Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Carbon Footprints: Ditch the dog, get a Hummer H2, save the planet?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/11/carbon-footprints-ditch-the-dog-get-a-hummer-h2-save-the-plan/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/11/carbon-footprints-ditch-the-dog-get-a-hummer-h2-save-the-plan/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/11/carbon-footprints-ditch-the-dog-get-a-hummer-h2-save-the-plan/#commentsFiled under: ,



If you don't like dogs, there's now a new reason to continue avoiding canis domesticus. New Zealanders Robert and Brenda Vale have put forth the hypothesis that the care and feeding of a pooch is more environmentally harmful than rolling in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Those shifty, antisocial felines aren't much better, so don't get any more smug than you already are, cat people. One ten-pound feline's care is the same to the environment as a 3300-pound Volkswagen Golf, the theory goes.

The Vales present this work in their book "Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living." The animals that wind up in dog food burden the land while they're alive, and the amount of goodies that people lavish upon their dogs, from squeaky toy to special grooming sessions also do the equivalent work of burning the rainforest.

The claims have been disputed, of course - no doubt by more than a few dog lovers. The chief researcher for Seattle's Sightline Institute, Clark Williams-Derry, ran some numbers of his own and came up with results that don't square with the Vales. The think-tank scientist calculated that for the Vale's numbers to add up, the average dog would have to eat twice as much as the average person, an idea that is difficult to fathom since people are heavier than most dogs.

The takeaway from all this is simply that dog (and cat) ownership does have an ecological footprint. Like everything else in your life, keeping a pet is intertwined with our insatiable consumerism. The truly concerned will carefully consider where the products and items they purchase for their pets are made, what goes into them, and what that means for the planet. The rest of you will keep letting adorable little Beaufort leaves deposit on our lawns.

[Source: Seattle Times | Image: Andrew H. Walker/Getty]

Carbon Footprints: Ditch the dog, get a Hummer H2, save the planet? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carbon footprintCarbonFootprintcat friendlyCatFriendlydogdog carbon footprintdog environmentdog friendlyDogCarbonFootprintDogEnvironmentDogFriendlydogsenvironmentenvironment dogenvironment petsenvironmentalenvironmental impactEnvironmentalImpactenvironmentalismenvironmentally friendlyEnvironmentallyFriendlyEnvironmentDogEnvironmentPetsgreenpetpet environmentpet friendlypet ownershipPetEnvironmentPetFriendlyPetOwnershippetsmartWed, 11 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Jeep Wrangler safe from CARB "Cool Cars" proposal]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/25/report-jeep-wrangler-safe-from-carb-cool-cars-proposal/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/25/report-jeep-wrangler-safe-from-carb-cool-cars-proposal/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/25/report-jeep-wrangler-safe-from-carb-cool-cars-proposal/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Remember California's "Cool Cars" regulation? Coming into force in 2012, the rule requires manufacturers to install windows that prevent 45% of the sun's energy from entering a vehicle by 2014, and 60% by 2016. It's the law that no one thinks is cool at all. In a minor victory against The Golden State's increasingly severe environmental regulations (and we live there and love it, but still...), the soft-top Jeep Wrangler has reportedly been given an exemption.

Specifically, any flexible plastic window is exempt. Said a CARB representative, "If the plastic windows are rigid, they must comply with the same standards as glass windows, beginning with the 2012 model year." If not for the flexible-window exemption, Chrysler wouldn't have been allowed to sell the Wrangler in California with the soft top because its plastic windows would have been non-compliant. Chrysler's Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) were also threatened, but are now safe from the regulation as well.

As for the other issue -- radio wave interference that degrades GPS and other signals -- CARB said it hasn't found any such problems in its testing. But who knows, now that the Jeep gets a pass, carmakers might just put flexible windows in every car sold in CA ... and how cool would that be?

[Source: The Detroit News]

REPORT: Jeep Wrangler safe from CARB "Cool Cars" proposal originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>californiaCalifornia Air Resources BoardCaliforniaAirResourcesBoardcarbcool carsCoolCarsenvironmentgovernmentjeepjeep wranglerJeepWranglerlegalwranglerSun, 25 Oct 2009 14:33:00 EST<![CDATA[It Ain't Easy Bein' Green: traffic din could be ruining the sex lives of frogs]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/23/it-aint-easy-bein-green-traffic-din-could-be-ruining-the-sex/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/23/it-aint-easy-bein-green-traffic-din-could-be-ruining-the-sex/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/23/it-aint-easy-bein-green-traffic-din-could-be-ruining-the-sex/#commentsFiled under: ,



While the automobile's total impact on the environment remains up for discussion, it's apparently pretty clear that cars and frogs don't really mix. Well, not if you're a male frog trying to get your croak on, at least. Scientists in Melbourne have found that due to traffic and machinery, a male frog's call can't be heard at great distances by female frogs. That's cutting down on the amount of frog sex to be had, and that, in turn, is cutting down on the number of frogs.

