Anagain, Inc. » hybrid

Skip Gasoline, Pedal Power Has Made a Comeback

Tara — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:00:38 +0000

One of the easiest ways to save on auto expenses is to save on gasoline. You can save in many ways: drive less, hunt around for the best fuel prices, carpool, use public transportation, use a proven fuel additive, ride share, invest in a hybrid or EV, etc. Image by Jeff Moser/BikeCarson.com But one of [...]

Chic Eco Transportation (w/videos)

Tara — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:00:17 +0000

You may not be a car enthusiast. You may not even be 100% environmentally-conscious in your transportation choices. But neither of those points matter here, because once you take a look at these forms of chic eco transportation, you might decide it’s time for a change. Now I’m not talking about public transportation…although I do [...]

Bio-Friendly Designs Create the Future

Tara — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:00:35 +0000

Time is ticking….you only have until the end of June 2010 to submit your entry into this year’s “Create the Future” Design Contest. First started back in 2002 by the NASA Tech Briefs magazine publishers, the Create the Future Design Contest was an innovative way to inspire young minds to come up with some of [...]

Some Tips for Greening Up Your Summer Vacation

Tara — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:39:56 +0000

Image by andrewcparnell
Well, Summer feels like it’s coming in fast. I don’t know about where you live, but around here it’s already beginning to heat up. I’m sure many people are busy planning, if they haven’t already planned, for their summer vacations. Well, here are a few simple tips to help you green up your [...]

Some Tips for Greening Up Your Summer Vacation

Tara — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:39:56 +0000

Eco Transportation: Two Wheels Better Than More

Tara — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:02:28 +0000

When it comes to the latest in hot and stylish eco-transportation, most people usually think four wheels. Hybrids, electric vehicles and even an occasional three wheeled vehicle are gaining more and more popularity. But other than motorcycles, what makes two wheels better than more?
Well, check out these cool two wheel eco-vehicles:
1) Segway® PT – I’m sure [...]

Eco Transportation: Two Wheels Better Than More

Tara — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:02:28 +0000

Fuel Efficiency Standards To Change In 2012… Finally.

david — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:47:58 +0000

And it’s about time, given that the fuel efficiency standard (set by CAFE) in the United States was 27.5 MPG in 1985…and was still 27.5 MPG in 2009. The Department of Transportation, along with the Environmental Protection Agency (a name sometimes seen as being oxymoronic), have worked together to establish new efficiency standards that start with cars manufactured in 2012 through 2016. While I am guessing that in that time they will work on what to do starting in 2017, the fact that our government is finally doing something substantial at all about our fuel economy standards is groundbreaking. The rules will apply to passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles, all of which make up the bulk of what drivers buy from auto companies. These vehicles will have to meet a combined average emissions level of 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile, or the equivalent to 35.5 miles per gallon (MPG), and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 960 million metric tons. This has the potential of saving over 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the cars sold between 2012 and 2016. If we can make that work, I imagine the standards after 2016 will be even tougher… which is exactly what we need.

Sounds great, right? Well, it is – except for a few little things. First of all, the EPA is allowing manufacturers to establish a system of averaging, banking, and trading of credits based on a manufacturer’s fleet average CO2 performance. This would allow manufacturers to basically trade credits with other manufacturers if they don’t meet the standards and/or go above and beyond them. It’s kind of like how a cap and trade program would work. I do suppose it is necessary to get the program off the ground and allow manufacturers some time to build more efficient cars (which we know they can do) since the new rules basically start next year when the 2012 models start rolling out. That’s fine with me – at least we are finally doing something.

The other thing I am wondering about is this quote from the EPA website:

“Under this National Program, automobile manufacturers will be able to build a single light-duty national fleet that satisfies all requirements under both the National Program and the standards of California and other states, while ensuring that consumers still have a full range of vehicle choices. ”

I can’t seem to find much more information about exactly what this sentence means, so I will just take a guess. I believe it implies that if a car manufacturer can make a certain-sized fleet of electric cars (or some other version of a no-emission vehicle), than they can continue making the rest of their cars “as-is”. Since their new fleet would be so fuel efficient, they would meet the new standards being set without even having to adapt or change their existing model line. It’s just a guess, but I imagine it’s pretty close to truth.

So yes – we are finally getting new fuel efficiency standards. It’s about time that we do something about them, since as I mentioned above the standards have not changed since 1985. While I do believe we also need a higher gas tax, which hasn’t changed in years either, upping the fuel efficiency standard in the U.S. is definitely a step in the right direction. You have to start somewhere – and it looks like we have finally started.

Photo from Shutterstock.com

Carbon Dioxide and International Climate Action Day

Tara — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:07:31 +0000

Image by Chewonki Semester School
Global climate change is something that concerns everyone. Scientists and climate experts alike have said that our planet already has more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere should safely contain and that we need to get carbon dioxide levels down from almost 390 parts per million to 350 ppm. And while that [...]

The Latest Biofriendly Mode of Transportation

Tara — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:32:50 +0000

Images from Zipcar.com
When it comes to the form of transportation you use, would you consider yourself biofriendly? Do you own a hybrid or electric vehicle? Do you bike to work, car-pool or take public transportation? Do you use proven fuel additives or biofuels? Do you walk whenever you can? Well, no matter what you’ve done in the [...]