Researchers from the Michigan State University said that their recent study on the land use change for biofuel reduction suggest that previous analyses may have been based on incorrect bases and assumptions.
In the online January issue of the Environmental Science & Technology journal, Professor Bruce Dale and his co-authors at the Michigan State University have said that most of the recent studies on greenhouse gas emission have not considered possible important factors that could affect the previous analyses.
Based on their new study, the estimation of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions connected with land use change could be best measured through cropping management. The study says that if there are consistent no-till and no-till plus cover crop practices, the required payback period for the land would substantially be reduced to three shorter years.
The recent development on the topic has caused experts to go on a debate. The issue is deemed to be crucial as it plays a big impact on the biofuel industry in the country.
The MSU professors noted that the recent studies have caused the country to set higher greenhouse gas standards compared to those that are in the local industry. Dale, supported by his co-authors, also said that the calculated time, by which biofuels would give environmental benefits, has many discrepancies. The MSU professors insist that the proposed timeframe of the earlier studies might not work right as the models used for the studies were not based on all the potential factors crucial for the formulation of the said time estimation.
Filed under: Alternative Fuels, Research | Comment (0)
Article tags: Alternative Fuels, Research
It may be a half step delayed from BMW’s campaign for efficient dynamics but it is better late than never. 
Audi has announced the development and implementation of new technologies to help make their vehicles more fuel efficient.
Audi will introduce several technologies by mid of 2009. This will include a stop and start feature and energy recovery through the brake system.
The stop start system will just be like what others have developed. The system of the car will be off when the vehicle stops and the clutch is released. The engine will be turned on again once the driver engages the clutch. This technology is not yet available for the automatic transmission coupled engine.
The stop start system aims to reduce the carbon dioxide emission by 5g/km and about 0.2L of fuel for every kilometer. Audi will first use this technology on the A3 TFSI 1.4, 2.0L A4, and the A5.
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Article tags: Audi, Fuel Economy, Fuel Efficiency
United States President Barack Obama pushes for tighter measures 
on vehicle emission and fuel economy standards set to take effect in 2016.
The proposal urges automakers to have a fleet average of 35.5 mpg when the proposal is set into law, a standard which is 10 mpg higher that today’s rules. Obama also proposed a cut on carbon emissions from vehicles which play a major factor in worsening global warming.
Car manufacturers hear the gunfire at the starting point of a race to make lighter vehicles and efficient car engines like diesels and hybrids to meet the new guidelines. Experts point out though that the new call for better standards will have a $600 top up in the cost of production of every vehicle.
Looking from another vantage point, the US will be able to save 1.8 billion barrels of oil by 2017. The assumption is based on the average daily consumption of the US market of as much as 20.7 million barrels per day. The savings is equal to about 87 days of US oil usage.
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Article tags: CO2 Emissions, Efficiency, Fuel Economy, Fuel Efficiency, Government
A Green Jobs and Climate Action laws package was introduced by the governor and leaders of Washington to push for $455 million of investments that will build the foundation for new energy technologies, green buildings, and energy efficient transportation projects.
Allocations for the $455 million are as follows:
- $419 million will be devoted to fund transportation projects that will include express lane automation, biodiesel ferries, vanpool vehicles, HOV lanes, safety infrastructure programs for bikes and pedestrians, and commute reduction initiatives.
- The activities of the Community Economic Revitalization Board will be supported with $20 million of funding.
- $10 million will aid the development of projects focusing on renewable energy technology for housing projects and public facilities.
- Biofuel processing facilities and other biomass energy initiatives will be perked up by $6 million.
Legislations will serve as the foundation of these initiatives and investments to control damage to the environment and explore other options for energy production.
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VW and Toshiba are considering teaming up and creating a smart car killer Electric Vehicle. Story from VW Talk.
The VW group is known to be interested with alternative fuel technology in the recent years. They have been pouring their efforts on the BlueMotion Technologies but have yet to explore the EV market. The Toshiba partnership will be a perfect opportunity.
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The market trend in the automotive industry is moving toward electric cars, and Italian auto design house Pininfarina is among the companies who will be coming out with their line of electric models.
The B0 or B Zero is Pininfarina’s five-door hatchback compact EV which was designed to be a solution to have a cleaner world. The B0 was unveiled at the Paris Mondial de l’Automobile 2008 in honor of Pininfarina’s late chairman and chief executive Andrea Pininfarina.
The production of B0 will be a collaborative project between Pininfarina and the Bollore Group, with the latter company in charge of producing the supercapacitators and the LMP or lithium-metal polymer battery pack to be used in the B0. For those who don’t know, the LMP battery pack is placed beneath the car floor and works to ensure that the weight distribution is balanced. Among the advantages of using the LMP battery pack is that it’s rechargeable in just a few hours, has high energy density, has a service life of 125,000 miles, and is maintenance free.
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Italian high-end designer Italdesign came up with this wankel rotary engine powered hybrid car… More info on the Italdesign Hybrid can be found at Green Cars are Great!
Today, with their innovative concept, Italdesign revealed that the hybrid coupe is a two-seater and can achieve a top speed on the road at 186 miles per hour, or 300 kilometers per hour. It can also be accelerated from an amazing zero to 62 miles per hour in less than 4 seconds.
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Two engineering programs are being run by Orbital Corporation Ltd. and Sygma Motors in Brazil for heavy duty and fuel efficient engines targeted to be sold to Vale Solutions in Energy (VSE). Vale Solutions is Sygma’s sole partner in engine development.
The FlexDI technology of Orbital was selected as blueprint for the new FlexFuel engines that Sygma Motors is currently developing. The technology application will begin with an engine testing and development program which is worth around US$1.1 million.
Included in these engineering programs is the development of a spark-ignited ethanol combustion system. This spark-ignited ethanol combustion system is pegged to be used during the team-up’s public demonstration. The ethanol combustion system is also targeted to replace the existing diesel application systems being used now.
The three companies are also set to collaborate on flex-fuel OEs and other retrofit applications for commercial vehicles with either diesel-pilot ignition for Ethanol and CNG fuels, or spark-ignition FlexDI.
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Filed under: Alternative Fuels, CNG, Ethanol, Hydrogen, Natural Gas, Orbital Corporation, Sygma Motors | Comment (0)
It has been reported that Audi, through its top executives, has approved 
the project for a wide range of Audi eco-friendly cars to come in the next 6 years. It will include five units to be called E1 to E5, reports say. We found more info at Audi Talk!
In the recent year, Audi was open to the ‘green campaign’ even on automobiles. This is in line with the unified efforts of different industries to be more conscious of the environment’s state. True enough, Audi is with this campaign.
Why the next six years?
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Lotus has long been envied for producing super light super cars. Amid the auto world which is focusing on developing more efficient cars, Lotus showed interest on producing fast electric cars. They may do it before 2009 ends.
The name of the game for Lotus and Colin Chapman, the designer who pioneered the sportscar line of the brand, is to add lightness to the car. This means that the Lotus sports car are efficient speed monsters that can save a lot of fuel and less wear on the tires.
The efficiency of the design of the car serves as an advantage during races where the Lotus needs lesser pit than competitors like Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz. To date, the Lotus philosophy of being light lives on and production line uses light weight extruded-aluminum.
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