The 19th annual Ecofest was held yesterday at Lincoln Center making it the largest environmental event on the East Coast. A major feature of the event is the collection of new alternative fuel vehicles. There aren’t any far out concept cars shown but the festival presents more real world solutions. Electric, Diesel, and Hydrogen were all represented. The festival highlighted that there are a lot of options and combinations being developed using alternative fuels. One standard doesn’t yet seem to be emerging. Volkswagen and GM presented more cohesive displays. Volkswagen brought it’s Dieselution Tour to NYC. VW initiated the tour to promote it’s clean diesel technology debuting next spring on the Jetta sedan and SportWagen. On hand was a 53 foot trailer filled with interactive displays about diesel and alternative fuels. There were also programs that quizzed visitors on their carbon footprint. Along with the trailer VW brought a selection of cars including the oldest Rabbit diesel that was recently found, a Polo Bluemotion, Touareg and the new Jetta.
GM presented two vehicles, the Green line version of it’s Saturn Aura, which is the lowest price hybrid available on the market. The company also brought a new hydrogen fuel cell powered version of it’s Chevrolet Equinox. The Equinox is a zero-emission electric SUV that runs by converting hydrogen into electricity, producing only water vapor. GM is testing a fleet of these environmentally-friendly vehicles through its Project Driveway program, in which local drivers in New York, California, and Washington DC will be enlisted to experience the Equinoxes and provide feedback to Chevy.
I got to hear what the Equinox sounds like running and it’s very quiet. The only noticeable sounds are some fan noise and hydrogen injector clicking at the front. The exhaust coming out of the back is warm air and a little water vapor. Part of the test with consumers will be to evaluate sensory feel of the vehicle. GM wants to make the transition from a conventional gas powered engine to a fuel cell a seamless as possible. Without all the graphics on the side, the only giveaway that this not a conventional gas powered vehicle is the large Kilowatt gauge in the interior.
GM intends to tailor alternative fuel solution to specific transportation segments. The company sees fuel and powerplant combinations working better in some applications than others. This pilot test of fuel cell hydrogens may extend into fleet vehicles as a next step.
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