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Audi A3 TDI named 2010 Green Car of the Year

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December 3, 2009 in Alternative Energy, Audi A3, TDI and biodiesel. 1 Comment

If you’re counting, this makes it two years in a row for the TDI to win Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year®. The Audi A3 TDI was up against the popular Honda Insight hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, and Toyota Prius. With a 42 mpg highway fuel efficiency as well as being able to run on B5 biodiesel and low CO2 emissions, it’s a great option for the commuter. Clean diesel is here and it will stay.

Audi A3 TDI named 2010 Green Car of the Year

EPA-estimated 42 MPG highway is highest of any luxury car sold in the U.S.
Audi TDI clean diesel 2.0 engine delivers optimal power with uniquely low emissions
The Green Car of the Year® award is the industry measure of environmental innovation

Green and performance luxury needn’t be mutually exclusive concepts. That’s a core belief at Audi. Today, that philosophy paid off with the all-new A3 TDI earning the prestigious title of 2010 Green Car of the Year®. Continue reading ‘Audi A3 TDI named 2010 Green Car of the Year’

1139 km on just one tank in a Jetta TDI Clean Diesel

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November 17, 2008 in Alternative Energy, Jetta TDI and biodiesel. Closed

We love reading up on real-life experiences like this. Normand, of TDI Curious, dropped us an email about this story/interview. Be sure and head on over for the complete article. BTW, 1139km = 707.75 miles

According to the on-board computer, the driving time, or more accurately, the time the engine was on, was 11-hours, 37-minutes, so that’s an average of 95 kph….

A few days ago, Mike Velemirovich (Mike V to his loved ones), owner of Hillcrest VW in Halifax, set off on a “road trip” of 1,276 km in 11.5 hours with a Jetta TDI Clean Diesel to attend a hockey game at Bell Centre. That night, we didn’t have the time to talk, but Mike was nice enough to respond to this interview by e-mail.

Read the complete interview on TDI Curious

In GA, NC Long Lines At Gas Pump Are Flashback To 70s – The Car Connection

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September 29, 2008 in Alternative Energy, TDI, biodiesel and oneighturbo.com. Closed

We just posted a few pieces on our gas shortage and why you need to use premium if your car calls for it. Here is a follow up we just read over on The Car Connection. As Colin Mathews put it “Could this Southeast phenomenon be a chilling harbinger of energy crises yet to come?”

Georgia and North Carolina commuters are being forced to telecommute, take public transit, carpool, or wait in 15+ minute lines due to the most significant fuel shortages since Presidents Carter and Nixon. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the American Petroleum Institute, by way of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, hurricanes Gustav and Ike bear the main responsibility.

Read on @ The Car Connection

VW Beetle wins fuel economy prize: 76 mpg

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February 1, 2008 in TDI, Volkswagen and biodiesel. Closed

We just came across this article! Very very cool. Hi, I thought this story should be of interest to you. I did drive 55 (52 to 53 true speed) to set this mileage record. I don’t recall passing anyone on the entire trip.

Ernie Rogers

Over the Labor Day weekend, the TDI Club had it’s annual get-together called ‘TDI Fest.’ The club has a large percentage of car efficiency enthusiasts that have chosen diesel technology instead of hybrids. TDI (short for ‘Turbocharged Direct Injection’ is Volkswagen’s label for it’s highly-efficient automobile diesel engines. 150 people showed up for the three-day affair near Madison, Wisconsin. They were a small segment of the approximately 35,000 club members that have registered at http://www.tdiclub.com. The meeting was about efficiency and also about high performance. With a TDI-powered car, you can definitely have both.

VW Beetle wins fuel economy prize: 76 mpg

Attendees drove to the meeting from all over the U.S. and Canada to show off their beloved fuel-sipping cars. Cars were entered in a variety of competitions from road rallying to extreme fuel economy.

The fuel economy prize was won by Ernie Rogers from Pleasant Grove, Utah. His winning car is a 2003 VW Beetle TDI. He drove 1375 miles to get to the meeting using just 18 gallons of fuel– 1200 miles of which was accomplished on just one tankfull (15.5 gallons). His trip fuel economy was 76 miles per gallon.

Rogers’ car included several small refinements that added up to the exceptional mileage: a drag reducing device he designed and built himself (pictures at http://www.max-mpg.com, lower-rolling-resistance tires, low-friction engine oil, and use of a B5 biodiesel blend fuel to increase efficiency and improve emissions.

