June 6, 2008
TOKYO -- The world needs to invest $45 trillion in energy in coming decades, build some 1,400 nuclear power plants and vastly expand wind power in order to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to an energy study released Friday and reported by the Associated Press.
The report by the Paris-based International Energy Agency envisions a "energy revolution" that would greatly reduce the world's dependence on fossil fuels while maintaining steady economic growth.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth 
at 1:01 PM | Permalink
February 8, 2008
Say it ain’t so!
Granola crunchy biofuels may actually add to global warming, according to The New York Times.
Boy, the bloom is fast coming off the biofuel rose.
Just a year or so ago, biodiesel and ethanol were all the rage; the fuels that were going to save us from both petroleum dependency on the Middle East and global warming.
Well, biodiesel remains the fuel of choice for the Professor Crackpots in their garages. Indeed, production is so low compared to petro-diesel that it barely appears on the radar screen.
Meanwhile, the ethanol “fuel of the future” miracle is looking less credible by the day. It is about 20 percent less efficient as a fuel than gasoline. And it is corrosive and can clog up engines if allowed to sit and absorb water, as it has a propensity to do.
In addition, federal subsidy programs have resulted in excess demand for corn, driving prices up, while limited outlets for ethanol has resulted in a glut, driving prices down.
Now comes the news that the destruction of natural ecosystems, such as forests and savannahs, to make way for corn production is adding to global warming.
Citing the journal Science, the NYT says the destruction of the ecosystems not only releases greenhouse gases when they are burned, but deprives the planet of natural sponges to absorb carbon dioxide.
The news is unlikely to deter production of corn and ethanol, however, as there is too much money at stake. And so we have to swallow an unexpected setback on the road to energy independence and relative climate stability.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 3:12 PM | Permalink
February 5, 2008
TO finish first, race-team crew chiefs remind their impatient young drivers, you must first finish. This is another way of saying that a tortoise could have better odds against a hare than a bettor might otherwise presume, according to The New York Times' Jerry Garrett.
Recently, I pitted the most fuel-efficient new compact car sold in the United States against one of the thirstiest gas guzzlers on American roads. I wanted to see just how much difference there really was — not in the mileage, which anyone can learn by simply reading the window sticker — but in dollars and cents under typical driving conditions.
My decidedly unscientific test consisted of taking a Honda Civic Hybrid on a 300-mile trek, followed by a drive over the same route in a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, an Italian exotic with three fewer seats but nearly five times the horsepower.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:42 AM | Permalink
January 4, 2008
SACRAMENTO — California sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday for denying its first-in-the-nation greenhouse gas limits on cars, trucks and SUVs, challenging the Bush administration's conclusion that states have no business setting emission standards, according to USA Today.
Other states are expected to join the lawsuit, which was anticipated after the EPA on Dec. 19 denied California's request for a waiver, required under the federal Clean Air Act. The lawsuit was filed in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. At least 16 other states had been expected to follow California's lead and adopt the state's tougher emission limits.
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson denied California the waiver, saying national energy legislation would be more effective than a patchwork of state regulations.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 12:22 PM | Permalink
December 20, 2007
The Bush administration Wednesday derailed an attempt by California and 12 other states to enact the nation's first greenhouse gas-limits on new vehicles, according to USA Today.
The efforts by states to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions that are considered a prime cause of climate change are not necessary in light of the energy bill just signed into law by President Bush, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency said.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:18 AM | Permalink
December 19, 2007
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Carmakers would be required to cut carbon dioxide emissions in new cars sold in Europe starting in 2012, a move that could add almost $1,900 to the price of automobiles, under rules proposed Wednesday by the European Commission, according to the Associated Press.
The plan, which needs the backing of European Union governments, would put a heavier burden on producers of larger and heavier cars to meet new binding emission limits and would fine all carmakers that sell vehicles in the 27-nation bloc if they exceed the target, EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said.
"Passenger cars account for about 12 percent of overall EU carbon dioxide emissions and emissions from transport are continually increasing," Dimas said. "The aim of the legislation is to reduce CO2 emissions from cars in order to help fight climate change."
Automakers, many of which tried to water down the plan, would be forced to reduce average emissions of CO2 from new passenger cars sold in the EU from around 160 grams per kilometer to an average 130 grams per kilometer in 2012.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:42 AM | Permalink
December 5, 2007
The European Union is serious about reining in the release of gases that contribute to global warming. As of Jan. 1, 2011, air-conditioning systems for all new European-made vehicles must begin the switch to a refrigerant other than the current formulation, known as R134a, according to the New York Times.
If there is a familiar ring to this development, it’s because the predecessor of R134a was itself banned for environmental reasons. While the effects on the earth’s atmosphere are different this time, the scramble by automakers to comply seems every bit as urgent.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:08 AM | Permalink
November 29, 2007
Greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks rose slightly in 2006, even as the United States cut its overall emissions by 1.5%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration and reported by the Detroit Free Press.
The administration said the decline in man-made emissions to 7.08 billion metric tons was the first since 2001, and only the third since 1990.
Higher energy costs, a warmer winter that cut heating demand and a greater use of natural gas instead of coal by electric utilities drove the decline.
But carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks burning gasoline rose 0.3% to 1.19 billion tons, or about 17% of the U.S. total.
Greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. vehicles have risen steadily since 1990, as a growing number of drivers traveling farther every year overwhelmed any reductions from more efficient vehicles.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:08 AM | Permalink
November 20, 2007
MUMBAI, India -- Tata Motors' ultracheap car will be the least polluting vehicle on Indian roads, the company's chairman said Monday, refuting criticism that the $2,500 car would add to traffic chaos and carbon emissions, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Ratan Tata said his company will bring what is being billed as "the people's car" to market next year and its price of about 100,000 rupees would be on target, despite a sharp rise in costs for steel and other raw materials since the project was announced three years ago.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:12 AM | Permalink
November 16, 2007
THE annual auto show here, which opened to the public on Friday, is usually a laid-back, colorful affair with an emphasis on the sports cars and convertibles that suit the Southern California lifestyle.
But this year, the accent is on sustainable mobility and the only color that matters is green, according to the New York Times.
If the show is shorter on actual new models than many in the industry had expected, it is long on talk about future models that would be powered by alternative fuels, hybrid drivetrains or both. The boast that most automakers seem to be making to their competitors is, “My green is greener than your green.”
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 1:32 PM | Permalink
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15 — A federal appeals court here rejected the Bush administration’s year-old fuel-economy standards for light trucks and sport utility vehicles on Thursday, saying that they were not tough enough because regulators had failed to thoroughly assess the economic impact of tailpipe emissions that contribute to climate change, according to the New York Times.
