Filed under: Etc., Green Culture, Ford

Ford Motor China is going into the eighth year of a program to try help clean up some of the notorious pollution in China. The annual Conservation & Environmental Grants China program will be providing funds and training to non-governmental organizations and community groups to encourage conservation and environmental awareness. This year they will be particularly focused on local and community level projects. This year they will have about $137,000 to distribute. The Ford press release is after the jump.

[Source: Ford]
FORD MOTOR LAUNCHES 8TH CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS IN CHINA

2007 Program Focuses on Environmental Protection at Local Communities

BEIJING, May 15, 2007 — Ford Motor China launched the eighth annual Conservation & Environmental Grants, China Program (CEGC) today, with a focus on encouraging community environmental protection to raise environmental awareness in China. Along with continuing programs in youth engagement and NGO training, this year’s CEGC will unveil new Community Environmental Grants for fostering environmental projects in local communities.

Mei-Wei Cheng, Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor ( China) Ltd., announced the set up of a new category for Community Environmental Grants. “CEGC hopes to provide grants to those creative projects focused on community environmental protection.” Mei-Wei Cheng said, “CEGC has been constantly evolving ever since its first year of our program, in order to not only stay in step with changing developments in environment protection and conservation, but also to help focus public attention on environment protection efforts in China.”

Starting its eighth year, the 2007 CEGC is adopting a new theme of “Creating Green and Harmonious Communities Together”. Raising community awareness and enthusiasm for environmental protection, as well as encouraging a community approach to conservation are major goals of the CEGC in 2007. Therefore, as a leading corporate citizen, Ford Motor China is establishing the Community Environmental Grants to support active participation and raise environmental awareness in local communities.

“Mobilizing and leveraging community participation is a great direction for the CEGC this year,” said Professor Qu Geping who’s known as ‘Father of Environmental Protection in China’, “I believe the concept of community-centered environment protection is going to be a driving force for China’s environment protection in the future years”

Carrying forward last year’s efforts to engage young people, the CEGC is encouraging university students to take part in community action projects. By working with and participating in real-life community projects, university students will be able to find practical applications for their environmental studies.

Specialized training for grassroots NGOs, which began during last year’s CEGC, will be expanded and diversified to meet the variety of environmental challenges facing local NGOs. Training sessions will be organized in China’s northeast, northwest, and southern regions, where local NGOs will share practical experiences and work with environmental experts, global NGO leaders, and business executives to create localized solutions for China’s unique environmental issues.

With RMB1.05 million in cash grants, this year’s CEGC is recognizing the efforts and achievements of organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions in three categories – “Natural Environment Protection”, “Environmental Education”, and “Community Environmental Grants”.

Beginning in 2000, the CEGC has been awarding cash grants totaling 7.05 million yuan to organizations and individuals to promote initiatives and participation in projects that improve local environments, protect natural heritage, and conserve natural resources in China. A total of 113 organizations and individuals have been awarded grants from the CEGC over the past seven years, with another 40 receiving honorable mention.

The CEGC has been recognized by Chinese government and experts as the most influential business-operated environmental program in China. Now with more than seven years of experience, the CEGC is turning its focus to community environmental protection and NGO supports.

 

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Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Vegetable Oil

If you’ve been wondering how to gauge the overall impact of the biofuel you use (or wish you could), the Friends of the Earth, a global network of environmental groups, is trying to make it possible with just a few clicks. The group’s new biofuel impact database is now online and it’s a good idea with a lot of potential.

I tested the database by choosing ethanol made from corn and compared it to biodiesel made from soybeans. Then, I selected health and Energy Ratio/Balance impacts, and got these results: corn ethanol has an estimated energy range between 0.58 to 1.71 and soy biodiesel’s range is 1.42 to 3.213. There are no health impacts listed for the ethanol, but the biodiesel’s alert says, “Genetically Modified roundup ready, glyusophosate, is believed to have caused reproductive problems, genetic damage, liver tumors, developmental delays.” Each result has a footnote, but some users have warned that these footnotes sometimes go to obscure sources, so we should be wary. In short, this database is not ideal nor is it ultra-easy to use, but it is better than not having a system like this at all. And just figuring out what type of biodiesel or ethanol you want to know more about is a good way to see the diversity in feedstocks and methods that biofuels promise.

