Honda's Solar-Hydrogen Powered Future

Honda is using sunlight to enhance its role as the hydrogen power leader. Earlier this year Honda announced its intention to pursue a solar-hydrogen refueling station project. Honda is betting on the clean combination of solar and hydrogen as the fuel of choice for zero emission cars.

Many automakers have spent billions of dollars in researching hydrogen powered fuel cells without producing a hydrogen powered vehicle for public consumption. Honda's production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles demonstrate the company's commitment to hydrogen. The company also debuted a hydrogen refueling breakthrough that it claims will eventually allow for the development of a home station.

With the exception of a handful in Southern California, there is very little hydrogen refueling infrastructure in the US. This is one of the big barriers to hydrogen car deployment, which is why Honda expects its vehicles to use a combination of public stations and a home option.

Honda's home option is a solar powered hydrogen refueling station. A six-kilowatt solar array powers an electrolyzer that splits water molecules into hydrogen atoms. Home refueling takes eight hours of charging for an average commute (30 miles or 50 km). At a "fast-fill" public station, five-minutes of refueling enables a vehicle to travel 240 miles.

A solar hydrogen refueling system could move beyond the research stage and into the market-ready phase as soon as 2015.

One of the things that makes hydrogen so desirable is its small size and low weight. Honda's current electricity generator known as a hydrogen "stack", is around the size of a briefcase.

Hybrids and battery powered fully electric vehicles appear to be dominating the greener car marketplace, but as energy prices rise, hydrogen powered vehicles will become increasingly attractive.

Once hydrogen vehicles approximate price parity, the allure of a car that is powered by sunlight and emits only water vapor, will prove irresistible.
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Next: Honda's Hydrogen Powered FCX Clarity FCEV

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Hyundai's Fuel Efficiency Leadership and Growing Market Share

Since 2008 Hyundai has been the most fuel-efficient manufacturer in the US. Over the last couple of years as some other car companies struggled, Hyundai's market share grew by almost 50 percent.

The EPA 2009 Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends Report indicates that Hyundai had the highest efficiency rating for the 2008 model year at 30.9 mpg. The EPA also indicates that Hyundai is the only automaker in the US to top 30 mpg in 2009.

Hyundai continues to lead in corporate average fuel economy (CAFE). The company currently has a CAFE rating of over 30 mpg and with the help of its global Blue Drive strategy Hyundai plans to reach 35 mpg by 2015 and at least 50 mpg by 2025.

The all new 2011 Hyundai Sonata being built in Alabama is the first mid-size family sedan to offer only 4-cylinder engines. The smaller engine reduces the weight by 130 pounds giving the Sonata a 35 mpg fuel rating. The 200 horsepower Sonata is also leading its competitors in power output thanks to the advanced gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine.

While other automakers are actively resisting efforts to regulate emissions, Hyundai is an advocate of more stringent fuel efficiency requirements.

Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik said, "This is our simple formula for success in the automobile industry, rather than fighting fuel economy regulation, we encourage our Hyundai engineers to deliver more fuel efficiency, faster, accelerating the benefits to our customers, society, and the planet."

Hyundai plans to develop more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies including electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids. This fall, Hyundai will launch the company's first hybrid in the United States. The Sonata Hybrid incorporates an industry-first lithium polymer battery, which is smaller and more efficient.

Other vehicle manufacturers could learn from Hyundai's business philosophy. Its ambitious objectives reduce its environmental impact, align its resources, challenge its team members, and provide added value to its consumers. Hyundai's value driven fuel efficiency strategy focuses on the intelligent application of cost effective technologies.

Hyundai's success proves that there is a large and growing market for well priced, stylish vehicles that deliver industry leading levels of fuel economy. Hyundai's efficiency based leadership is growing its market share and helping to reduce global emissions.
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GM Breakthrough Reduces Emissions

A technological breakthrough from General Motors (GM) could significantly reduce climate change causing emissions. In July, GM announced what is known as an HFO, a climate-friendly refrigerant to replace HFCs, the super greenhouse gas currently used in auto air conditioning. GM is the first company in the world to announce the replacement of HFCs with HFOs.

