Recent Comments:
High speed trains are killing airplanes {Autoblog Green}
Jun 20th 2008 11:28PM @Chris M -
the California HSR system will be entirely grade separated against both road traffic and other rail traffic. Unlike Acela, it will *not* run on freight tracks. Otherwise, the Federal Rail Administration could not permit the use of off-the-shelf TGV/shinkansen/ICE/Talgo trainsets. Acela is twice as heavy as the original design because of these antiquated FRA crash safety rules, which greatly increase fuel consumption during acceleration as well as wear and tear on both track and rolling stock.
SNCF's TGV network delivers now over 100 million passenger trips a year. Even after cross-subsidies for slower passenger and freight trains, the state-owned company will be paying a EUR 131 million dividend this year. That's an operating surplus, the French accepted the infrastructure cost as a public works effort paid for by taxpayers. In the US, freight rail operators have to fund their own capital investments - unlike their main rival, the trucking industry, which benefits from taxpayer largesse in building roads.
As for the California budget, the alternative to HSR will be 3300 lane-miles of highway expansion plus 5 additional runways in the Bay Area and Southern California. The cumulative debt burden on the state for all that would be somewhere north of $80 billion, compared with $10 billion for HSR.
Production Volkswagen up! may go front wheel drive instead, optional ER-EV {Autoblog Green}
Jun 20th 2008 11:15PM I had a chance to loop at the concept Up! close and personal ;^) It had the engine in the rear, severely canted. Above it, there was a small cargo space integrated with the passenger cabin - this is a hatchback, after all. In the front were the steering column, battery and radiator, so only a cubbyhole was available for cargo. I'm not sure where the fuel tank was located.
I suspect the combination of suboptimal cargo space layout and cabin noise contributed to the decision. Putting the engine up front may be conventional, but for a vehicle this small, it's definitely the more intelligent choice. They'll have to add power steering now, but that's a small price to pay.
Forget MPG - let's move to GPM {Autoblog Green}
Jun 20th 2008 11:06PM It's actually even more complicated. First, you cannot compare different fuels by volume. A gallon of diesel contains ~10% more energy than a gallon of gasoline, whereas a gallon of E85 contains ~25% less. Direct comparisons with electric cars are not trivial: do you consider just the kWhs consumed at the wall outlet or rather, the primary energy required to produce them?
Second, the mileage estimates depend on a driving cycle. EPA changed that this year for the purpose of consumer information shown in dealerships, but CAFE and gas guzzler tax are still calculated on the basis of the old, more lenient cycle. Moreover, there is a giant loophole in CAFE that rewards sales of flex-fuel vehicles even where E85 is not available.
Third, plug-in hybrids completely break the current system of MPG certification. Marketing departments make bold claims of triple-figure MPG performance but they are essentially meaningless because they are based on proprietary drive cycles. The battery state of charge at the beginning of the test has a huge impact on the consumption rate of the liquid fuel, especially if the drive cycle is shorter than the all-electric range. Grid electricity consumption in MPkWh (or reciprocal) is usually not given at all because electricity is dirt-cheap in the US. That is not the case in much of Europe. Besides, it has to be produced somehow, so there are indirect effects such as remote CO2 emissions and/or radioactive waste production that depend on the grid mix, which varies by country and even by region. Marketing departments conveniently ignore these as well.
Ungreen your Smart of the day: Smart Fortwo Königseder {Autoblog Green}
Jun 14th 2008 1:12PM The smart was never intended as a particularly green vehicle. There is nothing to "ungreen".
The diesel is frugal but relatively filthy and therefore not available in the US. The gasoline versions are all quite thirsty.
CAFE? Yeah right! says Porsche {Autoblog Green}
Jun 3rd 2008 11:05AM I think it was Marie Antoinette who captured Porsche's mentality most succinctly: Let them eat cake!
Trees can capture 20 percent of a country's carbon emissions {Autoblog Green}
Jun 3rd 2008 11:02AM Trees "capture" atmospheric CO2 only if they are allowed to stand for a long time. Ultimately, the CO2 is released again but in a steady-state system, the carbon spends the majority of its cycle period as part of solid biomass.
Commercial new-growth species like eucalyptus and pine have short carbon cycles, so the carbon actually spends much less time as part of biomass. Remember, climate change takes at least decades, if not centuries. Those flogging carbon credit schemes as a quick fix are really no better than medieval indulgence peddlers.
Where's Gilbert biking? Across America to save us money on gas {Autoblog Green}
May 19th 2008 11:09AM If CO2 emissions were really the issue for Gilbert, he'd take Amtrak out to LA instead of hopping on a plane. Given how long the bike ride back is, a couple of extra days before it starts won't make a big difference.
Bacteria in biodiesel tanks causing engine damage in the UK {Autoblog Green}
May 16th 2008 11:13AM The problem of biological contamination of biodiesel has been known for some time, one reason why B100 is a bad idea.
However, this is the first I've heard of bacteria in a B2.5 or B5 blend. Those must be some hardy critters!
We're telling you for the last time, ethanol is not biodiesel {Autoblog Green}
May 9th 2008 10:23AM Most mainstream journalists have a poor grasp of science and technology, even at the consumer level. What else is new?
Judging the Tesla Roadster and Chevy Volt by different standards {Autoblog Green}
May 9th 2008 10:21AM The kind of people that can afford a supercar (e.g. a Tesla) typically own several conventional vehicles as well. They don't depend on their shiny new toy as a daily driver. If they turn out to be reliable and practical, they might well decide to make it just that, but they can afford to take the risk that it won't be.
By contrast, Joe Average does depend on his wheels, they're not just a plaything. So, he's willing to trade performance and snob appeal for reliability. In the case of the GM Volt, a lot of people remember the EV-1 project and won't believe the hype until the Volt actually hits showrooms.
