Biofuels
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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...
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EPA Proposes Lower Increases For Ethanol In Gasoline
The EPA wants to cut ethanol levels originally mandated by the 2007 Renewable Fuels Standard.
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 -
Plug-In Hybrid HUMMERs Headed For The South Pole On Biofuel
Zero South plans to drive two modified Hummers to the South Pole without using any fossil fuels.
Stephen Edelstein -
Audi Produces e-Diesel Fuel From Water, CO2, Renewable Energy
Audi produced a synthetic diesel fuel at a pilot plant in Germany.
Stephen Edelstein -
Propel Renewable Diesel: Usable By Any Vehicle, Going Beyond 'Biodiesel'
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...
John Voelcker -
Anew bill would discard a mandate requiring larger volumes of ethanol be added to the U.S. fuel supply.
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Will Biofuels Growth Require Cutting Down Forests? At Scale, Yes, Report Says
Large-scale biofuel production requires cutting down forests, but will that do more harm than good?
Stephen Edelstein -
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 -
Southwest Airlines Will Use Renewable Jet Fuel From Forest Waste
Southwest is expected to begin using biofuel in 2016.
Stephen Edelstein -
Supreme Court: California Cleaner-Fuels Plan OK, Oil Companies Lose Appeal
In an action sure to appease fans of a greener transportation future, the U.S. Supreme Court has chosen to decline oil and ethanol companies' appeal to a decision to uphold California's Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS). That means the LCFS now has one fewer obstacle in its aim to encourage the...
Antony Ingram -
Tell us what car you would replace this Volkswagen Jetta TDI with.
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Gasoline Substitute Made From Plant Waste Developed By UC-Davis
Plant-based diesel has been available for many years now but making a true gasoline-like hydrocarbon from plant oils has proven a lot more difficult. Chemists at the University of California, Davis think they've cracked it, though, using a new technique to make "biogasoline" from plant waste...
Antony Ingram -
Boeing Seeks To Certify Biodiesel For Jet Fuel Around The World
Tens of thousands of flights carry millions of passengers around the globe on a daily basis. Needless to say, the environmental impact of this is fairly large--but both airlines and aircraft makers are keen to reduce that impact and lower their own costs, too. Biofuel is the current buzzword in the...
Antony Ingram -
Could Congress Kill Ethanol Mandate Altogether In 2014?
Ethanol has been a key component of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard since the 2007 passage of the Energy Security and Independence Act. Now, there appears to be a chance that rules requiring minimum volumes of ethanol to be blended into vehicle fuel could be reformed or scrapped altogether in...
Antony Ingram -
Will Biofuels Do Better In Aviation Than Anywhere Else?
Given how familiar most of us are with cars, it's easy to see them as the be-all and end-all when it comes to cleaning up transportation. Reduce fossil fuels, increase electric propulsion, increase use of biofuels, job done. With over a billion cars on roads around the world improving them is...
Antony Ingram -
Ethanol A Victim Of Change As Gasoline Sales Have Flatlined?
Eight years ago, ethanol was going to let the U.S. grow its own vehicle fuel, reduce its use of gasoline made from imported oil, and boost energy security. How much have you heard about those themes lately? Not much, we'd wager. A lot has changed since the 2007 passage of the Energy Independence...
John Voelcker -
One way to make vehicle fuels greener is to grow them--and it appears that biodiesel may have plenty of potential. Like the feedstocks for ethanol, the plant oils refined into biodiesel are grown, rather than extracted from the ground. But being lumped into the same bucket as ethanol is worrying the biodiesel industry, which fears the fuel is being dragged into draft legislation mainly aimed at ethanol producers. According to Politico Pro (sub req.), the National Biodiesel Board has reacted strongly to a leaked EPA proposal to adjust its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that would limit volume...
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New Lure For Ethanol Blends: More Ethanol, But A Lower Price?
Could low prices be the key to making ethanol more popular? One Michigan filling station allows customers to change the ethanol-gasoline blend in their fuel. As customers "dial up" the amount of ethanol, the price goes down, WardsAuto reports. Other stations offer multiple blends, with varying...
Stephen Edelstein -
Is Brazilian Sugarcane The Answer To U.S. Biofuels Needs?
Is Brazilian sugarcane the perfect biofuel for American drivers? Brazil believes ethanol made from sugarcane can supplement corn-based ethanol produced in the United States, which would help meet U.S. government targets for increased biofuel consumption. Under the Energy Independence and Security...
Stephen Edelstein -
Biofuel Company Latest To Pay Off Government Loan Early
Government lending to green technology companies has been a political hot potato in recent years. Huge loans were offered to dozens of companies. Automakers, solar companies, biofuel concerns and more received money, but high-profile failures like Solyndra lent credence to those critical of the...
Antony Ingram -
Spanish Town To Run Cars On Biofuel From Human Poop...
Humans are a lot like cars. No, seriously--in order to make us work, we need fuel. That fuel is our food, which we metabolize in order to function, and anything not required by the body we produce as waste. Sounds familiar, right? Conveniently, that waste can then also be used to fuel our cars...
Antony Ingram -
Low Carbon Fuel Standard Proving More Successful Than Expected
A report analyzing the uptake of low-carbon fuels says that fossil-fuel alternatives are actually growing faster than expected. The report, produced by a coalition of investors, utilities, and makers of alternative fuels and vehicles, suggests alternative fuels are proving more popular than...
Antony Ingram