Study: modern ethanol plants are A-OK for this one land use issue
Conflicting study overload. That’s the only way to explain all the messages that we’re getting regarding biofuels recently. They speed up global warming . Ethanol is no better than gasoline . You know what I mean. Here’s another one, courtesy of the totally non-biased Illinois Corn Growers Association . The findings this time are that “a modern ethanol plant does not meaningfully change farmland use, neither the amount of land farmed nor the mix of crops planted (e.g., corn, soybeans).” Apparently, the ICGA felt the need to counter the “often cited” link between building new ethanol plants and shifting more land to cornfields. I didn’t know that was a troubling rumor, but Dr. Steffen Mueller from the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago looked at data from one plant for three years and came to the “no impact” conclusion. You can find the full study here if you really need to Car Blog Greenit yourself. [Source: Illinois Corn Growers Association ] Auto Blog: Ethanol Study: modern ethanol plants are A-OK for this one land use issue originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Study: modern ethanol plants are A-OK for this one land use issue
Bob Lutz to retire at the end of 2009
Auto Blog: GM Automotive journalists the world over are saddened and General Motors communications staff are breathing a sigh of relief today: Bob Lutz is retiring. For journalists, the loss of perhaps the most quotable executive since Hank the Duece means they will have to dig a little harder for stories. For the PR staff, it means a little less scrambling to spin the story whenever Lutz goes off script. Lutz has been Vice Chairman for Global Product Development at GM since 2001. Over his 45-year automotive career, Lutz has worked at Opel, BMW, Ford and Chrysler as well as a stint running Exide batteries. During his current stint at General Motors, Lutz has been a vocal champion for the newest generation of products ranging from the Cadillac CTS to the Chevrolet Volt . Lutz has also made himself a target as one of the executives behind the decision to kill the EV1 and hisCar Blog Green about man-made global warming being “a crock of …” As of April 1, Lutz will move to a senior advisor role and Tom Stephens will move over running global powertrain operations to overseeing all of product development. Lutz will officially leave GM at the end of the year. Thanks to everyone who sent this in. [Source: General Motors] Continue reading Bob Lutz to retire at the end of 2009 Bob Lutz to retire at the end of 2009 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Leave a commentSurvey Says: Americans still interested in fuel efficiency
Auto Blog: MPG , Green Daily There’s been much conjecture these last few months over whether or not sales of big, thirsty vehicles would pick back up after hitting the brick wall of high fuel prices last summer. Despite a modest uptick in pickup truck sales, the answer has mostly been no, but we won’t know for sure how things will rebound until the economy picks back up and credit is once again available to more people to purchase new vehicles. At least one recent study indicates that fuel economy is still a top concern for new car shoppers. According to the Consumer Federation of America , over three-quarters of those surveyed say that they are concerned about high gas prices and America’s dependence on foreign oil. Fifty-five percent of respondents are also concerned about global warming. These numbers are not dramatically lower than those recorded from a similar survey conducted last April. One more interesting point about the survey: The average new car shopper expects that their next vehicle will get about 30 miles per gallon, which they say is 5 mpg better than they get with their current vehicle. For a more detailed look at the findings, click here (.pdf link). [Source: CFA (.pdf link) via TTAC ] Survey Says: Americans still interested in fuel efficiency originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Survey Says: Americans still interested in fuel efficiency
Citroën announces new line of premium DS cars, which might include hybrid
Auto Blog: Diesel , Hybrid , PSA , Citroen What, a new Citroën DS? For those who don’t know, more than 50 years ago Citroën sparked a revolution with the DS (pronounced like “deésse” in French, which means goddess) and its hydraulic suspension, transmission and braking. When Citroën announced a revival of the DS, some classic car lovers thought that the new DS might be a neo-retro model. We were wrong. Instead, Citroën has announcing a new line of premium vehicles, the DS series, that will compete against German counterparts. The idea behind the DS badge is not to consume more, but consume better. Citroën states that they were inspired by Nespresso by adopting a specific product and branding based on market studies. So, side by side with regular models such as the C3 or C4 , buyers will be able to find upscale versions called DS 3 or DS 4. The first model, the DS 3 (pictured above) will be based on the C3 Picasso platform , but offers an “innovative solution for urban driving.” Citroën also promises CO 2 emissions for the DS 3 will range from 90 to 150 g/km. The DS 3 will have a Stop & Start system as a standard feature. For future models, such as the DS 4 or the DS 5, Citroën could include the same hybrid powerplant that PSA is readying for the Peugeot 3008 . There’s a couple of videos of the classic DS after the jump [Source: Le Figaro ] Continue reading Citroën announces new line of premium DS cars, which might include hybrid Citroën announces new line of premium DS cars, which might include hybrid originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Citroën announces new line of premium DS cars, which might include hybrid
