Alternative Fuel Automotive Wisdom

Posts Tagged ‘Alternative’

In the auto industry, the month of April is being celebrated as the National Alternative Fuel Autos Month, and in observing that, automakers reported the number of alternative fuel vehicles in the state of California.

It is widely known that the mentioned state is one of the major frontrunners in the battle against global warming in the United States. The numbers of alternative fuel vehicles on California’s roads were reported to have increased in the year 2006 as compared to the number of alternative fuel vehicles back in 2005.

R.L Polk and Co. undertook the study to find out the number of alternative fuel vehicles on the state of California. The research firm reported that in 2006, the number of alternative fuel automobiles in the state reaches 837,743. That number includes different alternative fuel vehicle types which includes hybrid electric cars, E-85 fuel vehicles, and vehicles running on bio-diesel. The said number shows a 17 percent increase in the number of alternative fuel vehicles in the state compared to 2005 figures. R.L Polk and Co. also reported that California has the second most number of alternative fuel vehicles on its roads for the mentioned periods.

The research firm also reported that the combined sales of auto manufacturers of alternative fuel autos reached 1.5 million for the year of 2006. That number exceeds the expected sales figures set by automakers in the country by 50 percent. That marks the most number of alternative fuel vehicles sold in the United States in a year. That also brings the total number of alternative fuel automobiles in the country to 10.5 million through 2006.

And considering the increasing demand for such vehicles and the sales figures for companies producing those vehicles, it seems that that number would continually increase over the next few years.

Dave McCurdy, the president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, has this to say about the current trend concerning the sale of alternative fuel vehicles: “I am pleased to see that the sales of Alternative Fuel Autos are rising. The auto industry is a dynamic high-tech sector and manufacturers are committed to selling vehicles that can run on something other than just gasoline. Consumers are taking notice.” He also added that: “Automakers believe that consumer awareness, fueling infrastructure and government incentives all work together to help put more Alternative Fuel Autos on the roads.”

The increased number of alternative fuel vehicles on the country’s roads is the direct effect of the wide range of alternative fuel vehicles being offered by car manufacturers. This year, there are 60 models of alternative fuel vehicles available in the U.S. auto market. In 2000, the number of models offered to the public is only 12. The number of gas-electric hybrid, bio-ethanol, and bio-diesel engined vehicles has shown an increased number and more are on the way with car manufacturers move to address the demand for such fuel efficient vehicles.

Aside from these technologies, car manufacturers are also developing newer technologies which allow conventional gasoline engines to consume less fuel. In the case of Nissan, they are pushing the use of the continuously variable transmission to reduce fuel consumption. Deactivation of one or more cylinders of a vehicle’s engine while cruising is also another technology and technique which is currently being used by car manufacturers to reduce fuel consumption of their vehicles.

Regenerative braking is also another technology used by auto makers and this technology is complemented well with efficient brake components such as those found at EBC active brakes direct.

Although there are a huge number of alternative fuel vehicles on the country’s roads, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. A concrete example of this is the practicality of vehicles which can run on E85 fuel. The use of bio-ethanol reduces the amount of greenhouse gases and also reduces the dependency of the country on foreign oil.

The most pressing problem though is the availability of bio-ethanol refilling stations. This means that there are a lot of alternative fuel vehicles which still runs on gasoline instead of the more environment friendly bio-ethanol.