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in San Francisco, voided the new regulations for 2008-2011 model year vehicles and told the Transportation Department to produce new rules taking into account the value of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The court, siding with 4 environmental groups and 13 states and cities, also asked the government to explain why it still treated light trucks — which include pickups, sport utility vehicles and minivans — more mildly than passenger cars.
Under the rejected rule, the average fuel economy of light trucks was to rise to 23.5 miles a gallon in 2010, up from the current standard of 22.5 m.p.g., but still well below the current standard for passenger cars of 27.5 m.p.g.
The ruling, which is likely to be appealed to the United States Supreme Court, represents a major setback for both the auto industry and the White House at a time of growing public concern over the rising price of gasoline and the issue of climate change.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 1:24 PM | Permalink
November 15, 2007
LOS ANGELES — Hoping to march Ford onto the future-fuels stage, Ford CEO Alan Mulally provided a broad outline here Wednesday of the automaker's plans to cut petroleum use and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to USA Today.
He provided few specifics or timetables, however, and an outline provided by Ford mainly dealt with what the car company already has done to boost mileage, rather than laying out a timeline for the future.
In the keynote speech, Mulally told reporters here for the annual Los Angeles Auto Show that it is "absolutely" wrong to set deadlines. "It's about managing expectations," he said. "Through the years we sometimes didn't deliver" on promises for mileage improvements and pollution reductions.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 2:50 PM | Permalink
Tahoe hybrid honored: General Motors' sport-utility vehicle, the Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid, was named "Green Car of the Year" at the show Thursday, according to USA Today.
The Tahoe hybrid is the first model from GM to use a hybrid system the automaker developed jointly with BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler.
"They've proven that they can make beautiful cars, strong cars, keep the size, keep the safety, and all those kinds of things, and at the same time be more fuel efficient," said California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who toured the show after the presentation of the award.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 2:48 PM | Permalink
November 9, 2007
SACRAMENTO — California sued the federal government on Thursday to force a decision about whether the state can impose the nation's first greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks, according to the Associated Press.
More than a dozen other states are poised to follow California's lead if it is granted the waiver from federal law, presenting a challenge to automakers who would have to adapt to a patchwork of regulations.
The state's lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., was expected after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed last spring to take legal action.
"Our future depends on us taking action on global warming right now," Schwarzenegger said during a news conference. "There's no legal basis for Washington to stand in our way."
At issue is California's nearly two-year-old request for a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act allowing it to implement a 2002 state anti-pollution law regulating greenhouse gases.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:48 AM | Permalink
BEIJING -- A Chinese official gave the clearest sign yet that Beijing will reject binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions at a global meeting next month, saying Friday developing countries must be allowed to raise emissions to fight poverty, according to the Associated Press.
"Climate change is caused mainly by developed countries," Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui said. "They should have the main responsibility for climate change and to reduce emissions."
Beijing is about to overtake the United States as the world's top greenhouse-gas producer. It is under pressure from Washington to accept binding limits at a meeting in Indonesia of environment ministers from 80 nations to discuss a possible replacement to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on emission reductions.
Nations agreed in Kyoto to cut output of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases to below 1990 levels by 2012. But China, India and other developing economies are exempt.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:46 AM | Permalink
October 31, 2007
Here's a New York Times story that reveals how far ahead Europe is when it comes to tackling carbon emissions and global warming:
Quick, what’s more dangerous: automobiles or cigarettes?
The European Parliament has proposed that car advertisements in the European Union carry tobacco-style labels, warning of the environmental impact they cause.
Under the plan, 20 percent of the space or time of any auto ad would have to be set aside for information on a car’s fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, cited as a contributor to global climate change.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:01 AM | Permalink
October 29, 2007
California plans to sue the Environmental Protection Agency this week for delaying a decision over whether to let the state aggressively reduce car and truck tailpipe emissions, according to USA Today.
The lawsuit's outcome could affect not only the California law aimed at cutting greenhouse gases but also the ability of other states to take similar actions.
At stake are regulations California approved in 2004 that would require all new car models sold in the state, beginning in 2009, to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. The rules would lower heat-trapping gases from California vehicles by 18% by 2020, the California Air Resources Board says.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:07 AM | Permalink
October 26, 2007
If you want more evidence of the increasing sophistication of Europe's new generation of diesel engines, check out Matt Rigby's review of the BMW 123d M Sport Coupe on autocar.co.uk.
He calls it a "hugely significant car" because of t"he 123d or, more specifically, the 201bhp twin-turbo turbodiesel under the bonnet."
"If that sounds like so much hyperbole, then consider a few key facts," he writes. "This is the most powerful four-pot turbodiesel you can buy, as well as being the only one equipped with twin turbos.
"But the killer point is that all this comes coupled with serious green credentials. So you get 295lb ft, 0-62mph in 7.0sec and a 148mph top speed at the same time as 54.7mpg and 138g/km of CO2."
By the by, I'll bet that g/km of CO2, or grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer, is a measure of pollution unknown to most of us in America.
But 138 g/km of CO2 is below the target level that the European motor industry reached with the European government in the mid-1990s to reduce average emissions from new cars.
Under that voluntary agreement, average emissions should fall to 140 g/km CO2 by 2008.
- Peter C.T. Elsworth
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:29 AM | Permalink
October 12, 2007
Bravo Al Gore!
By awarding the 2007 Noble Peace Prize to former US vice president Al Gore for his work on bringing the word on climate change to the average person's attention, the Noble Foundation itself serves to focus attention on this serious problem.
Gore shares the prize with the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a top scientific authority on global warming and its impact made up of some 3,000 atmospheric scientists, oceanographers, ice specialists, economists and other experts.
Needless to say, troglodytes from the Far Right denounced the award, partly one supposes due to aversion to Gore himself and the Democratic Party, and partly because many of them remain firmly convinced that the changes in the global climate currently underway are due to natural causes.
At least they are now admitting that changes are underway!
Happily most thinking people have come to terms with our own role in the changes and our responsibility to do something about it. Certainly, billions of dollars are now being spent worldwide on research into the problem, most especially all the work on alternative fuels in the transportation industry. And we are all changing our lifestyles in one way or another.
To be sure, the issues are incredibly complex, but that is why Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth," which was essentially a celluloid version of a lecture he has been giving for years, caught the public's attention with its clear presentation of the facts.
The call is now out for Gore to enter the race for President. Indeed, a full-page ad in the New York Times earlier this week urged him to enter the Democratic race. But it remains to be seen whether he is interested.
The irony is that whether he runs or not, history may vindicate his controversial loss to President George Bush in 2000. For while Gore now has an Academy Award and a Noble Peace Prize under his belt, Bush is heading for the distinction of going down as one of the worst presidents ever.
