Well, here it is folks. A company has finally gone and built the controversial hydrogen hybrid system (or hydrogen injection, or Water4Gas or HHO system – choose your poison) into what appears to be a true production car. Not only that, the car looks, well, stunning… to put it mildly.

Ronn Motors of Austin, Texas, yesterday unveiled what they’re calling “the key to a new generation of “green cars.” The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Ronn Maxwell, had this to say about it:

“What we are revealing today is an innovation in the automotive industry and demonstrates American ingenuity at a time of real need. We’re designing and building cars with performance components and unique styling with the objective of making the new environmentally friendly vehicle stand out with never before seen style and approximately 40 mpg plus efficiency.”

I recently featured this type of hydrogen-on-demand hybrid system in a Gas 2.0 post about potential fuel saving scam devices. At the end of that post I had to say that the jury was still out on these types of systems. There was plenty of back and forth from folks who felt that hydrogen hybrids were scams and those that claimed they had installed the devices and they actually worked.

If Ronn Motors has truly built it into a production supercar, and it works, that would kind of put the kibosh on any naysayers out there now, wouldn’t it? Not only would the development and production of this car validate the functionality of hydrogen hybrids, it also could spur a broader public interest and recognition of the technology.

As of right now, it’s only a test car and some of the quotes from Ronn executives suggest they haven’t actually installed a hydrogen generator into the vehicle yet. But as the Hydrogen Cars & Vehicles blog puts it: “Move over Bugatti, Lamborghini and Saleen, the Ronn Motors Scorpion is a supercar that will scoot 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and achieve 40 mpg, too.” I mean, if it’s true, this appears to be an awesome development.

Gas 2.0 Posts Related to Hydrogen and Car Technology:

• Save Gas Without Losing Your Shirt: 3 Gas Saving Devices with High Scam Potential
• Safe Hydrogen Fuel System Ready for Market and Your Car!
• Provoq Concept Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle
• An Electric Car With Muscle: The 175 MPGe X1 Prototype by Wrightspeed Inc.

Image credit: Ronn Motors

His name is James Hunt, I wrote about him and his invention last year. Now, from his AKVO Energy headquarters in Monmouth, Illinois, James talks about his invention and says it’s ready for manufacture and marketing.

He refers to a series of videos he’s produced on YouTube, one of which you can see on my accompanying blog on Gas2.

You can see the series of videos on YouTube .

Put six-gallons of water in your fuel tank and drive anywhere you wish. The only thing you’ll need to replace, is a bit more water.

Last May, I wrote about Jim Hunt, a student at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois concerning his plasmatic induction system that turns water into hydrogen gas to fuel your vehicle.

Today, the system works, and Jim is looking for a company to manufacture and market his invention. His patent is secure, the system is proven and now ready to produce.

The YouTube video above shows Jim and his crew burning a hole in a stainless steel bowl with the hydrogen gas produced by his system.

His workshop is located on four acres of property in Monmouth, Illinois, and Jim says he’s been running cars and an old fire engine around the property using hydrogen produced by his invention. He also runs a 16 KW diesel engine generator with the system.

I interviewed Jim on Planetsave, where he talks about his invention and its future.

Related Posts:

Boeing Successfully Tests First Manned Hydrogen-Cell Battery Airplane
Algae Could Be Major Hydrogen Fuel Source
Chevy Volt’s Lithium-Ion Batteries Road- Tested By Month’s End
Green Gasoline? Scientists Produce $1/Gallon Gasoline From Non-Food Plant Material
Without Clean Electricity, Plug-In Vehicles aren’t So Hot
Mercedes 40-MPG Diesel Hybrid: Cleanest SUV on the Planet

Car buyers are thinking small.

Auto sales in the U.S. during the last three months have been down, except for the smaller, cheaper and not-so-thirsty cars, with starting prices from $12,000 to $14,000, according to Autodata.

The Toyota Yaris led sales with a 70% increase, Honda’s Fit sales were up 61%, and Kia’s Spectra saw a 41% increase in sales. While the percentages are impressive, the number of cars sold is not large.

15,651 Honda Fit’s were sold in the first quarter, and Toyota moved 30,377 Yaris models in the same period. Sales leader was the Ford Focus, when 49,070 cars drove off the salesroom floor, closely followed by over 48,000 Chevrolet Cobalt sales.

Take a look at some of the top-selling smaller cars this year.

The figures are comparisons with 2007 sales figures for the same period and represent the only bright spot in U.S. auto sales so far this year.

