Shopping for a "Green Car"?

Green-minded Los Angeles shoppers searching for an eco-friendly vehicle can save time - and gas - simply by browsing the convenient inventory of cars in San Fernando Valley's Galpin Motors Network.

Thanks to a collection of earth-friendly dealerships representing Ford, Honda, Mercury, Mazda, and Saturn, Galpin offers a complete assortment of high-efficiency, low-emissions vehicle choices, from sporty coupes and midsize sedans to sport/utility vehicles. While the typical Southern-California dealership has just a few hybrid selections available, Galpin's family of dealers can offer nearly a dozen eco-friendly options, including Natural Gas,  Hybrid, and PZEV engines, all centrally located in the San Fernando Valley to simplify shopping.

"Right now, hybrids and zero-emissions gas vehicles are the best possible options for green-minded consumers. Nobody else in Southern California has the ultra-clean selection we offer," says Brad Boeckmann, vice president of Galpin Motors. "Our large network of dealerships can save customers time and gas from having to travel from dealership to dealership to find what they're looking for."

Toyota Promises Three-Year $1.4 Million Sponsorship of MillionTreesNYC

MillionTreesNYC -- a public-private partnership between the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and New York Restoration Project (NYRP) to plant and care for one million new trees in New York City by 2017 -- recently announced that Toyota has become a supporter in its mission to improve New York City's environment. In a three-year $1.4-million sponsorship with MillionTreesNYC, Toyota will support tree planting, public education and community outreach activities aimed at getting every New Yorker involved in tree planting and stewardship activities. Toyota joined with The Home Depot Foundation as a lead sponsor of the initiative and BNP Paribas as presenting sponsors of MillionTreesNYC Month.

"Toyota has responded loud and clear to the MillionTreesNYC call to action," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Their generous sponsorship to help plant and care for one million new trees in New York City over the next decade will contribute to the tangible 'greening' of our urban landscape in historic proportions. Toyota's generous financial contribution also sets a strong example of how businesses and corporations can help make New York City a healthier place for all to live."

Toyota Wins 2008 Energy Star Award

Kudos to Toyota! The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA), with a 2008 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award last month in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting our environment through energy efficiency.

Toyota has been an Energy Star partner since 2003, and was honored for its long-term commitment to energy efficiency and management across its ten manufacturing operations in the U.S. Across the nation, top companies and organizations are continuing to promote energy efficiency through participation in Energy Star. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $16 billion on their energy bills and helped reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

"Protecting the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emission while improving energy efficiency is a top priority of our team members," said Steve St. Angelo, TEMA Senior Vice President. "Our commitment to the environment is a strong business case that not only helps our bottom line, but demonstrates our goal to be the most admired in town in the communities where we do business."

How Hybrid Vehicles Work

I've run several stories lately on hybrid vehicles -- comparing their costs against traditional gasoline engines and giving tips on how get the best fuel economy when driving them - and it occurred to me that it might be helpful to explain what makes these powertrains so different.

An article I found at the Toyota press site helped quite a bit to explain how their hybrid vehicles combine gas engines and electric motors to optimize fuel economy by enhancing the strengths and minimizing the shortcomings of each. Because of this article, many of my examples will be made using Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system found in the Prius.

Today's popular hybrid powertrains utilize an internal combustion engine, combined with an electrical system made up of a motor, generator, and battery. Depending upon the vehicle's system, the gasoline engine may be able to drive the vehicle by itself, or it may drive the electrical system only (which in turn will actually drive the vehicle). Alternatively, the electrical system might be able to drive the vehicle by itself, or both systems may be able to work together to varying degrees. While the vehicles currently on sale utilize gasoline engines, some manufacturers are also developing similar hybrid systems that can be powered by Hydrogen.

Larry's Auto Works: a Certified Green Business

At the recent Santa Clara County Green Business conference, I heard Larry Moore of Larry's Autoworks in Mountain View  share his thoughts about being a green business.   They have been in business for 30 years and became green certified by Santa Clara county in November 2006, the first certified green business in Mountain View, the town famous for being Google's headquarters.  Their environmental motto is, "Keeping our environment safe and healthy is an important part of Larry's AutoWorks. This applies to both our daily work environment and the world environment."  What a great example of how a small business can take on big issues and play a role in being a leader in protecting the environment.   

