I just ran across some information on running your vehicle on Ethanol as opposed to gasoline. I can definitely understand and appreciate the desire to save money and reduce one's carbon footprint. However, prior to jumping on the bandwagon, one needs to realise the energy required to distill Ethanol. I do not know the numbers, or how they compare to the environmental cost of refining oil into gasoline but this should be an interesting development. If nothing else, at least the air around the cities will be a little cleaner.
Alcoholcanbegas
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Global Climate changes and drops in sales forcing GM to realign themselves to more eco friendly cars - GM BEAT
General Motors Corp., the automaker that popularized the Hummer, may sell a mini-car four feet (1.2 meters) shorter than its biggest offering and more than a foot shorter than anything else it markets in the U.S. to win back buyers scared off by high fuel prices.
GM may bring the production version of the Chevrolet Beat to the U.S., people familiar with the plan said. The car, which would normally be reserved for markets such as Asia and Latin America, gets as much as 40 miles a gallon, a fuel efficiency topped in the U.S. only by hybrids.
The possible American introduction of the Beat would be one step in a fleet downsizing and shift away from fossil fuel-based vehicles that the people said is already under way at Detroit- based GM. Resigned to $4-a-gallon gasoline and stricter pollution rules, the largest U.S. automaker has recognized that its response must go beyond the mothballing of large truck plants, the people said.
``This is a very big change for GM,'' said John Wolkonowicz, an analyst at Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts. ``They have no choice. There's never been as rapid a shift in consumer demand in the history of the auto industry.''
GM, turning 100 this year, has few options to re-inventing itself. The company reported its largest annual loss in 2007, $38.7 billion, after a tax accounting change, and hasn't had a profitable year since 2004. The carmaker's U.S. market share hovers at the lowest level since 1925, and last year GM was 3,000 cars away from being dethroned by Toyota Motor Corp. as the world's largest automaker.
Smaller Than Mattel
The company's current market value is smaller than that of Mattel Inc., maker of Matchbox cars, and a 10th what it was in 2000. A Merrill Lynch analyst said yesterday that a GM ``bankruptcy is not impossible if the market continues to deteriorate.''
GM rose 15 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $10.13 at 8:56 a.m. before regular New York Stock Exchange trading. Yesterday, GM fell 15 percent after Merrill downgraded the stock to ``underperform'' from ``buy.'' The price was the lowest since 1954 adjusted for splits, according to Global Financial Data in Los Angeles.
Besides the Beat, GM is weighing a list of options for refocusing its auto lineup on fuel efficiency rather than performance. They include the U.S. introduction of a small pickup popular in Latin America and an expansion of the number of versions of the Volt plug-in electric car, the people said.
GM is also trying to increase production and speed up availability of the successor to the Chevy Cobalt sedan and develop a fuel-efficient alternative to the Cadillac Escalade sport-utility vehicle, they said.
Portfolio Review
``We are looking at and reviewing our entire portfolio, not just because gasoline is $4 but because of stricter government fuel economy regulations,'' GM spokesman Dee Allen said, referring to U.S. requirements that automakers reduce fuel use 40 percent by 2020. He declined to discuss specific projects.
Already, GM has reassigned engineers to many of the projects, according to the people familiar with the planning. The company is taking them from SUV and truck programs suspended while awaiting the return of customers. Now, these people said, GM sees no point in waiting.
``This is the biggest change that we have seen at GM in three decades in terms of engineering,'' said Jim Hall, principal of 2953 Analytics, an automotive consulting firm in Birmingham, Michigan.
Close to Smart
The automaker unveiled the Beat as a prototype at the New York auto show in April 2007, along with two other 40 mpg Chevy small-car concepts. Besides two hybrid models, the only car in the U.S. that comes close to the Beat's projected fuel efficiency is Daimler AG's Smart car, with 36 mpg, according to Yahoo! Autos.
At about 138 inches (3505 millimeters) long, the Beat would be among the smallest cars sold in the U.S. Only the 106-inch Smart car is shorter.
Sales of the smallest cars in the U.S. have risen 31 percent in the first half this year as the industry total fell 10 percent and the largest SUVs 31 percent. GM reported a 21 percent plunge in U.S. sales of pickups, SUVs and vans for the first six months.
In November, GM said it approved a model based on the Beat prototype for markets outside the U.S. and Canada starting next year. GM wouldn't disclose where the new vehicle would be built.
GM may also expand the Volt electric car program, the people said. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, 76, said last month the company currently plans to build about 60,000 Volts a year after they go on sale in late 2010. The product is designed to drive 40 miles on a charge from a household outlet before an onboard engine recharges the battery.
Variation on the Volt
``The Volt is going to have far more variations than people imagine,'' said Hall, who studies GM's plans for future models.
The small pickup GM is considering for the U.S. would be similar to the Chevrolet Montana, according to the people with knowledge of the plans. The 174-inch Montana is sold in Brazil and in Mexico as the Tornado and in South Africa as the Opel Corsa Utility. The Chevrolet Colorado, GM's smallest U.S. pickup, is 192 inches.