Related Posts:
Mercedes 40-MPG Diesel Hybrid: Cleanest SUV on the Planet
Pedal-Powered Car Case Laughed Out of Court
Electric Tara Tiny Steals Tata Nano’s Position as World’s Cheapest Car

The words ‘green’ and ‘Hummer’ don’t usually occur together, except when compiling a complete list of oxymorons. But earlier today at the Saab/Hummer press conference, GM debuted it’s concept H-X Hummer, calling it the “Green Hummer”. The new model is smaller, lighter, and intended for a younger demographic, with the added capability of running on E85 ethanol. It also has an interesting modular construction that allows you to reconfigure the cab at will. Martin Walsh, General Manager of the brand, told us that the new model could get mileage in the mid-20s (although no hard numbers were available).

Ok, this isn’t exactly the 60 mpg Hummer I’ve mentioned before, but that’s a 10 mpg increase in efficiency over previous models. To be honest, it also looks a lot less like a Hummer, being smaller and sportier-more like a lunar explorer than the H2 (that’s my take). But Mr. Walsh said Hummers will continue to decrease in size as customers demand greater fuel efficiency and continue to voice environmental concerns.

Which brings up an important point: as much as we might want to pin the blame on auto manufacturers for producing large, wasteful vehicles in America, it really comes down to consumer demand. Thankfully, people are starting to ask for fuel efficiency, and getting folks into an E85 H-X (see earlier post on the ethanol announcement below) is surely better than defaulting to a 14 mpg H2.

GM also spoke of plans to release diesel model Hummers abroad in 2009, but was unclear (or it was a maybe) on plans for the U.S. market.

Photo Credit: General Motors

This series of posts is intended for readers looking to start using biodiesel by finding an older diesel vehicle, ‘converting it’, and then finding a local fuel source.

Before embarking on a biodiesel adventure, it may be a good idea to determine whether biodiesel is available in your area (it probably is), and most importantly, whether or not it’s conveniently located. While some of us are willing to go to great lengths to find and use alternatives to petroleum-based fuels, this isn’t practical for everyone.

For information on how to find biodiesel, see 6 Ways To Find And Use Biodiesel Anywhere, and for more background you may want to get started with the Biodiesel Mythbuster. This post is primarily focused on buying a used diesel, but it should be helpful to anyone interested in using biodiesel.

Finding Your First Biodiesel Car (or Truck)

It’s important to understand that any diesel engine can run on any blend of biodiesel with no major conversion. In older vehicles, it’s not a bad idea to change out fuel lines (biodiesel eats rubber over time), but don’t let anyone convince you that this is difficult or expensive (more on this later). First, let’s find your first biodiesel vehicle:

Step 1: Determine Your Needs

Will this be a commuter car or do you plan to live out of it for the summer?
This might seem like an obvious consideration, but make a sincere effort to use the same criteria you would for any vehicle purchase. Don’t let the excitement of buying a diesel cloud your judgment, and trust me, it will. Anyone on Ebay knows how easy it is to click the ‘Buy-it-Now’ button, and you may end up in a noisy tin can that won’t go over 55 mph.

Here are some things to consider:

• Do-it-yourselfers should look for pre-1990 vehicles, since engine components get considerably more complicated with each passing year. Workspace also decreases dramatically as more parts are crammed under the hood. Changing out fuel lines in a 1982 Datsun is a snap. Accessing the same lines in a 1987 Toyota is considerably more difficult unless you have small hands and considerable dexterity.
• Small Trucks are hard to find. If you want the versatility of a truck but don’t need to tow a super-tanker, you may have a hard time finding a reasonable compromise. Larger Ford models (F-250, F-350) and Dodge trucks are ubiquitous, but huge–not a good choice for the city. The only small-model trucks I’ve seen are Datsuns, VW Rabbits, and the oh-so-rare Toyota diesels.
• Diesels are more expensive. Diesel engines last longer, so seeing 190K miles is not uncommon. Expect a diesel that’s running and in decent condition to set you back about $5,000. If you don’t pay $5,000 for a diesel, expect to put as much as $2,000 in maintenance costs into the beast in the first 2 years. You may get lucky, but you tend to get what you pay for.
• Not all diesels get fantastic mileage, but most passenger cars do. Take a look at VW models like the Jetta, Golf, Beetle, and Passat. In most of these you can easily get 45+ mpg.
• Make sure you can find parts for you new car. Finding a one-of-a-kind truck may not be so great when your injection pump fails.

