GM Says, "Live Green, Go Yellow"

At the February 2006 Chicago Auto Show, General Motors announced a significant E85 awareness campaign. The Live Green Go Yellow campaign kicked off during Super Bowl XL in ads promoting the use of the clean, alternative fuel in GM's flexible fuel vehicles.

During the show, some of Chicago's largest buildings will be illuminated in yellow lights symbolizing the corn used in creating ethanol. GM also plans to showcase ethanol as a fuel by having a major presence in the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and promotions with 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion, Tony Stewart.

For more information go to the Live Green, Go Yellow Web site

GM in E85 Project Partnership in California

General Motors will join the state of California, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Pacific Ethanol in a project designed to learn more about consumer awareness and acceptance of E85 (an 85% ethanol blend) as a motor vehicle fuel. The partners announced their non-binding understanding today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

GM intends to offer between 50 to 100 of its E85-capable Chevrolet Impala passenger cars and Silverado pickup trucks. Flexible-fuel vehicles will be used by the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) at various operations in Northern California and the state’s Central Valley.

Chevron Technology Ventures intends to work with CalTrans to provide E85 fuel and install the necessary refueling pumps in these locations. Pacific Ethanol, a California-based ethanol production and marketing company, intends to provide the ethanol to Chevron Technology Ventures for the project.

Chevron is exploring a variety of energy sources, including ethanol. We expect this effort will help us learn more about consumer acceptance of E85 as well as issues surrounding its production and distribution.

GM views the collaboration with the state of California as a step in helping create and grow an E85 refueling infrastructure for its E85-capable vehicles.

Pacific Ethanol is constructing a large-scale ethanol facility in Madera, California, and has plans to build four ethanol plants in the state during the next two years, according to Bill Jones, Pacific Ethanol’s Chairman.

For the 2006 model year, GM is offering nine E85 flexible fuel vehicles: the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Impala, and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

In Europe, GM-owned Saab is making good headway with the E85-fueled Saab 9-5 BioPower, which is now available to consumers in Sweden and Germany.

Saab is showing a 310-hp concept version of the 9-5 BioPower at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show to illustrate how Saab might extend this initiative to the United States.

Live Green, Go Yellow

by Sarah Bertolani Staff Reporter 

This past year, few have escaped the ever fluctuating gas prices. Whether one owns a car, borrows a friend’s, walks, rides a bike, or takes the bus. Whatever it may be, all have been affected in some way. With gas prices constantly on the rise, and car trends that lean toward bigger trucks and SUVs, money isn’t the only concern. The environment is being polluted as well.

Biodiesel, motor fuel for diesel engines, is made from vegetable oils and animal fats. And not only does it burn cleaner than regular diesel, but it can also effectively clean up oil spills, and still be reused in engines.

Since dependency is being placed on foreign oil supplies, a solution has been found to supply fuel locally. Vegetable oils, animal fats, or even the grease used in fryers at McDonalds, can be put through a low temperature/low pressure conversion process and voila, biofuel for an engine. Now, it is a slightly more complicated process, but possible nonetheless while still being safe for home brewing.

Roger Beardsley, adjunct lecturer at Central Washington University, recently designed his own biodiesel processor; he is currently using B20 (20 percent biofuel 80 percent diesel) in his Volkswagen. This year, Beardsley has given numerous lectures on the process, how to use it, and how it can affect our environment.

"There are a lot of environmental reasons for using biodiesel," Beardsley said, "[for instance] the emissions are less toxic."

Less toxic may be an understatement. Biofuel emissions have a 50 percent less chance of forming

smog from exhaust than regular diesel. Salt concentrates in certain water supplies are in fact 10 percent more toxic to fish. What’s more, if there was an oil spill you could actually use biodiesel to safely clean the area, then collect the leftover biodiesel, and reuse the fuel.

However, there are a few drawbacks. Biodiesel can be more expensive (up to 60 cents), and is not always readily available to the public. Many local organic farmers take trips to Seattle, where they fill up on a large supply of fuel in tanks. Buying in bulk will save money; but on the east side of the mountains, if you use biodiesel, you either have to make it yourself or make that extra trip.

"If biodiesel were offered in place of the gasoline we're using today, I would be willing to spend the extra money." Suzanne Gallagher, junior tourism management major, said. "If it meant our environment would be impacted in a positive way, then that extra money would be well worth it."

Many car companies are beginning to realize that shifts in trends need to be made. Companies are starting new campaigns such as Ford’s "It's Not Easy Being Green," and GM’s "Live Green Go Yellow," which are pushing hybrid cars, alternative fuel choices, and ways to help the environment.

For more information on biodiesel and where to buy it, visit www.biodiesel.org, www.journeytoforever.com, or www.eere.energy.gov