Green Options » driving

New Fuel Economy Standards are Not Counterproductive

Nick Chambers — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:19:19 +0000

Listening to NPR’s Morning Edition yesterday, there was a segment in which some environmentalists lamented Obama’s new fuel economy standards as being a small drop in the bucket for what needs to be done to solve our climate problems.

While this is true, two comments made by Harvard University Professor, Robert Stavins, during that segment struck me as weird and based in something less than reality — a kind of academic fantasy if you will. At the time, I was driving and the comments slid out of my mind. But last night an old friend from college brought it up again in a Facebook thread and it got me thinking more in depth about it.

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Ford’s SmartGauge with Ecoguide Helps Drivers Save Gas [Video]

Amiel Blajchman — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:40:57 +0000

A few months ago Cleantechnica reported on the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan’s graphical display known as SmartGauge. Now Ford has released a video showing the interactive display in action.

Probably the coolest part of the video is where it shows how the driver will get instantaneous driving habits feedback by displaying how efficiently he or she is driving. The gauge does this through a constantly changing display of green leaves — the more green leaves on the display, the better you’re driving. For the less creative among us, that same information can also be displayed in a history graph (fuel economy over the last ten minutes). This is a nice, non-intrusive way to help promote good driving habits and maximizing a driver’s fuel economy.

Video after the break (skip to minute 2 for hybrid-specific graphics and display).

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Report: America’s Love Affair With Cars is Ending

Nick Chambers — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:14:07 +0000

According to a just-released report from the well-respected Brookings Institution, the US is experiencing its longest and quickest decline in the amount of driving since World War Two — a decline which the report’s authors claim marks a permanent shift away from the automobile and towards other forms of transportation.

The report, The Road… Less Traveled: An Analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled Trends in the U.S., points out that the beginning of the current decline in driving predated the high gas prices of last summer and, as gas prices have come back down over the last few months, drivers are not going back to their cars (click the graph below for an expanded view of these statistics).

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Tesla Motors Getting Another $40 Million to Bolster Reserves

Nick Chambers — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:08:22 +0000

After announcements last month that Tesla will be laying off some employees, scaling back the release schedule of the upcoming Model S, and restructuring the company’s management, Tesla has now announced that they have secured an additional $40 million of funding from “almost all current major investors.”

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Eco-Conscious Holidays: Travel

Becky Striepe — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:00:40 +0000

[Image credit: Joshua Davis at Flickr under a Creative Commons license]

It’s that time of year! There are parties and big meals to plan, gifts to get together, and travel plans to finalize. How is a person supposed to live green during such a busy time of year? This week, we’re going to take a look at ways to have a fabulous holiday season without giving up those Earth-friendly ideals. It doesn’t have to feel like a sacrifice!

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Brits to Add ‘Eco-Safety’ to Driving Test

Alex Felsinger — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:35:05 +0000

Starting this week, driving tests across England will include a new section to assess the driver’s ability to conserve fuel.

The UK’s Driving Standards Agency began to develop the program in 2006 in order to comply with new European Union laws. Germany, Holland, and other countries in the EU have already begun testing new drivers on their petrol-saving prowess. However, in no country does failing the “eco-safety” portion of the test affect the driver’s final assessment. In the UK, lead-footed drivers will instead receive a pamphlet with some helpful hints.

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My Day Without Driving: A Reader Challenge

Sarah Pressman Lovinger — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:16:56 +0000

I did not drive at all on Monday.

If you live in New York City, London, Paris, or on Mackinac Island, and you either have access to a great subway system or cars are banned from your small island, going for 24 hours without driving is not a big deal. But here in Chicagoland, despite a decent public transportation system, driving is a way of life. So I decided to spend a day without getting into my car or any other car, and see how I would fare.

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Environmental Defense Fund: Transportation by the Numbers

edfblog — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:04:23 +0000

With gas prices steep, public transit ridership is at an all-time high. Instead of cutting back on public transportation services, we should be reforming our national transportation system to create more affordable travel options for the whole country.

Check out these facts about oil and gas to learn more.

96

Percent of the world’s transportation energy currently supplied by oil.

75

Cost of barrel of oil on July 18th, 2007.

$131

Cost of barrel of oil on July 18th, 2008.

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Tesla Begins Popping Roadster EVs Off Production Line

Nick Chambers — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:11:49 +0000

While the kinks are worked out, Tesla is starting to move Roadsters off the production line slowly.

27 Roadsters are currently in various stages of assembly, and the company hopes to reach a monthly production rate of 100 cars by this December.

In a blog post on the company website, Tesla CEO Ze’ev Drori has reprinted the content of a note he sent to customers last Friday in which he states that Tesla has finally “broken the logjam” and already delivered 9 Roadsters to California.

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Who Might Win McCain’s Battery Competition? Part I: Firefly

Nick Chambers — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:28:34 +0000

Editor’s note: This post is a lead-in story to the Gas 2.0 interview with Mil Ovan, Senior Vice President and Co-founder of Firefly Energy.

Last week John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee for the 2008 Republican ticket, suggested that a $300 million government-sponsored competition would be a good way to spur development of next generation battery technologies.

