Alternative Car Fuels Blog » Volkswagen

Volkswagen Rolls out BlueMotion Technologies this 2009

Jonathan — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:13:18 +0000

Volkswagen will be rolling out Passat versions which are fuel efficient and with low emissions during the early part of 2009. Zooming out of the assembly line will be the new gen Passat BlueMotion, Passat TSI EcoFuel, and Passat Blue TDI.

The three new vehicles will be under a new brand, the BlueMotion Technologies. The range of cars under the umbrella will primarily be products that have low carbon dioxide emissions and efficient fuel consumption.

The BlueMotion Technologies will represent evolving solutions and systems that are still on the works like regenerative braking, stop-start system, hybrid systems, and electric drives.

The Passat BlueMotion features a start-stop system that passes the Euro-5 standards. The power plant of the new gen Passat BlueMotion can output 109 horsepower and has a mileage of 48 mpg. This car features lightweight wheels made from flow-formed steel.

The Blue TDI will be the first of its kind launched by Volkswagen. This car is set to meet the Euro-6 standards that will take effect in 2014. The car is equipped with an SCR catalytic converter to minimize harmful emissions to 80mg/km. Production will be ramping up as early as March. The Blue TDUI has a 2.0L engine that has an output of 141 horsepower. Mileage is at 45 mpg.

The TSI Ecofuel is scheduled for roll out early of 2009. The 148 horsepower engine is equipped with turbo and supercharge. These enable it to zoom from 0 to 100 km.h in just 9.7 seconds. The engine is coupled with a 7-speed transmission. A 4.4 kilogram load of natural gas can bring the car 100 kilometers from the starting point.

For more Volkswagen car news – check out Volkswagen Talk!

Bio-Beetle Rental Car Company Contributes Proactively to Alternative Fuel Trend

Jonathan — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:47:29 +0000

Doing not talking is important. It is not enough to say that we need to find better ways to power modern day cars. The best solution is to do something about the dilemma. And that is exactly what Bio-Beetle from Maui, Hawaii has done. They have taken a stand against traditional, dirty polluting cars and opened an eco car rental agency with vehicles powered only by biodiesel.

Unlike fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel, biodiesel used to run these cute little Beetle cars, comes from discarded cooking oils. Imagine fueling a vehicle with a restaurant’s old vegetable oil used to cook French fries. Another aspect of the Bio-Beetle is that it also uses earth friendly coolants, synthetic oil, and non-toxic cleaners. The company employees wear organic cotton uniforms and the company mission is “to be the greenest and best rental car company on the planet”.

The company goal sounds like a grandiose ideal but considering the fact that the owners personally funded the development and realization of these Bio-Beetles with their own monies, it is a testament to their dedication to finding alternative fuel solutions. As funds allow, they purchase more cars for development to add to their eco rental fleet. And believe it or not, there are places to refuel the cars other than the rental agency itself.

In addition to discarded cooking oil, biodiesel can also be made with inferior oils that do not meet food quality standards and mixtures can be blended from more than one plant. The most common plants used to create the oils are safflower, castor, palm, olive, peanut, soy bean and mustard.

More info on the Bio Beetle Website at bio-beetle.com!