Written by GTG Staff on February 28th, 2009 in Biofuel and Biodiesel, Cars.
Comments Off on Volkswagon To Use Biofuel During 2009 Jetta TDI Cup Season
Volkswagon has announced it will use B5 biodiesel to power its race cars, transport vehicles and generators during the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup season.
“We are extremely pleased to have HYPERFUELS as a partner for the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup series. SynDiesel® B5 biodiesel has been fully approved for use in all Volkswagen TDI powered vehicles that are available at local Volkswagen dealerships today,” said Clark Campbell, Motorsport Manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc.
“The addition of SynDiesel B5 biodiesel in the Jetta TDI Cup race cars further demonstrates the feasibility of biodiesel as an alternative fuel source for American consumers and supports the clean and green racing of the Jetta TDI Cup series,” he added.
Not only is using diesel better for the environment, the drivers could benefit too. According to Autoracing Daily, diesel powered vehicles offer more low-end torque than traditional gasoline engines, providing quicker off-the-line acceleration that’s well suited for the race track.
Autoracing has never been known for being the greenest of sports, but with the changes made in fuel used in the cars involved, it is one step closer to cleaning up the game.
Source: Auto Racing Daily
Written by GTG Staff on February 28th, 2009 in Electric Cars and Other Vehicles.
Comments Off on MIT Creates 90 MPH Solar Race Car
Wired
At first glance, the car that MIT scientists nicknamed “Eleanor” looks like a space shuttle or something the Jetson’s used.
But this $243,000 carbon-fiber racer built by the university’s Solar Electric Vehicle Team can reach speeds of up to 90 mph and is set to compete in the World Solar Challenge, a seven day race across 2,000 miles of Australian outback.
The point of the World Solar Challenge isn’t to showcase the latest car that could end up on the market. Unless of course, we’re talking cars thousands of years from now.
No, although the car designs aren’t practical, the race is meant to show off the power of the batteries and motor technology that may find itself in a hybrid or electric vehicle near you.
“It pushes the technology from the books to real life,” said Spencer Quong, senior vehicles analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists. “It opens the industry’s eyes to how to build a more efficient vehicle.”
The team used Ford Motor Company’s wind tunnel to put the finishing touches on the vehicle that resulted in a drag coefficient of 0.11-more aerodynamic than some slick cars such as the Toyota Prius, EV1 or Aptera 2e electric car.
Aerodynamic efficiency is an important factor when extending the battery range of a car.
Source: Wired
Written by GTG Staff on February 28th, 2009 in Planes.
Comments Off on LAX: Greener Planes Land Here!
bertsmedia on Flickr
If the Los Angeles airport wanted to re-brand itself, perhaps it could create a slogan mentioning the abundance of green planes that utilize the landing strips there.
A study found that as much as half of the planes that land there use technology that saves fuel and reduces noise and air pollution-Continuous Descent.
Continuous Descent involves maintaining a constant 3 degree angle during descent, until meeting the Instrument Landing System.
The approach is not only eco-friendly, but safer as well.
According to the LA Times blog, The FAA currently estimates that planes using this approach save at least a million gallons of fuel annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 18 million pounds a year.
Written by GTG Staff on February 13th, 2009 in Automobile Companies.
Comments Off on General Motors Anti-Hybrid Bob Lutz Saying Goodbye To Company
General Motors Photo via The Daily Green
Robert Lutz will no longer be the main man behind the wheel of General Motors and some are singing Hallelujah. He’s announced he’s retiring at the end of 2009.
The Vice Chairman had an anti-hybird, anti-environment stance on cars, calling global warming a “crock of sh*t” and said the Toyota Prius wouldn’t sell well. It is actually their 3rd best selling vehicle, but hey, we all make bad predictions sometimes, ha, ha, ha.
To be fair, he needs a little credit, as he once said he was most proud of the company’s Chevy Volt, an electric sedan.
