GM Says Goodbye to Oil and Hello to Hydrogen

GM is about to launch a new corporate advertising campaign, beginning with a commercial to be aired on June 22 during NBCs Meet the Press.
The TV commercial will apparently begin with the following Dear John letter from GM:
“Dear Oil,
We’ve had this great relationship for many years. We think we will both be a lot happier [...]

Popularity: 61%

The Chevy Volt and Securing America’s Future

First on this Memorial Day my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our troops on the battlefield, and my wishes for their safe return, and thanks too to all those veterans who have gone before them, and let us remember those who have lost their lives for our freedom.
When the Volt was first introduced in January [...]

Popularity: 66%

Gas and the Chevy Volt: Change Your Fuel, Not Your Oil

As we know, the Chevy Volt should be able to drive for 40 or more miles on pure electricity when fully charged. Since most drivers travel less than 40 miles per day, it is quite possible gas could sit in the tank without ever or hardly ever being burned. Indeed, GM engineers decided [...]

Popularity: 41%

Poll: World is Running out of Oil

70% of respondents of a new international poll believed that world oil production has already peaked, and only 22% believe enough new oil will be found to allow it to remain a primary fuel source.
Steven Kull director of the poll’s publisher WorldPublicOpinion.org said "What’s most striking is there’s such a widespread consensus around the [...]

Popularity: 31%

New Study: Using U.S. Farmlands for Biofuel Production will Increase Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Ethanol supply produced from corn grown on U.S. croplands has been increasing and is thought by some as an opportunity to reduce petroleum consumption. Indeed carmakers like GM have been promoting E85 engines, and the U.S. government has been subsidizing farmers to produce corn.
The use of corn ethanol as being net energy positive [...]

Popularity: 27%

GM Announces Cellulosic Ethanol Production Breakthrough by New Partner, Coskata Inc.

Corn can be converted into ethanol, but yields only about a 30% increase in energy over what is put in and of course requires food crop to make it. Being able to use other sources of carbon such as biomass or switchgrass is important if ethanol use in the U.S. is to become widespread.
Making [...]

Popularity: 22%

Fuel Cell Chevy Volt for Production in 2011

USA today recently published a piece including an interview with Larry Burns, GM’s VP of R&D.  Burns described GM’s push to develop fuel cell cars as a competitive race with other auto manufacturers, who he’s paranoid are up to the same thing.
He is further quoted as saying that GM could deliver production fuel cell cars [...]

Popularity: 11%

Project Driveway Begins: GM-Volt.com Test Drive of the Chevy Equinox Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Car

As we have reported, GM has started it’s Project Driveway program in which 100 hydrogen fuel cell cars will be loaned to 100 U.S. drivers in NY, LA, and DC. Here in NY, I had the chance to drive off in one of these Equinoxes and recorded the experience in the video below the post.
In [...]

Popularity: 19%

The Garage Doors Have Opened on Project Driveway

We have been hearing for a while about GM’s project driveway (see post). This refers to their large-scale experiment in which 100 people will get to use Fuel Cell Equinoxes for several months of real world driving.
Originally slated to begin in the fall, the official word is that it has begun.
The first individuals and [...]

Popularity: 12%

Oil Hits $88 per Barrel!

You thought $80 a barrel was a lot?
Add 10% (LINK)
Better get those batteries fired up or no-one will be driving soon!
Thanks to Nick for pointing it out to us.
Popularity: 4%

Popularity: 4%

New Semiconductor Splits Hydrogen From Water Using Solar Energy

from Angewandte Chemie (International ed.) [1433-7851] Ritterskamp yr:2007 vol:46 iss:41 pg:7770 -7774

This isn’t exactly brand new, but I think very important.
A researcher at the Max Planck institute named Martin Demuth an colleagues have developed a semiconducting material called titanium disilicide (TiSi2). When this material is suspended in water and exposed to sunlight, it splits water [...]

Popularity: 6%

Project Driveway Update

For those of you who might not know, Project Driveway is the name GM is giving to a modestly-large scale hydrogen fuel cell vehicle test it is planning.
For the event, GM will be giving out 100 hydrogen-powered Chevy Equinoxes to selected and fortunate parties in the U.S. located in L.A., N.Y.C., and Wash D.C. [...]

Popularity: 9%