In the worst case cited, the popplebonk frog can normally be heard more than a half a mile away when there's no noise. But around busy roads you can't hear the popplebonk more than 46 feet away. Scientists said that animals are adapting to the noise of traffic, such as British birds that sing at night instead of the day. Don't ever doubt what Kermit said: it ain't easy being green.

[Source: Google | Image: moffoys | Image License: CC 2.0]

It Ain't Easy Bein' Green: traffic din could be ruining the sex lives of frogs originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Among those clamoring for attention and payouts from Motors Liquidation Co., the company that assumed General Motors' unwanted assets after its Chapter 11 filing, are the environmental and economic redevelopment departments of state governments. According to reports, when GM exited bankruptcy, its polluted factory and land sites were consumed by the Motor Liquidation, allowing the automaker to avoid the responsibility of cleaning up its mess, and state leaders fear there won't be any money to clean the locations.

Before bankruptcy, GM estimated it had $1.9 billion in environmental issues and litigation liabilites. Motors Liquidation Co., though, has only about $1.2 billion to manage the entire wind-down of its affairs -- and as one might expect, attorneys handling the matter are expected to get a huge chunk of that. The figure to clean up sites in places like Buick City (pictured, before the buildings were demolished), Michigan and Massena, New York has been pegged at $530 million. However, the way it's looking, there won't be anywhere near that much money to get the job done.

The affected areas are afraid they will have to pay for the clean ups or simply let the land go unused. The problem with that: those local governments don't have the money. And they can't expect a developer to spend millions to clean up an old mess. If not Motors Liquidation or GM, civic representatives want the government to foot the bill since the current administration orchestrated the deal. No one knows how it will -- or won't -- be resolved, but the EPA has said that it's in touch with states and Motors Liquidation to "identify any environmental cleanup requirements that existed at the time of bankruptcy."

[Source: Freep | Photo Credit: Plan59]

REPORT: GM gets out from under its polluted sites scot-free originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rolling down your vehicle window to get a breath of fresh air may be unnecessary in your next Nissan. The Japanese automaker just announced the development of its new "Forest AC" air conditioning system, an automotive climate control setup designed to control humidity, aroma, and other ambient factors in addition to the temperature and air cleaning features found with current systems. According to Nissan, the Forest AC is the first automotive system in the world created to make driving more comfortable based on the driver's mental activity.

The development of the optimal artificial atmosphere for driving was based on Nissan's studies of how surroundings influence the physiological state and senses of test subjects. Researchers found that when humans were exposed to certain aromas (e.g., fragrant wood and leaves) combined with ventilation simulating natural breezes, they were alert and focused yet free from unnecessary tension. While there is no word if the scent of freshly baked waffle cones has the same effect, Nissan says we'll see Forest AC on the new Fuga scheduled to debut in Tokyo later this year. Check out the fragrant details in the press release after the break. Thanks for the tip, Richard!

[Source: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.]

Continue reading Nissan Forest air-con utilizes aromatherapy, 'natural' breezes to reduce fatigue

Nissan Forest air-con utilizes aromatherapy, 'natural' breezes to reduce fatigue originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Air ConditioningAirConditioningAromaBreezesClimate ControlClimateControlenvironmentForest ACForestAcNatural ACNaturalAcNissanSat, 25 Jul 2009 17:06:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Toyota's push to build green cars may destroy 17th century Japanese rice paddies]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/23/report-toyotas-push-to-build-green-cars-may-destroy-17th-centu/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/23/report-toyotas-push-to-build-green-cars-may-destroy-17th-centu/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/23/report-toyotas-push-to-build-green-cars-may-destroy-17th-centu/#commentsFiled under:



Toyota has worked hard to cultivate its image as the "green" automaker. And with so many hybrids on the road, it's hard to argue. Some critics have cited the fact that mining for battery components is bad for the environment and the thousands of miles that massive, CO2-spewing ships travel to park those hybrids on our shores more than negate the positive effects. It's hard to argue with 50 mpg for $22,000, though, and, after all, politicians love them some hybrids.