- Peter C.T. Elsworth
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 12:49 PM | Permalink
October 4, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s environmental image has been hit by blowback from the automaker's call to side with Detroit's automakers against tougher fuel economy standards in Congress, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The National Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, said Tuesday it had forwarded more than 8,100 messages from backers to Toyota criticizing its stance in the fuel economy debate. Toyota and Detroit automakers oppose a Senate bill setting a 35 mile-per-gallon standard by 2020, favoring an easier standard proposed in the House.
While Toyota's 46 m.p.g. Prius hybrid has become a top seller and given the automaker a green cachet among car buyers, it maintains the Senate bill is too tough. The House bill would set standards of 32 to 35 m.p.g. by 2022, with clauses that would make it easier for automakers to hit the target.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:56 AM | Permalink
September 24, 2007
Electric cars are the future.
That, at least, is the message automakers are sending to consumers as they trumpet big plans for cars that can bypass the gas pump.
Of course, backers of electric vehicles, or E.V.’s, floated those assurances in the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, when General Motors released its star-crossed EV1. Today, almost no one drives an electric car.
But with a gallon of premium gas topping $3 on average, and as carmakers and entrepreneurs pour money into the latest generation of electric cars, the prospects appear brighter, according to the New York Times.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:36 AM | Permalink
September 20, 2007
I read a quote the other day that went something along the lines of "When the facts change, I change my opinion."
Well, the facts about global warming have been changing for some time and it seems to me the message is finally getting through. I mean, when the senior advisor on the environment to this petro-driven administration concurs that CO2 emissions are changing the climate, you know opinions are changing.
And I expect a sea change next year in interest in cars and trucks powered by alternative fuels, mainly clean diesel from Europe and gas/diesel-electric hybrids from Asia and Detroit.
Folks, it's going to happen very fast indeed. Remember when we all smoked and no party or bar was complete without the fug of cigarette smoke. No more. Gone. Heck, I went to university in France in the late 1960s and developed a taste for the deliciously pungent Gauloise cigarettes. There were practically national brands and now they are not even made in France any more!
Plus ca change, plus ca change.
And the word at the current auto show in Frankfurt - one of Europe's biggest - is alternative fuels. This on the cusp of the entrance of the big clean diesels from Germany into the North American market (starting next year).
I have enormous respect for the intelligence and common sense of the average Joe, and the facts of global warming are getting through to all of us. What was once trendy is now becoming a fact of life and most of us now want to do our bit to save ourselves from ourselves.
Buying cars that emit less CO2 makes more than good sense: increasingly, there is little alternative that makes any sense.
- Peter C. T. Elsworth
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:39 AM | Permalink
September 18, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge on Monday tossed out a lawsuit filed by California that sought to hold the world's six largest automakers accountable for their contribution to global warming, according to USA Today.
In its lawsuit filed last year, California blamed the auto industry for millions of dollars it expects to spend on repairing damage from global-warming induced floods and other natural disasters.
But District Judge Martin Jenkins in San Francisco handed California Attorney General Jerry Brown's environmental crusade a stinging rebuke when he ruled that it impossible to determine to what extent automakers are responsible for global warming damages in California. Many culprits, including other industries and even natural sources, are responsible for emitting carbon dioxide.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:07 AM | Permalink
September 14, 2007
FRANKFURT - When it comes to this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, UP! is down, according to thecarconnection.com
Downsized that is, in the form of Volkswagen's pint-sized prototype car. Dubbed the UP!, it makes the automaker's original Beetle look positively huge. For the moment, the UP! is little more than a concept vehicle, but you likely won't have to wait very long to see it - or one of several variants the German maker will reveal later this year - go into production.
The same is true for a trio of minicar concepts revealed by General Motors, during its time in the Frankfurt spotlight. The American giant hopes to gauge reaction at this and several other major world auto shows to see if there's enough demand to justify production
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 1:23 PM | Permalink
September 13, 2007
FRANKFURT, Germany — Two decades after diesel cars all but vanished from American roads in a cloud of sooty smoke, are Americans ready to give them another try?
That is a big question at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week, as European carmakers roll out “clean diesel” vehicles — their answer to the call for more efficient, climate-friendly cars, according to the New York Times.
Betting that diesel power will become an alternative to the hybrids popularized by Toyota and other Japanese carmakers, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen all plan to sell new diesel automobiles in the United States in the coming year, and many of them are on show here
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:12 AM | Permalink
FRANKFURT, Germany -- Saturn will put General Motors Corp.'s first plug-in hybrid -- a Vue compact SUV that can run up to 10 miles solely on electricity and switch to an engine for longer trips -- on the road "very quickly," brand general manager Jill Lajdziak said Wednesday, according to the Detroit Free Press.
"In 2009-ish," Lajdziak said.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:06 AM | Permalink
A federal judge in Vermont said Wednesday that states have the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gas emissions from autos, a ruling that could require automakers to boost fuel economy as much as 59% by 2016, according to USA Today.
Because the only way to cut CO2 emissions is to burn less fuel, car companies say the ruling improperly allows states — not just the federal government — to set fuel-economy standards.
Automakers and their trade groups were still wading through the 244-page ruling late Wednesday. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents most big automakers, said it was "considering the options, including an appeal." The deadline for that is Nov. 13.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:04 AM | Permalink
September 12, 2007
European automakers, stung by criticisms from environmentalists and government regulators that they are late to the green party, will be using the 2007 Frankfurt motor show to showcase everything in their alternative fuel and powertrain arsenals, according to the New York Times.
The biennial show, the 62nd Internationalen Automobil-Ausstellungen Cars, will be held at the mammoth CongressCenter Messe Frankfurt convention center from Thursday through Sept. 23.
Press preview days began Monday night and continue through Wednesday. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, will open the show to the public on Thursday.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:13 AM | Permalink
September 11, 2007
FRANKFURT, Germany - General Motors will begin testing the revolutionary electric drive system in the Chevrolet Volt concept car on the road in vehicles next spring, company Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said at a dinner Monday night, according to the Detroit Free Press.
By this time next year, GM may allow selected people outside the company to test the system.
GM is committed to putting the system in the Chevrolet Volt for sale by 2010, Lutz said.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:59 AM | Permalink
August 24, 2007
The alternative-fuel revolution is driving prices of another energy-producing crop to near-record levels, according to USA Today.
Soybean prices are expected to hit their second-highest average mark ever this year — and highest since 1983, says the Agriculture Department. Soybeans are used to make biodiesel fuel.
