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1. ABG Top 10: Greenest toy cars for the holidays
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2. Brazilian ethanol exports down
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3. Dominican republic: 150 million gallons of ethanol on the way
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4. Scandinavian Airlines does first transatlantic green approach
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5. Can natural gas and LPG help the cities? They're going to try that out
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6. France: the fourth largest potential biofuel consumer in the world
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7. Video: Fly Bo - a 150 mile-range, Smart look-a-like EV - on sale in Michigan (just don't use it in winter)
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8. New Ford Ka debuts in Brazil
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9. EU CO2 rules will allow carmakers to pool emissions
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10. General Motors has considered E85 as a performance fuel
ABG Top 10: Greenest toy cars for the holidays
Lascelles Linton - Automoblox
Filed under: Hydrogen, Solar, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Holidash
It's almost Christmas, so I compiled a list of the top 10 green toy cars for you. Any toy on this top 10 list would be a great gift for that green, gear-head kid (or kid at heart) on your Christmas/holiday shopping list. The list includes toy cars that are created or powered in green ways such as wooden or solar powered toy cars. I've also included several videos previewing the toys and after reading this list, I really hope you shy away from regular plastic, battery-powered RC toy cars.
1. Wood Toy Car. Plastics are apart of almost every toy but there are a few wood car toys out there like cars from Automoblox and Playsam.
2. Fuel Cell Toy Car. There are several very good fuel cell toy cars but the best looking ones are the H-Racer and Hydrocar.
3. Solar Powered Toy Car. There are lots of cool, solar toy cars but I really like tiny, solar cars like the Owi.
4. Wind Powered Toy Car. This is the only wind powered kit I know of that comes with a toy car but the Windlab Junior is also a very good wind turbine toy.
5. Wind Up Toy Car. There are a few good rubber band cars but nothing beats the old, metal key, wind 'em ups.
6. Flex Fuel Toy Car. I am cheating a little here because diecasts are not exactly toys or green but you can find almost any car in diecast form usually with fine details like working doors.
7. Pixar Cars Fillmore Toy Car. The character Fillmore in the Pixar movie Cars is a VW Bus that liked to burn alternative fuels.
8. Gravity Powered Toy Car. Good ol' gravity powers these races cars in this double spiral race track toy from Fisher-Price.
9. Air Powered Toy Car. Not quite at the level of complexity of the Air Car but balloon toy cars are very popular and fun.
10. Fair Trade Toy Car. That smiling, little toy car may not look like much but a lot of thought went into it; it's Fair Trade, made with sustainably-harvested wood, vegetable dyes and non-toxic coating.
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Brazilian ethanol exports down
Xavier Navarro - ethanol exports
Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, South/Latin America
Brazil's ethanol exports are expect to go down by 21.95 during the 2007-2008 fiscal year which ends in March, according to the Brazilian Association of Sugarcane Industries (Unica). From April 2006 to March 2007, Brazil exported 4,1 billion liters of ethanol. Current figures are down to about 3,2 million. Global production figures, according to our source, are increasing: 21,6 billion liters.
Unica states that the main reason for this decrease is the market's volatility. Unica also expressed its concern about the U.S.'s and the EU's plans to tax ethanol imports. According to them, Brazilian ethanol is cleaner and cheaper than corn or beetroot's ethanol.
Despite these negative figures, the Brazilian ethanol industry is at its peak for its internal demand. 4.4 out of 20 million vehicles in Brazil are flex-fuel. Brazil's sugarcane production is mostly targeted for ethanol production - about 55.28 percent of it.
[Source: Econoticias]
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Dominican republic: 150 million gallons of ethanol on the way
Xavier Navarro - biofuel-plans
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Legislation and Policy, South/Latin America
The Dominican Republic has decided to start working on its plans to develop a biofuel industry. The Dominican government has decided to promote sugarcane crops so as the country can reach a target of 150 million gallons of ethanol per year, 60 million of those for export.The plan also aims for investing in technology which can re-use byproducts such as bagasses even if only as biomass (burned) for producing electricity. The country's plans, as with all biofuel projects, is to reduce its external dependence on oil, recover the economy in rural communities and improve exports.
