Toyota’s New Eco Drive Indicator
Although these kinds of lights and meters have been around in other manufacturer’s vehicles for years, they haven’t been in Toyota’s (except the hybrids, which have a much more powerful driving-economy indication system).
New Feature Aims to Encourage Environmentally Considerate Driving
Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that, beginning in October, new Japanese-market vehicle models with automatic transmissions will be equipped with the Eco Drive Indicator, a feature meant to encourage environmentally considerate driving. This development—aimed at reducing CO2 emissions through increased fuel efficiency—is part of Toyota’s efforts to combat global warming.
Based on a comprehensive determination that takes into consideration such factors as accelerator use, engine and transmission efficiency and speed and rate of acceleration, the Eco Drive Indicator, located on the instrument panel, lights up when the vehicle is being operated in a fuel-efficient manner. This is hoped will raise driver awareness toward environmentally considerate driving and contribute to fuel economy…
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BMW Reduces Fuel Consumption 4% - with a new Alternator
BMW is looking for methods for increasing fuel economy, and has developed a novel new Intelligent Alternator Control which may reduce fuel consumption by up to 4%. It’s part of an effort to improve fuel economy in their larger luxury cars.
BMW Introduces Intelligent Alternator Control with Regenerative Braking; Reduces Fuel Consumption by About 4%
At the Paris Auto Show, BMW introduced a system it calls Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC) to generate electric power for a car’s on-board network exclusively in overrun and during braking—IAC thus also incorporates a system for regenerating brake energy.
The system is part of a larger BMW initiative to improve the overall efficiency of a vehicle by decreasing ancillary loads on the engine and recuperating more of the waste heat energy. (BMW is currently involved in one of several projects tackling the development of a thermoelectric waste heat recovery system targeted to deliver a 10% improvement in fuel economy. More on this below.)
Only about 25–30% of the energy contained in fuel is actually used for driving the vehicle. Most of the energy consumed is still converted into heat, although the fuel burnt also serves to generate electrical energy for the on-board network.
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Honda Announces Cleaner Diesel Car Engine
I’ve always appreciated Honda’s quality and economy - and within 3 years there will be a new Honda powertrain available in the US that meets stringent emission standards by adding a revolutionary new catalytic converter to an already acclaimed diesel system.
Honda designed the catalytic converter for use with its 2.2 i-CTDi diesel engine, which has earned widespread praise for quiet, clean operation and dynamic performance since its introduction in 2003 on the European Accord model. By further advancing combustion control, the 2.2 i-CTDi delivers cleaner exhaust to the NOx catalytic converter. Honda achieved this by optimising the combustion chamber configuration, reducing fuel injection time with a 2,000-bar common rail injection system and boosting the efficiency of the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system. Thanks to these improvements, Honda has reduced the amount of NOx and soot normally found in engine exhaust, while increasing power output.
Along with developing superior technology for cleaning exhaust gas, Honda plans to address other technical challenges in developing clean diesel engines, such as handling diesel fuels with different cetane numbers and meeting U.S. On-Board Diagnostic System requirements. Honda plans to introduce its next-generation diesel engine in the U.S. within three years.
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7-11 Fires Citgo
7-11 is creating it’s own brand of gasoline, and giving Citgo their walking papers. Part of the reason is concern over Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s anti-US politics. Citgo is a Venezuelan state-owned company.
Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline supplier at more than 2,100 locations and switching to its own brand of fuel.
The retailer said Wednesday it will purchase fuel from several distributors, including Tower Energy Group of Torrance, Calif., Sinclair Oil of Salt Lake City, and Houston-based Frontier Oil Corp.
A spokeswoman for Dallas-based 7-Eleven said its 20-year contract with Citgo Petroleum Corp. ends next week. About 2,100 of 7-Eleven’s 5,300 U.S. stores sell gasoline.
Citgo is a Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, and the foreign parent became a public-relations issue for 7- Eleven because of comments by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
What is E85?
E85 is an alternative fuel for many of todays production cars. It’s 85% ethanol that is created from crops, and 15% gasoline. There are many cars on the road in America today that can burn either gasoline or E85 - these are “flex-fuel” cars. You may own one of these cars, and not even know it.
From: http://www.e85fuel.com/e85101/faqs/e85.php
E85 is the term for motor fuel blends of 85 percent ethanol and just 15 percent gasoline. E85 is an alternative fuel as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. Besides its superior performance characteristics, ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline; it is a completely renewable, domestic, environmentally friendly fuel that enhances the nation’s economy and energy independence.
You can find out if your car is a flex-fuel car by contacting the dealer where you bought you car and asking them if your’s is a flex-fuel car, or by checking this resources at this site about E85 fuels.
If your car is a flex-fuel car, you can find a service station in your area that sells E85 fuel. Hopefully there is one close enough to you to be convienent.
