Another city seeing the benefits of biodiesel. We all know the benefits of biodiesel:

• Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel produced by domestic products such as grease, animal fat and soybeans
• The fuel can be used as a pure blend or mixed with any percentage of petroleum
• Biodiesel has no sulfur or aromatic compounds
• B20 works in any diesel engine.
• Increased lubricity which means potentially less damage to the engine and quieter running engine.
• Less oil is needed from foreign sources.
• Help American farmers.

The city is currently in the research stage of the switch which would initially be $13,000 and affect 18 vehicles for Forest Acres. Cayce, Aiken, and Rock Hill are cities in South Carolina that have already made the switch. I’m glad the article mentions that the issue of biodiesel use is more of an awareness thing instead of being some experiment where the user has to worry about destroying their engine. Although anyone looking into using biodiesel should probably look on the internet at least for other users, that have their car, to verify it won’t hurt their seals(manufacturers will most likely say not to just to cover their arse). The city of Columbia is currently still experimenting on two trucks before possibly rolling it out to almost 300 diesel vehicles. Manufacturers are soon going to be running biodiesel in some of their cars from the factory so that should lay most worry to rest.

He also mentions lack of availability as a reason that the use of biodiesel isn’t as widespread. I fully agree with that one. Their is only one station that I know of within about a 25 mile radius of me. I’ve been working on a section of the site to be user updatable where you can post the cheapest diesel you can find and the location of biodiesel stations. I’ll need everyones help for keeping things current, just because of the sheer magnitude.

Analysts are saying diesel vehicles should peak in Europe at less than 60%. Citing that increased cost to build and tightening emissions standards, which force high costs in research, is making the price of vehicles too great. However, diesel is growing in the rest of the world particularly in South Korea, India, and China.

Diesel vehicles are expected to reach 29 million in 2015, nearly double that of 2005. The biggest potential market is the US which is why everyone is working to achieve our emissions standards. Honda will have it’s diesel out in 2009, VW will be returning with light cars in 2008(It’s still currently selling the Touareg) along with DaimlerChrysler AG. VW is also expected to retain its leadership in light vehicles followed by Ford Motor Co.

(more…)

Today at the State Fair of Texas, Dodge will reveal more details about the 2007 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty’s new 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel engine, which replaces the current 5.9-liter engine. Producing 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 650 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,500 rpm, the 6.7-liter engine features an all-new six-speed automatic transmission that delivers improved fuel economy and performance.

The engine will be available in 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 models beginning January 2007. A commercial-use 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel engine was introduced in early 2006 with the all-new Dodge Ram Chassis Cab, which is available now.

“The 2007 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty’s new 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel engine sets the performance standard with an outstanding combination of horsepower, torque, refinement and emissions-reducing technology,” said Scott Kunselman, Chief Engineer - Dodge Ram. “Providing superior trailer towing, acceleration, throttle response and drivability, the new 6.7-liter engine is not only more powerful, it’s also cleaner with B5 biodiesel compatibility and a reduction in particulates and nitrogen oxide (NOx) that comply with the 50-state 2007 heavy-duty emission standards.”

Based on the proven DNA of the 5.9-liter Cummins turbo-diesel engine, the new 6.7-liter engine is 50-percent quieter, while featuring a 107mm bore by 124mm stroke (versus 102mm bore by 120mm stroke for the 5.9-liter engine). The new engine retains more than 40 percent of its components from the 5.9- liter engine and shares more than 80 percent of its components with the new Dodge Ram chassis cab.

The high-performance 408-cubic-inch inline-six intercooled turbo-diesel is clean and quiet, and meets all 2007 U.S. federal and state emission requirements, which require a 90-percent reduction in particulate matter and 50-percent reduction in NOx.

Offered for the first time in Dodge Ram Heavy Duty trucks are features including an integrated exhaust brake, standard Electronic Range Select (ERS) and “Smart” tow/haul controls that provide customers flexibility and increased safety when towing heavy loads.

(more…)

The Peugeot 908 V12 HDi DPFS

On 14 June 2005, Peugeot announced its decision to accept a new technological challenge: to win one of the world’s most prestigious and demanding motor races, the Le Mans 24 Hours, with a car powered by an HDi diesel engine equipped with a diesel particulate filter system (DPFS).