Toyota's plans to build a new technical center and test track only 30 miles from its Aichi, Japan headquarters has those critics chirping anew, as the land pegged for construction is a 17th century rice patty. Toyota plans to use the facility to fine-tune its vehicles and stay ahead of Honda and GM in the hybrid game, but the cost of the price may be a bit too steep.

To clear the 1,631 acres to create the facility, Toyota will need to deforest 691 acres, fill the rice paddies and flatten mountains. Flatten mountains? Really? Good thing Toyota also owns Hino heavy trucks. Activists allege that the construction will destroy the habitat of the endangered gray-faced buzzard and oriental honey buzzard, too.

[Source: Bloomberg | Image: Three Lions/Hutton Gallery/Getty]

REPORT: Toyota's push to build green cars may destroy 17th century Japanese rice paddies originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European car ads are always mentioning how many grams of CO2 a car emits because more than twelve European countries tax drivers based on those emissions. Germany, home to a cadre of automakers for which CO2 parsimony is not a prime consideration, has held out from the carbon dioxide taxation scheme, until now. The leading government coalition has finally agreed on a plan to tax CO2 output.

The only problem is that it doesn't really change much of the scheme already in place, and it's hit-and-miss. This, naturally, has Germany's environmental parties calling foul, yet the nation's domestic producers like VW, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW initially gotten the government to consider lowering the taxes on gas guzzlers. In that light, the new taxation proposal could be seen as a victory, albeit a small one.

As it stands, the yearly tax will be calculated based on engine size and emissions, and smaller-engined, cleaner vehicles will pay less tax. An Opel Agila owner with a 1.2-liter engine and 120 gm/km would save €75, nearly a 40% discount from the current system. The owner of a V12 Audi Q7 wouldn't pay any more under the new regulations; however, someone buying a Mercedes GLK -- with a 3.5-liter V6, the biggest option available -- would pay 4.7% more.

The new taxing system will go into effect July 1 of this year. Although it now brings Germany into line with a majority of its European partners, if the greens have anything to say about it the issue is nowhere near being put to rest.

[Source: Der Spiegel via Automotive NewsWire]

Germany joins EU in taxing CO2 emissions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>co2emissionsenvironmenteurogermanygovernmentgreenlegaltaxtaxationThu, 29 Jan 2009 08:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Obama faces immediate challenges with Detroit]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/23/obama-faces-immediate-challenges-with-detroit-3/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/23/obama-faces-immediate-challenges-with-detroit-3/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/23/obama-faces-immediate-challenges-with-detroit-3/#commentsFiled under:

To be fair, the new president faces a lot of immediate challenges. But when it comes to the auto industry, the biggest four challenges could be the bridge loans, fuel economy mandates, the EPA vs The California 14, and the board of czars that will oversee the fortunes of GM and Chrysler. The similarity between these challenges and others on the domestic and global agenda: he doesn't have a lot of time to get them right.

It was clear that the $17.4 billion granted to GM and Chrysler was just the beginning of a process needing a well thought out and long term endgame. Part of that endgame involved the two automakers coming up with viability plans, which are due on February 17. Then Congress and the president will need to decide, based on those plans, whether the car companies should receive more money.

Should the carmakers get more money, the necessary car czar position is looking like a body-of-car-oligarchs instead, which sounds like a more reasonable idea. One name that has popped up to head the group is Steven Rattner, a former NYT reporter turned private equity fund founder. What hasn't been explained yet is how this board of overseers is meant to work with the car companies.

On the issue of fuel economy, some of Obama's campaign pledges might cause additional consternation. He had said he wanted to double the CAFE standard in 18 years, which would mean a 50 mpg average by 2027. He has backed off of that to the more generic "I want to raise fuel economy standards." His other campaign trail pledge was to review the EPA not granting California and 13 other states a waiver to set their own emission standards. His EPA designee has said one of her first priorities will be to review that decision, and she sounds like she intends to overturn if she can. If that happens, as the Obama administration lifts up the industry with one hand, the industry will probably feel itself being choked by the other hand.

[Source: Detroit News]

Obama faces immediate challenges with Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can add another life-killing phenomenon to the list of deadly byproducts attributable to cars: increased lightning strikes. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that in the southeastern U.S. from 1998-2008, there was 25% more lightning during the work week than on the weekend.

