When consumers are looking to purchase a more environmentally-friendly car, they may quickly realize that there are acronyms being used that just don’t make much sense. A few of these popular emissions standards are PZEV, SULEV, ULEV and LEV. Today I’m going to help you navigate the myriad acronyms.

Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV)
Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles are available thanks to California. California has the strongest emissions restrictions in the United States and manufacturers have had to tailor their offerings to meet California’s standards. PZEV vehicles are gasoline engines that are modified to offer the cleanest emissions with no evaporative emissions. Some popular PZEVs are the Honda Civic GX, Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid.

Super Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV)
Super Low Emission Vehicles have anywhere from a 76 to a 97 percent emission reductions over the vehicle’s base model. A car that meets the SULEV standard will have .01 grams/mile hydrocarbon emission, 1.0 grams/mile of carbon monoxide emissions, .02 grams/mile of nitrous oxide and .01 grams/mile of particulate matter emissions. Some Toyota Prius models sold outside of the state of California are SULEVs as opposed to PZEVs. The 2008 BMW 3-Series also meets the SULEV standard.

Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV)
This designation is also a result of the strict California emissions regulations. Some 2008 models that qualify as an ultra low emission vehicle include the Smart Fortwo, Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. None of these cars are hybrid models but have reduced their emissions to a level that meets the California requirements for ULEVs.

Low Emission Vehicle (LEV)
The final emission standard being discussed today is the Low Emission Vehicle (LEV). Again, this comes from California and LEVs must have a 50% reduction in emissions. Some LEV vehicles available today include the Mini Cooper, Honda Fit, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the Ford F-150.

If you don’t have plans to purchase a hybrid or electric vehicle, you can still green up your driving by purchasing a vehicle that meets one of these emissions standards. When shopping, look for the designation on the window sticker or ask your salesperson about the vehicles emissions rating.

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The Toyota IQ a microcar which was first unveiled at the autumn 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany is making its way to the production line. Toyota will be launching the IQ in Japan later this year and then presumably in Europe by 2010. Toyota is hoping to sell 100,000 of these urban microcars in the first year alone, and a stateside launch is at this point, a complete possibility.

Although the IQ appears to be tiny in size, it’s actually larger than a Smart ForTwo, 10 inches longer and almost 5 inches wider. Initially the Toyota IQ will use a gasoline engine along with an automated manual transmission, however there is speculation that Toyota will launch a hybrid electric version by 2011.

If Toyota did offer the IQ stateside it would be the first car that can give the Smart ForTwo a run for its money. I’ve never personally seen Smart becoming a mainstream success in the United States just because of its limited demographic and unbelievably small size (it’s out of the question for anyone with a family). As gas prices continue to rise however, anything can happen I guess.

It will be interesting to see the Toyota IQ and Smart ForTwo battle it out as lightweight champion. The Toyota IQ does prove one thing however, if you thought Mini Coopers were small, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Toyota IQ Gallery

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Buying green can really pay off sometimes. Volkswagen announced today that buyers of the Jeta TDI sedan and the SportsWagen (which will be available to buy in August) can claim a $1,300 Federal Tax Credit. Owners qualify for the “Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle” income tax credit.

The Jetta TDI received EPA estimate of 29 mpg city and 40 mpg highway however when AMCI tested the vehicle in real world conditions it achieved far better - 38 mpg city and 44 mpg on the highway.

To use your tax credit you’ll need to fill out form 8910 which is available on the IRS website and attach it to your tax return. One thing to watch out for that we covered in a previous post is that according to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 when a car reaches 60,000 units sold the tax credit is phased out. So as long as your one of the first 60,000 buyers your eligible for the tax credit.

You can read the full Volkswagen Press Release Here

2009 Volkswagen Jetta Gallery

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With the United States reliance on foreign oil increasing from 24% imported oil in 1970 to almost 70% imported oil today, consumers across the country are wondering what we can do to change these figures.  T. Boone Pickens isn’t just your typical consumer, he has years of experience in the oil and gas industry and has come up with the Pickens Energy Plan which has a green motoring component.

Pickens Plan Basics
The Pickens Plan is an all-encompassing energy plan with a goal of reducing the United States’ reliance on foreign oil.  The main component of the plan is to harness wind power.  How does wind power make a car go vroom?  Well, it doesn’t, at least not directly. 

