Vehicular Inspiration: CARS-TO OWN. TO RENT. TO DRIVE
When it comes to transportation, there's the eco-obvious and then there's the eco-innovative. Obviously, riding our bikes is better than driving our cars. Carpooling is better than driving alone. Keeping our tires pumped up helps fuel efficiency. So do full fuel tanks. Yet there are lots of other easy, attractive options out there to green our transportation.
Let's start with roadside assistance. If you drive a car, you probably have a roadside assistance plan, and the provider of that plan is most likely the American Automobile Association (AAA). AAA is great on service but lousy on the environment. The company is a longstanding member of the highway lobby, a business coalition that aims to put more cars on the road regardless of their toll on the environment. For roadside assistance with an environmental twist, consider Better World Club, a company that matches AAA in service without compromising the environment. Better World Club donates 3 percent of its proceeds to environmental causes, offers discounts to hybrid car drivers, taxes those who drive fuel-inefficient cars, and even offers a bicycle roadside assistance plan. It's a good, easy choice for you and the planet.
If you're ready to give up your car, but not quite ready to be 100 percent biker, check out services like Zipcar. For an hourly fee you can reserve a car whenever you need one, pick it up at convenient locations throughout your city, and drive for as long—and far—as you desire. Insurance costs and the first hundred miles of gas are included in the rental cost. Zipcar, and its close competitor Flexcar, make car sharing startlingly cool. You can cruise in a hybrid, Mini Cooper, even a BMW. And if you need more trunk space, there's the roomy Honda Element. Zipcar gives you easy access to a car without any of the expenses of actual car ownership, and reduces traffic congestion and carbon dioxide emissions in the process.
Since most car owners can't imagine life without four wheels, a hybrid model—cars whose engines run on both electric energy and gasoline—provides ample opportunity to enjoy a sweet ride while saving money at the pump and preventing greenhouse gases from harming your future grandchildren. The Toyota Prius is the most well-known hybrid model on the road. No wonder. It's got a space-age dashboard, plenty of legroom, and a surprisingly powerful engine. At 60/51 mpg on the road and highway, the Prius is best-in-class on fuel efficiency, a star performer, and a perpetual provider of sci-fi thrills with an engine that starts with the simple push of a power-on button.
The Prius is a prime example of what I would consider a conspicuous eco-product. Its widely recognizable, distinctive design loudly proclaims its driver's lofty intent to save the planet. As Mark Spellun, publisher of Plenty magazine has written, "You never see a bumper sticker on a Prius." The car already says it all.
For folks who have no desire to collect eco-inspired high-fives from parking attendants and toll collectors, yet still prefer lower fuel costs and a cleaner environment, there are other options. Hybrid car models that look identical to their conventional counterparts, like the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Honda Accord Hybrid, are now available. These cars signal the next evolution of ecodesign, the introduction of what I think of as invisible eco products. The eco-smarts that enable the Camry Hybrid to get 25 percent better gas mileage than the standard Camry are invisibly embedded inside the car. The 2007 Camry model has been given a sleek redesign, and since it's the best-selling car in the United States, there are definitely going to be lots of satisfied lazy environmentalists on the road in the very near future. In California, hybrid drivers get to drive in the coveted carpool lane even without another passenger. How's that for a perk?
Even SUV lovers can join the ranks of the environmentally aware. No longer banished to eco-hell, SUV aficionados can opt for hybrid versions of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner. The EPA gives these big vehicles 37/31 mpg and 33/29 mpg respectively in the city and on the highway. But the Lexus RX 400h rules the SUV hybrid hierarchy. The hybridization of the RX 400h engine not only delivers better gas mileage but also more horsepower. This hybrid SUV gets 31/27 mpg and accelerates from zero to sixty in under seven seconds, which even has speed junkies smiling.
For the environmentally chic, invisible eco has successfully turned a diesel version of the Mercedes-Benz E Class sedan into a planet-friendly ride. Powered by BlueTec, an eco-advanced auto system that filters dirty tailpipe emissions, this car cruises smooth and clean. Though diesel-engine cars typically receive high marks for fuel efficiency, they have been strictly regulated in the United States due to noxious emissions of toxins, like sulfur, that lead to acid rain. But the luxurious Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTec sedan delivers an EPA-rated 27/37 mpg. Look for BlueTec technology to begin appearing throughout Mercedes-Benz's lineup of luxury sedans and SUVs. Chrysler is also said to be adopting the technology from its parent company, DaimlerChrysler, to offer a more fuel-efficient version of its popular Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Okay, a bike's not enough, a hybrid isn't your thing, and BlueTec isn't intriguing. You're keeping the car you own and you want options that fit what you've already got. There's a good chance you may be one of the unsuspecting six million car drivers already behind the wheel of a flex-fuel vehicle—cars that can run on both regular gasoline and cleaner alternatives like E85. The mother of all clean fuels, E85 is a combination of 85 percent ethanol (think grain alcohol) and 15 percent conventional gasoline. Ethanol is produced in the United States principally from corn, which means your tasty corn on the cob is shaping up to be a key ally in the battle against global warming. Research is also indicating that weedy plants like switchgrass may prove even more potent in the production of ethanol, providing almost two times more energy than is needed to produce it—a key measurement of ethanol's ability to replace oil-derived gasoline on a very large scale. Switchgrass is native to North America, growing naturally from North Dakota to Louisiana, and therefore requires minimal amounts of noxious pesticides and insecticides to cultivate. Billionaire entrepreneurs like Vinod Khosla, founder of Sun Microsystems, are investing millions of dollars to explore the potential of switchgrass to become a super energy crop that could reinvent our energy landscape.