This follows from research by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center that found rainfall in that same area of the country rose during the week. The suspected culprit is automobile pollution, which is causing more storms during the week and increasing the severity of storms. That pollution, and the humid air in the southeast, makes for more clouds to rise and create more conditions for lightning strikes. It's just another step closer to the apocalypse, and we don't doubt that they'll soon be telling us cars cause cancer. Oh, wait... Thanks for the tip, Corey!

[Source: Scientific American via The College Driver]

Riders on the Storm: Does car exhaust contribute to lightning strikes? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>environmentetclightningpollutionresearchsciencestormtechweatherTue, 20 Jan 2009 15:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Seattle's plow crews not trying to clear snow from roads by design]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/seattles-plow-crews-not-trying-to-clear-snow-from-roads-by-desi/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/seattles-plow-crews-not-trying-to-clear-snow-from-roads-by-desi/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/seattles-plow-crews-not-trying-to-clear-snow-from-roads-by-desi/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Not long ago, Washington state's Department of Ecology was making noises about not letting people wash their cars at home because "what goes on the street goes into the creek." Now the state is on the opposing side of Seattle's efforts not to let harmful chemicals wash into the freshwater streams feeding into Puget Sound.

Seattle is not using salt to clear the roads because it doesn't want the salt flowing into waterways. As well, the city's snow plows have rubber-edge blades that can clear snow, but can't get the ice off the road. Seattle's DOT cheif says the city is trying to "create a hard-packed surface" of snow. It will then lay sand down over the hardpack in order to offer enough traction to cars, and employ a soy-based de-icer only good for temps below 32 degrees.

The hitch: only 4-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive cars with chains have any traction. That means that even the police can't drive on many roads. If the police make a call to a location on a hill, they park at the bottom and walk up the hill. As well, the police are having to respond to literally hundreds of collisions and disabled vehicles.

The state DOT has taken a much different tack: it is using sand, salt, metal-edged plows, and chemical de-icer in its battle with the elements. Seattle is now experimenting with a "silver bullet" concoction that is saltwater from a cheese factory, calcium chloride, and de-sugared molasses.

[Source: Seattle Times]

Seattle's plow crews not trying to clear snow from roads by design originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>environmentgovernmentgreensaltseattleseattle timesSeattleTimessnowwashingtonweatherwinterSat, 27 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Washington county may ban car washing at home]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/23/washington-county-may-ban-car-washing-at-home/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/23/washington-county-may-ban-car-washing-at-home/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/23/washington-county-may-ban-car-washing-at-home/#commentsFiled under: , ,


If residents in several cities in Clark County, Washington want to get their cars clean, they could soon be forced to do it at retail car washes. According to an employee at the Washington state Department of Ecology, the state wants "people to make the connection of 'what goes on the street goes into the creek.'" And soapy car wash residue is something they don't want in the creek.

The state wants the cities to come up with a way to keep any water that isn't rain water from getting into the environment without being treated. The cities, about a dozen in all, say that's crazy, and have threatened to sue the state for trying to enact measures that exceed federal Clean Water Act.

The state suggests that if people still want to clean their cars, that they don't use soap with phosphorus, and wash their cars on gravel or grass where the water will be filtered by the soil. That's ironic, because part of the state's measure also requires sprinkler water to be captured and treated. Residents could always try the state's other option: don't use soap at all.

[Source: Next Autos, Photo CC | Credit: Koop]

Washington county may ban car washing at home originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now that making cars cleaner and more efficient is a mainstream proposition, the only questions are how each carmaker plans to do it. BMW's Efficient Dynamics has allowed it to lower it's CO2 emissions more than any other automaker. In a show of how seriously all automakers are taking the issue, The Economist revealed a study of fourteen automakers from GM to Suzuki found that only Honda posted an emissions increase from 2006-2007.

Essentially, the automakers are trying to figure out how to please the government and the public at a cost that allows them to stay in business. Competing -- and expensive -- technologies are all in the race now, although everyone seems to have agreed that ultimately, electric cars will be the norm. Luxury carmakers can pad prices to cover or subsidize the tab of frugal technology. When the mid- and low-price automakers are making cars that get 80 mpg that the average couple can afford, then the landscape will be much more clear.

No matter what, none of this spells the end of the internal combustion engine: said VW's head of group research, "It is important to recognize that there is not a single solution, and that the internal-combustion engine will continue to dominate for at least 20 years." Follow the link to read the full piece, and you might want to start stocking up on multi-plug outlets... Thanks for the tip, Forrest!

