alternative fuel vehicles
-
Three years ago, Volkswagen announced that it was testing two different types of renewable diesel fuel in a pair of its TDI diesel-engined cars sold in the U.S. Now, the company says it has finished its testing, and the results are in. The renewable fuel gave the same performance as conventional crude oil-based diesel, and cut wells-to-wheels carbon dioxide emissions by about 50 percent, VW said. DON'T MISS: Diesel Fuel Derived From Algae Now Testing In 2 VW TDI Models (Mar 2013) The two cars used in the test, both 2012 models, were a Volkswagen Passat TDI mid-size sedan and a Volkswagen...
-
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Global Sales Below Target, Company Admits
Hyundai will fall short of its 1,000-unit target for the end of 2015.
Stephen Edelstein -
Chevy Impala Natural-Gas Version Delayed By A Year Over Unspecified Concerns
The Chevrolet Impala bi-fuel natural-gas model was delayed over a year, but GM won't say why.
Stephen Edelstein -
Biofuels: Don't Assume They're All Carbon-Neutral, New Study Warns
New research suggests claims of biofuels' carbon neutrality are oversimplified.
Stephen Edelstein -
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell: Early Drivers Discuss Experiences Traveling On Hydrogen
There have already been more Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles leased in the U.S. than any other hydrogen-powered vehicle. Through April, Hyundai has leased 68 of the small SUVs since last June, when the first one was delivered. That slightly exceeds the number of Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell sedans...
John Voelcker -
2016 Ford F-150 Offers Natural-Gas/Propane Prep-Kit Option
The 2016 Ford F-150 will get a gaseous-fuel prep kit for 5.0-liter V-8 models.
Stephen Edelstein -
Fuels produced using plant-based materials can offer a promising way to reduce the carbon emitted by road vehicles. That's because their plant feedstocks absorb carbon dioxide from the air, bringing them far closer to a carbon-neutral footprint than any fuel refined from crude oil. But for diesel-powered vehicles, the term "biodiesel" is used loosely and imprecisely--and often covers anything from plant-derived fuels to burning used deep-frier grease in your converted old Mercedes. DON'T MISS: Classic Green Biodiesel Benz With Racing Pedigree For Sale (Feb 2013) So last month's announcement...
-
Decades Of Promises: 'Dude, Where's My Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Car?'
Designing, engineering, testing, producing, and selling cars run by anything other than gasoline engines is hard, expensive, and challenging. Carmakers routinely lose money on the first generation of new technologies--Toyota, for example, with its first-generation Prius hybrid. But while hybrid...
John Voelcker -
Ethanol In Marine Fuels: Why It Makes Boat Owners So Angry
Few topics get our commenters more riled up than ethanol. Both sides weigh in with fervor and passion, debating energy security versus agricultural policies and costs, comparing studies on wells-to-wheels carbon dioxide profile versus the impact on older engines, and more. But marine users in...
John Voelcker -
Natural-Gas Vehicle Sales Globally Won't Quite Double In 10 Years: Analyst
Cars running on natural gas have been around for decades now, and presently represent 2 to 3 percent of global auto production. Their tailpipe emissions are much cleaner than gasoline or diesel cars. And North American production of natural gas has soared over the last decade. You might think that...
John Voelcker -
Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle News From Los Angeles Auto Show
The biggest news in zero-emission vehicles at last month's Los Angeles Auto Show was the formal introduction of the 2016 Toyota Mirai. But several other companies made news in the hydrogen fuel-cell market as well. Here's our brief roundup of the hydrogen stories we covered in LA. 2016 Toyota Mirai...
John Voelcker -
How Much Money Does The 2016 Toyota Mirai Lose? A Lot, Perhaps
All automakers expect to lose money at first when they launch expensive new powertrain technologies. But if one European official with deep experience in alternative-fuel infrastructure is right, the 2016 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell sedan may be losing its maker quite a lot of money indeed...
