LISBON, Portugal — In this scary spring of $4/gallon gas back home, we really wish that the handful of tiny, oddball econoboxes we just spent two days driving here would make it to dealers in the United States. Sadly, they probably won’t see American soil—at least for a while. Why not? Well, as efficient as some of these smaller Nissans may be, they don’t meet our exacting crash-test safety standards. But that may change when these vehicles, depending on each model’s life cycle, get a fresh redesign. With ballooning prices at the pump leading to a 40-percent-plus sales increase last month for cars like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, every manufacturer is rushing to get more fuel sippers into its lineup. And while it appears that for every breakthrough Nissan Cube, there’s too many mpg-friendly subcompacts not making it to the States, here’s some good news: Motohiro Matsumura, president of Nissan’s North American Technical Center, told us that Nissan (in a co-venture with NEC) will produce its first all-electric vehicle for U.S. buyers by 2010. Until we see the EV—and we’re still waiting on a lot of plug-in car tech—here are a few examples of how Nissan tackles rising fuel prices with global design sensibility and new internal-combustion technology. —Basem Wasef
Nissan Micra 50 mpg
Nissan moved 85,642 units of its European best seller last year, and for good reason: The Micra’s bubbly styling, compact proportions and spacious interior make it a likable workhorse. Not only is its B-platform the first to be shared across vehicles under the Renault-Nissan banner, its success has spawned iterations like the 110-hp 160 SR and the C+C convertible. For the ultimate in fuel economy, look no further than the Micra’s diesel iteration. Powered by a turbocharged 1.5 liter 2-cylinder that features direct injection and an intercooler, this pint-sized engine produces 86 hp and an impressive 148 lb.-ft. of torque at only 1900 rpm. Though its powerband is narrow and acceleration is nothing to write home about, our time with this stick shift-only diesel shed some light on why the Micra’s package is so appealing—its well-sorted chassis belies its approachable appearance. And besides, all those Europeans can’t be wrong, can they?
Nissan Otti 44.7 mpg
It looks like a one-third-scale minivan and drives like a pedal car, but the Otti won us over with its surprisingly roomy interior, well-designed dashboard and endearing personality. Forget about those stereotypically under-equipped econoboxes—this mini minivan features a four-speed automatic transmission, power windows and a power sliding rear cargo door. Though the cabin is narrow enough for you to easily stretch both hands out each front window, the rear seats fold flat for impressive cargo space. No wonder over 39,000 of these were sold in Japan last year. Driving the 1873-pound Otti will take some getting used to if you like any reasonable amount of oomph; its engine displaces a mere 0.66 liters and produce only 50 hp at 6500 rpm. Hold the pedal to the floor, and this tiny three-cylinder will wheeze itself to frustration before the tranny upshifts. But if you can live with that relatively anemic performance, it’s hard not to enjoy its strangely tall and narrow proportions with all that Lilliputian charm.
Nissan Pino 44.7 mpg
Powered by the same 0.66 liter 3-cylinder as the Otti, this little guy has slightly more conventional proportions, thanks to its shorter overall height. Versa-esque headlamps and an egg crate-style grille give the front end some distinction, and its interior is clad with soft-touch upholstery that vaguely resembles certain Louis Vuitton patterns. Who says you can’t have a hint of fashion with your minicar? The Pino tips the scales at a puny 1697 pounds, making it a tad more exciting in the acceleration department—and the motorcycle-like exhaust note doesn’t hurt, either. While it lacks the Otti’s functionality, the Pino’s more luxurious interior makes it a plusher ride for low-consumption commuting.
Nissan Mocco 49.4 mpg
Based on the same Suzuki-sourced platform used in the Otti and Pino, the Bug-eyed Moco dwarfs its tiny wheels with sheetmetal that looks either stylish or wonky, depending on your sensibilities. Its 54-hp 3-cylinder might make you miss the days of cheap fuel and thirsty V8s, but features like underseat storage, folding seats and an airy cabin give the Moco plenty of personality.
Nissan Note 33.6 mpg (petrol), 46 mpg (diesel)
Nissan sold 91,547 Notes in Europe last year, and that sales success can be attributed to its well-finished interior, respectable fuel economy and clever cargo storage compartments. The Note’s 1.5 liter 4-cylinder turbodiesel produces 103 hp at 4000 rpm, with 177 lb.-ft. of torque at only 2000 rpm, all while hitting nearly 50 mpg.
Our time behind the Note’s thick-rimmed wheel passed quickly: Its sporty cabin and top-stitched leather could have easily been confused with a Honda or Toyota, and beefy low-end torque made off-the-line launches entertaining. Because of (or in spite of) its more conventional styling, we could easily see the Note making friends with our oil-starved American roads.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Hybrid Technologies Building 220+ MPG Supercar With 'Wild' Horsepower: Exclusive First Look
As if the Silicon Valley sportscar darlings at Tesla didn’t have enough competition from the startup pal it just sued and the company that built the world’s cheapest ride, now EV gurus lurking in the hills of North Carolina are well into R&D on a new green supercar.
Is your mouth not watering over the concept designs pictured above? Well, how do two versions of it sound—a gas-electric hybrid entrant for the Automotive X Prize, and an all-electric for (almost) the rest of us? Yeah, we thought so. Best part: A drivable prototype should be ready by September.
Mooresville, N.C.-based Hybrid Technologies offered PM first-look video test drives last year of its electric roadster, Mini Cooper and motorcycle—and the company’s impressive li-ion-powered sedan’s drivetrain led us to vote them an early favorite to win the AXP. Full-scale production, however, has always been the holdup for Hybrid Tech breaking out into Tesla territory. With its still unnamed X Prize entry, however, comes a larger plan to conquer the fuel-efficient market for supercars. And if the exclusive early specs and sketches that we got our hands on serve as any indication, Fisker’s Karma isn’t the new cool kid on the block anymore.