[Source: The Economist]

Carmakers try different ways to grow green originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternative vehiclesAlternativeVehicleseconomistelectric carsElectricCarsemissionsenvironmentenvironmentalhybridhybrid techonologyhybridsHybridTechonologyThu, 18 Sep 2008 07:02:00 EST<![CDATA[GM breaking up with Big Oil in new commercial]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/gm-breaking-up-with-big-oil-in-new-commercial/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/gm-breaking-up-with-big-oil-in-new-commercial/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/gm-breaking-up-with-big-oil-in-new-commercial/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



General Motors is apparently serious about it's green push and will be launching a new commercial later this month to show off its environmental intentions. The spot, created by McCann-Erickson, is GM's televised Dear John letter to Big Oil that begins by saying, "We've had this great relationship for many years. We think we will both be a lot happier and healthier if we see less of each other."

That spot will be bolstered by a Chevrolet green campaign and sponsorship during the Olympics that highlights GM's coming enviro-friendly tech. While the commercial is more than a little cheeky and unrealistic, when a major automaker even pretends to say goodbye to Big Oil, on national television no less, you know that things could truly be moving on.

[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]

GM breaking up with Big Oil in new commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Big Predictions for the Future have begun. This is the numbers game where eye-popping numerical targets start being thrown around before we've come anywhere close to achieving the eyebrow raising targets that are still 14 years away. According to Margo Oge at the EPA, the CAFE standard will need to jump to 75-MPG by the 2030s to meet greenhouse targets.

There is, somewhere, a "widely backed scientific-community proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 80 percent by 2050 from 2000 levels." Based on current realities, the EPA has reckoned that the fleet average for fuel economy would need to more than double from the 2020 target of 35 mpg in about 15 or so years in order to achieve even the minimum standard.

The EPA is looking at a variety of alternative fuel options as a way to make the plan work. Yet we have no idea whether this is being looked at as a serious long term plan, or whether grand pronouncements are being made because it's the thing to do right now. While we freely admit that the world of cars could use some cleaning up, we do wonder... is any other industry going to be on the hook for reducing greenhouse gasses?

[Source: Detroit News]

Automakers facing a 75 mpg CAFE rating by 2030? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The big news from Bentley in Geneva wasn't really about today -- but stay tuned for 2012. Bentley plans to have its wheel-to-well measure of CO2 emissions down to less than 120g/km, from 400 g/km now. How? By lightening the cars, by engineering better transmissions, and through powerplants able to take advantage of 2nd generation biofuels, meaning cellulosic ethanol from straw and waste products. The best Bentley head Dr. Josef Paefgen would say for specifics was "everything is being considered." So there. Click through the jump to get the full press release and the science, and be thankful Bentley's given you something to look forward to.

[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading Geneva 2008: Bentley's future involves drawing straw

Geneva 2008: Bentley's future involves drawing straw originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bentleybiofuelscellulosic ethanolCellulosicEthanolco2 emissionsCo2Emissionsenvironmentgenevageneva 2008geneva auto showgeneva motor salonGeneva2008GenevaAutoShowGenevaMotorSalonglobal warmingGlobalWarmingTue, 04 Mar 2008 17:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Porsche warming to diesels]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/02/porsche-warming-to-diesels/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/02/porsche-warming-to-diesels/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/02/porsche-warming-to-diesels/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



In yet another move demonstrating that Porsche is capitulating to the greener crowd, an industry newsletter is reporting that the German automaker's executives have overcome their long-time reservations about diesel powerplants and are considering such a vehicle for their lineup by 2010.

Reportedly, Porsche is studying a diesel engine for its upscale Cayenne SUV. This would be the second non-gasoline engine for the Cayenne, as the Cayenne Hybrid is expected to turn up in 2010 as well. The diesel would be borrowed from Volkswagen, a company Porsche has significant stake in. The platform-sharing Volkswagen Touareg has offered a diesel in the States since 2006 (you know, it's the one that pulls 747s).

