Gasoline So Clean It’s Like Swapping to 11 Million EVs!
In September 2021 we covered a new "green gasoline" concept from Nacero, that involves constructing gasoline hydrocarbons by assembling smaller methane molecules from natural gas. Then in February 2022 the company inked a 20-year deal with NextEra to supply wind power to Nacero's Penwell factory in a bid to halve the lifecycle carbon footprint of its gasoline with the potential to take that number to zero. In so doing, the company claimed that the four million drivers burning Nacero gasoline will deliver the equivalent carbon savings of swapping 11 million ICE vehicles for EVs(!). We politely asked to see their math.
NORCO, LA - AUGUST 21: A gas flare from the Shell Chemical LP petroleum refinery illuminates the sky on August 21, 2019 in Norco, Louisiana. Located about 10 miles up the Mississippi River from New Orleans, the plant agreed to install $10 million in pollution monitoring and control equipment in 2018 to settle allegations that flares used to burn off emissions were operating in violation of federal law (the Clean Air Act). Many of the coastal parishes in Louisiana have a long and ongoing history in oil and gas production, which is often at odds with concerns of environmentalists. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
55-Percent CO2 Savings from the Production Process
Nacero's 93,000-barrels-per-day Penwell facility will earn a lifecycle (Scope 1-3) CO2 equivalent footprint* of 25 million metric tons per year. That's a 55-percent reduction from the 56 million tons that a typical crude-oil plant would be assigned for producing an equivalent amount. This is mostly because refining gasoline by cutting down super long and complex hydrocarbons from crude results in all sorts of other heavier, dirtier byproducts that you simply don't get when assembling gasoline from smaller methane molecules.
*Scope 1 figures in direct emissions from sources owned by Penwell; Scope 2 is indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heat, and cooling; and Scope 3 covers all other emissions associated with a company's activities (emissions from the use of the product, its transportation, waste generation and disposal, etc. ).
8 Million Metric Tons Not Included
Of that 25 million MT figure, 8 million are assigned to activities like natural gas extraction and fuel hauling, which are the responsibility of other companies who can claim credit for the carbon reduction they bring about, so to be conservative, Nacero's calculations do NOT include these savings. This avoids the potential for double counting them.
Zeroing Out the Last 17 Million Metric Tons
Nacero uses four pathways to offset most of the remaining 17 million metric tons:
- Pre-combustion carbon capture and sequestration (1.4 million metric tons of Scope 1 emissions). This is accomplished using an absorber tower with a hot potassium carbonate solution that collects the CO2 that concentrates at the point where natural gas is converted to syngas on its way to becoming gasoline.
- Post-combustion carbon capture sequestration (1.5 million metric tons of Scope 1 emissions) A chemical solvent scrubs CO2 from flue gas generated by heater stacks employed throughout the facility, using existing, commercially proven technologies. The captured CO2 gets compressed and piped to a nearby oil field for use enhancing oil recovery, which sequesters the CO2 underground.
- Use of 100 percent renewable power (0.9 million metric tons of Scope 2 emissions) Here's where the recently inked NextEra deal for wind energy comes in.
- Use of renewable natural gas (11.8 million metric tons of Scope 3 emissions). The major sources of renewable natural gas today are landfills, animal manure, and solid waste extracted during wastewater treatment—all sources of waste that are continuously produced by present-day activities.
Arriving at that 11 Million EVs Number…
So to recap, there's 31 million metric tons of CO2 savings right off the bat from the refining process, plus at least 15.6 million metric tons from the four steps listed above. That's 46.6 million metric tons. The US Department of Energy assigns a typical gasoline vehicle a well-to-wheels pounds of CO2 Equivalent rating of 11,435 pounds, while an EV charged at the national-average electric grid's carbon equivalence gets a rating of 3,932 pounds. Using that math, switching just under 13.7 million gas cars to pure EVs across the country would save an equivalent amount of CO2. Nacero rounded down considerably to make its 11 million EVs claim conservative.
When and How Much?
