Ford Motor Company, Progress Energy, Orange County & The University of Central Florida to debut Florida’s First Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Community Leaders to Address Electronic Transportation Needs & UCF & Orange County/Metro Orlando’s Sustainable Energy Initiatives
Orlando, FL — Ford Motor Company, Progress Energy, Orange County and the University of Central Florida have partnered to debut Florida’s first Ford Escape plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) at UCF’s Smart Solar Plug – In Research Facility on the Campus’ Memory Mall.
- Ford and Progress Energy are testing one of the industry’s first vehicle-to-electric grid communications and control systems, which enables electric vehicles to interface with the grid for optimal recharging.
-The new technology allows the vehicle operator to program when to recharge the vehicle, for how long and at what utility rate. For example, an operator could choose to charge only during off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper, or when the grid is using renewable energy.
- This unique vehicle, which can achieve up to 120 miles per gallon, will be tested in Florida by Progress Energy, through its partnership with Ford Motor Company. Media will have the opportunity to be among the first to test drive the vehicle. Interview key leaders in the sustainable energy community are also available.
- UCF’s Smart Solar Plug-In Research Facility includes parking spaces for four electric-powered vehicles. The roof canopy consists of 48 photovoltaic solar panels that convert the sun’s energy into electrical power. The system also can charge vehicles when it’s dark or cloudy outside.
Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 11:00 AM
Subject: Florida’s first Ford Escape plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) at UCF
Location: University of Central Florida Solar Smart Grid Research Facility on the Campus’ Memory Mall adjacent to Parking Lot D
http://campusmap.ucf.edu/printmap/ & http://campusmap.ucf.edu/address.php
Speakers:
- Dr. John Hitt, President, UCF
- The Honorable Richard Crotty, Mayor, Orange County
- Dr. Marwan Simaan, Dean, UCF College of Engineering & Computer Science
- Greg Frenette, Manager, Global Electrified Fleets, Ford Motor Company
- Rob Caldwell, Vice President of Efficiency & Innovative Technology, Progress Energy
Driving Tips to Improve your Car’s Fuel Efficiency
Despite the ongoing debate on climate change, drivers across the world agree that fuel efficiency is the wave of the future. Car manufacturers are touting their eco principles and how their models will save you dollars at the pump. Meanwhile, governments are also requiring more transparency when it comes to green car ratings. In 2008, Australia began requiring stickers on all new cars that display their fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
However, fuel efficiency isn’t all about the car – some of it has to do with the way you drive. In an effort to call attention to fuel efficient driving habits, Peugeot automobiles in Europe is sponsoring a revolutionary eco-driving competition, The Peugeot Eco Cup, to promote awareness of how your driving style can impact fuel efficiency.
The Peugeot Eco Cup is a competition, for those with a new or used Peugeot, to showcase their eco-driving skills. Competitors from 18 countries will drive the 400 kilometres between Paris and Geneva (the same distance as driving from Perth to the port city of Albany) on as little diesel fuel as possible. The drive must be completed within 36 hours and the route includes a number of key cites that are symbolic to the Peugeot brand.
Each country will have a team that includes drivers for each of the four fuel efficient diesel models in the Peugeot line. The aim will be for competitors to make the trip burning as little fuel as possible by employing whatever “eco-driving” strategies they can.
While you might not be signed up to the Eco Cup Challenge, you can get your hands on one of the hot fuel efficient diesel models at a Sydney Peugeot dealer. There are also a number of driving strategies that you can take away to help improve the fuel efficiency of vehicle. Sensible eco-driving can make a difference to the environment and to your hip pocket.
Consider these fuel saving driving tips:
Pump up - Ensure your car’s tyres are inflated properly, inspecting them at least every two months. Underinflated tyres can decrease fuel efficiency by over 3%, and reduce their tread life, requiring them to be replaced sooner.
Switch Off - Turn off the air conditioning, especially when driving in the city. Air conditioning and other electronics consume energy which increases the need for fuel. This can decrease your vehicle’s fuel efficiency by as much as 25%.