E85 has one major drawback, it’s that you won’t go as far per gallon. E85 may cost you as much as 30% in MPG, although this can be offset by lower pump prices, with a net gain of going farther for less money.
E85 is a step in the right direction for drivers who want to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and at the same time curb the amount of emissions you personally contribute to the global pollution problem.
What’s in a Barrel of Oil?
Ever wonder what exactly is in a barrel of oil?
Product Percent of Total
- Finished Motor Gasoline 51.4%
- Distillate Fuel Oil 15.3%
- Jet Fuel 12.6%
- Still Gas 5.4%
- Marketable Coke 5.0%
- Residual Fuel Oil 3.3%
- Liquefied Refinery Gas 2.8%
- Asphalt and Road Oil 1.9%
- Other Refined Products 1.5%
- Lubricants 0.9%
One barrel contains 42 gallons of crude oil. The total volume of products made from crude oil based origins is 48.43 gallons on average - 6.43 gallons greater than the original 42 gallons of crude oil. This represents a “processing gain” due to the additional other petroleum products such as alkylates are added to the refining process to create the final products.
Additionally, California gasoline contains approximately 5.7 percent by volume of ethanol, a non-petroleum-based additive that brings the total processing gain to 7.59 gallons (or 49.59 total gallons).
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California Sues 6 Major Automakers
California Attorney General Bill Lackyer sues General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., DaimlerChrysler AG, Honda Motor Co., and Nissan Motor Co. in US District Court in Oakland, CA for causing pollution in California and contributing to global warming.
I think this is an interesting, but odd move. Trying to force the global warming issue into the courts also means that you must prove that global warming is being cause by human activities and is not part of a natural cycle, which is still debated among scientists after 30 years. If the scientific community cannot agree with the available evidence, how is one judge supposed to decide?
From Bloomberg.com
By Karen Gullo and Alan Ohnsman…The suit, which seeks damages related to pollution, beach erosion and reduced water supplies, is the latest action by California to push businesses and the federal government to address global warming. The legislature approved a measure last month to force utilities to cut emissions, and the state has sued the U.S. for failing to address the effects of global warming.
“Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and the automakers have refused to act,” said California Attorney General Bill Lockyer in a statement.
California has already targeted carmakers with rules that would require them to lower emissions. The state enacted rules in 2004 that would force them to cut the amount of carbon dioxide and other tailpipe gases by up to 30 percent in cars sold in the state. Several other states have adopted or are weighing similar rules.
What also bugs me about this suit is the idea of suing manufacturers for products that meet all the government standards placed on them. The auto industry in America may be one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. I strongly agree that automobiles should be made more fuel efficient, but I disagree that our courts should be used to legislate.
Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of burning gasoline. Car companies say the only way to meet California’s emissions rules is to reduce vehicle fuel consumption. They claim the state is trying to regulate fuel economy, or the number of miles a car runs on a gallon of gas, a standard which is set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Automakers including GM, Honda, and Toyota said they are developing so-called fuel-cell cars in response to consumer demand for better fuel economy amid higher gas prices. Fuel cells produce only water vapor as a byproduct.
We should require our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to raise fuel standards - or better yet, we need to push automakers to create more fuel efficient cars by buying their most fuel efficient cars and leave the gas-guzzlers sitting in their sales lots.
Won’t Return to Gas-Guzzling Habits
A recent article from America’s cheese-capitol indicates that the sustained high gas prices of this spring and summer have changed the gas-guzzling habits of survey respondents, and that the recent drop in gasoline prices will not change them back. Let’s hope there are similar mid-west sensibilities from the right coast to the left coast.
From Wisconsin State Journal
Survey: Driving won’t climb as gas prices fall
MARV BALOUSEK…After more than a year of high prices driven by a range of factors - increased demand, last year’s hurricanes and global instability - gasoline has plunged in recent weeks, selling for $2.51 a gallon at some Madison-area stations. And analysts say prices could drop further, thanks to the end of the summer driving season and stable supply. Natural gas prices also have declined, setting the stage for decreased energy spending for consumers in the coming months.
But area drivers say they haven’t forgotten the summer’s high prices, which saw gasoline approach $3.20 a gallon in Madison, and they say aren’t returning to their old gas-guzzling ways. That’s because many are aware prices could easily go back up…
…Some analysts are forecasting that gas prices will continue to decline, said Pam Moen of AAA Wisconsin. But she said consumers are smart to be wary.”People are relieved and we should be thankful these prices have finally come down,” she said. “But it’s important to understand that nothing really has changed. Until we address issues with our national energy infrastructure, we are going to be vulnerable to the kind of volatility and extreme pricing we’ve seen in the past year.”
