NGVs reduce GHGs

In the future, when you stop for gas, you may actually be stopping for gas, as in natural gas.

The Natural Gas Use in Transportation Roundtable, a group comprising representatives from the trucking, automotive and natural gas industries, environmental groups and federal and provincial governments, published its report Natural Gas Use in the Canadian Transportation Sector: Deployment Roadmap (4.2MB PDF) in December 2010.

The report touts natural gas as a clean, economic and abundant fuel for all vehicles, but particularly for medium and heavy trucks operating in return-to-base and corridor fleets.

In commending the report, the Canadian Gas Association, added that natural gas can reduce GHG emissions from heavy trucks by as much as 25 per cent, while saving up to 30 per cent in fuel costs. The CGA also pointed out that natural gas vehicles can run on renewable natural gas from landfills, digesters and wastewater treatment plants.

Currently, 99.4 per cent of the energy used in Canada’s transportation sector is sourced from refined crude oil products and only about 0.1 per cent is sourced from natural gas.

There are some barriers, however, such as vehicle conversion costs and limited infrastructure. But, with growing environmental concerns, with vehicle energy use forecast to increase 31 per cent between 2004 and 2020, and with the price of crude oil forecast to average $93 US per barrel in 2011, natural gas vehicles deserve a closer look.

Car sharing

How often do you use your car? Seriously, how often?

Suppose you live in a central neighborhood and for day-to-day activities, like commuting to and from work and picking up groceries, you don’t need to drive. You’ve picked where you live based on your lifestyle and that lifestyle doesn’t really include owning a car.

Plus, the typical downtown dweller has less access to parking than your average suburbanite, making owning a vehicle more of a hassle than a convenience. So it’s not surprising that many people just want access to a car for occasional excursions – a weekend trip, or across town to visit the in-laws.

For people who want part-time access to a car, but not the hassle of full-time ownership, one solution is a car-sharing co-op. One such example is the Calgary Alternative Transportation Co-operative, or CATCO.

Around 200 active members share joint access to eight cars, stationed around the inner city. The cars are booked online and rented on a per-hour or per-kilometre basis. Members of the co-op have to meet certain criteria, including possession of a valid driver’s licence with a relatively clean driving record and at least three years of driving experience.

The benefits are easy to understand: cost. CATCO members pay an initial $25 lifetime membership fee, and a $48 annual maintenance fee. The only other cost is the $500 damage deposit, which is returned once they leave the program. As driver’s insurance and downtown parking rates continue to skyrocket, that can look increasingly attractive.

Do eight cars sound like enough for 200 people? CATCO generally has utilization rate of 25 per cent to 35 per cent, meaning more than half the fleet is available on any given day.

CATCO is far from unique. It was inspired by similar programs across Canada. Victoria, Montreal, and Vancouver also have car-sharing co-ops, and one in Ottawa works in conjunction with public transit.

Sure, if you live deep in the ‘burbs and drive every day, a car-sharing co-op might not be for you. But anything that keeps unnecessary vehicles from clogging downtown lots and roads can’t be a bad thing.

The movers and shakers of 2008

2008 proved to be both an interesting and challenging year for the transportation sector.  

Each year, automakers unveil their latest and greatest designs.  2008 was no different, except for one overarching trend: more emphasis on fuel economy. Check out the radical new fuel-efficient designs.  

The humble Recreational Vehicle has been the butt of jokes since, well, a long time.  It turns out those cracks may have been undeserved. A 2008 study shows RVing might just be the greener travel choice.   

Fuel?  We don’t need no stinkin’ fuel.  At least, participants in World Aeolus don’t.  Their wind-powered cars race, as the wind blows so to speak. 

Speaking of green racing, the University of Calgary’s Schulich I solar-powered race car recently made a trip from sunny Dallas to sunny (if slightly colder) Alberta.