Don’t Idle - If you stop for more than 20-30 seconds, turn off the engine. Restarting your engine actually consumes less fuel than idling for long periods of time.
Slow Down - Drive the speed limit, especially on highways. Driving faster will increase your engine’s RPMs which uses up more fuel – slowing down by 10 kilometres per hour can reduce petrol consumption by as much as 10%.
Steady on - Maintain a constant speed and avoid frequent braking and acceleration as this increases the fuel consumption of your vehicle. If your car has a speed regulator or cruise control, use it to maintain a constant speed. When slowing down, use engine stopping instead of applying the brakes to stretch your take even further.
The Eco Cup Challenge starts in Paris on 4 March 2010.
The Distracted Driver: Looking Away From Road Main Factor in Crashes and Near-Misses
From Ford “Driving Skills for Life“:
Independent research based on real-world studies, that’s where drivers are monitored in their own cars rather than in labs, show that looking away from the road is the main factor associated with crashes and near-misses. Another study by NHTSA/Virginia Technology Transportation Institute (VTTI) found that “dialing a handheld device” had a higher risk compared to “just driving,” while “talking/listening on a cell phone” did not statistically differ from risks associated with “just driving.” VTTI summarized their findings by stating that it’s rare that drivers are involved in a crash when their eyes are on the roadway, regardless of any cognitive demand they may be under. Another point to keep in mind is that although there was explosive growth of cell phone subscriptions in the U.S. during the last 15 years, there has been a decline in crash rates which may indicate that drivers choose to engage in tasks when they judge the driving conditions are least demanding.
More than likely this is already apparent to most drivers, but indicates the importance of human-systems integration design in new vehicles so that drivers “know” where their controls and displays are without having to hunt for them.
What impact does this have on add-on gadgets that require the driver to take his/her eyes off of the road to gather information? GPS navigation suckered to your windshield? After-market eco-driving instrumentation or “apps” with charts and graphs indicating how well you are driving?
2010 Best/Worst Overall Fuel Economy
From this month’s Consumer Reports:
Best/Worst overall fuel economy 2010 Models
Best mpg Worst mpg Toyota Prius 44 mpg Ford F-250 Lariat (diesel) 10 mpg Smart ForTwo Passion 39 Hummer H2 11 Honda Insight EX 38 Cadillac Escalade 13 Volkswagen Golf TDI (manual) 38 Chevrolet Avalanche LT (5.3) 13 Honda Civic Hybrid 37 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ 13 Ford Fusion Hybrid 34 Ford Expedition EL Eddie Bauer 13 Scion xD (manual) 34 Jeep Commander Limited (5.7) 13 Toyota Camry Hybrid 34 Lincoln Navigator Ultimate 13 Honda Fit Sport (manual) 33 Nissan Armada LE 13 Mini Cooper (manual) 33 Nissan Titan SE 13 Overall mpg is based on our real-world fuel-economy tests. All vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission unless noted otherwise.
No real surprises here.
Fuelishness! Feed: Ford’s Focus on Eco-Driving; Pentagon’s Algae Fuel Research; Oil over $80; Lithium Supply for 1M Hybrids; ‘Stuck With Cars’ Discussion
- Ford’s new Focus on eco driving — It’s about being careful and not wasteful, both when it comes to the way a car runs and, indeed, how it is built in the first place and here Ford is reducing its carbon footprint with a range of sustainability initiatives.
. - Pentagon Researcher Promises Cheap Biofuel for Jets — Pentagon officials have been talking for years about weaning their jets off of fossil fuels. Now they say they’re only months away from producing a cheap fuel made from algae — for less than $3 a gallon.
. - Oil above $80 as traders eye low interest rates — Oil prices rose above $80 a barrel Monday in Asia, extending a three-week rally as investors expect the U.S. central bank to keep interest rates near zero to help fuel economic growth, which would boost crude consumption.
