Ever really wondered what cars out there now are actually the best when it comes to fuel economy? No fancy modified engines, just cars straight from the dealer? Well wonder no more, here's a list (it's not pretending to be all inclusive) in case you're wondering. They are all 2010 models, and their combined mileage ratings are in parenthesis.
1. Toyota Prius (50)
2. Honda Civic Hybrid (42)
3. Honda Insight (41)
4. Ford Fusion Hybrid (39)
5. Mercury Milan Hybrid (39)
6. Smart ForTwo (36)
7. Lexus HS 250h (35)
8. Nissan Altima Hybrid (34)
9. Toyota Camry Hybrid (34)
10. Volkswagen Jetta TDI (runs on Diesel) (34)
11. Volkwagen Golf TDI (runs on Diesel) (34)
12. Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI (runs on Diesel) (34)
13. Toyota Yaris (32)
14. Mini Cooper (32)
15. Ford Escape Hybrid (32)
16. Mercury Mariner Hybrid (32)
17. Mini Clubman (31)
18. Honda Fit (31)
19. Kia Rio (31)
20. Hyundai Accent Blue (31)
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/fuel-efficient-cars-47102201
About half of that list are hybrids, with several of those being rebadged versions of each other. So in reality, the list is actually shorter. Nonetheless, it still presents a good amount of choices for a car buyer looking to buy a car that gets over 30 mpg combined.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Another Alternative - Propane
I wrote a blog not too long ago about Biodiesel, now it's propane's turn.
Normally when you think of propane, you think of gas grills and stoves, correct? Well, apparantly it can, and has been used as an alternative fuel source for cars. Of course, like any other alternative fuel source, it requires some serious, and sometimes pricey modifications to an engine.
When compared to normal gasoline, propane burns cleaner, as it gives off 18 percent less CO2, 20 percent less NOx, and up to 60 percent less CO.
http://blogs.motortrend.com/6435023/green/propane-pro-gain-roush-performance-pushes-propane-the-other-alternative-fuel/index.html#ixzz0Zi3vwqWX
However what is somewhat interesting is that you can expect about a 13 percent decrease in fuel economy. Meaning you have to use more propane (by volume) to get you the same distance that gasoline does. Despite that, it still expels less hydrocarbons by volume than your typical gasoline car.
A Few Thoughts
In case you can't already tell, I'm the kind of person who will randomly start thinking about something and have it hit me while I'm driving. Driving back from school this morning, I began thinking about well, cars (how appropriate right?).
I was thinking about why people are buying hybrid cars - or in fact not buying hybrid cars. Instead of looking at it in the way of "Hybrid = green", I'm looking at it as in "Hybrid = less gas = less money at the pump." The conventional way of thinking is that people, as a whole, are trying to save the environment and stop using combustible fossil fuels.
Is that true?
I'm not so sure, honestly. Sure the government is thinking that way, trying desperately to cut dependencies on foreign countries for fuel sources and even giving massive funding (and subsequent policies that force automakers to comply with newer regulations) to car companies, but does that translate to the thinking of the average American?
If we were truly environmentally aware, our world would come to a halt. Even relatively innocent looking products such as the keyboard I'm typing on right now came from crude oil. Yes, plastics are a crude oil product - and you very well know how much plastic there is in the world. We are all so caught up in convenience and (some) ignorance regarding how "green" our lifestyles are.
For the average person (even me), deciding to buy a hybrid car doesn't always mean they are trying to be green. It can, and often only means that they want to spend less money at the pump. Sure that's a pessimistic way of looking at things, but we are all guilty in some way or another in perpetuating this ongoing cycle.
It's unfortunate there's not really a solution to all of this.
I was thinking about why people are buying hybrid cars - or in fact not buying hybrid cars. Instead of looking at it in the way of "Hybrid = green", I'm looking at it as in "Hybrid = less gas = less money at the pump." The conventional way of thinking is that people, as a whole, are trying to save the environment and stop using combustible fossil fuels.
Is that true?
I'm not so sure, honestly. Sure the government is thinking that way, trying desperately to cut dependencies on foreign countries for fuel sources and even giving massive funding (and subsequent policies that force automakers to comply with newer regulations) to car companies, but does that translate to the thinking of the average American?
If we were truly environmentally aware, our world would come to a halt. Even relatively innocent looking products such as the keyboard I'm typing on right now came from crude oil. Yes, plastics are a crude oil product - and you very well know how much plastic there is in the world. We are all so caught up in convenience and (some) ignorance regarding how "green" our lifestyles are.
For the average person (even me), deciding to buy a hybrid car doesn't always mean they are trying to be green. It can, and often only means that they want to spend less money at the pump. Sure that's a pessimistic way of looking at things, but we are all guilty in some way or another in perpetuating this ongoing cycle.
It's unfortunate there's not really a solution to all of this.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
High Speed Trains
So I was browsing around and I found something really interesting.
http://io9.com/5413145/super-high-speed-trains-might-be-a-part-of-your-future-holiday-travel-plans
It's a mostly foreign thing right now, with high speed trains overseas that can go much, much faster than any passenger train in the US as of right now. Specifically, Japan is experimenting with the Maglev, a magnetically powered super high speed train that has been clocked at 500 km/h. It's pretty spectacular, as it uses the same kind of technology (albeit on a larger, faster scale) as certain newer roller coasters.
The Japanese Maglev operates on the same principle that you can use magnets to propel something on a track at ridiculous speeds, except that instead of propelling a roller coaster train up an incline, it can power a passenger train for hundreds of miles.
