Spotlight on the Automotive X Prize, and the death of this blog:

The last time I posted here was July 18, 2007, and while it was a good idea, frankly, I have times when I barely have the energy to devote to one blog, let alone two. I will be keeping it up for reference, but anything I have to say about the environment will be posted on my main blog first and then copied over here for those who just want to see what I have to say about the environment.

I have been keeping up with the Automotive X-Prize and have looked into the various signatories of their Letter of Intent program. Of those who have websites, I have seen a breadth and depth of innovative thought that frankly boggles my mind and gives me hope for the future. Any of these teams, if they are able to execute their respective visions, will be more than worthy competitors in this competition, and more importantly, they will help reduce our suicidal dependence on gasoline and petrodiesel to drive our vehicles and our economy. However, there are a few that I found, in a word, shocking in their ambition and innovation. Foremost among them, at least in my view, is Aptera Motors Typ-1 gasoline/plug-in electric hybrid. On the details screen, the fuel economy at 120 miles after a charge is a mind-blowing 300 miles per gallon. This later reduces to a still highly respectable 130 miles per gallon after 350-400 miles and beyond, which is its minimum efficiency as stated in the Vehicle Details section of their web site. Given an 11 gallon fuel tank, that would equate to being able to drive from the beach at Santa Monica, CA to Broadway, where the stagehands are currently on strike, on only two tanks of gas. The most notable downside, however, is the capacity: It only seats two plus an infant, though it does have capacity for 15 bags of groceries. Its projected sticker price is under $30k.

Another worth mentioning is Loremo, a turbo-diesel vehicle that achieves a fuel economy of less than of 2 litres per 100 km. I knew that Javascript widget I put on the side would come in handy some day. That translates into a fuel economy in excess of 117 miles per gallon without using any hybrid technology. The tank size is a bit smallish by American standards at 20 litres, but with a range of around 600 miles per tank, well, I doubt I'd have much trouble at all getting used to that. :) The projected sticker price of the more fuel-efficient (and slower to accelerate at 16 seconds to go from 0-60 mph) LS version will be less than €15 000, or just under $22,000 at the current exchange rate. The downside is, of course, the slow acceleration rate if and when it is presented to the U.S. market. However, this is still an excellent vehicle.

A third team is ZAP, a company that specializes in electric vehicles. The main concern with any such vehicle is range, and that is certainly a concern for their current offerings with a maximum range of 25 miles per charge. However, their future offerings have a stated range of 350 miles per charge, which is more than enough for daily use. While that would be a problem for extended road trips, it's certainly more than a step in the right direction.

The last team I'll mention is PsychoActive, whose engine design has the potential to be nothing short of revolutionary. With a turbine engine that has only 9 major parts, it could signal a fundamental shift in car engine design. However, since it has not been tested in a real car, it remains only a possibility. Nevertheless, I found it intriguing enough to add to the list of my four favorites.

I strongly encourage all of my very few readers/blogfriends to look closely at the various teams that have already announced their signing with the Automotive X-Prize Letter of Intent program. Ultimately, fuel economy is a free market problem, and it will only be solved with a free market solution. I am grateful for the hard work and innovation of each of the teams involved in this race, and I'm also grateful for the X Prize foundation for spurring this innovation by creating this competition. It is my hope and belief that their hard work and ingenuity will help lead to a better future for our children, our environment, and our world.

I'm posting this video as an indictment of modern America. Enjoy.

11 September, 2005: Politics, Environment, and Biodiesel

Now, for something that was actually part of the title of the post, I've expressed my support for biodiesel and PHEV's (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) in the past. I encourage everyone to join the California Cars Initiative group on Yahoo, as I find it has some seriously thought-provoking material. In the 135th post on that group, the fourth point referred to "a 'neo-con-green' alliance of environmentalists and national-security conservatives who see it as the best way to rapidly reduce consumption of foreign oil." I guess I don't quite fit into either of the groups referenced in that alliance, but that's nothing new. Those of you who read my blog know that I stubbornly refuse to fit neatly into any category. So as for me, I see strong arguments in favor of both the neo-cons and the environmentalists supporting PHEV's. Reducing smog and our dependence on foreign energy sources is good for the nation as a whole. However, that also ignores the positive human rights implications of PHEV's. A reduced demand for petrochemicals equates to reduced funding for regimes that treat women as chattel at best and treat all of their people with the exception of their ruling classes like shit. Reducing the money available to tyrants is a good thing. My personal preference would be to see diesel-electric hybrids be at the forefront, since, with my admittedly limited understanding, biodiesel can be used straight in many, if not most, existing diesel engines and all newer diesels. Journeytoforever.org is a good site for information on this topic. Also, Biodiesel.org is a good trade site owned by the National Biodiesel Board and has some interesting information. Also, even as old as he is, Willie Nelson is still kinda cool. Thankfully, such sites and other car sites exist, because my actual knowledge of cars is limited to adding and checking the oil, gasoline, and antifreeze, and changing the air filter. Somehow, that makes me feel less manly than I'd prefer, but I guess we each have our own knowledge base and things that make us curious, and the drive to expand the former and satisfy the latter. In my case, the first is esoteric, the second encompasses very nearly everything, and the third is sorely lacking in this regard.

August 17, 2005: Plug-In Hybrids

There was a time when I thought the only thing I would have in common with California was a President and our probable hatred of modern country music. Then, I read an article on Yahoo News about plug-in hybrid vehicles. I think, in particular, that a Toyota spokesperson's comparison of the do-it-yourself plug-in hybrid modifiers to the hot-rodders of yesteryear is particularly apt. Furthermore, this has the advantage over hydrogen-powered vehicles in that it uses existing technology, and has as an advantage over liquid propane-powered vehicles in that the gasoline/diesel infrastructure is more than established, and also would not require much of a shift in the mindset of the general public. For more information, I strongly recommend following the link at the bottom of the article, the California Cars Initiative.

I've said before that my main support for alternative fuels has been because it reduces our dependence on the whims of nations whose leaders don't like us very much and haven't, regardless of the party affiliation of the president, in my lifetime. Also, if there's a less wasteful way of getting something done, I'm in favor of it.