This refrigerant was produced for GM by Honeywell and is the culmination of more than a decade of cooperation among private industry, government, and standard-setting organizations. Use of the new refrigerant will start in the US in 2013, with the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands.

Eliminating super greenhouse gases is essential to climate protection. In the US, HFC super greenhouse gases are the fastest growing climate emissions. HFCs in the US are expected to grow more than 140% by 2020 compared to 4% growth for all US climate emissions.

Dr. Stephen O. Andersen, Co-Chair of the Montreal Protocol ozone treaty’s Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) said, “TEAP estimates that one-third of the most damaging high-GWP greenhouse gases known as HFCs are being used in motor vehicle air conditioning and that motivated industry can make a complete transition to environmentally-superior technology in 7 years or less.”

The newly developed HFO refrigerants have a global warming potential of just 4 compared to over 1,400 for the current HFC refrigerant (HFC-134a). According to Honeywell, GM’s new breakthrough technology remains in the atmosphere for just 11 days. Honeywell calculates that the low global warming potential (GWP) and the short lifetime of its HFO achieve a 99.7 percent improvement in the climate impact over the HFC refrigerant.

Regulations in Europe and California will phase out auto air conditioning refrigerants with GWPs higher than 150 between 2011 and 2017. In the US, the improved environmental performance of the new refrigerant helps car makers achieve the 40 percent improvement in average vehicle fuel economy required by 2016. There is also a pending petition before the EPA to remove HFC-134a from the list of acceptable motor vehicle air conditioning refrigerants.

A proposal to phase down HFCs in the US is part of the proposed climate bill or it could be integrated into oil spill legislation which is at the top of the Senate's to-do list once the summer recess is over. The proposal is one of the few provisions with bipartisan support.

Proposals also are pending under the Montreal Protocol to completely phase out the use of all high-GWP HFCs. The proposals will be addressed at the treaty’s annual meeting in November. Last year, 41 Parties endorsed a declaration by two small island States to elimate HFCs. This year a number of countries including the United States, Canada and Mexico called for the elimination of high-GWP HFCs.

Phasing out high-GWP HFCs under the Montreal Protocol will provide climate mitigation of 5 to 8 billion tons of CO2-equivalent per year, for a cumulative total of 88 to 145 billion tons of CO2-equivalent by 2050.

Durwood Zaelke, President of the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) said, “This is the single biggest climate opportunity anywhere in the world this year. An aggressive campaign to promote the use of the new HFO at an affordable price would add momentum to the effort to phase out HFCs under the Montreal Protocol. This would virtually eliminate one of the six greenhouse gases in the Kyoto Protocol basket.”

“GM should be congratulated for leading the way with an innovative refrigerant that can drastically cut the use of super greenhouse gases in the auto air conditioning sector...GM’s announcement sends a powerful signal to other car companies that it’s time to abandon unsustainable super greenhouse gases and move to next generation climate-friendly technology that also delivers high energy efficiency and reliable service,” Zaelke said.

Despite its decades long fall from grace and a near death experience, GM's technological breakthrough represents a major step forward in the war against climate change.
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Toyota and Tesla Making Electric Sedan

Toyota, the world's largest automotive company is teaming up with Tesla Motors to manufacture a fully electric Sedan. The Tesla Model S sedan in scheduled to launch in 2012.

The Model S is a high performance electric sedan that will compete with cars like the BMW 5-series. The 4 door, 7 seat sedan is powered by an electric 70 kW battery, it accelerates from 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, has a top speed of 120 mph, and a range of 300 miles. Batteries can be quick-charged in 45 minutes. Two additional rear-facing seats in the cargo area give the car its seven seat capacity.

