The Grey Clouds Blurring Flex Cars Goal

Business Week reported that even though President Bush enjoyed a high-profile photo-op on Monday with the heads of the Big Three automakers who showed him an impressive lineup of their latest clean-car models. Flex cars include General Motors Corporation’s model that can run on ethanol, a plug-in vehicle powered by hydrogen from the Ford Motor Co., and a DaimlerChrysler AG Jeep fueled by a biodiesel blend. According to the magazine all was not quite what it seemed.

Business Week said there is a dirty secret about US made clean cars. That secret could send grey clouds to make flex cars goal a blurry deal. The present government policies for flex-fuel vehicles give automakers leeway in meeting fuel-economy standards if they produce flex-fuel cars and trucks.

Hence, Detroit’s automakers have been manufacturing out hundreds of thousands of the vehicles, even though most consumers have no access to alternative fuels because they are available at only a fraction of gas stations in the United States.

Just one percent of the nation’s flexible-fuel vehicles actually use E85. The remaining 99 percent are using the traditional gasoline fuel. The aftermath is anything but green. E85 is an alcohol fuel mixture that contains a mixture of up to 85 percent denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbons. The ethanol component ranges from 70 or 83 percent. The said fuel is widely used in Sweden and is now getting more and more popular in the United States.

GM serves as a modern leader in flexible fuel engines, as its Swedish subsidiary Saab has developed a turbocharged flexible-fuel engine called the BioPower. The sophisticated engine takes special advantage of the high-octane fuel. The engine allows the vehicle to accelerate faster and achieve dramatic speeds when running on E85 compared to running on pure gasoline. Tests conducted using older Saabs fitted with the APC system revealed that they can run fine on up to 50 percent E85 mixed with ordinary gasoline. Nevertheless, the fuel is expected to have long term effects as ethanol is more aggressive on tubes and that gasoline also acts as a lubricant.

Additionally, GM’s Brazilian subsidiary adopted the automaker’s Family II and Family 1 straight-4 engines with FlexPower technology that enables the use of ethanol, gasoline, or mix fuel. The vehicles with FlexPower include the Chevrolet Corsa and the Chevrolet Astra.

Nowadays, automakers are aiming at manufacturing more flex fuel vehicles to cope with the demands of the standards. This is the reason why automakers are asking considerable support from the administration. The pecuniary support is expected to finance research, testing and studies regarding the use of alternative fuels. If ever Nissan Motors Corp. Ltd. decides to build flex fuel vehicles, the automaker would consider a number of things. One of which is Nissan engines, which would require a meticulous study.

Environmental advocates are not shy about voicing their outrage. “It’s a total scam,” said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club’s global warming program. He added, “The automakers are trying to shield themselves from having to make more efficient vehicles. They’re avoiding the path to cutting oil dependence, curbing global warming, saving consumers’ money, and ultimately saving Detroit from competitors like Toyota.”

RyanThomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/the-grey-clouds-blurring-flex-cars-goal-124688.html

Hydrogen Vehicles Available for Test Drive

Alternative fuels are slowly gaining more and more public support, thanks to the increasing awareness of environmental protection. More and more car manufacturers are pouring in a lot of money in the development of vehicles that will run on alternative fuels. Currently, some alternative fuels that are being developed include the likes of ethanol, biodiesel, electricity, and hydrogen. These fuels are cleaner than petroleum products. These also come from renewable energy sources unlike gasoline and diesel which comes from non-renewable fossil fuels.

One of the most promising alternative fuels because of its zero emission quality is hydrogen. Aside from the fact that it produces only water when used as fuel, hydrogen is also abundant in nature. While it may seem that hydrogen used as fuel seems more like theory instead of reality to many motorists, there are already hydrogen powered cars developed by car manufacturers.

