My Perfect Automobile » Biofuel

ZERO’D Muscle Car Wows Aussie Motor Show

Larry Bell — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 19:54:06 +0000

ZERO’D Muslce Car: It’s easy being green

The Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) features a rarity this week, a 600-horsepower muscle car that is as environmental as such things can be. Based on the 1967 Ford XR Falcon, this new concoction, dubbed the ZERO’D, has a carbon footprint that is almost non-existent. Hence the ‘zero’ nomenclature. Australian entrepreneur Mick Fabar, a nationally known green-construction mogul, came up with the idea of making a muscle car out of scrap, and using a mixture of biodiesel as its fuel.

Australian Int’l Motor Show: Video

For a fun look at last year’s AIMS, see the action-packed video clip below. The Australian event is now a joint venture between the nation’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. The Melbourne show, before the merger, had been around since 1925, when the event was presented in the historic Royal Exhibition Building. Only in 2009 did the two cities agree to a joint show, taking turns as host. This year is Sydney’s turn, with show dates of Oct. 19 through Oct. 28. Recently, the AIMS has built a reputation as the place to see some of the most exotic vehicles in the world, as well as some of the major automakers’ concept cars. In 1984, the Melbourne Motor Show exhibited what was then the most expensive car on earth, a 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

ZERO’D Muscle Car: Green Power

After 18 months in design and construction, the ZERO’D made its world debut six months ago at the MotorEx show in Sydney. Now, it will get a fuller airing at the massive AIMS event this week and next.

For more about the car upon which the ZERO’D is based, see the following information page on the XR Ford Falcon, a classic muscle car that is still popular with auto buffs all over the world, but especially in Australia and Asia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Falcon_%28Australia%29#XR

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Trident Iceni Diesel: Good to Go

Larry Bell — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 21:09:50 +0000

Trident Iceni diesel car

The bio-fuel Trident Iceni is on its way to the Salon Prive show, where many of the world’s most expensive and luxurious vehicles will be on display. The drive train is able to run on bio-diesel, diesel, linseed oil, or palm oil. Take your pick! The show is held at London’s fashionable Syon Park. The Iceni boasts a mid-front, 6.6-liter turbo-diesel engine and can roar at a top speed of 200 mph, dashing from zip to 60 in 3.7 seconds.

Trident Iceni Diesel: Video

For a quick walk-around of the elusive Trident Iceni, the clip below features a short test-drive and a bit of background about the hot ride. The Iceni is certainly one of the most attractive cars to come along in years, bearing a slight resemblance to some of the newer all-electric sports cars on the market today.

The narrator highlights the 2000-mile total range of the Iceni by mentioning that it can drive from London to Istanbul on one tank. Everything about the Iceni is amazing, the speed, the acceleration, and the fuel choices. The car simply is a stunner on paper and on the road.

Trident Iceni Diesel, Bio-diesel, Palm Oil …

The trident is one of a handful of modern super cars that are designed to run on several different types of fuel, sort of like an ultra-hybrid. Rather than a choice between two, the driver can choose up to four different fuels for the Iceni. So-called triple-hybrids have been around for many years, but so far, the appearance of a vehicle that can run of four different fuels is something of a stunner. Trident Sports Cars director, Phillip Bevan, commented, “We are very pleased to be at Salon Prive, which this year is a great celebration of all things British…”

Larry Bell

Questions, Answers about Ethanol Vehicles

Larry Bell — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 05:22:47 +0000

Ford Model T, world’s first flex-fuel car (gas/ethanol)

With ethanol making something of a comeback (some say it never went away!) among alternative fuels these days, experts in the industry say there are three questions that are most common when discussing the topic. Some of the answers are common sense, others are not, so let’s check in with ethanol supporter Growth Energy, based in Omaha, Nebraska, and see how they address the big-three queries.

A common question about ethanol is this: Why should consumers use ethanol? The answer is four-fold. Besides strengthening the U.S. economy by diversifying our fuel sources, ethanol drastically cuts harmful automobile emissions, in some cases up to 60 percent. Third, drivers who use flex-fuels that are part ethanol save cash at the pump. Finally, the use of ethanol bolsters local economies and helps keep jobs in the U.S. See the short video below to see a rather famous racing name talk about the advantages of ethanol.