. - Energy for Electric Vehicles Dealt a Blow by Bolivian Lithium Production — Unfortunately for those who are expecting electric cars to spring out of the woodwork in the next few years (remembering that the President’s plan calls for 1 million plug-in hybrids by 2015) Mitsubishi estimates that the world will need 500,000 tons per year at full ramp up. The Salar di Uyuni deposit in Bolivia holds at least 9 million tons, although the country has, in total, perhaps as much as 73 million tons.
. - Stuck With Cars — Every weekday, tens of millions of Americans get into vehicles that are full of passenger space which won’t be used, with engines capable of horsepower and speeds that won’t be attained, holding fuel tanks that could power the car for distances that won’t be traveled. The result of all this over-engineering is that cars cost way more than a vehicle for daily commuting need cost, and they consume way more energy than a vehicle for daily commuting need consume.
Eco-Driving Project Results in 13% Fuel Economy Boost for Public Works Department
By Mary Hamel at Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Together Wisconsin Clean Cities, the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, and Veolia Water in Milwaukee embarked on a Fleet Eco-Driving Project to promote eco-driving in southeastern Wisconsin. Their results included a 13-percent boost in fuel economy for the fleets participating in the project.
Funded by a DNR-initiated federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement grant, the selected fleets from the City of Milwaukee-Department of Public Works and Veolia Water North America Water-Milwaukee received: classroom instruction, behind-the-wheel training, pre- and post-testing, and a training manual for ongoing use. Milwaukee Area Technical College helped develop and deliver the “Fleet Training on Eco-Driving Project.”
The 13-percent fuel economy improvement is in keeping with the 10–20 percent savings estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy in its seminal Driver Energy Conservation Awareness Training (DECAT) Program, which ran from 1976 through the 1980s. The Fleet Training on Eco-Driving Project is the first comprehensive effort since DECAT to show the many benefits of changing driver behavior, which also include lower maintenance and repair costs, as well as improved road safety.
“Our joint project demonstrates that eco-driving is an everyday solution for everyone to cut fuel costs and clean our air,” added Francis X. Vogel, executive director of Wisconsin Clean Cities.
Start your own eco-driving project today by accelerating gradually, using cruise control, and reducing time spent idling your engine.
Charging Motorists by the Mile More Reliable Than Fuel Tax, Says Study
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Charging motorists for every mile they drive could be more reliable than fuel taxes to pay for bridges, highways and transit systems, but would be hard to sell to motorists, according to a national policy group.
A RAND Corp. study released last week concluded there were good reasons to switch from charging gas taxes to charging fees based on how far each car or truck travels. The government gets most of the money for road construction and maintenance from gas taxes, but cars and trucks put more wear and tear on roads while inflation and better fuel efficiency make the fuel tax worth less and less, said Paul Sorensen, lead author of the study…
…Collecting the fee would be more expensive than administering the gas tax; putting tracking units in cars likely would raise privacy concerns; and changing the fee wouldn’t be any more popular than changing the federal gas tax — which hasn’t increased from 18.3 cents per gallon since 1993, Sorensen said.
Read the whole article here, then join in the discussion over at the FuelClinic Facebook page.
Test-drive: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid – Examiner.com Car of the Year
A few weeks ago I took a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid for a test drive, at the invitation of Michael Block at the Orlando Examiner. He’s been gaining momentum as a car critic over the past year or so, with some thoughtful insights and interesting ideas about modern automobiles, alternative engineering, and fuel efficiency. Give his site a visit.
I found the Fusion Hybrid to be very easy to be comfortable with. The only problem I found was also mentioned by Block – the lack of “toe room” over the pedals – thanks to the “knee airbag”. I think if I was wearing work boots or other “heavy” shoes, it would have been even more annoying.
Instead of re-writing, let me urge you to read Block’s excellent review.
Here’s an excerpt:
The Fusion Hybrid is, as Ford calls it, “the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in America.” Up against other hybrid family sedan offerings, such as the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, and Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, it does indeed come out on top with its city rating of 41mpg and highway rating of 36mpg. Observed fuel economy was 35.2mpg, not quite matching the EPA estimates. But considering that most subcompact hatchbacks which are substantially smaller, lighter, and less powerful struggle to achieve the same figures, it’s quite commendable nonetheless.