It's a really interesting prospect, something that honestly would be pretty cool. However, for it to become a mainstream reality it once again has to jump over some steep hurdles. First of all, the US rail system would obviously not work for this, and you would need a ton of money (and obvious approval by Congress etc... which is another story altogether) and it would ALSO have to find a way to supply the power.
Magnets by themselves can't produce the type of force required to do this, there has to be a current induced on the magnets to produce the force that will pull on the train. This current must be supplied by electrical power - which varies in "greenness".
http://io9.com/5413145/super-high-speed-trains-might-be-a-part-of-your-future-holiday-travel-plans
It's a mostly foreign thing right now, with high speed trains overseas that can go much, much faster than any passenger train in the US as of right now. Specifically, Japan is experimenting with the Maglev, a magnetically powered super high speed train that has been clocked at 500 km/h. It's pretty spectacular, as it uses the same kind of technology (albeit on a larger, faster scale) as certain newer roller coasters.
The Japanese Maglev operates on the same principle that you can use magnets to propel something on a track at ridiculous speeds, except that instead of propelling a roller coaster train up an incline, it can power a passenger train for hundreds of miles.
It's a really interesting prospect, something that honestly would be pretty cool. However, for it to become a mainstream reality it once again has to jump over some steep hurdles. First of all, the US rail system would obviously not work for this, and you would need a ton of money (and obvious approval by Congress etc... which is another story altogether) and it would ALSO have to find a way to supply the power.
Magnets by themselves can't produce the type of force required to do this, there has to be a current induced on the magnets to produce the force that will pull on the train. This current must be supplied by electrical power - which varies in "greenness".
An Experiment in Hypermiling
So I decided to observe my own driving habits today. Like I mentioned a while back, hypermiling is the technique anyone can use to improve your fuel economy above the normal values, by changing how you drive.
It turns out it's quite difficult, actually. Perhaps the worst part is braking and acceleration as slow as possible. Sometimes, traffic is just too darn unpredictable to really have it be practical. It requires a level of concentration that I personally, have trouble keeping. I drove today from Fort Worth to College Station, enduring one interstate freeway and a state highway.
On the highway, it takes some effort on my part because my car does not have cruise control, for good or bad. So it means it is all up to my foot to decide how consistent my speed is. That is the toughest thing because you tend to gauge your speed on how fast the surrounding cars are going on long trips. It's interesting to see what happens when you ignore your speedometer for a bit and take traffic's speed.
The hardest thing however, is getting off and on the highway. When you get off, you have to find a way to lower your speed, and quickly. It requires discipline and careful timing to get away with minimal braking, especially if there are other drivers around you. And then, all your efforts could just be wasted by some jerk of a driver that decides to cut you off when you have the right of way.
Hard braking is bad, as you can imagine. So I personally think that hypermiling is more practical to some people than others - people who have cruise control, live in a stable traffic areas, and have a mild mannered driving style will get the best results. Otherwise, your efforts to save some gas may come up short.
It turns out it's quite difficult, actually. Perhaps the worst part is braking and acceleration as slow as possible. Sometimes, traffic is just too darn unpredictable to really have it be practical. It requires a level of concentration that I personally, have trouble keeping. I drove today from Fort Worth to College Station, enduring one interstate freeway and a state highway.
On the highway, it takes some effort on my part because my car does not have cruise control, for good or bad. So it means it is all up to my foot to decide how consistent my speed is. That is the toughest thing because you tend to gauge your speed on how fast the surrounding cars are going on long trips. It's interesting to see what happens when you ignore your speedometer for a bit and take traffic's speed.
The hardest thing however, is getting off and on the highway. When you get off, you have to find a way to lower your speed, and quickly. It requires discipline and careful timing to get away with minimal braking, especially if there are other drivers around you. And then, all your efforts could just be wasted by some jerk of a driver that decides to cut you off when you have the right of way.
Hard braking is bad, as you can imagine. So I personally think that hypermiling is more practical to some people than others - people who have cruise control, live in a stable traffic areas, and have a mild mannered driving style will get the best results. Otherwise, your efforts to save some gas may come up short.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Biodiesel - Ups and Downs
Biodiesel.
It sounds particularly nice and amazing and green. Sometimes that's all that's necessary to make a product actually succeed, but in reality biodiesel is definitely not a permanent, end-all solution to environmental safety.
Biodiesel itself is just vegetable oil or animal based fat diesel fuel - making the process of acquiring, at least using conventional wisdom, fairly light on the environment. The comparison is made to fossil fuels - and the truth is that in creating biodiesel, it is must more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels.
What people sometimes forget is that creating gasoline from crude oil requires quite a deal of energy - and these processes expel Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere. Biodiesel can be better, but only if there is enough effort placed at the production level to reduce these emissions. Those factors include the source of the fuel, as certain sources will produce less environmentally friendly results. If unregulated, it could also lead to deforestation by planting the feedstocks that will become the fuel.
Overall, biodiesel is an acceptable alternative, if, and only if, it is produced properly.
It sounds particularly nice and amazing and green. Sometimes that's all that's necessary to make a product actually succeed, but in reality biodiesel is definitely not a permanent, end-all solution to environmental safety.
Biodiesel itself is just vegetable oil or animal based fat diesel fuel - making the process of acquiring, at least using conventional wisdom, fairly light on the environment. The comparison is made to fossil fuels - and the truth is that in creating biodiesel, it is must more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels.
