alternative fuels

Energy Observer, Toyota team for global catamaran ride, #181

Dr. Katia Nicolet, a marine biologist, is part of two, five-person crews rotating on board the Energy Observer. The self-sufficient, 100-foot catamaran is the first round-the-world, hydrogen-powered sea vessel. It’s a working lab designed to showcase zero-emission technologies and demonstrate that clean energies can be accessible to everyone. As part of its six-year odyssey, the Energy Observer arrived in early May on Pier 9 in San Francisco about two weeks after entering the United States in Long Beach, California. Nicolet, who has been involved with the project for about a year, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. After joining several other guests for Nicolet’s extensive tour of the vessel, co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia

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#166 EV expert Steve Birkett discusses growing industry

Steve Birkett is an electric vehicle expert who embraces the automotive technology of sustainable choices. Birkett, who lives and works in Boston, Mass., has owned several electric vehicles. He provides his expertise in the field and his advocacy of the industry on the website findthebestcarprice.com and other industry publications. And he’s our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Birkett the industry at-large. We ask Birkett about his family experiences with EVs. (He drives to visit relatives in Ohio on occasion in addition to daily car use). Bruce and I chat with our guest about how the alternative fuel industry has changed. EV industry rapidly changing And, of course, we

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So long, Toyota Prius C; It’s been a good eight years

The Toyota Prius c, introduced in December 2011 as the carmaker’s least expensive and smallest hybrid, will likely be retired with the introduction of the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. According to a report on Motor1.com, the little hatchback will be outdone in its well-touted economy by the new Corolla. Available in the spring of 2019, the EPA has already released the mileage estimates for the new Corolla, 53 mpg in city driving, 52 mpg on the freeway. The Prius c is rated at 48 mpg in city driving, 42 mpg on the highway Fuel economy for the 2020 Corolla Hybrid is already available from the EPA. It gets 53 miles per gallon city and 52 mpg highway for a combined

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2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell: hydrogen travel made worthy

Modern-day alternative fuel vehicles arrived in the United States in 1999 with the debut of the Honda Insight, a hybrid-electric that resembled a horizontally positioned peanut on wheels. The Toyota Prius arrived a few months later and remains the dominant leader in the segment with its family of “green” vehicles. Several manufacturers continue their quests infiltrate, most notably Honda. It debuted the Honda Civic GX (later called the Civic CNG), its compressed natural gas sedan, in limited markets in 1998. It was eventually available to consumers throughout the country, but production stopped with 2015 model. More innovative is the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, one of the three Clarity models available. It operates only on hydrogen, the emissions of which are

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The race to improve electric cars globally heats up quickly

SPONSORED CONTENT Last week, USA Today reported Daimler, maker of Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen would launch long-range electric cars. As such, what is the likelihood of electric cars being the first and only car your grandchildren will know? One consideration is defining the use of the term “long range.” Until recently, many electric cars had a range 40 to 100 miles per charge and they required hours to recharge. For commuters with short round-trip drives, limited-range electric cars are satisfactory. But for drivers whose daily driving habits including additional mile for errands and other activities, short-range electric vehicle are problematic. Electric-gas hybrid vehicles allow drivers to travel farther. But if you’re only driving 40 miles and then switching to fuel, does

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Commentary: Tesla Model 3 could mean hybrids matter

The recent announcement of the high-performance Tesla Model 3, the all-electric, 200-mile range, reasonably priced sports car sedan attracted the consumers like no other recent new vehicle. If Telsa can meet the demand of 400,000 wannabe buyers who each deposited $1,000 to get the new model 3, the car industry could change. That’s if the Tesla delivers the vehicles in 2017, as promised. The car industry will finally have an alternative vehicle that’s infiltrated mainstream with a car that doesn’t have the look and stigma of the Toyota Prius. Tesla Model 3: Game Changer? Most major car manufacturers offer at least one hybrid model. But the family of Prius vehicles that includes five models combines to outsell all other alternative

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Toyota Mirai, 312-mile range hydrogen car, gets info site

The Toyota Mirai, the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle that uses no gasoline and emits only water vapor, will be available in its “request” phase beginning July 20. Potential buyers will then be able to request the only electric vehicle with an EPA estimated driving range of more than 300 miles. The EPA has given the Mirai a range rating of 312 miles and an EPA estimated 67 mpge in combined city and highway driving. The, $57,5000 sedan will be available only at eight California dealerships. Only California residents can buy the car. It will include an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty on “key fuel cell vehicle components” and three years — or $15,000, whichever comes first — of fuel. Toyota reported the Mirai won’t debut

