs-be it a compact car, sedan, SUV, or light truck. There would be a financial incentive, however, to choose the more efficient cars within each class.Â

Best of all, people who opt for an efficient vehicle would know that their choice will contribute to a better environment for future generations.

Picking a safer car for you, your family, and the planet

Laura Schewel and Noah Buhayar — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:49:37 PST

Laura Schewel is an analyst with MOVE - The Transportation Innovation Group and Noah Buhayar is a fellow at Rocky Mountain Institute.

Many consumers believe that the goals of a "safer car" and a "more fuel-efficient car" are at loggerheads, and that any increase in gas mileage will lead directly to increased fatalities.

This misconception is based in large part on a common assumption: The heavier the car, the safer it must be. Collectively, Americans have bought into this idea. The mass of the average personal vehicle in the U.S. has gone up 29% since 1987.Â

While that idea that more steel equals more protection seems intuitive, it turns out to be false. In fact, the best scientific research shows that automotive safety has nothing to do with vehicle weight, but everything to do with vehicle size and design.

Safety for you and your family
Heavier cars are not safer in a collision. Why? Cars are not simple, solid objects that collide like billiard balls on a table; they have crush zones and structural features designed to absorb impact.

The more crush zone available (the longer or wider the car) and the better the structural design, the safer the occupants will be in a crash.

These examples from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an independent, nonprofit organization that compiles fatality statistics, illustrate the point:Â

Drivers in a Dodge Neon or Chevrolet Cavalier (2,400 and 2,700 pounds, respectively) are twice as likely to die in their vehicles as drivers of Volkswagen Jettas or Honda Civics (2,700 pounds and 2,300 pounds) due to the superior crash design and safety features of the Jetta and Civic.
Drivers of a Toyota 4Runner (the safest SUV) are 25 times less likely to die in their vehicles than those who drive Chevrolet Blazers -- the least-safe SUV and the least-safe personal vehicle -- again due to superior design. (Statistics cover model years 1995-1999.)

Studies have proven that increasing the length of a car (its crush zone) while maintaining the same weight leads to reduced fatalities. To find out how crashworthy a vehicle really is, check its government star ratings, or its ratings and driver death rates from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Crash avoidance is harder to measure, but any vehicle equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) will be better able to avoid crashes than a vehicle without.

Safety for your planet
Buying a heavier (and often more expensive) car is no guarantee of safety, but it will definitely lower your gas mileage. That's because heavier cars use more fuel.

A reliance on hefty cars that aren't necessarily well designed not only compromises our safety on the road (43,000 people died in U.S. auto accidents last year), but also the safety of future generations by emitting an unnecessary amount of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

Luckily, in this instance there's no need to compromise between what's good for you and your family and what's better for the planet.

The more people realize that light, long, well-designed cars are safer than clunky, heavy cars, the closer we'll be to pushing the market toward smarter, lighter vehicles. And the closer we'll be toward reducing the greenhouse gases spewing from our tailpipes-some 10% of the human contribution to climate change.

Correction: The weights for the Civic and Jetta originally cited in this post were reversed. The 1995-1999 Civic weighs approximately 2,300 pounds, and the 1995-1999 Jetta weighs approximately 2,700 pounds.

NYC approves congestion pricing

Sheryl Canter — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:20:39 PST

This post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

New York City suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in the country, costing workers and businesses billions of dollars a year in lost time, and heavily contributing to New Yorkâs nearly worst-in-the-nation air quality. One in eight New Yorkers suffer from asthma.

And New York is expected to add one million residents by 2030.

New York State charged a commission of elected officials, environmental and planning experts with solving New York Cityâs traffic crisis. Andy Darrell, Regional Director for Living Cities at Environmental Defense, was one of the commissioners.

Today the commission voted to approve an historic plan to protect New Yorkersâ health.

A key element of the plan is congestion pricing, where an electronically-collected toll system charges drivers more for using the most congested roads at the most congested times. This encourages drivers to instead use mass transit or to reschedule their trip. Cities around the world are successfully using congestion pricing to reduce traffic and pollution from vehicle exhausts.

