The IndyCar Series, which has been recognized for its technical leadership in automobile racing, is now the motorsports leader in renewable and environmentally responsible fuel produced in America. The IndyCar Series’ groundbreaking use 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol in its Honda Indy V-8 engines will have an impact on motorists for years. Ethanol, which can be manufactured from a variety of homegrown grains, is biodegradable, renewable and ecologically friendly. No wonder it is at the forefront of discussions about oil dependence and America’s economy. The long-term message is clear: If 650-horsepower IndyCar Series cars that cover the length of a football field in 1 second can run safely and effectively on 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol, so can your vehicle (either 90 percent gasoline/10 percent ethanol blend or an E85 vehicle) with reduced emissions as an add-on benefit. Ethanol – C2H5OH – has been made since ancient times by the fermentation of sugars. Zymase, an enzyme from yeast, changes the simple sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. All beverage alcohol and more than half of industrial ethanol is still made by this process. Aside from fuel – internal combustion engines and alcohol – ethanol is used in making perfume and paints and lacquer.

Ethanol powers the IndyCar® Series

The IndyCar® Series was the first motorsports league to sanction a renewable fuel. In March 2007, under the lights of Miami, 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol's debut met with great success among drivers, consumers and media. The move to ethanol makes the IndyCar® Series the motorsports leader in using a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel, and fits with the Indy Racing League's long tradition of innovation in technology and safety. Many of the league's innovations are eventually incorporated into passenger vehicle design, benefiting drivers everywhere. "Our decision to switch the IndyCar Series over to 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol was a reflection of our confidence in ethanol's performance capabilities. The 2007 season proved that our confidence was not misplaced. Ethanol performed flawlessly from the first lap of preseason testing to the checkered flag at the season finale."

Les Mactaggart Senior Technical Director IndyCar Series

It's official. In what's been called "the most significant fuel change in recent history," the IndyCar® Series is the first in auto racing to power its cars with 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol. Already known for technical leadership and innovation, the IndyCar Series uses this renewable, environmentally friendly fuel - safely and effectively - in some of racing's fastest competitions. At the highest level of auto racing, ethanol has been proven to be safer and faster. How did all this come about? "Survival of the fastest." Here's the evolution of the ethanol-IndyCar Series partnership:

2005 - Ethanol becomes IndyCar Series team sponsor.

2006 - Ethanol organizations work with league to introduce ethanol-methanol blend.

2007 - The IndyCar Series introduces 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol.

2008 - Because of the success and savings seen in 2007, IndyCar Series continues its use of 100% ethanol in all race cars.

from field to food to fuel: LifeLine Foods

LifeLine Foods in St. Joseph, Mo. is the first facility in the United States to use corn to produce both food and fuel. The company's corn products, such as corn meal and snack meal, are used in breakfast cereals, tortillas and snack foods. In the past, the underutilized portions of the kernel would have been turned into livestock feed. Today, LifeLine Foods is now capable of extracting fuel ethanol, replacing fossil fuels for its own consumption and still feeding livestock but with a higher quality animal feed from the same portions of the kernel.

Here's how a typical corn kernel breaks out:

• Approximately 82.9 percent endosperm (the hard and soft starchy inside of the kernel).

• Approximately 11 percent germ (the enzymes, oil, vitamins and minerals that are surrounded by the endosperm).

• Approximately 6.1 percent of pericarp (hull) and tip cap (point of attachment to cob).

After separation of these parts, the germ is processed and sold for its oil content and the pericarp and tip cap are burned to produce steam that reduces LifeLine Food's need for fossil fuels by almost 50 percent.

LifeLine utilizes the endosperm of the corn kernel, which represents 82.9 percent of the whole kernel, for food production first, then sends the remainder to its ethanol plant for processing. In addition to ethanol, this process also creates dried distillers grains (DDGs) and syrup for live stock consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2).