What people sometimes forget is that creating gasoline from crude oil requires quite a deal of energy - and these processes expel Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere. Biodiesel can be better, but only if there is enough effort placed at the production level to reduce these emissions. Those factors include the source of the fuel, as certain sources will produce less environmentally friendly results. If unregulated, it could also lead to deforestation by planting the feedstocks that will become the fuel.
Overall, biodiesel is an acceptable alternative, if, and only if, it is produced properly.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Texas and Fuel Economy
"Everything is bigger in Texas."
Perhaps it's because I've lived in Texas for the majority of my life that I can't really speak as to whether or not it's actually true. Anyways, in the respect of fuel economy, bigger usually is worse. So what is this phenomenom that we see then?
"Last year, about 55 percent of the 1 million vehicles sold in Texas were light trucks, an industry term that includes including pickups and many SUVs, according to R.L. Polk & Co. in Southfield, Mich., which tracks new vehicle registrations. Nationwide, light truck sales represented about 48 percent of the 10.5 million vehicles sold, the firm said."
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3260550
According to this article, Texans simply like trucks. Well it makes sense since the entire state has evolved this sub-culture that has arguably kept the truck industry going. While I can't necessarily speak for the entire state, but I'm pretty sure that it's a sign that trucks and SUVs, while looked down upon, are here to stay in some form or another.
The article claims they may go, but that they'll go "kicking and screaming." However it's going to be virtually impossible to be completely rid of large vehicles. There will always be a market for large vehicles for transit purposes, and in order to keep our entire current economic system (which is a mixed economy, which includes capitalism) those same vehicles will be available for purchase in a non-commercial form. That would allow regular people to handle what companies do, allowing for someone with a pickup truck to make some money or start a business.
Aside from that, the commercial market will probably never see the outlawing of large cars, unless they are offered a decent alternative. In fact, that's the case everywhere. No one wants to see anything be completely gone, and the only way they're going to stand for it is if there's a legitimate alternative.
Perhaps it's because I've lived in Texas for the majority of my life that I can't really speak as to whether or not it's actually true. Anyways, in the respect of fuel economy, bigger usually is worse. So what is this phenomenom that we see then?
"Last year, about 55 percent of the 1 million vehicles sold in Texas were light trucks, an industry term that includes including pickups and many SUVs, according to R.L. Polk & Co. in Southfield, Mich., which tracks new vehicle registrations. Nationwide, light truck sales represented about 48 percent of the 10.5 million vehicles sold, the firm said."
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3260550
According to this article, Texans simply like trucks. Well it makes sense since the entire state has evolved this sub-culture that has arguably kept the truck industry going. While I can't necessarily speak for the entire state, but I'm pretty sure that it's a sign that trucks and SUVs, while looked down upon, are here to stay in some form or another.
The article claims they may go, but that they'll go "kicking and screaming." However it's going to be virtually impossible to be completely rid of large vehicles. There will always be a market for large vehicles for transit purposes, and in order to keep our entire current economic system (which is a mixed economy, which includes capitalism) those same vehicles will be available for purchase in a non-commercial form. That would allow regular people to handle what companies do, allowing for someone with a pickup truck to make some money or start a business.
Aside from that, the commercial market will probably never see the outlawing of large cars, unless they are offered a decent alternative. In fact, that's the case everywhere. No one wants to see anything be completely gone, and the only way they're going to stand for it is if there's a legitimate alternative.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Plug-In Electric Cars - the Infrastructure Problem
Like I noted in a previous blog entry, the Chevrolet Volt is set to be available as a 2011 model late next year, making it the first plug in electric plug in hybrid vehicle to be available to the mass public. However, MPG claims aside, I did forget to previously mention a very serious problem to the growth and success of a model (and definitely subsequent competitor models as well).
Ask yourself: If that car was available now, wouldn't you be afraid that you'd simply run out of power? You have a busy day ahead of you, and you find yourself driving an unusually long route without having your batteries fully charged. Then, like a toy car of a much smaller price, the thing dies on you.
Quite simply said, right now you can't really walk up to anyone's house or business and ask to plug in your car. In order to make these cars even feasible for the average person to want to use, there has to be some infrastructure changes. Right now, you can find gas stations EVERYWHERE so it's usually hard to actually run out of gasoline and be left on the side of the road. It happens, but with an electric car, you need some kind of charge station.
Like this article says, it's not as simple as just going wild and building charge stations. Things like this require money, serious amounts of money in order to create the necessary changes nationwide, or at least in highly populated areas.
Just a little food for thought. Honestly, even though an all electric car sounds really darn nice right about now, the hassle of owning one in our current situation could be enough to deter the average person.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Air Travel (Public Transport part 2)
We all know how much of a hassle it is to get on an airplane now. Even the act of getting into the terminal, let alone the actual airplane can be a stressing experience. So the question is, is it worth it?
Well of course, since airplanes are basically the most viable long distance transportation out there. Ever since the air travel industry was born, people have been using it to travel in between cities and later countries, piggy-backing along as technology caught up to demands and then created the commercial system we see today.
Of course, how resource friendly are airplanes anyway?
By nature of the requirements of air travel, jet fuel costs quite a bit more than automative gasoline, as a quick check of jet fuel prices in College Station said the average was about 4 dollars a gallon. But think for a second how big airplanes are.
You are talking about tens of thousands of pounds of jet fuel on commercial sized airplanes, amounting to a few thousand gallons of fuel. Granted, the range and the usage of that fuel will be for much, much greater distances than a car or truck, but the sheer magnitude of the fuel that one plane carries is staggering.
Now it makes much more sense why prices just keep on climbing.
