Baby Steps and Big Leaps:
Greener cars are here
The Best:
Neighbourhood electric vehicles (
Most people drive within a radius of less than 30km. Most trips are in-town. If you only go out of town once or twice a month, you can save a lot of money and reduce your environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions by buying an
Ideally, you have converted your home to be off-grid, powered by wind and solar, so there are no greenhouse gas emissions and no smog created from dirty coal-fired power plants that recharge your batteries. To do this you'd need $15-20k or so, depending on your power consumption. You would then have a truly zero emission car, and no energy bills or gas costs. Think of that at your next $40 fill-up at the gas station. 5,000 to 15,000 lbs (2,000 to 7,000 kg) of carbon dioxide emitted per year by the average petro-dependent car. Another 10,000 to 15,000 lbs a year of CO2 emissions from your home heating and electricity needs. Or, a $40k investment to wipe out your home and car CO2 emissions, and free yourself from gas and energy bills forever. Hm. Smart investment - in your future, and the future of all life on earth.
If your average heat and electricity bills come to a total of $250 a month, and you spend an average of $150 a month on gas for your conventional car or truck, it would take 100 months, or 8.3 years to recoup your investment, after which time you would be saving $400 a month. Over the span of 20 years, you would therefore save yourself $56,000! And that's if gas and energy prices don't go up - which of course they will. Is this a no-brainer or what? Of course, you have to have the cash to do this, or else take out a loan. For those who can, it only makes sense: financially as well as ecologically. You can make a higher return on investment in other ways, but ethically, this is a true win-win situation, others likely are not.
Zenn:
Zero emission, no noise vehicle - from a new Canadian car company, based in
ZENN Motor Company - Welcome to the Web Site of the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of electric vehicles.
ZENN Savings Calculator
Zap!
The only electric car presently available in the
ZAP
ZAP Xebra 100% Electric EV Sedan
ZAP Xebra 100% Electric EV Pick Up
Xebra Xero
ZAPTruck XL
Reva
A great little electric car from
Reva worldwide
REVA photo gallery
G-Wiz
World's best-selling electric car. Very cute 4-seater hatchback.
G-Wiz electric car
G-Wiz testimonials - GoinGreen - Driving Down Pollution
Where to buy them:
In Canada
ZENN Motor Company - Welcome to the Web Site of the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of electric vehicles.
ZAP
about GoinGreen - Driving Down Pollution
Soon to arrive:
Electric cars that can take to the highway
The Tesla Roadster
A car that will prove the compatibility of electric vehicles with style, performance and power. An expensive top-end sports car that will open the door for the company to produce more affordable cars in the future. Release date: expected 2008 or 2009.
Mechanical Resonance: The Tesla Motors Press Intro, Complete With Governator - Jalopnik
Video of the Tesla Roadster testing on ice! (ok, you have to really love cars to appreciate this)
The Chevy Volt
Hopefully an affordable highway-ready electric car. Release date unknown. Hopefully 2009.
Detroit Auto Show: It's here. GM's plug-in hybrid is the Chevy Volt Concept - AutoblogGreen
Second-best:
The hybrids
The Prius still takes the prize, but it's good to see more choices available.
Compare Hybrid Cars
Hybrid SUV's sound like a bad joke, but if you must haul your ass in nearly 4,000 Lbs of glass and steel, you might as well make that pig at least somewhat efficient.
Compare Hybrid SUVs
Can't forget the Smart car!
Smart Shows Diesel and Gasoline Hybrids, EV and CNG Prototypes of smart Car
Bio-Fuel Babies:
Not the ultimate in green fuel cars, but a step ahead at least
Ford Focus Flexi-Fuel
Green-Car-Guide.com
Saab 9-5 Turbo BioPower
Green-Car-Guide.com
And the coolest little cars I've ever seen: Obvio !
OBVIO !
Obvio ! model 828 specs
Obvio 012
One concept car - production date unknown:
Lotus Exige 265E
Road Test: Lotus Exige 265E
The Bio-Fuel Option:
Bio-fuel is not a panacea, nor an ultimate answer, but it is a step, a step in the right direction, and for that reason, it is highly valuable as a technology. Bio-fuel from ethanol produces 70% less greenhouse gas emissions than gas or diesel, and cuts our dependence on oil. For these reasons, it should be pursued vigourously. It should be one facet of a multi-faceted strategy to cut our greenhouse gas emissions, to move in the direction of genuine sustainability, and to reduce and ultimately eliminate our dependence on oil.