Carbon offset: a primer

If you are planning to go green, whether individually or as a business, the financial instrument called "carbon offset" can be a good friend.

Buying carbon offsets is a good approach to negate the greenhouse gas emissions from your business or daily lifestyle that cannot be easily reduced in the short-term.  You can think of it as a way to assuage guilt.  At the most basic, you pay some financial intermediary (i.e. carbon offset brokers) some money to get offset credits, and they turn around and invest the money into projects that help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG( emissions somewhere in the world.   Such investments work because global warming is a borderless problem, hence reducing global GHG footprint is effective.  Carbon offset brokers hunt for projects that qualify for offset credits to invest in, usually in reforestation or renewable energy, for example wind or solar, and then repackage these into variable sized financial instruments to accommodate different levels of buying power. 

Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Hybrid Car

During Earth month – and every day of the year – we know you want to stretch your fuel to get the most out of every purchase. We found a fun collection of money-saving tips and advice at Shell.com  and thought to share a few of them with our AskPatty readers.

The powertrain of a hybrid car combines an efficient gasoline engine with an electric motor as well as as well as a special system to capture braking energy to store in an onboard battery to provide a vehicle that not only relies less on fossil fuel but also has the potential to deliver increased fuel economy  and reduced emissions when compared to standard gasoline vehicle. Regardless of whether you choose to drive a hybrid to save gas or to reduce emissions, we know you want to get the best possible economy possible. In general, whether you drive a traditional combustion-powered or hybrid vehicle, common sense already recommends that you drive smoothly, and avoid heavy acceleration or braking.

Beyond that, it’s important to note that you’ll need to slightly change your driving style in order to benefit from the hybrid combination. While much of the general fuel saving advice that gets posted on the internet is still relevant to hybrids, Shell recommends the following four tips specifically for hybrid vehicles.

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Vehicles

Now that gas prices are hovering around $4 a gallon, many drivers are becoming more aware of their need to cut their gas costs. And with Earth Day upon us, we've been bombarded by messages telling us to make greener choices to help save our planet.

Many people combine these messages and believe that their best automotive choice to accomplish both these goals is to drive a hybrid vehicle, but others question whether that opinion is really true.

Well, we've done a little research to address these questions and present both the pros and cons of the hybrid myth. However, remember: in the end, it is up to each person to determine what's most important to them, as there are many different ways to address your desire for green transportation.

Happy Earth Day!

Today, April 22nd, is Earth Day.  Founded in the 60's, Earth Day is intended to celebrate and inspire awareness of nature all around us.  It started as an activist movement to inspire the grassroots.  Traditionally, the weekend prior to or after will bring many events on environmental stewardships to local communities, sponsored by organizations of all stripes.  Beach cleanup, park cleanup, and trail maintenance are examples of stewardship focused events.  How about in the vehicular sector?   AskPatty found the following  events across the sector.

Shopping for an Electric Vehicle

The hunt has begun...  that is, for a practical electric vehicle, that can be plugged in to a solar panel, in order to go further off-grid.   Back a year ago, when the solar panels went up on the roof, I had hoped that all that buzz about plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles would mean that something affordable would be on the market in a year or two.  So finally, I need to replace our old creaky car, and am really crossing my finger that something good, something electric, would come my way.  I am now embarking on a search for these touted new species of vehicles.  I want to further reduce my energy footprint, and make a wise investment that my wallet would appreciate in the long run.  With gasoline closing in on $4 (if not already there in certain places), you would think that an electric car would be so popular it is everywhere to be found!   But in reality that's not the case, as we all know it... still, as a die-hard electric car fan, I will not give up hope.  Here are the story of two recent test drives.

Robot Cars Battle At 2008 Toyota Grand Prix Of Long Beach

No, we're not talking Trasformers or robotic race car drivers here.  As a matter of fact we're talking cars with NO drivers! Three entirely robotic vehicles are scheduled to be part of the April 18-20, 2008, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach's ground-breaking "Green Power Prix-View," highlighting futuristic alternative-energy vehicles.