John Voelcker -
The 2016 Toyota Mirai is getting a major launch just before this week's Los Angeles Auto Show. It's clear Toyota considers this a vehicle every bit as seminal as its very first Prius hybrid of 1997. The Prius comparisons came regularly during a day of presentations yesterday, and then again this morning during a one-hour test drive of the new Toyota model. DON'T MISS: 2016 Toyota Mirai Priced At $57,500, With $499 Monthly Lease We'll have that drive report in the next few days, but we thought we'd share some of our first photos of the Mirai fuel-cell vehicle out in the wild. Its looks, like...
-
Will Biofuels Be Better For Plastics Than For Vehicle Fuel?
Biofuel companies may use ethanol to make plastic bottles and soap, as well as fuel.
Stephen Edelstein -
Freaky Friday: Veggie Diesel Mercedes 190 Spawns Bad Rap Video
A Norwegian duo raps about their grease-powered Mercedes-Benz 190 in a bizarre video.
Stephen Edelstein -
Best Use For Abundant U.S. Natural Gas: Powering Electric Cars
Natural-gas vehicles have never had much acceptance in the North American passenger car market, and even trucks powered by it are struggling. While natural gas is presently abundant in North America, courtesy of the controversial process of hydrofracturing ("fracking"), a new study suggests there's...
John Voelcker -
Toyota Fuel-Cell Ad Asks: Are You 'The Bold Few' Or A 'Handbrake'?
The piano music is somber, the announcer's voice well modulated and filled with gentle concern. Over the next year, we'll be faced with a decision to support, oppose, or even ignore the future of hydrogen-fueled propulsion. Indeed, and most likely the discussion--whether it's a flat decision is...
John Voelcker -
Natural-Gas Vehicles: Honda, Chevy Are 'Neglected Stepchild' Among Green Cars
Diesels seem likely to gain U.S. market share in light trucks and SUVs, hybrids are at least holding their own, and of course sales of plug-in electric cars are rising steadily. Wait...are we missing a green-car technology? As an article in The Los Angeles Times points out, natural-gas powered...
John Voelcker -
Pity the poor automotive spy photographer. She spends months in Death Valley with an expensive camera, only for her paying clients to be swamped with cellphone shots snapped by eager readers and sent in for free or posted on social media. Which is (more or less) how we come to see our first shots of a preproduction Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan testing on a freeway in Southern California, ahead of its U.S. launch next year. In November this year, the car's official model name was announced: The former "Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan" is now the 2016 Toyota Mirai. DON'T MISS: Will The Toyota Fuel Cell Sedan...
-
Why Green Car Reports Writes About Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars
It would seem pretty obvious that a site called Green Car Reports would cover zero-emission vehicles that will soon go on sale from major global automakers. But cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells turn out to be as controversial as plug-in electric cars, albeit for different reasons--and among...
John Voelcker -
Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars: $50 For 300 Miles--Or Free To Fill Up?
Electric cars are far cheaper to run than gasoline cars on a per-mile basis--and depending on the assumptions, they can be cheaper over their entire life too. And gasoline and diesel vehicles will get steadily more fuel-efficient through 2025 under a variety of global regulations. But what about...
John Voelcker -
Hyundai: Gasoline Suppliers 'Should Invest In Hydrogen Infrastructure'
Hyundai recently handed off the keys to its first Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell customer, and the Korean carmaker has consistently said it believes hydrogen vehicles--and fuel-cell technology--will be the equivalent of "the next electric car." Plug-in electric vehicles are steadily gaining a foothold...
Matthew Askari -
Californians: Buy Honda Civic Natural Gas, Get $1,000 Off--But, Hurry
Do you live in California? Have you been mulling over the purchase of a natural-gas vehicle? If so, Honda wants you to know that its 2014 Honda Civic Natural Gas model is eligible for an immediate $1,000 purchase credit--but you'll need to act swiftly. DON'T MISS: 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas...
John Voelcker -
First 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Delivered In California
The very first 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell crossover vehicle was delivered yesterday to its lessee, Timothy Bush, in a ceremony that attracted both Hyundai executives and California government dignitaries. The keys to the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, leased for three years at $499 a month with...
John Voelcker