Statement by Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren at a ...
The Chinese government is not stupid. The world is running out of cheap oil. They know this, and are taking steps to secure their energy resources for the coming years and decades. While they are busy signing contracts, making investments and forming economic and military alliances to secure their access to the world's remaining oil reserves, they are also busy diversifying their energy resources.
Canada should join the 21st century and stop subsidizing oil companies, and start heavily investing in bio-fuel ethanol from forest waste.
We have among the largest remaining forests in the world, and if we practice sustained yield forestry, we will have for decades and generations to come. With all this foretry activity however, comes a huge waste issue. Only 30% of the wood cut in a typical forestry operation is used; 70% is waste. 70% of the cut wood is either burned as slash - a ridiculous thing to do as it releases enormous quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere, compounding our global warming problems - or is left to rot, which also compounds global warming as the rotting wood releases methane gas, another greenhouse gas. What makes sense is to turn that waste into ethanol. This is already being done, and bravo to those involved. But it needs to be accelerated and expanded many fold.
We have entire communities in
Ultimately, we would want to shift the newly developed bio-fuel ethanol industry, based on forestry waste, to a full hydrogen system. By burning bio-fuel ethanol in vehicles we reduce emissions and oil dependency, but emissions are still there. By investing first in bio-fuel ethanol from forest waste, then later re-investing to shift to hydrogen production, we can make this a zero-emission fuel and energy system. The investment needed for this second phase would be large, but the economic as well as environmental benefits would be great. Solar, wind and tidal powered steam reformation is the technology that will take us from leading edge bio-fuel ethanol, to the ultimate: zero emission hydrogen from clean, renewable sources.
Cars are now being produced that can run on either gasoline or bio-fuel ethanol, depending on fuel availability. This is the transition technology. The ideal fuel source is described above. Add to this technology mix the dual-fuel hydrogen system demonstrated by BMW. BMW's Hydrogen 7 can run on either hydrogen or gasoline, depending on fuel availability. Thus we now have the technology to have cars that will run on gasoline, bio-fuel ethanol, or hydrogen, depending on fuel availability. This technology will take us the rest of the way. We can then move seamlessly from oil-dependent smog-belching resource-depleting conventional gas and diesel automobiles, to bio-fuel, to hydrogen. From worst, to better to best.
Bio-diesel deserves mentioning, though it does not have the same benefits as bio-fuel ethanol. Bio-diesel is basically vegetable oil run through a conventional diesel engine. It burns cleaner, reducing engine wear as well as emissions. It is also a non-fossil fuel energy source that can help free us from oil dependency. But it does come from food crops, and this is its weakness. You can't both feed the planet, and fuel your car with bio-diesel - there simply isn't enough farmland. So bio-diesel makes sense, in that it will be a temporary measure, a stop-gap, a transition technology that helps us get from high carbon, high greenhouse gas emissions, and oil dependency, to a low carbon, low emission, oil-free society. It does not however, deserve to be our primary strategy, or anything close. It should be funded massively, to switch existing diesel engines to something that at least is a little better. But it will have to be a technology that exists along side electric vehicles, bio-fuel ethanol and hydrogen, all of which will be and should be more primary and far more predominant.
Bo-diesel from waste oil is highly praised in environmental circles, but it is a tiny niche only, not a mass-application: there simply isn't enough waste oil to fuel even a small fraction of the automobiles on the planet. It's great for a few people, but not an answer for a society.
"Using energy more efficiently and in particular reducing dependency on oil is critical…
[Swedish] Parliament has passed a Government Bill to increase public access to renewable fuels. Under the new legislation, all large petrol stations in
However, today's challenges represent tomorrow's opportunities - if we use them!
The Swedish government sees environmental technologies as an important sector for economic development and growth. According to Statistics Sweden, the environment sector in our country has annual sales of approximately 35.3 billion US dollars and employs some 90 000 people. The Swedish Environmental Technology Council has a database comprising more than 1 600 companies that are working in the sector. Bear in mind that
Today we are focusing our attention on biogas and its potential.”
