http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/ Autoblog Comments for http://www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 3:52PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/
Anyways this one's probably a Lotus in-house build-up.]]>Mar 3rd 2008 3:54PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 3:55PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/
And when I say same, I dont mean exactly. Obviously its had some work done.]]>Mar 3rd 2008 3:58PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 3:59PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 3:54PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/
Also, the writeup seems to imply that methanol could be transported much like gasoline. This can't be done without improvements in pipeline technology; methanol--much like ethanol--is fully miscible in water. It will pick up all the water in the system. When this water contamination reaches a certain percent, if you try to blend it with gasoline, the water in the alcohol will cause separation with the gasoline.

That's not a problem if you're running straight alcohol. A little bit of water may even be beneficial, especially with forced induction. But have you ever tried to start a motor on pure alcohol when it's cool out? Without a shot of ether?]]>Mar 3rd 2008 3:55PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/
However, I think the beauty of methanol may be that it won't need the pipelines. Imagine solar- and wind-powered energy sources at methanol plants where the potential is greatest (i.e. Nevada, Arizona, the Dakotas). All those locations are accessible by train for shipping across the US, and without pipes across the tundra or ships from Arabia.

In addition, methanol is a natural product from humana nd animal waste. Indeed, there are already waste treatment facilities that harness the methanol produced to power turbines and produce electricity (a lot of it, too.)

I think this is a very interesting idea, lastly, because pulling CO2 out of the air would offset other sources, thus allowing a potential remedy to at least some of the current energy sources.

Not to say that methanol is an easy answer, otherwise I'm sure it would already be a contender, but all in all, an idea that even a Pharoah could be proud of. ]]>Mar 3rd 2008 4:15PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/
But yes--alcohol fuels of carbon counts up to butanol excite me. When produced and transported smartly, they have their place in powering our personal transportation. We've just got to keep working on it. I'm tired of the naysayers who love to point out the problem areas without going a step further to say what can fix it. Cynicism too often masquerades as wisdom.

A nickel for you if you can tell me where Owain comes from. ;)]]>Mar 3rd 2008 10:11PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owain_Glynd%C5%B5r]]>Mar 4th 2008 2:57AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 6:26PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 6:28PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 6:35PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 7:38PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/
I have no idea what it does, or how well it works. His goal was to get better fuel economy. Since it's not his daily, just a workhorse, I have a feeling he was testing his design out on a vehicle he doesn't need but once a month or when he buys another project car (usually twice a month). ]]>Mar 3rd 2008 8:48PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 3rd 2008 9:01PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 4th 2008 8:52AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/geneva-08-preview-lotus-goes-i-tri-i-fuel-with-exige-270e/Mar 4th 2008 1:55PM