“We’re looking for this car basically to end up mainstream—not just built for a one-and-done,” says project development engineer Ron Cerven. “The X Prize car is going to be the purchasable—obviously a higher-end car, but there might be something else from us in the X Prize.”
Other than to say they wouldn’t necessarily be in the “alternative” class, Cerven declined to comment on any other AXP ideas from Hybrid. But he said this high-end exotic hybrid would retain regenerative breaking, as well as movable aero parts to alter the vehicle’s downforce and drag. Citing an “overwhelming” lack of comfort in today’s supercars, Cerven stressed that design would center around the passenger and drivetrain.
But power under the hood will have to trump a cushy ride: Hybrid Technologies is aiming for a 150- to 180-mi. range per charge from the all-electric model, while the lithium-ion-meets-gas hybrid needs to hit 220 mpg—minimum. And that’s not to mention performance. When we asked Cerven if Hybrid Technologies could hit ZR1-level horsepower equivalent numbers in the mid-600s, he laughed, vaguely adding that we were “way out of the ballpark—it’s gonna be wild.”
Along with nearly every other big-time player in the race for production plug-in cars, Hybrid is gunning for that magic market timetable of late 2009 to the first half of 2010. But suffice it to say, we want a test drive. —Matt Sullivan
Is your mouth not watering over the concept designs pictured above? Well, how do two versions of it sound—a gas-electric hybrid entrant for the Automotive X Prize, and an all-electric for (almost) the rest of us? Yeah, we thought so. Best part: A drivable prototype should be ready by September.
Mooresville, N.C.-based Hybrid Technologies offered PM first-look video test drives last year of its electric roadster, Mini Cooper and motorcycle—and the company’s impressive li-ion-powered sedan’s drivetrain led us to vote them an early favorite to win the AXP. Full-scale production, however, has always been the holdup for Hybrid Tech breaking out into Tesla territory. With its still unnamed X Prize entry, however, comes a larger plan to conquer the fuel-efficient market for supercars. And if the exclusive early specs and sketches that we got our hands on serve as any indication, Fisker’s Karma isn’t the new cool kid on the block anymore.
“We’re looking for this car basically to end up mainstream—not just built for a one-and-done,” says project development engineer Ron Cerven. “The X Prize car is going to be the purchasable—obviously a higher-end car, but there might be something else from us in the X Prize.”
Other than to say they wouldn’t necessarily be in the “alternative” class, Cerven declined to comment on any other AXP ideas from Hybrid. But he said this high-end exotic hybrid would retain regenerative breaking, as well as movable aero parts to alter the vehicle’s downforce and drag. Citing an “overwhelming” lack of comfort in today’s supercars, Cerven stressed that design would center around the passenger and drivetrain.
But power under the hood will have to trump a cushy ride: Hybrid Technologies is aiming for a 150- to 180-mi. range per charge from the all-electric model, while the lithium-ion-meets-gas hybrid needs to hit 220 mpg—minimum. And that’s not to mention performance. When we asked Cerven if Hybrid Technologies could hit ZR1-level horsepower equivalent numbers in the mid-600s, he laughed, vaguely adding that we were “way out of the ballpark—it’s gonna be wild.”
Along with nearly every other big-time player in the race for production plug-in cars, Hybrid is gunning for that magic market timetable of late 2009 to the first half of 2010. But suffice it to say, we want a test drive. —Matt Sullivan
Thursday, June 12, 2008
5 New Tech Trends From Benz to Move Beyond the Fuel Crunch
SEVILLE, Spain — Talk about timing: Mere days before this city was virtually shut down by truckers protesting a rise in diesel prices, Mercedes-Benz showcased an impressive array of green technologies here late last week. While the company's breakthrough DiesOtto concept (pictured above and at left) was the star of tech day, Benz will go a long way as a manufacturer of luxury cars—many of them heavy and extremely powerful—toward addressing environmental concerns and long-term global fuel-efficiency requirements with this latest suite of innovation. —Barry Winfield
More Efficient Packaging. First on the list is the BlueEfficiency package, which Mercedes will apply to the entire range of its models. A combination of reduced weight, smaller engine size (optimized for comparable power by the use of turbocharging), reduced rolling resistance and improved energy management results in substantial fuel savings and reduced emissions.
Smarter, Road-Ready Hybrids. Vehicles labeled BlueHybrid will reach the U.S. next year in the form of the ML450 SUV and S400 luxury sedan, the latter said to be the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its class. The ML450 will be capable of brief electric-only operation. Like other hybrids on the market, the hybrid technology employs a coaxial electric motor to assist the gasoline engine, and features the familiar stop/restart feature that will shut down the engine in traffic.
Non-Hybrid Stop 'n' Go Tech. In an unusual move, Mercedes has fitted the stop/start system on nonhybrid European models to further improve operating efficiencies. Gains of up to 9 percent are believed possible with this system. The technology requires fitting a larger electric starter motor to provide the necessary fast starts in city stop-and-go conditions.
Fuel-Sipping Diesel Hybrids. Bluetec Hybrid, as the name suggests, describes diesel-hybrid powertrains like that featured in the company’s Vision GLK Bluetec Hybrid concept vehicle. The diesel/electric drive assembly has a combined power output of 224 hp and a combined torque of 413 lb.-ft., yet provides fuel consumption figures around 40 mpg.