Production of biodiesel, a renewable alternative to diesel fuel, has increased more than 1,200% in the past three years, showing how the nation's truckers are being drawn into the alternative-fuels frenzy along with the auto industry.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:30 AM | Permalink
August 22, 2007
Nissan plans to equip all of its cars and trucks with a gauge to tell drivers when they are being gas-guzzling lead foots, according to USA Today.
The "fuel-efficiency" meter, as the gauge is called, shows up already as a horizontal bar in the instrument cluster of the 2007 Nissan Altima and the 2008 Titan pickup, Armada SUV, Infiniti G35 car and QX56 SUV.
When coasting down a hill, the meter is long and orange, meaning little fuel is being used. When the pedal is to the metal, the line shortens dramatically.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:56 AM | Permalink
August 16, 2007
It could be the future of cruising, a muscle car for the 21st Century: A Chevrolet Camaro that could approach 40 m.p.g. on the highway and 30 m.p.g. in the city, according to the Detroit Free Press's Mark Phelan.
It might glide silently through future Woodward Dream Cruises, running on battery power up to 25 m.p.h. but with a beefy V8 engine poised to leap to life for a 0-60 sprint.
This Camaro, wedding Chevrolet's legendary small-block V8 engine to General Motors' advanced new hybrid system, isn't on the drawing board yet, but it is feasible, a knowledgeable GM source told the Free Press. GM has the parts on the shelf to get this dream car cruising. It would combine production-ready hybrid technology that hits the road this fall in some GM vehicles with the celebrated new Camaro that is to go on sale in early 2009.
"The Camaro is Chevrolet and GM's halo car," said Joe Phillippi, principal of AutoTrends Consulting, in Short Hills, N.J. "It projects an image that reflects on the whole corporation. To offer all the performance aspects of a classic Camaro and still be environmentally friendly ... that's a real plus from an image point of view.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:00 AM | Permalink
August 14, 2007
Two years ago, a group of Ohio State University students asked Ford Motor Co. if it was interested in building a hydrogen-fueled race car. On Sunday, the result of that proposal made history, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The Ford Fusion 999, a hydrogen- and electric-powered car designed to whip across the salty white desert during Bonneville Speed Week, zoomed across the infinite horizon at 161 m.p.h. It was the first time a hydrogen-powered car had ever competed at the salt flats, where all manner of modified, souped-up vehicles come every August to break land-speed records.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 10:21 AM | Permalink
General Motors has signed an agreement with a battery maker that could propel it ahead of Toyota in the race to bring plug-in hybrid and electric cars to market, a top company official said Thursday, according to USA Today.
A123 Systems, based in Watertown, Mass., already produces thousands of nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries for use in cordless power tools, and it plans to apply the technology to automobiles.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:58 AM | Permalink
August 9, 2007
Automakers are putting a new emphasis on cars and trucks that excel at cutting carbon-dioxide emissions to reduce global warming, according to USA Today.
In the past, CO2 was treated as just a component of the noxious vapors spewing from tailpipes. Now, it's being singled out.
"Thanks to (former vice president) Al Gore, people are becoming aware of this extra factor," says Dominick Infante, spokesman for Subaru, which is looking to reduce its CO2 footprint. "It's becoming something people are wondering about."
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 9:09 AM | Permalink
August 7, 2007
Hybrid vehicles are on track to reach record sales this year, an auto information company said Thursday, according to USA Today.
An estimated 187,000 hybrids were sold in the first six months of 2007, accounting for 2.3% of all new vehicle sales, according to J.D. Power and Associates. Although a sales slowdown is expected in the second half of the year, J.D. Power is forecasting total sales of 345,000 hybrids for the year, a 35% increase from 2006 when the current record of 256,000 hybrids were sold.
The Toyota (TM) Prius continues to be the best-selling hybrid model, accounting for just more than half of all hybrids sold. J.D. Power said Prius sales also got a boost this year from incentives of up to $2,000 per vehicle, which helped offset a decrease in federal tax breaks for hybrids.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 11:54 AM | Permalink
July 30, 2007
Straddling a 619-pound motorcycle, Scotty Pollacheck tucks in his knees and lowers his head as he waits for the green light. When he revs the engine, there's no roar. The bike moves so fast that within seconds all that's visible is a faint red taillight melting in the distance.
Pollacheck crosses the quarter-mile marker doing 156 mph; he's traveled 1,320 feet in 8.22 seconds, faster than any of the gas-powered cars, trucks or motorcycles that have raced in the drag sprints on this weekend at Portland International Raceway.
It's particularly impressive given Pollacheck is riding a vehicle that uses no gasoline and is powered entirely by lithium-ion batteries, according to the Associated Press.
Posted by at 10:28 AM | Permalink
July 27, 2007
The tyres are made of potatoes and the brake pads from ground cashew shells. The body was created from hemp and rapeseed oil, and it runs on fuel made from fermented wheat and sugar beet.
Yet despite the greenest of credentials, this mean machine is capable of a highly-impressive 150mph.
The one-seater racing car - called Eco One - has been built by experts from Warwick University to dispel the perception that 'green' motoring means dull little electric runarounds or filling your fuel tank with chip fat, according to the Daily Mail of Britain.
Posted by at 2:02 PM | Permalink
July 25, 2007
Toyota already dominates the hybrid market with more than a million of the vehicles sold over the past decade.
Now, it has developed a new type of hybrid that plugs into a home electrical socket for a longer ride as an electric car, raising the stakes in the race to develop more energy efficient, according to USA Today.
Posted by at 12:45 PM | Permalink
General Motors says it now expects 40% better fuel economy in city driving from the gasoline-electric hybrid versions of its full-size SUVs than their gasoline-only counterparts, giving the hybrid Chevrolet Tahoes and GMC Yukons 19 or 20 miles a gallon in stop-and-go driving, according to USA Today.
That's up from earlier forecasts of a 25% improvement and would give the big SUVs better mileage than some mid- and full-size, gasoline-power family sedans. It also would be better than so-called crossover SUVs that are stealing sales from truck-based SUVs such as Tahoe because crossovers typically use less fuel.
Posted by at 12:41 PM | Permalink
July 19, 2007
Here’s your chance to check out the smart car which is in town as part of smart USA’s “street smart” road show, a national tour to introduce the iconic two-seater to U.S. consumers.
Mercedes-Benz’s smart car, which has sold 750,000 models in 36 countries since it was launched in Europe in 1998, is stopping in Warwick today and near Waterplace Park in Providence tomorrow and Saturday.
I took a short test drive in one this morning with smart rep Kia Goddard and found the car fun to drive and comfortable, even on the highway where it more than held its own. It did not feel unsafe – it has a host of safety features – and, Boy, does it attract a crowd.
