Texas-based Ronn Motor Company rolled out its hydrogen hybrid supercar Tuesday at the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association Show (SEMA) in Las Vegas. The Scorpion is a wildly sculpted exotic vehicle that can hit 200 miles per hour, while promising 40 miles per gallon on the highway.
The green car movement has historically been comprised of many camps, each one arguing that he or she has the winning fuel or propulsion system. Yet the notion that no single solution will solve our energy and environmental problems is now gaining widespread acceptance. A smorgasbord of promising technologies was on display last week at a meeting of the Western Automotive Journalist in South San Francisco.
Last week, HybridCars.com took a drive through Reykjavik in one of 10 hydrogen-fueled Toyota Prius hybrids, offered as part of Hertz’s Reykjavik rental fleet. Available for around $300 a day, the hydrogen-powered Priuses make for an intriguing drive through the spectacular landscapes around Reykjavik.
If the US automobile industry ramps up its efforts to produce eco-friendly vehicles for the mass market, it could cut the nation’s gas consumption by 30 to 50 percent by 2035. That’s according to a new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But the study also asserts that the mentality of car consumers will need to change.
Europeans are far ahead of North Americans in eco-awareness, and it’s most evident at auto shows. This year’s London show, July 23 to August 3, is a perfect example; despite the UK’s traditional abundance of small supercar-makers and its luxury brands, the popular market seems now to be all about green cars—specifically those with low carbon emissions, or electric cars with no emissions at all.
Oil surged to a new height today, almost reaching $114 a barrel. Retail gas prices rose to a new record of $3.38 per gallon. Diesel jumped to $4.19. And AAA is warning that these prices will continue to rise. The first reaction might be to panic, or make a mad dash toward a single technology solution. But a recent talk by John German, manager of environmental and energy analyses at American Honda Motor Company, suggested that we remain calm.
BMW’s Hydrogen 7, which has garnered attention for being test-driven by a roster of celebrities, has been confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to surpass Super Ultra Low-Emission Vehicle standards.
For decades, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have been trumpeted as the best strategy for reducing emissions from our cars and trucks. Billions of dollars later, top executives from General Motors and Toyota appear ready to give up on the viability of hydrogen-powered cars. Is this shift a clear-headed assessment of hydrogen technology and its economics? Or merely corporate maneuvering?
One of the most glittering pieces of eye candy at the Geneva Motor Show this week is a hydrogen fuel-cell roadster built by British automaker Morgan. Unlike most vehicles of its kind, Morgan designed the vehicle around the fuel cells, rather than fitting the fuel cells into a space designed for a gasoline engine.
Penn State researchers have developed a proof-of-concept device that can mimic photosynthesis by splitting water to produce recoverable hydrogen. Is it pie-in-the-sky?