The three cars will be competing in this weekend's "Robotic Grand Prix" which begins at noon on Sunday.  Each car will take one lap of the 1.97-mile, 11-turn circuit, with the quickest time deciding the winner.

"Boss" is a 2007 Chevy Tahoe engineered by students and faculty at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of the famed Robotics Institute, and winner of the $2 million first place prize in the recent Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA)  "Urban Challenge" at Victorville, California.  "Junior," a 2006 VW Passat Wagon, modified by the students and faculty at Stanford University, captured the $1 million second-place prize.  "Ben," a Toyota Prius built by students and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and Lehigh University, finished sixth at the DARPA Challenge.

Participating in A Local Sustainability Effort

Recently I wrote a blog about how to get involved in the fight against climate change.  Today, I thought, I should write about a nifty city program I am involved with along this front -- my contribution to the challenge, if you will -- that has been quite an eye-opening experience.   You see, the city where I live (which shall remain anonymous to maintain some privacy) recently commenced a citizens task force to work on sustainability issues.  Its stated goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to make it a more sustainable place to live.  As a student of sustainability, when  I saw the announcement in the paper, I figure I should apply, since it provides a very concrete way to make a difference right where I live.  Giving back is very important to me, as I have received much over the years... and doing something locally, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to contribute energy in the cause I care about.

Eco-friendly School Makeovers by Ford and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

We would all like our schools to be more environmentally friendly. But budget cuts and old facilities don’t help in going green. Ford Motor Company would like to help. Ford joined with ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” on Educate to Escape — a green school makeover campaign. They’re sponsoring a contest and one lucky school will get $250,000 for a makeover.

Anyone can nominate a school: students, parents, teachers, community members. Just submit your nomination at Educate to Escape. You’ll be asked a series of essay questions about why the school deserves an eco-friendly makeover. Submissions will be accepted until May 18, and the winner will be announced in June. While you’re nominating your school, you can register to win your own 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid.

Saving gas at the pump helps the environment too

Gasoline is volatile hence prone to vaporization.  The smell from your tank, when first opened, is that of trapped and pressurized gasoline vapors escaping.  Also when you pump, the splashes within the fuel tank encourages fumes to escape, which is why all pumps in gas stations in the United States have caps on them.  Recently, I learned about a way to save gas, that I have not heard of, so perhaps AskPatty readers may also want to learn about it.   To get the maximum bang for your buck at retail gas station, here are some tips I received from a forwarded email, which I have since checked against other sources online to verify its claims.

Toyota and Audubon a Green Partnership Kicks off April Earth Month

Toyota recently announced a $20M, 5-year grant to the Audubon Society to promote conservation efforts under the banner TogetherGreen  The projects will include conservation fellowships to train up to 200 environmental leaders, creative projects to engage diverse communities in issues of water, land and energy conservation.  Yes, it is April, and it is Earth "month"  (Earth Day officially falls on April 22nd every year).  In addition, Toyota will engage its 36,000 US workforce to get involved and has asked its business partners to lend a hand.

The TogetherGreen website will launch sometime this spring, but at the moment, you can still sign up for the mailing list and possibly get a free t-shirt.

AutoTrader Publishing Expands Publication of AutoTrader Green

Rising gasoline prices and concerns for the environment are generating unprecedented, nationwide consumer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Whether hybrid technology (gasoline and electric), flex fuel (ethanol), clean-burning diesel or smaller gasoline engines, fuel-efficient vehicles are becoming a highly sought after segment of every dealer's inventory. 

As a result of this increased earth-friendly demand, AutoTrader Publishing is expanding its new Green magazine to help more auto dealers and consumers address the growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles.  To help consumers make the most educated choice possible, each issue of AutoTrader Green also includes articles about fuel-efficient vehicles. Unlike other classified auto titles, AutoTrader Green includes only vehicles that average more than 30 miles per gallon. Following its launch in Seattle and Portland in 2007, the magazine is now published in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, and Charlotte, where it can be found at local convenience stores.

