Brew Your Own Ethanol Fuel from Food scraps and Old Newspapers

If there’s one thing all Americans are good at, it’s producing waste: thirty million tons of it a year, in fact. From food scraps to old newspapers, a lot of compostable materials end up in the nation’s landfills. Thomas Quinn, the founder of Silicon Valley start-up E-Fuel wants to change all that.

The E-Fuel system uses two washing machine sized components: the MicroFusion Reactor (which to me conjures up images of Mr. Fusion from Back To The Future Part II) and the MicroFueler. The former reduces organic waste into sugar water and ferments it into a sugary, bacteria-ridden alcoholic soup not unlike bathtub homebrew.

The latter turns this soup into usable ethanol for automotive fuel. The whole process takes about 3 kWh of energy, or about a tenth of the average home’s daily energy usage. That’s less than the 4 to 7.5 kWh it takes to make a gallon of gasoline, at least according to Jacob Ward of the U.S. Department of Energy.

A third component called a GridBuster uses the ambient heat from a portable generator to fuel the whole compost to ethanol process. So good is it, in fact, that a claimed 80 to 90% of the E-Fuel’s power can come from this ambient heat alone.

Quinn sought the assistance of Floyd Butterfield, the inventor behind the legendary Butterfield Sill, to develop the E-Fuel system. Each of the three components are said to cost US$10,000 each, for a total cost of US$30,000 per complete unit.

E-Fuel’s mainstay clientele at the moment are universities and governments who, unlike the vast majority of consumers, are able to shell out copious amounts of money to save a little bit of the planet. In the words of “ethanol expert” David Blume:

“E-Fuel's machines aren't cheap, but for early adopters of new technology like this, I think cost really isn't the issue.”

Quinn hopes consumers will be able to lease the units from distributors, with some seventy already ready for immediate lease in both the U.S. and overseas. A lack of E85 compatible vehicles on the market may stunt E-Fuels growth, though apparently one can convert an E10 vehicle over to flex fuel with relative ease.

Quinn is expecting sales to double this year, though requires an investment of US$25 million to top up the company’s coffers and keep E-Fuel rolling. In his own words:

“In this economy, finding capital is impossible. Banks aren't taking any risks and we're facing a green tech bubble that's popping, because investors have dumped so much money into solar and wind and haven't seen returns.”

Only time will tell if E-Fuel is the way of the future or another woulda-coulda-shoulda in a long line of clever-if-financially-flawed enviro-tech.

READ MORE - Brew Your Own Ethanol Fuel from Food scraps and Old Newspapers

EV Owners in California to Feel the Shock of Higher Electricity Rates

Woe betide the electric car. Outpaced by their petrol-powered cousins in the 1900s, saddled with heavy and potentially dangerous batteries in the 1970s and crushed in the name of the Almighty Dollar in the 1990s, it’s been a rough road from there to here.

And now, on the dawn of a new age where electric cars seem poised to take their rightful place alongside gasoline cars, the electricity companies are about to throw a wrench into the works. If you live in California and intend to buy a plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius or Chevrolet Volt or an all-electric Nissan Leaf, you could be in for a...shock.

If the energy giants have their way, the Chevy Cobalt, which would have to rate on my list as one of the least desirable cars built by GM, is more economical to own or operate than any of the above. The reason?

Essentially, The California government has approved its energy providers to impose higher rates on customers who exceed, “typical household levels” of energy use all in the name of conservation. So if, for example, you spend eight hours a night recharging your electric car, you’ll find yourself classed as one of these excess customers.

Wham, bam, the electricity companies charge you more than Mr. Joe Public next door who drives a Toyota Sienna and still has to pay for the good oil. And contrary to what you may of heard, it doesn’t matter if you recharge your car at night when the rates are lower; you’re still gonna take a hit to your hip pocket.

And it’s not like the California legislature is rushing to correct this oversight.

Wally Tyner, the James and Lois Ackerman Professor of Agricultural Economics, said that to make the Volt more economical than the Prius or the Cobalt, oil prices would have rise to between $171 and $254 per barrel, depending on which electricity pricing system is being used. Californians for example, pay an average of 14.42 cents per kilowatt hour, which is about 35 percent higher than the national average.

"People who view the Volt as green will pay $10,000 more over the lifetime of the car because it's green," Tyner said. "Most consumers will look at the numbers and won't pay that."

So until you’ve taken a pen and paper and worked out the real cost of owning an EV in California, maybe keep that Geo Metro for a while longer.

Source: Purdue University

READ MORE - EV Owners in California to Feel the Shock of Higher Electricity Rates

Green for Green: The Truth About America’s Car Buying Habits

At the Society of Automotive Analysts' (SAA) 2011 Automotive Outlook Conference in Detroit, J.D. Power released some statistics on U.S. light vehicle sales in 2010. The figures make an interesting reading.

