by Mike Tippett

Contact Mike by e-mail.

Introduction

There have been two horsepower wars in the history of the automobile: the first began in the late 1950s in the USA - ending in 1970 with the introduction of stricter emission controls; and the second began sometime very late in the “me” decade, thanks mainly to electronic engine management systems, and it continues at a fever pitch today - especially in North America!

Everyone here seems to be in a rush, and even lowly and poorly named “mini” vans like the Toyota Sienna can crack off 0-100 km/h times of 8.5 seconds, which was firmly in high end sports car territory not even thirty years ago. Today, cars that can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in ten seconds are considered “slow” by car magazines.

Vans are often the fastest-driven vehicles on many roads these days, the fast ones usually being driven by frenzied people with cell phones jammed in their ears, 30 km/h or more over the speed limit. What a statement about modern lifestyles….

Into this hectic rat race, which I hope has reached its zenith by now, the smart fortwo cdi was introduced to Canada in the fall of 2004.

The smart fortwo cdi is the definitive losing car in the horsepower war; it has a mere 40.2 net horsepower to the credit of its 799 cc, but a more impressive 100 Nm (74 lbs-ft) of torque on tap at low rpm. The official acceleration times are considered to be glacial by motoring magazines: 0-100 km/h takes about 20 seconds. That 3 seconds of this is due to the automated clutch actuation doesn’t really matter to the stopwatch. 45 years ago, that would have made the fortwo cdi the fastest sub-800 cc car in existence, about as fast as the rare Renault Dauphine Gordini 1093, with its 49 DIN horses, and 46 more cubic centimetres to play with!

With the advent of the peak oil debate in mainstream collective consciousness, it is clear to most people that the highway to hell is paved with excessive horsepower and waste, and yet the rat race continues more or less unchallenged. (more…)

The M/V Anna Desgagnés, being unloaded in Pangnirtung, Nunavut. With thanks to Lise Audet, Groupes Desgagnés for sending this shot along…

In Environment Canada’s EnviroZine Issue 69, there is a lengthy story on the test use of biodiesel on a marine vessel.

On July 2, 2006, the merchant vessel Anna Desgagnés set out to ship its standard cargo of heavy machinery, trucks and freights to ports along the Atlantic coast, all the way into Resolute Bay, one of the northernmost points in Canada.

In addition to its usual cargo, the hulking 17 850 ton ship – part of the Transport Desgagnés fleet – had something else onboard. As part of a pilot project called BioShip, one of the four generators powering the ship was running on a unique blend of rendered animal fats and cooking oils.

Included in the article were some ‘fast facts’ on biodiesel, which I thought were worth sharing:

Biodiesel is 10 times less toxic than table salt and as biodegradable as sugar. This makes biodiesel ideal for use in environmentally sensitive areas.

Biodiesel provides increased lubricity, increasing engine performance and decreasing engine wear.

Restaurants in Canada generate nearly 200 million kilograms of spent cooking fats and oils every year.

Biodiesel is safer to handle and transport than petroleum.

Biodiesel can be used in all diesel vehicles with minimal or no engine modifications and provides as much power as normal diesel fuel.

Rothsay Biodiesel, a division of Maple Leaf Foods Ltd., provided 115 000 litres of their animal-based biofuel – biodiesel – for the BioShip project. (more…)