Alt Fuels
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Call it last week's most unexpected headline: the idea that a group of engineers in Britain had managed to create gasoline ("petrol") out of ... thin air? Indeed, it appears to be so--if you add energy (and sodium hydroxide). Here's how it works: The process starts by blowing atmospheric air into a tower containing the sodium hydroxide, which binds to the carbon dioxide to form sodium carbonate. Adding energy to that substance splits out the carbon dioxide specifically, which is then stored for later use. Next, a dehumidifier removes water vapor from the air, and more energy is added to...
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Will EPA Waive Ethanol Requirement Due To Drought?
This summer's drought across the midwestern U.S. may have an impact in an unexpected place: your gasoline tank. Almost 200 members of Congress, and the governors of eight states, have called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to suspend portions of the 2007 Renewable Fuel Standard that...
John Voelcker -
Buy A 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, Get A $3,000 Fuel Card
If you've been considering the purchase of a 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, now might be the time to sign on the dotted line. Honda, in conjunction with Clean Energy, is offering a $3,000 fuel card for the purchase of natural gas at any of Clean Energy's natural gas filling stations. When natural...
Antony Ingram -
Is E85 Ethanol The Solution To High Gas Prices?
Ethanol is often touted as being the future fuel of internal combustion vehicles, as it can be more easily--and more locally--produced than regular gasoline, while producing lower greenhouse gas emissions. That makes it a further step towards energy independence, but does it make it the fuel of the...
Antony Ingram -
U.S. States Offer To Buy Up To 10,000 Natural-Gas Vehicles
The market for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles may be just about to get the kick-start it needs, as a coalition of U.S. states gets ready to buy up to 10,000 CNG vehicles. Representatives from the 22 states met in Detroit in July, to push automakers to build more CNG vehicles on the promise...
Antony Ingram -
Which Auto Startup Has Built 2,500 Cars Over The Last Year?
Tesla Motors gets a huge amount of media attention, and Fisker Automotive isn't far behind. Other automotive startups, including Coda Automotive and tiny Wheego Electric Cars, are less well known. But can you name the startup automaker that's built 2,500 cars since last September? Hint: It's none...
John Voelcker -
The battle over the levels of ethanol in fuel may not have stopped just yet, but a decision by the U.S. Appeals Court will certainly weaken the challenge. Several groups, including grocery, auto and petroleum industry bodies filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency in November 2010, challenging a rule to allow higher concentrations of corn-based ethanol in gasoline. Reasoning ranges from high demand of corn-based ethanol pushing up the price and limiting supply of corn for food, to automakers unsure of the long-term effects of ethanol on engines. According to Bloomberg, the...
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Are Air Cars Really An Option, Or The Next Alt-Fuel Joke?
Remember when electric cars were considered a bit of a joke? With talented options like the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S and others currently on sale, it's easy to forget that a few decades ago, their image was very different. No style, no performance, no range--electric cars conjured images of...
Antony Ingram -
Midwestern Drought, Election Year Politics Add To Pressure On Ethanol
Corn ethanol, the oft-touted answer to the problem of foreign oil, is still suffering problems. This time, a drop in production--thanks to drought conditions in the midwestern states that produce it--is harming corn ethanol exports and putting further pressure on the fuel vs. food debate. That...
Antony Ingram -
Energy Secretary Chu Changes His Mind On Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars
Much of the jury is still out on the viability of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but they now have the blessing of the United States government. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu had previously opined that light-duty fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) were in need of a few miracles to make them viable in the...
Antony Ingram -
Why You Can't Buy Just 1 Gallon Of E15 Ethanol
It's fair to say that E15 gasoline--that's gasoline, blended with 15 percent ethanol--hasn't been universally popular, since being approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Not only are the blended pumps that serve it few and far between, but there are still clouds of doubt hanging...
Antony Ingram -
State Governors Ask For Natural-Gas Cars, Industry Listens
Last week, governors of more than 20 states joined together to ask the auto industry for a specific kind of car: a mid-size sedan powered by natural gas, rather than gasoline. This week, the industry responded, with auto-company representatives gathering in Oklahoma City to discuss the request with...