His comments generated debate in the blogosphere and around the United States. Meanwhile, Barack Obama, the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic ticket, called McCain’s proposal a gimmick suggesting that $300 million was not enough.

Regardless of my feelings about the proposed competition or the candidates themselves, it got me thinking about just who might win it if it were to become a reality. All that thinking led to this post, and, hopefully, to several others that will look at the most promising next generation battery technologies on the horizon.

This week I’ll start with Firefly Energy.

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Interview With Mil Ovan, SVP and Co-founder of Firefly Energy

Nick Chambers — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:28:04 +0000

Editor’s note: This interview is a companion piece to Part I of the Gas 2.0 series about who might win John McCain’s proposed $300 million dollar battery competition if it were to become reality.

Last week John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee for the 2008 Republican ticket, generated debate by suggesting that a $300 million government- sponsored competition would be a good way to spur development of next generation battery technologies.

His comments got me thinking about just who might win such a competition it if it were to become reality.

Firefly Energy is one of the companies that made it to my short list. Founded in 2003, they have been working on reinvigorating old-hat lead-acid battery technology in such a way that it would become brand new and cutting edge once again.

Firefly’s innovation is that they’ve taken the heavy lead plates you’d find in a classic lead-acid battery and replaced them with a light carbon-graphite microcell foam that’s been impregnated with lead.

I recently had a chance chat with Mil Ovan, Senior Vice President and Co-founder of Firefly, about the company, their take on McCain’s competition, Firefly’s battery technology, environmental worries about lead, the Oasis battery, electric vehicles and the company’s plans for the future.

Low Impact Living: Hypermiling — My Mileage is Better than Your Mileage

Low Impact Living — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:53:12 +0000

Editor’s note: There’s no doubt about it: high gas prices are changing the ways Americans drive (and even causing them choose alternatives to driving). Our friends at Low Impact Living take a look today at the most extreme practices of driving with fuel economy in mind: hypermiling. As writer Jason Pelletier points out, some of these tactics involve safety risks… so be very careful with some of the more aggressive methods. This post was originally published on Thursday, June 5, 2008.

You may have heard about folks out there who describe themselves as “hypermilers”. What is that, you might ask? Well, it’s basically just someone who gets more out of a gallon of gas than the rest of us. Not a little more, though, but A LOT more - hypermilers can often nearly double the EPA listed mileage for a given car. One of the leaders in the hypermiler movement, Wayne Gerdes, can get nearly 60 mpg out of his 2005 Honda Accord (EPA est 34 mpg), and once got 127 mpg out of a Prius (EPA est 42 mpg)!

We all can learn from what they do, for their tips range from things we all should be doing anyway all the way up to the downright crazy / illegal things that it takes to get up into the mileage stratosphere.

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An Electric Car You Can Buy Today: The $20K TRIAC EV

Clayton B. Cornell — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:07:19 +0000

TRIAC Electric Car. Range: 60-100 Miles. Cost: 2 cents per mile

This little number has been getting some good press lately (see EcoGeek and Inhabit), and for good reason: it’s the first commercially available electric vehicle with a price tag and functionality that could meet the needs of the average city driver (assuming you can afford it).

OK, you aren’t going to fit a family of 5 in there, but that’s not what it’s made for. Green Vehicles, manufacturer of the 3-wheeled TRIAC EV, calls it a “modern freeway commuter,” because the zero-emissions vehicle can reach 80 mph and will get you into the carpool lane with a single driver. Safety-wise, it has a structural steel cage the company says is the “same metal skeleton used in race cars” and a low center of gravity to maintain balance (but surprisingly has no airbags).

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DriveSlowly Promotes Slower, More Efficient Driving

Philip Proefrock — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:32:36 +0000

Ypsilanti, Michigan is in the outlying suburbs of Detroit and is, itself, a city with a long automotive heritage going back to the Tucker Torpedo and Kaiser Motors and extending to a present day Ford assembly plant and the last Hudson dealership in the country and an Automotive Heritage Museum. But now, a local couple have embarked on a different direction towards automobiles, encouraging drivers to embrace a new mindset with a website called DriveSlowly, which they are unveiling for Earth Day.

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DriveSlowly Encourages More Moderate Speed for Fuel Savings

Philip Proefrock — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:59:43 +0000

Despite our hopes and best plans, sometimes we still have to drive. And while that high-end, high-performance hybrid remains out of our budget, we’d still like to do better with the vehicles we have. One way to accomplish that is by just driving a bit more slowly.

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Study: Buying Biodiesel May Be A Gamble

Clayton B. Cornell — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:02:43 +0000

If you ever buy retail biodiesel for your diesel vehicle, it turns out you might not be getting exactly what you paid for—or you may be getting quite a bit more.

In a new study, researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution used highly accurate radiocarbon testing on samples from 20 different biodiesel blenders to determine the biodiesel content of their fuel (so-called “splash blenders” mix pure biodiesel and diesel together before selling it at the pump).

The study found that blends sold as B20 biodiesel (20% biodiesel, 80% diesel) varied from 10% to 74% in actual biodiesel content.

