Hybrid Living

Filed under: Etc., Transportation Alternatives, European Union

RATP, the company that manages mass transit in one of Europe’s biggest cities, Paris, announced that it plans to become an oil-free company by 2025. According to the group’s Energy policy announcement, RATP will reduce pollution by five percent in 2010 and by 10 percent in 2020. It’s quite an important figure, because Paris mass transit system uses the same energy as a town with 160,000 inhabitants.

In order to accomplish the oil-free goal, RATP is looking at a variety of alternatives. It already runs a third of its fleet on B30 and has plans to test buses running with ethanol and B100, as well as using Stop/Start systems to reduce fuel consumption when buses are not running.

Rail vehicles will also get upgraded. All trains purchased after 1989 have a system of electronic motor management which distributes energy better and also captures braking energy. This system is currently working in 53 percent of the métros (subways) running, 65 percent for the RER (commuter trains) and 100 percent in tramway systems.

[Source: RATP (thanks to my buddy Dominique for the tip]

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Filed under: Diesel, Legislation and Policy, UK

We already mentioned that the UK car market is showing a shift towards more fuel efficient cars. SMMT took out a calculator to find out just how much of a change there is. The group’s report is filled with interesting highlights.

The average car sold in the UK currently produces 13 percent less CO₂ than 10 years ago. This is calculated from the total sales figures, which also reveal that almost 40 percent of the new car market produces under 140 g/km CO₂, compared to less than four percent in 1997. In general figures, cars emit 4.8 percent less CO₂ compared to 1997; 68.7 million tons vs 72.2.

Although not as many diesels were sold in the UK as in other European countries (France has 60 percent diesel penetration, Spain 70 percent, for instance), diesels still made up 40.2 percent of the UK marker, compared to 26.5 percent in 1997. One reason is different taxes in the UK compared to other EU countries. The SMMT’s report also explains that tax revenue from car drivers is up from £33.8 in 1997 to £45.1 billion. Not bad.

[Source: SMMT]

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Filed under: Biodiesel, Vegetable Oil, European Union

The Association of Municipalities and Counties of Catalonia, Spain (ACM), has announced an agreement with Recicloil, a company that recycles used vegetable oil into biodiesel. The agreement states that the company will provide one liter of free biodiesel to citizens for each 20 liters of used oil people bring in. Recicloil will also provide a free 2,000-liter biodiesel pump (as well stickers) which will be installed for city fleets using this biodiesel.

While this is not the first of such networks, as we explained in another post, it’s an important partnership. Spaniards tend to throw used oil down the drain, which is not only a waste of an useful resource, but causes lots of problems in water treatment plants. Powering cars seems much smarter.

[Source: Europa Press via Econoticias]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, European Union

The French postal service (La Poste) has just released a public announcement saying they intend to buy 300 EVs for postal delivery. The amount could be increased to 3000 by the end of 2012. The public announcement not only includes the purchase of the EVs but also the maintenance contracts.

La Poste already has a small fleet of GEM e2/Matra NEVs being tested in Alsace, in the East of France. The vehicles are mostly used for urban deliveries and have a range of about 50 km (30 miles). They can be loaded with up to 150 kg (about 330 pounds), which is a lot of postcards. The French postal service is also starting to get the first of its 500 Renault Kangoo Cleanova II order. The car is a series hybrid with a small 2-cylinder engine and will be used for suburban delivering. If the later turns out to be a success, La Poste plans to have 10,000 vans like these by the end of 2013.

[Source: Leblogauto]

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Filed under: Ethanol, Ford, Germany

Like other companies, Ford has released a note stating that all Ford cars in Germany can run on E10. This blend of 10 percent ethanol into 95 RON unleaded gasoline will be standard in all German pumps starting in January 2009. There is, however, one exception: any Ford Mondeo 1.8 SCis built between 2004 and 2006. These models featured direct-injection technology that can’t cope with the ethanol blend. The note was released so that Ford owners feel comfortable when they’re at the pump. While adding a small percentage of ethanol to gasoline is a common thing in the U.S., it isn’t in Europe, and so motorists there have expressed hesitation with the biofuel.

[Source: Ford]

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Filed under: Audi

Audi has announced a new double-clutch 7-speed transmission, named S Tronic. The transmission, which has been developed in-house, will be fitted to mid-range cars with engines up to 550 Nm of torque and all-wheel drive (quattro).

The seven-speed S tronic is composed of two transmission structures. It integrates two multidisk clutches that control different gears. A larger clutch transmits the torque via a solid shaft to the gear wheels for the odd gears 1, 3, 5 and 7. Then, a hollow shaft rotates around the solid shaft and connects the smaller K2 clutch, which controls the gear wheels for the even gears 2, 4 and 6, as well as the reverse gear. The system is well explained in the pictures from the gallery we prepared for you.