Todayâs approved plan included the following elements:

A congestion pricing system for New Yorkâs Central Business District (CBD) from 60th street to the southern tip of Manhattan, with a charge in effect only during the peak traffic times (6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Friday). The plan will cut traffic in the CBD and outside of the CBD by reducing through-traffic destined for the CBD from Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and northern Manhattan, areas with the cityâs highest asthma rates.
A guarantee that about $500 million in annual revenue will be invested in transit expansion. This will reduce the $30 billion backlog in capital investment needed for major projects - for example, a Second Avenue subway line, and bus service in neighborhoods that lack transit options now.
A simple and relatively inexpensive system with far fewer cameras and operational complexity than that used in London, saving about $100 million annually from earlier estimates.
Recommended solutions to key concerns such as:

A transit "lockbox" that guarantees revenue to new transit expansion.
Short-term transit improvements prior to the programâs start.
Residential parking permits and ongoing monitoring and mitigation efforts to reduce traffic and parking in surrounding neighborhoods.
A sound legal framework for environmental review.
Cutting cameras from 340 down to 25 (93% reduction) and putting strict limits on storing personal information to ensure privacy.
Increased enforcement of existing traffic laws and a crackdown on placards.
Tax relief for low income drivers with no transit alternative (who are fewer than 1 percent of all commuters to the CBD).

Investing now in the transit system of tomorrow will keep New York City accessible to people of all income levels, cut pollution, support healthy growth, and cut global warming pollution. Congestion pricing is the key to clean air and better transit.

Drive-thrus are a waste

Trystan L. Bass — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:18:32 PST

In our high-paced, go-go-go society, the drive-thru window at the old fast-food restaurant is a necessity to save time, right?

Nope!

TreeHugger reports that a Toronto evaluation found you can get breakfast in about the same time whether you drive up or walk into a restaurant. McDonalds and Starbucks were among the four places in this admittedly unscientific test.

The big difference between using the drive-thru and walking into the joint is environmental. Idling in your car at the drive-thru window burns between 100-244 grams of C02, which if this is a regular habit means you could be emitting up to 60 kg of C02 a year.

And don't forget, idling wears down your engine, in addition to being a major source of air pollution. Environmental Defense points out that when a car idles for more than 10 seconds, it actually uses more gas and creates more global warming pollution than simply restarting the engine.

So next time, park it when you need that McMuffin in the morning. The planet will thank you.

Getting smart about parking

Michelle Heimburger — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:54:58 PST

Dear Jerk Who Parked So Close We Couldn't Open Our Doors,

You've parked us in for the last time, Mr. (or Ms.) Bad Parker! For months, we've watched you take up multiple spaces, park in compact spots with your giant SUV, and generally disregard the lines.

We've wondered about who (if anyone) taught you to drive. We've questioned your eyesight, your sense of civic responsibility, and your sanity.

We've given you dirty looks and fake citations, and we've even posted unflattering images of your parking abilities on a variety of sites devoted to bad parkers like yourself. All to no avail -- it seems that you will never learn.

So today, we officially give up. You win. We cannot compete with your monstrous inconsideration, and we cannot show you the error of your ways.

Instead, we're getting smart -- a Smart Car, that is. This year they're finally available in the U.S. and we're prepared to suck in and squish ourselves into the teensy 8-foot auto.

Sure, we might not have room for our thimble collection. Granted, it might not feel like the mas macho car on the road, and maybe we'll never push all three cylinders to that elusive top speed of 85 mph.

But it'll all be worth it when we're able to park sideways.

Suggested sites:

Parkly.net - printable citations and an online database of bad parking images.
Flickr: Bad Parking - pictures of terrible parking jobs from around the world.
Bad Parking - blog documenting bad parkers in their natural habitat.
smart - three cylinders, 60 miles per gallon, 85 mph top speed, and only eight feet long. Available in the United States in 2008.
How the Smart Car Works - the history, features, and technical information about the dainty vehicles.

Directory categories: Smart Cars, Bad Parking, Bad Drivers, Driving, Microcars

Originally posted on The Spark, a daily blog where Yahoo! Directory editors highlight new and interesting content on the Web.

Automakers seek greener pastures in Detroit

Anna Moyles — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:03:26 PST

The typical U.S. automaker did not have a good year in '07. Many found themselves troubled by emissions requirements, rapidly falling sales numbers, and ample representation on lists of the year's worst cars.