[Source: Friends of the Earth]

 

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Filed under: Etc., MPG

Not but two weeks ago, national gas price averages got to the $3 a gallon level, and the question was whether the summer gas peak had happened early or if we were looking at a record-high season for gas prices. Guess which one we can now confirm? If we take a look at the Energy Information Administration’s gas price averages going back to 1983, it’s clear that this week we’re seeing the highest prices on record. Ever. Their average is $3.143 a gallon. The last time prices were close to that level was $3.117 back in September 2005 (right after Hurricane Katrina). The EIA creates their average using all grades of fuel. AAA‘s current average for regular-grade fuel is $3.103. So, how are we driving smarter now?

Related:

• Are gas prices peaking? I doubt it!
• Think $3 a gallon is bad? $3.50 is coming soon, say 72 percent of Americans
• Hey there $3/gallon gas! Long time no see. How’ve ya been?

[Source: Energy Information Administration via Autoblog]

 

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Filed under: Hybrid, Transportation Alternatives, GM

The King County Washington transit system was one of the first in the United States to start widely using hybrid buses and they just announced a major expansion of the effort. Since King County got their first hybrid buses over three years ago they have put 214 of them on the road. In the fall of 2006, voters approved a twenty percent expansion of the transit system services and today King County executive Ron Sims announced that they have decided to purchase up to five hundred more articulated buses from New Flyer Industries with the GM-Allison two-mode hybrid system.

Since putting their first hybrid buses into service King County has measured a thirty percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the hybrids compared to their conventional buses and forty percent better reliability. The first twenty-two buses for the service expansion are expected to arrive next spring with another one hundred in 2009. Over the next five years the additional buses will be purchased to replace older conventional buses in the fleet.

In King County’s experience so far the hybrids have gotten over 4mpg compared to about 3mpg for conventional diesel buses and they are expected to last 14-16 years compared to twelve for the non-hybrids. The powertrains could potentially last up to twenty years but the bus itself begins to wear out in the shorter time-frame. So far their are over seven hundred GM hybrid buses on the road in fifty-six cities and they’ve accumulated over 35 million miles. The press release is after the jump.

[Source: General Motors and King County]
Historic King County Contract Includes GM Hybrid-Powered Buses
Contract may increase fleet to more than 700 GM-hybrid powered buses, saving an estimated 1.1 million gallons of fuel annually, enough to fill 138 tanker trucks

SEATTLE – King County awarded a landmark contract today for the purchase of up to 500 articulated buses, most of which will be powered by General Motors’ 2-mode hybrid system.

The five-year contract, which could be worth as much as $400 million, is between King County and bus-manufacturer New Flyer Industries. General Motors supplies New Flyer with the hybrid system for the buses.

King County has been operating a fleet of 214 GM hybrid-powered buses since 2004 and with the addition of this contract, King County could have a total of 714 buses, making it the largest fleet of hybrid-articulated buses in history.

King County Executive Ron Sims welcomed key local and national transportation leaders and representatives from GM and New Flyer, as they announced the contract agreement during a press conference today at Qwest Field, home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s innovative public-private partnerships such as this that put King County in a leadership position to combat global warming,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “We will put new rapid transit bus service on the streets with the first 122 articulated hybrids ordered. The size of this contract demonstrates our commitment to transit and the resulting benefits to our residents for air quality and traffic congestion.”

King County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and target global warming are among the most aggressive in the U.S.

Due to this strong environmental leadership, King County has one of the greenest transit agencies in the nation and GM is proud to supply its advanced hybrid technology to assist in this achievement.