Additionally, Cadillac is considering a smaller SUV, known internally as the MiniSlade, as a more fuel-efficient option to the large Escalade SUV.
GM may bring the production version of the Chevrolet Beat to the U.S., people familiar with the plan said. The car, which would normally be reserved for markets such as Asia and Latin America, gets as much as 40 miles a gallon, a fuel efficiency topped in the U.S. only by hybrids.
The possible American introduction of the Beat would be one step in a fleet downsizing and shift away from fossil fuel-based vehicles that the people said is already under way at Detroit- based GM. Resigned to $4-a-gallon gasoline and stricter pollution rules, the largest U.S. automaker has recognized that its response must go beyond the mothballing of large truck plants, the people said.
``This is a very big change for GM,'' said John Wolkonowicz, an analyst at Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts. ``They have no choice. There's never been as rapid a shift in consumer demand in the history of the auto industry.''
GM, turning 100 this year, has few options to re-inventing itself. The company reported its largest annual loss in 2007, $38.7 billion, after a tax accounting change, and hasn't had a profitable year since 2004. The carmaker's U.S. market share hovers at the lowest level since 1925, and last year GM was 3,000 cars away from being dethroned by Toyota Motor Corp. as the world's largest automaker.
Smaller Than Mattel
The company's current market value is smaller than that of Mattel Inc., maker of Matchbox cars, and a 10th what it was in 2000. A Merrill Lynch analyst said yesterday that a GM ``bankruptcy is not impossible if the market continues to deteriorate.''
GM rose 15 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $10.13 at 8:56 a.m. before regular New York Stock Exchange trading. Yesterday, GM fell 15 percent after Merrill downgraded the stock to ``underperform'' from ``buy.'' The price was the lowest since 1954 adjusted for splits, according to Global Financial Data in Los Angeles.
Besides the Beat, GM is weighing a list of options for refocusing its auto lineup on fuel efficiency rather than performance. They include the U.S. introduction of a small pickup popular in Latin America and an expansion of the number of versions of the Volt plug-in electric car, the people said.
GM is also trying to increase production and speed up availability of the successor to the Chevy Cobalt sedan and develop a fuel-efficient alternative to the Cadillac Escalade sport-utility vehicle, they said.
Portfolio Review
``We are looking at and reviewing our entire portfolio, not just because gasoline is $4 but because of stricter government fuel economy regulations,'' GM spokesman Dee Allen said, referring to U.S. requirements that automakers reduce fuel use 40 percent by 2020. He declined to discuss specific projects.
Already, GM has reassigned engineers to many of the projects, according to the people familiar with the planning. The company is taking them from SUV and truck programs suspended while awaiting the return of customers. Now, these people said, GM sees no point in waiting.
``This is the biggest change that we have seen at GM in three decades in terms of engineering,'' said Jim Hall, principal of 2953 Analytics, an automotive consulting firm in Birmingham, Michigan.
Close to Smart
The automaker unveiled the Beat as a prototype at the New York auto show in April 2007, along with two other 40 mpg Chevy small-car concepts. Besides two hybrid models, the only car in the U.S. that comes close to the Beat's projected fuel efficiency is Daimler AG's Smart car, with 36 mpg, according to Yahoo! Autos.
At about 138 inches (3505 millimeters) long, the Beat would be among the smallest cars sold in the U.S. Only the 106-inch Smart car is shorter.
Sales of the smallest cars in the U.S. have risen 31 percent in the first half this year as the industry total fell 10 percent and the largest SUVs 31 percent. GM reported a 21 percent plunge in U.S. sales of pickups, SUVs and vans for the first six months.
In November, GM said it approved a model based on the Beat prototype for markets outside the U.S. and Canada starting next year. GM wouldn't disclose where the new vehicle would be built.
GM may also expand the Volt electric car program, the people said. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, 76, said last month the company currently plans to build about 60,000 Volts a year after they go on sale in late 2010. The product is designed to drive 40 miles on a charge from a household outlet before an onboard engine recharges the battery.
Variation on the Volt
``The Volt is going to have far more variations than people imagine,'' said Hall, who studies GM's plans for future models.
The small pickup GM is considering for the U.S. would be similar to the Chevrolet Montana, according to the people with knowledge of the plans. The 174-inch Montana is sold in Brazil and in Mexico as the Tornado and in South Africa as the Opel Corsa Utility. The Chevrolet Colorado, GM's smallest U.S. pickup, is 192 inches.
Additionally, Cadillac is considering a smaller SUV, known internally as the MiniSlade, as a more fuel-efficient option to the large Escalade SUV.
Tesla Motors to manufacture all electric car in California
SOURCE: http://allautomobile.blogspot.com/
But what about the lead in all those batteries????