These beleaguered American divisions are looking to the Detroit Auto Show to start '08 with a sunnier outlook.

While flashy mock-ups get plenty of attention (see Mazda's retro-futuristic Furai concept car, Mini's cutesy Clubman, and the super-hot Corvette ZR1), the growing focus at these shows is on green options. Though still in concept form, more American companies are presenting cars that rise to the technology challenge.

The Dodge Zeo and Chrysler ecoVoyager (both electric) and the Cadillac Provoq (hybrid), on display this week in Detroit, are evidence that shifting attitudes toward environmental impact may also pay off on showroom floors.

Consumers are paying attention, and certain tiny imports are raising the stakes.

Suggested Sites:

North American International Auto Show - in Detroit. Media and industry the first week, then the public gets in.
Yahoo! Autos - with a heavy emphasis on concept cars.
Edmunds - keep up on all the photos and specs coming out of the current show.
Jalopnik - slightly snarky auto site gets our stamp of approval.

Directory categories: Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Auto Shows, Buyer's Guides, Cars and Autos

Originally posted on The Spark, a daily blog where Yahoo! Directory editors highlight new and interesting content on the Web.

A consumer's guide to biofuels

Lena Hansen — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:17:49 PST

Lena Hansen is a senior consultant with the Energy and Resources Team at Rocky Mountain Institute.Â

Crude oil prices recently topped $100 per barrel for the first time. That's bad news for consumers, because it means gasoline and diesel prices will likely hover at historic highs for some time to come.Â

Luckily, more sustainable alternatives to oil are gaining attention and popularity.Â

One of the most discussed replacements is "biofuel" â any liquid fuel derived from biological material such as trees, agricultural wastes, crops, or even grass.Â

The two most common biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. Each of these has its own unique characteristics and feedstocks (required raw materials).Â

Here's some straightforward information to help you understand what ethanol and biodiesel are and decide whether these biofuels are right for you.Â

Ethanol

Ethanol is the most widely used biofuel in the United States. Last year, we consumed 4.9 billion gallons of ethanol. You might have ethanol in your car's fuel tank and not even realize it.Â

Why? Ethanol is a substitute for gasoline. It's also an oxygenate â a type of fuel additive that's needed to make your car run smoothly. In many states, the regular gasoline you buy at the local filling station might already contain 2, 5, or even 10 percent ethanol by volume.Â

Ethanol is an alcohol that's traditionally made from sugar or starch crops, like corn or sugarcane. Of course, as demand for ethanol grows, demand for corn will grow as well â likely resulting in more-expensive corn.Â

That's why a new way of making ethanol is being developed that doesn't use food crops. Instead, the "cellulosic ethanol process" makes ethanol from woody crops like trees and grasses. That's a lot better for many reasons, but it's also currently more expensive.Â

RMI is working closely with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and others to help bring down that cost and commercialize cellulosic ethanol. NREL, along with several private companies working in this field, believe that we could see cost-effective cellulosic ethanol in as few as 3-5 years.Â

Biodiesel

Unlike ethanol, biodiesel is a substitute for diesel fuel â it can't be mixed with gasoline. Since we use much less diesel than gasoline in the U.S., there's also much less demand for biodiesel.Â

However, the biodiesel industry is growing quickly. In 2005, more than 75 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in the U.S., primarily from soybeans. Any vegetable oil crop can also be used.Â

The process of producing biodiesel is much more straightforward than the process for producing ethanol, but there's also less room for technological innovation.Â

How sustainable are biofuels?

We often hear that biofuels are "green" â that they are one of the key resources for reducing the impacts of climate change. When it comes to sustainability, though, the most important thing to remember is that not all biofuels are created equal.Â

"Sustainability" comprises many factors â climate-change impact, of course, but also other environmental impacts such as water pollution, soil erosion, and ecosystem preservation. The following table outlines some of the impacts of different types of biofuels:Â

	Conventional ethanol (from corn)	Advanced ethanol (from cellulose)	Biodiesel
Reduces climate change impact (reduction compared to gasoline)	25%	85%	80%
Growing feedstocks can result in water pollution	X	Â	X
Growing feedstocks can result in soil erosion	X	Â	X
Potential to compete with food crops	X	Â	X

So while corn ethanol is moderately better than gasoline from a climate perspective, it has a number of other negative environmental impacts.Â

Biofuels and you

Even though cellulosic ethanol -- one of the most sustainable of the biofuels â is not currently available at filling stations, other biofuels are. Using biofuels now can increase the market demand for those fuels, eventually leading to more investment in advanced biofuels.