Well of course, since airplanes are basically the most viable long distance transportation out there. Ever since the air travel industry was born, people have been using it to travel in between cities and later countries, piggy-backing along as technology caught up to demands and then created the commercial system we see today.
Of course, how resource friendly are airplanes anyway?
By nature of the requirements of air travel, jet fuel costs quite a bit more than automative gasoline, as a quick check of jet fuel prices in College Station said the average was about 4 dollars a gallon. But think for a second how big airplanes are.
You are talking about tens of thousands of pounds of jet fuel on commercial sized airplanes, amounting to a few thousand gallons of fuel. Granted, the range and the usage of that fuel will be for much, much greater distances than a car or truck, but the sheer magnitude of the fuel that one plane carries is staggering.
Now it makes much more sense why prices just keep on climbing.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Public Transportation part 1
So most of what I've been blogging about has been focused on private transportation - basically methods that you use for moving yourself, and maybe a few others around. While the future in that aspect is strictly limited by availability of new technologies, lack of infrastructure to support radical changes, and finances, public transportation is a slightly different thing.
Truth is, options for public transportation are out there but they vary from country to country, state to state, city to city. Overall though, the most common, and usually cheapest form of public transportation are buses, which by all intents and purposes are just oversized cars. Universities often give college students a free bus system - Texas A&M is no exception, with the Aggie Spirit system.
The Aggie Spirit system is an example of one of the better bus systems out there, but only if you look locally just in the immediate area most frequented by college students. If someone wants to venture outside of the high traffic areas in College Station, you are out of luck. City buses run into the same problem, especially in large expansive cities. You can't ever hope to have a network that will cover the entire city really well.
This is where public transportation hits its limits. While it is relatively cheap, or free on a per-ride basis, it can sometimes by inconvenient. Trains are even worse in the convenience factor, as they better serve intra-city travel rather than inter-city travel - making day to day trips to the supermarket or work very much impossible using this method unless you have to travel a large distance.
However, even with those convenience factors one must take into account that these services run no matter how many people ride on them. They run on schedules, running their routes constantly to serve the people who do use them. If utilized efficiently, then the net outcome is that overall people are saving gas and natural resources.
Sure that an individual bus or train will use WAY more power and/or gas than an average car, but it's not just carrying 1-5 people. It's carrying dozens of people, and cities are constantly trying to be more environmentally friendly by using gas-alternatives. So just take a minute and weigh the ups and downs of public transportation.
Next time, I'll go into the air travel industry.
Truth is, options for public transportation are out there but they vary from country to country, state to state, city to city. Overall though, the most common, and usually cheapest form of public transportation are buses, which by all intents and purposes are just oversized cars. Universities often give college students a free bus system - Texas A&M is no exception, with the Aggie Spirit system.
The Aggie Spirit system is an example of one of the better bus systems out there, but only if you look locally just in the immediate area most frequented by college students. If someone wants to venture outside of the high traffic areas in College Station, you are out of luck. City buses run into the same problem, especially in large expansive cities. You can't ever hope to have a network that will cover the entire city really well.
This is where public transportation hits its limits. While it is relatively cheap, or free on a per-ride basis, it can sometimes by inconvenient. Trains are even worse in the convenience factor, as they better serve intra-city travel rather than inter-city travel - making day to day trips to the supermarket or work very much impossible using this method unless you have to travel a large distance.
However, even with those convenience factors one must take into account that these services run no matter how many people ride on them. They run on schedules, running their routes constantly to serve the people who do use them. If utilized efficiently, then the net outcome is that overall people are saving gas and natural resources.
Sure that an individual bus or train will use WAY more power and/or gas than an average car, but it's not just carrying 1-5 people. It's carrying dozens of people, and cities are constantly trying to be more environmentally friendly by using gas-alternatives. So just take a minute and weigh the ups and downs of public transportation.
Next time, I'll go into the air travel industry.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
New (err old?) Technologies
Fear not, there are some interesting, and entirely plausible technologies that are being developed that could in fact make the 200+ pounds of Carbon Dioxide emissions per fill up a thing of the past.
The first thing that comes to mind, is an all electric car. For years, it was completely cast aside because the technology was not there - there was simply no way engineers could get an electrical battery to produce the kind of power a combustion engine could. And then, once they could do that, it cost a fortune.
Now it's arguably gotten better, with the Chevrolet Volt on the horizon. Sure it's just one vehicle and it won't change the industry (even the Toyota Prius, the face of hybrids hasn't changed the entire auto industry) but it serves as a good example of what engineers are coming up with to simply use less gasoline.
The Chevy Volt is different than normal hybrids because it operates on the concept of series, rather than parallel. It has a battery which, under normal driving conditions, is supposed to power the car, without any use of gasoline, for up to 40 miles. From then on, the gasoline engine kicks in, keeping the car's batteries charged. And once you're home, the Volt then plugs in to an outlet and charges the batteries. All said, General Motors claims that the car will get 230 MPG.
Yes, I'll say it again. 230 miles per gallon. Personally, I'm a skeptic of this, because as we now know, driving habits will make things so much more different in the area of fuel economy, and plus, what is GM's definition of "average driving conditions"? Nevertheless, even if it's a more respectable 100+ miles per gallon, it could theoretically change the industry.
Note theoretically. You would think that people would flock the car, but they won't for one particular reason.
Cost.
It's the curse of every new technology. The Volt is said to be available as a 2011 model late next year, but at somewhere around $40,000. This places well above the mainstream consumer, which becomes a problem for anything to change an industry. More than likely, we will see these cars, and any other cars like it from its competitors, have a slow start and maybe after 5-10 years, will pick up.
