Gas 2.0 |
- Methanol as a Replacement for Oil?
- “Carbon Neutral” Ocean Empire LSV Luxury Yacht
- Chrysler 300 Hybrid with 8-Speed Automatic Coming in 2013
| Methanol as a Replacement for Oil? Posted: 17 Jan 2011 04:06 PM PST
A recent study by Leslie Bromberg and Wai K. Cheng took a close look at methanol as a replacement for oil. It isn’t the only study of its kind, as a few years ago some other researchers put together an entire book exploring the “Methanol Economy.” Methanol was first explored as a viable alternative after the '73 Oil Crisis, but it never really caught on. Methanol is the simplest form of alcohol, and while it can be found in coal, the air, and even wood, these days it is mostly derived from the methane component of natural gas. But unlike say, ethanol, there is no major lobbying effort to use methanol as fuel despite its abundance in American natural gas reserves. In fact, methanol is regularly used in performance cars and heavy-duty vehicles as something of an octane booster. It burns cleaner and better than gasoline, though it has even less energy than ethanol. Methanol can be created from any organic matter though, and its half-life is much less than that of gas, and it burns cleaner (though you must burn more of it to get the same energy, probably negating any environmental benefit). There certainly is a case to be made for methanol, though I'd argue it'd be better to blend it with gasoline, much the same way we are blending ethanol, then try to use it as a stand-alone fuel. China mixed in over a billion gallons of methanol fuel into its fuel supplies last year, and it’ll probably out pace that even next year. Sure, modifications to cars are minimal, and since it is a liquid the infrastructure is already in place. But perhaps it'd be better to focus on the alternatives that are already making headway like electricity, hydrogen, and ethanol. Sorry methanol, looks like you missed the bus this time. Source: Green Car Congress Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to Hemis. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.
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| “Carbon Neutral” Ocean Empire LSV Luxury Yacht Posted: 17 Jan 2011 11:57 AM PST
The amount of money people will spend on a boat never ceases to amaze me, and it's hard not to be impressed by the staggering excess present on many of these boats. But while most yachts focus almost exclusively on luxury, Sauter Carbon Offset Design has penned a rather unique yacht design called the Ocean Empire LSV. Unlike many ships, the Ocean Empire can be powered by four different methods of propulsion, three of them 100% "green" (or as green as building an opulent yacht can be). The 144-ft long Ocean Empire is covered front-to-back in solar panels, which can capture up to 70 kW of power from the sun alone. A Motion Dampening Regeneration system keeps the boat smooth in even the choppiest waters, and can reclaim another 50 kW of energy. As if that weren't enough, a 861 sq-ft SkySail can be deployed to pull the ship to speeds of up to 18 knots. Should all that fail, there's a Daimler BlueTec marine diesel engine to get you along to your destination. Lately, there seems to be a renewed interest in greening shipping, and I’ve so far been pleasantly surprised by what boating companies have come up with. Oh, and there are also two hydroponic farms and fishing facilities, meaning your yacht is essentially a free-floating, self-sustaining isle o' luxury, and it'll only cost you $25 million, without the addition of optional naval defenses. It is basically a green, end-of-the-world boat, perfect for the inevitable zombie outbreak. Anybody want to go halfsies on one? Source: AutoBlogGreen via Luxury Launches Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to Hemis. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.
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| Chrysler 300 Hybrid with 8-Speed Automatic Coming in 2013 Posted: 17 Jan 2011 10:19 AM PST
At the Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler finally, officially unveiled its flagship model, the 2011 Chrysler 300. This is the single most important car in Chrysler's fleet, with roots dating back to the 1950's, so the engineers took their time to get it right, reportedly spending over $1 billion. Yet there is still no hybrid vehicle in Chrysler's lineup. The Pentastar did fool around with a hybrid Ram pickup truck, and there are rumors about a diesel/hybrid pickup as well, but nothing solid until now. That should all change by 2013, as Automotive News talked to Chrysler/Fiat overlord Marchionne, who said that in 2013 there will be a hybrid 300 model, equipped with an eight-speed automatic. Now, I'm an old school car guy. Four speeds have always seemed like enough for me. Yet even economy cars are coming equipped with six-speed transmissions these days. The next logical step is, of course, eight-speeds! At the Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler said that its new V6 engine with an eight-speed automatic would deliver at least 30 mpg in the heavy Chrysler 300. So does that mean a hybrid 300 has to get at least 40 mpg? It's hard to imagine a full-size sedan like the 300 sipping just a gallon of fuel every 40 miles, but to make the hybrid system worth any extra cost, I'm thinking that's the magic number Chrysler just has to hit. Whether it hits the market in 2013, or 2012 (as a 2013 model) Marchionne did not say, but it can’t come soon enough. There's a lot to like about the idea of a 40 mpg full-size sedan, don't you agree? Source: Automotive News Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to Hemis. You can follow his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout.
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