86% of vehicles sold were gasoline-powered, 8.7% were flex-fueled, 2.6% were diesels and 2.4% were hybrids. Their forecast for 2020 is perhaps even more stunning. An estimated 71.5% of vehicles sold will be gasoline-powered, 10% will be flex-fueled, 9.5% will be hybrids and just 1% will be pure electric.

More than seventy percent will be gasoline powered in 2020? Whatever happened to my Hydrogen-7 or Tesla Model S? As Rebecca Lindland, Director of Strategic Review for IHS Automotive explains, nothing.

"We studied the 1970s and we looked back at the last couple of oil crises, and we found that the [American] consumer will buy small, more fuel-efficient cars for literally three to four months. And then three or four months later, we go right back to buying big cars. It's just a pattern."

When gas prices dropped from $4 a gallon back to less than $1.75 a gallon in early 2009 (see EIA's chart below), buyers simply lapsed back into their old buying habits. It’s one of the reasons trucks / pickups outsold cars in 2010. Lindland elaborates:

"It doesn't matter that there's over 30 new hybrid models on the market. [American consumers are] not buying them."

Most of the auto industry’s hopes lie with Generation Green, the first of which will probably be buying their first car in 2012. Lindland explains why Gen Green are so important:

"They're going to be the first generation to always have a hybrid or electric vehicle as one of their buying choices. They won't have to adapt their buying behavior. These are vehicles that they will have grown up with, and they will have never known a market without them."

It’s not all sunny, however. Jeff Schuster, J.D. Power’s Executive Director, said things such as price premiums, range anxiety and a lack of recharging infrastructure are still hurdles that hybrid and electric vehicles are yet to cross.

"You can read all the stories about how we don't typically drive more than 30 miles in one direction anyway, but the reality is that people want that security," said Schuster. "They want to know they can go further with the vehicle."

Regardless of what consumers want, increasing CAFE standards mean more hybrids; EVs and subcompacts are on the way. Lindland is especially fearful of a reprise of the ‘70s where tougher fuel economies drove carmakers to build “vehicles that nobody wanted” Here’s looking at you, AMC Pacer.

Others though are optimistic. Carlos Tavares, Nissan’s Executive VP and Chairman of Management Committee-Americas (we swear we didn’t make that up) recalls the debate of bringing the Versa stateside. The subcompact sedan and hatchback now commands 20% of the market segment.

"I think at the end of the day, the only thing to be said is let the American consumer decide," said Tavares. "We'll bring the products. We will continue to bring compact cars, and we will eventually reinforce our presence in compact cars, because today nobody can bet on the fact that oil is not going to go up."

So it just goes to show: while we all say we’re concerned about the environment, maybe all we really care about is what’s left in our wallets. It’s a tough reality, but maybe one the world will have to face sooner rather than later. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

READ MORE - Green for Green: The Truth About America’s Car Buying Habits

Our Automotive Future: Clever Tech Meets Clever Manufacturing

In a decade where green has become the new buzzword for almost every industry, automakers are facing two big problems: economy and emissions. The simplest way to achieve this is to reduce weight and reduce the size of the engine. With all the government mandated safety equipment and luxury features that today’s customers demand - power everything, air conditioning and the like - achieving the former is very difficult. And fitting a small engine into a heavy body is only going to stunt performance and make fuel economy all the more worse.

Fortunately, there are a few potential solutions. Carbon fibre is one. It’s said to be ten times stronger than steel and five times lighter. Unfortunately, it’s also four times as expensive, making it impractical for use in non-luxury vehicles. Now, engineers are looking to green energy and new manufacturing methods to make carbon fibre cheaper. Still, the results are yet to be seen.

There’s also the burgeoning belief that ultracapacitors are set to replace lithium ion batteries in hybrid and electric vehicles, though this is far from certain. Like carbon fibre, ultracapacitors are very expensive and unlike today’s lithium ion batteries are quite bulky and heavy. Think of the first generation of phone batteries for a worthy comparison. Fortunately, costs are coming down. According to Mike Sund, VP of investor relations at Maxwell Technologies, “[Ultracapacitor] costs have been reduced by two-thirds over the past three years.”

Even in this post-GFC world, the price of oil is also becoming an increasing concern for consumers and big business alike. Products, like Ethanol E10 and E85, are decent stopgap measures though aren’t solving the bigger problem. Now, companies are looking to manufacture synthetic gasoline from biomass such as woodchips and other waste materials. .

The technology still isn’t at the stage where it can compete with the major oil refineries, meeting only 1/8th of their capacity. Another hurdle is the raw biomass itself, which is too heavy to transport long distances. Still, new advances and investment in the industry are sure to produce some interesting results in the near future.