Top speed is about 90 mph, while fuel consumption is more than 40 miles per gallon. And it is so short - just over 8-3/4 feet long by about 5 feet wide - that it can be parked perpendicular to the sidewalk!
The road show features 4 smart fortwo cars for test-drives on a closed course, a mobile smart exhibit with interactive displays and virtual safety demonstrations and a safety display – safety is the number one question this side of the Atlantic, according to smart reps – featuring the “Tridion cell” (reinforced steel cage), dual and side airbags, electronic stability program and anti-lock brakes.
The display is open today at the Mercedes-Benz dealership at Inskip in Warwick and at 5 Moshassuck Street near Stillman Street and Exchange Street tomorrow, 12 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m.
- Peter C.T. Elsworth
Posted by at 11:03 AM | Permalink
July 17, 2007
The world's first rechargeable plug-in motorcycle, called the Enertia, will be available next year, according to a press release last week from its Oregon-based maker, according to thecarconnection.com
The Enertia is the first in a new series of electric commuter, commercial, and recreational vehicles from Brammo Motorsports, a privately held company based in Ashland , Ore. It's the same company that makes the minimalist Ariel Atom sports car, which has found a niche following among the enthusiast crowd; but the Enertia looks to be a no-brainer for the environmentalist set, especially those who can't quite stomach the $100,000 price tag for Tesla Motors' Roadster.
To that end, the Enertia has more than eight times the wheel-to-well efficiency of a CAFE-average car and more than four times that of a typical motorcycle, according to Brammo.
Posted by at 9:39 AM | Permalink
Automakers are facing yet another indication of a sea change in vehicle emissions regulation, with Florida poised to adopt California 's 2009 emissions regulations, according to thecarconnection.com.
The adoption would make Florida the first state in the Southeast - and the thirteenth overall - to join the more stringent California regulations, aiming to bring a 25-percent cut in vehicle greenhouse gas emissions versus the current federal standard.
Florida , the nation's fourth most populous state, has more cars per capita than any other. What's more, the Sunshine State is also ahead of the national average, per capita, in new-car purchases. So the matter is expected to meet some heavy resistance from automakers.
Posted by at 9:37 AM | Permalink
July 16, 2007
When Christopher Paine, the director of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” filmed the General Motors EV1, he had to search for a flattering perspective, according to the New York Times.
“When we filmed the car on the road, its best angle was the low front shot from the side,” he said. “It was gorgeous. The back of the car was more challenging. The car’s style did not appeal to certain design sensibilities
Posted by at 10:43 AM | Permalink
Clever and attractive, the Chevrolet Volt, a design study for a new wrinkle in electric cars, dominated the headlines coming from the Detroit auto show in January. But the introduction was punctuated with an asterisk, according to the New York Times.
The car that promised a fuel economy equivalent of 150 miles a gallon and a total range of 640 miles using its onboard recharging system carried a major caveat: the lithium-ion batteries required to make it a reality are not yet available, and won’t be until 2010 at the earliest, industry experts say.
Posted by at 10:31 AM | Permalink
July 13, 2007
John W. Snow, the chairman of the private equity firm that is buying Chrysler, said Wednesday that a Senate bill to significantly raise fuel economy standards could devastate the American auto industry, according to the New York Times.
Mr. Snow said he was optimistic, though, that lawmakers would ultimately agree on a less stringent way to reduce dependence on imported oil. He said his company, Cerberus Capital Management, would fight the Senate measure because it intended to own Chrysler long term. Chrysler lost $1.5 billion last year and is cutting 13,000 jobs in efforts to reverse a long decline in its share of the United States vehicle market.
Posted by at 11:56 AM | Permalink
Sen. Barack Obama got new wheels since he last visited the Motor City, but still rides between a rock and a hard place, according to the Detroit Free Press.
He lectured Detroit automakers about their having failed to anticipate the effect rising oil prices would have on consumer buying habits in a May 7 speech to the Detroit Economic Club. Then, after he got an earful in return when it was revealed his car was a Hemi-powered Chrysler 300 that got 25 m.p.g. on a good day -- the senator from Illinois went green, switching to a hybrid.
In fact, he got a Ford Escape hybrid SUV, according to campaign officials. That was before Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. blasted Obama in early June on Mackinac Island. There have been no reports that Ford's criticism has prompted Obama to turn it in.
Posted by at 11:54 AM | Permalink
A debate over the survival of Detroit's automakers broke out during a congressional hearing Thursday on the future of plug-in hybrid vehicles, as advocates pressed for more action and a Detroit defender warned the industry was on the brink of collapse, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The hearing was a mix of sympathy, castigation and bluster that has become typical of any debate about the auto industry on Capitol Hill. While General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler are building prototype plug-in hybrid vehicles, none was invited to the hearing of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.
Posted by at 11:51 AM | Permalink
July 11, 2007
The relatively quick-and-easy answer to foreign oil dependence and automotive greenhouse gas emissions is circling the grounds every day at Orlando International Airport in Florida, according to a top Ford official, USA Today reports.
It's a utilitarian 12-passenger parking lot shuttle bus powered by a 6.8-liter internal combustion hydrogen engine, which Ford officials said is their hydrogen technology closest to mass production.
Posted by at 3:29 PM | Permalink
July 5, 2007
A riddle: Why has the Toyota Prius enjoyed such success, with sales of more than 400,000 in the United States, when most other hybrid models struggle to find buyers?
One answer may be that buyers of the Prius want everyone to know they are driving a hybrid, according to the New York Times
The Prius, after all, was built from the ground up as a hybrid, and is sold only as a hybrid. By contrast, the main way to tell that a Honda Civic, Ford Escape or Saturn Vue is a hybrid version is a small badge on the trunk or side panel.
Posted by at 2:46 PM | Permalink
July 2, 2007
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-06-27-nissan-batteries_N.htmNissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday his company is working hard to develop the next generation of smaller, lighter auto batteries — a technology that holds promise for electric cars as well as for hybrids, according to USA Today.
He also said Nissan and its French partner Renault are moving ahead with studies on a $3,000 car for the Indian market.
Posted by at 11:21 AM | Permalink
June 27, 2007
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says his company is working hard to develop the next generation of smaller, lighter auto batteries - a technology that holds promise for electric cars as well as for hybrids, AP reports.
He also said Nissan and its French partner Renault SA are moving ahead with studies on a $3,000 car for the Indian market.
Posted by at 9:51 AM | Permalink
June 21, 2007
With higher government fuel economy requirements looming and gasoline prices around $3 a gallon, Chrysler Group on Thursday announced several measures to boost the fuel mileage of its cars and trucks, according to USA Today.
