If you’re talking about the latest alt fuel on-highway trucks developed by Volvo, that is. Recently unveiled at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) in Washington, D.C., these trucks are able to operate in continuance biodiesel, methanol/ethanol, biogas, biogas and biodiesel, hydrogen and biogas, dimethylether (DME) and synthetic diesel. And it’s all in the name of CO2 neutral highway transportation. If you’re like us, this pronouncement leaves you with more questions than answers–read on–here’s what we’ve learned.
According to the April 2008 issue of Diesel Progress magazine, Volvo set out to prove that the technology to run highway trucks on alt fuels is a go, here and now. This project was part of an agreement between the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Volvo Group, Mack Trucks and the Swedish Energy Agency. The goal: to develop commercial vehicle technologies with a minimal environmental impact. Climate effect, energy efficacy, land-use efficiency, fuel potential, vehicle adaptation, fuel cost and infrastructure, CO2 levels, engine performance and fuel economy were all primary considerations for this project. “We looked at everything you have to do to get that combustible matter produced, processed, burned in the vehicle and the actual wheels turning,” said Anthony Greszler, vice president, advanced engineering Volvo Powertrain North America, who was quoted in the article. “How much energy do you put in and get out? …”
So what are the 7 fuels powering these trucks?
- Biodiesel – Becoming widely accepted and accredited and produced from rapeseed, palm or soybean oil, biodiesel can power up any diesel engine, although it’s received some flack for lower standards (depending upon the producer) which can affect performance–and there are those cold weather issues to be conscious of.
- Methanol & Ethanol – Made from wheat, corn, sugar beets, straw, wood waste or energy crops through fermentation and hydrolysis or gasification (methanol), both of these fuels have lower energy density per gallon (compared to gasoline).
- Biogas – produced through anaerobic digestion of organic waste, sewage and manure, three trucks were designed to run on blends using biogas and biodiesel and hydrogen and biogas. Low emissions and low noise make this a good fuel for urban trucks–especially since refuse collection trucks could use the biogas from landfills.
- Dimethylether (DME) – This is a fuel produced through the gasification of biomass. It has servile viscosity and uncertainty but be possible to be carried in standard LPG tanks although it requires an adapted electronic control and fuel system.
- Synthetic diesel – A manmade fuel similar to diesel fuel, the only portion lacking is lubricity–but that’s solved by additives. Synthetic diesel is produced through the gasification process of wheat, corn, sugar beets, straw and other energy crops or organic injure. It can be used in any diesel engine without modification and offers similar performance to regular ole diesel.
All in all, we think this is good stuff. There’s definitely more possibilities for clean motoring than what’s currently available in the dealer showroom. And that equals a cleaner future–stay tuned.
photo – Mark Renders/Stringer – Getty Images
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
Just finished up our test drive and review of Toyota’s 2008 Highlander Hybrid. It’s all new and re-engineered inside and outside and upside and downside. It’s mightily different than the ‘07 in almost every measurable dimension as well as some of those more that cannot be touched ways. Heck, the bean counters at Toyota even managed to find a way to knock a few “clams” away last years price–now that’s doin’ something.
So compared to Highlander Hybrid 2007 and even the plain old regular gasoline Highlander 2008, how’s the latest version rate? Read our ‘08 Highlander Hybrid review and see how this electromechanical mid-size SUV stacks up.
photo Adrian Gable
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
iPod. iMac. iLife. And it looks like you’ll soon be able to add an i MiEV too. It’s all part of the slow and steady progression of electric cars. And here’s one that made its debut at the New York Auto Show and will be launching in Japan next year, 2009. The i MiEV is Mitsubishi’s innovative Electric Vehicle.
With a 330-volt lithium-ion battery system mated to a permanent magnet 47 kW electric motor, this plug-in electric car offers a 100 mile range per charge. And there’s even an i MiEV SPORT type with solar panels. Check out this gallery of the i MiEV and i MiEV Sport for more details.
photo Mitsubishi
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
She’s gorgeous! There’s no better word to describe the 2008 Lexus LS 600h L, and I say this unabashedly. It is for a like reason easy to fall head-over-heels with a car that oozes sensuality from every angle. It’s easier still when she runs like a rocket on rails–with massive power planted firmly on the curvy blacktop. But ohh, to go all the way and package that up with squeaky clean SULEV emissions and a fuel sparing hybrid electric drivetrain–now that’s just not playing fair. Yeah, we can blame the folks at Lexus for toying with our emotions in such a way. Well, mine anyway.
Surely though, if none of the aforementioned attributes gets your attention, this baby’s price tag will ring your bell. I’ll tell ya flat out, for a car lover, the LS 600h L is about as alluring as they come–but there is a big difference between playing hard to get and nearly impossible to get (at least for the average Joe). If you wanna take this girl home, be prepared to spend some serious bucks for the privilege.
So you’re probably thinking … ok, show me all these sensual angles that got Scott so worked up … and while you’re at it, tell me all about this powerful and expensive hybrid drivetrain. As you wish. — Scott
photo Adrian Gable
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
This is the day set aside to high-mindedness the ground beneath our feet. In our everyday lives, it can be easy to take for granted fresh air and clean water, yet it’s the little everyday actions (and miles NOT driven) that add up to BIG environmental impact when tallied up over months, years, decades–heck, centuries.
