Some thoughts for Obama Motors to consider!
Only 20% of the energy contained in gasoline is converted to mechanical energy by a traditional
internal combustion engine. Refinements in the internal combustion engine, improved aerodynamics, more efficient drivetrains and low resistance tires could make a greater contribution to increased milage and reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) production than advanced technology such as plug-in cars.
Among the
adjustments that could help improve fuel economy are turbocharging with smaller, more efficient engines that produce the same level of power; advanced heat management and cooling systems, which reuse the heat produced by the engine for energy; weight reduction, including extensive use of high-strength steel; better aerodynamics; more efficient air conditioners, transmissions and lighting devices and increased electrification leading to full hybridization with electric motor and…
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It was all about the battery, they will say, while viewing the Chevrolet Volt on its prominent display stand -- diagonally across from the Edsel in some car museum of the future.
Obama Motors (OM), formally known as General Motors (GM) has reiterated its commitment to deliver the green
Chevrolet Volt, plug-in electric car to showrooms in November 2010 as planned. This despite the fact that President Obama's own
task force concluded that the Volt would be too expensive to be commercially viable. Industry analysts estimate the cost of the Volt will be around $40,000. As a comparison, the
price of proven green fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Prius ranges from $22,000 to $24,270 for the base model and the recently introduced, Honda Motor Co.'s Insight hybrid, $19,800…
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Coal-fired plants produce approximately 50% of the electricity in the United States and 82% of power generated carbon dioxide
emissions. If electric vehicles are charged exclusively by coal-fired electricity they produce more green house gases than a traditional gasoline-powered combustion engine car. In the future, electricity must be generated cleanly, if we expect automotive electric-drive technologies to reduce our carbon dioxide burden.
Wind and
solar will probably make a significant contribution to clean energy generation, but realistically, we cannot count on these two sources for more than 20-30% of our electricity needs in the next 20 years. Even reaching these modest goals will require a major investment in energy infrastructure and fundamental advances in technology. Nuclear power may be the only clean alternative.
In the United States…
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Coal-fired plants produce approximately 50% of the electricity in the United States and 82% of power-generated
carbon dioxide emissions. If electric vehicles are charged exclusively by coal-fired electricity they produce more
greenhouse gases than a traditional gasoline-powered combustion engine car. In the future, electricity must be generated cleanly if we expect automotive electric-drive technologies to reduce our carbon dioxide burden. Clean energy alternatives like
Wind and
solar power will probably make a significant contribution to clean energy generation, but realistically, we cannot count on these two sources for more than 20-30% of our electricity needs in the next 20 years. Even reaching these modest goals will require a major investment in energy infrastructure and fundamental advances in technology. In light of these realities, it…
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The key to producing less carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels is to use the fuel with the lowest carbon to hydrogen ratio. Coal is the least desirable because there are roughly 2 carbons for each hydrogen; oil is cleaner because it has the inverse ratio of approximately one carbon for 2 hydrogen molecules; and best of all is
methane (CH4), with 4 hydrogen molecules for each carbon molecule. Although
natural gas is primarily methane, it does contain, some longer chain hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, butane, pentane etc. that make it slightly less desirable than pure methane. Thus, the reduction in
carbon dioxide emissions when natural gas is substituted for gasoline in an automobile is about 25-30%.
Fossil Fuel Emission Levels
- Pounds per Billion… Continue reading | 6 Comments
Malthus believed we would be unable to feed ourselves as our numbers expanded. He postulated that short-term gains in living standards would inevitably be undermined as population growth outstripped food production. Malthus of course, has been proven wrong as technology permitted us to grow more food from existing farmland. Yet, despite all we have accomplished in improving our agricultural efficiency and reducing population growth, billions are still malnourished. Given this reality, is the mass production of
ethanol from corn a sound policy?
Are we so blinded by evangelical climate soothsayers that we believe we can burn a significant portion of our basic food stock, corn, to power our cars and not increase global hunger? If ethanol is so important to our future why not import sugar cane from the poor…
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Transportation, specifically the automobile, will be the pivotal sector driving increased demand for oil and its substitutes over the next two decades. The developing world notably China and India, aspire to the freedom the automobile brings. Things we take for granted, such as the ability to escape the crowded city whenever we wish, to live in a green suburb and commute to work or just live a greater distance from our employment will now be come increasingly available to people in the developing world. Per capita car ownership in China will increase to 40 cars per 1,000 citizens by 2010 from its current 24 and that is only the beginning of a steep secular trend. By contrast the United States has 765 vehicles per 1,000 and most Western European countries
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