The hottest topic of conversation at the meeting, and the subject of a popular technical session, was on the benefits of using biodiesel or biodiesel-blend fuels. Most of the attendees were either already using biodiesel or had decided to start. It was noted that research in Canada had shown that a fuel blend with only 1% biodiesel can increase a car’s fuel economy by as much as 14% while substantially lowering emissions.

Biodiesel is one of many new sulfur-free diesel engine fuels now entering the market in small quantities. Most of the new fuels (including biodiesel) are not made from petroleum, but from a number of renewable sources. Biodiesel can be made from soybean oil, canola oil, or other seed oils, and from many oily wastes such as animal fats. Low-grade oils and fats that are not fit for use in foods have now found a new usefulness. In the future, we will be able to make renewable diesel fuels from other wastes such as garbage and leftovers from harvesting of many crops including wood.

Diesel engines provide exceptionally high torque at low rpm, as well as 43% peak efficiency, higher than any other type of engine. While diesels gained a bad reputation in the past for high emissions, newly developed engines have overcome the problem, running clean on fuels with very low sulfur content.

Diesel engines naturally emit less carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) because of their higher efficiency.

For more in-depth information on TDI cars and TDI Fest, go to http://www.tdiclub.com TDIClub.com Warning: If you were thinking of buying a TDI car, expect disappointment. These cars have become very scarce because of high fuel prices.

Thanks Ernie!

- http://drive55.org

Technorati Tags:
Volkswagen, Volkswagen TDI, VW Beetle TDI, drive55.org

Volkswagen becomes shareholder in biofuel company CHOREN

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October 15, 2007 in TDI, Volkswagen and biodiesel. Closed

Today is Blog Action Day where bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind – the environment.

I am a bit late and this news is a bit old by a few days but I wanted to keep it for today.

While domestic manufacturers are still firm on hybrids or E85, Volkswagen has been pretty strong on the diesel technology. They have been running for years across the pond yet we are slow to adopt. Granted the “old” misconception still haunts em but the immediate and long term results could be great.

Volkswagen becomes shareholder in biofuel company CHOREN

Yes, we can poke holes at all view points in the environment subject, whether your for or against Global Warming etc and the same for the war. If we can lessen our dependent needs on foreign fuel and do some good for the environment then I’m all for it.

I would love to run a TDI. Financially, I can’t switch right now. Also, VW does need to get with it and bring some of the beloved vehicles that the States do not see.

I commend Volkswagen’s efforts, as well as others, but VW seems to drum to a different beat and it could pay off for all.

Please read the press release below!

Main goal of Volkswagen’s commitment is the widespread market introduction of BTL, a second-generation biofuel
Wolfsburg, 11 October 2007 – Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and Daimler AG have each acquired a minority shareholding in CHOREN Industries GmbH, Freiberg. Contracts to this effect were signed today in Freiberg. The main goal of the commitment by the two companies is the widespread market introduction of BTL (biomass to liquid), a climate-friendly second-generation synthetic fuel.
Volkswagen and Daimler have been investigating potential applications, the economic feasibility and the energy balance of BTL jointly with CHOREN since 2002. The shareholdings in CHOREN acquired by the two companies are an important step towards the systematic use of second-generation biofuels and support the further project development of world scale BTL production plants: with a planned annual production capacity of some 200,000 metric tones, such plants represent a milestone for the envisaged widespread market introduction.
CHOREN is currently building the world’s first commercial industrial scale BTL plant (Beta plant) at its Freiberg site. From 2008, the plant is expected to produce approx. 15,000 metric tons of fuel a year. This would be sufficient to meet the annual requirements of some 15,000 cars. CHOREN also plans to build the first reference plant in Germany, a Sigma 1 plant, with an annual capacity of 200,000 metric tons. It is hoped to announce a decision on the location of such a plant by the end of the year. The planned Sigma plants have the potential to contribute significantly towards realizing the German government’s climate protection targets. 10 to 15 CHOREN BTL plants could save up to 3 million metric tons of CO2 by 2020.
Continue reading ‘Volkswagen becomes shareholder in biofuel company CHOREN’

Volkswagen Dieselution Tour

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September 26, 2007 in Events, Rabbit, TDI, Touareg, Volkswagen and biodiesel. Closed

Now this looks good! Also, there will be a Polo Blue Motion so does that mean VW will be bringing this over to the states?

We don’t have dates yet but will post them ASAP!

Promotes advances, benefits of Clean Diesel Technology

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Volkswagen of America, Inc. is launching the Dieselution Tour, a mobile marketing exhibit, to educate the media and the public on advances in clean diesel technology and alternative fuels.