Hopefully his successor will realize that environmentally sound cars are the path to the future, for both eco-conscious consumers and to revitalize the U.S. automotive industry.
via The Daily Green
Written by GTG Staff on February 13th, 2009 in Public Transportation, Subways, Trains.
Comments Off on Green Transportation Good For Love Life And Planet
josh.ev9 on Flickr
Add love to another reason to take public transportation. While keeping in mind the things to avoid to annoy the person beside you, getting friendly with fellow passengers on the subway just might result in a lovematch.
Such was the case with a New York City couple, Christopher Archer and Jirina Ribbens who met on a train on the way to Coney Island to watch the Mermaid Parade. They struck up a conversation, and a year later, Archer proposed to her, according to the New York Daily News.
With Valentine’s Day on our heels, love stories are flooding the radio, television, and Internet. Interestingly, a love story can be just as good for the environment as your heart, as studies indicate a married household uses resources more efficiently.
What can we say? Showering together saves water. Snuggling makes you turn down the thermostat. Make love, not war, lower your carbon footprint.
The minister for Archer and Ribbons even tied the subway experience into the ceremony.
“The MTA: expect delays and disruptions; the LIRR: it can take a while to reach a beautiful destination but the trip is worth it; and the Staten Island ferry: the best things in life are free.”
Written by GTG Staff on February 12th, 2009 in Celebrities, Electric Cars and Other Vehicles.
Comments Off on Neil Young’s Eco-Car Song: This Southern Man Rides Electric
antifluor on Flickr
Neil Young has recorded an album about environmentally friendly transportation.
Fork in the Road is “a concept album about eco-friendly cars,” according to the Village Voice.
Young has been into the green car scene for some time, owning an electric version of a 1959 Lincoln Continental, the LincVolt.
But even though this southern man drives electric, not everyone wants to be a passenger with him. Some fans don’t seem to be excited about his greener lyrics, according to RiverWired.com.
One fan wrote on a Neil Young fan site, Thrasher’s Wheat: “This ‘Fork in the Road’ song is so distressingly awful that it almost seems like a joke. So hideous that one almost has to laugh at the situation.”
Others have hinted that Young’s record company should have prevented something like Fork In the Road from being created.
Doesn’t sound too promising for educating people about the environment. If they’re not willing to even listen after hearing a few minutes of a song or two, they certainly won’t get any meaning from it. Not to mention it might turn some off. You can only imagine what the anti-environmentalists would say. See? Being a treehugger made Neil Young write crap-hole music!
You can have a listen for yourself and be the judge.
Written by GTG Staff on February 12th, 2009 in Hybrids.
Comments Off on Hybrid Repair Costs Same As Regular Car
the rab on Flickr
If there’s anything worse than the cost of buying a new car, it’s the cost of repairing the one you already have. Sometimes, this can skyrocket so much, you figure it’d be best to just buy or trade in your current one.
Hybrids have traditionally been costlier to repair than regular vehicles, but a new report by a company that runs statistical reports for the automobile industry, Audatex, says hybrids are now on level playing fields.
Much of this is due to more junkyards having hybrid parts from cars that were driven a few years ago when the vehicles became increasingly popular.
It appears change happens rather quickly. In 2006, the cost to repair a hybrid was $8,000 more than a regular car.
The reduction in repair costs, combined with greater fuel efficiency, and lower prices will hopefully make the cars more attractive to a larger market.
Source: Motor Authority
Written by GTG Staff on February 12th, 2009 in Biofuel and Biodiesel.
Comments Off on Clean Out That Fish Tank! From Algae To Bio Fuel
Lee Nachtigal on Flickr
We have algae to thank for life on earth as it is today.
Millions of years ago, the slimy organism helped the earth become livable to organisms through photosynthesis. Now they’re back, ready to help us power cleaner vehicles.
Algae can be turned into oil, as some did naturally in the sea. Scientists are looking for a way to turn the algae into vegetable oil for fuel.
Go watch a video of a researcher discussing this possibility.
