Many new car innovations have already arrived or are fast approaching, promising to bring in a new automotive age. Most new technologies are Eco-Auto technologies. That is, they are helping conserve resources with improved economy.

A new automotive era is fast approaching. Says John Heywood, director of the Sloan Automotive Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "I've been involved (with auto research) for more than 30 years, and there's more action and more promise for improvement now than I've ever seen."

There have been many rapid advancements in the auto world. Today's "hybrid" electric/fuel cars, for instance, are now capable of achieving up to 100 miles per gallon of gas.

From every indication, it looks like Eco-Auto drivers are headed in the right direction. From cars made from almost 100% recycled materials to engines that rely on bio-fuels made from organic materials. New technologies in the automotive industry are advancing because of the needs and demands of the consumer. Meaning, you have a lot of say in what comes off the assemble line. Buying only the most Eco-Auto will encourage automotive producers to make vehicles more economical and less impact on the environment.

Eco Transit
New forms of public transportation continue popping up in many of North america's Big cities. Let's get the facts. No one likes traffic jams, and certainly, most people realize that cars can pollute the air. Well, aboard Toronto, Canada's GO system, a single train car holds the passenger equivalent of 100 automobiles. In fact, during one hour in the morning, 30,000 people hop aboard.
Closer to home, the Metropolitan Council server the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area released figures showing the nearly 1.4 million people rode the new Hiawatha line in it's first three months! Exceeding their goal by 96 percent. That's a lot of stress and pollution off the road!

A Crossbred Car
Today you can drive in a vehicle that reaches 70 miles per gallon. Most hybrids have both a gasoline engine and an electric motor which propels the vehicle at low speeds. When the gas engine is needed at higher speeds, it takes over automatically, recharging the electrical system. So you don't have to plug it in. (Photo of Toyota Prius)

Eco-Gauge
The dash boards on some cars today look almost as sophisticated as the cockpit of an airliner. There's one type of gauge you might want to add. Have you ever heard of a vacuum gauge? It can actually teach you to be a Frog Friendly driver. A vacuum gauge measures engine vacuum and indicates when your engine is running most efficiently.

Tomorrow's Tires
The tires you drive on today might be the tires you drive ON tomorrow. One of the more promising methods of recycling old tires is to grind them up and mix them with asphalt for road surfaces. Find out what your dealer does with old tires before you give them your business.

What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend.

Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products -- methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct usually sold to be used in soaps and other products).

Biodiesel can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

The US Department of Energy study said the use of biodiesel compared to petroleum diesel, resulted in a 78.5% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Moreover, biodiesel has a positive energy balance. For every unit of energy needed to produce a gallon of biodiesel, 3.24 units of energy are gained.

Is Biodiesel the same thing as raw vegetable oil?
No! Fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced to strict industry specifications (ASTM D6751) in order to insure proper performance. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Biodiesel that meets ASTM D6751 and is legally registered with the Environmental Protection Agency is a legal motor fuel for sale and distribution. Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil. It is produced by a chemical process which removes the glycerin from the oil. Raw vegetable oil cannot meet biodiesel fuel specifications.

To locate a biodiesel retailer near you click here.

Vegetable Oil / Grease Cars

In grease cars, biodiesel is a 100% vegetable oil-based fuel that runs in diesel engines - cars, buses, trucks, construction equipment, boats, generators, and oil home heating units. It's usually made from soy or canola oil, and can also be made from recycled fryer oil (yes, from McDonalds or your local Chinese restaurant). You can blend it with regular diesel or run 100% vegetable oil. Biodiesel cuts down on targeted emissions. Biodiesel used in a 20 percent blend with petroleum diesel and a catalytic converter will cut air pollution. Particulate matter is reduced 31 percent, carbon monoxide by 21 percent and total hydrocarbons by 47 percent. Biodiesel used in a blend will also reduce sulfur emissions and aromatics. Using 100% biodiesel further reduces emissions and carcinogenic compounds.

How does the Greasecar system work?
The Greasecar system is a two tank fuel system. The vehicles existing diesel tank and filter will supply diesel fuel to the engine at start up and shut down. After start up radiator fluid will transfer heat from the engine to the heat exchangers in the Greasecar fuel system. These heat exchangers will heat the vegetable oil in the fuel filter, lines and fuel tank. The heat will reduce the viscosity of vegetable oil so that it is similar to diesel and can be injected into the engine properly. Whe the vehicle is being shut down for a period long enough for the fuel to cool the vegetable oil must be purged from the fuel system and replaced with diesel for the next start up. For much more information on Greasecars check out the GreaseCar web site. Click Here

Etta Kantor fills her diesel car's spare tank with recycled vegetable oil at her home in Weston, Conn.
(DOUGLAS HEALEY/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Do you know automobiles are among the largest sources of pollution? An average vehicle produces 13,500 pounds of emissions every year.
With increasingly stringent emissions legislation being introduced in the world's major auto markets, the race to find practical and economical green alternatives is heating up. The main areas of development have centered on hydrogen, fuel cells, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and hybrid technology as alternatives to the traditional gasoline and diesel engines. Major automakers are increasingly tying up with other automakers, government bodies, research companies and businesses in order to form partnerships to develop new technologies faster and at lower cost.

Hydrogen
German car-maker BMW is at the forefront of pursuing hydrogen as a more environmentally friendly alternative fuel to gasoline or diesel. BMW sees hydrogen as a more feasible alternative in the long term than fuel cells, because it allows better car performance and is compatible with current internal combustion engines. It also gives off zero emissions and performs on a comparable level to conventional gasoline-powered vehicles.

Fuel Cells
A fuel cell, can chemically combine hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity without involving heat (although some heat is usually generated in practical situations)! Here is a fuel under development by Manhattan Scientifics:

This is actually a stack of fuel cells: Each fuel cell by itself doesn't produce very much power, but the voltage provided by each fuel cell individually adds up, yielding a voltage (and a power) that is large enough for practical applications.
For more information from the USDE click here.

Liquid Petroleum Gas
Because of the varying number of fuel stations equipped to supply liquid petroleum gas (LPG) it is generally currently restricted mainly to commercial vehicle fleets. Consumers are reluctant to convert their cars to LPG because of the additional cost burden of installation and the fear of loss in resale value. Few cars are currently sold as being equipped for LPG usage, with the recently launched Toyota Crown being one of the exceptions. LPG also has a higher fuel consumption rate than gasoline. As a cleaner fuel it is the most likely option for drivers in the short term, however, as it is compatible with the internal combustion engine and produces less pollutants, as well as being easy to supply and store.

Water Based Fuel!
In the arid state of Nevada, excitement is growing over a new alternative fuel source made, of all things, from water! The brainchild of Rudolph Gunnerman, clean-burning, water-based A-21 fuel is a stable emulsion, or mixture, of water and petroleum-based naphtha, with trace amounts of bonding and winterizing agents. Water comprises up to 55% of the total fuel volume, with the remainder consisting mostly of naphtha, a petroleum product from the earliest stages of the refinery process. Water and petroleum products normally don't mix, but Gunnerman invented an emulsifier that allows the two substances to be blended together into a milky liquid that can be used to run both gasoline and diesel engines with only minor modifications. Click here for more information.