DiesOtto Concept. Like every manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz is working on experimental electric and fuel-cell vehicles, too. But the big deal, as far as advanced internal combustion goes, is the DiesOtto sparkless gasoline concept. The idea, as project engineer Günter Karl cheerfully admits, is based on an auto-ignition two-stroke engine produced by Honda over 10 years ago. But DiesOtto has been refined for conventional four-stroke operation.
The principle behind sparkless ignition is that gasoline/air mixtures will spontaneously combust—like diesel— at the right temperature and pressure. We’re not talking preignition (or detonation, as it is also known) here. That’s an instantaneous explosion of the mixture and is very damaging to engine parts. Most people are familiar with that syndrome, having heard engines “ping” under load or run on after being shut off.The beauty of controlled auto ignition is its lower burn temperature, which results in lower NOx emissions. Nitrogen oxides help produce photochemical smog when in the presence of atmospheric hydrocarbons, so it’s important to reduce them as much as possible. The auto-ignition process also produces uniform burning within a perfectly homogeneous fuel-and-air mixture, resulting in fairly complete combustion.
And, helpfully, it burns comparatively lean mixtures. Karl says the DiesOtto engine in the F700 design-study vehicle operates at a 23:1 air-to-fuel mixture, compared to the 14.7:1 stoichiometric ratio used in conventional fuel-injected, catalyst-controlled, spark-ignition gas engines.Sounds great, but making an engine run sparklessly is no mean feat. It requires a warm fuel charge, achieved here—as in the pioneering Honda motorcycle engine—by recirculating specific amounts of hot exhaust gas. To reduce the dependence purely on EGR, Mercedes opted to increase the compression ratio on demand, and has come up with a variable-crankshaft-position mechanism to dynamically alter the relationship of the piston to the cylinder head. That task is as technically challenging as it sounds, and Mercedes is not yet revealing exactly how it’s done on the DiesOtto engine.
More Efficient Packaging. First on the list is the BlueEfficiency package, which Mercedes will apply to the entire range of its models. A combination of reduced weight, smaller engine size (optimized for comparable power by the use of turbocharging), reduced rolling resistance and improved energy management results in substantial fuel savings and reduced emissions.
Smarter, Road-Ready Hybrids. Vehicles labeled BlueHybrid will reach the U.S. next year in the form of the ML450 SUV and S400 luxury sedan, the latter said to be the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its class. The ML450 will be capable of brief electric-only operation. Like other hybrids on the market, the hybrid technology employs a coaxial electric motor to assist the gasoline engine, and features the familiar stop/restart feature that will shut down the engine in traffic.
Non-Hybrid Stop 'n' Go Tech. In an unusual move, Mercedes has fitted the stop/start system on nonhybrid European models to further improve operating efficiencies. Gains of up to 9 percent are believed possible with this system. The technology requires fitting a larger electric starter motor to provide the necessary fast starts in city stop-and-go conditions.
Fuel-Sipping Diesel Hybrids. Bluetec Hybrid, as the name suggests, describes diesel-hybrid powertrains like that featured in the company’s Vision GLK Bluetec Hybrid concept vehicle. The diesel/electric drive assembly has a combined power output of 224 hp and a combined torque of 413 lb.-ft., yet provides fuel consumption figures around 40 mpg.
DiesOtto Concept. Like every manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz is working on experimental electric and fuel-cell vehicles, too. But the big deal, as far as advanced internal combustion goes, is the DiesOtto sparkless gasoline concept. The idea, as project engineer Günter Karl cheerfully admits, is based on an auto-ignition two-stroke engine produced by Honda over 10 years ago. But DiesOtto has been refined for conventional four-stroke operation.
The principle behind sparkless ignition is that gasoline/air mixtures will spontaneously combust—like diesel— at the right temperature and pressure. We’re not talking preignition (or detonation, as it is also known) here. That’s an instantaneous explosion of the mixture and is very damaging to engine parts. Most people are familiar with that syndrome, having heard engines “ping” under load or run on after being shut off.The beauty of controlled auto ignition is its lower burn temperature, which results in lower NOx emissions. Nitrogen oxides help produce photochemical smog when in the presence of atmospheric hydrocarbons, so it’s important to reduce them as much as possible. The auto-ignition process also produces uniform burning within a perfectly homogeneous fuel-and-air mixture, resulting in fairly complete combustion.
And, helpfully, it burns comparatively lean mixtures. Karl says the DiesOtto engine in the F700 design-study vehicle operates at a 23:1 air-to-fuel mixture, compared to the 14.7:1 stoichiometric ratio used in conventional fuel-injected, catalyst-controlled, spark-ignition gas engines.Sounds great, but making an engine run sparklessly is no mean feat. It requires a warm fuel charge, achieved here—as in the pioneering Honda motorcycle engine—by recirculating specific amounts of hot exhaust gas. To reduce the dependence purely on EGR, Mercedes opted to increase the compression ratio on demand, and has come up with a variable-crankshaft-position mechanism to dynamically alter the relationship of the piston to the cylinder head. That task is as technically challenging as it sounds, and Mercedes is not yet revealing exactly how it’s done on the DiesOtto engine.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Algae Startups Confront Promise of Miracle Fuel With Big Summer
The fluorescent green mantle of biofuel savior has come to rest upon algae—slimily, sure, but for good reason. Algae grows in fresh water or salt water or sewage, rather than competing with food crops for land or resources. And algae actually sucks out the pollution from coal-fired power plants, with a theoretical yield of oil per acre that's hundreds of times greater than, say, corn.