During an event to showcase its 2008 models, the company said its new family of V-6 engines will have the ability to drop to three cylinders when less power is needed, raising V-6 fuel economy 6% to 8%.
The company also plans to place its new two-mode hybrid powertrain in more vehicles, put a clean diesel engine in the 2009 Jeep Cherokee sport-utility vehicle, and upgrade its 5.7-liter Hemi and 4.7-liter V-8 engines to get better gas mileage.
Posted by at 12:13 PM | Permalink
June 19, 2007
Internet search giant Google hopes to speed the development of plug-in hybrid cars by giving away millions of dollars to people and companies that have what appear to be practical ways to get plug-ins to market faster, according to USA Today.
But the money, announced Monday afternoon at Google headquarters in Mountain Valley, Calif., totals just $1 million so far with another $10 million pledged, which might not be enough to move the needle.
Auto development is crushingly expensive, especially when it involves the kind of advanced battery and powertrain technology used in plug-in hybrids.
Though automakers are tight-lipped about what they spend, bringing a plug-in hybrid to market could cost
Posted by at 2:33 PM | Permalink
June 15, 2007
The increased demand for "green" vehicles is spilling over to the rental car counter, where many more drivers will soon be able to choose a hybrid vehicle, according to the Associated Press.
Hertz said it will spend $68 million to add 3,400 Toyota Prius hybrids to its fleets by 2008. And Avis said this week it plans to make 1,000 hybrid Prius vehicles available for rent as early as next week.
Posted by at 1:12 PM | Permalink
June 13, 2007
BioFuel Energy Corp., a development-stage ethanol producer, said it plans to sell 5.25 million shares at $10.50 a share in an initial public offering, below its expected IPO pricing range of $13 to $14 a share, according to Reuters.
In a regulatory filing, BioFuel said it will also sell 4.25 million shares in a private placement directly to affiliates of Greenlight Capital Inc., Third Point LLC and its chairman, Thomas Edelman.
The Denver, Colorado-based company expects to receive about $93 million in net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses.
BioFuel plans to use the net proceeds to fund the equity portion of the construction costs of its Alta plant and repay or defer debt.
Posted by at 10:12 AM | Permalink
It's the end of the driving world as you know it, some of the automotive industry's top engineers and executives said Tuesday during a University of Michigan forum on alternative-fuel vehicles, according to the Detroit Free Press.
More than 700 people filled the Power Center in Ann Arbor to hear hybrid and advanced technology directors from General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. discuss what their companies are doing to address increasing consumer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Posted by at 9:55 AM | Permalink
June 12, 2007
After taking a decade to sell its first 1 million gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles worldwide, Toyota now says it plans to sell 1 million a year within a few years, according to USA Today.
At the same time, the big automaker appears to be backing away from a pledge made a few years ago that hybrid powertrains would be available as options on nearly every one of its U.S. vehicles by 2010.
Posted by at 10:30 AM | Permalink
June 8, 2007
A decade after the first Prius went on sale, Toyota's global sales of hybrid vehicles have hit 1 million, underlining the Japanese automaker's lead in "green" technology, according to USA Today.
Toyota says it has sold 577,311 gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles in the USA from mid-2000, when it launched the Prius here, through May.
Toyota's worldwide sales of gas-and-electric-powered vehicles totaled 1.047 million as of the end of May. Nearly 345,000 of those were sold in Japan.
Posted by at 12:53 PM | Permalink
June 6, 2007
General Motors has awarded two contracts to companies that will help speed up development of its plug-in hybrid car called the Chevrolet Volt, GM Chairman Rick Wagoner said Tuesday, according to USA Today.
Wagoner, speaking at the company's annual shareholders meeting, also said GM would introduce four new hybrid models this year.
Posted by at 9:48 AM | Permalink
June 5, 2007
Honda says it will discontinue the hybrid version of its Accord sedans, according to USA Today.
Honda will continue to make gas-and-electric models of its Civic sedan, but stop offering the hybrid Accord with the new model expected to go on sale later this year, company spokesman Yoshiyuki Kuroda said in Tokyo.
The Accord hybrid, sold only in North America, was a dud, selling just 25,000 since going on sale in 2004. It sold just 6,100 last year.
Posted by at 9:20 AM | Permalink
May 31, 2007
If you plant some trees, is it OK to drive an Escalade?
The question isn't as silly as it sounds, according to USA Today. People worried about global warming increasingly are trying to "offset" the carbon dioxide — the leading greenhouse gas — they spew into the atmosphere when they drive, fly or flick on a light. One idea popular with the eco-conscious is to have trees planted for them. You get to keep driving and flying, but those trees are supposed to suck in your trail of carbon.
Posted by at 10:53 AM | Permalink
May 23, 2007
California officials pushed federal environmental regulators on Tuesday to approve the state's plan for a 30% cut in greenhouse gases from cars and trucks, saying automakers had overplayed their challenges to meeting the targets, according to the Detroit Free Press.
If successful, California's plan would set up strict new fuel economy goals of about 43 miles per gallon by 2016 that automakers might be forced to follow nationwide.
Posted by at 12:14 PM | Permalink
May 22, 2007
Warnings about global warming may not be dire enough, according to a climate study that describes a runaway-train acceleration of industrial carbon dioxide emissions, USA Today reports.
Fueled by rapid growth in coal-reliant China, rates of carbon dioxide emission from industrial sources increased from 2000 to 2004 "at a rate that is over three times the rate during the 1990s," says a report released by the journal Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences.
Posted by at 10:55 AM | Permalink
May 21, 2007
Speaking at a taping of “Wait Wait ...Don’t Tell Me!” the quiz program on National Public Radio, Robert A. Lutz, vice chairman at General Motors, declared Thursday night that the Chevrolet Volt, the hybrid-electric concept car that G.M. unveiled at this year’s Detroit auto show, may be among the most important vehicles that G.M. has ever developed, The New York Times reports.
Lutz has long been considered one of Detroit’s ultimate “car guys,” for whom no vehicle could be big enough, powerful enough or fast enough. He is the father of the V-10 Dodge Viper and has championed automobiles like the 1,000-horsepower Cadillac Sixteen.
Lutz said he was more excited about the Volt that he was about the Dodge Viper. “I think this can bring about the revolution and really make us independent of foreign oil and solve all the other problems," he said.
Posted by at 10:03 AM | Permalink
May 17, 2007
Toyota's commitment to hybrid automobiles was on full display today when it unveiled in Tokyo its most expensive gasoline-electric vehicle yet - the $124,000 luxury Lexus LS sedan, according to the Associated Press.