Tesla Motors will build the follow up vehicle to the Tesla Roadster in California. The plan to manufacture the 4-door, 5-passenger sedan was announced earlier this week by Ze’ev Drori, CEO of Tesla Motors, and California Governor Schwarzenegger
Known as the Model S, the second addition to the company's fully-electric line-up is slated for late 2010 production and will reportedly cost around US$60,000 and make 225 miles on a single charge. The new model signals Tesla's intention to evolve beyond the boutique market targeted by the US$100,000 Roadster
“Make no mistake - we are not a niche player with a car only for the rich and famous. As our agreement with the state so clearly demonstrates, we are building a high volume ZERO EMISSION VEHICLE, manufactured in California for mid-range family use. And we aren’t going to stop there. We will continue on and build even more affordable cars. You are witnessing the debut of a new car company, a company unlike all others, a company with a disruptive technology, a company dedicated for the exclusive production of Zero Emission Vehicles,” said Ze’ev Drori.
The decision to build the new sedan in California (not New Mexico as originally planned) keeps the manufacturing operations close to Tesla's engineering and research HQ in San Carlos. Tesla’s battery pack and the final assembly of the Tesla Roadster is also currently in California.
The news also boosts California's push to attract ZEV manufacturers. The California Alternative EnergyAlternative energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) recently approved a new program that exempts new manufacturers from paying sales and use tax on the purchase of manufacturing equipment and Tesla will also be eligible for at least USD 1 million in Employment Training Panel Workforce Development Funds to train employees according to the company's press release.
There's no details yet on what the new car looks like or exactly when we may see it
But what about the lead in all those batteries????
Tesla Motors will build the follow up vehicle to the Tesla Roadster in California. The plan to manufacture the 4-door, 5-passenger sedan was announced earlier this week by Ze’ev Drori, CEO of Tesla Motors, and California Governor Schwarzenegger
Known as the Model S, the second addition to the company's fully-electric line-up is slated for late 2010 production and will reportedly cost around US$60,000 and make 225 miles on a single charge. The new model signals Tesla's intention to evolve beyond the boutique market targeted by the US$100,000 Roadster
“Make no mistake - we are not a niche player with a car only for the rich and famous. As our agreement with the state so clearly demonstrates, we are building a high volume ZERO EMISSION VEHICLE, manufactured in California for mid-range family use. And we aren’t going to stop there. We will continue on and build even more affordable cars. You are witnessing the debut of a new car company, a company unlike all others, a company with a disruptive technology, a company dedicated for the exclusive production of Zero Emission Vehicles,” said Ze’ev Drori.
The decision to build the new sedan in California (not New Mexico as originally planned) keeps the manufacturing operations close to Tesla's engineering and research HQ in San Carlos. Tesla’s battery pack and the final assembly of the Tesla Roadster is also currently in California.
The news also boosts California's push to attract ZEV manufacturers. The California Alternative EnergyAlternative energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) recently approved a new program that exempts new manufacturers from paying sales and use tax on the purchase of manufacturing equipment and Tesla will also be eligible for at least USD 1 million in Employment Training Panel Workforce Development Funds to train employees according to the company's press release.
There's no details yet on what the new car looks like or exactly when we may see it
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
New Milk jug design may actually be good for the environment
The price of milk isn’t the only thing changing at the grocery store. The shape of the iconic gallon jug itself is shifting in stores like Sam’s Club.
And some folks are having a cow.
"My friend bought it and hates it...it doesn't pour very well," one grocery store customer says. So why this change in dairy design?
"Because of the shape, traditional milk jugs can't be stacked, so they're shipped in milk crates. But they waste space on delivery trucks and millions of gallons of water are used to keep them clean."
The new flat-top jugs can simply be stacked and shrink-wrapped. No need for washing.
The new containers also store 50 percent more milk per cubic foot than the old jugs. That means more milk on each truck - reducing delivery trips and fuel costs.
"We're estimating it could be up to 11,000 trucks we're reducing on the road this year," said Daniel Book, marketing manager for Sam’s Club.
Sam’s used to take five milk-deliveries per week - now it’s down to two. They could only store 80 conventional-shaped gallons in their coolers. Now they can fit 224 of the new kind.
Experts say high fuel costs are driving all sorts of changes in product packaging.
"We really have all of the sort of bell weather signs of the perfect storm of depleted resources, finite planet,” said Anne Johnson of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. “It's time to take some action if we want to protect our bottom line in the future."
Wal-Mart and Costco have adopted a new, more environmentally sound style of milk jug. The new jugs are facing both rave reviews and rants from customers. Most like the significant savings — Sam’s Club is able to knock up to 20 cents off the cost of a gallon of milk with the reduced materials necessary to produce the new jugs.
But many customers find the new jugs much more difficult to pour. Dairy owner Mike Compston told The New York Times that consumers must change their pouring technique: it’s a “rock-and-pour instead of a lift-and-tip.” Milk buyers are still struggling though — the new containers are easy to spill.
But there are plenty of benefits to the new milk jugs: they’re cheaper to produce, greener and more sanitary. When filling the older style of jug, dairies went through hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a day just to clean off the crates the jugs are stored in — the crates tend to be a favorite target of neighboring birds. But the new jugs are stackable and don't require crates — or the water needed to clean them. The environmental aspects of just that difference are tremendous.
Now, it’s just a matter of convincing shoppers to adapt.
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