So how can you start using biofuels?Â

First of all, if your car runs on gasoline, ethanol is the appropriate biofuel to consider. If you want to use more than 10 percent ethanol (which may already be in the gasoline you use), try E85 â a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline â which is available at more than 1,200 filling stations around the country. To find the nearest E85 filling station, visit the Department of Energy's interactive map, which is constantly updated.Â

However, not all cars can run on E85. To do so, your car must be a Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV), which has been specifically adapted to run on high blends of ethanol. Several automakers sell FFVs as standard models, and there are more than 4 million FFVs on the road today.Â

If your car is an FFV, it will be labeled as such on the inside of your gas cap. You can find a list of FFV models at Yahoo! Autos.

Â If your car runs on diesel, biodiesel may be appropriate for you. Visit the National Biodiesel Board for more information on using biodiesel and to get a map of filling stations.

When to turn off your engine

Mel Peffers — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:18:10 PST

This post is by Mel Peffers, Air Quality Project Manager at Environmental Defense.

In the winter, many people idle their car engine after starting it up because they think it needs time to warm up. Not true! Today's fuel-injected engines don't need a warm-up period, and idling for long periods can lead to excessive engine wear.

Worse, cars idling for more than 10 seconds use more gas and create more global warming pollution than simply restarting the engine. Surprised? It's true - the 10-second rule has been proven empirically.

The 10-second rule was originally published on the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency's Idle-Free Zone webpage. Their results were replicated by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which found that restarting uses the same amount of fuel as idling with the air conditioner on for 6 seconds.

Diesel engines can use more fuel idling than moving a vehicle - as much as four times more (see this study on school buses in Los Angeles, and also this EPA study with similar findings). Besides contributing to global warming, diesel engine emissions can cause a host of health problems: asthma attacks, impaired lung function, heart problems, and even death.

Idling is a significant problem in large cities like New York and Los Angeles, where people are often stuck in traffic. A car in gridlock emits up to three times the pollution as one in free-flowing driving conditions.

Environmental Defense is working with the City of New York on reducing traffic congestion. We're also working with Mayor Bloomberg on tougher enforcement of the existing idling law, which has been in effect for five years. Plus, we're working on a no-idling policy for school buses in Texas, and on Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) expansion, so truckers won't need to idle overnight while sleeping. And our GreenFleet initiative helps fleet owners reduce emissions.

Avoiding pollution and engine wear aren't the only benefits of not idling. You also can save gas and money. Here are a couple of studies that demonstrate this:

Edmunds.com: "... you can drastically improve your gas mileage."

Homemade Hybrid: "I kicked the idling habit and saved a gallon of gas per tank ..."

With this cost-of-idling worksheet from Argonne National Laboratories, you can calculate the savings for your own vehicle. For more tips on clean driving, visit Car Talk's Driving Tips for Tree-Huggers.

Not idling is good for the environment, good for your wallet, good for engines, and good for health. Everyone wins by simply turning off an idling engine.

Every little bit counts

Sheryl Canter — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:00:07 PST

This post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

Have you ever been on a diet, gone to a function with delicious-looking desserts, and told yourself, "One cookie isn't going to make me fat"?

One cookie may not make you fat, but how many "cookie moments" occur during your day, your week? If your answer is always that this one little cookie can't hurt, you will not lose weight.

Conserving energy is sort of like going on a group diet where every person, dozens of times a day, has a "cookie moment."

Does it really matter if I leave on the lights in my home when I go out? Does it really matter if I don't recycle this container? Does it really matter if I keep my chargers plugged in when not in use?

The short answer is yes, it matters. There are myriad things you can do to conserve energy and fight global warming. Each action by itself is small and painless, but taken together the effect can be huge.