But after all the hype—and there's been plenty of it—the fact remains that nobody has yet proven they can cheaply and reliably transform the stuff from a thick, green slurry to a finished fuel capable of making a dent in America's 870 million–gallon-per-day petroleum habit.
"I get a lot of people telling me that they've got thousands of gallons, but when I actually ask for a sample I can get maybe two," says Jennifer Holmgren, director of the UOP renewable energy and chemicals division, which is working to refine jet fuel from feedstocks that include algae.
"Google some of the numbers, and you've got people claiming that right now they're producing 35,000 gallons per acre per year, and they'll be producing 100,000 gallons—and that's just impossible," says Solix Biofuels lead scientist Bryan Wilson, a veritable grandfather with two successful years in the fledgling algae industry. "There's probably not more than a few barrels floating around right now."
Two years ago, there were less than a handful of companies chasing the next wave of so-called "pond scum" power. Today, there are dozens, many backed by big energy industry players such as Chevron and Shell. Last year, DARPA granted UOP $6.7 million to study how "second-generation" feedstocks, or nonfood crops, could turn into JP-8 jet fuel for U.S. Air Force and NATO fighters. Just this month, Airbus and JetBlue announced goals to replace 30 percent of jet fuel with second-gen biofuels by 2030. Air New Zealand and Dutch airline KLM have similar plans in the works.
All that's missing, for now, is all that oil they need to refine.
"It's frustrating for the outside world, but we've been learning how to do agriculture for about 5000 years, and we've been learning how to make oil from algae now for only a couple of years. So there's a lot of learning, and the curve is pretty steep," Wilson says. "This is probably going to be the first summer that you're getting anything more than just test tubes of oil produced."
This is algae's second coming. The first attempt, run by the U.S. government in the wake of the last oil crisis, was killed in 1996 by the Clinton administration while oil hovered around $20 per barrel. But even now, with record-high petroleum prices, algae stands in no position to compete, and hurdles remain at every stage of production.
Just choosing which kind of algae to start with is a herculean task. There are well over 100,000 species, each adapted to grow in different environments at different rates, and each capable of producing different amounts of oil—or none at all. The government collected more than 3000 different strains from all over the world in the 1980s, 300 of which were deemed promising. Today, many algal strains have been engineered into genetically modified superplants—the secret formulas of biofuel startups—but there is, as yet, no proven winner. Not to mention, there remains the small matter of how to make the algae flourish, how to cheaply dry several million gallons of subsequent slush, and how to get the oil out of minuscule cell walls and into the metaphorical barrel.
"It's not as easy as running a combine through a field of canola to get the seeds and crush them," says Michael Weaver, CEO of the Washington biofuels company Bionavitas. "For anybody who thinks that we can go from ‘Hey, let's look at algae,' to full-on fuel production in the period of the past three to five years, it's just never going to happen that way."
A number of pilot plants scheduled to come online in the next several months will likely give the most accurate glimpse of algae's future: how much oil it can produce, how soon and whether it will live up to its promise. GreenFuel, one of the oldest names in algae, already operates a pilot plant in Arizona, where it houses algae in large, clear plastic bags. Solix will break ground this summer on a new plant in Colorado, growing algae in what are essentially 325-ft.-long, 1.5-ft.-high freezer pops, suspended vertically in shallow pools; a smaller array, with eight 65-ft.-long bioreactors, has entered production in recent weeks. HR BioPetroleum, which signed a deal with Shell last year to produce biodiesel from algae, is currently building a pilot plant in Hawaii using a "hybrid system"—growth begins in long, clear, horizontal tubes before being dumped into open ponds to multiply further. Blitzing the ponds with algae for a short time has the advantage of rendering species invasion a nonissue, the company says.
"The jury is out on all of them—nobody has fully demonstrated that their system is going to be affordable and scalable, and be robust in terms of operations and maintenance and the ability to produce a large amount of oil routinely," says Ron Pate, a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories who evaluated algal oil in conjunction with DARPA's jet fuel project last year. "There are a lot of naysayers out there, and that's fine. It's good to be skeptical. But at the same time, I think there's enough promise with algae that it needs to be given a better shot than what's been done in the past."
But after all the hype—and there's been plenty of it—the fact remains that nobody has yet proven they can cheaply and reliably transform the stuff from a thick, green slurry to a finished fuel capable of making a dent in America's 870 million–gallon-per-day petroleum habit.
"I get a lot of people telling me that they've got thousands of gallons, but when I actually ask for a sample I can get maybe two," says Jennifer Holmgren, director of the UOP renewable energy and chemicals division, which is working to refine jet fuel from feedstocks that include algae.
"Google some of the numbers, and you've got people claiming that right now they're producing 35,000 gallons per acre per year, and they'll be producing 100,000 gallons—and that's just impossible," says Solix Biofuels lead scientist Bryan Wilson, a veritable grandfather with two successful years in the fledgling algae industry. "There's probably not more than a few barrels floating around right now."
Two years ago, there were less than a handful of companies chasing the next wave of so-called "pond scum" power. Today, there are dozens, many backed by big energy industry players such as Chevron and Shell. Last year, DARPA granted UOP $6.7 million to study how "second-generation" feedstocks, or nonfood crops, could turn into JP-8 jet fuel for U.S. Air Force and NATO fighters. Just this month, Airbus and JetBlue announced goals to replace 30 percent of jet fuel with second-gen biofuels by 2030. Air New Zealand and Dutch airline KLM have similar plans in the works.
All that's missing, for now, is all that oil they need to refine.
"It's frustrating for the outside world, but we've been learning how to do agriculture for about 5000 years, and we've been learning how to make oil from algae now for only a couple of years. So there's a lot of learning, and the curve is pretty steep," Wilson says. "This is probably going to be the first summer that you're getting anything more than just test tubes of oil produced."
