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So Many Alternatives - Just Can’t Choose Anything

New ways of tackling the problem of greenhouse effect and energy resources exhaustion appear quiet regularly. And get as regularly criticized in all possible ways. Bio fuel is not enough to supply the entire nation’s demand, plug-in cars are too small and have odd design, electric and hybrid cars are not satisfactory speed-wise. Yeah, let’s guzzle gas until scientists and automakers won’t come up with a perfect solution. Or until oil will cost an arm and leg – literally.

Take E85. It has gotten many votes and has almost been recognized as a great alternative to oil fuel. As distinct from gasoline, ethanol is made from plants. 85% of ethanol and 15% of gasoline put together make E85 – an energy source for flexible-fuel vehicles. The problem is that unlike gas stations that you bump into on every corner E85 is not always easy to find. Never mind, you can always check the alternative fuel location beforehand. There is even a mobile phone service for finding the nearest station where E85 is available.

But if you have a look at some studies you’ll discover not so optimistic results and assumptions. Like Professor Mark Jacobson from Stanford University said that he couldn’t see where exactly it had been proved that ethanol was decreasing air pollution. More than that, the results of his study showed that use of E85 could cause respiratory problems (the ground-level ozone, increased by ethanol, aggravates our lungs). The figures he got weren’t very dramatic and required additional research, but were enough to make hypochondriacs worry. And drive attention away from the evils of excessive gas consumption and its consequences.

However, Professor Jacobson puts his trust in battery-electric technology. Electric and hybrid cars have gotten their bit of criticism too, but keep drawing more and more attention and approval. As Toyota hybrid cars are expected to appear in all possible models and hybrid car market is welcoming hybrid SUV models, there has to be the light at the end of the tunnel. Probably the main root of the problem is not in the imperfections of alternative technologies, but in the mass psychology. We do realize we’re going nowhere when consuming too much gasoline, but can’t change our habits. It’s much easier to find faults in everything that might force you to reconsider your routine.

Turning back to electric and hybrid cars. Fuel efficiency depends on your driving skills almost as much as on technology. Some especially gifted drivers can turn even Toyota hybrid cars, famous for their fuel-efficiency, into thirsty monsters. And there’s hardly anything carmakers can do about it. Dieter Zetsche, Daimler Chairman, suggested that special education should be given to teach low fuel consumption driving skills. In fact, Daimler already provides such program for truck drivers in Europe and apparently it pays off.

So maybe instead of knocking to pieces the introduced ideas of alternative technologies we should revise our habits and try to get the most of what is on offer now?

Are Hybrids Loosing It Or…?

Results of numerous studies and ratings published recently in different sources are bound to leave consumers slightly confused. What’s the real position of electric and hybrid cars on the market?

Not so long ago J.D. Powers investigated consumers’ attitude to electric and hybrid cars and came to the conclusion that they began to lose their popularity. To diesel vehicles in particular, for they are very likely to maintain gas mileage that meets federal standards and even exceed it, but are less expensive to buy than electric and hybrid cars.

In two different lists of Top 10 Most Popular Cars for the first half of 2007, ranked by CarGuru consumers and based on sales volume from Automotive News, there are no hybrids. You can see them in Top 20, but it’s not a very flattering position. Moreover, the list is full of vehicles that not even remotely meet the new CAFE standards. Although auto buyers are obviously concerned about the growth of gas prices, they are still unwilling to reconsider their addiction to big gas-guzzlers.

So, it looks like electric and hybrid cars are not winning the battle even despite the threat of oil crisis. Moot point! The fresh study by J.D. Powers predicts an increase of over 30% in electric and hybrid cars sales. Not too bad for vehicles that have been reportedly loosing popularity.

Well, maybe this all makes sense at the end of the day, as hybrid car market is welcoming new SUV models that should draw the attention of SUV lovers.

Hybrid Trains: Welcome Aboard!

The long-awaited environmentally-friendly train has hit the railroad in Japan. The two-car Kiha E200 currently circulates on a mountain area line which is about 80 km long. The distance is rather short, yet officials believe that it’s the beginning of a long journey.

Although trains are not the prime contributors to air pollution and global warming process, as “a part of efforts to be green” as Yasuaki Kikuchi, a spokesman for East Japan Railway Company, has defined it, introduction of a hybrid train is another step in the right direction. It is due to the success of electric and hybrid cars that interest in hybrid trains grows. American and German railway companies are also working on implementing the green technology.

The train works similar to its predecessors – Toyota hybrid cars. It has 4 electric motors (2 under each car) and a diesel engine which kicks in when the train is climbing a hill or when batteries are getting low. Lithium ion batteries are located on the roof and get recharged from braking. The train looks just like normal ones, but runs more quietly – another resemblance to electric and hybrid cars. Emission reduction provided by this technology is about 60%, fuel consumption is cut by 20%.

Cost is the weak point though. Kiha E200 runs about $1.7 million – twice as much as a normal train. It is necessary to gather data on fuel consumption in correlation with various passenger loads and different climate conditions. The company engineer said that to be really effective, this technology has to become more widespread. Hopefully, hybrid train cars will pass all tests and come into mass production.