Autoblog

Britain's Automobile Association has found another bump in the road to environmental kindness: speed bumps and really low speed limits. They took a car that got 58-mpg running a constant 30-MPH, and ran it over speedbumps at the Millbrook Proving Ground, slowing down and speeding up for each bump. What they discovered was that mileage dropped to 31-mpg and carbon dioxide emissions went up. The findings correlate with those of the country's Transport Research Laboratory, which reported that "carbon monoxide emissions are increased by as much as 82% and nitrous oxide levels by 37% on roads with speed bumps."

The AA also found that setting the speed limit at 20-MPH instead of 30-MPH raised car emissions and consumption by 10-percent. Along with the speed bump results, these are intriguing findings, but in the real world, how long do you spend each day driving over speed bumps, and driving 20-MPH? The AA says that it knows speeds need to be kept down on residential roads to keep children safe, but thinks that "average speed cameras" would be more acceptable to the driving public. Based on the comments we get at Autoblog about speed cameras, we doubt it.

[Source: Channel 4]

EPA standards govern vehicle emissions such as NOx and hydrocarbons. They are byproducts of combustion that can be balanced with engine tuning, such as ignition timing and fuel delivery. They can also be reduced through devices such as catalytic converters. Catalytic converters cause a chemical reaction that converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water. However, earlier this year the EPA won a Supreme Court ruling adding carbon dioxide to the list of regulatory greenhouse gases. The EPA is working on legislation to update its regulations due to this ruling, but there are some impatient states.

California is awaiting a waiver from the EPA so that it can put its own emissions standards into effect. Next week, California plans to file suit against the EPA to force a decision. California needs the waiver to introduce regulations reducing vehicle greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2016. Despite opposition from automakers, a Vermont judge already upheld the state's adoption of California's tight standards. This is expected to come into play during California's suit against the EPA.

The results of this ruling will have a major impact on automakers. Already, manufacturers create some differing models to meet California standards and many diesels are not sold in California at all. Tighter regulations could see large SUV and truck sales eliminated from California along with all the states that adopt their regulations. Ultimately it could mean an enormous cost to automakers that the consumers will feel in the long run.

[Source: Detroit News, photo by David McNew/Getty]

Automakers and legislators in Europe are tightening the screws on CO2 emissions, and Porsche may turn to hybrid powertrains for the Cayenne and Panamera to meet a proposed 130 gram per kilometer limit. Bosch and Audi are reported partners in the effort to bring a gasoline/electric system to the Cayenne before 2010, with the Panamera falling in line, as well. While hybrid technology is typically used to boost fuel economy, the V8 and large vehicle size of the Porsche models are anathema to the studied aero shape of the Insight or Prius, and we doubt that Porsche has misgivings about the unbelievably strong torque delivery of an electric motor. You'll still be able to rocket around in your Wessiach thumper, but Porsche has got its eye on that 130g/kg CO2 target. If it becomes mandatory, the hybrid powertrain is a good hedge at being ready. In the meantime, Porsche is promoting a percentage reduction in CO2, rather than a blanket number for all vehicles.

[Source: Car]

Admittedly, we're a little late to the party on this one, but thankfully, our greener sibling site was on top of things when the Supreme Court made an important ruling yesterday regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement of the Clean Air Act.

The ruling revolves around the regulation of carbon dioxide, classifying it as a pollutant and, more specifically, a greenhouse gas. Considering that this is the first case involving global warming, the 5-4 ruling was a major blow to the current administration's opposition of mandatory controls on emissions.

Some of the quotes from the court are worth a read (click here for AutoblogGreen's post), but in the end, it's not the court's place to make regulations, only uphold them. As such, the EPA has to make changes to the existing law and/or uphold current regulations. However, don't expect anything to change until later this decade, if and when the Executive Branch has a shift in its policy towards global climate change.

[Source: Reuters via AutoblogGreen]