Environmentales

Like any regular fuel, E-85 fuel will have its own fixed price. Due to its vast popularity and the thousands of consumers utilizing this alternative fuel, it’s about time to put E-85 regular price on the charts. Pump your shocks up and down and visit the nearest E85 refueling stations to fill up your E-85-propelled vehicles!

The country’s biggest group for motorists has started bringing out the national average price of the mainly-ethanol mix of fuel this week in its highly-proclaimed AAA Fuel Gauge Report Web site (www.aaafuelgaugereport.com) due to the status of the improving development and interest in the application of E-85 fuel as a remarkable substitute to the usual gas! Pricing information for E-85 is also accessible on AAA’s TripTik® Travel Planner - an interactive mapping, routing and travel planning tool that is offered with no charges at AAA.com.

E-85 is the general term for a motor fuel created from a mixture of approximately 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The usual gasoline normally has as much as 10 percent ethanol, but much higher concentrations require particular alterations to vehicle engines and fuel systems. Based from the news published at TheAutoChannel.com, the present day’s nationwide standard price of self-serve regular gasoline is $2.811 per gallon compared to $2.334 for a gallon of E-85 according to AAA.

There are just about 4.5 million motor vehicles today on the roads of America that are able to run on E-85 or conventional gasoline through the use of flexible fuel technology. On the other hand, over 1,200 gasoline stations nationwide are now providing E-85 on a regular basis. Nearly all of these gas stations are focused in the upper Midwest next to the nation’s ethanol manufacturing plants although E-85 pumps are starting to come out in other regions too.

“The number of vehicles that can burn E-85 coupled with the number of stations that can dispense it means more motorists should be actively considering the purchase or lease of a vehicle capable of operating on a mostly-ethanol blend of fuel. It is AAA’s belief that given higher oil prices in the future, E-85 will become even more competitively-priced as the ethanol industry continues to develop in the United States and around the world,” said one expert on the matter.

AAA is also posting a nationwide, average “BTU-adjusted E-85 price” that reports for the piece of information that E-85 brings over 25 percent less energy content per gallon than regular gasoline to guide motorists realize the cost differential between E-85 and the usual gasoline. BTU stands for British Thermal Units.

“Simply comparing the retail cost of a gallon of E-85 to a gallon of gasoline does not convey the inherent loss in fuel economy - and increase in vehicle operating expense - that accompanies the use of E-85. AAA’s BTU-adjusted E-85 price is intended to compensate for this situation and provide an apples-to-apples price comparison that is more helpful to consumers,” added Sundstrom of the AAA.

Are green cars like hybrids fuel efficient? Sure, you would answer on the affirmative. But think again. A number of hybrids these days don’t get the great mileage they are touting. Let’s uncover the worst hybrids under the industry’s blanket…

Try to enter a showroom. You might see red instead of seeing green. Why? Because many of the hybrids defy fuel efficiency in the name of performance and power.

The average gas mileage of hybrid models available in the United States is 33 miles per gallon (combined city and highway). But Chevy’s newest Silverado hybrid truck gets only 16 mpg. The newest Lexus LS 600h L hybrid sedan clocks in at 21 mpg and the 2007 Saturn Vue hybrid at 26 mpg, divulged ABC News.

What’s more, the most recent 2006 J.D. Power and Associates Alternative Powertrain Study found that only 50% of new-vehicle shoppers are currently considering a hybrid, down from 57% in 2005.

“In the 2006 study, we found consumers often overestimated the fuel efficiency of hybrid-electric vehicles,” said Mike Marshall, the director of auto emerging technologies at J.D. Power. “The decrease in consideration of hybrids in 2007 may be a result of their more realistic understanding of the actual fuel-economy capabilities.”

Also, the fuel economy of several hybrids is almost indistinguishable from that of their conventional counterparts. Take the GMC Sierra Classic 15 Hybrid. Its V8 engine and hefty 5,000-lb. weight keeps its gas mileage to 16 mpg, only one mile per gallon more than GMC’s non-hybrid version, the report continued.

With these facts, it made me wonder: if Dodge would manufacture a new hybrid, would the Dodge Neon air filter like the idea? How clean and fuel efficient would it be?

Few would consider a truck that guzzles that much gas an environment- or wallet-friendly. According to the Department of Energy, Toyota Prius owners will spend an average of $900 on gas annually. The Classic 15 hybrid is expected to swallow over $2,600 in gas yearly.