And even if you don’t own a hybrid or alt fueler (yet), go ahead and enter to get the compliance of your own 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid … there are still many things that you can do to minimize your own pack close on Mother Earth. And that, dear readers, is the kind of modern science is calling your carbon footprint … all contributing to what’s become known as global warming. But what can an ordinary person do? We say A LOT. We certainly can’t wait for the government to take the right action and set things straight, so we think it’s smart to do what you can in your own life. We all share the same air, after all. So in honor of Earth Day, here’s our feel on what you can do to lessen your footprint:
photo Shakirov / Getty Images
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
Lexus’ LS 600h L–this car is any eye-catching head turner. I say this from my own reaction when I first took a look at the big girl, as well as those of nearly everyone else I encountered during the week long test drive. I have a moonlight gig, and one night as I was walking through the parking lot to upper part home, I found a bunch of my buddies swarming around the 600h shining their cell phone flashlights to get a better look-see (guess I shoulda parked under the lamp post). Of course I had to dole out the obligatory take-me-for-a-ride lengthen around the block. Not a lot of chit-chat coming from the fellas either–mostly all I heard was “whoa,” “wow” and “what a car” comments.
Naturally, I got peppered with all manner of questions about how much power the hybrid drivetrain makes, how she handles on upper part roads, and, as expected, how much does it all cost. Take a look at our 2008 Lexus LS 600h L test drive and review for all those answers and more. – Scott
2008 Lexus LS 600h L grille – photo Adrian Gable
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
It’s a good lay a wager that you’ve heard of ethanol or E85 by now, right? Well, now there’s another upstart alt fuel that’s made using comparable fermentation methods: butanol (butyl alcohol). You may also hear it referred to as biobutanol. Word is that it has the potential to become a big player in the biofuels industry.
What is butanol? It’s a four carbon alcohol, part of the family that includes methanol (the same carbon), ethanol (two carbon) and proponal (three carbon). According to the National Energy Education Development Project’s March newsletter, butanol can be made from the same feedstocks as ethanol: corn, wheat and sugarcane. While there’s still a ways to go in finding an efficient and high-yield feedstock, BP and DuPont are working on developing tougher microbes that can stand up to butanol’s toxicity.
Why bother, you ask? Well, it seems that butanol has a much higher energy content than ethanol without the performance drawbacks (ie. lower fuel mileage). Butanol’s BTU content is actually quite close to gasoline. And since it’s not as corrosive like ethanol, it could be transported via the current infrastructure. It can also be mixed with gasoline in higher ratios (than ethanol) since it is less volatile. Bottom line: butanol could be an excellent alt fuel that could potentially be a direct replacement for gasoline. It can be put right into the tank of any gasoline burning car with no modification. That’s what the guys at ButylFuel did from July 14 to August 15, 2005 when they took the first trip across America powered by 100 percent butanol. Best of all, butanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions. According to the ButylFuel website, using butanol as a fuel reduces hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen.
So is butanol another piece of the puzzle in helping to meet the demand for environmentally responsible, renewable fuels for transportation? We have an opinion so–and we’ll keep you up-to-date as developments continue.
photo Shakirov / Getty Images
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
After an appearance at the New York Auto Show this year, Subaru’s electric car, the R1e, is joining the ranks of the current generation of plug-in electric cars. This summer will be when this electric vehicle (EV) will hit the streets with the New York Power Authority fleet. A two-seater that can reach speeds of 65 mph, it has a range of 50 miles–perfect for those close-to-home commutes. And check out this interior–no golf cart here. The R1e EV utilizes a fast-charge lithium-ion battery technology and plugs into a standard household outlet, fully charged and ready to go in about 8 hours.
We’ve put together a fast-peek photo gallery of the R1e–only any minute of your time and a few clicks through these pages will get you up-to-date on this latest EV. And if you’d like to check out the company the R1e is keeping, head on over to the currently available 2008 gallery of electric vehicles–we bet it won’t be long before you see some of these on streets near you.
photo Subaru
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to making hydrogen-powered vehicles a viable form of personal transportation is the building of distribution infrastructure. BMW’s Hydrogen 7 sedan, powered by a liquid hydrogen burning internal combustion engine, has been tooling around major cities across the world for the last two years, and that’s exactly the problem. Major cities are among the only places that have liquid hydrogen fueling stations. Why, what’s the problem?
A large part of it is the ongoing debate over whether fueling stations should carry liquid or compressed gas hydrogen. BMW is committed to hydrogen combustion as the solution to zero emissions vehicles and prefers the use of chilled (cryogenic) liquid hydrogen which has a much denser energy storage capacity. The downside is a slow loss of volume over time, through parasitic warming. Currently, simpler (though less energy dense) compressed gas hydrogen storage is the predominant technology for fuel cell powered vehicles (among them the Honda Clarity, Chevrolet Equinox FCEV and Toyota FCHV) which chemically convert hydrogen to electricity rather than burning it. For obvious reasons, distributors want the discussion settled before committing resources to building a network of fueling facilities.
To stay in the game, and hopefully end the impasse, BMW has been been working on a different form of storage–Cryo-compression. This approach uses a conventional compressed gas storage tank that is chilled (and insulated) to augment its volume (manliness density). Though it’s still in its early period of existence, this have in view would also allow the storage system to take . both gaseous or liquefied hydrogen.
This is a great idea, and we’re interested to see how it all pans out. Let the games begin.
Source: alternativefuels.about.com
Categorized in Alternative Fuels