– Minister for the Environment,
Statement by Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren at a ...
China invests in Swedish bioenergy
Swedish biofuel sales grow 270% in 2006
Making Sweden an OIL-FREE Society
Nordic Countries Design Sustainable Communities: The Natural Step for Eco-Villages
Portugal wants 45% renewable electricity output and 10% of all fuels to be biofuels
Renewable Energy World - Renewables global status update: Investment and capacity soar while support policies continue to multiply
BBC NEWS | Business | Biofuel raises global dilemmas
BBC NEWS | Business | Car firms and investors greet UK biofuel
Bioenergy pact between Europe and Africa
Wisconsin shooting for leadership in energy independence - AutoblogGreen
Editorial: Thoughts on the performance and potential of ethanol - AutoblogGreen
Venture Capital jumps into the lobbying game for alternative fuels - AutoblogGreen
***Virgin Group pledges $3 billion to fight global warming at CGI - AutoblogGreen
Most Honourable Mention:
BMW's Hydrogen 7
Had we a hydrogen fuel distribution system in place to utilize it, BMW's Hydrogen 7 would be the cream of the crop. As we are still waiting for such a fuel delivery system, the H7 is honourable, but not yet practical - at least outside of a few places like LA and
BMW officially announces the BMW Hydrogen 7 - AutoblogGreen
Honda FCX:
First hydrogen fuel cell car to be released in 2008.
Hydrogen Wonder - AOL Autos
Hydrogen:
Dream of the future, now.
The nay-sayers can stop the sniping now. Hydrogen is here. It's safe, it's proven, and it works. Yes, there are two big remaining questions, but with a modest amount of creative intelligence and the necessary determination, these can be quickly overcome. What hydrogen means, is an alternative to oil addiction, a fuel (an energy carrier to be precise) that, when made from either water or waste using solar, wind or tidal power, is truly clean, green, renewable and sustainable. A hydrogen vehicle emits only water vapour out the tailpipe. And the hydrogen can be made from the two things we have in great abundance on earth: water and waste. (The water is returned to the atmosphere as the car burns the hydrogen, cleanly completing the cycle. And sewage, compost and landfill waste we are not likely to run out of.) Combined with solar, wind and tidal power, hydrogen is, as the president of Ford has recently said, the fuel of the 21st century.
The two big remaining questions for hydrogen are: distribution and source. There is only one place on earth that I know of where a hydrogen distribution system is being built -
This, of course, is what
$50 million for a clean, green, sustainable trans-Canada hydrogen highway. With the equivalent of the Liberals' $4 billion corporate give-away we could build such a hydrogen infrastructure 20 times over. What the hell are we waiting for? Obviously, no political party has yet to come to power in
The second big question regarding hydrogen is the source of the fuel. If we let the oil companies control the coming hydrogen economy, they're going to want to make hydrogen from natural gas - of course, since it would mean they stay in the game, and get high profits from polluting methods of hydrogen fuel generation. What would be infinitely smarter, would be to generate the hydrogen from solar, wind and/or tidal power, either from water, by electrolysis, or where water supplies are limited, from sewage, compost or landfill gas. Every city, town and county can thereby be energy self-sufficient, assuming some serious efforts are made at energy conservation and efficiency. We would then tell the big oil companies to take a hike.
Yes, generating hydrogen from electrolysis, from water, is energy inefficient, but with abundant solar, wind and tidal power, that is not a problem. Slaughter in the
All in all, hydrogen from electrolysis - from water - or from waste - municipal sewage, compost or landfill gas - makes very good sense, so long as the hydrogen generation systems are powered by truly clean, green renewable energy. We are talking about an energy revolution if we make this happen. No more monopolies over world energy supplies: community controlled energy sources. This is a social revolution, not just an ecological one. Control over energy means control in society. If big corporations control the energy that runs our society, then they control the levers of power. If communities control their own energy supplies, then they control their own fate. They are not pawns, spectators, cogs or consumers alone. Communities and individuals become empowered when control over energy is decentralized, brought down to earth. Hydrogen fuel, when combined with distributed generation that is in the hands of communities, powered by wind, water and solar, is a social revolution.