Here's a list of easy things you can do that will make a big difference.

Most of the electricity in this country comes from coal-fired plants that emit huge amounts of carbon, so:

Turn off the light when you leave a room, and turn off all the lights when you leave your home.
Change your bulbs to compact fluorescents (now - don't wait for the old bulbs to burn out).
Don't leave chargers plugged in when not in use. They suck up electricity just sitting there.
Buy energy-efficient appliances.
Turn off your computer at night rather than leaving it in stand-by mode.
Many appliances, such as televisions, can't be completely turned off except by unplugging them. Appliances in stand-by mode account for 5 percent of the electricity used in the U.S. To turn them off completely, use a power strip.

Paper comes from trees, which suck up carbon, so:

Buy recycled paper products. Visit our Paper Calculator to learn more about why this helps.
Use only the paper towels and toilet paper that you need.
Only print out emails and articles when you really need to.
Recycle paper -- newspapers, magazines, scratch paper, junk mail, everything you can.
Cancel unwanted catalogs at Catalog Choice.
Bring a reusable shopping bag with you to the store.

Manufacturing products of any kind uses energy and creates emissions, so:

Don't buy things you don't need and won't use.
Borrow from your local library instead of buying books you'll read only once.
Give away or recycle what you no longer want.
Give old eyeglasses to your local eyeglass store -- they can pass them onto people in need.
Bring your old cell phone back to the cell phone store for recycling.
Give away old appliances, computers, clothes, etc.
Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources.

It takes a significant amount of electricity to supply municipal water, so:

Take showers instead of baths, and don't linger in the shower.
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
Don't run dish washers and clothes washers half full.
Don't water your lawn unnecessarily.
Fix leaky faucets, and install low-flow faucets and shower heads.
Check out more water conservation tips from the EPA.

Heating and cooling use a lot of electricity, so:

Make sure your house is adequately insulated. If snow melts quickly off your roof, you need more insulation in the attic.
Wrap your water heater in insulation.
Wash clothes in cold water -- they will still be clean, and they'll last longer, too.
Line-dry clothes if you can, instead of using a clothes dryer.
Keep your thermostat down in winter and up in summer -- don't overheat or overcool your home.

Cars are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, so:

Group your errands so you only drive into town once for all the things you need to buy and do.
Have your car tuned regularly, and check tire pressure. An
untuned engine burns more gas, as do cars with underpressurized tires.
When buying a new car, buy the vehicle with the best mileage that meets your needs.
Walk, bike, or use public transportation instead of driving whenever possible. If you have to drive, carpool where possible.
See our previous post for more tips for cleaner driving.

If you're willing to go to greater lengths, that's wonderful. Many homeowners are finding that lowered costs and state subsidies are making solar panels much more affordable. See "No Impact Man" for how a New Yorker eliminated his carbon footprint altogether.Â

But you don't have to do the hard stuff to make a difference. Every little bit counts.

You can find more tips and ideas on our Fight Global Warming Web site.

Got a hybrid car? Plug in to this site

Erik Gunther — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:40:41 PST

There are always a few intrepid folks who aren't satisfied with mass-produced products. These tinkerers look to improve upon or tweak items churned out by assembly lines.

Ryan Fulcher is one of those dudes. A self-confessed "dabbler" who became interested in hybrid car technology when he bought a Honda Insight back in 2000, he's the man behind EAA-PHEV.

Those seven letters stand for "Electric Auto Association/Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle," and they're music to the ears of anyone who's interested in breaking away from the gas pump. Ryan's site is a repository for information related to converting hybrid cars into plug-ins.

Why on earth would you want a car you could charge in a wall socket?

For starters, you might like getting 100 miles plus per gallon of gas. In fact, Ryan's currently getting that sort of MPG in his modified Prius Blue. The oh-so-knowledgeable Mr. Fulcher was kind enough to put on the brakes for a bit and chat with us about electric vehicles, his site, and how it all began...

Hey Ryan, how did EAA-PHEV get started?

I was the Webmaster for SEVA (Seattle EVA) and itÂ came out of the hybrid pages I was writing for the site.

Why did you choose a wiki format for the site?