Construction on the Penwell facility is just getting underway with a target of partially opening in 2025, making gasoline that warrants that 55-percent improvement over gasoline from crude. While the company has started arranging contracts for renewable methane, it's expected to take 10 years to source enough to fully eliminate that last 21 percent improvement. And a per-gallon cost is yet to be set for the gasoline but it's likely to be tiered. Nacero Blue gas is expected to be priced competitively with crude-based gasoline (the natural gas feedstock is way cheaper than crude), while Nacero Green will cost more to account for the added expense of sourcing renewable natural gas. Note that the gasoline may not actually be constructed of this gas, Nacero will simply contract to have an equivalent quantity of renewable natural gas injected into the national grid.
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A proposed West Virginia bill outlines multiple new strict guidelines for automakers to adhere to in their relationship with dealership networks, including a ban on some (increasingly prevalent) over-the-air software updates that change the driving functionality of the car. Updates to mapping and infotainment systems would still be kosher, but anything that changes how the car drives could soon be off the table, including important safety updates.The new motion, introduced by the West Virginia automotive dealership trade association, according to GM Authority, is an amendment to current West Virginia House Bill 4560. The previous version simply mentioned all warranty and recall repair work had to be performed by a dealership, but the new text is what stipulates new rules for the burgeoning trend of over-the-air driving updates. Here's what it says:Over-the-air (OTA) updates, where an automaker can tweak, update or repair glitches, features and hardware with software downloaded into the car's computer system over an internet connection, are a relatively new feature in modern cars. The concept allows minor fixes to be rolled out as soon as they are ready to go in the car, without the owner or operator ever having to actually take the car to a service station.Luxury vehicles more bent toward the tech-friendly crowd have been the early adopters, especially the Tesla Model S, Chevy Bolt, Lucid Air, Porsche Taycan, and more. OTA updates are a useful tool, and as more cars produced come with onboard data connections, it's a tool that's spreading rapidly.If you're wondering why dealers would want you to need to drive your car to the dealership for any non-infotainment system update, well it of course is all about money. It would seem the West Virginia dealer's association views OTA updates as a potential financial risk. Since there are no parts costs in software fixes, dealers don't want to see the labor charges for any vehicle updates (warranty or recall related or otherwise) dry up, as well, just because your car is connected to the internet.Dealerships also recognize the importance of getting you to their lots to service your car: you can shop for a new one while you wait. And that's why the proposed updates to the bill would also ban automakers from selling vehicles directly to customers in WV outside of the dealer model. From the bill:"This part is similar to other nationwide bans on direct-sales, which are often also heavily defended by local dealership trade groups. You may remember Tesla taking quite a few fights to states like Michigan, where direct sales to customers are not allowed and cars must be sold through a franchised dealership network. Today, Tesla has to sell cars to Michigan owners out of state, and established a subsidiary company to open servicing locations in the state.Obviously, these new proposals in HB4560 would be bad for consumers in West Virginia. First, their cars would no longer be allowed to receive potentially significant instant updates that could impact all aspects of their car, from driving range, interior controls, drive-mode settings, and safety system updates. Instead, it would put a cost on those things for customers directly, both in time spent getting the car needlessly serviced, and in the potential dealer fees you'll have to pay for something that's free to owners in other states.On top of that, if you wanted to avoid the dealership model altogether to buy a new car for yourself, you would not be allowed to without going out of the state. We don't see any upside for the vehicle owner in the proposed legislation, and CleanTechnica reports a lobbying group, Alliance for Automotive Innovation that represents many Japanese automakers, publicly spoke out against the proposals. The bill in its current form has nine sponsors in the State House and passed through its second reading today; we expect more lobbying groups or potential statements from automakers and other groups until the bill passes, or the proposals are modified.
