Greenskid » Alternative Energy

My Take on Alternative Fuel

Greenskid — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:42:53 +0000

1. Why Are They Important?

One word: pollution. More than a century of using petroleum-based fuel has really taken its toll. Because of that, the Earth’s atmosphere hasn’t been this dirty for millions of years. With that being said, it’s extremely imperative that countries start looking for alternative fuels before it is too late.

2.What Are the Options?

Fortunately, there are other options than petroleum that people can go to. Alternative fuels that are currently being used include Ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, electricity, and hydrogen fuel. In fact, some vehicles are already built to use specifically one or a combination of any of these energy sources.

3.What are the Benefits?

These alternative fuel sources are cleaner and more efficient than gasoline. Aside from that, some can even boost your engine’s horsepower. Not only that because studies have shown that alternative fuel sources are cleaner and cheaper than regular petrol.

4.What are the Disadvantages?

Aside from the extra costs needed in manufacturing them. Alternative fuel sources also lack the necessary infrastructures to be spread all over the globe. In fact, most vehicles are still designed to use petroleum-based fuel in order to function. With that being said, it will take quite a while for these alternative fuels to be accepted by the public.

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Things You Don’t Know About Lithium-Ion Batteries

Greenskid — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:14:51 +0000

Ever since I started this blog, I have mentioned about electric cars 7 out of 10 times. I really think that electric vehicles are what we’re going to drive 50 years down the road. To work, electric vehicles rely on batteries and an electric motor that generate power. These days, the most effective batteries are the lithium-ion batteries because they last longer. Aside from that, they offer you more electric power compared to other varieties out there. If you think you already know all about lithium-ion batteries, then better read the rest of my post:

1. How They Work

Lithium-ion batteries move electrically-charged atoms from one electrode to another. For these batteries, they use cobalt or manganese for the positive electrodes and graphite for the negative. The ions then move to the lithium-based polymer gel that can be found inside the batteries.

2. Why They’re Effective

Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, more compact, and they store more electricity compared to their nickel-metal-hydride batteries. Since they weigh less, they take up less space in the vehicle and because of that, they don’t mess up with their speed. As a result, electric vehicles that use lithium-ion batteries are faster, have a bigger range, and more energy-efficient.

3.The Cons

Although not a new anymore, lithium-ion batteries are known to be unstable when charged. Because of that, they have a tendency to explode, causing it to short circuit or burst into flames. Aside from that, lithium-ion batteries decline when it comes to their charging ability. That means you still have to replace them after a certain period of time has elapsed.

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Ford Pushes the Pedal with the Ecostar EV

Greenskid — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 03:44:37 +0000

Prior to the domination of weird-looking green cars of the 2000s, one of the most famous green cars years ago was the Ecostar EV from Ford. Born in 1992, the Ecostar EV was way ahead of its time when it comes to the green technology that it used.

An electric vehicle, the Ecostar EV looked like any other automobile out in the streets. The only thing that makes it different is its power source. Using a sodium-sulfur battery pack that is mounted beneath the floor pan, the Ecostar EV was a solid vehicle needless to say. When it comes to performance, it can go from 0-60 mph in 15 seconds while having a maximum driving range of 150 miles.

Meanwhile, the thing that really stands out about this vehicle is its 600-degree sodium-sulfur batteries. Basically, these batteries need to operate at this temperature in order to ignite a reaction between the sodium and sulfur molecules. The reaction results to electricity being produced, while kinetic energy was stored inside the batteries’ thick walls.

Although sodium-sulfur batteries had great potential, newer and better batteries were later invented. Because of that, the Ecostar EV faded in obscurity although it paved the way for other electric vehicles to come out years later.

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The Eclectic: An Electric and Solar Car Rolled into One

Greenskid — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:39:19 +0000

I was more than excited when I first heard that Venturi Automobiles was finally unleashing the Fetish sports car. Though not yet the Tesla Roadster, its electric drivetrain and superior design made me an instant fan. Venturi is back with a vengeance today upon releasing the Eclectic. Primarily a down-to-earth version of the Fetish, the Eclectic is a solid vehicle to those who favor low-speed transportation.

Basically, the Eclectic is an electric vehicle that uses nickel-metal-hydride batteries for power. When every inch of it is already used up, you can simply charge these batteries through the on-board charger, roof-mounted solar panels, and a wind turbine. Although not necessarily a supercar, the Eclectic has a decent 22-horsepower motor and a 30 mph speed. Aside from that, it has a driving rang that can extend to 30 miles once the batteries are fully charged.

The best thing about this car is that it also uses solar power. Overall, it has a total of 27 square feet of solar cells that are installed on its roof. These solar cells can extend the Eclectic’s range to as much as four miles. Its wind turbine meanwhile can give as much as nine miles.

On a different note, the only thing not going for the Eclectic is its looks. Although it’s a solid vehicle as far as performance goes, it looks like a golf cart from afar unfortunately.

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CT3: The Three-Wheeled Car

Greenskid — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:35:37 +0000

T3 Motion did it again. After successfully introducing the enigmatic Segway, it’s now back on track by launching CT3. Looking more like a motorcycle than a car, the CT3 is a low-speed vehicle that is built for personal commuting. Basically, the vehicle can go as fast as 45 mph and it’s powered by a two electric motors. All the power that it has is derived from its lithium-polymer batteries, which you can easily recharge.

Just like all vehicles from T3, the CT3 is all about giving you environment-friendly vehicles that don’t use gasoline at all. With an MPG rating of 100, the CT3 lets you drive over a 100 miles without having to recharge its heavy-duty batteries. When it comes to performance, the CT3 is equipped with all-wheel drive and full-front suspension system. Aside from that, its hydraulic disc brakes will let you stop on a dime without hearing noise at all.