This year, in addition to 2 huge hybrid sport utilities with V8 engine and awful fuel economy, GM will roll the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu hybrid sedans, both 27 mpg, straight off the assembly line and onto the bed of the efficiency load.

The Aura Hybrid, a $22,700 midsize with a 4-cylinder engine, has the same gas mileage as the conventional engine in the comparably sized and more modestly priced Kia Spectra ($16,000).

GM officials stressed out that the company makes more models with 30 mpg or better than any other manufacturer, and that it has been investing heavily in ethanol and fuel-cell technology.

Bradley Berman, the editor of hybridcars.com, said that automakers like GM should expect sluggish sales. This is due to the fact that consumers’ ecological concerns don’t seem to be waning, and fuel prices, now around $3 a gallon, continue to accelerate. “The reality now is that people want maximum mpg,” Berman said. “The most fuel-efficient hybrids are selling a lot better than the hybrids that are oriented toward power.”

Japanese automaker Toyota has been producing fuel efficient vehicles even before the hybrid era. And with the Prius, they have cemented their name at the top of the list of green car makers. The Prius though is not the only green car in Toyota’s lineup. There’s also the Camry Hybrid which was named as the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s Canadian Car of the Year. And why is the Camry Hybrid chosen as the best car in Canada? Well, it has the fuel efficiency that other cars can only dream of, and it has the performance to back that up.

And with the coming of the new model year, the 2008 Camry Hybrid is ready to once again wow consumers and critics alike. The newest version of the Camry Hybrid was recently introduced in the Canadian auto market by Toyota Canada. According to theautochannel.com, the new Camry Hybrid “once again delivers all the performance, style, quality and comfort that Canadians demand, with exceptionally low emissions and superb fuel efficiency.”

With its hybrid powertrain, the Camry Hybrid produces less greenhouse gases than conventional vehicles - even those equipped with Audi oxygen sensor. The powertrain is essentially composed of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. The internal combustion engine or ICE runs on gasoline but it has some emission filtration technologies which reduces the amount of potentially harmful gas emitted by the car. The electric motor on the other hand is powered by the car’s battery pack which is in turn recharged by the engine and during braking. The combination of these two powerplants allows the electric motor to ease the load on the ICE which means that during light loads and low speed operations, the car does not consume any petroleum fuel.

The fuel efficiency and performance of the Toyota Camry Hybrid has already attracted the attention of many Canadian auto buyers. Tony Wearing, the managing director of Toyota Canada, said that they have seen an increase in the demand for the fuel thrifty Camry Hybrid. “We are thrilled that Canadians have embraced the Camry Hybrid,” said  Wearing. “The Camry Hybrid has accounted for almost 20% of all Canadian Camry line sales in the first 7 months of this year. As Canadian drivers are discovering, the Camry Hybrid delivers more than just great fuel efficiency and a fraction of the tailpipe emissions of a conventional automobile. It’s also big on performance thanks to smooth and powerful hybrid acceleration and Toyota’s top of the line vehicle dynamics and control technologies.”

The 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid is now available in Canada with a starting price of $32,000.

Have you checked out the hottest and the freshest automotive site on the web? Well, if you don’t have any idea, it’s CarDevotion.com! Actually, I just heard about it last week when I was referred by a friend when I asked for some assistance in purchasing Acura brake boosters. And now, the site has added up features that every car enthusiast will definitely love! According to TheAutoChannel.com, CarDevotion.com has launched the new “Green Cars” section and an Editor’s blog to further bring a lot of references about green cars and automobile insights!

The launch of the newest “Green Cars’ section concentrating on eco-friendly vehicles and an expanded variety of latest “From the Driver’s Seat” blog of behind-the-scenes remarks and outrageous opinions will carry out vital information to online consumers with efficiency! Veteran writer Peter Frey will be editing CarDevotion.com as well as publishing exceptional editorial and news subjects. One-stop new-car shopping will be available as well!

“CarDevotion.com’s mission is to catch the wave of today’s high-speed automotive evolution and take the readers along for the ride. Green Cars are the future and we’re giving them in-depth coverage. And hopefully the readers will find my blog both entertaining and illuminating,” says Frey, the former Associate Editor of Motor Trend Magazine.

