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A 2012 gas E300 MSRP is $48-%56K. The hybrid will be a wee bit more. At least the 1% will have good gas mileage. Maybe a C class will follow in a couple of years.
Mercedes-Benz introducing diesel E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID with fuel economy of 56 mpg US; gasoline-engined E 400 HYBRID model to follow
E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID Click to enlarge. Mercedes-Benz is introducing the new E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID; the luxury-class diesel hybrid offers fuel consumption of 4.2 L of diesel/100 km (56 mpg US), with CO2 emissions of 109 g/km. (Earlier post.) The E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID is based on the E 250 CDI,...
You know the people in the US I know, have been crying for high mileage diesels for years. From small pickups (Toyota, Nissan) to mid-sized cars. Other than VW where are they? I've been driving a Jetta TDI and averaging 40mpg since 2002. Running on bio-diesel for most of it. A few of us have been talking about diesel-hybrids for years. Where are they? Fuel consumption in this country could take a major hit right now with known tech without waiting for new battery tech or hydrogen. VW's new Diesel Hybrid Crossover concept claims 135 mpg. Volvo's likewise. Bring it on. Even stop and go tech diesels could blow gas ICE out of the water. Even with subtracting your 12% for gas equivelant. With new PM filters, Blue Tech for Nox and stop/go, bring it on. Now. Screw the Middle East and all other oil producing countries and our tendency to exploit the third world. Peace through diesel hybrid.
Ford begins production of new Fiesta ECOnetic with 71 mpg US
Fiesta ECOnetic Technology. Click to enlarge. Ford of Europe has begun production of the new Fiesta ECOnetic Technology, which offers fuel economy of 3.3l/100 km (71.2 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 87 g/km, at Ford’s Cologne Assembly plant in Germany. The preceding version of the Fiesta ECOn...
OMG but it's a diesel. Don't forget to subtract 12% mileage to be CO2 comparable to a gas version. LOL
Volkswagen to reveal new diesel variant of Cross Coupé Concept PHEV; 131 mpg US
Volkswagen will bring to Geneva a new diesel-engined variant of its Cross Coupé Concept plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, first introduced with a gasoline engine at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2011 (earlier post). The new Cross Coupé Concept is powered by a combination of a turbodiesel direct-inject...
Thank God we're not getting the diesel here in the US! I don't know what I'd do if I had to drive 900 to 1000 miles on a tank of fuel. But, of course I must subtract 12% of that to be comparable in CO2 output to a gas version.
Volvo to unveil XC60 gasoline-electric Plug-in Hybrid Concept at Detroit show; system targeted for US and China markets
XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept. Click to enlarge. At the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Volvo Car Corporation will unveil the Volvo XC60 gasoline-electric Plug-in Hybrid Concept. In February 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show, Volvo introduced the diesel-electric V60 Plug-i...
"Needless to say, such a sane and rational response is not at all part of the thinking that goes on in between the ears of heads of state."
Well, that's because they have their lobbyist money and large donor's money to consider and the votes of disbelieving constituents brought to you by bought and paid for media.
And please no more quotes about "CRU and GS or Roy Spencer Phd. or hacked e-mails. I can look deeper than that on my own. If the Arctic is NOT losing ice, then how can Russia be using the Northeast Passage or how can we be zooming in on new opened drilling sites where there was once ice. I know, it's all a lie. They even have the satellite images of the Arctic Photoshopped.
NOAA Arctic Report Card finds Arctic entering into new phase: warmer, greener, and less ice
An international team of scientists who monitor the rapid changes in the Earth’s northern polar region say that the Arctic is entering a new state, one with warmer air and water temperatures, less summer sea ice and snow cover, and a changed ocean chemistry. This shift is also causing changes i...
Gee Reel$$, you should ask the oyster farmers here in Washington state about ""Excess CO2 is acidifying our oceans". They'd give you an earful. They can't grow oysters from "seed" spores due to acidic conditions eating them up before they can grow a thick enough shell to protect them. Here's a link to the Seattle Times article about it in 2009
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009336458_oysters14m.html
Another from NOAH
http://www.noaa.gov/features/01_economic/pacificoysters.html
But hey, I know you're gonna believe what you wanna believe. Good luck with that.