Whether we are talking about electric cars, bio-fuel cars or hydrogen cars, the source of the fuel is critical. Electric cars powered by coal plants is unsustainable. Bio-fuel cars powered by food crops is unethical and unfeasible on a global scale. Hydrogen cars fueled by natural gas-derived hydrogen would be a red herring. But all three are feasible and ecologically superior to petroleum if done with some forethought and clear-headedness.
Yes, electrolysis and stream reformation production of hydrogen are both low-efficiency processes, but with abundant solar, wind or tidal power that really becomes a non-issue. We are ultimately storing renewable energy in the form of hydrogen, which is a very convenient storage medium, and the power ultimately comes from the wind, water or sun. It should be remembered that the entire electric grid is grossly inefficient, from generating plant to transmission towers, and so too are gasoline and diesel cars terribly inefficient. The gas or diesel car utilizes only 15-20% of the energy of its fuel to move the car; the rest is lost in heat and friction. (And this does not include the enormous energy consumption and inefficiencies involved in the exploration, extraction, shipping and refining of the oil.) That's not terribly efficient, and the electrical power grid runs at similar gross inefficiencies. So harping about the inefficiency of hydrogen production is not particularly appropriate or relevant, considering all of the above. The relevant question is one of cost, but that is one we have to suck up and subsidize, in order to create the needed infrastructure. Once we have built the infrastructure, the hydrogen generation and distribution network, using renewable energy sources, we have essentially free fuel. Pay now, or pay later. If we pay now, and invest in this smart technology, the fuel of the 21st century, we can save ourselves a lot of pain, in terms of environmental crisis, oil dependency, resource wars and global warming; and we can also reap economic rewards by becoming world leaders in leading edge environmental technologies.
And yes, hydrogen is an energy carrier, not an energy source - just as batteries in an electric car are an energy carrier, not an energy source. So what? The point is, hydrogen can be produced sustainably, cleanly and from renewable energy sources - using solar, wind and tidal power - just as electric cars can be powered by the same clean, green energies. Problem...? (In fact, storing energy for an electric vehicle can be accomplished either through batteries or with hydrogen fuel cells. The fuel cells operate as energy carriers just as the batteries do, only with potentially fewer disposal problems - battery disposal is an issue in itself. )I'd rather drive a BMW Hydrogen 7, powered by my own at home electrolysis unit, which in turn runs on off-grid clean solar and wind power, than run an electric car that sucks up its juice from a coal fired power plant - to make the comparison of energy sources clear. It makes a difference where the energy comes from, yes, and this applies equally to electric and hydrogen cars. Both are zero emission vehicles, and both require some energy source to run them. More nuke plants and coal plants to juice those millions of electric cars, would be a nightmare, just as hydrogen cars running on fuel made from natural gas would be stupid and unecological. But nobody in their right mind - outside the nuke lobby - is advocating more nuke plants, when we still don't have a clue as to how to safely dispose of radioactive waste that has a half-life of a hundred thousand years; and no-one in their right mind would advocate more coal plants. We do have options. Bio-fuels make sense, particularly when the source used for producing it is carefully chosen. Electric (EV) and hydrogen cars both make sense, but are only at their best under certain very specific conditions. For EV's, the power should ultimately come from clean, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or tidal power. Exactly the same is true for hydrogen. And both are viable - right now. The problem with hydrogen is simply, will we do it? Will we cough up the investment for the needed fuel distribution infrastructure? We could build it in less than a year if we wanted to, and it wouldn't cost that much. The trouble is, big oil has more clout in the capitals of
Hydrogen is happening:
Cutting through the fog – and the smog
ITS Hydrogen Highway Launch Event
British Columbia's own Hydrogen Highway | Hydrogen Use
Hydrogen Bus Demonstration Completed In Manitoba, Partners Invest $600,000 In Technology
Berlin, Shanghai and Amsterdam unveil hydrogen buses
London Hydrogen Partnership - Peugeot
H2.ca - Hydrogen Water Taxi in Newport Harbor
BBC News | SCI/TECH | Iceland launches energy revolution
BMW's hydrogen powered 7-Series
BBC NEWS Science-Nature Sun and hydrogen 'to fuel future'
Canadian Group Produces Hydrogen from Water Using Solar Energy
SHEC Labs achieved breakthrough performance in manufacturing ...