John Voelcker -
The relationship between natural gas vehicles (NGVs) and natural gas stations is a 'catch-22' situation. Without the former, companies are reluctant to built more natural gas stations, as the demand won't be there. But without the latter, manufacturers see no reason to produce natural gas vehicles, because customers who can't fill them up won't be interested in buying them. It only takes one side to make the first move, and according to Pike Research, it looks like the manufacturers are the ones to do it. As the EPA is revamped its certification process for NGVs, carmakers have started...
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What Will 'Low Carbon Fuel' Mean For You?
California is often at the forefront of clean vehicles, whether that's through startups like Tesla producing electric vehicles, or regulations that encourage the sale and manufacture of low-emissions vehicles. That trend is continuing says Pike Research, as the state aims to push through a new...
Antony Ingram -
Hydrogen-Fueled Olympics Taxis Sent 130 Miles To Refuel--On Diesel Trucks
The London Olympics now underway are a showcase for green cars. Automotive sponsor BMW is getting massive exposure for 4,000 of its greenest vehicles, including lower-emission ActiveHybrid models, fuel-efficient diesels, and much-anticipated i3 all-electric city car and i8 plug-in hybrid sports...
John Voelcker -
Chrysler To Feds: Support Natural-Gas Cars As Well As Plug-In
Government incentives are a popular (if controversial) way of getting more buyers behind the wheel of electric cars. Bring down the price, and buyers will follow. Whatever you think of the politics behind the incentives, others are simply concerned that they aren't getting the same treatment. One...
Antony Ingram -
Big Food Steps Up Fight Against Ethanol Mandate (Infographic)
Ethanol continues to be a political football, with the alcohol fuel coming under fire from the auto industry, environmental pressure groups, and others. The latest to line up against the corn-based fuel is a coalition of industrialized livestock and poultry producers that might collectively be...
John Voelcker -
Ethanol In Your Gasoline Tank: The Pros And Cons
With flex-fuel cars that can run on E85 ethanol still a minority of the vehicles on sale, you might think ethanol isn't as important as some other future fuels. But up to 10 percent of every gallon of gasoline you buy today is ethanol, and that proportion may rise to as much as 15 percent if gas...
Antony Ingram -
There may only be a handful of natural gas vehicles on sale, but representatives from Colorado and Oklahoma want that to change. A meeting between politicians from each state and representatives from the automakers in Detroit will meet on Monday to discuss ways in which demand for natural gas vehicles can be increased. Natural gas (CNG) is considered a more environmentally-friendly fuel than other fossil fuels, and it's currently significantly cheaper than gasoline or diesel. At the moment, that equates to around $2.13 a gallon, but can be found for as little as $0.80 per gallon in some areas...
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E15 Ethanol Gasoline Arrives...At One Station In Kansas
If ever there was a suitable place to sell stronger blends of ethanol in gasoline, it's the midwest. With vast supplies of common crops like corn, the midwestern states are ideal for ethanol production and sales. And kicking off that trend is one lone gas station in Kansas, the first to sell E15...
Antony Ingram -
Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars Still Important, Automakers Say
When anything is referred to as "not dead yet," it's usually dead--or very close. But despite the headline reference to a legendary Monty Python skit (NSFW), a recent post from Pike Research makes the case that hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles likely have at least a limited role to play in future...
John Voelcker -
Want To Drive A Natural Gas Vehicle? Be Prepared For A Detour
By the end of this year, Honda says it will have more than 200 dealers certified to sell the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas across the U.S. Much cheaper than regular gasoline and cleaner-burning, many states offer incentives to encourage drivers to make the switch to natural gas. But there’s...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
OK, E15 Gasoline Is Now Approved; Do You Need To Care?
You felt the earth shake a week ago today when the EPA formally approved the sale of E15 gasoline, right? Oh, you didn't? Not surprising, really. No gas station in the U.S. sells E15 today, and it looks like it may be a while before any given driver sees the stuff showing up as one of several...
John Voelcker -
Germany Expanding Hydrogen Network: Will U.S. Ever Follow?
By 2015, Germany is expected to have 5,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles roaming the streets. That doesn't sound like a great number, particularly when battery-electric cars like the Nissan Leaf are already selling in far greater numbers. But it still presents a problem, as that number relies on a...
Antony Ingram