E85 is generally less expensive than gasoline, delivers slightly more horsepower (around 5 percent), and gets slightly less fuel mileage (in the range of 10 percent). E85 also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 70 percent over gasoline. Since ethanol is derived from plant crops that feed on and absorb carbon dioxide, the net effect is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the production of ethanol toward zero. Factor in the potential for using switchgrass and other biomass waste generated during ethanol production to actually power an ethanol-producing factory and we're looking at a self-contained, highly efficient, clean fuel-producing infrastructure, homegrown on American soil.
As for flex-fuel vehicles, their introduction en masse beginning in the late 1990s began as a low-cost program that enabled car companies to meet federal fuel efficiency requirements without truly having to raise fuel efficiency. Thankfully, what was meant to provide little more than an environmental loophole for the auto companies has turned out to be a massive opportunity for lazy environmentalists. And here's the real tire-kicker—today many of the biggest and best-selling automobiles in this country, namely Ford's F-1 Series pickup trucks and the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck from General Motors, are being mass-produced as flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on clean E85 fuel. In 2007 most of the major car makers, including Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan, will introduce flex-fuel models. Where will these cars fill up? While the numbers are still small, in 2007, E85 fuel stations will at least double, from seven hundred to one thousand four hundred, across the country. Visit E85fuel.com to find flex-fuel vehicle models and locate filling stations.
Running our cars on clean fuel presents opportunities for diesel drivers too. Biodiesel is a clean-burning, renewable diesel fuel replacement made from vegetable oils or animal fats. It can be used in any car or truck with a diesel engine, is comparable in price to conventional diesel fuel, and gets better gas mileage. And, yes, it's also biodegradable. Diesel engines can run on biodiesel that's virtually pure, though it is most commonly used as a blend of 20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent conventional diesel. Country music legend Willie Nelson is a major player in the biodiesel industry. BioWillie fuel can already be found in California, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Actress Julia Roberts has also stepped into the clean fuel arena as a spokesperson for BioWillie's parent company, Earth BioFuels, which also develops broader initiatives like encouraging the use of biodiesel in over five hundred thousand diesel school buses.
With all of this automotive innovation under way, you'd think we all could find an eco-alternative to fit our lifestyles. There really is something for everyone—even those who drive Hummers, the most colossal of all urban assault vehicles (the one that averages a fuel economy of 14 mpg). By offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions spewing from your car's tailpipe, TerraPass offers Hummer drivers eco-salvation. Cars emit approximately ten thousand pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. At TerraPass.com you can calculate your vehicle's emissions and then purchase a customized TerraPass, which will offset the damage by contributing to investments in wind and solar energy and other greenhouse gas reduction initiatives. For about $75 annually, you'll get a TerraPass decal for your car certifying your participation. Carbon offsetting programs like TerraPass don't reduce your car's environmental impact, but they do provide a mechanism for all individuals to easily take responsibility for their greenhouse gas contributions.
Car Makers and Models
AC PROPULSION
Acpropulsion.com
When Tom Hanks went looking for a new electric vehicle that would produce zero greenhouse gas emissions he turned to AC Propulsion. You can too. Electric versions of the Toyota Scion, dubbed the eBox, are now available with some impressive specifications. With a top speed of 95 miles per hour and a top range of 180 miles per charge, the eBox will deliver lots of planet-saving thrills.
FORD
Ford.com
Ford is giving Toyota legitimate competition with its Mercury Mariner and Ford Escape SUV hybrids. Ford's lineup of flex-fuel vehicles create new possibilities to drive the cars we love and fill them up with cleaner, eco-friendly fuels.
GENERAL MOTORS
Generalmotors.com
GM's Saturn division offers a hybrid model of the VUE SUV. GM is also placing heavy emphasis on its fleet of flex-fuel vehicles that can run on clean-burning ethanol in the form of E85 fuel. Most notable among these models is the popular Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck (comes in a hybrid too). Yes, pickup trucks are feeling the eco-love.
