We are all aware that the search for alternative fuel for use by cars these days is growing rampant and apparently we have seen a lot of them. Leading the pack are biodiesels and ethanol but as criticized before, the matter of how the car engine would react is still up in the air.

The manufacturers claim that they will not have any effect and even improve car performance. However, as far as the Philippines Petron Corporation is concerned, they are harmful and may lead to damaged car engines.

The Ethanol gasoline E10 is the alternative fuel being hit, said to be highly corrosive. The E10 fuel is still being sold locally in the Philippines and reports of damaged car engines have been relayed. The Department of Energy (DOE) has been urged of the matter and nothing has been divulged as of yet.

The E10 damages a car’s gas tank, fuel pump, carburetor and fuel injector according to Petron Corp. Chairman Ramon S. Ang. The problem, he said, was that the government did not specify that there should be a dehydrator to remove the water content, which is what makes the ethanol-blended gasoline (E10) highly corrosive.

(Source) Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tags: alternative fuel, car engine, car engines, car performance, carburetor, damaged car, dehydrator, e10 ethanol, e10 fuel, ethanol blended gasoline, ethanol gas, ethanol gasoline, fuel injector, fuel pump, gas tank, petron corp, petron corporation, philippine daily inquirer, tank fuel, water content

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The electric car is all the rave these days. And while we have seen a lot of concept cars in the making, many compare it to the route of the Apollo Programs’ Lunar Rover which took years to complete. In the same way, electric cars are still a bit lagging and one derivative is cost. However, most critics feel that pricing structures may be a hindrance, especially if the current economic situation does not improve. For example, would you pay over $15,000 for an electric car?

“What people overlook is that accomplishing ‘big picture’ programs like Apollo require accepting the concept of unlimited spending to achieve the mission,” says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the industry authority Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “Current levels of unprecedented federal spending notwithstanding, electric cars are not an exclusive answer to future transportation challenges and consumers will not be willing to buy them at all costs.”

The primary culprit is not the car. Automakers in the 1990s proved they could produce full-function electric vehicles offering the attributes that most drivers expect, although with limited driving range of about 100 miles or so. What they couldn’t do was replace a gas tank with an advanced battery pack that cost less than $20,000 to $30,000. Extraordinarily high battery cost is why we’re seeing newly-announced battery electric sedans with a retail cost of $45,000 to $55,000.

(Source) Press

Tags: apollo program, apollo programs, automakers, car journal, cogan, Concept Cars, current economic situation, driving range, editor and publisher, electric car, electric cars, electric vehicles, federal spending, future transportation, gas tank, hindrance, lunar rover, sedans, transportation challenges

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Tesla Motors is reportedly getting orders for its Model S Sedan, an all electric family sedan that carries seven people and travels 300 miles per charge. This model carries an estimated price of $49,900 and can run up to a 300-mile range and 45-minute quick charge capability.

The Model S, which carries its charger onboard, can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes. By recharging their car while they stop for a meal, drivers can go from LA to New York in approximately the same time as a gasoline car. Moreover, the floor-mounted battery pack is designed to be changed out in less time than it takes to fill a gas tank, allowing for the possibility of battery-pack swap stations.

The floor-mounted powertrain also results in unparalleled cargo room and versatility, as the volume under the front hood becomes a second trunk. Combining that with a four-bar linkage hatchback rear trunk and flat folding rear seats, the Model S can accommodate a 50-inch television, mountain bike and surfboard simultaneously. This packaging efficiency gives the Model S more trunk space than any other sedan on the market and more than most SUVs.

Tesla expects to start Model S production in late 2011. The company believes it is close to receiving $350 million in federal loans to build the Model S assembly plant in California from the Dept of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program.

(Source) Business Wire

Tags: battery pack, gas tank, gasoline car, mountain bike, powertrain, technology vehicle, tesla motors

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