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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Tech , Mercedes-Benz Mercedes -- like a lot of other folks -- believes oil is going to run out eventually. But instead of waiting until the "Low on Oil" light comes on, the brand behind the three-pointed-star has set a goal to convert its entire fleet to run on alternative fuels by 2015. That's seven years to get off the drink we've all been addicted to for well over a century. In the pipeline first are fuel-efficient technologies such as Stop/Start on the marque's next A- and B-Class models sold in Europe. Then come the BlueEfficiency vehicles with Mercedes' supremely parsimonious diesel engines, and eventually the Diesotto first shown in the F700 . And then come the real showstoppers: ethanol, electric, and fuel cell vehicles. There are electric smarts running trials in London right now, and the F600 Hygenius is expected to eventually spawn some sort of production variant. On the face of it, seven years to go diesel...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Government/Legal , Green , Tech Petroleum prices are making electric vehicles and engines which run on biofuels look more and more attractive with each passing day. That's why its likely to be a hot topic this election season as each presidential candidate sets out his own unique proposals to ease the country into a new era of lower fuel consumption. Biofuels may be the quickest path to lower petroleum usage, but it's electric vehicles which present the biggest step forward in clean auto technology looking forward. Both biofuels and battery technology are getting some love from Senator John McCain, who's set to propose a prize of $300 million for the first company who can build a better battery. That's a large sum of money, but it won't be easy to tap considering that the goal is for a battery with "the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars." Oh yeah, and do...
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Filed under: Green , Tech Jon Markman at MSN Money doesn't hold back when he says "Corn-based ethanol production is sure to go down as one of the greatest mistakes ever in U.S. energy policy." It's even more provoking when he writes "replacing fossil fuels with corn-based ethanol would double greenhouse gas emissions over the next three decades. The studies show that switchgrass, an alternative to ethanol that's more weed than plant, would boost emissions by 50%." The problem isn't with the cars, the problem is with what it takes to grow the biofuel in the first place. Clearing the land, harvesting, and refining the crops, plus the loss of forest and wild lands and habitats, amounts to creating a carbon footprint worse than fossil fuels. According to the Science article which, admittedly, posits an extreme scenario, it would take 423 years to even out the carbon debt if Indonesia's peat lands were converted to palm oil fields. The research is starting...
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Filed under: Green , Tech , Saab With stricter European emissions controls looming, expect to see Saab jump on the "less is more" (or, at the very least, "less is equal") bandwagon, joining companies like Renault and Volkswagen , which have begun implementing smaller engines that provide power comparable to larger units. In an interview, Saab Great Britain's managing director Jonathan Nash stated that smaller-displacement turbocharged E85 engines are likely to appear in the near term. Look for them to ape the success of the currently-available, larger BioPower engines that are top-sellers in Sweden. Those motors make more power on Ethanol than gasoline, and Saab feels it can go smaller without forcing drivers to accept a performance penalty. For consumers to take full advantage, their markets need to have readily-available E85 of course. Longer term, Nash says that the Biofuels and hybrid technology are probably the future of Saab, and you might remember that this combo was previewed last...
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