Gas 2.0

“Our grading system will be controversial but is well-defended,” said Dugan. “We defy anyone to show that the current practice of using taxpayer subsidies to produce motor fuels from coal is decent public policy, or even that automakers can produce an affordable, durable car that runs on cleanly produced hydrogen.”  Judy Dugan, research director for Consumer Watchdog

When talking about the technologies that will lead us into a new transportation paradigm, I feel like I’m driving down a winding road full of potholes and missing the shoulders. What technology is best? Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs)? Flex-Fuel Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles? Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PEVs) or maybe cars that run on compressed natural gas or hydrogen fuel cells?  I’m not a waging person so I won’t place my bets but I am willing to “collect the money” from those who want to gamble on the winner. Read the rest of this entry »

As Benjamin reported on EcoGeek last week, even if all plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) were recharged by coal-based electricity, they would still be an improvement over regular cars. Take a look at this graph from Technology Review, who reported that “plug-ins always result in lower emissions than conventional cars.” They beat hybrids too, unless power is coming exclusively from coal:

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