This is algae's second coming. The first attempt, run by the U.S. government in the wake of the last oil crisis, was killed in 1996 by the Clinton administration while oil hovered around $20 per barrel. But even now, with record-high petroleum prices, algae stands in no position to compete, and hurdles remain at every stage of production.
Just choosing which kind of algae to start with is a herculean task. There are well over 100,000 species, each adapted to grow in different environments at different rates, and each capable of producing different amounts of oil—or none at all. The government collected more than 3000 different strains from all over the world in the 1980s, 300 of which were deemed promising. Today, many algal strains have been engineered into genetically modified superplants—the secret formulas of biofuel startups—but there is, as yet, no proven winner. Not to mention, there remains the small matter of how to make the algae flourish, how to cheaply dry several million gallons of subsequent slush, and how to get the oil out of minuscule cell walls and into the metaphorical barrel.
"It's not as easy as running a combine through a field of canola to get the seeds and crush them," says Michael Weaver, CEO of the Washington biofuels company Bionavitas. "For anybody who thinks that we can go from ‘Hey, let's look at algae,' to full-on fuel production in the period of the past three to five years, it's just never going to happen that way."
A number of pilot plants scheduled to come online in the next several months will likely give the most accurate glimpse of algae's future: how much oil it can produce, how soon and whether it will live up to its promise. GreenFuel, one of the oldest names in algae, already operates a pilot plant in Arizona, where it houses algae in large, clear plastic bags. Solix will break ground this summer on a new plant in Colorado, growing algae in what are essentially 325-ft.-long, 1.5-ft.-high freezer pops, suspended vertically in shallow pools; a smaller array, with eight 65-ft.-long bioreactors, has entered production in recent weeks. HR BioPetroleum, which signed a deal with Shell last year to produce biodiesel from algae, is currently building a pilot plant in Hawaii using a "hybrid system"—growth begins in long, clear, horizontal tubes before being dumped into open ponds to multiply further. Blitzing the ponds with algae for a short time has the advantage of rendering species invasion a nonissue, the company says.
"The jury is out on all of them—nobody has fully demonstrated that their system is going to be affordable and scalable, and be robust in terms of operations and maintenance and the ability to produce a large amount of oil routinely," says Ron Pate, a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories who evaluated algal oil in conjunction with DARPA's jet fuel project last year. "There are a lot of naysayers out there, and that's fine. It's good to be skeptical. But at the same time, I think there's enough promise with algae that it needs to be given a better shot than what's been done in the past."
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
How to Monitor Your Fuel Economy in Real Time on the Road
On the road, most drivers just read the trip odometer and divide by the amount of gas they purchase. Simple enough, eh? Sure is, but that doesn't account for differences in the driving cycle during each individual tankful. And that can vary an enormous amount. Of course, over a few tankfuls, the variances will average out, right? Not exactly. Your vehicle will get poorer fuel economy during the winter. That's because of the increased electrical use for lights, wipers, heat and longer warmups—not to mention the extra drag caused by moving snow and slush out of the way of the tires. Spring and fall are good, but A/C use can certainly cause a mileage hit during the hot summer months.
In the back-and-forth my weekly repair Q&A, one reader described to me his supposedly foolproof method for checking mileage—and subsequently the accuracy of his gas-saver gadget. It goes like this: He drove a delivery van on the exact same route twice a day. So he topped off the tank one morning, and drove the route like he normally does. He then installed a pretty pricey magnet (over $100) on the fuel line during his lunch hour, topped off the tank and drove the route again that afternoon. His mileage increased 12 percent, thereby proving his gadget worked. Right?
Well, even this sharp reader failed to account for the fact that in the cool morning temperatures, his fuel tank was also cooler and denser. It took a certain amount of fuel to fill the tank from the day before. And as he drove his route, the fuel heated up and expanded, largely because fuel pumps work continuously. Even then, only the excess fuel (heated up as it passes through the engine compartment) is returned to the tank. Consequently, it took a smaller amount of fuel to fill his tank. So he made the afternoon run with a warmer tank ... which he didn't refill until the next morning when the tank was cool. That cooler fuel had shrunk, making it appear that he had used less.
At my suggestion, our dear reader repeated the cycle with the magnet installed only during the afternoon runs. His results, it turned out, were very different. I had a feeling they would be.
But there's a whole lot more going on here. I'd argue that the mere expectation of increased mileage will actually make your mileage increase. I've seen it happen a thousand times: If you know the fuel economy and a gas-saving gadget are under scrutiny, you'll accelerate smoother—and probably drive a bit slower, too. I call it “voodoo mileage.” To find accurate results, a driver must remain ignorant not only to how much fuel is being consumed, but also to the entire experiment. It would have to be a true double-blind study.
Here at PM, we report fuel economy numbers on our long-term fleet by averaging the economy over a period of some months, and from a number of our staff's driving experiences. When we do a comparison test, we'll drive all of the vehicles on the same day, at the same time, at the same pace, on a several-hundred-mile loop. We even swap drivers every half-hour to equalize driving styles.
There are some tech tricks you can use to help monitor your fuel economy as you drive. I'm fooling around with a couple of devices right now. I just installed a Scangauge on my motorcycle. This $180 device plugs into the On Board Diagnostic System (OBD II) port under the dash of virtually any post-1996 car or light truck. It operates as a scan tool (much more on that here), so it gives me trouble codes and streaming data, but it also works as an electronic gauge cluster and trip computer. I can track battery voltage, coolant temp and sundry while tooling down the interstate. But one feature is invaluable: the instantaneous fuel economy readout. It gets fuel quantity data from the injection timing—the longer the injectors are open, the more fuel they squirt. It's amazingly accurate, too.