These vehicles will be available for test drives when the Texas H2 Coalition unveils several hydrogen powered cars in Austin. The vehicles will be available for drivers who want to experience driving a car of the future. The event facilitated by the organization promoting hydrogen as fuel of the future is free to the public. It is aimed to display the current technologies developed by car makers in using hydrogen as fuel. Aside from the performance of these cars, the event will also showcase how these vehicles can be refueled.

Vehicles that will be showcased and available for test drives at the event come from car makers like BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, and General Motors. A valid driver’s license is the only requirement for those who wants to take a ride on these vehicles.

Pete Parsons Marshall, the Executive Director of the Texas H2 Coalition, has this to say about the event: “Hydrogen fueled vehicles are swiftly becoming a reality. They are not something that is off in the distant future. The challenge now is just finding ways to create an infrastructure that will support them.” This is the current problem being faced by advocates for the use of hydrogen as fuel. Without facilities to refuel hydrogen vehicles across the country, car buyers will not buy them even if they are fuel efficient and eco-friendly.

On the other hand, without the numerous hydrogen vehicles on the road, businessmen will not invest on putting up hydrogen refueling facilities which will definitely require a lot of capital. In this regard, the government should take steps to solve this chicken-and-egg problem. If no steps are taken to promote the construction of hydrogen refueling facilities, the capability of hydrogen as a potent substitute to gasoline or diesel will remain stuck in its developmental stage just like how Chrysler’s Eagle brand, with its Eagle cold air intake system, met its doom.

Anthony Fontanelle
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/hydrogen-vehicles-available-for-test-drive-120326.html

Is it true that you can make biodiesel from human ass-fat that has been liposuctioned off the body?

Sure-you can, but when you consider the energy cost of the operation + the necessary energy for processing of the fat (remember it IS fat, not oil). You spend a lot more energy than you can get out. Remember the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics?

Buses Named Most Fuel-efficient U.s. Transportation Mode

Nathan Associates, a consulting firm, announced that buses are the most fuel-efficient transportation mode in the United States. The report showed that motor coaches offered 148.4 passenger miles per gallon in 2004.

This figure shows that the mode of transportation is doing its share in the reduction of fuel consumption of the country. A bus capacity to accommodate a huge number of persons made them the most fuel-efficient mode of transportation.

The sector though is suffering from the declining number of passengers which is due to the advent of air travel which have become cheaper. This takes a lot of passengers fore this mode of transportation in the U.S. While there may be lesser passengers on today’s inter-city buses compared in the past, the sector still provides good fuel savings for the country.

According to the study, the second most fuel efficient sector is inter-city trains which provided 74.1 passenger miles per gallon. Air carriers meanwhile also offered 40.9 passenger miles per gallon. Automobiles only achieved 35.4 passenger miles per gallon for the same year.

The American Bus Association President, Peter J. Pantuso, has this to say about the result of the study: “As energy conservation and environmental issues take center stage in Congress and with the traveling public, the motor coach industry is proud to be the leader in transportation fuel efficiency. Motor coaches are striving to do their part to help the U.S. achieve energy security.”

This study shows that even as the auto industry is developing ways to increase fuel efficiency, other sectors are already providing good value for the amount of fuel that they consume. This also shows that every sector in the U.S. is doing its share to support the administration’s goal to reduce fuel dependence on other countries.

The sector will be a good help in making President Bush’s “Twenty in Ten” program. While most buses today are running on petroleum diesel, their switch to biodiesel is forthcoming. This means that the sector can increase their efficiency and at the same time take care of the environment. As the country strives to address the global warming issue, the sector is in a position to help out in the goal.

According to the study, “the motor coach transportation service industry is the number one people mover. In 2005 the industry carried 631,000,000 passengers in the United States and Canada alone. The motor coach transportation service industry carries one-fourth more passengers than the airline industry and twice more than Amtrak and commuter rail combined.” The buses employed by the industry are even more fuel efficient than automobiles equipped with performance enhancing aftermarket parts like Saturn cold air intake system.

