Combining the time-tested reliability and power of the internal combustion engine with the low-rev efficiency and emissions-free locomotion of an electric motor, hybrid vehicles have proven extremely popular with the American public.  New hybrids are almost immediately in high demand, and with gas prices continuing to climb upward, the interest seems unlikely to flag anytime soon.

However, there are many downsides to hybrid technology that negatively affect both vehicle performance and the pocketbook of the American consumer.  The weight  of the combined battery and engine makes hybrids heavier than comparable vehicles.  Existing battery chemistry can be very expensive to create, as it can contain a variety of rare metals. Disposal may increase the cost of ownership, too, due to the presence of highly toxic materials.  Plus, popular lithium-ion batteries have a nasty tendency to explode.

But now, PowerGenix, a battery company based in San Diego, has developed an impressive, relatively environmentally friendly solution to the unique problems presented by hybrid-electric vehicles: nickel-zinc batteries.  NiZn, with its 30% increases in capacity and power over existing batteries of  similar size, is ideally suited for high-power, low-drain applications, such as HEVs. The use of a zinc, which is quite cost effective at less than a dollar per pound, offers excellent price savings compared to lithium-ion and metal hydride batteries.  Reduced toxicity increases the ease of disposal, and the more stable battery chemistry eliminates the chances of an unexpected explosion.

NiZn power is not a new technology. Thomas Edison worked with NiZn during his career, and the technology has been used in transportation before, powering a few streetcars in Ireland during the 1930s and '40s. Until recently, however, the Achilles’ heel of NiZn batteries had been their cycle life limitations.

But recent developments in the use of electrolyte additives have created NiZn batteries good through hundreds of cycles, making them a viable alternative to existing technology.  Additionally, PowerGenix’ NiZn cells operate at 1.5v, the same voltage of existing disposable batteries, making them an ideal and longer-lasting replacement for the billions of alkaline batteries in use worldwide.

Realizing the potential of the technology, PowerGenix planned ahead, designing its NiZn batteries to be readily produced using existing infrastructure. “Technology design from the get go was for production on existing nickel metal-hydride and nickel-cadmium lines”, says PowerGenix CEO Dan Squiller. And the move has paid off—through an overseas supplier, PowerGenix will be able to produce some 1.2 million cells each day.

Like any other technology, NiZn batteries are not a magic fix. Existing zinc mining operations do have significant environmental downsides, and nickel, though used in most existing rechargeable batteries, remains a expensive. Still, these issues not withstanding, nickel-zinc batteries represent an exciting new frontier for hybrid vehicle development.

 

Scientists working at Germany’s ORINOKO project are making progress on solving commute woes. The ORINOKO (Operative Regional Integrated and Optimized Corridor Control) Project has received funding from Germany and BMW to investigate large-scale transportation modeling that can improve efficiency and reduce traffic.

ORINOKO scientists use complex software systems to monitor an array of factors and respond to real-time traffic flows. Using video sensors mounted on traffic lights, the system sends a constant stream of traffic information back to computers that respond by altering traffic signals accordingly. The video sensors can also use real-time conditions to predict future conditions, recording the number of cars, the length of the backup, the timing of vehicle movements and more.

The ORINOKO model has potential beyond shortening daily commutes; reducing traffic jams can also improve air quality. Idling in stop-and-go traffic is the least efficient use of gas in cars, making commuter hour the driving period that produces a day's most significant emissions. Some cities, like New York and London, have proposed congestion pricing specifically to reduce stop-and-go traffic and its resulting emissions. Though congestion pricing has not been very successful in the U.S., cities can now look to the ORINOKO Project for a hi-tech traffic solution.

Read more at Science Daily.

Photo by Olaf

In a move that surprised many, Ford became the first car company to join The Climate Registry (TCR), a nonprofit, national clearinghouse of climate output information. Designed to increase transparency in environmental reporting, TCR will aggregate mandated and self-reported data from companies across the continent, equipping consumers and policymakers with one of the most important political tools they can have: information.

Studies have revealed that data reporting requirements can motivate corporate changes.  Despite slumping sales, Ford appears to be enthusiastic about the reporting program. “We endorse TCR’s reporting process because it has adopted the WRI/WBCSD reporting structure, which will ultimately lead to a common, single reporting standard worldwide,” said Larry Merrit, manager of Ford’s global environmental policy. “A single reporting standard is easier for its members and administrators to manage and more cost effective than developing new tools on a state-by-state basis.” Impressively, Ford is also linking its reporting to the Chicago Climate Exchange, increasing accountability.

