Coffee May Soon Power Up Your Car
Aside from waking you up in the morning, coffee may soon be needed by your car to run on the road. University researchers from Nevada in the United States have produced a high quality diesel fuel from used coffee grounds.
It is projected that the coffee diesel fuel industry may generate $8 million in profits yearly if a company will use the coffee grounds that will be thrown by branches of Starbucks in the US alone.
The proponents of the study found out that 11% to 20% of the beans are oil basing it on its weight. This serves as the foundation of the production of the biodiesel from other plant products like soy and palm.
Coffee is also the second most traded commodity around the globe and given the volume of waste produced by the industry, there will be a big potential to produce more biodiesel for public consumption. Sixteen million pounds of coffee grounds thrown away each year will be able to boost the production of biodiesel by as much as 340 million gallons.
Hyundai jumps on the go-green bandwagon with “Blue Drive”
Hyundai has joined in on the go-green campaign and trend that pervades the automobile industry today. During the Los Angeles auto show, the Korean auto-making company Hyundai announced more details about its green plan and alternative fuel strategy. Hyundai calls their green plan “Blue Drive” and it includes vehicles with extended mileage, hybrids, and a crossover model that uses a turbocharged direct-injection engine. This crossover model is aiming of reaching a fleet average of 35 mpg by 2015.
Hyundai’s first hybrid model is a gasoline-electric version of their Sonata model, and is expected to reach North American shores in 2010. The hybrid model will have lithium-polymer battery technology and use a parallel-hybrid drive system. It will also have a 2.4-liter engine coupled with six-speed automatic transmission which will work with an electric motor of 30 kilowatts.
The HED-5 i-Mode, Hyundai’s crossover model, has enough room and space for six passengers. This model was put on display at Geneva, and has received a go signal for release in the United States. The engine that came with the display model can make 286 hp and get over 30 mpg when driven on the highway. This engine will also be used in the other vehicle models to be released in the US.
Honda’s Alternative Fuel Models
The CO2 emission problem seems to have taken the world over by fear. People are getting more and more afraid of the problems that pollution caused by the normal fuels are causing and they know that one day or the other disaster will strike the world. Apart from this there is the fact that the reserves of natural fuel is going down drastically and there are hardly natural fuel reserves left that will be able to serve the world for more than a few decades. Once this stage reaches either the cars will stop running or there needs to be some alternative fuels that will help to keep the cars running.
Most major auto dealers, including Honda are researching and trying to come out with cars that run successfully on alternative fuels. Honda had unveiled its FCX clarity, a car that is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell at the Los Angeles auto show. Those who are familiar with this show know that the latest alternative fuel ideas are often unveiled over there. The Honda FCX clarity is fashioned on a concept vehicle that had been launched by the company in 2005.
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