The second question people ask about ethanol has to do with food. Many wonder whether ethanol production affects food prices. The short answer is no, but some detail is in order. In the first place, ethanol has only a tiny impact on food prices. In any given year, ethanol production uses a very small percentage of the grain supply. And even at that, grain costs account for only about three percent of food costs, while more than 80 percent of food prices are affected by packaging, marketing, and processing. Therefore, food prices are not really a worry when it comes to ethanol.

The third question is the simplest to answer: What is a flex fuel vehicle? The standard definition is that a FFV is a vehicle that can operate on blends of ethanol fuel between 10 and 85 percent. Right now, there are more than 10 million FFVs on the roads of the U.S.

To learn more about ethanol, see:
http://www.ethanolretailer.com/

For more information about the Iowa Speedway, see the following, official website for the organization:
http://www.iowaspeedway.com/

Larry Bell

GM Plans ‘The Future of Green Transportation’

Larry Bell — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:40:15 +0000

GMC Sierra hybrid

Yesterday, representatives from General Motors and Enterprise Holdings met at the world-renowned Donald Danforth Science Center in St. Louis to map out the future of green transportation as they see it. The two corporate giants are no strangers to the concept of alternative fuels or transportation, having become leaders in their respective businesses. Specific topics for their high-level discussions included the future of the passenger vehicle, sustainability, modern technology, biofuels, supply chain issues, and green vehicles.

General Motors is entering a new phase of its corporate life, say many industry watchers, whereby the firm focuses on sustainable transportation, alternative fuels, and advanced technologies. This is a huge leap from where GM began many decades ago, mainly as a car company centered on consumer automobiles.

Now, General Motors is putting its belief, and its money, on biofuels as the single best bet to stave off petroleum dependence in the short term. For the long term, the company thinks electric vehicles are likely a large part of the answer. In any case, short term or long, GM will continue to make efforts to reduce the environmental impact of transportation, whether that means biofuels, electricity, or natural gas.

Denali hybrid

The Enterprise Institute for Renewable Fuels is based at the Danforth Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The center is a non-profit research facility dedicated to finding sustainable, primarily plant-based, energy. The main goal of the research teams there is to discover next-generation biofuels that are not based on food crops. Enterprise added to its own green commitment by joining the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Clean Cities” program in 2011.Before that, the company signed on with the Electrification Coalition in 2010. Now, the Danforth Center will begin offering car-sharing services through Enterprise for its on-site scientific research teams.

For all things GM, see one of the most extensive websites in the automotive universe:
http://www.gm.com

For more about Enterprise, see that company’s website:
http://www.enterprise.com

Larry Bell

Alternative Fuel Service Stations, At Last

Larry Bell — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 00:58:04 +0000

A flex-fuel conversion car

One of the challenges for the alternative vehicle movement has been the lack of service stations, not just for electric cars but also for flex-fuel, diesel, biofuel, and other types of cars and trucks. One company, Propel Fuels, is attempting to change that situation, in the hopes that there will be an abundance of such stations within a few years’ time.

Propel itself is fueled by almost $20 million in venture capital, along with over $10 million in Department of Energy grants. Last week, the company got another shot in the arm, in the form of a $10.1 million grant from the California Energy Commission for the purpose of setting up 100 of its new-age fueling stations in the state.

Propel’s CEO, Matt Horton, expects a transformation of the U.S. transportation industry, which now sees only about 2 percent of the country’s service stations offering any kind of alternative fuels. Because it is so difficult to get gasoline stations to accept alt-fuel offerings, Propel has decided to go it alone by building their own network of green fueling locations.

Propel service stations offer conventional fuels as well as alternatives. The company strives to provide a wide selection of high quality, renewable fuels at convenient locations. Propel’s vision, which the company refers to as “clean mobility,” emphasizes a minimal environmental impact while allowing customers to get to their destinations. The entity runs fueling stations in Washington State as well as California. Each location offers a wide array of alternative fuels, like biodiesel, flex-fuel E85, diesel, and conventional gasoline.

Guess who already uses flex-fuel?

Keeping with the goal of creating a completely different type of fueling experience, Propel stations offer free compressed air for car and bicycle tires, transit route mapping, recycling bins, and even a bicycle tune-up area for those commuters who need a quick brake or wheel adjustment.