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2013 Ford C-Max: Prius challenger shines (video review)

A decade after its debut in Europe, Ford unveiled the C-Max in the United States in the fall of 2012 as the carmaker’s hybrid-only line. It’s available as a gas-electric hybrid and the Energi, a plug-in hybrid. It’s not available in a gas-only model. Ford’s goal is simple: It wants to infiltrate the long-standing dominance of the ever-expanding Prius family. And the carmaker is onto something with the Ford C-Max. It’s easy to like because like other hybrids, it has a quiet push-button start and a quiet overall demeanor. But it also performs with the acceleration, steering, braking and overall feel of a non-hybrid. I drove the highest-end Ford C-Max SEL edition for a week and primarily during several weekday

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Honda Civic Natural Gas: A Weekly Driver 2012 Top 10

Thirteen years after its unceremonious debut in California as the Civic GX, the rebranded Honda Civic Natural Gas vehicle turned age 1 in 2012 and it remains the only natural gas vehicle available nationwide. Honda initially marketed the car to government agencies and commercial users. But beginning in 2005 individual consumers could also lease the car. In the fall of 2011, the Honda Civic Natural Gas received its new name and was for the first time included nationally in Honda’s marketing campaigns. For nine straight years, the Honda GX and (and now the Natural Gas) have been rated first in the “Greenest Vehicle of the Year” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. A decade ago, the EPA first

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Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012: Only CNG car in U.S. turns age 1, still unheralded

Thirteen years after its unceremonious debut in California as the Civic GX, the rebranded Honda Civic Natural Gas vehicle has turned age 1 as the only natural gas vehicle available nationwide. Honda initially marketed the car to government agencies and commercial users. But beginning in 2005 individual consumers could also lease the car. In the fall of 2011, the Honda Civic Natural Gas received its new name and was for the first time included nationally in Honda’s marketing campaigns. For nine straight years, the Honda GX and (and now the Natural Gas) have been rated first in the “Greenest Vehicle of the Year” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. A decade ago, the EPA first designated, the Civic

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Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012: Green Car of the Year

The 2012 Honda Natural Gas, which for the first time is nationally marketed and available in dealers throughout the United States, is the Green Car of the Year. The designated has been awarded yearly since 2005 at the Los Angeles Auto Show by the publication Green Car Journal. The cleanest running internal combustion vehicle certified by the EPA, the redesigned 2012 Civic Natural Gas is the fifth generation of the alternative fuel vehicle and the only assembly-line produced natural gas passenger model manufactured for sale in the United States. It runs on a clean fuel almost exclusively domestically sourced and priced about 30-50 percent less than gasoline. While averaging 38 highway MPGe, the Honda Civic Natural Gas is an Advanced

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Honda Civic, 2012: It’s a natural gas and it’s nationwide

The 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas (formerly the Civic GX), the only dedicated natural gas-powered passenger vehicle manufactured and sold in the U.S., debuted Oct. 18, marking the first time in the vehicle’s 14-year history it’s been available at dealerships throughout the country. Until its current model, the Honda Civic natural gas model was available only in California, New York, Utah and Oklahoma. To support growing consumer interest in alternative-fuel vehicles, American Honda expanded its U.S. distribution to 200 dealers in 35 states. As an alternative-fuel vehicle with extremely low smog-forming emissions, the Civic Natural Gas currently qualifies for a state-issued decal allowing single-occupant access to High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) “carpool” lanes in California and several other states. The Civic Natural

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Honda says it's a gas, will offer Civic natural gas model nationwide in 2011

Some automotive industry experts believe Honda has been complacent in recent years with the Accord and Civic among the top-five best-selling cars in the United States. But while the Japanese manufacturer has rejuvenated its efforts the new Honda Civic hybrid, it’s all remained at the forefront in another “green” area — natural gas. Honda is among only a few companies that sell a natural gas-powered car in the U.S.. But Honda will soon do better than that. It’s natural gas-powered version of its new Civic sedan will soon be available in all 50 states, according to carmaker  representatives at the Detroit auto show. Currently Honda sells around 1,500 natural-gas Civics each year. But they’re currently only in California, Oklahoma, New York

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