green cars

Air Powered Cars

2011-04-19T08:52:00.001-07:00

What are Air Powered Cars?

While air powered cars seems like the stuff of fantasy, there are vehicles that are being developed that actually run on nothing but compressed air. This zero-emission ‘fuel’ is believed to hold promise for future car models and is being explored in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Air power can be quite formidable, as mechanics have noted for years as they’ve used pneumatic air powered tools to do heavy-duty work in service shops all over the world.

biodisel cars

2011-04-19T08:51:00.004-07:00

What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a renewable alternative fuel made from various sources ranging from waste vegetable oil to soybeans. It can often be used seamlessly in diesel engines of all kinds. Biodiesel is a cleaner fuel than standard petroleum diesel. Since it can be produced locally, biodiesel has the potential to decrease our dependence on foreign countries for oil, and enhance local economies where biodiesel production is taking place.

Plug In Hybrid cars

2011-04-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

What are Plug In Hybrids?

Plug in hybrids boast great potential for improving fuel economy. Plug in hybrid technology allows gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles to be recharged from the grid and run many miles on battery power alone. A gas engine provides additional driving range as needed after the battery power is gone. Plug in hybrids may never need to run on anything but electricity for shorter commutes. The combination of gas and electric driving technologies can already achieve up to 150 mpg.

cng cars

2011-04-19T08:50:00.001-07:00

What is Natural Gas?

Natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, is being used by an increasing number of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles like refuse trucks and delivery vans. Natural gas is stored and used in its liquefied or compressed states. It is most commonly abbreviated as LNG for Liquefied Natural Gas, and CNG for Compressed Natural Gas. While a variety of light-duty natural gas cars were once available, the only factory-produced natural gas car made today in the U.S. is Honda’s Civic GX. Other car models may be developed and sold in the United States as additional focus is placed on natural gas as a fuel source for alternative fuel vehicles.

Hydrogen Cars & Hydrogen Fuel Cells

2011-04-19T08:49:00.001-07:00

What are Hydrogen Cars & Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

Hydrogen is perhaps the cleanest of all alternative fuels, burning with nearly zero emissions in an internal combustion engine and with emissions of only water vapor and heat in an electro-mechanical fuel cell. Hydrogen vehicles are being developed in many forms by most major car manufacturers. Some vehicles powered by hydrogen are in demonstration fleets, while others like the Honda FCX Clarity and Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell are being driven by consumers.

ethanol cars

2011-04-19T08:48:00.001-07:00

What is Ethanol?

Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. As a fuel, ethanol can be used in more than 30 flex fuel vehicle models that have been designed to run on alcohol, gasoline, or any combination of the two fuels from the same tank. Most ethanol today is produced from corn or sugar cane, although this will change as cheaper cellulosic ethanol made from fast growing woody grasses and other biomass becomes a reality.

electric cars

2011-04-19T08:47:00.001-07:00

What are Electric Cars?

Electric cars produce zero localized emissions since they’re propelled by electric motors that run on batteries charged at home, or special electric vehicle charging stations. Car manufacturers are actively developing a new generation of electric cars using technologies and lessons learned from electric vehicles developed in the 1990s. Electric cars are extremely efficient and run for pennies per mile, much cheaper than any other alternative fuel.

hybrid cars

2011-04-19T08:46:00.001-07:00

What are Hybrids?

Hybrids combine two or more different propulsion systems, typically a gasoline engine and one or more electric drive motors. Most hybrids on the road today compliment their gas engines by charging a battery when breaking. Engines running on diesel or other alternative fuels can also be used in hybrids. A hybrid drive is fully scalable, which means the drive can be used to power everything from small commuter cars to large buses and even locomotives. Hybrids get more MPG or miles per gallon than most non-hybrids, and usually have very low tailpipe emissions