Step 2: Start Looking

Some places to look:

• Craigslist
• Local Newspaper
• Autotrader
• Ebay Motors
• Diesel Forums

Your best bet is to search Craigslist (free local classifieds) in your area under ‘cars+trucks’. The local newspaper and Autotrader are also options, but Craigslist seems to offer lower prices and less hassle. Search for ‘diesel’ and set the maximum price you’re willing to pay.

If you’re lucky, you can also find good deals on Ebay Motors. Just remember that everyone is on Ebay (as opposed to your local Craigslist), so it’s hard to get lucky. You also have to deal with long-distance buying, which introduces numerous complicating variables that you don’t necessarily want to deal with. I would recommend buying locally, defined as within an easy day’s drive from your current location.

Another good source may be the classified sections of online forums, such as ToyotaDieselMadness or the Nissan-Diesel Forum.

Step 3: Ask Questions

This is especially important for older diesels. When you see the car (or truck) of your dreams remember: it may be too good to be true. Not that the seller is a swindler, but it’s standard practice to gloss over the less-desirable features of your soon-to-be new car. Be aware that in many areas (like the Pacific NW), biodiesel-ready vehicles will fetch a tidy premium, and ‘runs great’ would be more accurately read as ‘it runs!’

Here are a few questions to be sure to ask:

What kind of mileage does it get?
Does it burn oil?
What major repairs have been done?
What needs to be done?
Have you run it on biodiesel?
If yes, have the fuel lines been changed yet?
When was the last fuel filter change?

Here are a few more ideas.

Step 4: Get the Vehicle Inspected

A good seller should have no problem taking the vehicle to a mechanic for routine inspection. This shouldn’t cost more than about $80—unless you run into problems—and is absolutely worth the money. Ask to speak directly to the mechanic, and don’t let them off easy. If the mechanic says “It’s fine, except for such and such,” ask them what the specific problem is and how much it will cost to fix. Remember: $200 now, even if you decide not to buy the car, is much better than $2000 later. Beware of sellers who balk at the proposition since they may be hiding something.

August, 2007: “It runs great, except it’s really low power.” This was coming from a mechanic in Bozeman, MT, advising me on the purchase of a 1987 Toyota diesel truck. What I would learn 3 weeks after buying the vehicle and driving it back to Oregon was that the injection pump was due for a ‘catastrophic failure’. Oops. Price tag for this mistake: $720 and counting. Moral of the story: don’t take their word for it…

Since we’re talking about diesel engines, you may also consider getting a compression test done to test the health of the engine before you commit to any financial hardship.

Step 5: Inspect the Vehicle Yourself

You don’t have to know anything about cars to do this. Look underneath the car and check for leaks. Check the body for rust and signs of repair. Check the tires for uneven wear. Does the engine look clean and tidy, or does it look like the vehicle spent the last 6 months in Afghanistan (I actually had a mechanic say that about my engine once). Ask about anything that looks abnormal.

Step 6: Take a Test Drive

This step is all-important. New cars require a more refined set of criteria (e.g. do I really need leather seats?), but with old diesels the major deal-breaking issues must be carefully evaluated. Besides the car actually running, you should consider:

• Noise
• Driveability

Noise. I bet you never thought about this one but, trust me, older diesels can be extremely loud. Make sure you get on the freeway and push the vehicle to max operating speed (probably 65-70 mph). Could you have a conversation in the cab, or would you have to shout? Think you could stand 10 hours in there without a headache or ringing ears?

Driveability. How comfortable is the vehicle to drive? Does it ride smoothly and stop straight? How are the seats? Does it shimmy when it hits a bump? Make sure the dash lights, blinkers, and speedometer work.

Step 7: Final Evaluation Criteria

Having a ‘good feeling’ isn’t enough, and should be tempered with careful evaluation of the vehicle’s overall condition and the cost of fixing any apparent problems. That being said, make sure you like (or at least can tolerate) the car or truck you buy, since that goes a long way for having the patience to deal with future problems.

It also never hurts to get a second opinion before you buy. Is your significant other really going to let you park that in the driveway?

Next Stop:

Biodiesel Mythbuster 2.0: Twenty-Two Biodiesel Myths Dispelled
6 Ways To Find And Use Biodiesel Anywhere (Part I) and (Part II)
Learn How To Make Biodiesel On YouTube
Study: Buying Biodiesel May Be A Gamble

Photo Credit