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Green Transportation - Travel
Automotive Electrification
Alternative-fuel options for cars include flexfuel, biofuel, diesel, hybrid, plug-in plus gas, and all-battery; all of which are renewable and will help reduce the United States dependency on foreign oil. In the future, cars may be mixing and matching these alternative-fuel options. Volkswagens line of Touareg sport-utility vehicles will have 3 types: gas-powered, diesel-powered and gas-electric hybrid. The Touareg hybrid's drivetrain is designed so that the gasoline engine can be disengaged and shut off at speeds of up to 32 mph on a level road, or up to 75 mph going downhill. Regenerative braking can recover electric power during deceleration. The hybrids base price is $60,500, with the gas version costing $44,450, and $47,950 for the diesel version. The hybrid is estimated to get 25 miles per gallon on the highway, the diesel is estimated at 28 miles per gallon, and the gas-powered is estimated at 23 miles per gallon. The Touaregs fuel economy isn’t as good as the Toyota Prius, but the 3 options show that there can be energy options for a luxury SUV class vehicle. Volkswagen is looking next at coming out with a Jetta hybrid. There also may be all-electric Volkswagens in the future. Creating cars that use ...- Bookmark :
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The California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative
There are a variety of reasons that the electric car industry has been met with setbacks: • Weak batteries • Lower prices for gasoline • Unsatisfactory cooperation between utilities and carmakers Advocates of the electric car industry are now suggesting that a group of regulators, automakers, and utilities are getting behind an initiative to make the state of California the national leader in providing electric vehicle accommodations. The group behind this project has made plans to construct thousands of charging terminals in shopping malls, homes and office buildings within the next ten years. The project is known as the California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative, and it revealed its plan following the delivery of the Nissan Leaf vehicle to Redwood City, California. Recently, the first 150 Chevrolet Volts were sent from an auto plan in Detroit to various California showrooms. Thus, efforts are being made in California to upgrade existing charging stations as well as install more to prepare for the new electric cars. Ecotality is a company that will soon begin work on installing 1,600 public charging stations in both Los Angeles and San Diego. These public-charging stations will resemble a large iPod with an attached cord and plug. The collaborative has created a step by ...- Bookmark :
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Should You Warm Your Car Up?
Many people believe that it’s important to allow their car to warm up before taking off, meaning they turn on the engine and let the car sit idly for a few minutes while the car warms up. This is an old idea that was spread to prevent some unknown problem. As it turns out, leaving the car idling is completely unnecessary, and has led some communities to enact ordinances to stop the practice of idling. Cars do not need to idle after being started because of the efficiency of modern fuel injection, which eliminated carburetors and chokes. The only real reason to let the car idle is to get the oil circulating, but that process only takes 30 seconds. The California Energy Commission explains that idling is not an effective way to warm up a car, but that a car warms up faster if you just drive it. A new electric car, the Nissan Leaf, has a feature that allows the owner to use a cell phone to communicate with the car to pre-warm or pre-cool the interior of the car, without having to put the car into idle. The Environmental Defense Fund started the Idling Gets You Nowhere campaign and advises ...- Bookmark :
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Electric Bicycles
Electric bicycles are a new type of alternative energy vehicle and the latest innovation to motorized bikes. Electric bikes are bikes with electric motors mounted on the frame or the hub of one of the wheels of the bike. The electric motors use rechargeable batteries that are also mounted on the frame of the bike. Most electric bikes are run on a power on demand system or a system known as pedelec. The power on demand system is a hand throttle system that regulates the electricity that is required to run the motor. The pedelec system is an electrical system that is regulated or activated by pedaling. Electric bikes are a terrific alternative to traditional forms of urban transportation for the following reasons: • No emissions • Freedom from gridlock • Easy to park • Fun to ride • Do not require fossil fuels The prices for electric bikes typically range from $250 - $1,400, with the lower prices reflecting bikes made for kids. Regular bikes can be adapted into electric bikes by purchasing an electric bike kit that would enable you to put the motor and batteries on the bike. Electric bike kits range in price from $425 - $1,300 depending on the power of the ...- Bookmark :
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Sustainability - Green Transportation Issues Report
Green Transportation Issues Resolved Many people have mentioned at one time or another that they would love to have a vehicle that is more energy efficient and easier on the environment. Green living has been a great standard to have but many people have found throughout time that actually implementing green living standards may have been harder than originally thought. As with anything new and groundbreaking, it can be a little expensive in the beginning. This is one thing that has scared off a lot of people and that has lead some to believe that completely switching over to green transportation will never happen. However, thanks to rapid advancements in the green transportation industry, there are now several ways that everyone can ensure that they are doing their part to save the environment. Green transportation has actually never been more simple. And the best thing about this is that green transportation still has room to get even better, easier and more affordable. Hopefully, in our near future, we will find that the entire transportation industry has gone green. How President Obama Is Insisting On Change So many Presidents have talked about the need for a change, but President Obama is insisting that something is ...- Bookmark :
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