In the U.S., GM’s strategy is to save as many gallons of fuel as possible by applying hybrid technology first to larger vehicles such as mass transit buses. Currently, 720 buses with GM’s 2-mode hybrid system have been delivered to 56 cities across the U.S. and Canada, saving an estimated 1 million gallons of fuel annually. The potential addition of up to 500 buses in King County, will bring the total in North America to more than 1,200 GM hybrid-powered, saving an estimated 1.75 million gallons of fuel annually.

“We at General Motors share King County’s vision to reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tom Stephens, GM Group Vice President, Global Powertrain and Global Quality. “GM’s commitment to improving fuel economy, reducing vehicle emissions, and developing electrically driven vehicles is not a short-term strategy. We’re in this game for the long term. We see energy and environmental leadership as a critical element of GM’s ongoing turnaround plan and a key part of our business strategy. That is why we are introducing four all-new hybrid models in 2007, which is more than any automaker has ever introduced in one calendar year.”

Transit buses with GM’s 2-mode hybrid system deliver significantly better fuel economy than traditional transit buses, cut certain emissions up to 90 percent and have operating sound levels approaching that of passenger cars. Other benefits of GM’s 2-mode hybrid system for transit buses include reduced maintenance costs resulting from extended brake, engine oil and transmission oil life, superior torque, and improved acceleration.

In fact, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a one-year comparative study between conventional diesel buses and GM hybrid-powered buses operating on a typical King County drive cycle.

The NREL report showed that the GM-hybrid powered buses had 30 percent higher fuel economy on average when compared to the conventional diesel buses and total operating costs were lowered by 15 percent.

During King County drive cycle testing, the NREL results showed that the GM-hybrid powered buses lowered fuel consumption by 23 percent; nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 18 percent; carbon monoxide (CO) by 60 percent; and total hydrocarbon (THC) by 56 percent when compared to conventional diesel buses.

This NREL study of King County’s hybrid buses is an endorsement of GM’s 2-mode hybrid propulsion system and one element of King County’s decision to purchase up to 500 additional buses. The report was published in December 2006, and can be viewed at http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest/pdfs/40585.pdf.

To represent emissions reduction and King County’s purchase of up to 500 hybrid buses, GM is donating up to 500 trees that will be planted throughout the county this year. The first five trees will be planted in a historic portion of Marymoor Park located in Redmond, Wash., that was heavily damaged by a November windstorm.

The 2-mode hybrid technology in these buses has served as the starting point for GM’s co-development with DaimlerChrysler and BMW Group of the 2-mode hybrid system for passenger vehicles, which GM will launch later this year in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon fullsize SUVs, followed in 2008 by the Cadillac Escalade fullsize SUV, Saturn Vue Green Line compact SUV and the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra fullsize pickups.

“The Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon are the world’s first and only fullsize hybrid SUVs, offering up to eight-passenger seating and an estimated 25 percent improvement in overall fuel economy when combined with our Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology,” said Beth Lowery, Vice President, Global Public Policy and Government Relations.

The 2-mode hybrid diesel-electric drive system for transit buses is manufactured by GM Allison Transmission, maker of transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems for commercial trucks, buses, and off-highway equipment and military vehicles, headquartered in Indianapolis.

New Flyer is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries.

In 2006, 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

 

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Filed under: Hybrid

BusinessCar, a website dedicated to helping businesses get the most for their money when they buy or lease vehicles, has hashed out the pros and cons of ten green automotive technologies. After all the calculations, they’ve decided that hybrids are the current best choice. The editors say they “judged on emissions (that’s all of them, and not just tailpipe CO2), fuel economy, tax benefits, availability and long-term viability – and then crowned a winner.”

The list was drawn up with the UK (especially the availability of, say, biofuels or pure electric vehicles) and the needs of businesses in mind, so don’t assume it can be easily transplanted to other locations. I’m kind of surprised to see hydrogen and fuel cells beating modern petrol at this stage of the game, but if anyone can make use of H2 vehicles right now, it’s businesses with fleets in traveling around a centralized fueling station.

You can read all of their reasons in the article itself, but here’s the cheat sheet.

