By Anthony Cefali •
August 18, 2008
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GM is set to unveil fuel efficient models of all of its biggest gas guzzlers in 2009. The Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon, and even the Cadillac Escalade will be equipped with gas saving technology. Can innovations like this help clean up GM’s archaic image?
As a basic principle of fuel economy, smaller cars get better gas mileage. Engineering trends keep pushing the limits of the term ‘compact’ car while somehow keeping the interiors large enough to carry people. Unfortunately, the Prius won’t suffice for all drivers, and rightfully so. There are people in the United States who require space shuttle sized SUV’s and Titantic trucks, and nothing is going to change that in the immediate future. America runs on progress, and progress cannot happen without construction and high a high towing capacity. The next generation of GM trucks is attempting to bridge the gap between brute force, and environmental friendliness.
By Anthony Cefali •
August 5, 2008
The 1990’s were the host of many great fads. Furby, Tamagachis, string theory, the examples are as numerous as the many incarnations of Prince. Fast forward to 2008, and it seems that America’s fads are finally becoming practical. Hypermiling is the new hoola-hoop, and it’s even more convenient because there is more than one way to do it. While some prefer drafting and coasting in neutral whenever possible, most drivers just watch their tachometers.
The electric motor movement continues to rev its lithium powered engine in the face of high gas prices. Nissan announced its ambitious partnership with the state of Tennessee to better understand how to make the US an electric nation.
Last week, Nissan Motors announced a partnership with the state of Tennessee to study what transportation framework will be required to integrate electric cars into the global transportation economy. Nissan hopes that the study will provide insight that will allow them to market their electric cars globally by the year 2012.
What Nissan lacks in hybrid technology, they are attempting making up for with electric foresight (Nissan has some smaller, more efficient cars, but none have hybrid technology). The company is banking on a high demand for zero emission vehicles and has taken the necessary steps to facilitate the use of electric vehicles. Nissan recently announced they will sell electric cars in the US in 2010 with plans for another electric vehicle to be globally released in 2012. There will be no backup combustion engines in any of Nissan’s electric vehicles.
Former Vice-President Al Gore says we cannot wait until 2050 to curtail our carbon emissions. In Washington this week Gore made his case for eliminating petroleum from the United States economy by the year 2018. Is his goal too ambitious?
Editor’s Note: This is Anthony’s first post as a contributor to Gas 2.0. Anthony works on sugar-based biofuels at the Raines Lab of Petroleum Alternatives, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
I have a lot of admiration for Al Gore. I was in the 7th grade when he lost his bid for the presidency, and even then I could feel that something awful was upon us. Fast forward eight years and we find ourselves in a world where Al Gore is running a campaign to help mankind in a much more focused manner. Instead of defecting to the private sector, Gore remains a public servant dedicated to the environment. Recently, he called for the United States to lead the way to stop global warming, and now he is calling for the United States to be off of carbon based fuels by the year 2018.
Gore’s battle cry could not have come at a better time.