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The alternative energy movement has finally reached a tipping point. The combination of oil prices leaping over $115 a barrel and coal costs doubling has been essential in awakening a new sense of consciousness about alternative fuel. With US drivers paying close to $4.05 per gallon of petrol and California drivers paying approximately $4.20 per gallon, enthusiasm is growing for a national agenda to embrace use of alternative energy. Whether these be wind, liquified coal, or solar, US consumers are finally realizing that our nation’s energy independence and economy are inextricably linked to reducing our dependence on traditional fuels. It would appear as if the political climate has never been better for the alternative energy community. To truly seize this moment, the organizations that comprise the community would be well served to consider the benefits of technology in enhancing the cross community communication needed to generate lasting accomplishments. Indeed, most alternative energy lobbying organizations could experience benefits from the use of new technologies that enable collaboration. Examples include Rondee’s system which enables easy to deploy teleconferencing as well as online conference calling and networking tools. Tip #1: Utilize web tools for networking The most successful alternative fuels advocacy organizations create networks of supporters who believe in their values and mission. While the term networking frequently gets a less than ideal connotation, the simple reality is these networks can provide significant help. Today in Silicon Valley, the expectation is that professional folks will have at least a basic LinkedIn profile. At the same time, other networking applications such as Facebook are starting to see usage by more professional users. Such applications also provide a relatively easy way of developing your network. Tip #2: Leverage a free conference calling application In the last handful of years, there has been escalating degrees of collaboration between geographically separate alternative fuels advocacy groups. One underlying reason for this trend has been reduced flight travel costs – a trend that may now be reversing with the leaping oil costs mentioned above. A separate reason is the availability of the sorts of these systems, including those launched by Rondee operate on the same underlying principle. They offer groups a PIN and a toll number to call. If all teleconference users dial the same number and enter the same code, they are put into the conference call. Tip #3: Consider technology to enable desktop sharing Some alternative fuels advocacy groups have distributed leadership groups, and it is impractical to expect face-to-face meetings. Technology is addressing this problem by way of desktop sharing. Whether it’s viewing a PowerPoint document displaying the group’s development plan or a spreadsheet showing the tracking of volunteer participation desktop sharing can be extremely useful for not a few green groups. Tip #4: Deploy an electronic newsletter platform It was not that long in the past that sending out an email newsletter was time consuming and tricky. That has now changed. On-line systems are making it possible to create templated and scalable newsletters. These services reduce the work load by at approximately 90% and in so doing enable green organizations to concentrate on content creation rather than delivery of messages. Tip #5: Leverage data based decision-making One of the key trends recently affecting nonprofit organizations in the alternative fuels community has been the increasing reliance on evidence driven decision-making. Managers can apply the same techniques with simple to use Excel or Lotus spread-sheeting applications to determine what works and what does not work. Increasingly, the hurdle for quality decision-making is rising and thus reliance on conjecture and theory is being systematically replaced by empirical data to support decisions.

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Everyday the number of automobiles on the road is on the increase everywhere in the world.

 

That means more and more gasoline is required to keep them on the run.

 

Not only that, we produce all kinds of pollutants which destroy the environment.

 

They create air and water pollutions, solid wastes, and loss of arable land for paving roads and parking lots.

 

The pollution thus caused has a great impact on human and planet health.

 

Instead of owning individual vehicles, public transportation can be encouraged wherever and whenever possible to reduce the fuel usage and thus the pollution.

 

Most of the people try to buy a new car every year, which induces the manufacturers to produce more number of cars, leaving the old cars to stay back, sometimes as junk.

 

One of the ways to diminish the production of new cars is to go for a second-hand car and use it for a longer time.

 

Hybrid cars are in fact one way to increase the fuel efficiency and better fuel economy.

 

They use two or more sources of power together in order to directly or indirectly provide enough power of propulsion.

 

Most hybrid cars today are gasoline-electric hybrids.

 

Alternative fuels are being used in many countries in order to increase the fuel efficiency.

 

Bio-diesel is one of them.

 

It is made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled restaurant greases.

 

It is considered to be safe, bio degradable, and cuts down on air pollutants like toxins, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulates.

 

Electricity is another one used as a transportation fuel by providing power to battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicles.

 

The only byproducts are heat and water.

Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel that is made by fermenting and distilling starch crops such as corn, barley and wheat have been broken down into simple sugars.

 

It is usually used to increase octane and improve the emissions quality of gasoline.

 

Hydrogen may be produced in almost unlimited quantities using renewable resources and used without producing harmful emissions.

 

Natural gas is also another alternate fue,l which burns clean and produces fewer harmful emissions.

 

Liquefied petroleum gas  (LPG) or propane is another alternative, which produces fewer vehicle emissions than gasoline.

 

Alternative fuels are being used to reduce the harmful emissions from the automobiles.

 

Only time will tell us – what are the impacts of these alternative fuels, cost-wise and the influence on food.

 

Still scientists are hopeful to get a better fuel – cheap and safer for the future demand, which is going grow or decrease!   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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$1-A-Gallon Biodiesel Tax Credit Extended, DER 03/11/ … Video · Biofuels Car News 03/11/2010 at 8:34 pm. Biofuel and Alternative Energy Videos! Ref-$1-A-Gallon Biodiesel Tax Credit Extended, DER 03/11/ … Video.

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