“It’s a huge problem for the industry,” says Teresa Alleman of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, who recently completed a study showing that biodiesel manufacturers have improved the overall quality of pure biodiesel over the past year. If consumers pay a premium for biodiesel that they aren’t getting, she says, public confidence could be shaken. Also, blenders receive a tax credit based on the amount of biodiesel used, which could mean some sellers have received larger credits than they merit.

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6 Ways To Find And Use Biodiesel Anywhere (Part II)

Clayton B. Cornell — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:45:55 +0000

The first part of this guide should give you some good resources for finding biodiesel at home and on the road. But don’t think you have to rely on retail biodiesel to get by. Homemade (aka “homebrew”) biodiesel may be available in your area, or you may be inclined to make your own.

While fuel quality obtained by this method can vary considerably, it’s still possible (even likely) to get fuel that meets national standards. That being said, you may have to get your hands dirty, and this will require a bit more research than finding a local biodiesel pump.

Options 1-3 of this guide are located here.

4. Biodiesel Coops: Discount Fuel At A Price

Another option for the intrepid is to join hands with other biodiesel enthusiasts and participate in making the fuel yourself. Biodiesel co-ops pool resources, equipment, and know-how, and may be the best way to learn to make biodiesel. While you don’t necessarily have to get your hands dirty to participate in a co-op, it can be satisfying work, builds community, and lies at the heart of the biodiesel movement.

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6 Ways To Find And Use Biodiesel Anywhere (Part I)

Clayton B. Cornell — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:30:20 +0000

Looking to find a source of biodiesel? Perhaps you followed my previous post, 7 Steps To Buying A Diesel, or maybe you already have a vehicle and feel it’s time to boycott OPEC oil. Either way, this guide will help you figure out how to get from A to B exclusively on biodiesel. Part II (options 4-6) of this post can be found here.

Remember that biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine (warranty issues aside) without modification. The only conversion necessary is where you decide to fill up, and that’s what this guide is intended to supplement. One caveat: be advised that biodiesel use can be tricky in cold weather, and depending on location and season you may have to drop to a 50% or even 20% biodiesel blend (more on that later). Without further ado:

1. At Home: Find Biodiesel At Retail Gas Stations

Without your knowledge, a local retail station may already have converted one of their pumps to some blend of biodiesel. The most common blend is B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% diesel), but don’t be surprised to see “biodiesel stations” with a lowly 5% blend (B5). (Stations now commonly offer B5 to confer lubricity lost by the introduction of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel - ULSD.)

If you’re lucky, you may even find a B100 pump nearby, but there are other ways to get pure (aka neat) biodiesel (see below). You can find a list of retail biodiesel stations at both the National Biodiesel Board’s website, and NearBio.com:

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Germans Release 117 MPG Diesel Sportscar: Biodiesel, Anyone?

Clayton B. Cornell — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:00:33 +0000

The German company Loremo (short for low-resistance mobile) released a turbodiesel sportscar at last September´s Frankfurt International Auto Show capable of a whopping 117 mpg and range of no less than 621 miles. They also plan on hybrid and electric models, and even one that runs on vegetable oil.

High-mileage-sportscar may sound like an oxymoron, and it’s a fair question to ask what was sacrificed to get 117 MPG out of this sleek, sporty-looking turbo-diesel, which is available in two models: a 2-cylinder LS and a 3-cylinder GT.

Besides the cool-looking flip-up lid and snazzy interior, Loremo’s real innovation (if the name was any hint) is based on two fuel economy fundamentals: substantially reducing weight and drag.

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Environmental Defense: To Drive Less, Live Closer to Work

Kira Marchenese — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:42:14 +0000

The author of today’s post, Sheryl Canter, is an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

Total greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks is a function of three factors: amount of driving, fuel economy, and carbon emissions per gallon of fuel (the "three-legged stool [PDF]"). The news media tend to focus on the latter two factors, but how much people drive has a huge impact.

A new report published by the Urban Land Institute says that greenhouse gas emissions cannot be reduced sufficiently by making vehicles more efficient, because growth in driving cancels out improved fuel economy. People also must drive less. And the report’s solution is not just better public transportation.

The way to reduce driving sufficiently, the authors say, is to shift development patterns to favor compact, mixed-land-use neighborhoods where you can walk to school and the grocery store. If you live in a car-dependent area, moving to a walkable area will do more to fight global warming than buying a fuel-efficient hybrid car.

This idea is already being put into action in some areas. New York City is expecting one million more people by the year 2030, and is using rezoning to direct development towards areas with strong transit access.

Environmental Defense helped California’s San Joaquin Valley, which is notorious for bad air quality, implement a similar strategy. The Air Pollution Control Board adopted an incentive program [PDF] that gives developers two choices: reduce the environmental impact by creating sidewalks, bike paths, and nearby schools and commercial districts, or pay a fee for any excess pollution.

Living in a walkable neighborhood has other advantages. Recently released figures from the New York City Department of Health show that New Yorkers tend to live longer than most people in the country — an odd finding considering the lack of fresh air and other hazards. The city’s Commissioner of Public Health thinks it’s because New York is a walking city.