alternative fuel

Forget Gas Prices: Consider a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle

khallgeisler — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Many automakers are promising that electric, highway-speed, family sedans are on their way, maybe even as early as next year. If you'd like to lose the gasoline habit sooner rather than later, though, there are options available right now: NEVs, or neighborhood electric vehicles.

These are the zippy little cars made by the likes of Zap, Zenn, and Gem. Some have three wheels, some have four, and they generally carry one or two passengers. But would one of these cars work for you? Maybe, and maybe not.

Pluses

No gas, ever. All the power is supplied by batteries, usually of the common, less-expensive lead-acid variety. These can be fully charged overnight in a standard socket for a couple cents a mile.

Up the green ante with renewable power. If your utility company offers clean electricity from wind farms or the like, then your NEV's carbon footprint dwindles to almost nothing.

Price. NEVs can be cheaper than even gas-sippers like the Honda Fit or Nissan Versa. Bare-bones models start at about $7,000 and go up to about $16,000 for your fancier models.

Zero emissions. None.

Quiet. The only noise is the tires rolling on the road, so you'll no longer be contributing to noise pollution. But do the polite thing and make sure kids and the blind know you're around, since they can't hear you.

Minuses

Top speed of about 40 mph. For those who live in an urban area, though, this hardly matters. Speed limits in towns are rarely higher than a Zap can zip.

Maximum range of 25-50 miles, depending on batteries. Again, this isn't a major minus, as 78% of Americans have a round-trip commute of 40 miles or fewer. If you can top off the batteries at work, you can double your daily miles.

Number of passengers is limited. You can take your kid to Little Leage practice, but no one else can ride along. Unless they are very tiny, or an invisible friend.

Hills are the enemy. But the flip side is that flat streets are your friend. If you live in a hilly area, an NEV might not have the power to get you up and over. But again, flat, urban commutes are ideal for these cars.

Taryn Sokolow, of the EnVironmental Motors EV dealership in Glendale, Calif., said in an interview earlier this year, "Some people it really doesn't work for, and some people think they can't, but they can."

When Sokolow is working with a customer to find the right NEV, she finds herself asking them, "How far is it from your work to your home? I need to know miles." Know your commute and your needs, and you might find that two cents a mile works just great for you.

Photo courtesy of Zenn.

3rd-Gen Prius: Toyota to Add Solar Panels

khallgeisler — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0400

The more we hear about the new Prius, which should show up in 2009, the more excited we get. The latest news is that Toyota will add solar panels on the roof to power the car's accessories.

The panels won't generate enough juice to power the car, but they will be enough to run the air conditioner and other electricity-sucking accessories. The panels will be available on the high-end versions of the Prius and possibly a Lexus hybrid model, giving drivers a new way to flaunt their green -- as a sign of their concern for the environment and their ability to lay out the cash to save it.

The next generation of Toyota's flagship hybrid is already slated to get a power boost and better fuel economy, so these panels are icing on the cake. With the current version of the Prius in short supply lately, and the premium being exacted by dealers for the privilege of buying one, you may be better off socking away that down payment and waiting until next year. Just drive your current car mindfully in the meantime.

Interview with GM Chairman: Bob Lutz Talks Hummers, Volts, and Hydrogen

khallgeisler — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Recently, a dozen of us automotive journalist types in the Pacific Northwest had lunch with Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of product development and chairman of GM North America. He's on a tour of sorts to get the word out about GM's commitment to quality and alternative fuels, which I will now dutifully pass on to RiverWired readers.

First, the car of the hour, the Chevy Volt. This car has been all over the blogosphere as it has moved from concept car to production status. Lutz pointed out that the typical American 40-mile (or shorter) commute can be completed using the Volt's electric motor only, before the engine, which can run on gasoline, E85, ethanol, or hydrogen, kicks in. The car that hits the streets in limited numbers next summer will look decidedly different from the concept pictured here; Lutz admitted that the prototype looked great, but its aerodynamics have turned out to be terrible in the real world.

Batteries in the Volt will last 10 years or 150,000 miles. The source of these batteries has kept Volt mavens on pins and needles, as GM has yet to announce the supplier it will use. Here is our not-so-illuminating conversation on the topic at lunch:

Me: Have you decided on a battery supplier?

Lutz: Yes. (Sips lemonade)

Lutz spoke briefly about his Vectrix electric scooter, which he called "the equivalent of the Chevy Volt in motorcycles." He also said that electric vehicles were the only viable solution to the need for family- and highway-ready transportation in a post-oil America. If the last 100 years were about gasoline, according to Lutz, the next 100 are about electric.

But GM isn't putting all its eggs in one propulsion basket. There's Project Driveway, which is putting hydrogen-fueled Chevy Equinoxes in the hands of real people -- who happen to live near the few hydrogen fueling stations in the country (L.A., D.C., and NYC). It's also building small, efficient gasoline-powered cars like the Spark.