Time and again, the number one complaint we hear about EVs (besides non-existent mandates) is driving range. To some, even a Tesla Model S doesn't have enough range, even though versions of it now top 400 miles on a charge. Even the affordable Chevrolet Bolt gets 259 miles. What mileage would be enough for these naysayers? 500 miles? 600? How about 752 miles without needing a charge?Our Next Energy—stylized as ONE and based out of Novi, Michigan—has achieved just that using a battery the same size as the Tesla Model S P100's battery pack. Dubbed "Gemini," the battery pack employs ONE's own battery management and controls, and it was installed in an otherwise unmodified the Model S.The TripAccording to ONE, its upgraded Tesla Model S tester went on a road trip from its headquarters north up the "Mitten" of Michigan and back, traveling on highways and averaging about a speed of 55 mph. The semi-scientific trip hooked east over through Detroit using I-96 and then followed I-94 west to Ann Arbor before joining with State Route 52 to get back to I-95 and Lansing. Then the team took I-69 to stay on the west side before heading north on State Route 127 and merging with I-75 around Pere Cheney.https://youtu.be/fWj2YCdoc9AThey continued north until they crossed over the Mackinac Bridge to get on State Route 2 for a bit before turning around somewhere close to Brevort. This time, they merged back with I-75 and stayed with it, going through Gaylord, close to Bay City, through Saginaw and Flint before arriving back at their Novi headquarters. The entire trip was 752 miles without needing to stop to recharge the Gemini battery and a total discharge rate of C/10, or about a 20 kW rate. (The drivers, of course, needed and took breaks.) According to ONE, the battery hovered at around 32 degrees and required no active cooling for the entire (apparently cold-weather) drive.Dyno EvaluationThe eye-popping driving distance wasn't enough, however. After arriving back at ONE headquarters, the team put the Gemini-equipped Model S on a charger at a rate of 1C, or about a 200 kW charge rate. For now, that's all that has been tested and ONE has not tried a higher rate than that. Once at full capacity, the Model S was driven to a third party dyno facility, where it was put through a simulated 20 percent Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) and Highway Fuel Economy Test (HWFET) drive cycles and 80 percent driving at a constant 55 mph. While observing roughly the same Wh per mile consumption, the dyno test was able to achieve 882 miles of range—only a 17 percent difference over what they saw during their real world drive.No Exotic MaterialsThe Gemini isn't some wild idea battery using unobtainum minerals, nor is it some unusual chemistry. We asked Mujeeb Ijaz, president and CEO of ONE, what the battery was made of. "The production intent Gemini battery will be LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate, also known as LiFePo4) for the traction battery portion," he said, "and a new cell ONE is designing for the range extender without cobalt, nickel, and graphite." We also asked about the weight of the cells and how many they were able to fit in the Model S, however, Ijaz stated that the cells were still experimental, but, "We had a total of 203.7 kWh at a system level."The standard P100 pack is roughly 103.9 kWh, so they were able to double the capacity without needing a larger space and without much of a weight penalty, either, and that is the goal. "The ONE Gemini battery aims to eliminate range as a barrier to electric vehicle adoption by doubling the available energy on board in the same package space," said Ijaz. He and ONE feel that the current solution of adding more chargers just isn't entirely feasible, especially if you need to stop every 150 miles with smaller battery packs.Market ExpectancyWhile the ONE Gemini battery isn't quite ready for market now, it's not far off. Ijaz said that ONE will have a production sample ready by 2023 with production of their Gemini battery pack by 2026. An exact cost of the Gemini hasn't been released yet, either, but ONE expects it to initially cost the same as current nickel-cobalt based lithium batteries. If all of this can be accomplished and put into production, the Gemini solves another portion of the "EV problem" detractors scream about, as well: the mining of cobalt.We'll still need lithium, but new recycling techniques have proven to be able to extract that from current batteries with a reduction of wastewater and the energy needed for its extraction, eliminating or, at the very least, reducing the need to mine for new lithium deposits. ONE also said that it is "currently developing a proprietary range-extender cell, which deletes the graphite materials used in conventional anodes and contributing to a significant reduction in cost." It's also working on a new cathode material that "can be sourced at less than $0.46/lbs versus conventional batteries at around $10/lbs." Just more proof that owning an EV won't be as expensive or even as "environmentally unfriendly" as EV haters like to portray it.
