Hybrid News

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, On Two Wheels

Flex-fuel automobiles are nothing new. In fact, there are over 7-million flexible-fuel vehicles already on the roads in America, and it’s not at all uncommon to see gas stations that offer E85. All vehicles sold in the United States must be able to accept a minimum of 10 percent ethanol, but some modifications are required to run at higher percentages, including the use of different rubber tubes and seals along with some reprogramming of the engine’s computer. At this point, there are no motorcycles or scooters that are certified to run on fuel with ethanol concentrations as high as 85 percent, but Yamaha has recently filed a patent for just such a machine. Since there isn’t any production machine as of yet, details on the Yamaha system remain sketchy, with Motorcycle News in the UK suggesting that there is a secondary fuel tank on-board to hold the ethanol. This shouldn’t really be necessary if the bike is equipped with sensors to detect the alcohol content of the fuel. On the other hand, if Yamaha were planning to use the ethanol as an injection to control engine knock and emissions, a second tank would be necessary. We look forward to seeing what the Tuning Fork company has in store for its flex-fuel two-wheelers.

[Source: Motorcycle News]

Yamaha patents flex-fuel motorcycle originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Lightweight, UK

Ethanol has proven itself a viable fuel for tuners that want to get the most power from their automobiles. The alcohol has a higher octane rating that gasoline, meaning that an engine tuned to run on ethanol can make higher horsepower without the risk of detonation. This fact has prompted some companies to use ethanol for their performance cars, allowing them to offer extreme performance along with being able to market the vehicle as a greener option. The latest example of this strategy comes from Climax, makers of a new mid-engine British sportscar.

The Climax uses a lightweight aluminum structure underneath a body pounded either from aluminum or molded from carbon fiber. Power comes from a flex-fuel capable and Prodrive-tuned version of Subaru’s latest turbocharged boxer four cylinder engine, tuned to run on ethanol, which powers the rear wheels. Performance figures are impressive, with the run to 60 taking less than four seconds. Top speed is estimated at around 170 miles per hour. Combined fuel economy is rated at 27.4 miles per gallon. A full provisional spec-sheet is available (.pdf link). It’s definitely a good-looking car, though its green credentials may be debatable.

[Source: Climax Cars via Gizmag]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Ford, LA Auto Show

We’ve known for some time now that Ford’s redesigned 2010 Fusion and Milan sedans would be getting a new hybrid version for the first time. What we didn’t know before was that there will also be a new flex-fuel variant. An order guide has appeared on a Ford discussion board. The flex-fuel engine is based on the updated 3.0L Duratec ͢ that debuted earlier this year on the 2009 Escape and Mariner. It will be optional on the S, SE and SEL trim levels and matched up with the same new 6 speed automatic transmission used in the crossovers. The base engine on all three of those trim levels will be the new 2.5L four cylinder also shared with the Escape. On the SE and S trim levels the four will even be available with a new 6 speed manual transmission in addition to the automatic.

The Fusion/Milan hybrid will use an Atkinson cycle version of the 2.5L just like the Escape, but the hybrid hardware is expected to be an upgraded second-generation version. Electrical energy storage will be the usual nickel metal hydride battery pack. We should be learning more about the new Fusion powertrains next week.

[Source: Blue Oval Forums]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel

I wonder just how much money and time has been spent by national organizations promoting flexfuel vehicles - even though we all know that E85 fuel is pretty hard to find. Whatever the calculation, we need to add in the cost of a new F150 crew cab flexible-fuel vehicle (around $36,000) and a year’s worth of E85 (around $6,000). This was a bonus prize awarded to the Dirk Devries family in Minnesota, which recently won ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The local Dave Syverson Ford is providing the vehicle and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC), along with local POET biorefineries, is providing the biofuel. According to the local paper, the Devries family hasn’t had it easy recently and a friend of the family submitted their story to the TV show for consideration. Along with a new home, a new truck might make things better for them. We’ll see how they feel when they have to pay to fill it up next year.