10. GTL (Gas to Liquid)
9. LPG
8. CNG
7. Modern petrol
6. Hydrogen engine
5. Fuel cell
4. Biofuels
3. Full electric
2. Modern diesel
1. Hybrid

How would you rank these technologies?

[Source: BusinessCar]

 

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Filed under: Hybrid

Cobasys is working with Armor Holdings Inc. to provide their NiMH battery packs for heavy duty hybrid trucks that the latter company is developing. The hybrid trucks are being tested by the US Army at Ft. Lewis in Washington in different mission simulations to evaluate their performance.

The battery pack supplied by Cobasys is a 280 kW unit with 11 kWh of energy capacity. The full pack is assembled from four of Cobasys’ existing production packs and is being used in the Army’s Future Tactical Truck System. The defense department is evaluating many different alternative fuel and powertrain technologies for the vehicles and other systems because they don’t want to be dependent on the people on the other side of the line for one of their primary supplies.

[Source: Cobasys]Cobasys Strengthens Hybrid Heavy-Duty Truck Activities with U.S. Army High-Tech Vehicles

Orion, MI, May 15 , 2007— Cobasys, a leading supplier of advanced integrated energy storage solutions, today announced it has supplied its NiMHax(R) Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery systems for integration into hybrid electric heavy trucks developed by Armor Holdings Inc. for the U.S. Army. The Military Utility Assessment (MUA) testing began in March by the soldiers in Ft. Lewis, Washington where the vehicles were placed in operational service to begin performing a variety of mission simulations.

Cobasys was chosen to supply a system to the Army’s Future Tactical Truck System (FTTS) based on one of their standard products, the NiMHax 336-70. The complete energy storage system, using four NiMHax 336-70 sub-packs, is capable of producing over 280kW and provides more than 11 kWh of energy. The FTTS heavy-duty hybrid program is part of the Army’s efforts to develop their next generation of tactical wheeled vehicles known as Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle (MSV). The military selected the NiMHax 336-280V system because Cobasys is the only North American manufacturer supplying ‘plug-and-play’ NiMH battery systems for hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) heavy-duty applications.

“Cobasys is proud to be supplying our NiMHax systems to the U.S. Army and being part of the team which is helping to provide the military with a tactical truck fleet of fuel-efficient, high-tech vehicles to face the challenges of today’s military missions,” stated Erik Hansen, General Manager of Sales for Cobasys.

About Cobasys

Cobasys designs, manufactures and integrates advanced energy storage systems solutions for transportation markets, including Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), Electric Vehicles (EV) and 36/42 Volt applications and stationary markets, including Back-Up power supply systems for Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), Telecom and Renewable Energy applications.

Cobasys is a joint venture between Chevron Technology Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) and Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER).

For more information about Cobasys, contact Ray Wagner at 248-620-5700 or visit our website at http://www.cobasys.com/.

 

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From the feedback we've received and the numbers we've seen, Weekly DIY has turned out to be a really popular series on the Green Options blog. While the series' coordinator Ryan and the writers are always on the hunt for new green DIY projects to feature here, we're pretty sure that you've got a DIY that you'd like to share with the Green Options community. Now you can!

We've created a submission form for Weekly DIY suggestions, and we invite you to send us an overview of your project. Ryan will go through submissions on a regular basis, and pick the best of the bunch. If we choose your project, Ryan will get in touch for details and photos. We'll then feature the project under your byline: you'll be the Weekly DIY guest blogger of the week.

No project is too big or small: as long as it helps people "green the good life," we're interested. We look forward to your submissions, and, as always, thank you for participating in the Green Options community!

Austin’s Clean Energy Venture Summit included a session on the Utility of the Future, including Roger Duncan from Austin Energy, Robert Howard from Pacific Gas and Electric, Paul Thomas of Green Mountain Energy, Brad Gammon from IBM, and consultant Alison Silverstein. They described an energy Internet or network of energy networks, including addresses for all outlets and devices and robust metadata systems for monitoring and regulation, optimizing overall efficiency. It won’t be easy to implement – it’s a complicated problem to combine an energy bus and an IT bus for every structure. There’s also major load swings we’re just beginning to understand, according to Duncan, such as load reduction through pervasive implementation of energy-saving light bulbs and load increase (or shift) as pluggable hybrids start appearing. Howard foresees plugin hybrids serving as alternative reserve energy supplies as well, once we’ve solved the (not insigificant) problem of energy storage. It’s an interesting time to be a public utility, with the paradigm for the transmission and delivery of utility services at the edge of significant change that, while inevitable, is stalled somewhat by the inherent risk-averse conservatism of most utility companies – Austin Energy and Pacific Gas & Electric are exceptionally forward-looking… (more)

(Posted by Jon Lebkowsky in Energy at 5:01 AM)

Filed under: Ethanol, Volvo

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the Volvo V70.

Volvo announced this week that four new biofuel models are coming to the UK, including FlexiFuel versions of the C30, S40, V50 and new V70. The E85-ready C30 SportsCoupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon will start to be delivered in July and a FlexiFuel V70 estate will be available by the end of the year. The 1.8 FlexiFuel model delivering 125PS is now available in the C30, S40, and V50. A 145PS 4 cylinder Flexifuel engine will be made available in the V70. The cheapest of the bunch is the C30 1.8F SE3 at £17,795

Volvo says they expect to sell just 50-100 FlexiFuel cars in the UK this year. Compare that to 7,000 worldwide. Press release pasted after the jump.

[Source: Volvo]
VOLVO BOOSTS UK RANGE WITH FOUR NEW MODELS

• FlexiFuel versions of Volvo C30, S40, V50 and all new V70
• Broadest bioethanol range in the UK

Volvo is launching four all-new, innovative models into the UK to reinforce the company’s long-standing commitment to environmental care and its desire to extend customer choice.

FlexiFuel engines that run on E85 bioethanol fuel1 are now available to order in the C30 SportsCoupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon, with first customer deliveries in July. A FlexiFuel engine will also be introduced in the all new Volvo V70 estate, arriving in the UK before the end of the year.

As a renewable fuel, bioethanol is better for the environment than traditional fuels2, emitting up to 80% less fossil carbon dioxide emissions than petrol. Offering FlexiFuel in four separate models – more than any other manufacturer – puts Volvo at the forefront of eco-friendly driving in the UK.

“We’re proud to be one of the first car companies in the UK to be offering FlexiFuel models,” said Stuart Kerr, managing director, Volvo Car UK. “Bioethanol reduces man’s dependency on fossil fuels and Volvo’s FlexiFuel programme makes a vital contribution to the company’s strategy of environmental sustainability.”

The Volvo C30 SportsCoupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon FlexiFuel models are based on the 1.8-litre, four-cylinder normally aspirated petrol engine producing 125PS, with five-speed manual transmission. The V70 FlexiFuel will be powered with a 145PS four-cylinder petrol unit. The FlexiFuel range will start at just £17,795 for the C30 1.8F SE3.

Based on the current refuelling infrastructure4 and lack of Government incentives for E85 as an alternative fuel, Volvo recognises that demand in the UK for its FlexiFuel models is limited. Globally, Volvo Cars predicts sales of 7,000 FlexiFuel cars in 2007. Most are expected to be sold in Sweden, with the UK accounting for 50-100 units.

 

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Filed under: Ethanol

We know all about ethanol ’round these parts. We write about it all the time (721 posts as of this morning), sometimes good and sometimes bad. Shall we run down the list here? Okay… In the U.S. we use corn to make it, which is not even remotely the best crop choice. Ethanol has less energy density than gasoline. Subsidies artificaly reduce its price. Ethanol can be diluted in water. Okay, that’s enough! We get the point. But, the good news is that ethanol is made from renewable crops, and probably has less of an impact on the environment that using petroleum (test results vary, of course). Butanol might be a better choice in the long run. Are there any other alcohol choices that are better? How about Sake? Well, maybe not, but perhaps alcohol made from rice will work out in Japan. Click here for more.

[Source: Treehugger]

 

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