The worlds cleanest light duty truck

The world's cleanest truck hits the road concerns a hybrid electric truck made by Mitsubishi Fuso. According to the company, which doesn't disclose the methodology it used, this truck releases 41% less nitrogen oxide and consumes 20% less fuel than conventionally-powered models.

It is a parallel-hybrid design that allows the diesel engine to be taken completely out of the drive train. The diesel engine is also used as a generator to provide electricity. The Li-ION battery pack is rather small, at 1.9 KWh.

See also article at Green Car Congress

Blue fire ethanol

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Blue fire ethanol

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BlueFire Ethanol, Inc. is established to deploy the commercially ready, patented, and proven Arkenol Technology Process for the profitable conversion of cellulosic ("Green Waste") waste materials to ethanol, a viable alternative to gasoline. BlueFire's use of the Arkenol Process Technology positions it as the only cellulose-to-ethanol company worldwide with demonstrated production of ethanol from urban trash (post-sorted MSW), rice and wheat straws, wood waste and other agricultural residues.

Interesting 3-wheeler concept vehicle from Volkswagon

At the LA Auto Show Volkswagon has unveiled a concept "car" that's a three-wheel vehicle with high fuel efficiency and is billed as a cross between a sports car and motorcycle. At Green Car Congress and treehugger they're extolling it as a breakthrough, but I find it a big yawn. I suppose a claim of 46 miles/gallon has their attention, but I'm currently riding a Honda Rebel 250cc motorcycle which is getting well over 60 miles per gallon range.

It looks like a fun vehicle. The seating is for two people, in an open cockpit. It accelerates from 0-60 in under 6 seconds.

But if you think of it as a high efficiency vehicle, let me just remind you there are ones with higher efficiency.

A study of full lifecycle costs for biodiesel and ethanol

Researchers Identify Energy Gains And Environmental Impacts Of Corn Ethanol And Soybean Biodiesel: This discusses a study into the full lifecycle costs and energy gains in producing Corn Ethanol And Soybean Biodiesel. Such a study is worthwhile because if these fuels are to produce any benefit over fossil fuel, there must be an excess of energy coming from the fuel that is produced.

For example, the widely held belief is that ethanol from corn produces less energy than the energy required to produce the corn. Hence, corn ethanol should be a net loss and not worth pursuing. The study in question shows the opposite, that there's a net gain in energy.

The study also tracked the amount of fertilizer and weed killers and the like used to produce these crops.

However the study shows that neither fuel can come close to providing U.S. needs. If all U.S. production of corn or soybeans were diverted to biofuel production, it would only provide 12% of current demand.

Soybean based biodiesel comes in far better in this study than does corn ethanol.

Unfortunately diesel vehicles are rare among passenger cars, which makes biodiesel only suitable for the big trucks and trains. Elsewise there would need to be a resurgance of diesel engines in passenger cars.

New biodiesel plant in Tennessee

Memphis Biofuels LLC Starts Construction of Large Biodiesel Plant: The article doesn't list the size of the plant, however they claim their ambition is to be the largest producer in the South. Their location in the middle of the agricultural belt and on major rail and river shipping lanes gives them strategic importance, they say.

The plant is the result of investment by C&C Biofuels LLC, an affiliate of New York private equity firm Cohen & Company, LLC.

LLC is short for Limited Liability Company, in case you haven't seen that acronym before. The LLC structure provides for the same shielding that C Corporations enjoy, while having to pay no taxes because they immediately pass all profits directly to the owners of the LLC.

Biodiesel company starts construction on West Tennessee plant The local TV news station says the initial production capacity will be 36 million gallons with total capacity of 100 million gallons, per year.

Genome research for cellulosic ethanol production

Joint Genome Institute Targeting Energy Crops for Sequencing: This is an example of research in plant systems aimed to more efficiently produce ethanol. For some reason I don't yet understand, GW Bush mentioned switchgrass in the State of the Union address, and that's what they're targeting for genome research.

Some ethanol moves in the news

Ford Drops Focus on Hybrids, Shifts to Biofuels: Ford is reneging on a commitment to build hybrid vehicles and will instead shift to producing flexfuel vehicles.

U.S. Automakers to Double Production of Flexible-Fuel Vehicles: The big three automakers write Congress pleading the case of Ethanol. They say if all American vehicles were running E85 Ethanol, that would displace 3.5 billion gallons of gasoline per year, enough to cover all usage in a state like Missouri or Tennessee.

Roadmap for Development of Cellulosic Ethanol Production: the U.S. DOE has released their roadmap for cellulosic ethanol production. Breaking the Biological Barriers to Cellulosic Ethanol: A Joint Research Agenda The article has several useful links as well.

On the one hand I applaud this. It represents a serious effort to move from fossil fuels to a fuel source that is renewable. Ethanol and other biofuels are renewable in that they're derived from plants or other biological matter, which we can just grow.

However I suspect what we're seeing here is the effect of the corn lobby. In the U.S. the plant of choice for making ethanol is Corn. That's despite the high energy requirement to grow and process corn. Other countries, like Brazil, can grow sugar cane more readily than the U.S. can and therefore can more efficiently produce ethanol.

I suppose one thing that might result is American ethanol producers will be priced out of the Ethanol market by producers in the tropics who have better growing conditions.

The roadmap article has an interesting chart reproduced from the DOE. It shows the requirements for corn sourced ethanol production to displace 30% of 2004 U.S. gasoline usage. Since ethanol has a lower energy value than gasoline, it requires 60 billion gallons of ethanol to replace the 42 billion gallons that is 30% of U.S. gasoline usage in 2004. Producing 60 billion gallons of ethanol from corn requires 750 million tons of plant matter, which will require 70 million acres of land to grow, and 600 processing plants to produce.

Clearly this is a very steep requirement. Especially in the amount of land required.

Hence, I think it's important there be scientific research to develop biological systems that more efficiently produce ethanol or other biofuels. Such research is happening, but I suppose if the corn lobby were to have its say the government would focus on corn and ignore any other potential solutions.