Cobasys has become the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's poster child of new companies that have expanded in Michigan.
Say fuel efficiency standards are expensive and won't meet the goal of reducing gasoline use.
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Pemex replaced 41 percent of production with new reserves last year, up from 26.4 percent in 2005 but well below the 100 percent, complete-replacement level officials are seeking.
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Filed under: Green Culture, MPG, Aston Martin, Ferrari, GM, Honda, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Toyota, Tesla Motors
The United Kingdom's Environmental Transport Association (ETA) annual awards have named the Honda Civic Hybrid Britain's greenest car for the second straight year. Finishing ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa 13.CTDi and Toyota Yaris 1.4 Diesel, the Civic won out for its superior combination of engine size, fuel consumption, noise pollution and safety impact on pedestrians.
The award for Greenest Off-Roader went to the Toyota RAV4 diesel and the Greenest Luxury Car award went to the Jaguar XJ 2.7 diesel. The wrong end of the list was dominated by luxury brands including Lamborghini, Ferrari and Aston Martin, proving that making a car really fast still requires a lot of petrol.
Top ten green cars:
- Honda Civic Hybrid
- Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi
- Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D Manual
- Renault Modus 1.2 16V VVT
- Daihatsu Sirion M300
- Citroen C1 1.1
- Toyota Aygo 1.0 Manual
- Peugeot 107 Manual
- Daihatsu Charade Manual
- Fiat Panda 1.3
Top ten worst cars:
- Lamborghini Diablo Roadster
- Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster
- Ferrari Supermerica
- Ferrari Scagliatti
- Bentley Azure
- Bentley Arnage RL
- Aston Martin Vanquish
- Aston Martin DB9 Manual
- Bentley Continental Flying Spur
- Ferrari F430 Spider
Analysis: Small, light vehicles get great fuel economy and are unlikely to mow down pedestrians while large, fast sports cars are made to go even faster by using bigger engines that suck more fuel. That's why the Tesla Roadster is such a revelation - a fast, sporty vehicle that runs on electricity and has zero emissions. By the looks of this list, it will have the other sports cars beaten hands down for environmental performance for a while yet.
Related:
- Cameron Diaz in the Tesla Roadster = porn?
- Honda Accord Hybrid to pace Indy series for 2007
- Ecorazzi highlights Q'Orianka Kilcher and her Honda FCX with video
[Source: AutoTrader.co.uk]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hydrogen
Voller Energy, a developer and manufacturer of portable fuel-cell systems, has announced that they have successfully assembled and demonstrated the operation of a complete and totally self-contained prototype fuel-cell system which can be run on compressed natural gas (CNG/LPG) or propane. Voller plans to commercialize their 1kW class auxiliary power units (APUs), which include a proprietary fully automated control and safety system, gas reformate clean-up and cooling, by the end of the year.
Most fuel-cells run exclusively on hydrogen which is currently available in very few locations in comparison to CNG/LPG which is available at most petrol stations to refill gas bottles for camping stoves and barbecues. Voller's system is characterized by quiet operation, low emissions and high efficiency.
Another recently announced product by Voller is the fourth generation of their VE100 fuel-cell product line, the Fuel Cell ABC (Automatic Battery Charger). The Fuel Cell ABC is a portable generator and battery charger that has a plug on the front just like the plug in the wall, but produces no toxic emissions when operating, only pure water.
Analysis: Fuel-cells show great promise not only in transportation but also in portable energy. Reliance on hydrogen has limited their uptake though, so a fuel-cell which can run off readily available liquid gas is sure to gain a great deal of interest in the market.
Related:
- Purdue working on 'carbon-free' production method for liquid fuels, but it requires hydrogen
- Quantum announces $2.1 million plug-in hybrid deal with California's South Coast AQMD
- Has there been a battery "breakthrough" in South Africa?
[Source: Voller press release]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture
Electric vehicle (EV) advocate Jenny Isaacs has decided she can't wait for rising fuel prices to usher in a wave of hybrids and EVs, and has instead started a workshop to teach people how to convert their own vehicles. Isaacs has brought a Californian EV expert in to run a two-week course in her home town that will show 20 vocational-technical school teachers how to convert a petrol-powered vehicle into a straight EV.
A 1985 Volkswagen Vanagon will go under the knife for the sake of the course and be converted into a road-going electric vehicle, a process which typically costs around $10,000 including labour and 8-16 lead acid batteries. Lead acid batteries take many hours to charge and only offer a short travel distance but are incredibly cheap to run once they're set up.
Analysis: With lithium-ion battery technology moving forward so quickly and dropping in price, there will be a real niche for people to offer EV conversions in the future. Imagine a standard, turn-key li-ion battery conversion kit with everything you needed to convert your car being sold on the promise of no more fuel bills. That's an idea that would sell.
