Fossil Fuels
Prometheus Looks to Make Gasoline from Air
In the world of Greek mythology, Prometheus is credited with stealing fire from the gods and giving it to man. In similar fashion, the California startup Prometheus Fuels is looking to do the impossible and perfect a process that turns air into gasoline. Impossible you say? Hardly. According to Prometheus’ founder Rob McGinnis, “It can sound like magic, but it’s really just chemistry.” Prometheus Fuels uses an electrochemical process that starts with CO2 from the air to form carbonic acid. This acid is then converted to carbon monoxide and carbon hydroxide. When electricity is added, the carbon monoxide reacts with water to make ethanol. While electricity is required, it can be generated using renewable sources such as wind and solar. This gives Prometheus’ an envir...
GE Natural Gas Plant to Close 20 Years Early
General Electric has announced that it will close one of its massive natural gas power plants in California by the end of the year. The decision was made despite the fact that the plant has roughly 20 years of remaining useful life and could conceivably operate safely during that time. Deeming the plant too “uneconomical to support further,” GE has stated that it would like to focus more on renewable energies such as wind and solar. GE noted that the plant has been operating below capacity for several years now, and that the technologies currently being used at the plant are outdated. Located in Sun Valley, CA, the Inland Empire Energy Center first began production in 2003 for a cost of roughly $500 million. The 800MW natural gas-fired plant sits on 46 acres in Riverside Count...
The Newest EV Data: CleanTechnica’s 2018 EV Report is Now Available
For the third year in a row, CleanTechnica has published an in-depth report on electric car drivers in North America and Europe. For the cross-continental report, we surveyed over 2,000 electric car drivers. This year, we also surveyed over 1,000 people who don’t yet have an electric car. You can read the executive summary below, get a free preview of the report here, or go ahead and buy the full report at a 50% discount in the coming week ($1500 instead of $3000). If you will be at AEC2018 in Brussels in a couple of days, I will be presenting additional findings from the report there during the opening plenary — along with other electric vehicle findings and hopefully useful insights. The electric transport industry is one of the hottest industries in the world. Billions of dollars ...
CNG Trucks are Hauling Without Emissions
Almost a half trillion dollars worth of goods are imported in the US through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach every year. Almost all the containers that arrive at those ports are hauled relatively short distances to freight distribution facilities located inland by special purpose drayage trucks designed specifically for such short-haul work. At those freight terminals, the containers are hooked up to the long distance tractors that will deliver them to every part of America. With so much cargo coming in, tens of thousands of trips between the ports and the terminals take place all day every day. With rare exceptions, all those drayage trucks are equipped with diesel engines that spew out tremendous quantities of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxide emissions, making th...
Piaggio Launches Alt-fuel Ape for India
They’re small, cramped, loud, stinky, smoky, and weird. They’ve probably caused as much black lung as a Kentucky coal mine, too, if we’re being honest. Nevertheless, my love for the Piaggio Ape trikes seems to grow stronger every day that I’m not allowed to buy one. It’s hard to justify that kind of irrational love for something, but Piaggio is making it a little bit easier by launching new CNG and LPG versions of its venerable little three-wheeler. “The emphasis on alternate fuel technology is growing every day in (India). And hence, we introduced an improved range of alternate fuel vehicles to cater to the markets needs,” said DiegoGraffi, managing director and CEO of Piaggio vehicles. “The customer initiatives and improved range of alterna...
Mazda Denies Emissions Cheat Allegations
When news broke that Mazda might have been caught cheating on emissions tests, the press moved quickly to report it. I didn’t, because I didn’t believe Mazda had it in them. Today, Mazda released more details about the “suspect” tests and their testing methods that seems to effectively refute those cheating allegations recently leveled at Mazda (and, it should be said, Suzuki). The official Mazda statement is included, below. Before you read that, however, consider the culture of Mazda. Mazda is the company that drilled holes into seats, pedals, and bulkheads to reduce weight in the 90s. They’re the company that brought back the roadster. They’re also the company that forged ahead with the Wankel, and made it a workable, emissions friendly passing thing....
US Appeals Court: $10 Billion VW Settlement Stands
Any hope VW had of avoiding a $10.03 billion payout to owners of its emissions-cheating diesel cars were dashed Monday, when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a number of the company’s objections to the settlement. The settlement, originally reached in 2016, is meant to appease the owners of nearly 500,000 polluting diesel vehicles. In their judgement, the three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said that the settlement, “delivered tangible, substantial benefits to class members, seemingly the equivalent of — or superior to — those obtainable after successful litigation, and was arrived at after a momentous effort.” All of which is to say that it seemed pretty fair to them. So far, it looks like VW will be on the hook for as much as $25 b...
Death of Diesel: Volvo Says No to New Diesel S60
Volvo has been leading the way recently with a carbon neutral engine factory in Ghent, Belgium and a commitment to electrify its entire model range from 2019 on. So, Volvo is committed to doing good stuff- but it’s also going stop doing bad stuff. In that spirit, Volvo Cars have announced that they will not be offering a diesel version of their mainstream S60 sedan when that model gets redesigned next year. That’s huge! It’s not just a big deal in light of Volkswagen’s multi-billion dollar criminal fraud case for diesel emissions, either. It’s huge because the S60 diesel has been one of the company’s hottest sellers. Pulling the plug can mean only one thing: Volvo is serious about going green. Check out the official press release, below, then let us know...
Video: Gas vs. Electric vs. Hybrid Supercar Showdown
Video: Gas vs. Electric vs. Hybrid Supercar Showdown as the Grand Tour pits a Lamborghini Aventador, Honda NSX, and Rimac Concept One against each other!
10 Myths About Electric Cars. Are Any Of Them True?
Myths about electric cars are everywhere. Here is the straight scoop to help you separate fact from fiction.
Diesel Greenwashing Campaign In Europe Doesn’t Add Up
The German automakers want to slow down tougher emissions rules for diesel cars because they have lower carbon dioxide emissions and besides, nobody really wants to buy electric cars. Neither is true.
New Fueling US Forward Video Warns Of Danger From EV Subsidies
Round Two of the assault on electric cars by the Koch Brothers funded pressure group Fueling US Forward is now live on YouTube. Watch it so see how many lies you can find in this carefully crafted hit piece.