Group of 285 global investors with more than $20T in assets under management calls for urgent action on investment-grade climate change and energy policies; guidelines for governments
Saying that “investment-grade climate change and clean energy policy is required to shift private sector investment from high-carbon to low-carbon assets”, a group of 285 investors has urged governments and international policy makers to take new and meaningful steps in the fight against climate...
EURO V regulates Co, NOX, Particulates, Total HC,Non-Methane HC. SOX is regulated under a different standard around industrial, shipping and power due to more emissions from that than transport.
EURO VI will be tighter yet.
I doubt anyone can emit the same volume of Co2 in a lifetime as that of an average car in a year. Nothing is harmless in over abundance. Not even peanut butter.
What propaganda are you listening to EX?
Volvo Car led CO2 reductions among European automakers in 2010 due partly to diesel success
2010 Fleet-average weight and fleet-average CO2 emissions by carmaker, compared with EU target line. Source: T&E. Click to enlarge. The sixth annual analysis conducted by T&E, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, of new car CO2 emissions in Europe (2011 Cars & CO2 Report: ...
"Engine availability for US versions will be announced at a future date."
Code for "No diesels".
GM to build and sell new global Chevrolet Colorado pickup in US
A version of the all-new Colorado midsize pickup will be built and sold in the United States, Chevrolet confirmed today. The first version of the truck is launching this month in Thailand, to be followed by other regions around the globe. (Earlier post.) Thailand is the world’s largest market f...
And jet fuel does nothing, right?
NASA-led study identifies unprecedented depletion of stratospheric ozone layer above Arctic
A NASA-led study has documented an unprecedented depletion of Earth’s protective ozone layer above the Arctic last winter and spring caused by an unusually prolonged period of extremely low temperatures in the stratosphere. The study, published online Sunday in the journal Nature, finds the amo...
From the article:
"The long atmospheric lifetimes of ozone-depleting chemicals already in the atmosphere mean that Antarctic ozone holes, and the possibility of future severe Arctic ozone loss, will continue for decades."
Atmosheric Co2 takes what? 50 to 60 years to cycle thru?
Ozone killing chemicals may be similar. When I see articles such as this, for some reason my thoughts go to China and the amount of goodies being pumped in the air over there and wonder if anyone has any real idea of what and how much.
NASA-led study identifies unprecedented depletion of stratospheric ozone layer above Arctic
A NASA-led study has documented an unprecedented depletion of Earth’s protective ozone layer above the Arctic last winter and spring caused by an unusually prolonged period of extremely low temperatures in the stratosphere. The study, published online Sunday in the journal Nature, finds the amo...
Oh yeah. I listened to an NPR interview yesterday with Chris Bernius driving with one of the commentators doing the Hyper driving techniques. He commented on how mad the driver behind him was getting. IMO road rage incidences would quadruple if a number of people started driving this way. I know they would here in Seattle. Driving etiquette and rules of the road are non-existant as is.
Kia Optima Hybrid sets a new Guinness World Record for fuel economy; Gerdes and Bernius achieve average 64.55 mpg through 48 US states
A Kia Optima Hybrid (earlier post) driven by hypermiler Wayne Gerdes and his colleague Chris Bernius set a new Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption in a hybrid gasoline vehicle while driving through all 48 adjoining US states. (Earlier post.) Gerdes and Bernius successfully pilo...
My EPA estimated mileage on my dirty old diesel is 29 city 40 hiway with 33 combined. I actually get 43-45 hiway (depending on whether I drive 75 or 85) not sure about city but average 40-41 combined every tankful. (Miles driven/gallons pumped) Burned B99 for 5 years when it didn't cost $5.
If I take 12% off the top it's still 37-40 mpg hiway. And its almost 10 years old. My point is where the hell are the vehicles that get better than this. And the new diesels will have particulate filters and NOX reduction systems. So gas hybrids should be doing much better than this by now IMO.
BTW the diesel Smart car in Canada gets 70-75 hiway.
Also, where are the diesel hybrids? (hopefully soon to show up) They will blow gas off the map.