Biodiesel plans are also quite ambitious: 140 million gallons per year, which would be 40 percent of the country's diesel needs.
[Source: Cesefor via Econoticias]
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Scandinavian Airlines does first transatlantic green approach
Sam Abuelsamid - airbus-a330
Filed under: Etc.
Many of us have been on a flight to somewhere only to have the plane arrive in the vicinity of the destination airport and then endlessly loop around before finally landing. All airports and airlines have schedules that they try (sort of) to adhere to. But stuff that they can't control - such as weather and mechanical problems - wrecks havoc with those schedules. Those stacks of planes circling around the landing strip waste a tremendous amount of fuel and produce a lot of emissions in a relatively small area. Recently, a Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A330 flying from Newark, New Jersey to Stockholm, Sweden completed the first transatlantic "green" approach. Working with the Swedish aviation authorities, Airbus, and Arlanda airport in Stockholm, the flight management system of the aircraft was used control the speed in-flight based on conditions at the airport. Reducing the engines thrust allowed the plane to land exactly on time with a direct approach and no circling. If all newer aircraft were managed in this way, there would be less wasted fuel, fewer frustrated passengers and perhaps even enhanced safety as fewer craft would be in the proximity of the airport until their landing time.
[Source: FlightGlobal]
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Can natural gas and LPG help the cities? They're going to try that out
Xavier Navarro - barcelona
Filed under: Volkswagen, Legislation and Policy, Natural Gas, European Union
Fundació Gas Natural has published a study on how CNG vehicles can improve the air quality in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain. Of course, Gas Natural sells natural gas and is quite interested in this happening, but the study was performed with the Mare Nostrum supercomputer in the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya's Campus Nord in Barcelona. It's claimed that this is the 9th most powerful computer in the world, and the most powerful in Europe.
According to their results, Barcelona could improve its air quality if 50 percent of its delivery vans used CNG (compressed natural gas) instead of diesel. Barcelona is considered one of Europe's most polluted cities because of its configuration, surrounded by hills and is currently taking (yet to be effective) measures to cut down on pollution. In the case of Madrid, and because of different traffic patterns (more highways and more extension), a similar target would be achieved if 10 percent of private cars ran on CNG.
At the same time, Madrid's city hall, Repsol-YPF, SEAT, the Federación Profesional del Taxi and the Asociación Gremial de Auto Taxi (the two taxi-drivers' unions) have signed an agreement to promote the use of LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) in taxis, in order to replace as many diesel cars as possible. Taxis are considered a key segment to reduce pollution because one percent of cars in the city are taxis, and they are responsible of 20 percent of the trips in the city. SEAT sold discounted 1.6 gasoline Toledo models (pictured above) which were transformed to LPG use by Repsol-YPF for free. Buyers even got a 1,100 EUR LPG card.
[Source: NGV Global and Europa Press via Econoticias]
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France: the fourth largest potential biofuel consumer in the world
Xavier Navarro - biofuel-economy
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, European Union
Ernst & Young's latest report on Attractive Investments says that France is a very good place to do business in biofuels. Actually, the country's potential is becoming the second largest biodiesel market and the fourth ethanol market in the world. According to Philippe Favre, president of the French Agency for International Investment, France is already Europe's second biofuel market. Add in the facts that France's "Grenelle de l'Environment" plan aims for even more investment in renewable energies to reduce CO2 emissions, the Transport Federation's commitment to use more biofuels for road freight, and that French marques promote the use of biodiesel and ethanol in their vehicles.
Some examples of investments in the Hexagone are 70 million EUR biodiesel plant in Baleycourt by INEOS, SICLAÉ and C.Thywissen, or Cargill's 50 million EUR investment in Montoir to increase biodiesel production. France has also sponsored nation-wide clusters that help companies in developing new biofuels, as well as setting up new businesses.
[Source: Ernst & Young via Econoticias]
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Video: Fly Bo - a 150 mile-range, Smart look-a-like EV - on sale in...
