Green Transportation Options are on the Rise

by Tim Tuinstra

green cars

All of us have to get to where we are going. We have choices about how we get from one place to the next, many of us opting for public transit or walking when possible. For most of us living in the Rochester area however, we end up spending time in an automobile. While we have had a few options as to what type of vehicle we drive, soon there will be more options with more environmental benefits than previously available.

In the United States, hybrid powertrain systems have been marketed heavily over the past few years by companies like Toyota and Honda. Some other new technologies on the way have not been marketed as heavily yet, and may be surprising to some green thinkers. New clean diesel technology will be available in 2008 from companies like Volkswagen, with Honda and Toyota diesels rumored to be on the way soon after Volkswagen. Vehicles utilizing a new type of fuel injection system, such as Volkswagen and Audi’s Fuel Stratified Injection also hold promise to significantly increase fuel economy gasoline and ultimately cellulosic ethanol powered vehicles. Another excellent option for local commuters is a plug in electric vehicle, such as those from Global Electric Motorcars.

In the United States, hybrid electric vehicles have been the darling of many environmentally conscious groups for the past few years. These vehicles typically are designed to be a sort of jack of all trades, giving the driver the same acceleration characteristics of a gasoline powered vehicle, while attempting to gain a fuel economy advantage. Many gain significant advantages for people living in big cities with significant stop and go traffic. Some hybrids are greener than others. Several companies have jumped on the hybrid bandwagon, but while some vehicles have significant fuel economy improvements over comparable gasoline powered vehicles, others don’t improve fuel economy.

In Europe, hybrid technology is all but unheard of. Their fuel economy solution has been the diesel vehicle for decades. If highway speed commuting is what your vehicle will encounter most, consider a modern diesel. They are capable of 35 to 70 mpg on the highway, depending on driving style. Volkswagen and Mercedes have offered diesel cars in the US for years (except for 2007), but Honda and Toyota are expected to bring their diesels to the US within a couple years. Think diesels are pollution monsters? Not anymore. Up until late 2006, diesel fuel sold in the U.S. had higher sulfur content than Europe. Now that U.S. diesel has ultra low sulfur fuel, automakers are able to eliminate the nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, and particulate emissions to levels as clean as the cleanest gasoline vehicles. In 2008 diesels that meet emissions standards in all 50 states will come to market. Many diesel enthusiasts run their vehicles on blends of 20% to 100% biodiesel, which gives the environmental advantage of a fuel that, in many cases, emits zero net global warming emissions. This is due to the reabsorbing of CO2 by the plants used to make the biodiesel.

Plug in electric vehicles have great potential for people who drive less than 50 miles per day. Five years ago I test drove several models from Global Electric Motorcars in Duluth, but was disappointed to find out that I could not license the vehicle in Minnesota because no license option existed for a vehicle with four wheels that had a top speed of 30 MPH. This may have changed though; just last week I saw someone driving down 16th St. SW in a Global Electric Motorcars two seat model with a MN license plate on the back. Vehicles such as these often have very high efficiencies; when they get charged with electricity derived from coal, they often have calculated fuel economies of 80-100+ mpg. Just imagine how clean an electric vehicle powered by electricity from a wind turbine could be. Now there is a possibility for truly sustainable transportation.

Here are some things for us in the Rochester area to consider

Whether you have just purchased a vehicle, or have owned yours for many years, there are a couple key things you can do to increase the efficiency of your vehicle.

  1. Inflate your tires to the manufacturer recommended pressure or slightly above; however NEVER inflate you tires more than the sidewall of the tire lists as Maximum pressure. Check your tire pressure at least once a month.
  2. Drive 55 mph on the highway. Some people claim that their car is getting best fuel efficiency at 70, 75, or some other higher speed, Baloney. Aerodynamic differences of vehicles will make the optimum speed for efficiency vary a little, ie some vehicles optimum speed may be 48mph while others may be 59 mph, but 55 mph is the best bet. To illustrate the fuel savings possibilities of driving slow consider my car as an example. In two years of semi-meticulous record keeping, I’ve found that my diesel jetta will get 42 mpg when traveling at 70-80mph, 52-55 mpg at 65 mph, and a whopping 62-68 mpg at 55mph.

Springtime is here, and lots of people are preparing for the summer driving season. For both environmental and financial reasons there are a few things we should all pay attention to that will increase the efficiency and longevity of our vehicles.

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About the author: Tim Tuinstra is a Rochester native who has been following the green transportation scene for ten years. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and is a member of the Order of the Engineer. Currently working as an Automotive Technician at Diercks Foreign Auto in Byron, MN, Tuinstra specializes in Volkswagen TDI systems, but also services Honda, Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes vehicles.