Something Audi declared unique for this transmission is two separate oil systems. While the twin clutch, mechatronic module (the “brain of the transmission”) and oil pump are supplied by their own oil circuit with seven liters of automatic transmission fluid (ATF) oil, the wheelsets and the central and front-axle differential are lubricated with about 4.5 liters of hypoid gear oil.

As with other double-clutch transmissions, the S Tronic promises not only improved performance because of shorter gearchanges but improved mileage, something very necessary when dealing with AWD.

[Source: Audi]

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Filed under: Etc., Legislation and Policy, European Union, UK

Currently, diesel prices in the U.S. are slightly higher than gasoline. Across the pond, the story has been somewhat different. With the exception of the UK, diesel in Europe has usually been cheaper than gasoline. This was a consequence of European governments’ policies on taxing fuels. Trucks and buses run on diesel, whereas cars traditionally ran on gasoline.

Nevertheless, producing diesel is more expensive than producing gasoline. For instance, according to the Spanish Ministry of Energy report on fuel prices, a metric ton of diesel cost about $826 compared to $803 for unleaded during the past month of January.

What Europeans pay at the pump differs a lot depending on the country, and not only because of taxes. Cost price of gasoline is from 47 euro cents/liter in Sweden to 60 euro cents/liter in the Netherlands. The average EU price is about 53 euro cents/liter. In the case of diesel, prices start at 51.7 euro cents/liter in Bulgaria and top 64.2 cents in Italy; the average for the EU is about 60 cents/liter.

Now let’s add taxes. The most expensive gasoline in Europe last January was on sale in the Netherlands. The Dutch paid an average of 1.506 EUR/liter compared to 0.917 EUR/liter in Bulgaria. The average was 1.328 EUR/liter. In the case of diesel, Britons paid the most: 1.463 EUR/liter whereas Bulgarians paid 0.924. The average price of diesel in the EU was 1.234 EUR/liter, still cheaper than gasoline but in 14 out of 27 countries, diesel was more expensive than gasoline in January. The signs point toward a continuation of this trend. Spain’s diesel became more expensive than gasoline in March, and both France and Italy seem likely to achieve the same price in the near future.

[Source: Spanish Ministry of Energy]

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Filed under: Fiat, European Union, Alfa Romeo

Wait. Hadn’t Alfa Romeo chosen Furiosa as the name for it’s new Junior? Nope. It seems that they changed their mind. Alfa Romeo has launched a new microsite to promote its smallest model which is now named Mi.To. Besides mito being the Italian word for myth, the site says that they chose the name because Alfa Romeo is a brand which has a lot to do with the cities of Milano, where Alfa Romeo was born, and Torino, Fiat’s city. Molto intelligente, isn’t it?

The Mi.To is based on the Fiat Grande Punto (yes, the same used for the Opel Corsa), and will include some of the same powertrains as can be found there, including the new 1.6 Multijet diesel engines with jaw-dropping mileage figures. It will be put on sale during the second half of this year. Alfa expects to shave off some potential Mini buyers by saying me, too.

There’s a video for you after the jump.

[Source: Autoblog en español]

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Filed under: Carbon Offset, Green Daily, South/Latin America

Bolivia is one of Latin America poorest countries and is looking for a way of improving its economy. Instead of dirty mining or cutting wood, a report written by Andrea Urioste states that Bolivia could sell oxygen. While this may sound like they’d need buyers who are also interested in oceanfront property in Kansas, what we’re talking about here is selling the “protection and conservation” of its natural forests.

According to Ms. Urioste, Bolivia could be paid money to preserve forest environments. She proposes a scheme in which rich countries would pay money in exchange for the right to emit more carbon. It’s like TerraPass for nations.

In a recent report by the World Bank, keeping 1 ha (2.47 acres) as forest rather than razing it could be worth something between $1,500 and $10,000. If you think it isn’t such an important figure, bear in mind that the same report said that 1 ha of soy allows income of about $1,500, while 1 ha dedicated to cattle pays $500 pack and 1 ha of coca, from $250 to $400. I guess trees are the answer.

[Source: PNUMA via Agroinformación]

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Filed under: Diesel, European Union, China

Ready for export. China Yuchai International has received On-Board Diagnostics emission certificates from the TÜV Rheinland Group for the marque’s Euro III and Euro IV compliant diesel engines. Currently, Yuchai’s lineup of engines includes six series 26 Euro III models as well as the newly-developed Euro IV series, named YC6J and YC6L.

This means that Yuchai’s YC6J series engines (pictured) is now one of the five major Euro IV engine systems recognized by the European Union (EU). Yuchai is China’s first heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturer to receive this certificate.

In China, OBD systems were adopted in all National III (a Euro III emission standard equivalent) compliant light-duty vehicles. After the roll-out of National IV standards, the city of Beijing is now requiring all new medium and heavy-duty vehicles to install this system, which issues a warning if a certain emission limit is exceeded through an on-board system monitoring of the automotive exhaust system.

[Source: China Yuchai]

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