Art Vatsky - Autoblog

Back in 1999 and 2000, the EPA issued the requirement that all US diesel fuel sulfur content be reduced 97 percent from 500 part per million (ppm) to only 15 ppm by 2007. The purpose was to a) reduce emissions in all existing diesels moderately with no harm to them and b) to allow the installation of NOx reducing components in 2007 that would otherwise be poisoned by the higher sulfur content. The petroleum refiners and the engine makers resisted strongly but the EPA held its ground and the r

In this corner, we have the current champion, weighing in at a pretty and firm (classified), the Speaker of the House Nancy "Leader of the Pack" Pelosiiiii! And, in the far corner, we have the challenger, a battler with a long, long record of victories, that Congressman from the great state of Michigan and current chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, none other than Rep. John (The Dingellsaurus)

Hybrid Buses have been a successful application of Hybrid Technology. After all, buses tend to operate on routes where there is plenty of stop and go - perfect for a hybrid system. The Orion VII Hybrid has been in use by NYCTransit and other operators for about 5 years now. All those buses use inexpensive, reliable, but heavy lead acid batteries - 4,000 pounds of lead acid batteries mounted on the roof. That is equivalent to a bus with a Buick permanently mounted on its roof. The weight itsel

There is a new book on the shelves in Great Britain called "How to Live a Low Carbon Life" by Chris Goodall. Of course there is a chapter on choosing automobiles but that is only part of an LCF (Low Carbon Life). My wife and I have already started living it doing the obvious things. Our house is a lot darker than it used to be and we ventilate rather than air condition our rooms. It works!

ABG tries to be realistic about how quickly we can become green. Here in the US we have more than 230 million or so on-the-road vehicles of which only a few million are either alternative fuel or hybrid. In the interim, we have to "sip" the remaining petroleum in the world as slowly as possible until other fuels are available in quantities sufficient for our 21st Century needs.

Gal Luft is a serious, driven young man. As a graduate researcher at John Hopkins University in the aftermath of 9/11, he and his long time colleague Anne Korin felt that there should be an independent think tank specifically dedicated to the Energy Security question. He was not alone with this idea. Several highly placed government professionals felt the same way and came together to form IAGS - the Institute for Analysis of Global Security. It was functio

Deep inside today's New York Times is an article by James Kanter. The main point is that global oil demand is increasing, not decreasing, at 2.2 percent per year for the period between now and 2012. In the developed nations, people have become accustomed to the higher energy prices so they are buying. In the developing world, which now comprises nearly half the total market demand, use of petroleum is accelerating from prior low levels because their economies are booming making products for the

Eco Touch is a waterless car care product meant to wash and polish a car without water. Well, it is not exactly waterless but it does reduce use of water significantly. When it does so, it reduces the amount of oil and detergents that get into the storm water drains of our highways and byways.

Back before we found that even $3 a gallon gasoline would not slake the American thirst for the fuel, there were people like Thomas Friedman of the NYTimes and Sen. John Kerry (and me), who advocated for a 50 cent gas tax to keep at least some of the money we spend on gasoline in the country and cut down consumption. Now we know better. We gotta have our "fix" of gasoline juice even if it costs us thousands of dollars personally annually. (15,000 miles at 15 MPG at $3 a gallon is $3,000 - about

As the photo shows, Commuter Car's Tango is a tiny 2-passenger one-box vehicle sitting on four tiny tires. What is doesn't show is that is it only one meter wide (39 inches)! It is so narrow it can drive two abreast in a normal road lane. It is so short it can park four to a standard parking space. Being so narrow, how can it be stable? Well, if you put 460 kilograms (about 1,000 pounds) of lead acid batteries under the floor of it, you get a mighty lo

It took time but as AutoblogGreen readers remember, in May, the City announced that the transition to hybrid taxicabs would begin and by 2012, New York will have an all-hybrid taxi fleet. Since drivers have to pay for fuel, they won't complain. New York is an ideal place for a vehicle that operates best in stop-go traffic. There are more hybrid choices now: Toyotas, Hondas, Fords,

Franz von Holzhausen is a very Teutonic name but the man who holds it was born and raised on Simsbury, CT, so he about as American as my two sons who were born in Hartford. For the past 2 years, Franz has been chief US design for Mazda working out of their Irvine, CA design center, one of three design centers Mazda has, the others being in Europe and in Japan. Young, informal and tall, Franz looks like a southern Cali

This past week, as we all know, the US Senate passed an Energy Bill that finally raises CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) to 35 miles per gallon from the current 25 mpg where it has been for more than 20 years. Many environmental organizations are hailing this as a "major victory" but I am still worried. 2020 is still 13 years away. Thirteen years is enough time to

As we just mentioned, in a project called RechargeIT, Google's philanthropic foundation, Google.org, is turning science potential into science fact. Up to now it has been good theory that you can power an EV or PHEV (plug in hybrid) via a solar PV array connected to the grid and, yes, you can extract power from the PV array or the vehicle, if the grid needs

New York Times reporter Andrew Revkin wrote an article for AARP magazine entitled "Global Meltdown". For those of you who may not know, AARP is the American Association of Retired People, and its magazine is "the world's largest circulation magazine" so it may be wise to listen up.

The US Census issued a report about our real American commuting behavior in recent times. Gasoline prices may be high and concern about global warming may be growing, but on the whole, "Green Thinking" is just that, thinking. Eighty-eight percent of people who go to work still drive to work. That includes carpoolers. Of that 88 percent, 77 percent go by themselves. And many are probably going by SUV because they bought them back in the days before 9/11/01 or soon after.