Gas prices accelerated the boom in hybrid cars and now play a bigger role in consumer choices, said Neeraj Arora, a UW-Madison professor of marketing research.
“People are going to reflect back on the prices that have changed over the last month or two more than they did three or four years ago,” he said. “My guess is it’s going to become a bigger factor than it has in the past in making a consumer decision on which (vehicle) brand they should buy.”
Jeff Beddow of the National Automobile Dealers Association said it took a long stretch of higher gas prices before sales of less fuel efficient vehicles dropped, and he doesn’t see buyers quickly coming back to gas-guzzlers.
“Typically, changes in consumer buying habits related to gas prices come after a sustained period of time at either a high or low price level,” he said…
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Giving Up Gasoline
Here’s an interesting article out of Alaska. It’s no Tesla Roadster, but it is an all electric vehicle that allows Mike Willmon to commute to work for $20 per month (average monthly cost of electrical charge).
Giving up gasoline
Mike Willmon put an electric motor in his pickup to save on fuel billsBy RICHARD RICHTMYER
Anchorage Daily NewsPublished: September 18, 2006
Last Modified: September 18, 2006 at 07:45 AMAt first glance, Mike Willmon’s 1988 Mitsubishi MightyMax looks like any other pickup cruising Anchorage’s streets.
But instead of the rattling and rumbling sounds that typically go with old pickups, Willmon’s rig emits a gentle whir that gradually fades as he eases it to a stop at a traffic light. And there’s no sight or smell of exhaust fumes as he waits for it to turn green.
That’s because Willmon, an electrical engineer, overhauled the truck, replacing its gasoline engine with an electric motor that runs on batteries…
Hey, he sounds like somebody I know!
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Home Heating Prices to Fall
From the Land of the White Squirrel, futures trading has driven the Natural Gas market to a two-year low.
From Olney Daily Mail
Heating prices will drop sharply
By Mary McGlasson and Associated PressNatural-gas futures fell 10 percent to a two-year low Thursday after U.S. government data showed record supplies.
As a result, Richland County homeowners who depend on natural gas for heat should see lower gas bills this winter, assuming normal temperatures.
“We are optimistic that prices will be quite a bit lower than last winter,” said Darin Houchin, General Manager of Illinois Gas Company.
Houchin said supplies are at record highs because there were no hurricanes or other such events during the summer.
Oil prices were weighed down by the sharp sell-off in natural gas, which analysts attributed to the rising inventory of fuel, slack demand and receding fears about possible Gulf of Mexico supply disruptions during this year’s waning Atlantic hurricane season.
October natural-gas futures fell 55.7 cents to settle at $4.892 per 1,000 cubic feet on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The last time front-month natural-gas futures settled below $5 was Sept. 16, 2004.
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Holy Electric Car, Batman! (Tesla Roadster)
Forget that frumpy Hybrid and go all-electric like a rock star. Tesla Motors is a California based company with a great idea, an aggressive business plan, and tons of style.
Redefining what and electric car looks like is one thing. Redefining the performance and endurance is another thing.
The Tesla Roadster sports an amazing figure, and amazing figures. It’s 100% electric, so you plug it into the wall at night to charge it. A full charge will take you 250 miles, for about 1 cent per mile (based on California electricity prices). Oh yeah, it goes 0 to 60 in around 4 seconds…
Tesla Motors is a forward thinking young car company. They are looking to change the way people think about all-electric cars. Next they will build a mid-priced family sedan, and after that they will be looking at the lower-priced variety of commuting vehicles. By starting at the top of the food chain (at $90K per Roadster) Tesla plans to use profits from higher-end early adopters, willing to pay a premium for one of the world’s quickest and greenest cars, to fund development into ways to reduce costs to make a more affordable second generation vehicle.
I’ll be keeping tabs on this technology, and will provide more details in the near future.
$1.15 per gallon?
Wow… wondering if I should go buy that Escalade I’ve been wanting… maybe some 55 gallon drums…
From The Seattle Times: Business & Technology
Analyst predicts plunge in gas prices
By Kevin G. Hall
September 14, 2006WASHINGTON — The recent sharp drop in the global price of crude oil could mark the start of a massive sell-off that returns gasoline prices to lows not seen since the late 1990s — perhaps as low as $1.15 a gallon.
“All the hurricane flags are flying” in oil markets, said Philip Verleger, a noted energy consultant who was a lone voice several years ago in warning that oil prices would soar. Now, he says, they appear to be poised for a dramatic plunge.
Crude-oil prices have fallen about $14, or roughly 17 percent, from their July 14 peak of $78.40. After falling seven straight days, they rose slightly Wednesday in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, to $63.97, partly in reaction to a government report showing fuel inventories a bit lower than expected. But the overall price drop is expected to continue, and prices could fall much more in the weeks and months ahead…
