Category Archives: alternative fuels

Honda Fit EV Rated by the EPA at 118 MPGe, the Highest Ever

The Fit EV’s 20-kWh lithium-ion battery provides the capacity to earn an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range of 82-miles, meaning the Fit EV on paper and in press releases surpasses the EPA efficiency and range ratings of the Ford Focus Electric (105 MPGe, 76-mile range), Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe, 73-mile range), and Mitsubishi i-MiEV (112 MPGe, 62-mile range). Honda recently settled a class action lawsuit that said in effect that it had overrated the mileage on the Civic hybrid. Continue reading

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Fisker Expands Karma Battery Recall for Potential Fires

In an example of ongoing bad Karma, Fisker has told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it is expanding its recall of the $102,000 Karma EV because the A123 supplied battery pack can leak coolant and start fires. Continue reading

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Milestones – Toyota Motor Sells 4 Million Hybrid Vehicles

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in Japan announced today that its global hybrid vehicle sales totaled four million vehicles through April 2012. of that 1.5 million Toyota hybrids have been sold in the United States where it dominates the advanced technology vehicle market by outselling all other hybrid and electric vehicles combined. Toyota in the U.S. now holds 65% of the hybrid market, with the Prius a line accounting for 1.2 million vehicles year-to-date. Continue reading

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Natural Gas Company QEPFS Fined for Air Pollution

The Department of Justice said QEPFS, formerly Questar Gas Management, would reduce its emissions by removing outdated equipment at its compressor stations, installing additional pollution controls, and replacing the natural gas powered instrument control systems with compressed air control systems. Continue reading

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Study Claims E15 Ethanol Gas Will Damage New Car Engines

At the heart of the controversy are the costs of installing E15 pumps at gas stations, which already are selling fuel with E10, as well as warranty costs at automakers, where typically powertrains are now covered for 100,000 miles. The problem for automakers and consumers comes from a regulation that applies to existing vehicles on the road, instead of a phase-in for future vehicles. While automakers are now building some vehicles that can safely run of blends containing up to 85% ethanol, CRC said the decision to move to E15 was “premature and irresponsible,” since millions of existing auto engines cannot. Continue reading

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Smart Escooter Coming in 2014

Daimler has confirmed that the Smart E-Scooter will go on sale in 2014 at an unspecified price. First introduced as a concept from its Chinese studios at the Paris Motor Show in 2010, the fully electric Escooter is part of a range of electric vehicles including the Smart Fourtwo and Smart Ebike that are targeted for the European Union, which wants to ban all internal combustion engines from inner cities. Continue reading

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Windsor, Canada to Buy Chinese BYD Electric Buses

The agreement also opens talks to bring manufacturing of BYD buses to the Ontario region in the near future. BYD has delivered over 300 all-electric buses worldwide and has orders for over 1300 more in 2012, making it apparently the largest electric bus manufacturer in the world. Continue reading

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EPA Regulates Diesel Fuel Injected Underground for Fracking

The law is controversial because in pay-to-play Washington, Congress exempted most fracking fluids from the regulation of fluids injected into the ground required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. In environmental circles, this became known as the Halliburton loophole. Then U.S. vice-president Richard Cheney ran Halliburton – the biggest fracking services company in the country – before he was elected, of course. Continue reading

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Rebadged BMW i8 Concept Plug in Appears in Beijing

Back in February BWM introduced the new “BMW i sub-brand” of electric and hybrid cars that will debut in 2013 with the production of BMW i3 and BMW i8. BMW also established a holding company called BMW i Ventures capitalized at $100 million. Let’s see – i before e except after… Continue reading

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Earth Day Milestones – History of Auto Air Pollution Regs

As we celebrate Earth Day here’s a list of important dates in the fight against automotive or so-called mobile source air pollution. In 1970, Congress passes the first major Clean Air Act, requiring a 90% reduction in emissions from new automobiles by 1975. Congress also establishes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), giving it broad responsibility for regulating motor vehicle pollution. Continue reading

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EPA Issues Tougher Rules for Oil and Natural Gas Production

EPA – sensitive, if not given over to election year politics and high energy prices – also said the standards would enable companies to collect additional natural gas that can be sold. The updated EPA standards include the first federal clean air rules for natural gas wells that are hydraulically fractured, specifically requiring operators of new fractured natural gas wells to use what it says are cost-effective technologies and practices to capture natural gas that might otherwise escape the well. Continue reading

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DOE Gives EV Supplier UQM More Time on ARRAS Grant

The politically contentious American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained billions upon billions in taxpayer funding to businesses though a number of Recovery Act and related programs, including loans, loan guarantees, grants, contracts and tax incentives, in partnership with the Department of Treasury. In total, CBO estimates that the legislation will increase budget deficits by about $831 billion over the 2009–2019 period. Continue reading

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Energy Research to be Coordinated by Three Federal Agencies

In a public relations move that clearly has political value during an election year with skyrocketing energy prices, the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Interior are supposed to work together “to ensure that continued expansion of natural gas and oil production happens safely and responsibly.” Continue reading

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EPA Releases 2010 U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released today the 17th annual U.S. greenhouse gas inventory. The final report shows overall emissions in 2010 increased by 3.2% from the previous year because the economy expanded slightly. In addition, a factor was an … Continue reading

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Chinese Great Wall Alternative Power Systems Now Building Cyclone External Combustion Engine. Return of Steam Power?

The Cyclone technology is intriguing, but not commercially proven. It is a Rankine Cycle heat-regenerative external combustion engine. It is sometimes called a “Schoell Cycle” engine after company founder and CEO Harry Schoell. Simply put it’s a 21st century steam engine.
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