Posted in Auto Green | a-behind-the, a-new-line, citro, citroen ds, daily, entry, foreign oil, fuel mileage, global-warming, include-hybrid, similar-survey, start stop | Leave a commentBolivia may hold the keys to lithium battery cars
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid Martin Alipaz / epa / Corbis – TIME For several years now, electric vehicle advocates have been pushing lithium ion batteries as the solution to the issues of global warming and fossil fuel use. Unfortunately, just as petroleum is a finite resource with the most abundant supplies being restricted to certain geographic areas, the same is true of lithium. A substantial proportion of the world’s known supplies of lithium carbonate are located in the central Andean region of South America, with the largest deposits in Bolivia and, to a lesser degree, Chile. For an impoverished country like Bolivia, this has the potential to bring the same kind of bounty that Saudi Arabia got in the second half of the last century. Unfortunately, for the rest of the world that’s hoping to use all that lithium, having a dominant player means that the cost of lithium batteries is unlikely to drop significantly any time soon even if production is ramped up. Bolivia’s leftist president Evo Morales wants a state-dominated lithium industry in order to ensure that the profits benefit the people of his country. As a result, some automakers are attempting to go directly to the Bolivian government to ensure adequate supplies. That would explain why most of the major automakers are tying up with battery makers in order to keep the technology in house rather than rely on suppliers. Regardless of who controls the supply of lithium, there remain concerns that demand could outstrip supply within a decade. if that happens, we’ll have to continue the search for other alternatives anyway. [Source: TIME ] Bolivia may hold the keys to lithium battery cars originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Bolivia may hold the keys to lithium battery cars
Posted in Auto Green | a-lesser-degree, bolivia, country, global-warming, government-help, Hybrids, lithiumcarbonate, rick perry, same, saudi-arabia, texas, world | Leave a commentRicardo opens new battery test lab in Michigan
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid This week, Ricardo officially opened its new Battery Systems Development Center in Van Buren, MI. The battery lab is claimed to be the biggest of its kind and, as a consultant, Ricardo is opening the facility to anyone developing energy storage systems for hybrid and electric vehicles. Ricardo is touting its Virtual Vehicle Development Environment. This is a simulation environment that models the entire vehicle, allowing the battery to be integrated and tested under a wide range of conditions that might be experienced in the real world. Ricardo has been actively working on alternative energy systems for a number of years in order to help both manufacturers and suppliers develop fuel-saving designs. This marks the second major announcement of a battery testing facility in southeast Michigin in recent weeks. GM’s new battery lab at the Warren, MI tech center will also provide testing capability to battery makers. In GM’s case it will share the testing data with the battery companies while building its own knowledge base on batteries. By offering testing services to other companies, Ricardo will be able to do the same. [Source: Ricardo] Continue reading Ricardo opens new battery test lab in Michigan Ricardo opens new battery test lab in Michigan originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Toyota increases fuel mileage on Camry, midsize wars rage on
Auto Blog: MPG , Toyota , USA If the late ’60s were all about horsepower, the late 2000s are all about fuel mileage. Thirty years ago, the muscle car was invented by dropping the largest available V8 engine in a midsize car platform. Today, the volume sellers cut that classic cylinder count in half, though the transmissions now have six forward ratios in lieu of the three- and four-speed units of yesteryear, mostly. More on that in a bit. In short, the horsepower wars have given way to the fuel efficiency wars, and Chevy, Ford and Toyota are locked in a three-way battle for the crown of most fuel efficient midsize sedan in America. Chevy came out swinging with its redesigned Malibu in 2008, and it’s upped the ante in 2009 with a new six-speed automatic, though the base models still come equipped with an antiquated four-speed. Toyota has tweaked its 2010 Camry enough to earn matching EPA ratings of 22 city and 33 highway, though that figure is achieved with a stick shift and drops by 1 mpg on the highway when equipped with an equivalent automatic transmission. Ford’s got ‘em all beat with its new 2010 Fusion, though, which tops the list of contenders with figures of 23 city and 34 highway. Let the fight continue. [Source: Kicking Tires ] Toyota increases fuel mileage on Camry, midsize wars rage on originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Toyota increases fuel mileage on Camry, midsize wars rage on
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