Lauren Woods
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/buses-named-most-fuelefficient-us-transportation-mode-123145.html

Buses Named Most Fuel-efficient U.s. Transportation Mode

Nathan Associates, a consulting firm, announced that buses are the most fuel-efficient transportation mode in the United States. The report showed that motor coaches offered 148.4 passenger miles per gallon in 2004.

This figure shows that the mode of transportation is doing its share in the reduction of fuel consumption of the country. A bus capacity to accommodate a huge number of persons made them the most fuel-efficient mode of transportation.

The sector though is suffering from the declining number of passengers which is due to the advent of air travel which have become cheaper. This takes a lot of passengers fore this mode of transportation in the U.S. While there may be lesser passengers on today’s inter-city buses compared in the past, the sector still provides good fuel savings for the country.

According to the study, the second most fuel efficient sector is inter-city trains which provided 74.1 passenger miles per gallon. Air carriers meanwhile also offered 40.9 passenger miles per gallon. Automobiles only achieved 35.4 passenger miles per gallon for the same year.

The American Bus Association President, Peter J. Pantuso, has this to say about the result of the study: “As energy conservation and environmental issues take center stage in Congress and with the traveling public, the motor coach industry is proud to be the leader in transportation fuel efficiency. Motor coaches are striving to do their part to help the U.S. achieve energy security.”

This study shows that even as the auto industry is developing ways to increase fuel efficiency, other sectors are already providing good value for the amount of fuel that they consume. This also shows that every sector in the U.S. is doing its share to support the administration’s goal to reduce fuel dependence on other countries.

The sector will be a good help in making President Bush’s “Twenty in Ten” program. While most buses today are running on petroleum diesel, their switch to biodiesel is forthcoming. This means that the sector can increase their efficiency and at the same time take care of the environment. As the country strives to address the global warming issue, the sector is in a position to help out in the goal.

According to the study, “the motor coach transportation service industry is the number one people mover. In 2005 the industry carried 631,000,000 passengers in the United States and Canada alone. The motor coach transportation service industry carries one-fourth more passengers than the airline industry and twice more than Amtrak and commuter rail combined.” The buses employed by the industry are even more fuel efficient than automobiles equipped with performance enhancing aftermarket parts like Saturn cold air intake system.

Lauren Woods
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/buses-named-most-fuelefficient-us-transportation-mode-123145.html

Bush Continues Crusade for Alternative Fuel

Last January 31, 2006, President George W. Bush outlined his plan for the widespread use of alternative fuels in the country. In his State of the Union Address last month, he announced a proposed mandate that 35 billion gallons of ethanol be produced until the year 2017. He also proposed to reduce the amount of emissions of greenhouse gasses by as much as 20 percent by the year 2017. Out of the 35 billion gallons mandated to be produced, 15 billion gallons of ethanol will come from starch while the 20 billion gallons will be from cellulose or cellulosic ethanol.

Cellulosic ethanol is a type of ethanol which comes from cellulose. This is different from the normal ethanol which comes from sugars and starches. This kind of ethanol is what Novozymes are helping to develop. The company has developed an enzyme cocktail that makes the mass production of cellulose ethanol possible. This technology is a better alternative to normal ethanol since the production of the latter causes the increase in the price of corn. This is because cellulosic ethanol comes from biomass including wastes from urban, agricultural, and forestry sources. In the production of this type of ethanol, no toxic emissions are generated which makes it a better alternative than other fuels.

Novozymes recently received a very distinguished guest – the President himself. Bush toured the facility’s laboratories and he also did pose for pictures with the workers of the company. The visit of the President at the facility is a part of his effort to boost the morale of those working in the alternative fuel industry. Aside from the financial support of the administration in the form of $2 billion aid in the funding of cellulosic ethanol plants, he also provides moral support though his visits to those plants such as that one in Novozymes.

The use of ethanol as fuel for cars in the United States is a part of the administration’s effort to address the problem of global warming. Ethanol is a good substitute to gasoline since it burns cleaner than gasoline. The only thing to consider about the use of ethanol as fuel is its corrosive nature. Without fortification, engine parts like Volvo 240 parts will be corroded. To combat this corrosive nature of ethanol, car manufacturers and engine designers fortify different components of the car to take on the corrosive nature of ethanol.