New technologies are always an odd bet - by the time one technology matures and becomes mainstream, it almost always becomes obsolete by then. So we will see what happens.
The first thing that comes to mind, is an all electric car. For years, it was completely cast aside because the technology was not there - there was simply no way engineers could get an electrical battery to produce the kind of power a combustion engine could. And then, once they could do that, it cost a fortune.
Now it's arguably gotten better, with the Chevrolet Volt on the horizon. Sure it's just one vehicle and it won't change the industry (even the Toyota Prius, the face of hybrids hasn't changed the entire auto industry) but it serves as a good example of what engineers are coming up with to simply use less gasoline.
The Chevy Volt is different than normal hybrids because it operates on the concept of series, rather than parallel. It has a battery which, under normal driving conditions, is supposed to power the car, without any use of gasoline, for up to 40 miles. From then on, the gasoline engine kicks in, keeping the car's batteries charged. And once you're home, the Volt then plugs in to an outlet and charges the batteries. All said, General Motors claims that the car will get 230 MPG.
Yes, I'll say it again. 230 miles per gallon. Personally, I'm a skeptic of this, because as we now know, driving habits will make things so much more different in the area of fuel economy, and plus, what is GM's definition of "average driving conditions"? Nevertheless, even if it's a more respectable 100+ miles per gallon, it could theoretically change the industry.
Note theoretically. You would think that people would flock the car, but they won't for one particular reason.
Cost.
It's the curse of every new technology. The Volt is said to be available as a 2011 model late next year, but at somewhere around $40,000. This places well above the mainstream consumer, which becomes a problem for anything to change an industry. More than likely, we will see these cars, and any other cars like it from its competitors, have a slow start and maybe after 5-10 years, will pick up.
New technologies are always an odd bet - by the time one technology matures and becomes mainstream, it almost always becomes obsolete by then. So we will see what happens.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Interesting Facts and Figures, part deux
That's part 2 for non-French speakers!!
So I promised in the last blog that I would tell you how much stuff, specifically, Carbon Dioxide is chugged out by burning gasoline. It just involves a little Chemistry and some background knowledge.
First you take one gallon of gasoline (which has a variable chemical formula based on the additives etc) which on average has about 2,421 grams of total Carbon. The oxidation factor for the burning of gasoline is 99% (meaning 99 percent of it reacts with oxygen in the reaction) and then the resulting number is multiplied by 44/12, which are the molecular weights of Carbon Dioxide and Carbon, respectively. The result is:
8,788 grams of Carbon Dioxide or 8.8 kilograms, or about 19.4 pounds.
It's shocking, isn't it? By burning one gallon of gasoline, you create almost 20 pounds of Carbon Dioxide, which is the leading greenhouse gas pollutant. I admit, I was astounded by this. It literally sounds just as bad as it is - meaning that even my car, which has about an 11 gallon tank, creates over 200 pounds of Carbon Dioxide per fill up, from empty of course.
Now whether or not global warming is a real phenomenom or not is outside the point of this blog, but you have to realize the sheer amounts of CO2 that is being chunked out of our tailpipes, considering there are about 600 million vehicles on the planet. I don't think anyone can really argue that it's a good thing.
Which is why we have quite a few things to look forward to, which hopefully if technology and luck is on our side, are just around the corner. Next time I'll post about upcoming cars and certain technologies that may change things in the area of efficiency.
So I promised in the last blog that I would tell you how much stuff, specifically, Carbon Dioxide is chugged out by burning gasoline. It just involves a little Chemistry and some background knowledge.
First you take one gallon of gasoline (which has a variable chemical formula based on the additives etc) which on average has about 2,421 grams of total Carbon. The oxidation factor for the burning of gasoline is 99% (meaning 99 percent of it reacts with oxygen in the reaction) and then the resulting number is multiplied by 44/12, which are the molecular weights of Carbon Dioxide and Carbon, respectively. The result is:
8,788 grams of Carbon Dioxide or 8.8 kilograms, or about 19.4 pounds.
It's shocking, isn't it? By burning one gallon of gasoline, you create almost 20 pounds of Carbon Dioxide, which is the leading greenhouse gas pollutant. I admit, I was astounded by this. It literally sounds just as bad as it is - meaning that even my car, which has about an 11 gallon tank, creates over 200 pounds of Carbon Dioxide per fill up, from empty of course.
Now whether or not global warming is a real phenomenom or not is outside the point of this blog, but you have to realize the sheer amounts of CO2 that is being chunked out of our tailpipes, considering there are about 600 million vehicles on the planet. I don't think anyone can really argue that it's a good thing.
Which is why we have quite a few things to look forward to, which hopefully if technology and luck is on our side, are just around the corner. Next time I'll post about upcoming cars and certain technologies that may change things in the area of efficiency.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Interesting Facts and Figures part 1
You can believe the figures here or not, but this is what I've been able to conjure up with a few Google searches regarding fuel economy numbers.
Average Fuel Economy in the US in 2006
17.2 miles per gallon
Average Fuel Economy for Passenger Cars in the US in 2006
22.4 miles per gallon
The entirety of the data can be found here and here.
There are two things possibly wrong in that data, not that I'm necessarily calling out the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. One, the EPA changed all the miles per gallon values in 2008. So you can call them out on that, as it skews every single value before 2008 on fuel economy numbers. Essentially what the EPA did was lower the values for every single car made before 2008, so all the numbers listed on the BTS are wrong by today's standards.
So it regretfully means...the national average is actually even lower. Yikes. But there's hope though. I'm sure you heard of the Cars for Clunkers program that ran this last summer?