[Source: Ethanol Promotion and Information Council]

Continue reading ABC Extreme Makeover winner gets flexfuel F-150 and a year’s supply of E85

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Legislation and Policy

A bipartisan group of senators has drafted a new energy bill that includes a mandate that all vehicles sold in the United States would have to be flex-fuel capable by 2020. During the GM BioFuels summit last Friday in Detroit, one of the subjects that came up was the use of flex-fuel vs. dedicated ethanol vehicles. When Brazil first started moving to ethanol in the 1970s, manufacturers built cars that only ran on ethanol. Due some volatility in fuel prices these proved to be unpopular. It was only when everyone started to make flex-fuel vehicles so that drivers could select the fuel that was most affordable that such cars and use ethanol really took off. Now more than 90 percent of new cars in Brazil are FFVs.

However, some in the industry are opposed to the plan. Barbara Nocera of Mazda is concerned that government shouldn’t mandate which technologies win out. The validity of this argument is dependent on how how the law is written. If it only mandates flex fuel capability without specifying particular fuels, this really shouldn’t be a problem. Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers president Dave McCurdy has said some engines are not easily adaptable to flex fuel capability. Again this seems a dubious argument at least for gasoline engines. There shouldn’t be any modern electronically controlled engines that couldn’t be flex-fuel capable.

GM spokesman Alan Adler told ABG that “In general, GM opposes mandates, including this one.” The real problem is not building the FFVs, but rather a lack of filling stations. Brazil has mandated that filling stations must install ethanol pumps, but less than one percent of U.S. stations offer E85. Adler said that most new GM programs “are going to offer flex-fuel capability but some, such as diesel programs, will not.” However, if the fuel isn’t available to buy it won’t make any difference.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Diesel, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, Suzuki

So far, Suzuki has steered clear of alternative fuel vehicles in the American market. They haven’t offered any diesels, flex-fuel or hybrid vehicles yet. That may soon change as the company will reportedly launch some vehicles that can run on not just E85, but also E100 as soon as 2010. The powertrains will be targeted at both the U.S. and Brazilian markets were E100 is commonly available. By March of 2009, Suzuki plans to launch a product in Brazil that can handle E25. Suzuki could also use its General Motors connections to bring a hybrid vehicle to market. In this case, it will more likely be the mild hybrid BAS system rather than the much more expensive Two-Mode hybrid. We might even get some of the diesels that Suzuki offers in other parts of the world.

[Source: Green Car Congress]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA

Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has proposed a new ten-year $150 billion energy plan today in Michigan. A large part of the plan centers around transportation — both the use of petroleum and the types of cars we are to drive in the future. For automakers, $4 billion in loans and loan guarantees would be made available for PHEV development, with one-million of the vehicles to be ready for sale by 2015. For consumers, a $7,000 tax credit would be offered for their purchase of said vehicle. Also, in a more short-term effort, Obama proposes that the U.S. sells some seventy-million barrels of oil from America’s strategic petroleum reserve.

While those PHEVs are being developed, Obama’s plan would increase fuel economy standards 4-percent per year. What’s more, Obama would mandate at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2030 while requiring that fuel producers reduce their fuel’s carbon emissions by 5 percent within 5 years and 10 percent within 10 years. To make those biofuels have as large an impact as possible, all new vehicles would be required to have flex-fuel capability within four years.

Lastly, the entire White House fleet will be converted to plug‐ins within one year (does this include the new presidential limo that will debut in January?) and half of all cars purchased by the federal government will be plug‐in hybrids or all‐electric by 2012. See the entire plan in .pdf form at this link.

[Source: Barack Obama - .pdf]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Diesel, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, Honda

The Wall Street Journal reports Honda is considering ethanol and more natural gas-powered cars. In the past Honda has not been positive on ethanol. Here is Honda’s U.S. sales chief John Mendel, speaking in August 2006, when asked about making flex fuel cars:

We′re not against it. … In the list of priorities right now, we haven′t moved it up the list. It is less efficient from a fuel-economy standpoint.

Why is ethanol suddenly a priority a little over a year later? The ethanol glut currently in the market and the energy bill’s inclusion of an even greater push for biofuels, makes adding a $100 worth of technology to your car a no-brainer.

The Wall Street Journal article also mentions a new affordable Honda hybrid in 2009, which seems to be the CR-Z. The only thing new seems to be that by “affordable,” Honda means a hybrid premium under $2,000 which sounds a little higher than the $1,750 premium Honda has said before.

The Wall Street Journal also says Honda is considering diesel for larger cars to comply with new fuel efficiency requirement in the pending energy bill. They would not elaborate on which diesel technology is under consideration.