GM is also looking at any and all options regarding its Hummer division -- including selling it off. There's one more behemoth already coming down the pipeline, the H3T, a pickup-truck version. It seems likely that this will be the last model in the line of pseudo-military SUVs produced by the company. But if you're in a country with low emissions and economy standards and you have a little extra pocket change, give GM a ring.

Lest you think the man who called global warming a "crock of sh1t" is growing dreadlocks and joining a drum circle, he spoke with the most passion and interest when discussing the latest Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR1 models. Both are supposed to be incredibly fast, but neither is anywhere near eco-friendly -- they're both powered by V8 combustion engines.

"High-performance can be electrified," Lutz said, "but it will be different." He seemed resigned to, rather than excited about, that fact.

How to Make Ethanol in Your Own Backyard

khallgeisler — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If the idea of making your own fuel is appealing, and you have access to loads of sugar or sugary fruit, check out this backyard ethanol brewer. The MicroFueler from E-Fuel Corporation works pretty much like making wine in the garage or hooch in the tub, but instead produces 35 gallons of ethanol.

The unit, which is about as big as the refrigerator in a rented apartment, will retail for $9,995. That price doesn't include any federal, state, or local incentives you might be able to swing. The cost of the raw materials, the time-release yeast developed by the machine's inventor, and the electricity to power the process comes to about a dollar a gallon.

You can make it even cheaper if you do as MicroFueler investor Terry Quinn does and collect leftover alcohol from bars. Ask your local barkeep for the "Hairy Buffalo" or a "Turnpike" to get the slop after a night of pouring shots.

The only rules and regs that apply to homemade ethanol are being a property owner and agreeing to make your hopped-up hooch outside. There are rules against running vehicles on 100% ethanol, but the fuel you brew can be mixed with water or gasoline, just like E10 or E85.

Racing Green -- Corvettes Lead the Way with Ethanol

khallgeisler — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Saturday afternoon, April 5, 2008, Corvette Racing sent two bright yellow cars through the streets of St. Petersberg, Florida. The twin Vettes used the American Le Mans Series Acura Sports Car Challenge as the proving ground for a high-octane version of the 85% cellulosic ethanol fuel.

The source of the E85R fuel is waste wood, such as undergrowth and dead trees, collected from the Black Hills National Forest as part of a wildfire prevention program. The Corvette team is the first in its GT1 class to use the fuel. St. Pete is a short race, clocking in at just under two hours, which makes it a good place to test the new, greener go-juice.

Other ALMS teams filling up with E85R include the GT2-class Aston Martin from Drayson Barwell Motorsport and Intersport Racing's Lola B06/10. Catch all the E85R teams, along with everybody else running on E10 and diesel fuels, live on ABC at 1:30 EDT. Granted, you already have to like watching cars go fast to get in on this green action, but if you do, this is the series to watch this year.

In other racing news, the rumor mill has it that Toyota is working on a hybrid racer and Peugeot is possibly building a hybrid diesel. Both cars may or may not debut at the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans in France next year.

Photo by Richard Prince.

EVs Cover Their Bases

khallgeisler — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:00:54 -0500

Malmstrom Air Force Base, near Great Falls, Montana, is home to many things: 200 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, for example. Four thousand people, who make up the 341st Space Wing (which just sounds cool). Seven Huey helicopters. And six cute-as-a-bug electric vehicles from GEM.

According to Kent Seaton, who works with the EVs at Malmstrom AFB, there were two main factors that contributed to the acquisition of these little cars when he began the process in 2005. First is the energy conservation rebate money that the base receives from the utility company; second would be the fact that it was getting harder and harder to acquisition vehicles for people to use. Enter the EV, which at the time was classified as equipment and was therefore easier to get on base.

Seaton contacted a couple of other Air Force bases that were using EVs to see how they liked them. Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs had a few that it used to maintain their golf course, and a Marine base in Southern California used them to get around. Both bases reported that they’d had their EVs for five years and were “fairly satisfied” with them.

Malmstrom’s current fleet of EVs includes the short-box pickup, the long-box pickup, and the four-door model, all built by GEM. “The computer folks use the pickups to install and replace monitors, CPUs, printers, things like that,” says Seaton. “The pickups can carry light items, but we don’t tax them.” They do, after all, only have five horsepower.

But the GEMs also have a maximum speed of 25 mph and a range of 40 miles on a full charge, which is plenty for getting around the 3700-acre base. The GEM’s batteries and small tires aren’t quite up to year-round use in Montana, though, Seaton admits. “We don’t use them a whole lot in the wintertime.”

“They’ve been fairly trouble-free,” he says. “We’ve had a few maintenance issues.” There has been a learning curve for people used to driving gas-powered cars. “At a stop sign, you think they’ve died. You just have to move your foot from the brake to the pedal and go again.”

“We do like them very well,” Seaton adds. “They’re very economical. If we drive 1000 miles a year, we’ll save $700 to $800. Fuel has become so expensive, and people were having to use their own vehicles to get around the base. We’re saving energy all the way around.”

Photo of Tech Sgt. Kenneth Sanders and a GEM e4 courtesy Ryan Hall.