Check out the 2012 production Volvo V60 Plug-in Diesel Hybrid at 124 mpg.
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/09/06/fully-charged-volvo-v60-diesel-plug-in-hybrid/
Peugeot, Mercedes and VW all have concept versions.
Kia Optima Hybrid sets a new Guinness World Record for fuel economy; Gerdes and Bernius achieve average 64.55 mpg through 48 US states
A Kia Optima Hybrid (earlier post) driven by hypermiler Wayne Gerdes and his colleague Chris Bernius set a new Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption in a hybrid gasoline vehicle while driving through all 48 adjoining US states. (Earlier post.) Gerdes and Bernius successfully pilo...
From the earlier post;
"Kia Motors Corporation premiered the hybrid version of its new Optima sedan (earlier post) at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Created primarily with the US market in mind, the Kia-developed powertrain delivers an estimated combined cycle fuel economy is 38 mpg US (6.2 L/100km) (city 36.0 mpg, highway 40.0 mpg). "
I get better than that with my 2002 VW Jetta Wagon with TDI Diesel engine. The article above is about Hypermiling. Nobody drives that way in everyday life. It would seem we should be pushing beyond the 40 mpg mark by now. I mean my wife's '81 Civic almost got those miles. Where are the diesel hybrids? Where are the 75 mpg vehicles?
Kia Optima Hybrid sets a new Guinness World Record for fuel economy; Gerdes and Bernius achieve average 64.55 mpg through 48 US states
A Kia Optima Hybrid (earlier post) driven by hypermiler Wayne Gerdes and his colleague Chris Bernius set a new Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption in a hybrid gasoline vehicle while driving through all 48 adjoining US states. (Earlier post.) Gerdes and Bernius successfully pilo...
Short term profit mentality is the Zen of the New Rich. Unions keep the middle class, middle class.
Barriers to new factories; you mean environmental laws?
Poor work ethic? What does that mean? Being paid for overtime?
Agreed no engineering means no base for future projects or need for education, so we have lost the knowledge.
But when a country like China steels technical knowledge without earning it and we look the other way to keep from upsetting them, then we are doomed. When they can protect their industry by controlling the Yuan's worth to the dollar, then we are not going anywhere. The current thinking of more corporate tax breaks and more deregulation and getting rid of the EPA's "job killing" regulations is just more political bull that haven't accomplished anything since Reagan and instead have lead us further down the path of self implosion. The global economy has done less for us and more for developing countries. The great equalizer. The only way the US will lower it's unemployment rate is to lower it's population.
Obama Administration withdraws proposed rulemaking on strengthened ozone standards
In a statement released this morning, President Barack Obama said he has requested that US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson withdraw the agency’s draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) rulemaking. In January 2010, EPA proposed strengthening the...
Forget it Wes. These guys won't be happy til the US looks like this
http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/
with everyone making $.10 an hour and stockholders and CEO's sitting in their air-conditioned penthouses above the smog.
US EPA proposes San Joaquin Valley, South Coast, Southeast Desert as failing to meet one hour ozone air standard
The US Environmental Protection Agency announced that it is proposing to find that the San Joaquin Valley, and California’s South Coast and the Southeast Desert have failed to meet the 1-hour ozone standard by their required deadlines. Children and the elderly are most impacted by ozone pollutio...
Moses Lake Washington is in central Washington. No-where's ville. But, it has a huge runway (2nd or third longest in the US and virtually unused, was alternate Shuttle runway, ex military, ex JAL training strip) so direct transport via freighter aircraft to anywhere will be a no-brainer. No truck or hiway transport necessary.
BMW Group / SGL Group JV opens new Moses Lake carbon fiber plant
SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (SGL ACF)—a joint venture of SGL Group and the BMW Group (earlier post)—officially opened its new carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Moses Lake, WA. The new facility is strategic for the manufacture of ultra light-weight carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for u...
Seems the article tackled the problem already. Ultra-low sulphur diesel. Mandate a use it or you get shot program, then let Corning Glass, and an EPA contractor to be named later to make and install all particulate filters in the country.
