First Algae-Fueled Hybrid To Lead Cross Country Tour
The first algae fueled hybrid "Algaeus" (a Toyota Prius) will be making its way across the country with a number of other green vehicles.
The Veggie Van Organization will be making a splash soon with this tour that will be culminating in the premiere of a movie highlighting America's oil dependence.
The Veggie Van Organization is a nonprofit that works to educate and promote biodiesel and other renewable energy through hands-on demonstrations, presentations and road tours like this. The Veggie Van has driven more than 25,000 miles on biodiesel derived from vegetable oil—getting 25 miles per gallon.
The Algaeus clocks in a little better, at 150 miles per gallon according to Sapphire Energy. High-octane algae fuel will be replacing gasoline in this model as a "drop-in" replacement, carrying the hybrid from San Francisco on September 8th to its arrival in New York on the 18th.
The Algaeus is powered from the well-funded Sapphire Energy, who raised over $100 million from investors (including Bill Gates). The company has developed algae that can be grown quickly and grown in open ponds before being used in any gasoline-powered vehicle.
The green fleet's New York arrival will mark the release of FUEL, a film that won recognition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. However since the viewing at Sundance, which was originally titled "Fields of Fuel," the movie has been re-cut with new material.
According to Biofuels Digest, the Algaeus will be visiting he following cities:
San Francisco, CA (September 8th)
Sacramento, CA (September 9th)
Salt Lake City, UT (September 10th)
Cheyenne, WY (September 11th)
Lincoln, NE (September 12th)
Chicago, IL (September 13th)
Detroit, MI (September 14th)
Cleveland, OH (September 15th)
Erie, PA (September 16th)
Washington DC (September 17th)
New York, NY (September 18th)
Zaher Karp is a freelance writer and editor who has covered renewable energy and clean technology. He has worked to promote and pursue sustainability through a variety of means, including previously working with a green certification and providing editorial support to local nonprofits.
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