According to the Pickens Plan website, “We currently use natural gas to produce 22% of our electricity. Harnessing the power of wind to generate electricity will give us the flexibility to shift natural gas away from electricity generation and put it to use as a transportation fuel — reducing our dependence on foreign oil by more than one-third.”

Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Statistics
NGVAmerica reports that there are more than 8 million natural gas vehicles used in the world but only just over 120,000 of those are driven in the United States.  Even though there aren’t a large portion of NGVs on the US roads, there are more than 1,100 NGV filling stations in the United States with more than half of those open for public use.

Benefits of NGVs
The most obvious benefit of using a natural gas vehicle is the cost savings.  The NGVAmerica site states that “Natural gas costs, on average, one-third less than conventional gasoline at the pump.”  In today’s prices, that would be the equivalent of about $2.65 per gallon.

Another benefit of NGVs is the reduced emissions.  A run of the mill NGV can reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 70%, non-methane organic gas emissions by 87%, nitrogen oxides emission by 87% and carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 20%.  These are some serious emission reduction numbers.

The goal of T. Boone Pickens and others who support the Pickens Plan is to work with the new President to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.

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According to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, biodiesel is defined as “a type of biofuel made by combining animal fat or vegetable oil with alcohol and can be directly substituted for diesel as a stand-alone fuel.”  If you don’t have a do-it-yourself biodiesel setup, you’ll be interesting in learning the basics of biodiesel including how to fill up in your area.

Basic Biodiesel Information
If you use a biodiesel blend that is no more than 20% biofuel (B20) then you don’t need to make any engine modifications.  To be safe, you will want to stick to purchasing biodiesel from a reputable vendor and avoid those backyard biodiesel distributors.  It may be fine for their cars but don’t trust your engine to a process that has no oversight.

Biodiesel Benefits
In a statement from the National Biodiesel Board, biodiesel is “the only alternative fuel in the country to have successfully completed the EPA-required Tier I and Tier II health effects testing under the Clean Air Act.”  Using biodiesel in an unmodified diesel engine reduces the amount of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulates. 

In addition to being a cleaner-burning fuel, biodiesel also lessens the United States’ reliance on foreign oil.  As oil prices are settling in at a new high, petroleum companies are looking for domestic alternatives like biodiesel.

Another possible benefit of biodiesel is improved engine component longevity.  Biodiesel acts as a lubricant which reduces the wear and tear on some engine parts.  As a result, some consumers are seeing a longer than expected engine life when using biodiesel.

Stations in Your Area
Biodiesel filling stations are found in more states than E85 filling stations.  As with the E85 stations, biodiesel stations are more prevalent in the Midwest.  Illinois has stations that offer blends starting at B2 (2% biofuel) to B100 (100% biofuel).  In addition to offering a wide variety of biodiesel options, several of the Illinois stations are open 24 hours a day.  To find a biodiesel filling station in your area, visit the National Biodiesel Board’s station locator.

Biodiesel is just one of the many alternative fuel types available in the United States today.  While the impact of switching to biodiesel isn’t going to be immediately felt on a national level, it is a good first step for diesel-equipped companies and consumers.

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There is a post today on Autoblog about the deals going on behind closed doors at GM to try and keep HUMMER dealers afloat. HUMMER is in some serious trouble as sales continue to tumble, in June alone HUMMER sales fell 59.3 percent. (HUMMER moved just 2072 units.) HUMMER sales have been in a decline since 2006.

The weak economy and record high gas prices have taken their toll on HUMMER and GM appears to be getting ready to either sell the brand off or get rid of it all together. In fact, GM has already announced that HUMMER might be sold.

Public opinion of HUMMER has done a compete 180 over the last few years as well, something that was once a status icon is now seen by the majority as wasteful and obnoxious. I think the end of HUMMER is near and it won’t be long before dealers start jumping overboard.

Is there anyone out there who sees how this brand could be saved?

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Toyota has just announced that the company is considering a price hike for the Prius and its luxury models in japan because of the soaring cost of steel and other raw materials. If Toyota decides to raise prices the new prices will likely be announced in August and take effect by years end.

Toyota is expected to raise prices by one to three percent. No word on any change in price change in North America, for the time being. Prius demand is extremely high in North America right now. Most car dealers I know can’t even get them let alone keep them on the lot so I think a minor price hike at this point would have little to no effect on overall demand.