In 2007, the "budget cars" segment - small, inexpensive models that achieve extremely good gas mileage (e.g., Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris) - grew by nearly 48 percent.  Hybrids were the next best-selling segment with a 34 percent increase, while the overall auto sales market was flat from the previous year. Consider this: A vehicle that gets 30 mpg will cost $750 less to fuel each year than one that gets 20 mpg (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $3 per gallon). Over a period of five years, the 30-mpg vehicle will save $3,750.

Having Fun With Climate Change -- A Multimedia Overview

Climate change, global warming, ice shelf breaking, ocean current stopping.  Climate change can be depressing and scary.  It invokes fear, especially with children, who may feel their future is threatened yet feel powerless.   It also makes for some contentious dinner discussion.  I have been through all that.

So today, I'd rather focus on some fun climate change multimedia.  They are no less educational, but they get the message across with a dose of laughter and are engaging.  Don't get me wrong -- climate change is nothing to laugh about... but some levity can help diffuse the tension when you need to convince a skeptic about climate change, or just simply take a break from all the gloom and doom.  Check these out...

Consumer Concerns about Climate Change

In the recent McKinsey Quarterly, there is an interesting report on a global survey that shows corporations need to account for consumer concerns about climate change.  In it, consumers say that a corporation’s performance in addressing the problems of the environment and climate change affects not only how much they trust the company but also whether they would buy its products.

Consumers also expect companies to promote the public good by providing healthier and safer products, retirement and health care benefits for its employees, and much else besides. Their expectations vary by industry and geography.  As such, the study concludes, "every business should think about the role environmental issues can and should play in strategy so that they can build trust among consumers and offer products and services that address their concerns."

High School Girl Converts Car to Biofuel Power

A high-school student in Honolulu, Hawaii -- Olivia Klein -- has decided to take on an ambitious junior year project.  Inspired by being her school's delegate to the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Summit, she decided to build a biofuel car for her independent project. 

It has been a great learning experience for Olivia.  From not knowing much about car -- not to mention experience with cars being only 16 years old -- she has graduated to knowing how to negotiate to buy a car,  obtain various licenses,  figure out which car is convertible (i.e. diesel engine needed), what biofuel sources exist locally (i.e. restaurant grease), and the parts needed for the conversion.  Wow!  What a great project, and how ambitious.  I am sure she will have a lot to be proud of when this is completed. 

Biomimicry - Integrating Nature into Car Design

If you are a vehicle designer, vehicle engineer, or product designer of any stripe, the please please check out the field called "biomimicry".  In my opinion, it is one of the coolest, most intuitive aspects of sustainability.  I follow biomimicry for fun, because it is replete with cool stories about how nature has inspired various innovations.  Imagine an exterior paint that cleans itself -- that's what Lotusan is doing, learning from water that balls up upon a lotus leaf.  Imagine manufacturing Kevlar and nylon at ambient temperature -- that's what spider silk inspired.   Imagine a termite-mound inspired cooling system for building.  A number of these innovations are now profitable ventures. 

The Chrysler concept car from 2005 was shaped like a boxfish  and achieved  70 mpg  with diesel without drive train changes.  It was inspired by research at the intersection of biology... and vehicles.  (More details in link above.)

So what is this "biomimicry" thing, you ask? 

Demographics of Hybrid Vehicle Owners

According to a recent study by Acxiom, a business intelligence and data mining firm, North American hybrid vehicle owners are likely to be: higher income, live on the coast, and tech-savvy.   OK, that seems quite obvious... With the average premium on a hybrid  around $6000 (less after tax rebate if it applies), owning a hybrid is an environmental statement for folks with the cash to spare.  Plus, with its different drive system, a hybrid is a cool gadget that allows for hours of fun experimentation.  Interestingly, the study notes that selling hybrid vehicles is a winning approach to induce customers to switch brands.  Yep, makes sense too... today's hybrid market affords few choices within particular budget level and vehicle class.

Wanted: regular folks in the fight against global warming

In case you haven’t heard, you are needed in the fight against global warming. 