Fuelishness! Feed: Hummer now “Green” for Japan; Diesel Engine Biofuel Advances; Dolphin Wins Eco-Driving Challenge; Fuel Efficiency VS. The Tax Man in Washington State
- In Japan, the Hummer Is Now Officially Green — Starting this week, Japanese buyers of the hulking power machines from General Motors — which come with a 5.3-liter, 300 horsepower engine and roar to 60 miles per hour in eight seconds — receive a 250,000 yen ($2,780) subsidy under Japan’s new, looser fuel-efficiency standards for imported cars.
. - Researchers develop “smart” diesel engine that runs on biofuel blend — Researchers from Cummings and Purdue University claim to have found a way to improve fuel efficiency in diesel engines that run on biodiesel fuel while cutting emission levels. The process involves an advanced “closed-loop control” approach for preventing diesel engines from emitting greater amounts of smog-causing nitrogen oxides when running on biodiesel fuels.
. - Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne wins Audi fuel-efficiency driving challenge — The Audi Efficiency Challenge was designed to showcase the mileage and performance possibilities that Audi TDI clean diesel technology provides in real-world driving conditions.
. - Fuel-efficient cars affecting Washington gas tax — Automobiles are more fuel-efficient, people are driving less and, increasingly, they are driving automobiles that aren’t powered by petroleum at all…”All of those things add up to the fact that we aren’t going to rely on the gas tax as being the mainstay of the future if we want to maintain, preserve and improve our transportation system,” said Paula Hammond, the state’s transportation secretary.
Seven Million Miles and $882,000 Dollars Later…
Our little eco-driving community here at FuelClinic.com continues to grow.
Today we crossed the seven-million-mile mark of real-world fuel data based from members of our free non-commercial version of the site. There have been over 31,000 receipts entered into our database, documenting the real-world fuel efficiency of nearly 4,000 vehicles. We have been averaging ~500 new receipts a week for the past few months.
As a group we’ve purchased over 310,000 gallons of fuel (US gallon equivalent) spending over $882,000 (US dollar equivalent) last year. At the same time – as a group – we’ve managed to IMPROVE our MPG a modest 5.38% – saving over $47,000 simply by tracking our fuel mileage and (hopefully) taking advantage of the efficient driving tips.
My goals for 2010 include providing better, more compelling online training materials that will help us bring that 5.38% efficiency improvement up closer to 10% or more. I will be looking for help, using my new connections through the fantastic UCF Business Incubator Program to find talented people that can help me pull this off.
The FuelClinic Dashboard will start looking a little different in the next few weeks as I slowly roll out some template changes. The tools will remain familiar and simple to use, but room will be added to provide driving tips directly in the dashboard, as well as other important information now spread around and hidden in the blog (unless you are searching for it) like our free reminder magnet offer.
Shortly we will begin creating “eco-driver communities” that you can choose to join – so you can track your progress along with others in your same community, and challenge other communities to improve their fuel efficiency for some good natured competition.
I’ll be adding a document library. Over the years I have amassed a large collection of studies, reports, documents, press clippings, and other materials that will be added to the members area – behind that “Research Area” link at the top that has remained inactive too long. There will also be simple report tools you can use to “dig” into aggregate data in the FuelClinic database, looking for trends related to site usage, community totals and standings, and other goodies.
Members will also have to option to sign-up for bi-weekly “performance reports” that will be emailed to you automatically once every two weeks, covering your stats for the last two weeks, grading your progress, and providing additional tips for improving your fuel mileage.
There are always “more plans” for this platform, but they’ll remain “in the bag” for now. I appreciate the time each of you has taken to manually input your fuel receipts to build this data set.