Well, once I started contributing to Wikipedia (mostly to the various Hybrid and EV pages) I realized how amazingly convenient it was to edit a page. It sure beat back end HTML editing. I also thought it would help to get more community contribution

What's the response been like to the site?

The response is pretty good. Not quite as much community as I had hoped for. We have about 5 regular contributors, but it's mostly me. It gets about 250-500 visits daily.

Find the original interview for this siteâand other reviews of the Web's coolest offeringsâon Yahoo! Picks.

And here's a profile of Ryan that appeared in The Seattle Times.

Jump to hyperspeed

Trystan L. Bass — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 15:25:54 PST

You don't need a hybrid or the Millennium Falcon to be a hypermiler like Wayne Gerdes. This Han Solo of the high-mpg set has made getting amazing fuel economy out of ordinary cars his life's mission.

Hypermiling is the art of improving fuel economy through clever driving and vehicle maintenance. Gerdes explains these tricks in great detail on his CleanMPG site.

By driving the speed limit, coasting up to red lights, keeping the tires properly inflated, using the right oil, even parking in the right spot, you too can hypermile your way to 59 miles per gallon in an ordinary Honda Accord like Wayne.

His impressive gas savings has earned coverage by Forbes Autos, public radio's Marketplace, Mother Jones magazine, and others.

Gerdes says he was inspired by his father's thrifty habits and pushed to hyperspeed by September 11. He connects Saudi oil money with the terrorist attacks on the U.S. "I guess what really ticks me off is when I see 'Save the Troops' on the back of a huge SUV," he told Pantagraph. His activism aims to reduce American dependence on foreign oil.

Which just happens to be good for the environment too. Anyone can strike back for the planet by easing up on the gas pedal.

The good, green life

Trystan L. Bass — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:35:55 PDT

Venerable online magazine Salon has often covered environmental issues, but recently, it started a weekly column about "living the good environmental life."

The first article by Rebecca Clarren in Portland, OR, takes on hybrid cars.

Are they just a pricey status symbol? Can you get equally high gas mileage from less-expensive vehicles? Clarren stows her bike in a Honda Fit and test-drives a Nissan Versa to make Prius drivers green with envy.

Will this column slay more sacred eco-cows? Who knows. Salon writers certainly don't shy away from thought-provoking controversy.

Smart drivers are looking forward to 2008

Trystan L. Bass — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:56:28 PDT

Silicon Valley already loves the Prius. Now tech heads are getting a sneak-peek at one of Europe's most eco-friendly cars.

The Smart Car officially debuts in America in early 2008, but San Jose is getting a preview this week.

The tiny two-seaters will tour fall colors in the surrounding countryside, and strut their stuff down Santana Row in the heart of the northern California city.

Targeting tech trend-setters and "thought leaders," Smart USA hopes that the car's diminutive profile (they're three feet smaller than a Mini Cooper) and better than 40 mpg fuel economy will earn fans.

The price tag will turn some heads too. The Smart Fortwo will be offered in three models ranging in price from $11,590 to $16,590.

For almost 10 years, these mostly two-seater vehicles have zipped through Europe's crowded streets. The Mercedes Car Group is bringing them across the pond, just as rising gas prices and concern for the environment are pushing Americans out of their giant SUVs.

Bigger isn't always better, as this sassy Smart Car vs. Hummer video proves.

In Italy last March, my husband and I rented a Smart to tool around Tuscany. He did the driving and found the Passion model lacking in pick-up on the freeway but ideal for town driving, and a breeze to park.

I found the interior comfortable, and we had plenty of space for all our travel gear.

You can take a peek inside the Smart with this video test drive from FOX 7 News in Austin, TX.

Wondering what makes it so fuel efficient and safe, yet small? Check out HowStuffWorks for the inside scoop.

The Los Angeles Times filmed reactions to the Smart car's recent appearance on Venice Beach, and found that people were fascinated by its "bury-me-up-to-my-neck-in-kittens" cuteness.

The Edmunds review of the 2008 Smart Fortwo probably sums it up best. The Smart Fortwo won't replace the family car, it says. But for commuters "who spend 90 percent of their driving time by themselves in traffic or meandering through congested city streets, the Fortwo makes an awful lot of sense."