General Motors announced a $69 million investment in an engine plant in Moraine, Ohio, to produce a cleaner, more advanced version of the Duramax diesel engine. The engine is intended for the Chevrolet Suburban, the Hummer H2, and the full-range of GM pickup trucks and full-size vans.
Diesel engine vehicles are on the rise, and could overtake hybrids as the darlings of the green car world. Dr. Johannes-Joerg Rueger, vice president of engineering for diesel systems for Robert Bosch LLC, believes that diesel vehicles are a practical and feasible next step for improving mpg in the United States.
In a possible breakthrough, a research team from Texas A&M University has modified certain genes in E. coli to make the bacteria capable of producing hydrogen—possibly enough to create the energy to power homes and vehicles in the future.
A new study by Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research showed that only six percent of new-car shoppers in the US think that diesel can succeed in becoming a mainstream powertrain for the future.
What were the biggest hybrid stories of the past seven days? Which ones represent real developments, and which ones are wishful thinking and vehicle vaporware? This past week’s best bet is the development of an electric vehicle infrastructure in Israel. We are more doubtful about a new green brand from BMW and GM’s investment in cellulosic ethanol.
If chatter on the Internet is any indication of market trends, then clean diesel technology will become a strong contender in the world of green motoring. In a report entitled, “Shaping the Future of Automotive Engine Technology,” BrandIntel, a market research firm, analyzed the volume and sentiment of online discussions about eco-friendly transportation. The firm concluded that U.S. consumers are starting to see diesel as a viable alternative to hybrid and gas-powered vehicles.
Chrysler announced that it will become the newest member of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, an organization aimed at promoting vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology. The company will also unveil the ecoVoyager fuel cell concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show in January.
via PR Newswire
November 30, 2007
Honda President Takeo Fukui with the Honda FCX. Fukui said, “When the demand is there, the hydrogen economy will happen.”
The sleek, sporty new design of the Honda FCX fuel cell vehicle certainly grabbed the attention of visitors to the 2007 North American International Auto Show, which runs through Jan. 21. The FCX’s predecessor, by comparison, was downright dowdy—but don’t think for a minute that Honda’s design team was asleep at the switch.
The American car dealership showroom lacks a full battery-electric vehicle (or a plug-in hybrid, which would come close to offering the same electric-drive benefits). Another three or more years, at least, will come and go before such a vehicle is accessible and affordable to most consumers. Nonetheless, 2006 may go down in history as the year that the auto industry began to combine the freedom to go anywhere with the freedom from oil addiction.