CarDevotion.com variety of sections will also include “Streets of Tomorrow” which will tackle on the esoteric new transportation technologies under development across the world. The “Industry Events,” a calendar of upcoming car shows, automaker-sponsored concert tours, driving adventures, traveling technology exhibits and new-vehicle ride-and-drive events is included in the sections as well!

CarDevotion.com’s editorial mix will consist of an assorted take on the improvements in the auto industry, as well as a library of exclusive automotive content including reviews of over 3,000 of new vehicles and records dating more than a decade back on a column called “Automotive News”.

“We’re in a unique position to watch the ebb and flow of trends on the Internet, and CarDevotion.com is our response to those trends. It blends information, news, entertainment and community into a unique site that is fun, informative and an effective platform for automakers and other companies in the auto industry,” says the company’s CEO and co-founder, Scott Yamano.

Here’s more you should know about www.cardevotio.com:

CarDevotion.com’s parent company, Dedicated Marketing Solutions, is a major player in the online ad industry with thousands of branded websites, as well as exclusive web properties such as CarDevotion.com, and PharmDaily.com, in its ever-growing network. Clients ranging from AT&T and Monster to Kaiser Permanente and Qantas Airlines take advantage of the network’s dedication to effective reach and proven, cost-effective results.

I had been wandering thru the internet trying to find the cheapest and quality Volkswagen cold air intake for my father’s VW car but I guess he badly needs a new car. I mean for months, we have been doing lots of mechanic work on his car. I told him I’ll get him a new one but he said his VW car has been with him for years. And so I told him I’ll get him a hybrid car. And guess what he said? Son, what is a hybrid car?

I mean oh my Gowd! This is going to be long long explanation. Anyway, before I tried to educate my 64-year-old dad about hybrid cars, I decided to browse some online news magazines to know about the latest hybrid technology and guess what I found on the Kicking Tires?

A thin battery is now the latest craze not only for mobile phone but for cars as well. The news says New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has developed this paper thin battery which is made up of mainly cellulose. This is the cells found on plants. The battery can actually change in shape and can be rolled up, cut and actually fit into any battery jack. Imagine that? So, it will be possible for any hybrid car to have it, right?

The news said that it could be used on any part of the car - maybe under the seats, door panels, under the trunk and just about anywhere. This will not only achieve people to have a greener drive but it would also help lessen the weight of any vehicle.

The researcher said that the paper thin battery produces small amounts of energy on a long period of time but it can also be produced into a capacitor that could produce huge amount of energy. The new batteries do not contain water so it can be used on both extreme and low temperatures. This can be a huge problem to conventional hybrids.

This new battery is cheap, non-toxic and super light weight. However, it needs lots of tests to finally make it as an actual part of a car.

A go for green cars isn’t as easy as you think. It requires knowledge and lots of money of course. Hitting the “go green” button almost requires a crash course in environmental science. Really, it’s not as easy as using the clutch kit if need be. It’s a bit complex.

That’s what brought Charles Miller, an Oro Valley resident, to the Alternative Energy Expo, the largest such event of its kind in Arizona. “I just want to learn more about solar (power),” Miller told the Explorer. “I don’t have any particular application (for it at the) present, but I just wanted to get the information and see what’s going on.”

Although not in the market for a new vehicle, Miller was looking at the half dozen or so cars on display at the Tucson Convention Center, which included Toyota’s usual entry of hybrids, GM’s foray into ethanol-powered vehicles and even a natural-gas-powered HUMMER - almost an anachronism at a fair devoted to fuel efficiency and conservation, the report added. “The thing about this car is it will still kill someone,” someone muttered about the green, four-wheel drive behemoth.

Miller is like most auto owners. He may have an energy-saving light bulb here or there, but most of this new wave of environmentally conscious marketing requires a bit of extra-curricular education. He uses solar panels to heat his pool and lists their benefit as two-fold. “One would be the cost, and two would be the availability of energy without having to use some other form of energy to heat water,” he noted.

Aside from energy source, another alarming concern is the greenhouse gas emissions. This is the reason why automakers are concentrating on building fuel efficient cars to improve mileage without sacrificing the environment.

I’m particularly interested in the cars,” Miller said. “I’m surprised to see this variety of cars at the [expo] show.” Alternative-fuel cars include hybrid, E85, natural gas, hydrogen, fuel cell and solar cars. While many have yet to hit the market to wide appeal, many people already are familiar with the hybrids.

