Especially in the age group between 25 and 45, people are really drawn to diesels. They do not have the opinion of the '70s, when diesels were loud, stinky and slow.

In general, we are really focused on having the right fuel standards in place. From a Bosch perspective, the components can be adjusted to that, however, we wanted to sure that the right fuel quality and enforcement is in place to make sure we can bring components into a stable enough market where we don't see any big negative impact.

AFVI 2010: Bosch is here to help diesels, everything else originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 May 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2010: CNG Ford Transit

AFVI 2010: CNG-powered Ford Transit Connect originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 May 2010 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AFVI 2010: Autogas for America says "Go propane LPG autogas!" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 May 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2010: Gasser

AFVI 2010: CNG-powered Gasser hugs trees and hauls ass originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 14 May 2010 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• A Bosch Rexroth refuse truck, the fist of its kind, which uses compressed natural gas (CNG) and a hydraulic hybrid system. The truck will soon be put into service in New York City, where it will be compared to trucks with other, more common powertrains already in use.
• A Chevy Impala converted to run on CNG by Natural Drive that, most days, is used for taxi service in Dallas, TX. Natural Drive converts a lot of GM vehicles, and the Impala taxis should be available in California this fall.
• A Dixie Chopper lawn mower running on propane. Propane and CNG lawnmowers are terribly important options, given how disgustingly dirty most lawnmowers are. How dirty are they? How about spewing 93 times as many smog-forming emissions as cars do?
• There were also three old favorites in the parade: a plug-in Toyota Prius, a CNG-powered Ford Transit Connect and a FCX Clarity from Honda.

Gallery: AFVI 2010: Technology Parade

AFVI 2010: Technology parade includes propane lawn mowners, CNG hydraulic hybrids, more originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 12 May 2010 19:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2010: Xtreme Green Police Vehicles

AFVI 2010: Xtreme Green brings its zero-emission police force originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 12 May 2010 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2010: E-Max electric scooters

AFVI 2010: E-Max electric scooters are apparently "loved by nature" originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 12 May 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2010: Zap Dude

AFVI 2010: Zap Dude is not an urban achiever originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 12 May 2010 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We got lucky. We showed up with a resource that is even better than the oil, which is natural gas. Where did it come from? It came from our technology in this country in developing the shale. ... I'm convinced, as I get closer and closer to going - I'm 82 and what I mean by going is serious going - that I want to be sure and give all credit where I think it should go. I'm not kidding you, I think it's divine intervention is what happened to the United States. We now have more [natural gas] reserves than any other country in the world.

Continue reading AFVI 2010: T. Boone Pickens believes God gave the U.S. our natural gas supplies

AFVI 2010: T. Boone Pickens believes God gave the U.S. our natural gas supplies originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 11 May 2010 20:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2010: Smart Ed

AFVI 2010: Smart ED makes its U.S. debut originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 11 May 2010 17:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The effects are things like AT&T announcing to do 8,000 vehicles. Two years ago, there was one heavy-duty truck, now there are seven different models. There were [natural gas] trash trucks in three states, now it's 12 trucks. Hundreds of stations have been built. There still needs to be more product, though.

In the last two-and-a-half years, we've gone from five million natural gas vehicles worldwide to 12 million, and we've seen an uptick here, too, but not that great. You can't base it all on looking on the OEMs, because our guys have been, frankly, out to lunch on it.

You have a fuel that is cleaner, cheaper and domestic. Why do you want to go make it more expensive and put a battery with it? We have the Honda GX and in Europe there are 16 natural gas vehicles. We don't need to go try out something else. Just run it on natural gas. It's 130 octane, you can increase the pressure ratio and you got what you need.

AFVI 2010: T. Boone Pickens says V-Vehicles will someday add natural gas to high-mpg model originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 10 May 2010 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AFVTech working on CNG-powered, 600 hp 1933 Ford Roadster originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading AFVI 2008: A few final thoughts on green moves in Sin City, with Wendell Berry

AFVI 2008: A few final thoughts on green moves in Sin City, with Wendell Berry originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 May 2008 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AutoblogGreen Podcast #22 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 May 2008 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• "We are importing 72 percent of our oil. ... We are now transferring $600 billion [a year] out of the United States to a few friends and a hell of a bunch of enemies. I can tell you, we are paying for the war against ourselves."
• "If they [China] had the Olympics today, in this smog, and ran the 100 meter dash, it would have to be a relay."
• "Diesel will never sell, again, below gasoline. It will always be more expensive than gasoline."
• "We're actually dealing with a huge shift of capital out to somewhere. We're going to be reduced to - I promise you it's going to happen pretty quick, too - we'll be reduced to something less than the superpower that we are."

Continue reading AVFI 2008: T. Boone Pickens lays the future of oil and alternatives on the line

AVFI 2008: T. Boone Pickens lays the future of oil and alternatives on the line originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 21 May 2008 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Bryon Bliss of Phoenix Motorcars: "With the ability to do rapid charge, we see that playing more of a role than stations to exchange them." "There are a lot of complications [in exchanging the batteries]."

• Richard Kasper of Chrysler's Global Electric Motorcars said the investment that battery-replacement stations would require would be "very significant."

• Jeff Boyd of Miles Electric Vehicles: "Fast charging is here; it's available. You can put a station at a Starbucks for a cost of $125,000. There's no reason to wait [for something else]."

American electric car companies prefer Project Fastr Blastr to Project Better Place originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 21 May 2008 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2008: Ed Begley and Bobby Rahal test drive

Continue reading AFVI 2008: Fleet Day keynote session - Rahal racing, consumer shifts and more

AFVI 2008: Fleet Day keynote session - Rahal racing, consumer shifts and more originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 20 May 2008 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2008: Ed Begley and Bobby Rahal test drive

Continue reading AFVI 2008: Ride and Drive video from Las Vegas

AFVI 2008: Ride and Drive video from Las Vegas originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 16 May 2008 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AFVI 2008: ZeroTruck

AFVI 2008: Meeting the ZeroTruck face-to-face originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 15 May 2008 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• The Miles EV offices are in Santa Monica, CA. To commute to work, Boyd drives a prototype of the XS500, Miles' upcoming highway-speed battery-powered sedan. The price target is still $35,000 and deliveries should start in the third quarter of 2009. The sedan will be followed by an electric SUV. I told Boyd that the next time I'm in town, I'll be knocking on the office door, begging for a ride. I mean, it worked for the Roadster.
• Phoenix expects deliveries of its all-electric SUT to start at the end of June (yes, in six weeks). Certification should be finished June 1, Bliss said and the company has orders for 600 vehicles to fill as of today.
• GEM's big news is the addition of new options to the back cargo space of its work trucks. Since GEM vehicles have been selling for over a decade, GEM has had plenty of time to listen to customers and find out what they want/need. New covers and door types are now available, and you can see a list of GEM vehicle options here.

Gallery: AFVI 2008: Miles EV booth

Gallery: AFVI 2008: GEM's new cargo options

Gallery: AFVI Ride & Drive Phoenix SUT

AFVI 2008: Miles, GEM and Phoenix share EV product line-ups originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 15 May 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.