Friday, March 4, 2011

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Study Finds that E15 Has No Impact on Older Vehicles

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST

There's been much angst and drama over E15 fuel, with people led to believe that E15 will ruin their cars' engines. However, a new study shows that E15 has no measurable impact on vehicles dating back to 1994.

The study comes from Ricardo Engineering, which they presented at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. while I will leave a detailed explanation as to "who" they are to Jo, they are one of the leading automotive engineering firms in the world. So this isn't just anybody; Ricardo's roots date back to the turn of the 20th century, and in between building badass race cars they are developing all sorts of engine efficiency solutions.

What Ricardo engineers found was that use of E15 in vehicles made between 1994 and 2010 offered no measurable difference in power, emissions, or engine life. Nor did E15 rot corrode fuel lines or o-rings within the fuel systems of vehicles made over 15 years ago. Over 87% of the cars on the road today were made between 1994 and 2010 (woohoo, I'm an outlier!) and that E15 is fine to use in these vehicles on a consistent basis. In fact, outside elements (snow, rain, misuse) are more likely to cause fuel system failure than using E15. That should shut up some of the E15 haters, though probably not.

I'll just finish with the words of the study itself.

Conclusion

"The analysis concluded that the adoption and use of E15 would not adversely affect fuel system components in properly engineered vehicles, nor would it cause them to perform in a sub-optimal manner, when compared to the use of E10."

Source: The Ricardo Company via AutoBlogGreen | Technical Assessment of E15 Use in 1994-2010 Model Year Vehicles

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.

Ford Backing Away From EVs?

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:30 PM PST

Sometimes, when you want to believe something, it takes an awful lot to convince you not to believe it.  It might take a lot of rejection to realize that your waitress is flirting with you for a good tip, rather than your phone number, for example.  Other times, however, it just takes a single, well-written article.

Today, that “thing that made me go:  hmm” article was Bertel Schmitt’s excellent review of a recent speech made by Bill Ford at yesterday’s ECO:nomics conference in California, where – Schmitt claims – Bill Ford revealed that the Ford Motor Company is backing away from electric vehicles.

Why do I find this one blogger’s opinion so convincing?  Schmitt himself used to write exactly this kind of speeches for top Volkswagen (among others), and he’s convinced that Ford’s “We've made a big bet on electric… but the pace at which that develops, I think anyone who can tell you that is lying.” comment – and the venue at which it was uttered – speak volumes.

Check out the original article over at The Truth About Cars blog for the full story.

Source:  Bertel Schmitt, via The Truth About Cars.

Update: This New Lancia is the Next 40 mpg Chrysler

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:25 AM PST

After a few tantalizing sketches materialized on Lancia’s European website back in December, many speculated that we were seeing hints of the upcoming Lancia Y (pronounced “epsilon”) compact, which could form the basis for a new small Chrysler in North America.  The photos here show the new Y in the flesh, and – I think you’ll agree – the final version of the car is significantly sleeker than the outgoing PT Cruiser – which is the only “small Chrysler” currently in the range.

Official plans and pricing for the North American market are yet to be released, but with award-winning Multi-Air technology and a growing “small/luxury” car market in the US, you can bet this new Lancia will take a big chunk out of Mini and Sonic sales.

Lancia Y Ypsilon y1 y3

Source:  Lancia.

Zero Motorcycles Introduces Removable Battery Model

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 08:12 AM PST

Charging an electric vehicle may be easy for those with garages, but not everybody has an outdoor outlet to plug into. Zero Motorcycles is making charging a bit easier by introducing a removable battery you can charge inside.

Zero's new XU electric motorcycle features a removable 2 kWh battery and stand alone charger that can rejoice the battery in as little 1.2 hours. The Zero XU is a "city bike" with a maximum range of about 30 miles on a charge (rated at 25 miles by the EPA, and a top speed of around 51 mph. So its not exactly a record setting electric motorcycle in terms of range or speed.

However, the removable battery makes it so those without access to a garage or charging outlet can simply take the power pack and plug it in at home. Buying a second power pack means double the range, and makes the bike applicable for a Federal Tax Credit, lowering the $7,995 MSRP, and a typical charge (depending on where you live) costs just 21 cents.

21 cents for 25 miles of riding? I may suck at math, but that is pretty damn good, and the batteries have an estimated lifespan (at least 90% capacity) of 32,000 miles. Hopefully Zero will integrate this feature into their other models as well, which could make electric motorcycles much more appealing to apartment dwellers like me.

I have but one question; how much does the battery weigh? I live on the third floor of a three family home, and lugging a 50-lb pack up three flights of stairs every day doesn’t sound super appealing

Source: Green Car Advisor | Zero Motorcycles

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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