Every auto giant now has some form of hybrid car or is looking to make one. There are a number of reasons why alternative-fuel vehicles are becoming more popular, said Jack Smith, a fleet account executive for GM. “I’m sure the cost of fuel, trying to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, impact on the environment,” he said.

The largest automaker is trying to stake a claim on the E85 market (cars that use 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) by introducing 14 different models of the so-called “flex-fuel” cars. They can run on either E85 or standard gasoline. Currently, there are 5 gas stations in the Tucson area that offer E85, including one in the Northwest at the corner of Ruthrauff Road and La Cholla Boulevard. GM hopes to have 50% of all its vehicles E85 compatible by 2012, Smith added.

When you push of the green button, think of the ramifications. Think well.

Are you a car fanatic? Well, there are millions of car fanatics around the globe.

But are you a hypermiler? (Read: hypermiler = a car mileage fanatic) Now that’s something unique. So what exactly is hypermiling? Basically, it’s about entertaining enhancements to increase mileage.

Since there are only few hypermilers, we should take advantage of the rare opportunity to learn from them. One of the greatest hypermiler in America is Wayne Gerdes.

Wayne wrings every last mile out of his gas tank. And he knows how to wring a gas tank dry…

Wayne is a member of the team that drove 1,200 miles on a Toyota Prius on a single gas tank. A zealous analysis of the mileage capability of his Corolla, made Wayne attain as much as 75.6 miles per gallon on his Key Bridge cruise and a two-way trip from Georgetown to Columbia only on a gallon of gas.

Wayne, of Wadsworth, Ill., can squeeze 84 miles per gallon from your standard-issue Ford Ranger pick-up. He once averaged more than 100 mpg during the course of an entire summer, narrated MSNBC. And while behind the wheel of a hybrid electric Honda Insight, he coaxed the vehicle into yielding an astonishing 180.1 mpg. Wyane can do these seemingly impossible things with a car because he is one of a rare breed of drivers known as hypermilers.

These drivers are “completely obsessed” with getting good gas mileage, said Bill Robbins, a spokesperson for an annual event called Hybridfest in Madison, Wis., which celebrates hybrid cars and all things related to reducing fuel consumption.

Wayne admits to this obsession without shilly-shallying. He isn’t trying to get merely good gas mileage. Or even great for that matter. He’s in for hypermileage. He uses specialized driving techniques that can double the normal gas mileage for any car, including non-hybrids. Some techniques are simple like no to excessive car idling.

Other techniques get a little more technical. One example is putting the lowest weight oil in your car helps it work more efficiently. “This allows for better kinematic viscosity,” said Wayne, “which means that it’s easier to pump oil through the engine, and the engine moves against itself easier.”

The benefits of hypermiling are fairly noticeable. “For the most part, hypermiling encourages non-aggressive driving,” said Geoff Sundstrom, the director of AAA Public Affairs. “Driving the speed limit and not speeding up to stop signs are all good things - these are things that we teach new drivers.”

“When taken to an extreme, hypermiling can become a very selfish endeavor,” Geoff concluded. “The bottom line is: Saving fuel and conserving energy are important, but so is safety - and preventing crashes.”

There are so many techniques to learn. Techniques with names like Pulse and Glide, Warp Stealth and Ridge Riding. Wayne doesn’t like to talk too much about these because, if done inappropriately, they can actually be dangerous.

Now you think about that VW Rabbit part of yours. And you simply wish you had the skill to make it achieve hypermileage…

When it comes to innovation and persistence, Mazda cannot be left out of the picture. For years, automakers kept tinkering with the Wankel engine. But all of them dropped the project because they were unable to make a fuel efficient and clean burning Wankel engine. But Mazda persisted and today, the automaker is the only major car company manufacturing vehicles with Wankel engines. And when automakers started manufacturing hybrid cars, Mazda was just on the sideline making their cars more fuel efficient which costs considerably less than hybrid cars.

Recently, the automaker has created a product for automotive application which is considered a major step in the protection of the environment. With the help of Teijin Limited and Teijin Fibers Limited, the automaker has created the industry’s first biofabric. The said fabric has that bio bit added to it because it is made from fibers derived from plants and not from some compounds produced from petroleum fuel. The two companies have their Research and Development facility and manufacturing sites near Mazda’s headquarters in Hiroshima. So it can be likened to neighbors helping each other out.