Executives at Japan's No. 1 automaker are fully convinced that hybrid cars are the way of the future. And they're betting that growing consumer concern about the environment - and higher gas prices - will lure even wealthy buyers to the new model, which went on sale Thursday in Japan and will arrive later elsewhere.
Posted by at 9:44 AM | Permalink
May 11, 2007
Honda says it will put a sleek hydrogen fuel-cell sedan into limited production next year and also will sell a unique mass-market hybrid in the USA within two years, priced less than the $25,000 Civic hybrid, according to USA Today.
The automaker announced the vehicles yesterday at a demonstration of prototypes of the FCX fuel-cell sedans it will offer in the USA next year.
Posted by at 9:50 AM | Permalink
May 9, 2007
General Motors yesterday became the first automaker to join the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a group whose goals include reducing greenhouse gases by at least 60% by 2050 and creating economic opportunity for its member organizations, according to The Detroit Free Press.
GM was one of 14 organizations that joined the 3-month-old partnership, known as USCAP, this week. Others included Midland-based Dow Chemical Co., Johnson & Johnson and Shell.
Posted by at 10:48 AM | Permalink
May 4, 2007
Automakers would have until 2020 to raise the fuel efficiency of their cars and trucks to an average of 35 miles per gallon under a key U.S. Senate proposal, which includes several clauses Detroit automakers have pushed, giving federal regulators power over future rules, according to the Detroit Free Press
The amendment offered Friday by Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, will be the starting point when the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee meets Tuesday to consider passing a fuel economy increase to the full Senate.
Posted by at 11:45 AM | Permalink
May 2, 2007
I finally got around to seeing Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and recommend it highly. Even though it has long seemed to me obvious that our carbon emissions had to be having an impact on the world's atmosphere, I was surprised and pretty horrified by the weight of evidence the former vice president and president elect has built up.
Certainly, Gore has focused attention on this issue like no one else and the move underway toward alternative fuels, for example, is bound to gain even more momentum.
Gore quickly defines global warming - the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that prevents the escape of reflected sunlight .
He then demonstrates through a series of charts how the modern era is burdened by a global population of about 6 billion compared with 2 billion when he was born; and how the burning of fossil fuels that started in earnest with the coal-fired factories of the industrial revolution in the 19th Century has caused the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to literally go off a chart that traces the data over 650,000 years through ice cores from Antartica!
He then points out evidence of a changing environment, including the number of 'record' hot years, the increase in major storms including Hurricane Katrina, the rapid retreat of the world's glaciers and the ongoing meltdown in the Arctic.
The evidence is overwhelming and it's astonishing that there is still a cadre of drivelers who continue to belittle the entire concept.
The documentary, which won an Oscar, is basically a lecture which he admits he has given "over 1,000 times." Well, practice makes perfect and the presentation is extremely tight and focused.
He ends it by pointing out that the technology exists to avert disaster; what we need is the political will. The notion that the current administration of former fossil fuel executives has any interest in this is risible; hopefully, a changing of the guard in 2008 will include a renewed focus on this very serious and growing problem.
But there is always the possibility that by the fall of 2008, we will have already experienced a monumental catastrophe that will make Katrina seem like a picnic. For while the move is on to alternative fuels, consider that China is planning to build 500 new coal-fired power plants over the next decade, according to an NPR report this morning.
Posted by at 12:39 PM | Permalink
May 1, 2007
The emissions noose around the auto industry is getting tighter, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that says the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to limit carbon dioxide emissions, according to thecarconnection.com which cited the Washington Post.
The industry's longtime political protector, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., has warned automakers there is probably no chance of preventing Congress and the Bush administration from raising fuel economy standards.
Posted by at 9:42 AM | Permalink
Lawn lovers may not realize that push-power mowers spew as much pollution in an hour as 11 cars, and riding mowers emit as much as 34 cars, according to the Washington Post.
Though outdoor-equipment makers have been subject to regulation and have reduced emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency and California wanted more stringent rules for the $8 billion industry. This meant that to achieve further reductions in pollutants, engine makers would probably have to use catalytic converters to clean up exhaust.
Posted by at 9:38 AM | Permalink
April 30, 2007
There is a growing movement among celebs and companies to buy "carbon neutrality" rather like the devout bought indulgences in Middle Ages, according to Sunday's New York Times.
In those longlost days, buying a piece of wood purporting to be a genuine piece of the cross that Christ died on assured you heavenly grace despite a life dedicated to exploring the seven deadly sins. Now you can buy a similar sense of grace by buying a tree or something to make up for your belching SUV.
Indeed, an accompanying cartoon illustrates a penitent kneeling in confession and declaring: "Forgive me for I have SUV'd."
Posted by at 9:26 AM | Permalink
April 26, 2007
California will sue the Environmental Protection Agency if it does not act soon on the state's request for permission to regulate automobile emissions, according to the Associated Press.
The state applied in 2005 for a waiver that would exempt California from the federal Clean Air Act, allowing it to more aggressively regulate greenhouse gases as air pollutants. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he called EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson on Wednesday and told him that his agency was moving too slowly.
Posted by at 12:10 PM | Permalink
April 24, 2007
Hoping to redeem itself among environmentalists and portray itself as a car company worth keeping around, Ford said yesterday that it had given its environmental chief a broader job and bigger title, according to USA Today.
Saying he's convinced that global warming is a real threat and is man-made, Ford CEO Alan Mulally elevated industry veteran Sue Cischke to senior vice president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering. Cischke, previously vice president for environment and safety engineering, reports directly to Mulally. "Green is good business," Mulally said. "Companies that make the products and services people want … (using) the least resources" will stay in business and profit
Posted by at 9:32 AM | Permalink
April 20, 2007
Following up on the high-profile launch of its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt concept, at January's Detroit Auto Show, General Motors returns with an alternate take on the show car at the Shanghai Motor Show, according to thecarconnection.com. This Volt version uses a downsized battery paired with a hydrogen-powered fuel cell.
Posted by at 10:10 AM | Permalink
April 18, 2007
Emissions from vehicles running E85, or 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, are just as harmful to humans as those from vehicles that run on regular gasoline, according to leftlanenews.com which cites a new study directed by Stanford Associate Professor Mark Jacobson at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Jacobson argues that switching to E85 could result in higher ozone-related mortality, hospitalization and asthma because it could cause the ozone problem in urban areas to worsen.
Posted by at 10:52 AM | Permalink
Nissan plans to sell a diesel-powered Maxima sedan in the USA in 2010, Nissan Motor CEO Carlos Ghosn said in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington Wednesday, according to USA Today.