Lastly, the Scuderi Group has developed an experimental split-cycle engine that causes combustion to occur after the piston reaches the top of the cylinder, which it claims is 50% more fuel efficient than contemporary petrol engines. How about a 1L engine that offers the same performance as a 1.8, with better fuel economy than a contemporary 1L? By using some clever trickery that allows the spark to come later, along with a turbocharger and small air-tank, the Scuderi engine could reinvigorate faith in the internal combustion engine – if it ever reaches production.

So, the future of the automobile is looking bright. Now all that’s left is the wait to see if these technologies will reach production status.

READ MORE - Our Automotive Future: Clever Tech Meets Clever Manufacturing

NOx, Hydrocarbons and Worse – What’s Else is Coming from your Exhaust Pipe?

As automotive consumers, we think we’re pretty well informed. We read all the blogs and all the magazines, pouring over the all important numbers: 0 to 60 times, miles per gallon and – increasingly – CO2 emissions. That last one is interesting, as it’s only come to the mainstream public’s attention in the last seven years or so. Anyone would think that the only noxious chemical cars put into the atmosphere are CO2, but you’d be wrong.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons, diesel particulates and carbon monoxide are also put out by our daily drivers. Think of the worst parts of cigarette smoke and the fumes from burning plastic and you’ll have a good idea what I mean. Premature births, lung cancer and smog – all attributable to these noxious chemicals.

You may be surprised at the vehicles that are very good on CO2 and very bad on NOx and hydrocarbons. By adding the two together, we get a milligram per kilometre rating. So here are the best and worst from the UK’S Vehicle Certification Agency:

UK's best performers

Skoda Yeti 1.2 105PS 49mg/km

Nissan Qashqai+2 2.0 71mg/km

Honda Insight 1.3 IMA S/SE 73mg/km

Porsche Cayman S 3.4 79mg/km

Honda Insight 1.3IMA ES-T 5dr 82mg/km

UK's worst offenders (mg/km)

Nissan Pathfinder 2.5 dCi 190 1,150mg/km

Seat Ibiza SC 1.2 12v 70PS 1,026mg/km

Citroën C5 1.6i THP 1,010mg/km

Audi A4 3.2 FSi Multitronic 999mg/km

Mercedes B-Class B160 BlueEfficiency 994mg/km

Would you believe that a 2.5L Volvo V70 estate is in some ways better for the environment than a 1.3L Fiat 500 with start-stop engine tech? Try 201mg/km versus 484mg/km. And would you of guessed a Porsche Cayman S would be, in one way at least, better for the environment than a Mercedes-Benz B160 BlueEfficiency?

It just goes to show that the more you know the better off you are. One can only hope that, in time, these details will appear on the same stickers that tell us mpg and CO2 emissions so car buyers can make a fully informed choice.

Source: VCA via Telegraph

READ MORE - NOx, Hydrocarbons and Worse – What’s Else is Coming from your Exhaust Pipe?

GM Building Parts for Chevrolet Volt from BP Oil Spill Booms

The new Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car is doing its part in improving the environment by making the best use of the oil that was spilled into the Gulf of Mexico from the BP Deepwater Horizon rig. To explain, General Motors has began recycling oil-soaked plastic booms from the notorious spill into components for the Volt.

The Detroit-based automaker said it has developed a method to convert an estimated 100 miles of the material off the Alabama and Louisiana coasts into more than 100,000 pounds of plastic resin that will be used for parts that deflect air around the vehicle’s radiator.

These parts are comprised of 25 percent boom material and 25 percent recycled tires from GM’s Milford Proving Ground vehicle test facility, with the remaining percentage covered by a mixture of post-consumer recycled plastics and other polymers.

“Creative recycling is one extension of GM’s overall strategy to reduce its environmental impact,” said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Environment, Energy and Safety policy. “We reuse and recycle material by-products at our 76 landfill-free facilities every day. This is a good example of using this expertise and applying it to a greater magnitude.”

If GM hadn't used the oil-soaked booms for parts, they would have been incinerated or sent to landfills.

“This was purely a matter of helping out,” said John Bradburn, manager of GM’s waste-reduction efforts. “If sent to a landfill, these materials would have taken hundreds of years to begin to break down, and we didn’t want to see the spill further impact the environment. We knew we could identify a beneficial reuse of this material given our experience.”

According to the automaker, the ongoing project is expected to create enough plastic under hood parts to supply the first year production of the new Chevy Volt.

READ MORE - GM Building Parts for Chevrolet Volt from BP Oil Spill Booms

Skoda's Superb Greenline becomes the Czech Republic’s official EU Presidency vehicle

The most eco-friendly version of Skoda's flagship model, the Superb Greenline, is to be used as the official vehicle by the Czech Republic government to transport EU ministers and delegations visiting the country. Overall, VW's Czech subsidiary has provided the government with 27 vehicles. The first event to see the Superb GreenLines in action is this weekend's EU-US summit that will take place in Prague and will be attended by US president Barack Obama as part of his first official visit to Europe. However, don't expect to see Obama riding one of the Skodas.