Using interactive displays and exhibits, the Dieselution Tour will highlight current environmental issues and showcase advances in diesel engine technology, design and performance. Starting today, the exhibit embarks on a four-month tour, making stops at events and locations around the United States, including environmental and alternative fuel festivals, auto shows and the 2008 Super Bowl.

“Volkswagen of America considers the Dieselution Tour an important informational resource for everyone concerned about the environment and improved fuel economy standards,” said Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We want to show Americans that today’s clean diesel technology is a quantum leap from the powerplants introduced nearly 30 years ago. This tour aims to change any outdated perception about diesel technology.”

“As the diesel car sales leader in the United States, we have worked hard to make our diesels cleaner, quieter and more fuel efficient,” Jacoby added. “Once consumers realize that a clean diesel alternative can improve their fuel economy by nearly 35 percent over comparable gasoline engines, we’re confident that many drivers will visit their local Volkswagen dealerships.”

The Dieselution Tour is centered around a 53-foot-long, double-expandable semi-trailer with exhibits and interactive displays. Elements include an “Alt Fuel/ Alt Film video area; a Dieselab with a series of interactive and video displays; a Diesel Heritage section, illustrating Volkswagen’s diesel history and leadership; a Sustainability Station, involving an interactive quiz and a Carbon Footprint Calculator; a Beyond Diesel perspective featuring SunFuel; and a Motorsports display, outlining Volkswagen’s recent history and international success in racing diesel vehicles in events like the Baja 500, Pikes Peak, and the Dakar rally.

The Dieselution Tour will also feature the 2009 Jetta TDI, Volkswagen’s new, 50-state clean diesel offering. The vehicle is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in spring of 2008. Also on display, a 3.0-liter V6 TDI Touareg, the Polo Blue Motion and the oldest Volkswagen diesel in America, a 1977 Rabbit.

Partner/sponsor companies involved in this landmark exhibit are International Truck and Engine Company and CarbonFund.org. a non-profit carbon offset provider.

Signifying Volkswagen’s environmental concern, the Dieselution Tour will be certified as CarbonFree by Carbonfund.org. Volkswagen and Carbonfund.org recently announced a partnership to offset one year of carbon emission from each new Volkswagen sold in the U.S. from September, 2007 through January 2, 2008. In return, Volkswagen is working with Carbonfund.org to reforest land in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) in northern Louisiana, a wetland ecosystem that had been largely converted to farmland.

- VW Mediaroom

Technorati Tags: VW, Volkswagen, Dieselution Tour, Clean Diesel, Volkswagen of America, SunFuel, oneighturbo, Carbonfund.org

TDIClub member ruins Jetta by using VegOil

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August 28, 2007 in How-to, Maintenance, Other's Mods, TDI, Volkswagen and biodiesel. Closed

“Many people disappear when they screw up. I wish to ‘man up’ before this community with my story.”

This is how TDIClub forum member DuluthRooster starts a post explaining how he ran a Jetta Wagon on waste vegetable oil for about 50,000 miles but then, sadly, had a terribly negative experience and ended up replacing the engine. He details the damage done to his engine by using VegOil that probably had too much water in it also probably also wasn’t filtered enough and the steps that he needed to take to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it over in the forums. It’s great reading if you want to know the dangers of using waste oil in your car, even if you think you know what you’re doing.

I don’t want to steal his thunder too much (his pictures are worth checking out, too), but here’s how he ends his post:

Continue reading ‘TDIClub member ruins Jetta by using VegOil’

Google and the street level views.. via New Beetles

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May 31, 2007 in Misc, New Beetle, TDI, Volkswagen, Watched and biodiesel. 2 Comments

Sweet! There has been a lot of chatter about Google’s new addition to their maps and how they are capturing them.. well here’s the answer.

Immersive Media and a slew of New Beetles. One would assume/hope they are New Beetle TDI’s running bio-diesel. Rumor has it there are vans as well but those are Google’s.

What the Immersive Media Photo-Car Looks Like!
You’ve all heard about what Google is doing with street-level views, right?
What you probably all DIDN’T know, however, is that the company actually shooting the majority of the photos for Google’s datasets, is named Immersive Media.
With that, take a look at what everyone’s wondering – Here’s the Immersive Media Street Level View-Mobile, in all of its glory…
Behold!

PR. Differently:

Technorati Tags: VW, Volkswagen, New Beetle, TDI, bio-diesel, Google, Immersive Media, oneighturbo