For more about Propel Fuels, see the company’s website:
http://propelfuels.com/

Larry Bell

NASA’s OMEGA Project Could Change Biofuel Forever

Catherine Siverts — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:03:56 +0000

An artist's rendition of the OMEGA project.

NASA is hard at work at newer and better ways to advance the level of technology on this planet. And what they’ve cooked up most recently could resolve more than one problem simultaneously.

Imagine a system that could capture carbon dioxide, prevent pollution from wastewater, all the while creating renewable algae biofuel, fertilizer and possibly animal feed. Sounds like it either wouldn’t exist or it would cost way too much money to operate for it to ever be feasible, right?

Au contraire. OMEGA (Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae), consists of self-contained bags of wastewater and fast-growing algae cultures. The bags’ membranes allow for oxygen to be released, as well as fresh water. These bags are designed to float in seawater, and are intended to be placed offshore of large land masses to produce fuel, hopefully for planes.

As the algae cultures grow, they absorb carbon dioxide through the membranes, as well as sunlight. They absorb nutrients from the wastewater, creating the fresh water which is then passed to the ocean. This aspect of the system decreases the risk of creating a “dead zone” in the area.

The amazing thing about this system is that it is designed to foresee and handle each conceivable problem with its implementation. For example, a typical issue in algae farming is that water-circulating equipment is required and much water is lost through evaporation. Not so with the OMEGA system, which reduces or eliminates the need for energy-expensive climate-control systems.

Algae is a very attractive resource for biofuel because it grows rapidly and produces lipid cells with high oil content. Compared with other biofuel crops, it also wins out in volume per acre. Palm can produce about 600 gallons of oil per acre in a year; soy beans produce only about 50 gallons of oil per acre per year. In contrast, algae (particularly freshwater algae) can produce more than 2000 gallons of oil per acre per year.

A demonstration scale operation is underway currently. We’ll see when it gets launched on a broad scale.

Catherine Siverts

Catherine Siverts is My Perfect Automobile’s Expert Author, but people call her Cat. Here is her bio: My Perfect Automobile. Catherine lives in San Jose, CA and is also a Dedicated Member of the My Perfect Automobile Team. Catherine is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Nerdy Stuff (power), Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars!

Indy’s Big Decision: Ethanol

Larry Bell — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:40:39 +0000

A Ferrari F430 Spider bio-fuel

The Indianapolis 500 organization has officially announced that this year’s race fuel will be green, as in ethanol. While most of us do not think of cars that get three mpg, on a good day, as environmental wonders, the decision is having an impact already. Because of the event’s size and popularity, ethanol fuel could get no better form of free advertising. What one race representative described as a “huge commitment,” to switch over to the fuel, this will be the first time in 47 years that the race has made a decision to alter the primary fuel for its cars.

The move is not just about image, since ethanol, mixed with a tiny bit of gasoline, is one of the best race propellants around. Naturally, the ethanol industry could not be happier with the switch, and are using this lucky moment in history to sing the praises of their pet fuel. Indy racing has millions of fans who will no doubt take the decision to heart and see ethanol in a new light.

Besides being a truly sustainable fuel source, ethanol mixtures are one way that advocates say the U.S. can reduce its dependence on non-domestic oil sources. Others, who are not so excited about the “big switch,” point out that the Indy cars have been using alcohol since 1965, just in the form of methanol rather than ethanol. Methanol is also known as wood alcohol, while ethanol is colloquially called grain alcohol.

Ethanol race car

One reason that some race series change fuel has to do with the fans. Many attendees at races react badly to certain mixtures of fuel, and race directors have been tinkering with mixtures for many years to accommodate ticket holders.

For more about the Indy 500, one of the world’s most popular sporting events, see the official website of the race, at http://www.indy500.com/

Larry Bell

Bank, Researchers Strike Algae Biofuel Deal

Larry Bell — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:05:20 +0000

Biofuel car

An innovative algae biofuel project that is set to start up in California has been put into motion. This week, a major investment-banking firm, Regus Advisors, Inc., inked a formal agreement to work with biofuels corporation Algae International Group, Inc. The investment firm will be aiding AIGI with a $2 million limited partnership project called Algae2BioFuel.