- Michael
Shea Holbrook to Make Rookie World Challenge Run in 2010
GROVELAND, Fla. (Feb. 4, 2010) – Shea Racing, LLC. is proud to announce its participation in the World Challenge season opener, March 26-28, at St Petersburg, Fla. Team owner and driver Shea Holbrook, 19, of Groveland, Fla., will strap-in and make her debut professional road race in the World Challenge Touring Car (TC) class. According to series archives, Shea is one of the youngest female drivers to take the grid in World Challenge history.
Holbrook is a competitor thru-and-thru. Formerly a state-, regional- and nationally- ranked water-skier, she is no stranger to the thrill of speed or danger. A few years ago, Holbrook traded in the water skies for the smell of race fuel and burnt rubber.”It’s an awesome experience go over a jump at 50-plus mph to hurl yourself hundreds of feet thru the air, but it just doesn”t compare to going into turn 17 at Sebring at 100-plus mph,” Holbrook said.
Holbrook is currently a college student studying Broadcasting and wants to make motorsports a career.
“This being my first professional race, I have two goals,” Holbrook added. “First, to bring the car home in one piece and second, for all those veteran drivers out there that read this, regardless of where I finish, I plan on giving you all the respect that you deserve and I’m thankful for having the opportunity.”
There are many people in the motorsports world that have greatly enriched Holbrook’s life. People like John Doonan (Mazda Motorsports), George Ayres http://www.greenerspeed.com , Skip Baber Racing, Lyn St James http://www.lynstjames.com and Marcus Haselgrove http://autohausmotorsports.com, to mention a few, “thank you all for your friendship, wisdom and continued support.”
Currently Shea Racing’s primary sponsor is MD&F (Mom, Dad & Friends) but we are diligently trying to change this. We do have very creative marketing plan for interested companies that actually requires no upfront capital, so if you’re interested in finding out the details please contact www.SheaRacing.com .
We would like to thank World Challenge and SCCA Pro Racing for the opportunity and look forward to a great season. See you on the grid!
Learn more about Shea Racing at her website or on her Facebook Group Page.
BREAKING: Tesla Motors Files S-1 Registration Statement for proposed IPO
Tesla Motors has filed the S-1 Registration Statement with the SEC for a proposed public offering of it’s common stock – the first such IPO from an American auto manufacturer since Ford went public in 1956.
While the filing is an exciting sign of growth at Tesla, there’s a bit of bad news buried in the paperwork for Roadster fans… apparently the current Roadster we’ve all come to love will not be built after 2011… possibly to be replaced with a new Roadster after Lotus re-tools their plant in England.
The Model S coupe is expected sometime in 2012.
From AutoBlogGreen:
For the first time in more than fifty years, a U.S. automaker is holding a public offering. Henry Ford made shares of Ford Motor Company public back in 1956. Tesla, the Elon Musk-owned Silicon Valley electric car company, filed to do so today. There’s no word as to when the shares will be available for public consumption, nor any word as to how much each share will cost…
The press release from Tesla Motors starts…
PALO ALTO, CA. – Tesla Motors, Inc. today announced that it has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. Tesla Motors designs, manufactures and sells high-performance fully electric vehicles and advanced electric vehicle powertrain components. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering have not yet been determined…
But Wired Autopia Blog finds some discouraging news in the IPO filings, Tesla Motors say they’ll stop building their popular Roadster sometime in 2011. Here’s why:
Wired’s Autopia was digging through the papers filed by Tesla to the Securities and Exchange Commission for its IPO and came across with this nugget:
“We do not plan to sell our current generation Tesla Roadster after 2011 due to planned tooling changes at a supplier for the Tesla Roadster.”
As everyone’s aware, the current iteration of the Tesla Roadster is built in Hethel, England by Lotus using Elise/Exige underpinnings. Judging by the quote above, that means the Elise/Exige is due to be replaced by a new model (good news for enthusiasts), but that leaves Tesla up a creek without the proverbial paddle.
The other telling line is this:
“As a result, we anticipate that we may generate limited, if any, revenue from selling electric vehicles after 2011 until the launch of the planned model S…”
Exciting days ahead for the EV enthusiasts for sure.
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