Related:

• Honda’s new dedicated hybrid to be a high-volume model
• Honda says no to ethanol, says it’s not efficient
• Honda’s environmental strategy includes diesels, affordable hybrid
• 2009 Honda Accord diesel to hit 52 mpg!

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Ferrari, LA Auto Show

Ferrari probably won’t make a hybrid or a full electric car but they just might make a flex-flex car that can run on ᭉ. That possibility comes directly from Maurizio Parlato, President and CEO of Ferrari North America, at the end of an interview at the LA Auto Show with the Wall Street Journal, which you can watch above. At first, the WSJ notices the Ferrari’s beautiful, candy red looks but notes this show is all about green and then asks what have they got that’s green, to which Maurizio replies thank you for asking me that, we are very sensitive to this point and we have to be and then this

We are thinking and moving in the direction of ethanol to make ethanol a part of our, basically possibility, we are considering seriously about that.

…ah, his English is not great but I think the message is clear. Ethanol makes a lot of sense for a sports car because you can get more power from ethanol and things like lower mileage or higher fuel cost are probably not of great concern to a sports car driver. It’s really too bad Ferrari cannot look at hybrids as a being a source of power but this is great news none the less.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Toyota

We told you February that Toyota’s racing series would use ethanol in 2007 and now we have a video of the first race from T͟, where they describe it as a world’s first in motor sport. Toyota currently does not sell a flex fuel vehicle in the US market but they may sell flex fuel vehicles in the next several years. It may cost car makers as little as $100 to make a car flex fuel, and most cars are already built to tolerate ten percent ethanol blends in gasoline and Toyota does sell flex fuel vehicles in Brazil, so it’s probably not a technology or cost issue. Why the wait, Toyota?

Related:

• LA 2007: Toyota Sequioa to get Flex-fuel option in fall 2008
  
• Toyota looking at a plug-in hybrid, flex-fuel vehicles?
• Toyota To Unveil Flex-Fuel Tundra In North America In 2008
• Toyota to intro flex-fuel Tundra, hopes it will help sales in the Mid-West
• World Touring Car Championship to run ethanol exclusively from 2009
• American Le Mans Series moving further into biofuels
• First-ever all-ethanol Indy 500 has a winner…

[Source: YouTube]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, GM, Toyota, LA Auto Show

Your browser does not support JavaScript. This media can be viewed at <a href=”http://www.podtech.net/home/4588/la-auto-show-gm-press-conference”>http://www.podtech.net/home/4588/la-auto-show-gm-press-conference</a>

In GM’s LA Auto Show press conference, which you can watch above in full, GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Development, Bob Lutz says the same thing we reported GM CEO’s Rick Wagoner said: GM will release sixteen hybrids in the next four years. Here is the exact quote:

If you want to talk hybrids; we are introducing four more hybrids in the US this year. In fact, counting the new Saturn Green Line, we are introducing sixteen hybrids in the next four years. That’s one about every three months.

Bob continues saying that the 16 will include vehicles with GM’s full, two-mode hybrids. Before that, Bob said GM has a goal of making and selling the most fuel efficient car in every available category, and mentioned the company already has the most fuel-efficient pick ups and has sold 2.5 M flex fuel cars. GM announced its “strong intent″ to be the “world wide fuel solutions leader and undisputed environmental and technological leader in the industry.” Bob says they are going to do it across their entire line of cars and not just with a single iconic green car, which Bob says they will have anyway. Bob even hinted at a lot more flex fuel cars coming from GM, whic makes me wonder if some big announcement is coming.

Basically, GM is talking to Toyota Muhammad Ali-style: we are the best and we are going to kick your butt!

[Source: Podtech]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, GM, Toyota, LA Auto Show

Your browser does not support JavaScript. This media can be viewed at <a href=”http://www.podtech.net/home/4588/la-auto-show-gm-press-conference”>http://www.podtech.net/home/4588/la-auto-show-gm-press-conference</a>

In GM’s LA Auto Show press conference, which you can watch above in full, GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Development, Bob Lutz says the same thing we reported GM CEO’s Rick Wagoner said: GM will release sixteen hybrids in the next four years. Here is the exact quote:

If you want to talk hybrids; we are introducing four more hybrids in the US this year. In fact, counting the new Saturn Green Line, we are introducing sixteen hybrids in the next four years. That’s one about every three months.