Lascelles Linton - China
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chrysler, Mercedes Benz, China
The video above is a local news report about Fly Bo, a Chinese all-electric car, available for sale in Michigan. The speedometer on the car goes to 40 MPH and in the video Dave Latarte, owner of Great Lakes Auto Sales, which sells the Fly Bo, says the car has a range of 70 to 150 miles. Do you think Fly Bo looks a little like the Smart? So does DaimlerChrysler and they did threaten to sue.
We have kept you updated of the controversy since October 2006 and now this news report and the Great Lakes Auto Sales website seem to prove you can pick one up in red, green or yellow for $10,000. Although, I would not recommend it because I am a little concerned about the quality of the cars. The news report says they are not recommended for use in the Winter.
... who decided to sell Fly Bo in balmy Michigan of all places?
Related:
- Mercedes may sue to stop Euro sales of Chinese Smart clone
- Chinese Smart cloner backs down
- Electric Smart coming from China without DCX?
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New Ford Ka debuts in Brazil
Xavier Navarro - ford-ka
Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, MPG, Ford, South/Latin America
Ford of Brazil has officially introduced the second generation of the tiny Ka, a model that will be put on sale in January. Europe's version of the model will be introduced by the end of next year, with no significant changes from the model pictured here (get more pictures at Autoblog en Español here)
The new Ka has a more simple and attractive style, although it loses part of the former model's personality. The car has gotten bigger, has a better trunk and better equipment (you should see the radios the old model had). The new Ka measures now 3.83 meters (up from 3.62 on the previous model) and 1.64 meters wide (one centimeter more), while height increases to 1.42 meters (1.38 on the previous model). The trunk's capacity increases as well, from 186 to 263 dm3.
All Brazilian models will be flex-fuel capable: a 1.0 liter engine capable of 73/70 HP (gas/ethanol) and a 1.6 good for 110/103 HP. Prices in Brazil will start in 25.190 reais (about $14,000 or 9,700 EUR) up to 36,390 reais for the top model ($20,250 or 14,000 EUR).
[Source: Autoblog en Español]
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EU CO2 rules will allow carmakers to pool emissions
Sam Abuelsamid - european-carbon-dioxide-emissions
Filed under: Legislation and Policy, European Union
The bickering over new CO2 emissions limits in Europe may finally be coming to an end. A draft directive could be released as soon as this week that includes a proposal that would allow car-makers to pool their emissions. With the goal of the whole process being to reduce the total fleet average emissions, companies that produce cars that emit more would be able to lump their vehicles in with those that have cleaner fleets. Porsche, whose very thirsty fleet obviously produces much more CO2 per vehicle, could team up with Volkswagen group whose fleet of smaller cars would offset that. Over time newer vehicles would still be required to reduce their emissions, but averaging the fleet helps get overall emissions down. It's not yet known what the penalties would be for missing the targets or what the threshold will be for getting classed as a low volume manufacturer to get an exemption. [Source: Drive.com.au]
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General Motors has considered E85 as a performance fuel
Jeremy Korzeniewski - chevrolet hhr
Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Chevrolet, GM
While sitting around a table speaking to some of General Motors performance-minded engineers, I decided to bring up the topic of using E85 as both a green and a performance fuel. I was a little surprised to hear that they had already debated this topic. Of course, GM is already making quite a few vehicles which are E85-capable, but the vehicles have not been given any modifications to take advantage of the higher-performing properties of the alcohol, they have been changed only to be capable of running on the fuel. What are the chances that we'll be seeing high-performance GM vehicles set up to run E85? It's a distinct possibility as more and more fuel stations begin to carry the fuel, but we don't suggest holding your breath for any alcohol-based performance changes being made to the vehicle. The Chevy HHR SS would have been a perfect candidate for such an option, as the vehicle features a turbocharged engine. GM went ahead and offered the launch-control and the no-lift shifting but did not decide to make it ethanol-capable. Ah well, can't win 'em all, right?
FYI - that would be your humble narrator autocrossing the HHR. Good times!
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