To find out more, visit: http://www.lifeline-foods.com/

By Michael Harley

     One decade ago, the "cheap" fuel at the pump was diesel. Unfortunately, the diesel cars of that era left a lot to be desired. Today's diesels are a new breed. They are quieter, cleaner, more efficient, and more powerful. But, something else has changed…the skyrocketing cost of diesel fuel.
     Here's the skinny, simplified: First, diesel fuel isn't gasoline. In technical terms, it has 10% more BTU (energy) per gallon than gasoline. Diesel fuel is often referred to as "oil" (yes, it is messy) and it is frequently used to heat homes in the winter. Increased winter demand raises prices.
     Second, the federal government taxes diesel at a higher rate than gasoline. For example, in Pennsylvania the tax per gallon of fuel is $.31 for gasoline, $.38 for diesel, and a mere $.16 for ethanol. The numbers speak for themselves.
     Third, there is a huge worldwide demand for diesel fuels. Not just in North America, but in Europe and Asia too. There just isn't enough capacity right now to meet demand, and as the number of diesel vehicles in North America rapidly increases the problem is only getting worse. Again, too many cars, and too little fuel raises prices.
     Fourth, the transition to low-sulfur diesel fuel in the United States is affecting diesel production, and distribution. Low availability means higher prices.
     Unfortunately, as you can see from the above list, there isn't a "quick fix" that is going to dump the price of diesel fuel anytime soon. We wish we had better news.

5/1/2008 - Extreme Motorsports of California, Inc. the worlds only publicly traded sandcar manufacturer is pleased to announce it has completed the engineering & manufacturing plans for the industry’s first completely electric sandcar. With the ever rising concerns by California Air Resource Board (CARB) of new emissions laws within the sandcar industry and the growing concern about future Climate Change, Xtreme Motorsports has completed the engineering and production plans for the first “Zero Emissions Sandcar” (ZES). Utilizing the latest in motor & controller technology along with advanced Lithium Ion battery technology, these new Sandcars are the most exciting line of vehicles for the consumer we have put out to date. The ZES technology is offered in both the Sportster and Dune Racer models and is available for immediate reservation. The advantage of electric motor technology is that the torque is instant from one RPM forward vs. a gas engine that must build up to its torque curve. The Dune Racer shows performance of 0 to 70 miles per hour in about 5 seconds with a top speed of 105 MPH and instant torque of 665 Ft. Pounds, this out-performing a typically Twin Turbo LS1 Engine. It also has a range of up to 200 miles on one charge and can be charged off a standard generator seen on many Toy Haulers today. Additionally the Dune Racer has eliminated the need for a transaxle or transmission through advanced gearing technology. Email for your reservation request today!

By Jenny Lynn Zappala

Eco-savvy entrepreneurs are making it easier for car shoppers — upset by rising oil prices, global warming and world politics — to find, buy and drive away in a green vehicle that consumes less or no gasoline. At least 16 green car dealerships — one-stop shops where customers can compare and test-drive multiple alternative vehicles — have opened in 10 states, from Hawaii to Maine. Customers will see more niche dealerships in two to five years, even though the obstacles are monumental, said Sebastian Blanco, editor of AutoblogGreen. For mainstream consumers, today’s green vehicles are too inconvenient, too expensive or just too weird. Car loans and insurance are expensive or unobtainable. Perhaps most challenging, consumers need to get informed and comfortable. But those issues will get sorted out, he said. “That is what makes them so exciting. Even though these things are so complicated, there is such a push,” said Blanco. “People are so active in taking things into their own hands. They know they can make their own fuel. That’s important to these people, especially in those remote areas. … You might not be able to go in there and sell 500 cars a year. But a small dealership that can work with customers one-on-one and be an education center— that is a green car dealership of the future.” That’s Ron Gompertz’s dream. He picked Bozeman, Mont., a town of about 33,000 people that gets roughly 70 inches of snow each year. Despite no car business experience, Gompertz opened his alternative car company, Eco Auto Inc. a year ago because he believed the town’s outdoor lovers, college students, baby boomers and gadget geeks could learn to like electric cars and compact fuel-efficient cars. Eco Auto’s latest experiment is converting a 2008 Subaru Forester into a highway-speed, zero-emission, winter-ready, all-electric, all-wheel-drive vehicle, which should be ready in early next year, he said. “In Montana, it is big sky county and it is big truck country. … This is a place where people trust their vehicles to get them through the harshest weather. They forget that people in Sweden have snow and drive small cars, too,” Gompertz said. “People want to put a plug in their homes and free themselves. In Montana, they pay 10 percent of their income on gas. There is anger.” Consumers are angry because gas prices have doubled in the past five years, said Jim Kliesch, a senior vehicles analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Yet fuel economy — how far your car will run on a gallon of gas— has remained on average the same for 20 years even though the technology for more efficiency has existed for years, Kliesch said. Add it all up, and it means that Americans spend $10 billion more every month on gasoline because of preventable poor fuel efficiency. Green car dealerships will multiply because consumers want choices, he said. “If you have consumers that are reverting to buying electric bicycles, that is a sign that vehicles on major showroom floors are not meeting customer needs,” Kliesch said. “For everyone customer that goes to those (alternative) dealerships and finds something, there are a hundred customers that settle at the regular dealerships despite the fact that they want cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles.” The Green Car Company of Kirkland, a Seattle-area dealership that reinvented itself in 2005, sees an opportunity to grow. The company’s three founders, Susan Fahnestock, Don Fahnestock and Greg Rock, are courting investors and national talent who can open multiple West Coast locations and create a high-profile advertising campaign. When customers enter Green Car Company stores, they will find electric neighborhood vehicles, full-speed electric motorcycles, used hybrids, electric bicycles and refurbished full-size biodiesel vehicles, including popular biodiesel trucks and minivans. Whatever the latest and greatest alternative vehicles are, the Green Car Company will carry them, Rock said. “There are a lot of specialized green car dealers doing one car group or another,” Rock said. “We think it is important to carry all of the groups and styles.” Putting a premium on education, the Green Car Company created a Green Car Scorecard to help customers compare vehicles based on global warming emissions, fossil fuel depletion and air pollution. The company also launched a Green Car University Web site featuring related articles, books, videos and maps. “It’s a rapidly growing market,” said Rock. “The big head start we have is we have been doing this for three years, where a lot of these other businesses are starting today. … It is a big, bright future.” Exponential growth is possible, said Jim Motavalli, author of “Forward Drive: The Race to Build Clean Cars for the Future” and editor of E/Environmental Magazine. He noted that a recent JD Power survey estimated that hybrid sales would grow by 268 percent from 2005 to 2012, and a Wall Street Journal Online/Harris poll found that a third of new car buyers would consider an alternative fuel vehicle. What’s holding alternative dealerships back is a lack of full-size, full-speed, multipurpose green vehicles that mainstream consumers will embrace, but they’re being developed, Motavalli said. Full-size, full-speed affordable electric cars, for instance, could appear within five years. “The consumer is going to have more choices,” Motavalli said. “It makes a lot of sense — turning a dealership into a supermarket of green vehicles.” For green dealers, the challenge is that their stock is either used or not mainstream, said Mike Millikin, editor of the Green Car Congress Web site. As the mature automobile companies produce more hybrids, diesels and electric cars, these new vehicles will appear in the traditional dealerships and lure consumers back. “The multi-platform, multi-vendor green car sales companies have a niche opportunity that will gradually constrict over time, leaving them essentially on a par with the types of independent used car dealers we see now, but in about 15 years,” Millikin said. In Montana, Gompertz is convinced his industry will thrive. Green cars are the “next boom” because they tap into what people value — independence, innovation and freedom. Some people believe that rising gas prices, oil shortages or government regulations are inevitable and that green vehicles are the way out, he said. “We love cars. We love driving. We don't want to lose the fun and independence of having your own car,” Gompertz said. “This is exciting, this is innovating … and you can make money doing this. What can be more American?”

Associated Press

DETROIT - General Motors Corp. says it expects to bring its first lithium-ion battery powered hybrid engine system to market in North America in 2010. The world’s largest automaker by sales was to announce the hybrid system Tuesday at the Geneva International Motor Show, saying the new battery will deliver three times the power of GM’s current nickel-metal-hydride batteries. Automakers and battery companies across the globe have been racing to develop lithium-ion technology, seen by many as the key to mass producing hybrid vehicles powered by conventional and electric motors. The batteries also are essential in producing the next generation of electric cars. Daimler AG plans to introduce a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its Mercedes-Benz flagship S-Class luxury sedan that also uses a lithium-ion battery starting next year. Lithium-ion technology already is widely used in consumer electronics, but now is being adapted to meet demanding automotive requirements. The batteries are lighter than other batteries, but cost and concerns about overheating have delayed their use. Lithium-ion batteries common in laptops are smaller, yet more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in gas-electric hybrids like Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius. The GM and Daimler announcements in Geneva indicate increasing confidence about lithium-ion technology. In addition, Toyota said in December it was preparing to start mass producing lithium-ion batteries for low-emission vehicles. GM said the new hybrid system eventually will spread worldwide, and it expects sales volumes to exceed 100,000 vehicles per year. The system would build on GM’s current hybrids, reducing engineering costs and the cost to consumers, the company said. The battery system would be paired with a wide range of GM engines, including turbocharged gasoline, diesel and biofuel power plants. It would be used in multiple GM models across all brands, but the company would not say which models would get the new system.