This legendary race, which every year attracts more than 200,000 spectators, will provide Peugeot with an opportunity to express fully the values enshrined in its philosophy: excellence, demonstrated by the choice of endurance coupled with reliability, dynamism, emphasised by a team challenge based on performance, looks, illustrated by the car’s feline profile, and lastly innovation, expressed amongst other ways through the use of technology designed to protect the environment.

The car that will display the Peugeot colours in the Le Mans 24 Hours race and in the “Le Mans Series” in 2007 will be the Peugeot 908. The choice of number comes from, “90″ designating an exceptional Peugeot model and 8 the next number in sequence after the 907 concept car.

The choice of body style is that of a closed car, in line with changes to the regulations announced by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest on 16 June 2006.

Equally there was also a desire to keep a link with the two-times winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1992 and 1993, the Peugeot 905.

While from a technical point of view this solution presents a number of drawbacks (weight, height of the centre of gravity, operational problems), the Peugeot Sport team felt that it also offers advantages, particularly in terms of chassis rigidity and aerodynamics.

(more…)

Remember the Dodge Avenger Concept I showed you awhile ago? Well I found out that the diesel it’s getting is none other that VW’s 2.0L TDI engine with 140hp and 236ft-lbs. of torque. You can get it either as an automatic or the manual option may either be a five-speed designed by Chrysler or a six-speed Aisin model.

Again, I’m sure we’ll never see it in the states(diesel version), but it’s still a nice design to look at.

The truck that keeps America working just keeps getting better. The new 2008 Super Duty builds on Fords leadership in the truck segment with a bold American look, redesigned interior, new state-of-the-art Power Stroke® clean turbo diesel and a host of innovative features not found on any other truck. Super Duty expands the lineup for 2008 with the new F-450 pickup, boasting more than 6,000 pounds of payload capacity and more than 24,000 pounds of towing power.

The 6.4-liter Power Stroke turbo diesel joins a powertrain lineup that includes the segment’s most powerful gasoline engine, the 362-horsepower, 6.8-liter V-10 Triton®. The new diesel makes an impressive 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 650 ft.-lbs. of torque starting at 2,000 rpm. It uses Ford Clean Diesel Technology™, which includes a high-pressure, common-rail fuel system with piezo-electric fuel injectors and series sequential turbochargers to deliver performance while reducing particulate output up to 97 percent and posting emissions numbers on par with gasoline engines.

The all-new interior builds on the successful, tough-luxury precedents set by the Ford F-150, delivering the kind of capability, quietness and refinement never before available in the segment.

(more…)

Honeywell announced the worlds first parallel sequential dual stage turbo and is being shown at the Paris Motor Show on the 30th. It will debut on the Peugeot 407 and 607, and the Citroen C5 and C6.This new two-stage turbo technology is said to deliver 30% more torque on PSA’s(Peugeot Société Anonyme, or what is the Peugeot and Citroen group) 2.2 liter baseline diesel engine. The 2.2 liter Peugeot HDi diesel engine hits 243ft-lbs(330Nm) at only 1300rpms, and 273ft-lbs(370Nm) at 1500rpms which is incredible for such a small engine.

Development for this began in 2003. The normal sequential turbo system works by basically using a smaller turbo for low rpms and a larger turbo for higher rpms. Honeywell’s parallel sequential turbo system works by using two smaller turbos at high rpms but only one at low rpms. The new system works so well because a patented progressive progressive control valve starts the second turbo while it’s idling in the first engine phase.

Honeywell will also be developing a sequential turbo system for 2007

Source: theautochannel

Through a series, of what looks like completely unbiased, tests it seems a winner between the eternal struggle has been found. I’ll post a link to the site after I give you a little bit of the testing information.The Contenders:

2005 Ford F350 6.0 Liter Power Stroke Diesel 325 hp @ 3500 rpm 570 ft. lbs @ 2000 rpm

2005 Dodge Ram 3500 5.9 Liter Cummins Diesel 325 hp @ 2900 rpm 610 ft. lbs @ 1600 rpm

2005 Chevy Silverado 3500 6.6 Liter Duramax Diesel 310 hp @ 3200 rpm 605 ft. lbs @ 1600 rpm

They go through a comprehensive series of tests from interior quality to offroading at Tellico ORV. You won’t believe the results. These vehicles were even subjected to a vicious animal attack, and you get to see how well they survive.