HONDA
Honda.com
As if Honda wasn't already delivering high-performance gas-sippers, both the Civic and the Accord now come in hybrid models that increase fuel efficiency and save money at the pump. But that's not all. The Honda Civic GX reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent versus gasoline-powered cars, because it runs entirely on compressed natural gas—a fossil fuel that burns clean. Californians and New Yorkers can purchase the car now. Honda also has plans to make it available throughout the country.
LEXUS
Lexus.com
Luxury still reigns at Lexus, but this time supreme hybrid technology is part of the package. Check out the SUVs and luxury sedans equipped with hybrid engines that outperform on horsepower and fuel economy.
MERCEDES-BENZ
Mbusa.com
New advances in diesel technology dubbed BlueTec are putting Mercedes-Benz at the head of the eco-class. The benefits are starting to spill over to its sister division Chrysler too.
PHOENIX MOTORCARS
Phoenixmotorcars.com
The fully electric pickup truck has been parked on the South Lawn of the White House while being inspected by President Bush, and soon you'll be able to park one in your garage. This zero emission vehicle has a top speed of 95 miles per hour and range of over 100 miles per charge. A fully electric SUV is also being released starting first in California. Plug it in, charge it up, and go.
SMART CAR
Smart.com
Coming soon to a road near you may be a car so nifty and small that it can park sideways. Yet the Smart car is big on design and performance and eco-responsibility. The nimble cars are owned and manufactured by DaimlerChrysler and are already a big hit in Europe.
TANGO
Commutercars.com
George Clooney drives one, and you might too when you consider that the Tango T600 is an emission-free electric car that goes from zero to sixty in four seconds and has a top speed of 150 mph. Like the Smart car, the Tango is tiny and may help decongest our automotive highway system.
TESLA MOTORS
Teslamotors.com
Tesla is the maker of the Tesla Roadster, a 100 percent electric-powered, plug-in car, so advanced that the technological wonder boys who founded Google both drive them.
TOYOTA
Toyota.com
Maker of the immensely popular Prius, Toyota is continuing to expand its hybrid empire with the hybrid Camry and Highlander SUV. The near future promises to bring exciting new models with innovative features and killer gas mileage.
Auto Services
BETTER WORLD CLUB
Betterworldclub.com
A provider of automobile roadside assistance, Better World Club is not part of the highway lobby, supports higher fuel economy standards, donates 1 percent of its revenues to environmental cleanup and advocacy, and offers the country's only bicycle roadside assistance plan.
BIO-BEETLE
Biobeetle.com
The first all-biodiesel rental car company in the world, Bio-Beetle offers its rental car services in Los Angeles and the Hawaiian island of Maui. True to its name, Bio-Beetle rents Volkswagen Beetles as well as Golfs, Jettas, Passats, and Jeeps.
EV RENTAL CARS
Evrental.com
With locations in California, Arizona, and soon Las Vegas, EV Rental offers more than 350 hybrid-engine rental cars. The company's mission is to offer the most technologically and environmentally advanced cars to the public as soon as they are available. Hybrid car models available include the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Highlander SUV, and the Honda Civic.
FLEXCAR
Flexcar.com
You don't need to own a car to drive one. FlexCar liberates people from the cost and responsibility of car ownership by giving members access to hundreds of cars parked in cities around the country.
OZOCAR
Ozocar.com
OZOcar is New York's first car service that combines luxury and eco-responsibility. OZO's fleet of Toyota Priuses and Lexus RX 400h hybrid SUVs are equipped with satellite radio and, better still, Wi-Fi Internet connections so you can check your email and surf the web while being chauffeured to the airport, the Giants game, or Peter Luger's steakhouse. Yum.
TERRAPASS
Terrapass.com
The average car emits about ten thousand pounds of carbon dioxide pollution each year. When car owners purchase a TerraPass, the company funds clean energy projects that reduce industrial carbon dioxide emissions, thus balancing out the effects of the car's emissions. Terrapass.com can also do the same thing for carbon emissions created from powering our homes and from traveling.
ZIPCAR
Zipcar.com
Car sharing services like Zipcar and FlexCar free drivers from vehicle responsibility, while the environment benefits from fewer car owners.
Alternative Fuels
BIOWILLIE
Biowillie.com
Willie Nelson's BioWillie outlets serve biodiesel to drivers in California, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina.
EARTH BIOFUELS
Earthbiofuels.com
The parent company of BioWillie, Earth Biofuels is a producer, distributor, and marketer of biodiesel and ethanol. The company has attracted celebrity spokespeople such as Morgan Freeman and Julia Roberts (in addition of course to Willie) and also develops broad initiatives like encouraging the use of biodiesel in over five hundred thousand diesel school buses.