That program will probably skew the numbers for 2009 (due to the large number of clunkers traded in for more fuel efficient cars) so things are looking better. However these numbers are to be expected.
For next time, look forward to knowing how much pollutants are created by burning gasoline. The numbers will be surprising.
Average Fuel Economy in the US in 2006
17.2 miles per gallon
Average Fuel Economy for Passenger Cars in the US in 2006
22.4 miles per gallon
The entirety of the data can be found here and here.
There are two things possibly wrong in that data, not that I'm necessarily calling out the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. One, the EPA changed all the miles per gallon values in 2008. So you can call them out on that, as it skews every single value before 2008 on fuel economy numbers. Essentially what the EPA did was lower the values for every single car made before 2008, so all the numbers listed on the BTS are wrong by today's standards.
So it regretfully means...the national average is actually even lower. Yikes. But there's hope though. I'm sure you heard of the Cars for Clunkers program that ran this last summer?
That program will probably skew the numbers for 2009 (due to the large number of clunkers traded in for more fuel efficient cars) so things are looking better. However these numbers are to be expected.
For next time, look forward to knowing how much pollutants are created by burning gasoline. The numbers will be surprising.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
So what can I do? Part 2
Here's the continuation of my last blog, which detailed two different methods to get better fuel economy without having to buy a fancy new car. Now that we've gone over the obvious first step which is to not to have a ridiculous car in the first place, here are some more things you can do without spending a penny to get more miles per gallon out of the current car you have.
3) Keep your car maintained
It's really easy to lose track of when your oil change is due. Face it, everyone at some point or another procrastinates this little nuisance, even I'm guilty of it. Do this and you'll save yourself a little bit of gas, while keeping your car nice and "healthy" if you'd call it that. Aside from that, use the right kind of motor oil if you change your oil yourself.
You can also improve mileage a little more by keeping your tires properly inflated. You can improve your mileage up to 3.3 percent, according to the EPA's numbers. Not doing this apparantly nets you a drop in .3 percent for every psi your tires are off.
And lastly, keep your engine well-tuned overall. If your engine is making weird noises, don't expect your gas mileage numbers to be good. Even worse, faulty sensors can cause all sorts of problems lowering your gas mileage by almost 40 percent. Yikes, but that's only in very serious situations. So pay attention to your car, and look out for warning signs that something is wrong.
4) Keep your ride (reasonably) clean
If your car looks anything like this, for goodness sake, clean it!!
Even if it's just an average "dirty", all the dirt and such will increase drag coefficients and therefore friction when you're driving, making your car work harder to achieve the same result on a clean car. So pay attention to the wash me's that have been etched on your car, it could save your some money (assuming you don't go all out in washing your car by spending 40 bucks on a wax job everytime...).
5) Avoid unnecessary things
You know that fancy bike rack you've mounted on your SUV? Or the ski rack that you're dying to use for that ski trip? Take them off when you're not using them. It's a little bit of common sense, but those things add weight and increase drag coefficients as well.
Also, decreasing the amount of things present in your car can improve mileage. And no, I'm not asking you to throw out your occupants. You're naturally going to get less mileage if you're lugging around hundreds and hundreds of pounds of extra weight, so anything you don't honestly really need in your car, leave at home.
And most unnecessary of all, simply try not to drive unless you have to. Use public transportation if its available (You can argue that those buses and trains and such waste more gas than cars, but truth is that bus is going to use that gas even if you don't get on, so why not take advantage of it?) and if possible, walk or use a bike.
Of course, these are all suggestions. If your heart so desires to run around in a dirty monster truck that's about to fall apart, by all means do it. Just know that your mileage numbers will probably be in the single digits.
3) Keep your car maintained
It's really easy to lose track of when your oil change is due. Face it, everyone at some point or another procrastinates this little nuisance, even I'm guilty of it. Do this and you'll save yourself a little bit of gas, while keeping your car nice and "healthy" if you'd call it that. Aside from that, use the right kind of motor oil if you change your oil yourself.
You can also improve mileage a little more by keeping your tires properly inflated. You can improve your mileage up to 3.3 percent, according to the EPA's numbers. Not doing this apparantly nets you a drop in .3 percent for every psi your tires are off.
And lastly, keep your engine well-tuned overall. If your engine is making weird noises, don't expect your gas mileage numbers to be good. Even worse, faulty sensors can cause all sorts of problems lowering your gas mileage by almost 40 percent. Yikes, but that's only in very serious situations. So pay attention to your car, and look out for warning signs that something is wrong.
4) Keep your ride (reasonably) clean
If your car looks anything like this, for goodness sake, clean it!!
Even if it's just an average "dirty", all the dirt and such will increase drag coefficients and therefore friction when you're driving, making your car work harder to achieve the same result on a clean car. So pay attention to the wash me's that have been etched on your car, it could save your some money (assuming you don't go all out in washing your car by spending 40 bucks on a wax job everytime...).
5) Avoid unnecessary things
You know that fancy bike rack you've mounted on your SUV? Or the ski rack that you're dying to use for that ski trip? Take them off when you're not using them. It's a little bit of common sense, but those things add weight and increase drag coefficients as well.
Also, decreasing the amount of things present in your car can improve mileage. And no, I'm not asking you to throw out your occupants. You're naturally going to get less mileage if you're lugging around hundreds and hundreds of pounds of extra weight, so anything you don't honestly really need in your car, leave at home.
And most unnecessary of all, simply try not to drive unless you have to. Use public transportation if its available (You can argue that those buses and trains and such waste more gas than cars, but truth is that bus is going to use that gas even if you don't get on, so why not take advantage of it?) and if possible, walk or use a bike.