US EPA seeking to award up to $1M for project to mitigate black carbon from diesel sources in Russian Arctic
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals for a project to provide assistance in developing and implementing assessment and mitigation activities for diesel sources of black carbon in the Russian Arctic. EPA anticipates awarding one Cooperative Agreement from this anno...
RP, I believe you are right on. Before Reagan, tariffs were 30-40% and since have dropped to 5-10% with a few exceptions. China is well underway in defying the WTO in demanding manufacturing tech for the right to sell in their country. Ford just signed a contract to that effect and GM is being told that the Volt will not see sales in China unless the tech is shared with China. Which means that market share of those vehicles will drop to nothing within 2 years of entry into the Chinese market because they will have copied them. Just like the Spainish Wind Generator Company Vesta that went from 85% to less than 5% from stolen tech.
And when we use gummit money for green jobs, let's make sure it goes to US companies not China.
http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/wind-energy-funds-going-overseas/story/renewable-energy-money-still-going-abroad/
Tariffs are the answer and the only answer to get manufacturing jobs back in the US. If China can use Protectionism and get away with then why don't we wise up? Of course this will not happen because multi-national corps. in charge of our gov't (thru lobbying and the now granted thru the supreme court, direct deposit to politicians) don't care who makes the goods or where they are sold as long as they can cash the check.
Obama Administration withdraws proposed rulemaking on strengthened ozone standards
In a statement released this morning, President Barack Obama said he has requested that US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson withdraw the agency’s draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) rulemaking. In January 2010, EPA proposed strengthening the...
RP
You hit the nail on the head. We need to re-educate people on oil's harm.
Also, that the new 100 mile range EV's are plenty for 95% of the average commuters driving. How many people drive 50 miles one-way, or for that matter 100 miles to work? While there you plug in. Most EV's would be purchased as a second vehicle and fit into the small Civic, Fit, Metro, etc. catagory of commuter slowly overtaking it. What we need is to keep the tax break incentive and advertisement aimed at the beny's of electric vs. fuel. Not a Libertarian but the market will help it due to fuel cost. Just educate people they don't need a huge range for a commuter car. Competition as models come on-line will address price. This will take awhile but diesel's and hybrid's and PHEV's will take up the slack. With existing tech we could put a dent in consumption quickly if car manufacturers (Big 3)would shift gears faster. Educating the public and changing demand is how to do it.
President Obama announces 54.5 mpge, 163 gCO2/mile target for MY2025 light-duty vehicles; California on board
Light-duty vehicle fuel economy standards, 1978-2025. MY1978-2011 figures are NHTSA CAFE in mpg. MY2012-2025 standards are EPA GHG standards in miles per gallon equivalent, incorporating air conditioning improvements. Dashed lines denote that standards for MY2017-2025 reflect percentage incr...
"Our studies show that there are great natural variations in the amount of Arctic sea ice. The bad news is that there is a clear connection between temperature and the amount of sea ice. And there is no doubt that continued global warming will lead to a reduction in the amount of summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean."
Gee I don't see anything about Co2 in this report summary or anything about current conditions. The gist of it is to say the ice could comeback from greater than 50% reduction. Nothing about what drove it other than warm winds. Hello, that's what's melting the ice today. Warm winds from warmer temps up north driven by changing jet stream patterns driven by warmer oceans driven by absorption of warmer air caused by climate change from greater Co2.
Study finds large variability in Arctic summer ice extent over last 10,000 years; less than half of current amounts for several thousand years
A new study led by researchers from the Danish National Research Foundation for Geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen has determined that for the last 10,000 years, the extent of summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has varied widely. For several thousand years, there was much less sea ice i...
We haven't been able to match foriegn prices on anything since Reagan started the fad of destroying the import tariffs and changing taxes and regulations about offshore manufacturing. Thus unprotecting the US's ability to compete in manufacturing in relatively environmentally safe ways. Instead we buy cheap crap from countries that pour limitless junk into the air, water. Now with the global economy we still can't compete even in the new Green Energy future. The new balanced budget mentality will cut into education, regulations and oversight capabilities and of course no new taxes to fund anything like lightrail or bullet trains or power infrastrucure. The Chinese will continue to eat our lunches.