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A 200-MPG Electric Car

Greenskid — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:14:58 +0000

Switzerland is not all about the Alps and the cheese. When it comes to fuel-economy vehicles, the Swiss also can proud of one car called the Hotzi Electric Car. Truth is, I have never been to Switzerland although I would love to have the Hotzi Electric Car in my garage. Manufactured by engineering giant Kruspan Engineering, the Hotzi Electric Car runs using its highly-dependable lithium-polymer battery pack.

Ever since the Hotzi Electric Car has used Lipo batteries from Korea, its single-charge range has increased from 55 miles to a whopping 250 miles. That’s an MPG rating of 250 and you only need to charge the batteries for a couple of hours. Unlike other electric cars that run really slow, the Hotzi Electric Car has a decent speed of 80 mph. So how long does it take to get that 250-MPG range? Well Manufacturers have stated that it only takes an entire night to enjoy a 250-mile traveling range. After that, you can cover that distance and not worry about halting in the middle of nowhere.

When it comes to design, the Hotzi Electric Car is quite versatile. Weighing only 660 pounds, you can still maximize its passenger capacity by as much as four people.

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The Scorpion Roadster is Ready to Pound the Road

Greenskid — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:43:21 +0000

If you’re looking for a green car that can torch the road at the same time, then the Scorpion Roadster is clearly the runaway winner. With an MPG rating of 40 and with a capacity to generate as much as 450-horsepower, it’s definitely something that mother Earth and the Lewis Hamiltons would smile at. The great thing about this car is that it is powered by hydrogen, which makes it a real toast for those rabid environmentalists out there. According to its manufacturer called Ronn Motor Company, they expect that it’s the second coming of the Tesla Roadster. Instead of using batteries, their car uses Hydrogen to go around the place.

Meanwhile, The Scorpion Roadster uses electrolysis in order to convert water to hydrogen. After that, it is mixed with 91-octane gasoline for better fuel economy and reduction of fuel emission. Basically, the whole idea is to sell the electrolysis technology and prove to everyone that it works. That means that if the electrolysis system works with the Scorpion Roadster, there’s no way that you can’t use it for your Chevrolet or a Ford.

The company guarantees that you’ll get at least 15 to 33 percent of increase in gas mileage. That’s a lot of fuel, considering how much you have to pay for gas these days. On the other hand, unlike BMW’s Hydrogen 7, the Scorpion Roadster does not have any 30-gallonn tanks full of liquid hydrogen. That’s good news, especially if you don’t want to bother dealing with it all the time.

When it comes to the car’s performance, it is expected to reach 200 mph in open speedway. If that’s not enough, it also boasts of a 3.5-liter V6 engine, while all in all, the whole car weighs only an astonishing 2,200 lbs. Overall, you can call the Scorpion Roadster your own if you have at least 150,000 USD.

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The Toyota Yaris Tailback Now Runs on Compressed Natural Gas

Greenskid — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:21:39 +0000

The Toyota Yaris has always been a slick car, which you can bring anywhere you want especially if you’re simply traversing city streets. However, Toyota has just recently upgraded this vehicle when they released the Yaris running on Compressed Natural Gas or CNG. The Yaris has now become green and that means it allows you to switch from gasoline to CNG any time that you want. Basically, the CNG tank is positioned in the rear, which you can easily access when you open the rear tailgate. That means you won’t have any problems refilling the tank when the need arises.

Since it has become green, this Toyota Yaris also added a touch of green paint to emphasize its CNG-inspired orientation. Basically, this car is all about functionality and city styling with an edge. When it comes to the exterior, this car offers rear suicide doors that are automatic and a rear split tailgate, which lets you put some stuff behind. Moreover, with a switch of the button, you can transform this car from a gas-guzzler to a unique hybrid car that feed on CNG. Meanwhile, the interior is equally impressive because it features a slick audio/visual system that can keep you entertained all throughout the journey. Performance wise, the Toyota Yaris tailback is far from being mediocre, that’s because it can cruise to 100 km/h and generate as much as 130-horsepower. In addition, reaching 60 miles isn’t a problem because this car can get to it in less than 10 seconds.

This car is definitely your best bet if you want to stop using traditional fuel and start caring more for the environment. What’s more is that you’re not going to sacrifice a lot when it comes to style. In fact the Toyota Yaris tailback gives you a preppy look on the road.

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Looking Back at the Volvo 850

Greenskid — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:54:09 +0000

Back in the 90s, not many people cared about hybrid vehicles that can run using gasoline and another alternative fuel. Of course time flies and because of that, it brings so many changes that were unthinkable more than a decade ago. Volvo was already developing hybrid vehicles during that time and in 1997, the company launched the Volvo 850.

Basically, this wagon runs using both gasoline and compressed natural gas. This kind of concept is now being used by virtually every hybrid vehicle today. Basically, the car provides superior comfort, handling, and tremendous acceleration. The best part though is its fuel efficiency and during the time that it was launched, it can churn up as much as 70 MPG in any given day.

Although the vehicle looks pretty conventional, it offers sleek interior comforts that were quite advanced during its time.

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Americans Going for Green Cars

Greenskid — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:32:34 +0000

Years ago, I would not even dare say that Americans will appreciate green vehicles or alternative fuel autos. With our love for gas-guzzling and powerful cars, I really doubted whether Americans will ever give these vehicles a chance.

Then again, recent studies show that from 2007-2008, more than two million green vehicles were bought by Americans. This rising trend is brought by an increased awareness in the advantages that these automobiles bring. Aside from that, ever increasing prices of fuel have led many Americans to buy the often slower, yet more economical green cars.

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