[Source: Automotive News Europe - Sub. Req'd]

Porsche warming to diesels originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlternativeCayenneDieselEnvironmentGreenPorscheTouaregVolkswagenSun, 02 Mar 2008 10:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Speed bumps are bad for the planet]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/27/speed-bumps-are-bad-for-the-planet/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/27/speed-bumps-are-bad-for-the-planet/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/27/speed-bumps-are-bad-for-the-planet/#commentsFiled under: , ,



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]

Speed bumps are bad for the planet originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>britaincarbon dioxideCarbonDioxideemissionsenvironmentgreenspeed bumpsspeed humpsSpeedBumpsSpeedHumpsukSun, 27 Jan 2008 14:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Canada plans new fuel economy standards at least as good as U.S.]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/17/canada-plans-new-fuel-economy-standards-at-least-as-good-as-u-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/17/canada-plans-new-fuel-economy-standards-at-least-as-good-as-u-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/17/canada-plans-new-fuel-economy-standards-at-least-as-good-as-u-s/#commentsFiled under: ,

Canada's response to America's latest energy legislation and CAFE standards: a resounding "Meh, whatever. Call us when you're serious." The land of the maple leaf has declared that the new U.S. standards simply don't go far enough. Said the nation's transport minister, "We welcome the U.S. goal, but are committed to developing made-in-Canada standards that achieve - at minimum - that same target in Canada."

What kind of goal do they have in mind? Well... they haven't really said. But there will be a 60-day consultation period while the government holds pow wows with various groups, clans and businesses, and then they will come up with... something... that will take effect for the 2011 model year. No word on whether Dick Cheney has been invited to attend the sessions.

Of course, no announcement that "Those guys didn't do enough, so we're going to do it right" would be complete without fifteen follow-up announcements claiming that "You guys aren't doing enough, either!" Quebec, which is already playing the role of Canada's California in trying to set emissions rules that are more stringent than federal standards, has said "setting fuel efficiency standards alone doesn't go far enough." The Sierra Club says the delay to implementing the new rules -- to 2011, mind you -- is still too long. And the auto industry is saying that if you want it, fine, but you're going to pay for it. It looks like the quest for the greenest mile is going to bring quite a bit of heat to the frozen north.

[Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corp]

Canada plans new fuel economy standards at least as good as U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cafecanadaco2emissionsenvironmenthybridsquebecThu, 17 Jan 2008 18:26:00 EST<![CDATA["Blue" the new "Green" in automotive environmentalism]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/01/blue-the-new-green-in-automotive-environmentalism/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/01/blue-the-new-green-in-automotive-environmentalism/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/01/blue-the-new-green-in-automotive-environmentalism/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Blue is, among other things, the color of the doldrums (the blues), the unknown (out of the blue), the cold or airless (turning blue), the ocean (the big blue), Democrats (blue states), and racy films (blue movies). According to ad agency JWT, 2008 could see blue take on more meaning: becoming the "color of environmentalism, social conscience, and all-round niceness. JWT notes that blue is the color of the sea and the sky, making it easier for people to identify it with the current hot-button issue of climate change."

It's interesting that JWT thinks blue sea and skies make it "easier for people to identify" with environmental concerns. Like green trees and the green, green grass of home are just to damned abstract to really understand what this whole saving-the-Earth thing is all about. It's not like we need anything else clouding the environmental debate -- like Bluetec and Bluemotion, which both utilize green diesel technology. So instead of trying to figure out if you're a blue-greenie or a green-greenie, why don't we just call it teal and get on with being good to the Earth?

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

"Blue" the new "Green" in automotive environmentalism originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blueenvironmentenvironmentalismgreenTue, 01 Jan 2008 08:03:00 EST<![CDATA[VW & DaimlerChrysler put out more CO2 than last year... kind of]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/vw-and-daimlerchrysler-put-out-more-co2-than-last-year-kind-of/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/vw-and-daimlerchrysler-put-out-more-co2-than-last-year-kind-of/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/21/vw-and-daimlerchrysler-put-out-more-co2-than-last-year-kind-of/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In 1998, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association said that in ten years it wanted cars to put out 140g of CO2 per kilometer. According to the latest report from Transport & Environment, a "green pressure group" according to the BBC, only two makers are close to that, and two out of three German car makers have raised their fleet CO2 levels since 1998.

Along with Suzuki, VW and DaimlerChrysler were the only two automakers in the survey not to have lowered their fleet CO2 levels. BMW lowered its CO2 emissions by 2.5-percent to 184 g(CO2)/km, but VW's increased by .9-percent and DaimlerChrysler's rose by 2.80-percent. Yet even though VW increased its emissions, it is still the best performing German manufacturer, with a fleet average of just 166 g(CO2)/km.

PSA/Citroen is the closest to the target, with a CO2 rating of 142 g/km, followed by Fiat at 144 g/km. For the full report and methodology, click here. And for those of you interested, GM and Ford fall in line just behind Honda, and before VW.

Thanks for the tip, John P!

[Source: BBC.com]

VW & DaimlerChrysler put out more CO2 than last year... kind of originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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