Ghosn said the diesel vehicle is "basically a bet that regulations will get stricter and fuel prices will get higher." He said the diesel-powered Maxima should get "up to 30% greater" mileage than a similar-size gasoline engine. And because it burns less fuel, it will produce less carbon-dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
Nissan is the second Japanese automaker to announce a diesel car for the U.S. market. Honda said last year that it will sell a diesel car in the U.S. in 2009.
Posted by at 10:26 AM | Permalink
April 16, 2007
The Detroit Free Press reports that ashttp://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070416/BUSINESS01/704160362/1014/BUSINESS01 more than 35,000 engineers and executives gather in Detroit this week for the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, one question will dominate the convention: What will power the car of the future?
The gas engine has dominated the U.S. auto market for decades, but gas-electric hybrids and diesel engines are gaining ground. Ethanol is being promoted as an alternative fuel, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are being tested in real-world conditions.
Posted by at 12:36 PM | Permalink
Could the electric vehicle be poised for a comeback? A new joint venture between Nissan Motor Co., NEC Corporation, and its subsidiary, NEC TOKIN Corporation, could pave the way for a new generation of battery cars, including super-high-efficiency hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and pure electric vehicles with far more range than the EVs California consumers snubbed in the 1990s, according to thecarconnection.com.
Posted by at 12:33 PM | Permalink
Check out a photo gallery of Forbes.com's list of 10 greenest vehicles. While most are gas hybrids, four are small, economic gas-powered cars.
Posted by at 10:14 AM | Permalink
April 10, 2007
Judging from the media in recent months, the debate over global warming is now over, writes Richard S. Lindzen, Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Newsweek.
There has been a net warming of the earth over the last century and a half, and our greenhouse gas emissions are contributing at some level. Both of these statements are almost certainly true. What of it? Recently many people have said that the earth is facing a crisis requiring urgent action. This statement has nothing to do with science. There is no compelling evidence that the warming trend we've seen will amount to anything close to catastrophe. What most commentators—and many scientists—seem to miss is that the only thing we can say with certainly about climate is that it changes.
Lindzen is a controversial figure who claims his research has always been funded exclusively by the U.S. government and that he receives no funding from any energy companies. Newsweek appears to have trotted him out as the contrarian, flat-earth viewpoint as his article appears in the context of the issue being devoted to political leadership and the environment titled: Save the Planet or Else. See the lead article and related news and analysis.
Posted by at 10:35 AM | Permalink
April 9, 2007
A week after the U.S. Supreme Court said vehicle carbon dioxide emissions can be regulated like other pollutants, an effort by several states to do that is about to get its first court test, according to the Associated Press.
California long has been the pacesetter in regulating car emissions, setting tougher limits than those imposed by the federal government. To avoid having cars built to meet 50 different sets of state rules, federal law allows other states to choose between the federal and the California rules. Vermont and nine other states follow California.
But the focus shifts to Vermont tomorrow, where a trial begins over new rules - adopted by California in 2005 and soon after by the other states - designed to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
Posted by at 10:43 AM | Permalink
Just as automakers prepared to parade their signature V-8 models with 300, 400 and even 500-plus horsepower last week at the opening of the New York International Auto Show, the New York Times noted yesterday, a landmark Supreme Court ruling on greenhouse gas emissions wafted a message to the petrol-fueled party in Manhattan: enjoy the fun while it lasts.
Posted by at 10:31 AM | Permalink
April 3, 2007
The U.S. Supreme Court handed down two decisions yesterday that could create an unprecedented opportunity for setting new standards for reducing greenhouse gases from automobiles and lead to emissions reductions by a major utility, reports The Providence Journal's Peter Lord.In Massachusetts et al v. Environmental Protection Agency et al, the court ruled 5 to 4 against the Bush administration’s contention that it didn’t have the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles. The EPA had resisted calls by Massachusetts and other states to impose limits, saying it didn’t have the authority to do so. Yesterday, the court rejected every argument made by the EPA to do nothing, Lord writes.
Environmental Defense et al v. Duke Energy Corp. et al, which Lord says appears to have more limited impact, the court ruled unanimously to vacate a lower court ruling that allowed the power company to upgrade 29 of its generating plants without having to conform to stricter air emissions rules. The case was sent back to the lower court for further review.
Posted by at 9:49 AM | Permalink
March 23, 2007
Last week, the European Union’s environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas of Greece, set off a national debate here by suggesting that the German government introduce a general speed limit on the autobahn.
While most of the famed highway already has speed limits, there are sections with none which attracts German gearheads like Marc Bongers and his specially modified 435 horsepower Porsche.
The New York Time's Mark Landler discusses the proposed limits - based on concern about emissions - with an unhappy Bongers as he takes his car out for 'a spin.'
Posted by at 10:47 AM | Permalink
March 20, 2007
The first commercial compressed air car is on the verge of production and beginning to attract a lot of attention, according to Gizmag.com. With a recently signed partnership with Tata, India’s largest automotive manufacturer, the prospects of very cost-effective mass production are now a distinct possibility. The MiniC.A.T is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fibreglass.
The car costs less than $3 to fill a tank on which it can run for about 160 miles. The car will cost about $7,300 and has a top speed of nearly 70 mph. The oil - vegetable, naturally - has to be changed about every 30,000 miles. Initial plans are to produce 3,000 cars per year."
Posted by at 10:44 AM | Permalink
March 9, 2007
Bentley, one of the last of the old auto aristocrats, is considering offering hybrid and diesel versions of its luxury models, according to leftlanenews.com. Of course, the brand while ostensibly British, is owned by Volkswagen. Leftlanenews.com cites the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for the news.
Posted by at 11:42 AM | Permalink
March 8, 2007
Europe prides itself on its pioneering approach to climate change. However, Germany's fabled cars are among the dirtiest when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions. That means Chancellor Angela Merkel, currently president of the European Union, must face down the German auto industry before trying to persuade Europe to accept stringent new cuts in carbon dioxide emissions, according to a report in The New York Times.
Posted by at 11:15 AM | Permalink
February 26, 2007
Speaking of clean diesel from Mercedes-Benz, see Los Angeles Times' auto columnist Dan Neil's written and video review of the company's E320 Bluetec diesel. The video include a shot of him warming a bagel in its exhaust and then eating to make the point that emissions are "that clean."
Posted by at 4:33 PM | Permalink
Mercedes-Benz will unveil its Vision C 220 Bluetec diesel concept car at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, according to leftlanenews.com. The company says the car achieves 43 miles per gallon. The Geneva Motor Show opens March 8 and runs 10 days.
Posted by at 11:27 AM | Permalink
February 21, 2007
European governments pledged Tuesday to cut emissions 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 - from a current pledge of 20 percent - but only if industrialized countries like the United States made similar efforts, according to a report in today's New York Times.
Posted by at 2:06 PM | Permalink