Of course, these are all suggestions. If your heart so desires to run around in a dirty monster truck that's about to fall apart, by all means do it. Just know that your mileage numbers will probably be in the single digits.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
So what can I do? Part 1
"What if I don't want to buy anything?"
Of course. That's the best part of efficiency - you don't necessarily have to buy a shiny new car or whatever to be more efficient and friendly to the environment. Sure it helps simply doing that, however there are a few things anyone and everyone should be able to do.
Let's get the obvious out of the way.
1) Don't purchase a ridiculous vehicle in the first place
Okay, that's not necessarily something everyone can do (I mean if you had a chance to get a Lamborghini for free, wouldn't you take it? It's a no brainer, come on!!) but it's certainly a start. This more or less means that you should think twice about buying that huge super duty truck or a massive SUV if you're really not going to use all the size. If you need that power and space, then by all means knock yourself out.
Truth is, no matter how hard you try you can never be efficient in any way shape or form when it comes to fuel economy when you're talking about high horsepower numbers and huge weights. This applies to sports cars too, especially when you talk about V8's and supercharged engines, and then the whole tuner car culture.
My point is, you'll be fighting a very hard, and uphill battle if you want a car like that to get the fuel economy of a midsize car or better. It probably just won't work. Especially if you have a car like this:
Okay I lie, you can't buy that. That's just a pasted together... thing. If you found that funny, you should see where it came from:
http://jalopnik.com/5279008/ten-you-might-be-a-redneck-limos/
2) Drive conservatively
The easiest way to do this is to essentially drive slowly, deliberately, and carefully. You'll save yourself all the extra gas by avoiding unnecessary consumption simply by using the gas pedal a little less. Simply ask yourself - do I really need to get up to the speed limit that quickly? Is my driving subject to being called "maniac" in any way? Seriously, if most anyone calls your driving crazy, then you probably could be saving some gas by driving more conservatively.
Even if you're a mild mannered driver, you could always improve. I'm certainly guilty in this respect, as my timelyness to class matters a little more than saving some gas. So I find myself almost unconsciously driving a little faster when I'm in a rush. If you want some more information on these techniques, I suggest you take a look here:
http://www.hypermiling.com/
Like the name suggests, hypermiling is the practice of changing your driving habits to save gas - and possibly get more than the EPA's official numbers on gas mileage.
That's the end for part 1, part 2 will come soon!
Of course. That's the best part of efficiency - you don't necessarily have to buy a shiny new car or whatever to be more efficient and friendly to the environment. Sure it helps simply doing that, however there are a few things anyone and everyone should be able to do.
Let's get the obvious out of the way.
1) Don't purchase a ridiculous vehicle in the first place
Okay, that's not necessarily something everyone can do (I mean if you had a chance to get a Lamborghini for free, wouldn't you take it? It's a no brainer, come on!!) but it's certainly a start. This more or less means that you should think twice about buying that huge super duty truck or a massive SUV if you're really not going to use all the size. If you need that power and space, then by all means knock yourself out.
Truth is, no matter how hard you try you can never be efficient in any way shape or form when it comes to fuel economy when you're talking about high horsepower numbers and huge weights. This applies to sports cars too, especially when you talk about V8's and supercharged engines, and then the whole tuner car culture.
My point is, you'll be fighting a very hard, and uphill battle if you want a car like that to get the fuel economy of a midsize car or better. It probably just won't work. Especially if you have a car like this:
Okay I lie, you can't buy that. That's just a pasted together... thing. If you found that funny, you should see where it came from:
http://jalopnik.com/5279008/ten-you-might-be-a-redneck-limos/
2) Drive conservatively
The easiest way to do this is to essentially drive slowly, deliberately, and carefully. You'll save yourself all the extra gas by avoiding unnecessary consumption simply by using the gas pedal a little less. Simply ask yourself - do I really need to get up to the speed limit that quickly? Is my driving subject to being called "maniac" in any way? Seriously, if most anyone calls your driving crazy, then you probably could be saving some gas by driving more conservatively.
Even if you're a mild mannered driver, you could always improve. I'm certainly guilty in this respect, as my timelyness to class matters a little more than saving some gas. So I find myself almost unconsciously driving a little faster when I'm in a rush. If you want some more information on these techniques, I suggest you take a look here:
http://www.hypermiling.com/
Like the name suggests, hypermiling is the practice of changing your driving habits to save gas - and possibly get more than the EPA's official numbers on gas mileage.
That's the end for part 1, part 2 will come soon!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
You Know It's Coming - Hybrids
Honestly, did you not expect at least one entry in this to be devoted to hybrid cars? Naturally, it's exactly the kind of car that comes to mind when thinking about fuel efficiency. In the last decade or so the number of hybrid cars on the road has grown exponentially - a fact not lost upon automakers as fuel prices rise and recent bailouts seem to specifically point out. So does this mean the world is coming to an age where everyone drives hybrids and are all smug about what they're doing for the environment? Hardly.
Even as recently as a few years ago, owning a hybrid meant sacrificing a lot in terms of driving performance, and most obviously looks. I mean, tell me how something that looks like this could really honestly have expectations of becoming mainstream:
For reference sake, that is actually a 1999 Honda Insight. Which is worlds apart different than the modern (ha!) Honda Insight, which is a part of the second movement of hybrids that I'll talk about later. This first movement of hybrids is obviously characterized by weird looks, and while the technology was present, the fuel economy was extraordinary, being a respectable 61/66.