The President of Regus Advisors, Mervyn Price, pointed out that many large entities have already attempted to develop the algae-biofuel concept, but that AIGI, unlike the federal government and a pair of venerable foundations, has the perfect organization to create a successful outcome on a very large scale. Price went on to state, “The necessary ingredients to create a highly successful Algae2BioFuel venture [include] CO2, fuel cells, nitrates, phosphates, sunlight and algae.” All those pieces of the puzzle come together with AIGI’s custom “press” which will create very high-grade fuel for industrial, commercial, and military clients.

The science of biofuels has an odd, but understandable, history. Having first gained public attention with primarily food-based fuel sources, the industry morphed toward a more sustainable design, whereby easily grown non-foods like algae and other plants are now being used for biofuels research.

An algae-mobile

One of the key players who will be working with AIGI on this project is Pacific Oil Products’ CEO David Gair, himself a world famous authority on biomass fuel development. The upcoming limited partnership project has several advantages over other, older biofuels experiments. For one thing, the modern system, using algae, does not compete with any food crops for land or markets. In addition, the entire venture qualifies for carbon credits at the rate of about $150,000 each year. Since the facility will be in the state of California, it can take advantage of the renewable fuel standards. The end product of the algae biofuel project is a profitable, viable fuel source as well.

For more on the cutting-edge world of algae biofuel, see the following information source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae_fuel

Larry Bell

World’s Fastest Car Uses Biofuel

Larry Bell — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 05:19:45 +0000

The Koenigsegg Agera R

One of the biggest stars at the recent Geneva Motor Show was not a Hollywood celebrity, though many were in attendance. All eyes were on the world’s fastest car, the Koenigsegg Agera R, which reveled in all its glory as throng after throng marched by to gawk, drool, and otherwise pay tribute to the swiftest of all driving machines on our humble planet.

One little-known fact about the record-holder is that the car is in fact a biofuel vehicle. With the ability to go from zero to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds (can your Yugo do that?), the car has a theoretical maximum speed of 275 mph. The Agera R has already broken a half-dozen world records for speed on land, for a production car, besting the Bugatti Veyron in the contentious zero-to-300 km/h category (0-186 mph). Bugatti took 14.6 seconds to reach 186 mph, while the Agera walloped that mark, reaching 186 mph in just 14.53 seconds. (But hey, what’s 43 hundredths of a second between friends?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPWt1CUbjIQ

The video link provides a very simple walk around of the car, at a time when the crowds were at low ebb. The “R,” as car buffs call it, is made by Swedish company Koenigsegg, and features a 7-speed, dual-clutch transmission with paddle shift. The rear-wheel drive, mid-engine V8 is a two-door with Targa top. Heated seats and rear cameras come standard. All speed data has been verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

If you are currently in the market for a production model Agera R, it will set you back $1,611,000, which is not high considering what you get. And just think, with a trade-in, that sticker price could come way down into the $1,600,000 range, give or take.

For more on the world’s fastest car, the Agera R, see the company’s official website at http://www.koenigsegg.com/models/agera-r/

Larry Bell

El Camino Runs on Wood Chips

Larry Bell — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:42:53 +0000

Wood-powered El Camino

Cars and trucks that run on wood have been around for a very long time. During the 1940s, Europe saw over a million wood-powered cars on the road due to stringent oil rationing during the war years. After the war, wood cars virtually disappeared. Now, a few eager-beaver hobbyists are resurrecting the technology, improving on it, and gaining some interest from the alternative energy community.

The bottom line is this: The science of gasification is relatively simple, but it takes about one pound of wood to power a car for one mile. All of which begs the question, wouldn’t massive use of wood vehicles have negative environmental impact? Answer: Yes, in fact France saw significant deforestation during WWII as its use of wood cars peaked. But with just a few hobbyists building wood cars for scientific research purposes, the negative impact is non-existent.

On the positive side, much good could come from advanced research into gasification. Already, newer, more efficient methods have been developed to use non-precious waste products as fuel. As they say in the wood fuel community, “It’s all good, because it’s all wood.”