As far as US car manufacturer bailouts, it would have led to a million or more direct and indirect (tire, electronic,paint manufacturers) jobs lost if GM went under.
Researchers castigate planning bodies for ill-conceived Jatropha programs
The results of massive plantings of Jatropha worldwide for use as a biofuel feedstock—some 12.8 million ha (49,421 square miles) are expected to be planted by 2015—are “anything but encouraging”, according to Promode Kant from the Institute of Green Economy in India and Shuirong Wu of the Chines...
Seeings how they are going to squash any input to impact on wildlife there should be no problem, right Monnett?
No ice so no animals that rely on the ice for their livelyhood.
BOEMRE issues conditional approval for Shell exploration plan for Beaufort Sea
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) issued conditional approval for a revised Exploration Plan (EP) submitted by Shell Offshore Inc. to drill up to four shallow water exploration wells in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea beginning in July 2012. The conditional appr...
Go Toyota! I hope the range of the Rav4 EV is close to 200 miles. Being an SUV lite, it will attract the "I want to drive out of town, more than a commuter vehicle" customer.
Drove a Leaf the other day. Nice rig though the placement of some of the feedback screens (GPS, etc.) is a little different. The backup camera screen projected path utility is mesmerizing. Great handling and acceleration seemed marvelous. Great 2nd car, commuter vehicle.
Toyota and Tesla to build RAV4 Electric Vehicle at Toyota’s Woodstock, Ontario production facility beginning in 2012
Toyota and Tesla Motors, Inc. confirmed that their jointly-developed RAV4 electric vehicle (earlier post) will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc. (TMMC) in Woodstock, Ontario beginning in 2012. As previously announced, Toyota will pay Tesla approximately $100 million to supply t...
Henrik is totally right. It's gone. the article hints at the effects of black carbon and the rise of methane but all that soot and carbon on ice changes the albedo and increases melt. China's thirst for coal is going to be the topper no matter the rest of everything that's gone before. Our greed to have cheaper manufactured wholesale prices sold at not so cheap prices to make the top 2% richer has put the nail in the already built coffin. The fact that these same 2% control our respective gov't's with donations and "expertice" means that nothing is going to happen to change that. The methane produced by melting permafrost around the world is going to put us over the edge and it is going to happen, like everything else, faster than we had predicted. Time to look to your own survival and that of your family and your future grandchildren because no one is going to be able to or be able to help you. The ball is rolling and it's a large one with to much inertia to stop. Over the cliff like fossil fueled lemmings.
Fast action on black carbon, ozone and methane could help limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees C
Global benefits from full implementation of the identified measures in 2030 compared to the reference scenario. The climate change benefit is estimated for a given year (2050) and human health and crop benefits are for 2030 and beyond. Source: UNEP. Click to enlarge. Fast action on pollutant...
The only way something will drastically change the course is to hit people where they live. In the wallet. Massive gas tax. That's gas not diesel or bio-diesel. Mandate 50% of all new vehicles sold have to be diesel with blue technology and particulate filters. That will do away with the NOX and the particulates. No waiting for battery technology or electric refueling infrastructure or hydrogen or fairy dust. Force either Co2 sequestration or complete shutdown of all coal fired plants. Or go to Nuke power. Or ramp up damn building or increase wind drastically. New solar news is that panel efficiency just went way up. Sink huge amounts of money from the military budget and stop the NASA budget for now and take away the oil subsidies. Make these a priority and yell down anyone that stands in the way as being un-patriotic, like the right wing does. Pin a flag on it.
Simple. It would cut Co2 in half in no time. But no one is serious enough to do it. It'll be, gee you'll hurt the economy. What economy when we're up to our eyeballs in starving people and sea water. Look at the aftermath of Katrina. Just one itty bitty huricane. Destruction, death, refugees. "We can't afford to do anything about Climate Change". We can't afford not to.
IEA estimates energy-related CO2 emissions in 2010 highest in history; 80% of projected 2020 emissions from the power sector are already locked in
Energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010 were the highest in history, according to the latest estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA). After a dip in 2009 caused by the global financial crisis, emissions are estimated to have climbed to a record 30.6 Gigatonnes (Gt), a 5%...
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