The Model S has a high-tech cockpit with two LCD screens, including a touchscreen panel in the center console. Prototypes of the Model S have sophisticated on-board computer systems with peripheral hardware. Their 17” touch-screen control panel includes HD radio integration, quick GPS navigation, streaming audio and other Internet and cloud-based data and information.

Tesla Motors reported a net loss of $38.5 million in the second quarter of 2010, compared with a loss of $10.8 million in the second quarter of 2009. The company said revenue climbed 5 percent from a year ago, to $28.4 million. Losses were attributed to higher research and development costs associated with the engineering of the Model S.

Tesla went public to raise funds with its IPO in late June. Tesla's IPO raised more than $200 million. The company has said it does not expect to be profitable before mid 2012, when its Model S sedan is slated to reach production. Tesla expects to build about 20,000 units a year when full production is reached after 2012.

The collaboration between Toyota and Tesla is the type of partnership that is driving the greener vehicle market and benefiting all parties. Toyota will benefit from the buzz around Tesla, and this will help the Japanese carmaker to recapture some of the credibility that it lost during its recent wave of recalls. Tesla will benefit from Toyota's $50 million investment and from Toyota's engineering and production systems. The public will benefit from a high performance sedan that has zero emissions.
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Honda's CR-Z and Second Generation Hybrids

Earlier this year Honda launched the CR-Z hybrid car, and in July it won an award for the best green sports car of 2010. The Toyota Prius and Honda Insight are the veterans of the hybrid vehicle market, but the CR-Z is a sleek new coupe specifically geared towards younger drivers.

The affordable CR-Z offers a fuel economy of between 35 and 40 mpg. The new Honda has a 10kW electric motor, a nickel-metal hydride battery and a six-speed manual transmission. What makes this car distinct is the way it handles. Macpherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear make the suspension firm and sporty.

The CR-Z employs Honda's Integrated Motor Assist which uses both gas and electric power all the time. The engine's management system decides when to use the electric motor as a power boost and when to use it as a generator, charging the battery on the overrun and under braking. The car comes with three settings, Econ, Normal and Sport. In Econ mode Honda claims fuel consumption of five litres/100km. The CR-Z's also employs a stop-start system.

The instrumentation includes LED bar-graphs for fuel and battery and a "green-ness" icon. The onboard computer also calculates your "eco-score" at the end of each trip and compares it to your previous trips.

Honda understands that hybrids cannot get by on their green credentials alone. The CR-Z is a well designed, great looking vehicle inside and out. It has a host of features including hill hold, rear parking sensors, shift indicator, stability control and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-pressure distribution and emergency brake assist. There are also six crash bags, pre-tensioned seatbelts and active head restraints.

The CR-Z targets a very specific market sector and it is leading a second wave of more specialized hybrids that are now coming to market. Hybrids are coming of age and this second generation reflects a new level of maturity.
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Private Public Cooperation Behind SA Joule

The Joule electric city car is manufactured by Optimal Energy with help from the government of South Africa (SA). The Joule is the first vehicle to be developed and manufactured by a wholly owned SA company. The major powers in the global economy are developing greener vehicles, but so are small companies from less affluent nations. The Joule is getting ready to meet the growing demand. It is widely believed that by 2020, 10% of world automotive production will be in electric vehicles.

The project is being funded partly by the Industrial Development Corporation, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Science and Technology. The Joule is benefiting from the SA government's second industrial policy action plan, which seeks to increase local automotive content and manufacturing.

Commercial production of the Joule should begin in 2013, reaching 50000 units a year by 2015. The company will employ more than 2000 people in its assembly operation, while supplier and support activities could create a further 8000 downstream jobs.

Kobus Meiring, CEO of Optimal Energy said, "We want to make it clear that we are not aiming at the green market as such, but rather the C-segment, in competition with cars like the Toyota Corolla," he says.

SA Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said in this year's budget speech the government hoped "to influence the composition of SA's vehicle fleet to become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly".

