By winning the Green Car of the Year Award with their Tahoe Hybrid at the LA Auto Show, Chevrolet has taken the first steps to establish itself as a green car company.

However, the Tahoe is just one example of the eco-friendly products by this US car manufacturer: We show you more of the green vision of Chevorlet - watch our video to learn about the Malibu Hybrid, the Silverado Hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt and the Exquinox Fuel Cell!

Being number one doesn’t only have benefits. Not, at least, where energy sources are concerned. These can be separated into primary and secondary categories. That our primary energy substances, such as coal, petrol and gas, are not particularly environmentally friendly, is something we are aware of at least since last year. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is a secondary substance, which basically means that the process of generating hydrogen itself requires energy. If regenerative energies such as wind, hydro power or solar energy are used to power this process, it is possible to talk about hydrogen as a clean energy source. This is because in its application as an energy source in a fuel cell, water is the only product. Hydrogen, H2, and oxygen react to form H2O, or pure water. Thus, electricity can be generated in a fuel cell to drive an electric motor.
Integrated fuel cell in the floor of Mercedes
As the application of fuel cell technology to power cars has not yet been perfected, the direct combustion of hydrogen in a motor which is only been slightly modified offers an alternative. The exhaust emissions of such a hydrogen combustion process are made up of almost pure water vapour. They also contain some nitric oxides, which are generated at high temperatures in the combustion chamber from the nitrogen present in the air – substantially less, however, than by the combustion of other fuels.But even the best concept can have a flaw: the general problem with hydrogen engines up to now has been the storage of the hydrogen. Despite insulating the fuel tank, the extremely elusive hydrogen leaks if the vehicle is left standing for a long period. Currently, there are two systems available: The storage of liquid hydrogen at very low temperature (minus 253 degrees), or the storage of gas hydrogen at high pressure. Both concepts are being tested. In the more distant future, storage in metal hybrid tanks should be possible. There are currently three car manufacturers – BMW, Mazda and Ford – who have taken on the challenge of utilising hydrogen in combustion engines.More to come…..
Hydrogen fuel station in BerlinPictures: DaimlerChrysler; Aral

Well, I guess it sounds like a trick question or this special kind of jokes, you know: “What do men and women have in common?” – “Both mistrust men.”
But really now… what does have your salad for lunch in common with a journey from North Cape to the pyramid? The German TV Channel Pro7 has the answer: salad oil. The producers of the show Galileo started an experiment in April: the salad oil rally. Two people in one car for 10 thousand kilometres. The car, an old Opel Rekord with a diesel motor built in 1978, was reconstructed to run on natural oil: sunflower, olive, rapeseed – no matter which one, it only has to be edible. What makes the challenge so hard: the two drivers, Alexandra (21) and Markus (31), have to take the outside temperatures into consideration. Salad oil works the best in warm temperatures – a problem in colder regions like their starting point in North Cape. To make it even harder they also have to stick to three rules while taking on the journey.

First: Not one single drop of gasoline or diesel gets in the tank.
Second: Alexandra and Markus are not allowed to carry more oil than what fits into the tank (20 litres).
Third: At the end of their journey the oil left in the emergency tank will be weighed against a price – giving proof of how efficient the two drivers were able to organize the oil needed. That means for the drivers: they are on the hunt 24-7 for oil, for the best price. The result: they really get in contact with the people living in the countries they are driving through.Sounds like fun? It is - but it’s even more. It’s a rally to raise awareness for all alternative fuels – not just salad oil. The producers of this show are aware that salad oil is not the number one alternative fuel. Not all cars can be reconstructed to run on oil. Only diesel cars with a specific kind of motor. It’s also not that environmentally friendly than most people believe. Even though the CO2 released in the atmosphere is equivalent to the CO2 used by the plants for photosynthesis, the production of salad oil takes up fuel in the process. But what speaks mostly against salad oil: even if the whole of Germany would become a giant rapeseed oil field – it would only make enough oil for every fifth car in Germany. Apart from this: the idea to turn the serious topic of alternative fuels into a kind of a treasure hunt is new and exciting, not least of all fun to watch. The success of the show proves that it’s a channel which reaches a lot of people and a fun way to tackle their consciousness.Only one question left: where are Alexandra and Markus right now? Somewhere in Libya – probably bargaining for oil.


Fotos: ProSieben; www.bund-pfalz.de