And I've just started tinkering with another gadget with some similar features: the CAMP2 from HKS. It's a scan tool/gauge package/trip computer like the Scangauge, but it uses either the car's internal dashboard display or an aftermarket TV screen of any sort. It's intended to be professionally installed, but I've made a portable enclosure that I can suction-cup to the windscreen with RAM mounts. Unlike the Scangauge, the CAMP 2 has a graphic display that can be configured to reflect a dizzying number of parameters available from the vehicle's OBD II system. Input the car's weight, and you can even get an instantaneous horsepower indication. You can look at raw numbers, or at a simple analog-style gauge with a moving needle. But my favorite is the display that gives you something looking more like an oscilloscope trace, showing you what any given engine parameter is for the last few seconds or minutes—including rewind capability, so you can review after you've pulled over to a safe place.
In the back-and-forth my weekly repair Q&A, one reader described to me his supposedly foolproof method for checking mileage—and subsequently the accuracy of his gas-saver gadget. It goes like this: He drove a delivery van on the exact same route twice a day. So he topped off the tank one morning, and drove the route like he normally does. He then installed a pretty pricey magnet (over $100) on the fuel line during his lunch hour, topped off the tank and drove the route again that afternoon. His mileage increased 12 percent, thereby proving his gadget worked. Right?
Well, even this sharp reader failed to account for the fact that in the cool morning temperatures, his fuel tank was also cooler and denser. It took a certain amount of fuel to fill the tank from the day before. And as he drove his route, the fuel heated up and expanded, largely because fuel pumps work continuously. Even then, only the excess fuel (heated up as it passes through the engine compartment) is returned to the tank. Consequently, it took a smaller amount of fuel to fill his tank. So he made the afternoon run with a warmer tank ... which he didn't refill until the next morning when the tank was cool. That cooler fuel had shrunk, making it appear that he had used less.
At my suggestion, our dear reader repeated the cycle with the magnet installed only during the afternoon runs. His results, it turned out, were very different. I had a feeling they would be.
But there's a whole lot more going on here. I'd argue that the mere expectation of increased mileage will actually make your mileage increase. I've seen it happen a thousand times: If you know the fuel economy and a gas-saving gadget are under scrutiny, you'll accelerate smoother—and probably drive a bit slower, too. I call it “voodoo mileage.” To find accurate results, a driver must remain ignorant not only to how much fuel is being consumed, but also to the entire experiment. It would have to be a true double-blind study.
Here at PM, we report fuel economy numbers on our long-term fleet by averaging the economy over a period of some months, and from a number of our staff's driving experiences. When we do a comparison test, we'll drive all of the vehicles on the same day, at the same time, at the same pace, on a several-hundred-mile loop. We even swap drivers every half-hour to equalize driving styles.
There are some tech tricks you can use to help monitor your fuel economy as you drive. I'm fooling around with a couple of devices right now. I just installed a Scangauge on my motorcycle. This $180 device plugs into the On Board Diagnostic System (OBD II) port under the dash of virtually any post-1996 car or light truck. It operates as a scan tool (much more on that here), so it gives me trouble codes and streaming data, but it also works as an electronic gauge cluster and trip computer. I can track battery voltage, coolant temp and sundry while tooling down the interstate. But one feature is invaluable: the instantaneous fuel economy readout. It gets fuel quantity data from the injection timing—the longer the injectors are open, the more fuel they squirt. It's amazingly accurate, too.
And I've just started tinkering with another gadget with some similar features: the CAMP2 from HKS. It's a scan tool/gauge package/trip computer like the Scangauge, but it uses either the car's internal dashboard display or an aftermarket TV screen of any sort. It's intended to be professionally installed, but I've made a portable enclosure that I can suction-cup to the windscreen with RAM mounts. Unlike the Scangauge, the CAMP 2 has a graphic display that can be configured to reflect a dizzying number of parameters available from the vehicle's OBD II system. Input the car's weight, and you can even get an instantaneous horsepower indication. You can look at raw numbers, or at a simple analog-style gauge with a moving needle. But my favorite is the display that gives you something looking more like an oscilloscope trace, showing you what any given engine parameter is for the last few seconds or minutes—including rewind capability, so you can review after you've pulled over to a safe place.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Turning Algae Into Gasoline
Have you ever heard of algae that can be refined and used as a form of fuel? Good news for all of us. The Start-up Sapphire dug answers that the plant-like organism’s usage will be practical for public in starting up the car engines.
Sapphire has proclaimed that the “green crude” chemically derived from algae is a liquid fuel identical to gasoline properties but not dependent either from a food source or land for agriculture. The company assures it would be “carbon neutral” which generally have no effects in global warming. Despite the fact vehicles that use fuel will give out carbon, producing green crude involves getting carbon dioxide back from the sky as it will put back in.
Sapphire has proclaimed that the “green crude” chemically derived from algae is a liquid fuel identical to gasoline properties but not dependent either from a food source or land for agriculture. The company assures it would be “carbon neutral” which generally have no effects in global warming. Despite the fact vehicles that use fuel will give out carbon, producing green crude involves getting carbon dioxide back from the sky as it will put back in.
The main office of Sapphire in San Diego mentions to make its fuel converted from algae, salt water, carbon dioxide and light rays of the sun. According to CEO Jason Pyle, the use of this method whether it will work or not is not yet certain but the company pointed out since May of 2007 is able to create 91 octane gasolines and still under further studies at company’s industrial plant.