A single standard really would be helpful. The absence of a single standard is a challenge for clean tech investors and private sector players. The lack of federal leadership and regulation creates so much uncertainty in the market that it discourages investment for project funding. For example, green building has existed for decades, under the radar. The industry took off once LEED standards were put in place, validating the market in the mainstream. Having central standards allows policy makers to build out tax policy, environmental laws and market controls.

Though there do not yet appear to be tools to verify self reported data, if companies go through the trouble of paying for someone to calculate their green house gas output twice a year, the hope is that they are likely to report them truthfully. The Climate Registry reflects an effort to let companies self regulate and meet policy goals on their own rather than responding to government mandates. Though unified standards and regulatory structures are important for investment, companies argue that they have the best expertise and industry knowledge to meet government goals.

Admittedly, the author can get a bit cynical about American car companies’ slow and almost collusive response to global warming. However Ford’s move is revolutionary for the company, demonstrating cooperation and good faith, and is a beautiful thing to see.

Related article:
Ford Cushions Environmental Impact with Soy

Photo by jamie3529gq 

If the thought of motorcycling still conjures up images of leather-clad rogues speeding along highways, consider another picture: Buttoned-down commuter zipping through Manhattan traffic on two wheels.

Having enjoying a surge in popularity during the 1970s fuel crisis, motorcycles are back in vogue. Across the country more and more people are recognizing the environmental benefits of motorcycles for everyday commuting and transportation purposes.

In fact, 2007 was one of the best years for motorcycle and scooter sales since the 70s, illustrating consumers' pursuit of new ways to deal with four-dollar-per-gallon gasoline. Weekend warriors who used to motorcycle only recreationally are now opting to commute on two wheels.

The fuel efficiency of motorcycles varies depending on road and traffic conditions, but ranges from a minimum of about 30 miles per gallon up to around 70.  Of course there are the mpg superstars: Motorcycles like the Matzu Matsuzawa Honda XL125  have been specifically designed for fuel efficiency and have been known to achieve nearly five hundred miles to the gallon.

Fuel efficiency was enough to make a motorcycle fan out of Joshua De Los Santos of San Diego.  De Los Santos says he likes “everything" about motorcycles. "They’re more mobile and it is easier to get places faster than in a car," he says. "Where it costs fifty dollars to fill up our Four-Runner,  it only costs about ten to fuel the motorcycle.”

Motorcyclists are also benefiting from the same automobile clean-tech advances as cars. Most motorcycles are ethanol and biofuel compatible, and Intelligent Energy has developed a fuel cell motorcycle for use with hydrogen. Plug-in motorcycles are also in development, but face the same battery efficiency issues as plug-in hybrids do, with the additional challenge of the motorcycle’s storage limitations.

Motorcycles offer a compact, easy to-park-solution for city dwellers where parking spots can rent for hundreds or thousands of dollars a month. Many cities permit motorcyclists to park even where spots aren't defined. However, people who live in inclement climates may find exposure to the elements and the two wheels’ diminished traction discouraging. De Los Santos says that touring bikes (with more substantial wheel widths and protective windshields) or sidecars (providing a third wheel) offer more stability for motorcyclists in rainy climates.

But for many, motorcycling's primary allure is fuel-cost savings.  “The biggest difference is the gas," De Los Santos says. " Riding a motorcycle saves a lot of money.”

EnerDel says tests by the DOE's Argonne National Laboratory confirm that its lithium ion batteries provide longer life and more power than today's hybrid batteries.

According to the company, a modified plug-in Prius attained more than 77 miles per gallon when the nickel metal hydride batteries were replaced by EnerDel's battery pack. The company is using lithium-titanate in its cathode to prevent over heating, which was a problem with previous iterations of lithium ion batteries.

EnerDel says the advances allow the batteries needed to power a hybrid to be reduced in size and weight by half.

Why this matters: Plug-in and extended range vehicle makers are waiting until they are confident in the battery technology before going into production. EnerDel, which has a deal to provide batteries with EV maker Think of Norway, could find many willing customers.

Read more at Edmunds' Green Car Advisor

Cars and light trucks will be required to attain an average fuel economy rating of 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015. The new ruling from the National Highway Transportation Administration surpasses the mandates requested by Congress in December.

Fuel economy would increase by 40 percent over the 2008 model year. Under the proposed system, individual car companies would have to meet different requirements based on the split in their sales for light trucks and cars. For example, Chrysler cars would have to get 33.6 mpg while the minimum for trucks would be set at 29.1 mpg.

The new requirements will save consumer $100 billion in fuel during the lifetime of the vehicles, according to NHTSA. Car companies however, would have to pay $47 billion to comply with the requirement.