These efforts will help SA meet her Copenhagen Accord commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 34% by 2020 and 42% by 2025.

Although the car is expected to establish a local market, the company says 90% will be exported. If more green vehicles are to be sold in SA, there needs to be better support infrastructure and better market education.

Above all, "it must be a combined drive between government and industry," says Mike Whitfield, CEO of Nissan SA.

The fact that the SA motorists will not pay more for a greener car means that the Joule must not only have zero emissions it must also be inexpensive.
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Volkswagen's Dirty Automotive Brands

Volkswagen may be receiving awards for their greener cars, but other automotive brands belonging to the company have large environmental footprints.

Volkswagen owns three of the world's most exotic brands, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley, yet even these gas guzzling car companies are striving to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

The Porsche 918 Spyder, was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. With its three electric motors, Porsche claims that in the "Eco" mode (one of the car's four settings), the Spyder gets an astounding 94.1 mpg and emits just 70g carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometer. However in this mode the battery has a range of only 16 miles.

In "Race" mode, the car's power plant is supplemented by two electric motors giving it an extra 218 horsepower. The electric motors also redirect energy lost in braking back to the wheels. Despite the car's dynamic use of mobile electricity, the 918 is primarily powered by a 500-horsepower V8 internal combustion engine. The car is a marvelous feat of engineering, it can get from 0-62 mph in just 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 198 mph, but at these speeds, it is also devours fossil fuels and emits high levels of emissions.

Although Bentley claims it will cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption 15 per cent by 2012, the Bentley Brooklands emits CO2 at a rate of 465g of CO2 per kilometer. According to the EPA, the company currently makes some of the least fuel efficient cars on the US market. The Bentley Continental GTC, with a 12 cyl, 6 L engine gets only 10 mpg (17 hwy). The Bentley Azure, 8 cyl, 6.8 L and the Bentley Brooklands, 8 cyl, 6.8 L get only 9 mpg (15 hwy). According to the EPA, the only cars with worse fuel economy are manufactured by Volkswagen's other brand Lamborghini.

Despite dropping CO2 emission 20.5 percent in 2010 compared to the previous model, The Lamborghini Murcielago still emits CO2 at a rate of 539g of CO2 per kilometer. The EPA lists Lamborghini as the manufacturer of the least fuel efficient car in the US. The Lamborghini Murcielago, 12 cyl, 6.5 L and the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, 12 cyl, 6.5 L, get only 8 mpg (13 hwy).

Volkswagen is advancing greener car technologies, including cars powered by methane from human waste, but there is nothing green about the vehicles produced by some of the company's other brands. Owning companies that manufacture some of the most environmentally destructive cars on the planet obscures Volkswagen's new brand.
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Jaguar XJ: A Greener Luxury Car

Jaguar, a segment of Tata Motors, has been honored with a prestigious Green Award in the luxury car segment. The Jaguar XJ earned the award due to its fuel efficient, low emission power plant and recycled aluminum body.

The XJ is equipped with a 275PS 3.0-litre AJ-V6D Gen III turbodiesel engine that gets 40 mpg. That is the same fuel efficiency as a gas powered Smart subcompact car. Although the car can go from 0-60mph in an impressive 6.0 secs, it has CO2 emissions of only 184g/km and NOx emissions of 0.142g/km.

Geoff Cousins, managing director of Jaguar UK said, "Environmental considerations are increasingly important to car buyers. By taking a lifecycle approach to the new XJ we have minimised the amount of materials used, we use recycled material and low-energy manufacturing processes, as well as making the vehicle easy to recycle at the end of its life."

Jaguar's aluminium body carries about 50 percent recycled material and the company plans to increase that figure to 75 percent. This feature will save three tons of CO2 per vehicle.

For its niche, the XJ is a greener car, but the emphasis is on luxury, performance and impressive styling.
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E-Range: World's First Fully Electric 4x4

The world's first pure electric 4x4 has completed extensive testing by Oxford-based Liberty Electric Cars. Liberty has been working on the electric E-Range project for the past two years.

