Future Energy

Eco-Driving Revisited

Source: Dot Earth Blog (NYTimes)

I suggested yesterday that the Obama Administration's announcement of new emissions limits and a single national fuel efficiency standard for U.S. vehicles bbeginning in 2016 was arguably the most significant environmental step taken by a U.S. government in almost 30 years.  By comparing the proposed standard with European vehicle fuel efficiency standards, Andrew Revkin presents it in a different and negative light.  As illustrated in the graph above, in 2016 the U.S. will only be matching current European fleet efficiency levels.  Not so much of an achievement after all.    

Continuing on my re-visit of yesterday's post, I combined the various eco-driving tips lists to come up with what seems to be the most popular (and practical) suggestions.  My (not very original) top five list includes:

• avoid jack-rabbit starts and braking;

• avoid idling, switching off your engine for short (and long) stops;

• maintain recommended tire pressure;

• slow down and keep your highway speed to 55 mph (90 kph);

• maintain your vehicle and its engine.

I would have to say that Ford's 10 Eco-Driving Tips for Everyone is the best of the three lists I provided yesterday.

 

 

Obama brings on eco-driving?

Source: Sustainable Energy Europe

Today, the U.S. took perhaps the most significant environmental step by a federal government since George Bush the elder ushered in the Acid Rain program for U.S. utilities with amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990.  President Obama's Administration announced that it will put in place regulations that will require vehicles sold in the U.S. to meet stringent greenhouse gas emissions limits and a new federal standard for fuel efficeincy by 2016. 

For passenger vehicles, the standard will require average fuel efficiency of at least 35.5 miles per gallon (or 6.62 litres per 100 kilometres) but is expected to increase average auto costs by US$600 per vehicle over what already existing standards would require. 

By putting in place a single national standard for fuel efficiency, the President has met the demands of the auto makers.  By setting the standard at a level sought by California, he has brought that state and thirteen others that had wanted to implement California's proposed standard, on board.  He has provided certainty of direction for auto makers who surely knew that more efficient vehicles would be required and he has dragged the issue out of the courts and into the realm of political negotiation where it properly belongs.

Not bad for a day's work.

Looking at the news stories reporting on this morning I was reminded of the Eco-Driving movement that has emerged in recent years.  Is the U.S. on the path to becoming a nation of eco-drivers? 

If so there is a host of information on how drivers can significantly improve their fuel efficiency every day.

First of all, apparently May is eco-driving month, at least according to ecoDrivingUSA and the Auto Alliance, an industry group of 11 auto manufacturers.  ecoDrivingUSA provides Quick Tips and a detailed brochure on its Education page.

Ford tested drivers who had taken eco-driving training and found that on average they could improve their fuel economy by 24% simply by changing the way that they drove.  Ford provides 10 eco-driving tips that anyone can follow.

And finally (among the sites I am aware of - I am sure there are many others), Ecodriving, a European organization, offers workshops and simulations to teach eco-driving skills.  They also provide 17 tips for drivers.

But if you get rerally enthusiastic about improving your car's fuel efficiency, perhaps you can qualify as a hypermiler.   An article in Mother Jones explains (see This Guy can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord.  Beat That, Punk.  January/February 2007)

Green Muscle Cars

A year ago, I put together a post about Fast Company's article on a Wichita, Kansas "professional car hacker" named Jonathan Goodwin.  Mr. Goodwin is back in the news in a pair of videos at CNET's Green Tech blog (see Muscle Cars Meet Green Technology, December 10th).

I'm not sure that converting F-450's, Hummers and Lincoln Continental's to hydrogen injected hybrids is a sustainable solution to reducing auto emissions but its interesting.

You can go directly to the videos at CBS using the following links:

• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4659107n; and
• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4659212n.

Its Easy To Be Cynical

The Financial Times has a headline today about Ford's commitment to producing green vehicles (see Ford Sets Out Plans for "Green" Vehicles, December 2nd.).  In a submission to the US Congress, Ford laid out plans for a family of gas-electric hybrids and all electric vehicles as part of a blueprint for the restructuring of its North American car and truck business. 

This is the same submission in which says it could survive without a government bailout of $9 billion, but would still like one.  So is Ford saying what it means to do or is it saying what it thinks Congress wants to hear?

The Wall Street Journal Environment blog asks the same question in a pair of posts today.  See Built Tough: Don't Tell Congress but Trucks Sell. (Kieth Johnson, December 2nd) and Get Trucking: What's Detroit's Real Plan? (Kieth Johnson, December 2nd).   

 Citing Rod Adams at the Atomic Insight who asks: Is it possible that American auto manufacturers remain out of touch with the reality of the world’s available petroleum supplies?  Mr. Johnson has this to say:

When plummeting gasoline prices fail to lure Americans back into their cars, and people in Dallas are jumping onto mass transit, that seems like a very good question.

A Glimpse of the Future?

                                       

Slashing Auto Fuel Use and Emissions

The current issue of Fast Company magazine has an article written by Clive Thompson which highlights a Wichita, Kansas based “professional car hacker” (see Motorhead Messiah, Fast Company, November 2007). 

“Johnathan Goodwin can get 100 mpg out of a Lincoln Continental, cut emissions by 80%, and double the horsepower.” 

And does so using an array of off-the-shelf parts from the likes of General Motors.  His vehicles of choice appears to be supersized SUV’s such as GM’s Hummer and Yukon, although, the article reports that he is currently working on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Jeep Wagoneer.

Goodwin starts with GM’s Duramax diesel engine which he compliments with duel fuel technologies that allow hydrogen, natural gas or vaporized ethanol to be injected into the diesel engine air intakes and/or combustion chambers.  In Goodwin’s words:

“You can feed it hydrogen, diesel bidiesel, corn oil – pretty much anything but water.”

As important as the fuel economy and emissions results are, the multi-fuel capability of Goodwin’s vehicles suggest a viable pathway for the transition from our current gasoline based vehicle infrastructure to a multi-fuel future.  In fact Goodwin summarizes the pathway in three steps:

1.   Aggressively roll-out diesel engines, improving mileage by as much as 40%;

2.   Produce diesel-electric hybrid vehicles, doubling the mileage of even the biggest diesel vehicles;

3.   Produce diesel-electric hybrids capable of running in dual-fuel mode, i.e. biodiesel with fuel-injection of hydrogen, natural gas, propane or ethanol.

The secret is designing cars that are flexible.

A good read that provides an optimistic view of our transportation future (providing you can get beyond the supersized SUV’s).