(TheCarConnection)

A major issue for most people is the extremely high gas prices in America. Gas is becoming increasingly unaffordable to drivers and they are searching for solutions to this problem. One major tactic is to buy vehicles with better MPG (miles per gallon). People are steering clear of “gas guzzlers” and opting for more financially sensible cars.

A study released by the University of Michigan on Tuesday said that the average fuel economy on the window stickers of cars and trucks sold last month was 24.9 miles per gallon. That was nearly 5 miles per gallon better than the 20.1 mpg recorded in October 2007, when the university’s Transportation Research Institute began tracking the data (The Ledger). Car companies are striving to improve their MPG technology to draw in customers. They are fully aware that people hate digging deep into their wallets every time they put gas in their cars.

One popular advancement in vehicle technology is the hybrid car. What exactly is a hybrid car? A vehicle is a hybrid if it utilizes more than one form of onboard energy to achieve propulsion. In practice, that means a hybrid will have a traditional internal combustion engine and a fuel tank, as well as one or more electric motors and a battery pack (Edmunds). The highest selling brand of hybrid is the Toyota Prius. The newest model of Prius will get up to 55 MPG, which is incredibly high, due to its more efficient engine, more powerful electric motor-generators, and “advanced battery technology” with higher energy density (almost surely lithium-ion cells) (Green Car Reports).

Cars with high fuel efficiency are also rather affordable. Smart Cars, which get up to around 34 MPG, can be bought for a little over $12,000.00 saving you money at the pump and at the dealership. The sale of Smart Cars continues to increase as oil prices continue to increase. Even with their small size (slightly over eight feet long and less than five feet wide) they have received excellent safety ratings (About).

All technical difficulties aside from the first attempt at this, we finally got the robot running. Using the program on the computer we were able to calculate the exact margin of error between a physical measurement of distance versus the computers calculation using the formula posted below. By finding the circumference of the wheel, the speed of the robot, and the distance the robot traveled, it was simple to find this margin of error.

Wind turbines at the German offshore Riffgat power plant nine miles off the North Sea island of Bokum (Forbes) (The GWPF)

As would be expected, Germany’s goal is to achieve a modern, climate-friendly, sustainable and secure energy supply for themselves. Germany has actually stated that by law the share of renewable energies in total electricity consumption will be increased to at least 35% by 2020. By no later than 2050, that share is expected to grow to at least 80%. In 2020, the share of renewable energies in heating is to reach 14%.(BMU)

A large problem with moving from primarily nuclear energy to green energy is the cost. German Environment Minister Peter Altmaier sees that every little thing will help. When it comes to cooking, he wants people to avoid preheating and rely more on residual heat. He stated that people can lower brightness and contrast on their televisions to save money on their electric bill. Germany will face an increase in the renewable energy surcharge in efforts to try and move towards green energy. The government predicts that the renewable energy surcharge added to every consumer’s electricity bill will increase from 5.3 cents today to between 6.2 and 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour — a 20-percent price hike. (Spiegel)

Money seems to be the primary issue in Germany’s push towards green energy. To gain funding for huge projects is extremely difficult and you have to manage that as best you can. A great idea is one thing, but being able to execute and use your great idea is another. There has been a large wind farm constructed nine miles off the North Sea island of Bokum. The wind turbines there are, believe it or not, currently being powered by fossil-fueled generators. They need to be in motion in order to avoid corrosion from the salt in the air. They can’t implement a power line to the turbines yet as originally planned due to lack of financial assistance. Investors don’t trust the project. (Forbes)

All in all, Germany seems to be making a serious push towards green energy, but is hitting the expected bumps in the road. Money is a necessity when trying to pull off a complete transition in energy production and it comes slowly, if at all. When presented, the projects are not clear and concrete enough to attract investors. People are scared to throw their money at something that they feel they don’t necessarily need. It seems as if Germany is moving in the right direction, but it is clearly going to be a slow process with nothing set in stone.