Pyle, interviewed by Forbes.com, said, "we created a process that relies on photosynthesis. It absorbs CO2 to produce a carbon molecule." He has been involved in other research and has knowledge about biotechnology, engineering and physics. He also mentioned “we believe we’re setting the benchmark for an entire new industry.”
There are other alternative fuel companies like Solazyme of South San Francisco in California, are using algae to manufacture biodiesel. Biodiesel like ethanol cannot be transported in existing pipelines because it draws water. Other disadvantage of both ethanol and biodiesel is having lower energy concentration than conventional gasoline and diesel fuels. Pyle emphasized their company’s crude has the same energy concentration like gasoline which can also be transported in existing pipelines and the method of creation is the same with gasoline and diesel. Amyris Biotechnologies of Emeryville in California made a public statement with regards to in creating a diesel fuel chemically identical to conventional gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. They will create a diesel fuel in Brazil derived from sugarcane, with a tentative date of production in 2010.
However, the Sapphire’s technology can surpass what Amyris attained, because green crude is not reliant on a food source as its fuel. Pyle noted, “agricultural land is of limited supply. We have a huge amount of land that is completely non-agricultural that we can use, desert land,” The CEO aspire to create 10,000 barrels a day in their refineries on desert that may be located in southwestern and southern US.
Granted with $50 million from companies like ARCH Venture Partners and Venrock including Wellcome Trust of the UK, the Sapphire has been working on something in Oklahoma but not yet reveal where the first building will be put. The company estimated that it will be in operations in three years time.
Sapphire has gained help form US Dept. of Energy’s Joint Genome; the University of California, San Diego; the Scripps Research Institute; and the University of Tulsa. Robert Nelsen, managing director at ARCH Venture Partners said, "almost every other [alternative fuel company] out there is a refiner…they are taking something and refining it. We are producing something."
For the past several years, Nelsen and Pyle considered that even though there are presence of biodiesel as an alternative, it still cannot affect more than a percent of the conventional fuel they consume every year in the US. Nelsen said, "when we started this company, we wanted to create a whole new category that didn't have a set of constraints preventing it from growing to a large scale. We're not against Amyris or any of these companies ... they will see success in their niches." He added, "we wanted to find something that you could scale infinitely."
ARCH and Sapphire are aiming to change the percentage of how their green crude supplies the whole world annually, they are hoping for a more than 1% change affecting the traditional gasoline. Nelsen said, “we've talked to people in the oil industry who've said, 'This is the first thing I've seen that can change the game,'". He also pointed out about bringing their new innovation to the whole new level.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Street Racing Cars
The first thing came up to my mind this evening as I hear nothing but the gust of the wind outside is the cool breeze on the street where racers gather up. The strong blows of the wind remind me of the sound made by cars on the large alley where sweat-dripping and nerve-racking action will begin. Remembering those moments made me only to sigh.
If you are interested in spending a lot of time talking about speed of the cars as you’ve seen in a movie or watched in TV like F1 race, then it would be good to talk about fuel-efficient cars because it is about time to ignite your hidden desire and leave everything you do for the moment. If that tickles your imagination then you are lucky fellas because we have a list of cars to make your desires be fulfilled.
Here is the list of the cars that can heat up your desires.
1. Honda S2000 RoadsterPower : 237 horsepower
With the minimum price of $34,050, the S2000 is one of the fastest cars at the showroom. Installed with a 4-cylinder engine enables to yield 237 horsepower at 7,800 rpm and to give 162 lb-ft of torque at 6,800 rpm, the S2000 equalizes power with the weight as light as 2,855 pounds . This car will definitely rock your nerves, just give it time to charge them up and it is showtime!
The unique style of Honda S2000 is absolutely stunning if you aren’t driving a 99 mph on a quarter-mile track. You will notice that this car provides you to drop the top after you compete on the race and its smooth lines offer the racers to embrace the sports car without requiring customizing it after buying from the market. If you are looking to enjoy the race, the S200’s speed will certainly mark a spot in your heart.
2. Mitsubishi Eclipse GTPower : 263 horsepower
Featured in 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003, the Eclipse GT has been well known due to its alteration options for such a long time. Through times, the Eclipse was improved answering the demand for a better performance parts and more aerodynamic supplies. This car is so cool that you will have the helluva ways to customize it.
Specifically, the Eclipse GT appeared at the car show with 263 horsepower from the 3.8 liter V6 and 260 lb-ft of torque. With the same parts you will be able to hit a quarter mile mark under 15 seconds, but if you decided to move you car a bit faster, you can easily achieve a 10-second time.
The Eclipse has also its own style to be proud of. Its head-on stance is so manly and aggressive. The engineers have shed their bloods to build this car and you can look at car’s profile of its great aerodynamics built in attentively.
Summing it up, the Eclipse GT is not an expensive and a great car for novices who want to drive the best of it. Plus this can be used in daily basis like for commuting or having a ride with beautiful girls in your town. Clever, isn’t it?
3. Nissan Skyline R34 GT-RPower: 276 horsepower
If you take race seriously, grab your Nissan Skyline GT-R as your ace for victory. This car can reach its horsepower 276 at 6,800 rpm in its stock configuration, and may have over 600 horsepower once is it upgraded. This car is so fast which can go a quarter mile in 13.7 seconds off the assembly line.
Since Skyline cannot be easily bought in stateside due to disapproval of US authority for not meeting its country’s standards, you can find a version that is modified to meet certain standards. Alternatively, there is a company named MotoRex which can offer same type of car. This company dedicated their time and effort to pass the required and certain standards putting up these amazing cars into the country. You can also avail the imported parts basically designed for the Skyline.