Skoda Auto PR Manager Radek Spicar comments: "We are pleased that the Superb GreenLine is to be used as the official vehicle when Barack Obama visits the country. We are aware of his positive attitude to environmental protection and giving environmentally-friendly vehicles political support is very important in terms of increasing the number of such vehicles in general."

"We are really pleased that the vehicles will also be used to transport the EU environment ministers in Prague - this is surely going to be seen as an example worth following," he concluded.

According to Skoda's official data, the Superb GreenLine which is equipped with a 105HP 1.9-liter turbo diesel emits a mere 136 g/km and has an combined fuel consumption of 5.1 lt per 100 km or 46.1 MPG (US).

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

READ MORE - Skoda's Superb Greenline becomes the Czech Republic’s official EU Presidency vehicle

Mazda Begins Commercial Leasing of Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid

As of today, Mazda is the world's first automaker to begin commercial leasing of a hydrogen-hybrid vehicle. The new Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid will be delivered to local government authorities and energy-related companies in Japan during 2009. Based on the Japanese market Premacy, the vehicle is equipped with a series-type hybrid drivetrain that combines Mazda's hydrogen rotary engine with an electric motor.

As with the Chevy Volt, the rotary-engine output is converted to electricity, which then powers the electric motor that drives the wheels. This hybrid system boosts the hydrogen fuel range of the Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to 200km (124 miles) which is twice the range of the firm's first commercial hydrogen rotary engine model, the RX-8 Hydrogen RE. Furthermore, the hybrid powertrain helps increases the maximum output by approximately 40 percent, to 110 kilowatts (147hp).

Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid Specifications

Base model:	Mazda Premacy
Overall length:	4,565mm
Overall width:	1,745mm
Overall height:	1,620 mm
Engine:	Mazda's hydrogen rotary engine (with dual-fuel system)
Motor:	Alternating current synchronous motor
Maximum output:	110 kW
Generator:	Alternating current synchronous generator
Battery:	Lithium-ion (Li-ion)
Seating capacity:	Five
Fuel:	Hydrogen and gasoline
Hydrogen tank:	35 MPa high-pressure tank

READ MORE - Mazda Begins Commercial Leasing of Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid

Hyundai BLUE-WILL: Prius-Like Plug-in Hybrid Concept to be Unveiled in Seoul

Korean automaker Hyundai is ramping up its efforts in the hybrid segment with the presentation of an all-new concept car at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show that opens on April 2. The BLUE-WILL is a proposal for a family-sized, dedicated hybrid model in the likes of the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. The plug-in hybrid powered by an all-aluminum gasoline direct-injected 1.6-litre engine which is coupled to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and a powerful 100kw (134HP) electric motor

Electric power is stored in a compact Lithium-Ion Polymer battery pack which is located along with the fuel tank under the rear seat to maximize luggage space. The Hyundai group will be the first automaker in the world to apply Lithium Ion Polymer batteries in mass production vehicles when the Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra LPG-Hybrids go on sale in Korea this summer.

Other notable highlights of the BLUE-WILL include the use of recycled PET soft drink bottles for the headlamp bezels and bio-degradable plastics for the interior and the engine cover while the car's panoramic glass rooftop integrates dye-sensitized solar cells that generate power for the batteries from the sun without hurting visibility.

Further details of the concept will be revealed by Hyundai at the Seoul Show.

READ MORE - Hyundai BLUE-WILL: Prius-Like Plug-in Hybrid Concept to be Unveiled in Seoul

Mercedes-Benz Students create F-CELL Roadster Concept

The Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster is a new concept study created by more than 150 trainees and dual education system students who worked on the project for about a year. The most eye-catching element of the study is without doubt, its large spoked wheels that supposedly pay homage to the 1886 Benz Patent Motor Car. We think that they look totally out of place, but we're neither trainees or design students, so don't take our word for it.

The F-CELL Roadster incorporates an array of stylistic features from various eras of automotive history, such as the carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and the fiberglass front section based on the component from the Formula One racing bolides.

The two-seater is powered by an emission-free fuel cell system located at the rear that develops an output of 1.2 kW allowing the lightweight concept to reach a top speed of 25 km/h or 16mph with an operating range of up to 350 km or 218 miles. The concept is controlled with drive-by-wire technology, and a joystick takes the place of the conventional steering wheel.

"This project impressively demonstrates that the topic of sustainable mobility has become an integral part of our vocational training," said Human Resources Board member and Labor Relations Manager Günther Fleig. "I am delighted to see how much initiative and creativity the young people have put into this project."

READ MORE - Mercedes-Benz Students create F-CELL Roadster Concept