Board meeting? A converted wood-powered car

Case in point: Resident of Finland, Juha Sipila, has transformed his own 1980s classic El Camino into a wood-burning masterpiece that can reach 90 mph, carries about 800 pounds of wood fully loaded, and gets some pretty amazing mileage numbers. Sipila’s official fuel efficiency is .83mpp. For the wood, or math, challenged that comes out to just under one mile per pound of wood. In essence, Sipila put a wood burning stove into the back of a V6 El Camino and off he went. Cleverly, the Finn has nicknamed his automobile “El Kamina,” the latter half of which is the Finnish word for stove. The car is meticulously maintained and could easily last another three decades, knock on wood.

For information on a company that is deeply involved in the wood vehicle market and other outside-the-box energy sources, see the educational website of Beaver Energy at http://www.beaverenergy.com/

Larry Bell

Algae Biofuel Excites Researchers

Larry Bell — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:23:21 +0000

Biofuel bus that runs on soybeans

The film link below provides a comprehensive and interesting overview of algae as a biofuel, a subject that excites researchers who are engaged with efforts to create alternatives to fossil fuels. The cause was given a boost recently when President Obama pointed to algae as one of the more promising sources of future energy supplies, noting that various university departments around the nation hold high hopes for the fuel source.

Biomass fuel development has become a topic of great interest to science in the last few decades as it hunts for various types of renewable energy sources, though many biofuels require land or even fresh water in order to grow. Algae’s huge advantage over other biofuels is that it takes up no land mass, no fresh water, and can be created from seawater in virtually unlimited supplies quite cheaply.

Scientists note that both fossil fuels and algae both release CO2 when burned, but algae then removes the CO2 as it grows. In the video, you will hear the narrator mention that creating fuel from algae is similar to the process of making beer, requiring several steps to reach the end product.

Because algae fuels are biodegradable, there are minimal environmental problems if a spill occurs. In addition, since the entire algae plant is able to transform sunlight into oil, it is clearly the most efficient of all plant-sourced fuels. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that just 15,000 square miles of the plant could produce enough oil to satisfy the nation’s annual needs. Algae has taken center stage in the most recent discussion about biofuels as a solution to the world’s energy requirements. Watch for this important topic to make more, and bigger, headlines in the near future.

For a detailed explanation about algae as a fuel source, see this educational website from an organization that is advocating on behalf of algae biofuels, at http://www.algalbiomass.org/

Larry Bell

Bio-Diesel Rocket Car Demo

Larry — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:45:03 +0000

Bio-Diesel Rocket Car Demo

File this video of a bio-diesel rocket car demo, in the category, “slow start, very fast finish.” Obviously pandering to the crowds near the start line, the driver of this incredible rocket-like dragster tests out the jets before revving up and heading for the finish line, a mere quarter-mile away. Fueled by B100 canola bio-diesel, the car does an impressive zero-to-250 mph in just under seven seconds. And he doesn’t even get a ticket!

Seriously, bio-fuel cars are slowly making a name for themselves on tracks all over the world, much the same way as electric racing has taken off. Race fans love the unusual, and a canola-oil rocket car is indeed a bit out of the ordinary.

Alternative fuel oddities

In fact, bio-diesel is the most common of all such fuels currently used in Europe. Pure bio-diesel has the lowest emission level of all diesel fuels used, and is the type propelling the car seen in the video clip.

If mixed with mineral diesel, bio-diesel can be used in any diesel engine. Many of the European manufacturers who sell diesel cars and trucks even include B100 usage in the warranty, and have done so since the mid-1990s. So-called “green diesel” is typically derived from feedstock plants, plus oils like canola Even used vegetable oil can be burned as a fuel, but must undergo a bit of processing before use.

Bio-fuels as a class have been rather controversial during the last decade, when some who had initially jumped on the bandwagon began to question policies which diverted food crops into fuel. Currently, the issue is still being hotly debated in some circles, even as the use of bio-fuels grows rapidly in racing and heavy industry.

If you like this sort of thing (who doesn’t?), or just want more information about the subject, check out http://milliganbiotech.com/about_us/Milligan_Racing/

Larry Judkin

Larry Judkin + is My Perfect Automobile’s General Manager, but people call him Lar’. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Co-owner of My Perfect Automobile. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…