Better tell your friends to place their bet on your team because winning is likely to happen.
4. Chevrolet Corvette Z06Power: 505 horsepower
The first appearance of The Corvette was unveiled to the public at 1953’s Motorama car show and became known for its staple muscle feature. This car was honored because of its speed legacy and for reviving the old American muscle machine.
The makers at Chevrolet have brought back the ZO6 model in 2008 from losing the limelight in 2006. The newly improved feature installed in the Corvette includes a 7.0 liter V8 giving a mighty 505 horsepower, and having a 470 lb-ft of twisting force. With that kind of forceful power, better fasten your seatbelts to reach the finish line safely.
Upon stepping up the engine, it produces a beautiful sound of 505 horsepower ready to make some actions down the street or race track. Just sit back, relax, be safe, start the engine, then let other eat the dust towards the pot.
5. 2007 Shelby GT500Power: 500 horsepower
The design of GT500 existed when Ford decided to have a joint effort from the legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Special Vehicle Team to make model cars faster than usual. The result of the efforts of two groups is the 2007 GT500 which was built with the most powerful feature of Mustang that Ford gladly created. That testimonial from a car company made their car ahead from the several past machines.
The Shelby GT500 is powered by a 5.4-liter, 32-valve engine with other features. These other features contributed to the standard Mustang GT producing 500 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. Compared with other race cars, this car claims also the speed power legacy.
If you are interested in spending a lot of time talking about speed of the cars as you’ve seen in a movie or watched in TV like F1 race, then it would be good to talk about fuel-efficient cars because it is about time to ignite your hidden desire and leave everything you do for the moment. If that tickles your imagination then you are lucky fellas because we have a list of cars to make your desires be fulfilled.
Here is the list of the cars that can heat up your desires.
1. Honda S2000 RoadsterPower : 237 horsepower
With the minimum price of $34,050, the S2000 is one of the fastest cars at the showroom. Installed with a 4-cylinder engine enables to yield 237 horsepower at 7,800 rpm and to give 162 lb-ft of torque at 6,800 rpm, the S2000 equalizes power with the weight as light as 2,855 pounds . This car will definitely rock your nerves, just give it time to charge them up and it is showtime!
The unique style of Honda S2000 is absolutely stunning if you aren’t driving a 99 mph on a quarter-mile track. You will notice that this car provides you to drop the top after you compete on the race and its smooth lines offer the racers to embrace the sports car without requiring customizing it after buying from the market. If you are looking to enjoy the race, the S200’s speed will certainly mark a spot in your heart.
2. Mitsubishi Eclipse GTPower : 263 horsepower
Featured in 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003, the Eclipse GT has been well known due to its alteration options for such a long time. Through times, the Eclipse was improved answering the demand for a better performance parts and more aerodynamic supplies. This car is so cool that you will have the helluva ways to customize it.
Specifically, the Eclipse GT appeared at the car show with 263 horsepower from the 3.8 liter V6 and 260 lb-ft of torque. With the same parts you will be able to hit a quarter mile mark under 15 seconds, but if you decided to move you car a bit faster, you can easily achieve a 10-second time.
The Eclipse has also its own style to be proud of. Its head-on stance is so manly and aggressive. The engineers have shed their bloods to build this car and you can look at car’s profile of its great aerodynamics built in attentively.
Summing it up, the Eclipse GT is not an expensive and a great car for novices who want to drive the best of it. Plus this can be used in daily basis like for commuting or having a ride with beautiful girls in your town. Clever, isn’t it?
3. Nissan Skyline R34 GT-RPower: 276 horsepower
If you take race seriously, grab your Nissan Skyline GT-R as your ace for victory. This car can reach its horsepower 276 at 6,800 rpm in its stock configuration, and may have over 600 horsepower once is it upgraded. This car is so fast which can go a quarter mile in 13.7 seconds off the assembly line.
Since Skyline cannot be easily bought in stateside due to disapproval of US authority for not meeting its country’s standards, you can find a version that is modified to meet certain standards. Alternatively, there is a company named MotoRex which can offer same type of car. This company dedicated their time and effort to pass the required and certain standards putting up these amazing cars into the country. You can also avail the imported parts basically designed for the Skyline.
Better tell your friends to place their bet on your team because winning is likely to happen.
4. Chevrolet Corvette Z06Power: 505 horsepower
The first appearance of The Corvette was unveiled to the public at 1953’s Motorama car show and became known for its staple muscle feature. This car was honored because of its speed legacy and for reviving the old American muscle machine.
The makers at Chevrolet have brought back the ZO6 model in 2008 from losing the limelight in 2006. The newly improved feature installed in the Corvette includes a 7.0 liter V8 giving a mighty 505 horsepower, and having a 470 lb-ft of twisting force. With that kind of forceful power, better fasten your seatbelts to reach the finish line safely.
Upon stepping up the engine, it produces a beautiful sound of 505 horsepower ready to make some actions down the street or race track. Just sit back, relax, be safe, start the engine, then let other eat the dust towards the pot.
5. 2007 Shelby GT500Power: 500 horsepower
The design of GT500 existed when Ford decided to have a joint effort from the legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Special Vehicle Team to make model cars faster than usual. The result of the efforts of two groups is the 2007 GT500 which was built with the most powerful feature of Mustang that Ford gladly created. That testimonial from a car company made their car ahead from the several past machines.
The Shelby GT500 is powered by a 5.4-liter, 32-valve engine with other features. These other features contributed to the standard Mustang GT producing 500 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. Compared with other race cars, this car claims also the speed power legacy.
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