However notice how small this car. This image stuck even more in the eyes of consumers especially as competitors like the first generation Toyota Prius arrived on the market. From here, you don't need me to explain what happened. The whole gas crisis pretty much slapped everyone silly, especially people who had bought things like this in recent years.
(Picture from TopSpeed)
Even as recently as a few years ago, owning a hybrid meant sacrificing a lot in terms of driving performance, and most obviously looks. I mean, tell me how something that looks like this could really honestly have expectations of becoming mainstream:
For reference sake, that is actually a 1999 Honda Insight. Which is worlds apart different than the modern (ha!) Honda Insight, which is a part of the second movement of hybrids that I'll talk about later. This first movement of hybrids is obviously characterized by weird looks, and while the technology was present, the fuel economy was extraordinary, being a respectable 61/66.
However notice how small this car. This image stuck even more in the eyes of consumers especially as competitors like the first generation Toyota Prius arrived on the market. From here, you don't need me to explain what happened. The whole gas crisis pretty much slapped everyone silly, especially people who had bought things like this in recent years.
(Picture from TopSpeed)
(An exaggeration, by the way. That Hummer is beyond ridiculous.) Anyways, here is where the second movement of hybrids really took off. In this time, the 2nd generation Toyota Prius became the industry focus point as it's increased size and still impressive gas mileage numbers arguably set the hybrid industry in motion. Now it's increasingly tough to simply buy a Toyota Prius (which has recently begun its 3rd generation) but there are many other options that one should really consider.
First of all, there are two main types of hybrids. Full hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight sport that classic hybrid hatchback look, which hits a good balance between a decently attractive exterior, and not trying to fool anyone into thinking it is anything but a hybrid. Then there are the mild hybrids, which include hybrid versions of the Ford Escape, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Malibu and even (yes!) a hybrid pick-up truck, the Chevrolet Silverado. (To be quite honest, that idea sounds great but who is really going to be worrying a lot about fuel economy when you absolutely need to buy a truck?)
What's the catch you ask? Money. Money. And more money. Obviously, such technology doesn't come free even with today's advances. Depending on the car, you could pay thousands more for a hybrid version, which makes you think - does it make financial sense? Yes and no. What's truly obvious is that once you get a hybrid, you'll pay less at the pump, but a little more on the car payment.
If you're looking to buy a hybrid, weigh your options. Some of the mild hybrids have poor, I mean poor increases in gas mileage. The full hybrids have fuel economy numbers up in the 40's and 50's, but then you have to settle for the hybrid look and feel. So honestly, if it were up to me, I'd buy one of the mild hybrids which give a decent increase in gas mileage, while keeping the look and most of the feel of driving a conventional car.
So knock yourself out - just do your research so that you know for sure that you're not simply buying a label.
First of all, there are two main types of hybrids. Full hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight sport that classic hybrid hatchback look, which hits a good balance between a decently attractive exterior, and not trying to fool anyone into thinking it is anything but a hybrid. Then there are the mild hybrids, which include hybrid versions of the Ford Escape, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Malibu and even (yes!) a hybrid pick-up truck, the Chevrolet Silverado. (To be quite honest, that idea sounds great but who is really going to be worrying a lot about fuel economy when you absolutely need to buy a truck?)
What's the catch you ask? Money. Money. And more money. Obviously, such technology doesn't come free even with today's advances. Depending on the car, you could pay thousands more for a hybrid version, which makes you think - does it make financial sense? Yes and no. What's truly obvious is that once you get a hybrid, you'll pay less at the pump, but a little more on the car payment.
If you're looking to buy a hybrid, weigh your options. Some of the mild hybrids have poor, I mean poor increases in gas mileage. The full hybrids have fuel economy numbers up in the 40's and 50's, but then you have to settle for the hybrid look and feel. So honestly, if it were up to me, I'd buy one of the mild hybrids which give a decent increase in gas mileage, while keeping the look and most of the feel of driving a conventional car.
So knock yourself out - just do your research so that you know for sure that you're not simply buying a label.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
TFoE Begins!
Hello everyone! As I'm sure you've read already, the basis of this blog will be The Future of Efficiency. Efficiency in what you ask? The transportation industry, something that I'm sure almost everyone can relate to and surely wonder about.
My name is Mauricio Lopez and I'm a Junior at Texas A&M University, majoring in Engineering Technology, something that one day I hope to apply to the very industry that I'll be exploring in this blog. Since millions of people own and operate cars on a daily basis, a good majority of my time will be focused on what companies (and everyday people like you!) are doing to be more efficient when it comes to transportation.
This mostly translates to finding ways to save fuel - something also advertised as "going green."
I hope you'll find that my blog entries are interesting and aren't your everyday, boring scientific mumbo-jumbo - a little wit sprinkled in there should hopefully brighten up your day, or at least break whatever cycle of monotony you're currently stuck in. Anyways, I hope to see you around!
-ML
My name is Mauricio Lopez and I'm a Junior at Texas A&M University, majoring in Engineering Technology, something that one day I hope to apply to the very industry that I'll be exploring in this blog. Since millions of people own and operate cars on a daily basis, a good majority of my time will be focused on what companies (and everyday people like you!) are doing to be more efficient when it comes to transportation.
This mostly translates to finding ways to save fuel - something also advertised as "going green."
I hope you'll find that my blog entries are interesting and aren't your everyday, boring scientific mumbo-jumbo - a little wit sprinkled in there should hopefully brighten up your day, or at least break whatever cycle of monotony you're currently stuck in. Anyways, I hope to see you around!
-ML
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