Related:
- ZAP is hoping to clear one more electric car hurdle with their new high speed charger
- Cameron Diaz in the Tesla Roadster = porn?
- Editorial: Tesla = GM, Toyota? Tesla > Phoenix Motorcars?
[Source: The Morning Call via Its Getting Hot In Here]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Carbon Capture
Should we be adding hemp to the growing list of crops for alternative fuels that are better than our current use of corn for ethanol? That is an idea proposed by Anthony J. Gerst over at Planetsave.com. Anthony surmises that hemp could produce 600 gallons of methanol per acre. Methanol, being an alcohol, could be used as an alternative fuel, and is also used as a component for creating biodiesel from vegetable oil.
Other points of interest from the posting include the fact that hemp could save many trees from paper use, and is an excellent crop for the sequestration of CO2. What do you think? Should we consider hemp as a crop for use in alternative fuels?
[Source: Anthony J. Gerst / Planetsave]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hydrogen, Manufacturing/Plants
Danish industrial catalyst company Haldor Topsoe A/S is set to invest DKK 100 million (US$17 million) in a new subsidiary, Topsoe Fuel Cell, to build a fuel-cell pilot plant. The facility is being built to produce Solid Oxide Fuel-Cells (SOFC) with plans in the works to build a commercial plant by 2010.
SOFC shows promise as being a low cost production method for fuel-cells which produce electricity cleanly and efficiently. A solid oxide fuel-cell consists of a cathode, a solid oxide electrolyte which conducts oxygen ions but not electrons, and an anode. The potential difference between the oxygen reacting at the cathode and the fuel reacting at the anode drives an electrical current.
Haldor Topsoe has experience in producing the catalysts used in industrial production of many chemicals including hydrogen, which is of course typically used in fuel-cells.
Analysis: R&D dollars are starting to really flow into fuel-cells as companies come to appreciate that fuel-cells have many more applications than just transportation. As new techniques are developed that will bring the price down, expect to see fuel-cells popping up all over the place.
Related:
- University of New Brunswick makes progress on solid state H2 storage
- Quantum announces $2.1 million plug-in hybrid deal with California's South Coast AQMD
- Companies scramble to patent fuel-cell technologies
[Source: Renewable Energy Access]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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Filed under: Etc., MPG, Ford, Saturn, Legislation and Policy
President Bush's proposal to cut overall gasoline consumption by 20 percent over 10 years is drawing all sorts of fire from domestic automakers and the UAW. They say the plan is too expensive and not technologically feasible at this point. But that's not stopping the president from promoting his plan at GM and Ford assembly plants in the Kansas City area next week. He'll use the Saturn Aura Green Line and Ford Escape Hybrid as backdrops to push his agenda. The president has been seen with electric vehicles (above) and in biofuel labs lately as he tries to address green issues.
[Source: Associated Press via BusinessWeek.com]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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Click the photo for a gallery of high-res images of the 2007 Audi R10 TDi
For the second year in a row the Audi R10 TDi has won the Twelve Hours of Sebring in the hands of Marco Werner, Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro . The R10 ran six laps more then the second place Acura of Bryan Herta, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan. Even the reduction in fuel tank capacity from 90L to 81L and the resultant extra fuel stops was not enough to stop the dominant Audis.
The other R10 led for most of the first five hours before encountering electrical problems that caused delays. That car eventually recovered and finished fourth overall, eleven laps behind the lead car. The Audi press release is after the jump.
[Source: Audi and American LeMans Series]
Audi wins with Diesel power again at Sebring
Audi's pioneering Diesel technology has triumphed again. Having written motorsport history by scoring the first victory for a Diesel sportscar in the 12 Hours of Sebring last year, the latest 2007-spec R10 TDI has immediately made its mark to earn Audi an eighth consecutive Sebring win after a hard fought duel with the 150-kg lighter LM P2 cars. Frank Biela (Germany), Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany) swept their revised Audi R10 TDI to a 6-lap victory at Sebring today (17 March), the opening round of the 2007 American Le Mans Series. The winning Audi covered 1346.800-miles in the warm Florida sunshine, setting also a new track record in 1m 46.730s.
The "sister" Audi Sport North America R10 TDI of defending American Le Mans Series champions Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland), plus Tom Kristensen (Denmark), started from the front row alongside the pole-sitting #2 Audi despite the sports car being totally rebuilt after an accident in practice following qualifying on Thursday night. The #1 Audi led for most of the opening five hours after the #2 Audi had suffered a left rear puncture losing two laps. But after five hours, the leading #1 Audi lost 30mins with two pit-stops to rectify an electrical issue allowing the Biela/Pirro/Werner Audi to recapture the lead from seventh place. The #2 Audi's 2006 Sebring race winning combination ultimately finished second in the LM P1 class - fourth overall.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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