Source - Japan Corporate News

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Are we ready to change from either hybrid or gas vehicles to the electric vehicle? Has the world adapted to the different method in a way that will allow for the transition to be successful? There are many things that go into getting ready for the plug-in vehicle, and this is where we stand:

Energy Consumption

Initially, it was feared that we would be moving from the overuse and dependence of one form of energy (gasoline) to another (electricity). Now, it has been proven that it will not impact the environment or the economy in ways that were previously suspected.

In fact, it is believed that we are going to be able to handle the energy consumption necessary in order to charge up plug-in vehicles.

How?

The Smart Grid

The smart grid will use intelligent software in order to supply the electricity needed to not only power homes, but to charge up plug-in vehicles as well. It will allow for vehicles to not waste the energy that they get during a charge, and will control the distribution of energy on a whole. On top of that, researchers expect that the smart grid will eventually allow for energy to be recycled. Extra energy will be able to go back to the grid and be used for a different purpose.

Charging Stations

The fact that companies are experimenting with charging stations is another good sign that the world is ready for the plug-in vehicle. With 2010 approaching, it shows that the world is anticipating and preparing for the change that electric vehicles will bring.

Price

Currently, technologies are being developed that will bring down the price of the batteries used in plug-in vehicles. Considering that plug-ins are expected to take over the roads, that is necessary. The majority of people cannot get a plug-in vehicle unless it is affordable.

Plug-ins are on their way, and the world is preparing for them. Unlike so many concepts that have only been a dream and never saw the roads, plug-ins are in the position to truly change the way that we drive and consume energy.

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Yesterday we wrote about the horde of upcoming electric vehicles in 2010. Toyota appears to be ahead of the curve apparently targeting a 2009 launch date for the new Toyota Prius which many claim will be a Plug-in. Surprisingly the new plug-in version of the Prius shuns lithium-ion battery technology for the nickel-metal hydride battery packs used in the current Prius. However this may only be the case for 2009, and Toyota may decide to switch to lithium-ion once the technology has matured.

Popular Mechanics has had a chance to test drive the new plug-in Prius and had this to say:

Our drive in the prototype PHEV was brief, only four laps of a small course setup inside the test facility. But it was impressive. The hybrid system has an “EV” mode and a more conventional “hybrid” mode. In EV mode the vehicle can run on electric power longer and with a more aggressive throttle input than in the hybrid mode.

I believe Toyota will be the first one to market with a main stream Plug-in. The technology developed for the Prius has given Toyota a distinct advantage in quickly bringing a functioning plug-in to the market to meet the demand for alternative fuel vehicles. As with any new technology however, only time will tell.

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With the recent dramatic increase in gas prices (okay, I paid less than $4 gallon today, but it is still high!), car companies across the world are looking at alternative fuel vehicles to add to their lineup. It seems that 2010 is the forecast year for several of the big name car companies to have electric vehicles for sale to the public. The following cars are projected to be released in 2010.

Chevrolet Volt
If you’ve read any of my previous entries here at The Green Motorist then you know I am a fan of the Chevy Volt. If General Motors stays on track, the Volt should be ready for purchase in 2010.

Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid
General Motors has plans to release a Saturn Vue Two-mode Hybrid in 2009 and then hopefully release a plug-in version in 2010. Preliminary statistics show that a fully-charged Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid will be able to go 10 miles without the need to use gasoline. Not bad for a quick trip to the store.

Toyota Prius Plug-in
Of course we’d expect to see the Prius on this list. The Toyota Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicles and it is only natural for Toyota to plan a plug-in version of this bestselling hybrid car.

Jeep Renegade Concept
Chrysler gave car enthusiasts a glimpse of three concept electric vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2008. In typical Chrysler fashion, they are planning one for each of their individual brands – Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. The Jeep Renegade Concept is projected to go up to 40 miles on a full charge (then the diesel engine would kick in).

Nissan Electric Car
Nissan has plans to release an electric vehicle in the United States sometimes in 2010 as well. The designers at Nissan are actually pretty close-lipped about the project other than the fact that they want to enter the electric car market in 2010 alongside their competitors.

These are just five vehicles out of many that might be released in 2010. It will be interesting to look back at this post, and others like this, as 2010 rolls around to see exactly which cars make it to market and which are but a distant memory.

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