Link

In Park Hills, Missouri, gas prices have fallen to $1.96, but the big news is diesel prices are at $2.23 a gallon. For once I feel like I got a decent explanation on what’s going on and what we can expect.

Michael Burdette, a senior analyst with the energy information administration, said he doesn’t foresee gas prices to continue the rapid downward plunge in the Midwest.

“The change in prices is going to slow down in the Midwest,” Burdette said. “Prices have fallen the fastest in the Midwest and are way out of proportion compared to the rest of the U.S. The average price of gasoline in the U.S. is $2.37 right now. You guys are already under $2 a gallon.”

Burdette said the spot price for conventional gasoline in Missouri was $1.53 per gallon as of Tuesday.

“Now you have to add 18 cents for federal tax and 17 cents for Missouri state tax to that figure,” Burdette said. “The price goes up to $1.88 per gallon. Right now you guys are at the point where the retailers are at about the break even point. That is why I think prices will slow down in the Midwest.”

Burdette said he thinks prices will stabilize in the Midwest and will continue to fall in other regions of the country.

“The prices in other regions will fall more rapidly to catch up with the Midwest,” Burdette said.

While experts originally forecasted diesel prices would stay closer to $3 a gallon, Burdette said those prices should continue to fall also.

“Diesel prices were hung up earlier because the refineries were struggling making a new type of diesel that has less sulfur in it,” Burdette said. “In 2007 all new trucks will be required to run this new type of fuel. The old trucks will also be able to run on it. The difference is the new trucks will only be able to run on this type of fuel.”

Burdette said the spot price for diesel in Missouri is $1.77 per gallon.

“Federal taxes are higher on diesel than they are on regular gasoline,” Burdette said. “Federal taxes are 24.4 cents and state taxes are 17 cents per gallon. With the taxes figured in the price is $2.18 per gallon. Prices of diesel fuel should continue to fall somewhat.”

Burdette said the diesel fuel currently used was introduced in 1993.

“It is called a low sulfur diesel and contains a maximum of 500 parts per million of sulfur in it,” Burdette said. “The new diesel is called ultra low sulfur. It has a maximum of 15 parts per million of sulfur in it.”

Most of the stuff most of us probably already know the basics of, but I like how he breaks everything down with some specifics.

Source: mydjconnection.com

TOKYO — In a breakthrough to help diesels compete with gasoline/electric hybrids in the U.S., Honda has announced that its latest four-cylinder diesel engine is as clean as a comparable gasoline engine.

Thanks to advances in combustion-chamber design and a sophisticated new catalytic converter, Honda’s 2.2 i-CDi engine meets the EPA’s tough new Bin5 standards.

Honda takes a different approach to reducing diesel emissions than Mercedes-Benz uses with its Bluetec diesels. Honda’s next-generation i-CDi employs a unique two-stage catalytic converter that converts a portion of the nitrogen oxides in exhaust gas to ammonia and then generates a chemical reaction in the ammonia to reduce the remaining NOx to harmless nitrogen.

Honda says the new system is compact and lightweight and works in combination with advances in combustion control on its i-CDi common-rail diesel. The result is a reduction in both NOx and soot emissions, as well as an increase in power output.

The company said it plans to introduce the clean diesel in North America within three years.

Mercedes-Benz has just announced plans to offer its clean Bluetec diesels in three sport-utility vehicles in North America in calendar-year 2008.

What this means to you: Continuing advances in clean-diesel technology eventually could reverse the American public’s fascination with hybrids, which in general are heavier, more complex and more expensive, with shorter life cycles.

Glad this writer has the right opinion of hybrids. To get them as cheap as possible they have to compromise somewhere, whereas the diesel option is usually about $1000-2000 more and has luxury to go with it.

Source: edmunds.com