The proposal has a 60-day review period during which automakers could ask for changes.

An electric vehicle is only as green as the power you put into the batteries, according to experts at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC). While wind power and green vehicles may be on separate development tracks, combining the two makes each technology more desirable.

The selection of vehicles with electric motors will greatly increase during the next few years to include multiple plug-in hybrids, extended range vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt, and all-electrics. While overall electric vehicles will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, under some conditions – namely in congested urban areas that predominately rely on coal power – air quality could worsen because of soot and mercury, according to a study from the National Resources Defense Council cited by the USA Today.

These hypothetical cases of increasing pollution would be rare, according to NRDC Vehicle Campaign Director Darren Lovaas. Depending on how widely they are adopted, plug-in and electric vehicles could eliminate between 163 and 612 billion metric tons of CO2 by 2050, according to NRDC.

If we to continue to drive on petroleum-powered internal combustion engines we won't be able to meet goals for emissions reductions, according to Bob Babick, GM's director of vehicle emissions issues. "The electrification of the vehicle will play critical role" in reducing greenhouse gases, he said.

GM is introducing new hybrid versions of its Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Silverado, and GMC Sierra that will consume less fuel and reduce emissions. The 2009 Saturn Green Vue Line will be a 2-mode hybrid that will increase fuel economy by up to 50 percent, according to Babick.

In 2010 GM will introduce a plug-in version of the Saturn Vue, its first vehicle that can operate "emissions free" on electric power for up to 40 miles, Babick said. Shortly thereafter the extended range Chevrolet Volt, which includes a gasoline-powered generator to recharge the batteries, will arrive.

Babick said automakers will need to work closely with utilities to green the grid by adding more renewable energy to enhance the public perception of electrified vehicles as clean. Instead of requiring consumers to pay specifically for renewable energy as is done today, adding more wind and solar to the grid will make plug-ins and extended range vehicles easier to market, he said.

Consumers won't fully realize the impact of driving a 'green' vehicle until they recharge the batteries from a renewable energy resource such as wind or solar, according to auto expert Tom Cooley, who spoke at the "Cool Cars, Green Grid" WIREC panel. He said that plugging in a vehicle to a green grid resource will create an "aha moment" similar to when Toyota Prius owners drive by people refueling their vehicles and realize that they don't have to stop.

Dr. Willett Kempton, an associate professor at the University of Delaware said that cars with large battery packs can enhance the attractiveness of wind energy by storing the power from the intermittent resource. The "vehicle to grid" (V2G) idea enables excess wind energy to be stored in vehicles and then taken back by the utilities during times of peak power demand when wind energy alone isn't sufficient, he said.

Kempton said that communications hardware and software that would enable power companies to send and receive electricity to vehicles as needed would cost about $200 per vehicle, and consumers would quickly be paid back by their utilities by selling peak power at premium prices. Kempton said the offshore wind resources along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. is more than sufficient to handle the additional electricity demands from plug-in hybrid and all electric vehicles.

Jacqueline Piero, the V2G coordinator for the University of Delaware said that the university's all electric Toyota Scion retrofit can store 35 kilowatt hours of electricity. "Most vehicles are driven for about an hour a day, so for 23 hours they can be available to store or deliver power," she said.

Vehicle storage of electricity benefits utilities because instead of waiting for coal or natural gas power plants to "spin up" for 20 minutes before generating more power, batteries can instantaneously deliver electricity to the grid, Piero said. A fleet of approximately 80-100 vehicles could provide a 1 megawatt on demand resource for utilities, she said. Government and corporate fleet owners would be likely V2G partners for utilities.

Utilities and vehicle companies are working together to green the grid and transportation, according to Brian Wynne, the president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association. For example, Southern California Edison is working with Ford, Pacific Gas and Electric with Tesla, and North Carolina State with Duke Energy to test how electric vehicles can aid in greening the grid.

Toyota Prius owners who would like to recharge their batteries using renewable power will be able to upgrade their vehicles to plug-ins with lithium ion batteries this summer, according to Elizabeth Ames, the marketing communications manager of A123 systems. She said the company's Hymotion subsidiary is currently doing retrofits with the more advanced battery technology for fleet owners for about $10,000, and will begin selling to consumers later this year.

Marguerite Jones of Austin Energy, which runs the Plug-In Partners program encouraging cities to purchase plug-in vehicles, said her utility doesn't have enough renewable energy capacity to be able to sell to plug-in owners when the cars arrive. More than 1,400 people have signed up in Austin to purchase plug-in hybrids, but the company is "always sold out of wind and solar power," she said.

