Nice engine. Bet it runs better on the "juice" made from you "converted" flathead in the background (Oops! Can you say ATF?).

 

Iceland has no oil of it's own and started back in the 70's to become oil dependent free. They have one fishing boat running on hydrogen and are planning on making their entire fishing fleet run on hydrogen. They have one of the largest fishing fleets in the world. they are working on converting the cars as well.

 

Brazil is also ahead of the game...they are 100% oil independent. 60% of there fuel comes from their own oil fields, and 40% comes from ethanol that they produce from sugar cane.

 

Don't look at me!

 

Cane/Octane

 

I wish someone would come up with a methane conversion. After that last chili...

 

Not sure if that's entirely true, but everyone seems to come up with differing facts to support their viewpoint there. More than half of Brazil's vehicles are diesel, so that reduces the amount of alcohol needed to achieve that stat, and Brazil's per capita usage is a lot less then the US, but Brazil is already suffering uncontrolled clearing of forest and savanna to make way for cane plantations. Not necessarily a carbon-positive move.

 

Currently, I cannot think of any station that sells E85 in my locality. I have only seen a few stations that sell E85 in my travels. I sort of worry about the ruggedness of the E85 engines since it is new technology and the historical unreliability of new technolgy in autos. It is not an engine that I'd feel comfortable taking to just any mechanic, and I know I'd get taken to the cleaners by taking it back to a dealer.


The HHR would make a good candidate or a hybred auto. A nice sized vehicle with interior room to spare. As a gasoline powered car, I get good milage, but I'd like it better if I could get about 50% more. I'm not into a performance car. No need to go from 0-60 in five seconds or less now.

 

I agree that the HHR would be a good candidate for a Hybrid. Although 50% or more mileage, I'm not so sure about that kind of mileage by GM, unless GM were to use the same technology as Toyota. Toyota not only uses the Hybrid Technology to assist on acceleration but can go into electric only mode at stops (this is where the MPG boost really kicks in). I maybe wrong (someone please chime in if I'm wrong) but current GM hybrids use the electric motor for assist only.

 

The current GM Tahoe-Denali (and Malibu/Aura/Vue) hybrid uses the electric drive only to move the vehicle at speeds below 25-27 mpg (unless heavy acceleration is required), then the gas engine starts. The gas engine also has "auto stop" where the gas engine does not run at stops (although the A/C still operates, as well as all other accessories). It is actually pretty seamless as far as the driver is concerned, engineering took great pains to give this powertrain a "feel" like most consumers are used to. At freeway speeds the engine operates in the AFM mode which disables certain cylinders for fuel savings. Regenerative braking helps recharge the battery pack.