Eugene Kleiner, a partner at the famous venture capitalist firm, Kleiner Perkins, once said, “Sometimes panic is an appropriate response.”  Panic is a good motivator to do something, but taking action is a better way to keep our spirit and hope up, in the face of such a major global challenge.  Fortunately, doing your part in tackling climate change is getting easier by the day, as green groups pop up all around us.  Here's why it is fun, and here are some tips how...

Teens Work to Change the World in the Lexus Environmental Challenge

We’re all concerned about the environment and wonder how we can make things better. And we need to pass that concern on to our children so they’ll know how to care for this earth. One way they can learn more is through the Lexus Environmental Challenge, created by Lexus and Scholastic.

Since September 2007, hundreds of teams of 5-10 middle and high school students have participated in one or more challenges addressing environmental issues related to land, water, air, and climate. Teams are required to manage the entire project from defining the issue, making a plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report on the results.

Sixty-two entries each won $3,000 in grants and scholarships to be shared by the students, supervising teacher, and school. Some of the winners included:

• A PSA about ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, reaching 70,000 people
• Distribution of 15,000 compact fluorescent bulbs to low-income families
• Collection of six 10-gallon buckets of used batteries for recycling
• Education of 450 families on mold’s impact of indoor air quality
• Creating green roof boxes on the school campus

You can see all the winning action plans at Scholastic’s web site.
 

“Earth The Sequel”: Energy innovations to stop global warming

The Environmental Defense Fund has just released an interesting book, called "Earth: The Sequel", subtitled "The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming".  It is a message of hope, about how humankind ingenuity can "save ourselves from ourselves by getting the end of the story just right" (Fred Krupp, author and president of EDF).  It is a story on how we can stop global warming through clean energy innovation by American entrepreneurs.

In it are stories about various innovations in energy production, possibly the biggest growth sector of our economy in the coming years, perhaps even right now.  The book’s writing style is very accessible, especially if you like stories.  It claims that: “twenty years from now some thirty-five-year-old is going to say the reason he’s a billionaire is that he read this book when he was fifteen”.  Mayor Bloombergy of New York City gave it a glowing review: “Krupp and Horn have turned the doom and gloom of global warming on its head. Earth: The Sequel makes it crystal clear that we can build a low-carbon economy while unleashing American entrepreneurs to save the planet, putting optimism back into the environmental story.”

Virgin Atlantic Joins Project Driveway, Using Chevrolet Equinox Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles To Transport VIP Passengers

In the current market, the public's perception of greening the environment is key. Virgin Atlantic Airways, Ltd. has jumped into the eco-friendly game with its announcement it will use Chevrolet Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for its "complimentary ground transfer service for upper class passengers" for planes landing at Los Angeles International Airport.

The announcement was made by Virgin Atlantic President Sir Richard Branson and Dr. Lawrence Burns, GM vice president of Research & Development and Strategic planning at a news conference in New York last week.

Already underway, Project Driveway is the world's largest fuel cell vehicle test ever - placing more than 100 zero emissions electric vehicles powered by hydrogen on the streets of key markets in the U.S. and around the world. The Virgin partnership will continue through the duration of the 30-month program.

Later in March, Virgin will place three zero-petroleum, zero-emission Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicles, fueled with hydrogen, into its fleet as ground transportation shuttles, running to and from the airport serving the Los Angeles area. The partnership opens the door to possible future activities between Chevrolet and Virgin, involving the same type of service for New York. In addition, the relationship will help build awareness of environmentally friendly technologies and their sustainability. Actual drivers for the Virgin service will be provided by Music Express Inc. in Burbank, California.

My Shifting Perceptions of GM

My first car ever was a Chevy Geo Prizm.  I still remember it fondly, as any “first” tends to be. 

But then I watched the DVD “Who Killed The Electric Car?”  This documentary chronicles the saga of the first GM electric car, the EV1.  Its debut lease program was greeted with adoration and the EV1 quickly built a loyal fan base that included celebrities, environmental activists, and regular Janes and Joes lucky enough to lay a hand on these pure electric cars.   They were none too happy when GM decided to stop renewing the leases, and mounted a resistance to prevent GM from taking back the cars, and later, crushing all that were returned.  That made me mad.

Remember FlexCar? Now Welcome ZipCar.