As more clean diesel vehicles begin to hit the market, consumers should be aware that diesel car manufacturers are taking different technology paths. The two main paths mean different responsibilities for car owners, although the goal is the same: to reduce emissions.
Proponents of ethanol emphasize its environmental and energy security benefits.
Some say hydrogen is the fuel of the future. Others say it always will be.
Fewer than 500 filling stations in the US offer commercial biodiesel. But unlike any other fuel for modern engines, biodiesel can be made at home without investing heavily in special equipment or earning a PhD in chemistry.
Audi believes it can sell 20 to 25 percent of its vehicles in the United States with diesel powertrains. The company is pushing a political message—reducing foreign oil dependency by driving diesel—with ad and marketing dollars, but its executives aren't sure if it will pay off.
Diesel is and will remain the solution for auto emissions in Europe. That’s the implied message based on the long and growing list of diesel debuts at next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show. Here’s our quick rundown of announcements so far.
Despite little evidence that the United States federal government will support hydrogen fuel cells in the future, General Motors intends to stay the course. Alan Taub, GM's new executive director of research and development, said the company's first hydrogen powered cars will roll off of assembly lines by 2012.
Plugging cars into the grid is quickly moving from concept to reality—and the auto and electric utility industries are frantically trying to make it a success. That’s the main theme of Plug-in 2009, a conference taking place from Aug. 10 - 13 in Long Beach, Calif. Many questions remain, such as the kind of charging equipment that carmakers will offer with their plug-in cars, and how to streamline the installation process.
In the auto industry’s struggle to re-invent itself as innovative, high-tech, and environmentally friendly, car companies have fixed on the idea of plug-in hybrids and electric cars as a solution. What hasn’t been worked out is the fundamental question of how and where a million plug-in vehicles will find juice for their cars. Pike Research, a renewable energy research and consulting firm, identified a number of myths about how electric car charging will unfold by 2015.
Over the past few weeks, Congress has moved to defend hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol, and compressed natural gas from detractors in the EPA and the Department of Energy, ensuring their continued survival in the national budget. With billions of dollars in subsidies and tax exemptions hanging in the balance, the battle for alternative fuel supremacy is likely to rage on for some time.