Bob continues saying that the 16 will include vehicles with GM’s full, two-mode hybrids. Before that, Bob said GM has a goal of making and selling the most fuel efficient car in every available category, and mentioned the company already has the most fuel-efficient pick ups and has sold 2.5 M flex fuel cars. GM announced its “strong intent” to be the “world wide fuel solutions leader and undisputed environmental and technological leader in the industry.” Bob says they are going to do it across their entire line of cars and not just with a single iconic green car, which Bob says they will have anyway. Bob even hinted at a lot more flex fuel cars coming from GM, whic makes me wonder if some big announcement is coming.

Basically, GM is talking to Toyota Muhammad Ali-style: we are the best and we are going to kick your butt!

[Source: Podtech]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, Legislation and Policy

During a recent international renewable energy forum in Beijing, Liu Zhijia, Assistant General Manager of Chery, said by 2010 half of Chery’s vehicles will be hybrids and half of those hybrids will run on clean fuels. Here is exactly what he said:

New energy is a driving force for the sustainable development of auto industry, by 2010 more than fifty percent vehicles produced by Chery will be equipped with hybrid systems, and half of those vehicles will be powered by new energy.

Yin Tongyao, Chery’s chief executive has said Chery “will reach annual sales of 1 million autos by 2010.” That would translate to annual sales of 500,000 hybrids a year from Chery. For comparison, the total U.S sales for hybrids for 2006 was 254,545. Will Chinese hybrids flood the U.S market? Not right away. Chery does not intend to enter the US market for four years.

At the forum, Liu also said the hybrid development plan will have three phases. The first step has mild hybrid sedans starting production in 2008 which means that overall emissions from Chery vehicles will be reduced between 10 and 30 percent. The second phase is the development and mass production of full hybrids and electric/alcohol vehicles by 2010. That’s when Chery expects half of its sales to come from hybrids. The final phase is the development of fuel cells cars by 2015.

The Chinese vice-minister for science and technology, Cao Jianlin, was also at the forum and he said the government will provide funding and tax breaks as part of a government plan to encourage green technology. Chinese auto makers Shanghai Automotive and FAW has also shown interest in hybrid technology. The future of Chinese hybrids looks bright.

[Source: Heliq]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, GM

There are already millions of flex-fuel vehicles on the road today, and manufacturers like General Motors have committed to building many, many more. In fact, GM has plans for half of their entire fleet of automotive offerings to be flex-fuel capable by the year 2012. According to Jim Wagoner, GM’s CEO, if all of the flex-fuel vehicles that are currently on the roads were actually powered by ᭉ, the U.S. could displace 22 billion gallons of gasoline annually. This raises a serious problem, though, considering that there are only about 1,400 ᭉ pumps in the entire country. Many of those are all clustered in a few Midwestern states. In view of this, Wagoner suggests that the U.S. needs about ten times as many ᭉ pumps than are currently operational.

No matter what your view of ᭉ may be, you likely agree that using food crops such as corn is not the best choice. In lieu of corn, Wagoner suggests investing more heavily in cellulosic ethanol (which is exactly what GM is doing with Coskata in the deal announced today). There is plenty more to read here, where you can read the text of the Wagoner’s entire speech. You’ll also encounter a couple of very, very bad jokes. Enjoy!

[Source: General Motors, CNET Green Tech blog]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Toyota, Asia

Although Toyota is the undisputed leader in hybrid sales, it has shied away from offering E85-capable vehicles in the United States. In other markets, though, where ethanol is widely available and popular, such as Brazil, Toyota has seen fit to offer vehicles which are able to run on the alcohol fuel. Just-Auto reports that Thailand might be the next market where Toyota could begin offering E85-capable vehicles, citing The Nation newspaper in Thailand. The decision to offer ethanol-capable vehicles is made easier as any gasoline engine can be made to run on E85 with only minor changes, such as new fuel lines and a computer recalibration.

Toyota also hopes that the price of E85 remains low in relation to the price of gasoline, which could help offset the lower mileage that E85 fuel causes. The source article also points to molasses and tapioca as locally-grown feedstocks for the production of the fuel itself.

[Source: Just-Auto - sub. req′d]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski