Kevin's+Transportation


 * __ What are the major ways you can conserve transportation energy ? __**

__//Mass Transit://__
 * Use public transport such as buses or taxi cabs. School buses travel in excess of four billion miles annually consuming 900 million gallons of fuel, transporting 55 percent of the school enrollment.
 * Car Pooling=better fuel efficient usage
 * Work in Home or close to home
 * Walk, Ride a bike, Its 3 times more efficient than walking, 5 times more efficient than using the train, and 15 to 20 times more efficient than driving a car. Whenever possible, walk, bike, car pool, or use mass transit. Every gallon of gasoline you save avoids 22 pounds of CO2 emissions. If your car gets 25 miles per gallon, for example, and you reduce your annual driving from 12,000 to 10,000 miles, you'll save 1800 pounds of CO2.
 * Purchase a hybrid or electric car.When shopping, consider buying a "hybrid". The current offerings are electric-assisted gasoline cars, but their gas mileage can be phenomenal. The Honda Insight is rated at 3 liters per 100 km or about 70 miles per U.S. gallon. The Toyota Prius seats 4 adults, and boasts a 4 liters per 100 km (52 miles per U.S. gallon - city driving) fuel consumption. Avoid buying larger vehicles such as trucks and SUV's.
 * Alternative Fuels/power. Use ethanol blend fuels instead of normal gasoline. They may actually cost a few cents more per fill-up than the normal gasoline, but there are anecdotal reports that you will get better gas mileage with ethanol blend fuels (due a higher effective octane content), and a slightly lower fuel cost per km (or mile). As for the environment, ethanol blend fuels produce less noxious emissions than normal gasoline.

Make sure your vehicle is running properly. Bad ignition components, fouled spark plugs and dirty air filters will all increase fuel consumption and reduce performance. Check the tire pressure on your vehicles. Underinflated tires increases fuel consumption and tire wear. Overinflated tires can cause uneven tire wear, and reduce the contact area with the road, and control of the vehicle. The reason for the increase of fuel consumption, you may ask. When parts are dirty they dont allow proper function and make these parts work harder then what they should have to. Think of it like this, when you run, you start off good and you're running strong. With time you get tired and your body works harder to run and breath. Well thats kinda what happens to a car.

The following is from [] [|Prototype Solar Power-Assist for Buses] [|Sunpods Inc.] is California-based manufacturing company. They produce modular, fully integrated and tested solar power generation systems. Recently they have come out with an idea of the first solar power-assist system for buses. They should be applauded for developing it in a mere six weeks. Their partner is [|Bauer Intelligent Transportation]. The system developed by Sunpods will help Bauer to meet strict anti-pollution standards laid down by the State of California. California state law since 2008 has disallowed diesel vehicles to remain idle for more than five minutes. Now more than 25 states across the United States have anti-idling laws.
 * || [[image:http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/pictures/solar-power-bus.jpg caption="Solar Power Bus" link="http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/prototype-solar-power-assist-for-buses/"]] ||
 * Solar Power Bus ||  ||
 * Solar Power Bus ||

[|The Toyota Bus-Train]
A dual mode road/rail vehicle is being tested in Japan by Toyota and its truck-manufacturing division Hino Motors. The bus bridges the gap between road and rail with 4 rubber tires for road use and 4 steel wheels for riding on rails. It can hold 25 passengers and is based on the Toyota Microbus. The bus has been in service in Japan for the past 18 months, and there are plans to produce a newer version by June of 2008. Hino spokesperson Kenichiro Baba has stated that the bus "is expected to be another step toward more practical use of the dual mode vehicle." This could be the [|mass transit] vehicle of the future for Japanese commuters. ===[|Advantages of Biodiesel Fuel for Transportation]=== Modern diesel engine technology has advanced to the point where the advantages of biofuel usage are becoming much greater than the disadvantages. Modern diesel engines produce less noise, smoke or vibrations and they are more fuel-efficient than older model engines. Diesel engines have the added advantage of greater acceleration when compared to gasoline engines on the same model of vehicle. The use of [|biodiesel fuel] may be the solution to the increasing transportation energy crisis, particularly in the farming and shipping transportation sectors.
 * || [[image:http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/pictures/bus-train.jpg caption="Bus Train" link="http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/toyota-bus-train/"]] ||
 * Bus Train ||  ||
 * Bus Train ||
 * || [[image:http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/pictures/biodiesel-fuel-transportati.jpg caption="Biodiesel Fuel Transportation"]] ||
 * Biodiesel Fuel Transportation ||  ||
 * Biodiesel Fuel Transportation ||

[|Diesel-Electric Hybrid Train]
Trials will start next year on what is being billed as Europe's first hybrid high-speed train, which can cut emission levels by up to 50%. The system, which has been developed by Hitachi in Japan, consists of a battery-assisted diesel-electric traction engine. The traction unit uses the battery when the train is at rest and in the early stages of acceleration up to around 30 kilometres an hour (19mph), at which point the conventional diesel engine kicks in
 * || [[image:http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/pictures/hybrid-train.jpg caption="Hybrid Train"]] ||
 * Hybrid Train ||  ||
 * Hybrid Train ||

===[|Sustainable Public Transport Systems]=== Growing transportation problems, including gasoline prices and carbon dioxide emissions, are forcing urban governments to consider implementing better [|public transportation] initiatives in an effort to reduce the impact of the declining [|oil economy] on our environment and financial markets. Research and development of renewable energy sources will require increased funding commitments from municipalities already struggling to overcome their congestion and pollution problems. The [|United Nations] hopes that these initiatives will help reduce energy costs, pollution and even urban poverty.
 * || [[image:http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/pictures/sustainable-transportation.jpg caption="Sustainable Transportation"]] ||
 * Sustainable Transportation ||  ||
 * Sustainable Transportation ||

===[|Hybrid Electric School Buses in New York]=== The State of New York is buying two hybrid electric school buses through a unique purchasing program. The buses will be powered by [|Enova Systems]' post-transmission 80-kilowatt hybrid drive system. Financial support for the project is being provided by a consortium of energy agencies, school districts and transportation providers throught the United States. There are almost 50,000 school buses in the state of New York and energy groups hope to encourage more energy efficient transportation throughout the system.
 * || [[image:http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/pictures/hybrid-electric-bus.jpg caption="Hybrid Electric Bus"]] ||
 * Hybrid Electric Bus ||  ||
 * Hybrid Electric Bus ||

[|Hydrogen Powered Bus in Winnipeg]
Winnipeg is showcasing it's latest technology innovation, an energy-efficient hydrogen powered bus. Unfortunately this vehicle cost too much money to make it practical for use in the short-term future. The only emissions produced by the bus are water. The bus is worth between $1 and $2 million, according to Manitoba's hydrogen specialist Bob Parsons, and is a big improvement on earlier versions of the hybrid. "It's the only one of its kind that exists in the world at this time," said Parsons.
 * || [[image:http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/pictures/hydrogen-bus.jpg caption="Hydrogen Bus"]] ||
 * Hydrogen Bus ||  ||
 * Hydrogen Bus ||