NRDC's Lovaas said the current trend of rising petroleum prices is a double-edged sword when it comes to reducing emissions. He said that higher gas prices would encourage consumers to buy more electric vehicles, but they also create demand for exploration of more carbon-intensive resources, such as the tar sands of Canada and from coal-to-liquids conversions. "We see this as a big, big problem," Lovaas said.

Reducing the environmental impact of driving has moved into the mainstream, but far less attention has been given to making roads more green, according to the Environment News Service.

The Recycled Materials Resource Management Center, RRMC, a joint project between the University of New Hampshire and the University Wisconsin-Madison is studying how to use more recycled materials in the building and maintaining roadways.

While most of the asphalt used each year is recycled, road building still requires millions of tons in newly mined materials.

(Photo from the City of Columbus, Ohio)

 

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its annual Green Book guide to car buying. The 2008 model year saw little change over the previous year with the exception of Smart Fortwo Convertible near the top of the ratings and the new hybrid large SUVs being the best of the beasts.

As for the last five years, the Honda natural gas-powered Civic GX was ranked as the greenest vehicle, followed by the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid. The new Smart Fortwo Convertible jumped into the fourth spot, proving that the diminutive car was built to be as easy on the environment as it is to park. Sales of the Smart Fortwo have been brisk, which makes you wonder why Daimler waited so long to bring the car to the U.S. when there was obvious demand. The Toyota Yaris rounded out the top five.

Two hybrid large SUVs - the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid debuted and were rated as the best of the worst class of vehicles. While the big vehicles have come under criticism as not being worthy of the "hybrid" mantle because of their relatively low MPG compared to passenger vehicles, ACEEE correctly points out that "hybridizing" these vehicles will have a greater impact on emissions and fossil fuel consumption than adding electric drive trains to passenger sedans.

 In fact, bumping up the low end of the efficiency spectrum is the quickest way to save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions: raising the fuel economy of, say, a Yukon Denali from 14 to 16 miles per gallon would save over 100 gallons per year for the typical driver and eliminate 1.3 tons of CO2 emissions, while achieving the same savings through improvements to a 42 mile-per-gallon Civic Hybrid would require a 25 mpg boost, to 67 mpg.

The reality is people will continue to buy these larger vehicles to tow boats or to drive in the snow. Spending a few thousands dollars to add a few MPG makes financial sense for SUV owners as well as doing better by the planet.

ACEEE continues to take a hard line on diesels because despite fuel economy that can be on par with hybrids, the pollutants emitted are viewed as much worse than comparable gasoline vehicles.  The four diesel vehicles listed below along with the gasoline Bugatti Veyron all were viewed as "meaner" than the poster boy for environmental indifference, the Hummer H2, which still made the list of least green vehicles.

 

Meanest 2008 Vehicles

• VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG 
• BUGATTI VEYRON
• MERCEDES-BENZ GL320 CDI
• JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE
• MERCEDES-BENZ R320 CDI

Fuel economy for all 2008 model year vehicles remained the same as the prior year, but shamefully is still below what it was in 1986.

When plug-in hybrids start arriving in dealerships in the next few years they will revolutionize the auto industry. The most historic aspect of this is that consumer demand, not the auto industry leaders, have been the prime mover in making these vehicles reality.

At the auto show in Detroit, Chrysler, GM, Ford and Toyota were all talking plug-in hybrids, with late 2009 the most likely date for the first mass produced PHEV. Chrysler has 3 concept vehicles (the pictured EcoVoyager, Dodge Zeo and Jeep Renegade, while GM is waffling a tad about the arrival date for the Chevrolet Volt. The wild card to be the first to market is Fisker Automotive, which just received funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers to build a plug-in based on the Quantum's Q-Drive technology. (I'm sticking with my earlier prediction that Toyota has the inside track).

2010 will begin the biggest change in ground transportation in 100 years. While one of these companies will receive adulation for being the first to market, kudos should go to the "plug-in pioneers" such as CalCars that spent considerable sums to retrofit existing hybrids to prove the technology could work when Detroit and Japan said it couldn't be done. The blogosphere and auto enthusiasts sites also contributed to the groundswell of support that got government and the auto industry interested.

Plug-in hybrids pave the way for all-electrics, and their ability to reduce emissions and reduce foreign oil dependency will address two goals that most of us view as critical. Congress should provide tax credits that supported these goals with incentives for fleets and consumers to buy plug-ins.

Plug-in hybrids aren't a panacea as people without garages will have a tougher time recharging the batteries. Californians are a likely target audience, but plugging in thousands of cars has the potential to overwhelm the grid.