The biofabric although not containing any oil-based material, not a trace of it in fact, the material still has the ideal characteristics of a good fabric for automotive application. It is made to endure the heat of sunlight and abrasions. It is also flame retardant. This breakthrough fabric will be used on the Premacy/Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show in October. The biofabric will be used as seat covers and door trims for the concept vehicle.

“Mazda succeeded in developing this 100 percent plant-derived biofabric for use in vehicle interiors by leveraging the technical expertise we have amassed in the Hiroshima area,” said Seita Kanai, Mazda’s director and senior executive officer in charge of research and development. “We are convinced that our new technology, which enables the manufacture of this material without any oil-based resources, will become a cornerstone for future biotechnologies aimed at reducing the burden on the environment. Mazda, working together with our locally-based partners, will continue its research and development programs aimed at achieving a future car society that is eco-friendly,” he added further.

The said fabric, according to Mazda, is made like this. First, they ferment carbohydrates such as plant sugars. Then, they take the lactic acid molecules, whatever they might be. This is complex you know. Then, as I was saying, they combine large amounts of these molecules, and voila!, you have instant biofabric.

The world famous hybrid car Toyota Prius is getting a new facelift according to Autoblog.com. The news authority reveals that the next generation Toyota Prius is going to be released in 2008. But because of safety reasons, Toyota is bringing out the new generation Prius maybe in 2009. They are still perfecting the installation of the Li-ion batteries on the new hybrid car. The battery problems they have noted causes the delay of its launch. The latest version of the Toyota Prius was supposedly made to come wearing Lithuim-ion batteries but because it’s unsafe, they took it off adding the previous battery on the car. So, the 2007 new version of the Prius still handles the nickel-ion battery.

Meanwhile, the world is going crazy over the future unveiling of the next generation Prius but Autoblog.com was the few among the privileged internet news providers to spy on the latest happenings of the development of the future Prius. They have seen the newest upgrades made to the famous fuel efficient car. The facelift was actually based from both the Camry and Yaris which makes it really interesting. This is actually the opposite of what they mentioned before that the next generation Prius will wear the Hybrid-X concept styling.

Anyway, what is important here is that they are giving it more fuel efficient features. Meaning the new car will be running on fewer emission rates. That is awesome. We will be looking forward to that.

I’ve been hooked with clean engine breakthroughs and a lot of stuff about alternative fuel and eco-friendly technologies etc. I always make sure that I have the latest updates about this everyday or at least thrice a day will do. Fortunately, good news has been showering lately about ground breaking technologies that are being introduced in the industry! One of the freshest technologies that were brought up this week is the clean diesel engine technology by Ricardo.

According to my source, TheAutoChannel.com, Ricardo has announced that it has attained a very important highlight in its advanced diesel research! It was after the successful achievement of Tier II Bin 5 emissions from an automotive diesel engine without the use of NOx after treatment. This research sustained the intention of showcasing clean diesel technology that is able to achieve U.S. Super Ultra-Low Emission (SULEV) and Tier II Bin 2 requirements. Ricardo has placed the advanced diesel next to gasoline hybrid and fuel cell powered vehicles as future high fuel-economy through the milestone that they achieved - environmentally friendly automotive products that is!

“The achievement of Tier II Bin 5 engine-out emissions without NOx aftertreatment is a major breakthrough and puts us squarely on the path to achieving our ultimate objective of Tier II Bin 2, the world’s cleanest emissions standard. By applying a systems engineering approach which combines engine-out optimization with advanced aftertreatment, we have demonstrated that the diesel can provide a clean, fun to drive, cost-effective, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly solution for the vehicles of tomorrow. While there clearly remain many challenges in translating this research into high volume production solutions, this achievement provides significant new confidence in the future viability of the clean diesel in North America,” says Dean Harlow, the president of Ricardo, Inc.

The development began in late 2005 wherein the early stages of the research project has been concentrating in the development of technologies to bring on the engine-out exhaust emissions without NOx after treatment that gets the severe Tier II Bin 5 US emission requirements, in which delivered NOx levels roughly one-sixth those of Euro 5.

“The advanced diesel technologies developed and demonstrated through this research project are extremely attractive in the European as well as the North American market. While the future emissions regulations are different for both regions, the technology we have demonstrated as being capable of achieving Tier II Bin 2 US emissions standards is also highly applicable to the challenge of providing cost-optimized CO2 reduction solutions for EU6 and beyond in Europe,” says Ian Penny, Ricardo’s global diesel product group director regarding the international applicability of the developed technology.