hyundai santa-fe Full OverviewProsSpacious and practical interiorHigh features-per-dollar valueExcellent safety scores ConsBusy front stylingFuel economy could be betterA couple of button blanks at the SEL levelWhile the midsize SUV segment moves farther out of reach every year, the Hyundai Santa Fe holds its ground. And we love that. It feels like we blinked and the sub-$35,000 slice of the midsize SUV class shrunk; the Ford Edge and Honda Passport now start just under $40,000. On the other side of the market, the Hyundai starts around $30,000 before accounting for any potential dealer markups. We recently spent time with a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL 2.5 to see just how well the turbo-less SUV performs against affordable competition like the Subaru Outback. With less than 200 hp, does the midsize Santa Fe feel like a penalty box? Here's what we found.PerformanceDespite an impressive lineup with four engines (including a hybrid and plug-in hybrid worth considering and a turbo model we'd avoid), many buyers stick with the standard engine. Versions of this 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I-4 have been used on various Hyundai models; here, the powerplant is good for 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque, and it's mated to an eight-speed automatic. That's significantly less powerful than the Santa Fe 2.5 Turbo trims (281 hp/311 lb-ft) but about even with the 2023 Subaru Outback 2.5i (182 hp/176 lb-ft).Press the start button, and the 2022 Santa Fe's idle has just a touch of vibration and harshness, but it's acceptable—and the hushed Santa Fe Hybrid isn't for everyone. Driven in its natural habitat—on suburban roads and on the highway—and the Santa Fe 2.5 is surprisingly responsive.Most of the time, the transmission makes the most of the engine's limited power so that with a little planning ahead, you can execute a pass on the highway. Occasionally, the transmission upshifts too early, leaving the engine feeling underpowered, but it's a small price to pay for this decent compromise of features-per-dollar value, space, and performance. That's especially true considering how unrefined we've found the Santa Fe with its turbocharged 2.5-liter engine and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.Otherwise, the 2022 Santa Fe is a competent driver. Steering feel is adequate, shifts are smooth, and the suspension is compliant. If you don't mind a slightly lower ride height and want the ultimate in ride quality, consider the Subaru Outback instead.Interior Space: Do I Hear an Echo in Here?Where that Subaru falls far short against the Hyundai is in perceived (and actual) interior space. This is where the Hyundai's shortcomings, such as the busy front design and only so-so fuel economy, are balanced out. There's tons of front and rear legroom, and rear passengers should appreciate the mostly flat floor, wide-opening doors, and easy to recline rear seats. Strangely, the Santa Fe's 36.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats is outdone by the smaller Tucson's 38.7 cubic feet. Both Hyundais outdo the Subaru's 32.6 cubic feet, but all these figures are good; it's certainly better than the otherwise appealing Toyota Venza, whose cargo floor is a bit high and can only hold 28.8 cubic feet of stuff.The 2022 and 2023 Santa Fe also have extra storage compartments you may not notice on a test drive but should become useful in everyday life. The first is hidden under the center stack of controls and made possible by the push-button PRND controls. The second is a small Toyota Highlander-like nook in front of the front passenger.What About the 2023 Santa Fe?One of the most significant changes from the 2022 to 2023 Santa Fe at the SEL trim might be the addition of acoustically laminated front side glass. Previously standard one level up, the feature won't make the mixed interior quality any better, but it will make it a slightly quieter place to spend time. Also new for the 2023 Santa Fe SEL versus our 2022 test SUV is a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power liftgate, dual-zone climate control, and a larger 10.3-inch unit (replacing an 8.0-inch unit). We had no issues with the smaller 8.0-inch setup, which never felt like a punishment for lower trims thanks to its already decent size and positioning at the top of the dash for optimal visibility.All of this extra standard content at the SEL trim level will come at a price, of course, but the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe will undoubtedly be priced competitively with the value-priced Subaru Outback and other midsize SUVs. (The Santa Fe XRT, another trim with the same engine, is also shown in the gallery.—Ed. )Good Midsize SUVs Under $35,000 Still ExistThe 2022 and 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe remain good though not great options in the midsize SUV segment. Our biggest disappointment with the base-engine model we drive isn't its satisfactory performance but its fuel economy, which is barely better than the more powerful turbo (22-25/25-28 mpg city/highway for the 2.5 versus 21-22/28 on the 2.5 turbo).But for SUVS with MSRPs below $35,000, the Santa Fe is a good choice. With three years or 36,000 miles of complimentary maintenance and a good mix of tech and features, the 2023 Santa Fe earns its place toward the top of MotorTrend rankings. No, the 2022 and 2023 Santa Fe aren't perfect, but they represent a solid sub-$35K option when the SUV-like Subaru Outback doesn't quite meet your needs.Looks good! More details?2022 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL 2.5 Specifications BASE PRICE $30,745 LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE 2.5L/191-hp/181-lb-ft DOHC I-4 TRANSMISSION 8-speed auto CURB WEIGHT 3,800 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 108.9 in L x W x H 188.4 x 74.8 x 66.3 in 0-60 MPH 8.9 sec (MT est) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 25/28/26 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 489 miles ON SALE Now Show All
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