Amory Lovins: Suck it up and Live!
Amory Lovins - co-founder and chairman of the Rocky Mountain Institute was interviewed by Newsweek columnist Fareed Zakaria last week. Lovins and the Institute he helped create have a very good reputation. They sit up on their mountain and think big thoughts, thoughts that we should be thinking for ourselves.First, Amory wants us to become more efficient in the ways we already know: shed vehicle weight; use hybrids; Plug in hybrids; no idling when stopped, etc. He believes we can double our overall vehicle efficiency that way! For our remaining transportation energy needs we have natural gas (?) and biofuels. He sees Boeing's new jet, the Dreamliner, as an example. New materials, less weight for its size, 20 percent more MPGs even with its conventional jet engines.
Weight is the enemy of efficiency, so Lovins wants to see the Dreamliner approach applied to cars. Use new materials, or old materials in new ways, to save weight and improve function. That will allow engine downsizing without performance downsizing.
Instead of CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) or CT (Carbon Tax), he suggests a "feebate": buy a low-efficiency car and pay extra - the fee - to do it. Example: Buy an Acura MDX in place of another crossover SUV that has better mileage numbers. But if you buy that more efficient model, you get a rebate. That should have the OEMs squeezing weight out of their vehicles as Boeing did with the Dreamliner. Note: Compromises in safety will not be allowed. Say a vehicle drops from 3500 lbs (1600 kg) to 3000 (1360 kg). You'll see it in your mileage and 3,000 lbs is still a substantial amount of weight.
I would also like to see the vehicle footprint reduced - length and width. Now that we are up around 240 million on-road vehicles, there is less road space to drive them and less parking space to park them. Smaller vehicles help reduce congestion, not just emissions.
For more on the Rocky Mountain Institute and RMI's Hypercar, check out the ABG Q&A with Michael Brylawski.
[Source: Newsweek]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike Z 9:59AM (8/01/2007)
I am highly sceptical about the ability to reduce weight being a major component in improving fuel economy. If you look at the Honda Insight, which was made from aluminum and very light weight and highly aerodynamic. The major issue in all of this is that it is downright unsafe at freeway speeds on a windy day. Think how bad it would be with a less aerodynamic design.
I'm staying away from the RMI's recommendations unless I see an ultra-light weight car that can prove that they are capable of remaining stable in windy conditions.
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Bill 11:01AM (8/01/2007)
I bet I could lower the weight on my Subaru sedan significantly, by taking out:
- aibags
- ABS
- AWD
On second thought, I think I'll keep the above and wait for clean diesels (starting next summer)
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Tony Belding 11:48AM (8/01/2007)
From what I gather. . . Tesla Motors had trouble securing supplies of carbon fiber for the Roadster because the aircraft industry -- and I'm guessing the Dreamliner played a big role here -- is gobbling up all that can be produced.
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MikeW 12:09PM (8/01/2007)
It wasn't the aerodynamics that made the insight unstable.
It was the zero toe-in front suspension (dynamically) and the skinny tires. 165/65 on 5.5" wheels (it would better on 5"-more compliant)
and the rear track was over 4 inches narrower than the front.
and the recommended inflation pressure 38/35 psi.
and the oe tire Potenza RE92s, yuck.
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OhmExcited 12:46PM (8/01/2007)
GM is using GE Plastics to lower the weight of the Volt.
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Chris M 2:58AM (8/05/2007)
I read the article in the paper. Mr. Lovins is promoting weight reduction technologies like carbon fiber and high strength steels, also the use of biofuels. What intrigued me the mostabout that article is that there was absolutely no mention of hydrogen or fuel cells, and Mr. Lovins used to be one of the most vocal H2 fuel proponents. Hmm, maybe he is realizing that H2 isn't such a great fuel after all.
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Peter Rockwell 1:33PM (8/02/2007)
What's the carbon footprint of carbon fiber? How much energy does it take to make it compared to recycled steel or aluminum? Can it be recycled at the end of its service life?
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Stuart MacRobbie 10:39PM (8/03/2007)
In the here and now when we are waiting fot the big plug-in breakthru etc, how in hell can we purchase such vehicles such as the Isuzu turbodiesel pickup I recently drove in Ireland, and the Toyota hybrid minivan?? Anybody know how they can be obtained??
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