
Not Your Typical Commute
My love affair with the automobile began rather early in life. I don’t know if it was the go-kart or Bigfoot Power Wheels, but somehow my right foot became directly linked with a feeling of bliss. As the son and grandson of stock car racers, I felt that my destiny would eventually lead to the field of motor sports.
Moving on to Auburn University, my interest and a pursuit for a Mechanical Engineering degree led to involvement with the Solar Car Project. This turned out to be a tremendous undertaking, consuming two solid years, $200,000, and a team of about twenty students to pull off. Our preverbal light at the end of the tunnel was the North American Solar Challenge; a race taking us across 2,500 miles, eight states, and three Canadian Provinces over the course of ten days.
This experience completely changed my perspective on the modern automobile. As one of our three drivers, I learned (sometimes reluctantly) how to drive conservatively, to save as much energy as possible. Although this felt rather Un-American, the concept made a lot more sense than the lead-footed approach I was so accustomed to.
Nowadays, when I hear about a two-passenger car having 400+ Horsepower (a la 2010 Camaro), my first question is “why is that necessary?” Most daily commutes are a far cry from the Daytona 500. Our project vehicle could easily run highway speeds with an 11 HP electric motor, by the way…If you can safely and speedily accomplish your daily driving with much less, then why do we indulge in the excess?
Rest assured, I am not here to sell you a solar-powered car (this concept isn’t commercially viable), but I do want to speak to the ideas of fuel conservation and reducing emissions.
If you look at countries that are already dealing with high gas prices and increased congestion, you will notice some obvious differences in the vehicle market. Ford, an American staple, recently released a 65mpg (diesel) compact in Europe that may never see the light of day on our side of the pond. What does this say about us as a country? Are we so obsessed with mechanical muscle and third-row seating that we aren’t even being considered as a marketable audience?
I think most can agree that we will have to adopt some new technologies in order to meet higher emissions standards and combat petroleum dependence. Below are some existing technologies that could offer viable alternatives for today, tomorrow, and ten years from now.
The Hybrid
I remember when the first Prius came on the market eight years ago. It was ugly, small, and exuding as much masculinity as a man purse (or satchel, if you will). The argument I heard repeatedly was “It would take too many years to pay back the cost difference in gas savings.” Well people, the year is almost 2010; gasoline prices are increasingly volatile, and the sticker for a Prius is about $22 Grand. Now what do you think?

2010 Prius
By the numbers, here is what we are talking about. First of all, the Prius has a 51mpg rating in the city and 48mpg highway. How does it accomplish this? There are two main things that contribute to such exceptional stop-and-go longevity: the electric motor and regenitive braking. By virtue of being a hybrid, this vehicle can operate completely under power of the electric motor or assist it with the gasoline engine. Under 15 mph, the Prius does not use the internal combustion engine – thus the off-the-charts city rating.
Another plus with this hybrid arrangement is regenetive braking. Essentially, the car reverses its electric motor (turning it into a generator) to slow the car down, which serves to return some of the energy back to the batteries. Our solar car had this technology on board, and it really came in handy for stop-and-go driving.
Now, let me reiterate that the Prius is not the only Hybrid on the market, but it is currently head and shoulders above others in the US. Most major automakers are now adding this option on several of their popular models. Buying a hybrid version of larger vehicles will certainly increase their fuel mileage, but bumping up your Lexus to that technology will cost a chunk.
Electric Vehicles
The electric vehicle, or EV is making headway as a viable alternative, but it will be a while before the common man (or woman) can justify such an investment. As you may have heard, the highly publicized release of the Chevy Volt will be taking place in 2011. Although touted as the savior of GM and American oil dependency, the limited initial production will probably keep them out of your reach for a while. Additionally, the $40,000 price tag may be a little steep for most consumers.

2011 Chevy Volt
The general concept of the Volt is to operate on electric charge (about 8 hours) until the 40 mile capacity, and then will use a gasoline engine to take you up to a 300 mile range. For those who rely on their vehicle for extended commutes, this car is not even close to being practical yet. The technology is out there, but it will be years before this will catch on. It is also worth noting that the grid system will need to be beefed up if we are all charging our cars every night.
CNG
Due to our stake in the natural gas industry, my company has recently invested in several CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered Honda Civics. This technology has been around for a while, and this is not our first foray into a CNG fleet, but significant strides in recent years have brought it back into the conversation. First of all, natural gas is plentiful and cheap. Additionally, the US has enough locally to be self-sufficient, thus avoiding dependency on other countries.
With regards to emissions, CNG vehicles produce much less than the gasoline equivalent. For example, the regular civic (1.8 Liter Engine) produces about 6.3 tons of CO2 per year (15,000 miles/yr), while the natural gas version is rated at 3.6 tons CO2.
What about the cost? While the CNG outfit will raise the price tag slightly, the estimated fuel costs will save nearly $500 per year. However, most sections of the country do not currently have the infrastructure to support such vehicles. Natural gas filling stations are few and far between, but are growing steadily. If you are willing to make the large initial investment, there are in-home compressors that can be hooked up to your existing gas line. They typically take a solid overnight (8 Hour) cycle to completely fill the vehicle. People tell me they are also quite noisy.
Diesel
Undoubtedly, we are no strangers to the diesel powered car. Currently, these are much more popular in Europe, as evidenced by the previously mentioned Ford compact. Diesel is no longer just the smelly, clunky fuel for 18-wheelers. Some of the most efficient cars on the road are now turbo-diesels, and for good reason.
Hydrogen Internal Combustion
What about Hydrogen-power you say? The technology works, but as long as people still remember the Hindenburg, I wouldn’t bank on this being widespread. The emissions are much lower for this fuel. However, the H2 has to be manufactured somewhere. Implementing an infrastructure and manufacturing for this would also be quite the undertaking.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell
This one is definitely one of the coolest methods of producing power, but it is currently way too expensive and inefficient to be taken seriously. The basic concept is to break down hydrogen, draw oxygen from the air, and put these through a proton exchange membrane, thus creating electricity. The byproduct of this reaction is water, making the overall emissions much lower than an internal combustion engine.
Ethanol
Fun fact: in the US, you must obtain a permit before making your own ethanol, because the fermentation very closely mirrors that of moonshinin’ (in the south, there is no “g”). It is one step in the process away from being ingestible Pure Grain Alcohol. Chances are, your car is already running off of a small amount ethanol, as the government mandates that your gasoline contain some. Benefit: it doesn’t come from the Middle East, burns a little bit cleaner than petroleum based products, and it already works in most new cars. Downside: unless you are using a very sugar rich plant in the distillation process (sugar cane, sugar beets), then the amount needed to make fuel is a bit gaudy. Using corn for this, frankly, is quite inefficient.
And there you have my take on where are automotive options are headed. Please feel free to comment or send me any questions you have: Matt@DoGoodedness.com!
Thanks,
Matt