With the increasing awareness of the global community towards addressing the global warming issue, the United States is on its track towards making a difference. The country has been criticized in the past for being one of the major causes of the destruction of the environment. With the steps being taken by the government and the private sector, alternative fuels like ethanol will one day be the most commonly used fuel by the majority on US roads. Aside from the development of ethanol as the fuel of the future, US agencies are also developing biodiesel for use of vehicles equipped with a diesel engine. Aside from these two alternative fuels, the US market is also being flooded with hybrid cars which also reduce the dependency of the country on imported oil fossil fuels.

President Bush’s commitment to the development of alternative fuel is a great boost for the industry. With the government’s backing, more and more alternative fuels can be produced which will result to cleaner emission by vehicles. The development of these alternative fuels can also increase the number of employed person in the country. It would also decrease the dependency of the country on other countries which produce oil and then later on export them to the US.

Glady Reign
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/bush-continues-crusade-for-alternative-fuel-110391.html

Indycar Series to Use Pure Ethanol for 2007 Season

Alternative fuels have been receiving much attention lately due to the increasing awareness of global warming and the dedication of the U.S. government to reduce dependency on foreign oil. Several companies in the alternative fuel industry have been making great leap in the development of fuels which can be substituted for gasoline.

biodiesel is one of the alternative fuels being developed along with ethanol. Currently, there are already cars and vehicles on the road which run on fuel composed of ethanol and gasoline. The use of ethanol is widely supported by the government since it is proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Recently, ethanol, as a substitute for gasoline, found a new ally in the form of the IndyCar Series. The open-wheel racing series highlighted by the famous Indianapolis 500 will use pure ethanol as its fuel for the upcoming season.

The series will be making motor sports history when it opens the season with the XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 on March 24 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The racing series will be the first ever motor sport which will use pure ethanol as fuel for the supplied 3.5 liter Honda Indy V8 engines. The sport will be setting the record for a racing series to use a renewable fuel which is a step towards the “Greening of Racing”.

Ethanol will replace methanol which has served as the fuel of choice for the series for over forty years. Tony Kanaan, the series’ champion in 2004, has this to say about the use of ethanol: “The IndyCar Series jump to ethanol has been great. We are definitely on the right path with ethanol. There is more power with the new (3.5-liter Honda Indy V-8) engine. It runs clean and it is better for the environment. So it is a win-win situation, and that is great for the series. Ethanol is another alternative to gasoline. If we can show that the IndyCar Series cars can run ethanol, then it is good for everyone’s street cars.”

The use of ethanol in vehicles such as those used in racing is a good choice since the fuel possesses characteristics which suit the need for more power of these race cars. Ethanol has a higher octane rating than methanol. This means that ethanol resists premature detonation better than the previously used methanol.

Premature detonation reduces the amount of power generated per volume of fuel. Knocking also increases the fuel consumption since the engine needs to compensate for the loss of power by providing more fuel to be burned.

In cases of high performance vehicles, the 113 octane rating of ethanol is more desirable compared to the 107 octane rating of methanol. The fact that ethanol comes from agricultural products which are renewable adds to the appeal of the fuel as a substitute for gasoline and in the case of racing, methanol.

For all the power provided by ethanol, it produces fewer emissions than either gasoline or methanol. The cool looking cars of the series, although without headlights which makes them not applicable to have that Lund look of high quality headlights, are driven up to speeds of more than 230 miles per hour surely needed that extra power from ethanol.

The clean efficiency of ethanol has really received a good ally in the form of the series. The cars will have more power while producing less harmful emissions. And this means that both popular racing series, the alternative fuel industry, and the environment as well as the public will benefit from this action from IndyCar.

Jenny Mclane
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/indycar-series-to-use-pure-ethanol-for-2007-season-118911.html

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