TRI-STATE BIODIESEL
Tristatebiodiesel.com
New Yorkers will soon get a chance to tap into the promise of clean, renewable energy with the introduction of biodiesel fuel thanks to Tri-State Biodiesel CEO and longtime environmental advocate Brent Baker. Tri-State Biodiesel's blend relies primarily on leftover restaurant grease that it recycles into an ultra-low-emission, nontoxic diesel fuel.
Car Maintenance
OPTIMUM POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES
Ecocarcare.net
Conserve water and reduce chemical runoff into drainage systems during car washing and waxing with Optimum Polymer Technologies' unique, ecologically safe products. Clean, restore, and protect car interiors using Protectant Plus, an advance formula that contains zero VOCs.
Check Out
AMERICAN SOLAR CHALLENGE
Americansolarchallenge.org
Competitors design, build, and race solar-powered cars from Austin, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta. The race draws teams of engineers from universities throughout North America and demonstrates the potential of solar power.
AUTOMOTIVE X PRIZE
Auto.xprize.org
Following on the heels of its successful space flight competition, X Prize turns its attention to automobile innovation with a competition designed to attract top-flight teams from around the world to create super-efficient, next-generation vehicles that people will want to buy. One-hundred-mpg cars may soon be on the horizon.
BMW HYDROGEN 7
Bmw.com (click on BMW Insights)
In 2006, BMW introduced the world's first hydrogen-drive luxury performance automobile for everyday use, capable of running either on hydrogen or on gasoline and based on the BMW 7 Series. While hydrogen offers tremendous potential as a clean fuel, the challenge is to produce it from clean, renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuel sources like coal and natural gas. Still, this is a big step in a clean direction.
INDYCAR SERIES
Indycar.com
The IndyCar Series is staking a claim to the most eco-enlightened sport in the world. In 2007 every racing car on the track will be powered by 100 percent ethanol fuel, demonstrating that eco-power can kick gasoline power's butt any day and especially on race day.
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR
Sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar
This documentary directed by Chris Paine tracks the rise and demise of the electric car in the United States. It's good entertainment and also captures the story of a technology that could indeed influence our driving future. Electric cars offer the potential to reduce tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions to zero. They can be charged by plugging into the energy grid through any electric outlet, which provides a significantly cleaner energy source than conventional gasoline.
Information/Education
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Offers an up-to-date list of all alternative energy fuel stations in the United States including E85 and biodiesel. Fun, interactive maps help you pinpoint fuel stations near your home or on your route.
E85FUEL.COM
Home of the National Ethanol Vehicles Coalition, this site offers comprehensive information about the performance and environmental qualities of E85 fuel and highlights flex-fuel vehicles on the road and available for purchase.
EV WORLD
Evworld.com
EV World provides in-depth information on topics pertaining to sustainable transportation including the people, policies, and technologies that are shaping the emerging green transportation landscape. The well-designed site is easily navigable, and full membership gives you total access to news, research, and analysis on green vehicles, clean energy, and green industry investing.
FUELECONOMY.GOV
Get gas mileage tips, learn about energy-efficient vehicles, and compare cars for greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and miles per gallon at this site sponsored by the EPA's Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
HYBRIDCARS.COM
Bradley Berman is the go-to guy for all things hybrid. His site has information on every aspect of hybrid cars, from gas mileage and oil dependency to cultural impact and environmental benefits.
HYDROGEN CARS
Hydrogen-cars.biz
A thoughtful, well-researched resource for information about hydrogen car models, concept cars, fuel stations, fuel cells, and other hydrogen developments.
GREENCARCONGRESS.COM
It's all about "sustainable mobility" at Mike Millikin's site, where he covers technologies, products, issues, and policies.
THE NATIONAL BIODIESEL BOARD
Biodiesel.org
The trade association website for the biodiesel industry offers fun facts and easy-to-understand information about biodiesel along with updates about its growing availability and quick links to key players in the coming biodiesel boom.
NEARBIO
Nearbio.com
Find biodiesel fueling stations throughout the United Sates and get the information delivered to you on your cell phone for free. Enter your city and state, zip code, or GPS coordinates and NearBio will provide the address, distance, directions, and phone number for the nearest biodiesel filling station. All information is also available at Nearbio.com.
PLUG IN AMERICA
Pluginamerica.com
Track developments in the electric car industry and learn about car models that plug in to the energy grid to charge and go. The founders of this website are committed to promoting plug-in vehicles as a means to deliver a driving experience powered by cleaner, cheaper, domestic energy that reduces U.S. dependence upon foreign oil and improves the global environment.
