Gas 2.0

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• Oklahoma Honda Dealers Can Now Sell CNG Civics at Retail
• Swappable Bus Batteries Catching On In Japan
• Amtrak Begins Testing Biodiesel Train
• Lotus Study: Cars Can Lose 38% Weight, Get 23% Better MPG at Only 3% Cost Increase
• China Going Green For Security Reasons

Oklahoma Honda Dealers Can Now Sell CNG Civics at Retail Posted: 28 Apr 2010 02:34 PM PDT American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has announced that their thirteen dealers in Oklahoma can now sell the compressed natural gas (CNG) powered Honda Civic GX to customers on a retail basis. (more…)

Swappable Bus Batteries Catching On In Japan Posted: 28 Apr 2010 09:03 AM PDT In my opinion, it makes the most sense to start out by electrifying government and public transit vehicles prior to private corporations entering the electric car market. First off, the government should at least try to be efficient. Also, the way bus routes are set up, the limited range of electric vehicles wouldn’t be much of a problem as charging points could be set up along the way. In this vein, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the parent company of Mitsubishi Motors, is in the planning stages of an experiment with swappable battery electric buses in Japan. Makes sense to me! (more…)

Amtrak Begins Testing Biodiesel Train Posted: 28 Apr 2010 08:59 AM PDT I remain defiantly optimistic about the future of trains in America. We used to have the fastest, smoothest, most comfortable trains in the world. Then, seemingly overnight, streamliners and thousands of miles of tracks just disappeared. America seems ready to rekindle its love affair with the train, but we need to do so in a way that promotes alternative fuels as a way of motivating massive trains. Amtrak, which has not turned a profit in, uh, forever, is moving forward with plans to test out a new biodiesel blend in one of its trains. The extended one-year experiment will try to prove the viability and lower emissions of a biodiesel train. But will it stick? (more…)

Lotus Study: Cars Can Lose 38% Weight, Get 23% Better MPG at Only 3% Cost Increase Posted: 28 Apr 2010 08:55 AM PDT Weight is without a doubt the enemy of efficiency. Once, all that extra heft was considered a safety feature, but with new technologies that make cars safer even at lighter weights, now it is considered more of a hindrance than anything. Yet, despite space age materials and new construction methods, most cars still weigh well over 3000 pounds. This has put automakers in an uphill battle, where they have to move increasingly heavier cars with smaller engines, while still maintaining some sort of “fun” factor while driving. But a recent study by Lotus suggests that mainstream automakers could achieve a 38% reduction in the mass of the car (not including the drivetrain) — and thereby increase fuel efficiency 23% — yet only increase costs associated with the extra manufacturing by a scant 3%. (more…)

China Going Green For Security Reasons Posted: 28 Apr 2010 08:46 AM PDT The argument on when the world’s oil supply will start dwindling is a running battle that has been going on for the better part of forty years. Pretty much everyone at this point though has figured out that at the rate we are sucking up oil (85 million barrels per day) that it won’t last for much longer. That means we need alternatives, and fast. While one of the main arguments in favor of alternative fuels and electric vehicles is environmental concerns, I think the U.S. needs to take a look at China’s playbook. They make no bones about it; their green initiatives are about energy security and ensuring they don’t get stuck with unfavorable allies who supply the dino juice. (more…)

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