Liberty says that the E-Range has a top speed of 85mph and accelerates from 0-60mph in about seven seconds, with a range of up to 200 miles on a single charge.

The E-Range is also first to market with wireless charging. Rather than use conventional leads and plugs to recharge the battery, the E-Range simply needs to park over an induction plate for one to three hours.

The E-Range's 75kw LEC battery pack is the largest ever installed in an electric car yet it employs industry leading lightweight technologies.

Liberty's patented high-density Lithium Polymer batteries are also expected to have a lifespan of 13 years or 300,000 miles, this is much longer than any EV battery currently being produced.
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The FIAT 500 is Coming to America

The combination of low cost and efficiency have established the Fiat 500 as the best European small car and later this year the car will be available in the US.

For the second year in a row, the well built Fiat 500 was awarded top honours in the UK's supermini (subcompact) category of the What Car? Green Awards for 2010.

The Fiat 500 is affordable, efficient, stylish, and most importantly, at 58.9 mpg, it is amongst the most fuel efficient vehicles in Europe. The Fiat 500 is available with a choice of three ultra-low emissions, Euro 5-compliant engines: a 69bhp 1.2-litre and a 100bhp 1.4-litre petrol, or a 95bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel. This little car offers great value for the money.

As part of Chrysler Group’s recovery plans in the US, the 2011 Fiat 500 will be sold by Chrysler dealers later this year. The new 500 will be modified for the American market, it will be built in Mexico with 1.4 liter 4-cylinder engines built in Michigan. Early offerings are expected to have a 97-hp output and a 6-speed manual transmission.
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The Winners of the UK's What Car? Green Awards 2010

The What Car? Green Awards is a UK competition held in association with Warranty Direct, results were presented on July 14 2010, at Twickenham Rugby Stadium. Here is a summary of the winners in nine categories from supermini to luxury cars.

Supermini – Fiat 500 1.2 Pop, (58.9 mpg)

Executive Cars – BMW 320 ED, (69 mpg).

MPV - Peugeot 5008 1.6 HDi 110, (39.8mpg).

4×4 / Crossover – Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Visia Pure Drive 2WD, (57.6 mpg).

Sports Car – Honda CR-Z 1.5 i-VTEC Sport, (58.8 mpg).

Luxury Car – Jaguar XJ 3.0D V6 Luxury, (40 mpg).

Used Car – Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi 90 Style 5dr ’08/08, (over 60 mpg).

Family Car – Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion, (64.2 MPG and CO2 emissions of 114g/km).

Green Car of the Year – Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI 105 Bluemotion 5dr, (74.3 mpg and emits 99g/km of CO2).
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Competition in the Green Vehicle Market

Competition for domination in the green car market is intense as automakers around the world are racing to come to market with greener vehicle technologies. New partnerships are being formed and new business models are driving the growth of low and zero emission transportation.

Hybrids and fully electric cars are already on the market around the world. Toyota has the Prius, but it also has a fully electric subcompact car. Honda has the Insight and the carmaker has also announced its intention to launch a hybrid version of its Civic and an all-electric car by 2012. Nissan is now selling its affordable all-electric Leaf compact. The Koreans and the Chinese are also getting in on the greener car action.

In North America, General Motors has the Chevrolet Volt and Ford has the Fusion. In Europe, Volkswagen has launched a fleet of award winning hybrid and electric cars in its bid to become a world leader. Volkswagen subsidiaries, Porsche and Audi are also contributing greener cars. Fiat, Citroen, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes are amongst a number of European carmakers producing hybrid and fully electric cars. Even Jaguar is producing a very efficient luxury. There are also a host of less well known entrants into the greener vehicle market, including one from South Africa's Joule.

From commercial transports, family cars and subcompacts, to supercars and SUVs, virtually every niche of the vehicle market now offers greener choices.
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Next: The Winners of the UK's What Car? Green Awards 2010

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