Sunlight Used To Produce Hydrogen From Water
US legislator wants to reward hydrogen inventors
Growing hydrogen for the cars of tomorrow - energy-fuels - 25 February 2006 - New Scientist
Treehugger Garbage to Hydrogen, Just Add Sun
Sewage turned into hydrogen fuel - 29 April 2002 - New Scientist
Nanotubes crank out hydrogen TRN 020905
Fuel Cell Vehicle Fleet Transports Inauguration Guests
EERC Demonstrates Hydrogen Production at Ethanol Facilities
NHA Renewables to Hydrogen Forum
Wal-Mart Completes Test of Fuel-Cell Pallet Trucks
H2 on-site refueling system - Nuvera to Provide PowerTap Hydrogen Refueling System
Green Car Congress: Two Dutch Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles: NEV and Scooter
Canadian zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell bus
'The Future of Racing' Unveiled to Auto Industry Leaders and Motorsport Dignitaries in Detroit
California's 2007 Guidelines for Renewable Energy Rebates, Including Fuel Cells
The Accept H2 Project: An international study funded by the European Commission
The US and Europe Getting Down to Business - Implementation of the Hydrogen Economy
Beyond Batteries: Portable Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Hydrogen Fueling Station Database for Canada & the U.S.
Another option:
Don't own, share
The Benefits of Car-Sharing - Co-operative Auto Network
Where can you find Car Sharing in North America
@World Car Share Consortium
Carsharing.ca
Car Sharing News
Zipcar : Green Benefits
AutoShare Toronto - Car Sharing
Vrtucar.com - Ottawa ON
The People's Car Co-op - Waterloo Ontario
Cooperative Auto Network - Vancouver B.C.
CarSharing Handbook - How to start a car co-op in your community.
Peterborough UK City Council - Car share scheme aims to cut congestion and travel costs
Freewheelers: International Car Share Directory
Other alternatives to cars:
Share a car for occasional use, rent a car for longer trips once in a while, and use transit, train, bus or bike as primary transportation. Before dismissing the notion, take a look at some of the options below.
Cool bikes and electric scooters:
Dynamic Commuter Bike
Gowatt - electric bicycles
Gowatt - Scooter - E-Light
I gave up my car and saved $16,000
Where can you find this gem? An all-weather bike for $650 USD? Or is there a mistake on the price?
Shirouma Science's All Weather Bicycle.
HPV's (Human Powered Vehicles), Velomobiles, Hybrid HPV/EV's:
The Leitra
Aerorider | Hybrid HPV/Electric Vehicle | Velomobiel
The go-one³
North American Velomobilist website
The Velomobile Is Comin' To Town
In search of an all-weather bike | GreenAsh
Green car rentals, airport shuttles and taxis:
The Hertz Green Collection in Europe
PlanetTran - Eco-Friendly Airport Shuttle Service
thegreenguy: Reviewed: ecoigo, London's newest green taxi service
globeandmail.com: Green cab, clean air, full pockets
Green Car Congress: New Yorkers Want Hybrid Taxis; Taxi Commission Isnt So Sure
Is That a Tinge of Green on New York's Yellow Cabs? - New York Times
Microcabs: A Bloody Good Idea!: Taxi Cab | Hydrogen Fuel Cell | London, England
Alternative fuels locater & other resources:
Hydrogen Fueling Station Database for Canada & the U.S.
MapQuest: Find alternative fuels
Oliomap is your Wikimap for biodiesel and VegOil services
Top 12 Greenest and Meanest vehicles of 2007, as defined by ACEEE - AutoblogGreen
Top 100 Green Cars - Yahoo! Autos
Federal and state purchasing incentives
Government Incentives in Canada - Environmental fiscal reform in Canada
Recommendations for Incentives - Green Budget Coalition Canada
35 mpg fuel conservation numbers from the Union of Concerned Scientists
Guess who made $1,252 a second, every second last year?
Alternative Fuel Choices - AOL Autos
Labels: alternative, bicycle, bike, biodiesel, biofuel, car co-op, car sharing, carbon, economy, electric car, ethanol, fuel cell, global warming, green car, hybrid, hydrogen, renewable, sustainability, tesla
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