US Govt gives automakers $25B in loans; drops fuel-efficiency mandate
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By Peter Forman |
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The United States continues to “perpetuate” a broken auto industry. Because of pressure from Detroit, unions, and Michigan lawmakers, the “Big Three” auto makers have been insulated from the real market-place of competition for the past 30 years. The Japanese and Germans have figured out how to build cars in the American South profitably–but not the Big Three. That’s fine and good except now we have a completely broken auto industry that is unable to compete. Now exposed to declining demand and lacking access to “cheap” capital, they are likely to disappear in their current forms–even after we spend untold billions in short-term assistance. The move, aimed at ending what the White House called partisan “gridlock,” represents a significant escalation in the political battle over aid to the Big Three auto makers. This is ahead of an expected showdown next week in Congress between Democrats and Republicans. While we are unlikely to ever see a return of these funds, the car companies could at least agree to manufacture all cars beginning in 2012 with flex-fuel compatibility and continues progress towards EVs (electric vehicles). Without at least those commitments, what will we have to show for this “investment”? Demand that your Congressperson and Senator act–call today! |
Used w/ Permission: MoveBeyondOil.org
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Dude, Where’s My [Electric] Car!?!!
Another great find tonight, and I can’t believe this one snuck past me. Thanks to the guys at PowrTalk I think I just found my next car. And it’s already monogramed for me!
Ready to hit the American market in 2010, Miles Electric Vehicles 4-Door Sedan is the first practical, affordable, 4-door, high-way-speed rated, all-electric vehicle you can buy (if you can still get a car loan…) for around $35K USD.
According to the Miles EV website:
“In early 2004, concerned by growing environmental problems linked to micro-carbon emissions, Miles Rubin set out to make a difference – by developing a line of safe, affordable, all electric vehicles that produce zero emissions. He centered the company’s activities in Tianjin, China, where the battery industry had expert manufacturing experience. Since then, Miles Electric Vehicles has begun importing low speed vehicles and is working to develop a highway speed, all-electric, midsize sedan.”
“The MILES XS500 prototype sedan currently under development will top 80mph and travel over 120 miles on a single charge – for about the cost of a gallon of gas.”
“Miles Electric Vehicles is owned by Miles Automotive Group, Ltd, and headquartered at the historic Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, CA.”
Hopefully I can get in touch with my local rep for some additional information and to arrange a demonstration. I’ll keep you posted.
MapMPG - How Far will a Gallon of Gas Take You?
How far you can travel on a gallon of gas? What if you improved your mileage by 20%? What if you bought a new car - how does that compare to your existing car? This isn’t hard to figure out, and FuelClinic.com will do this for you, but what if you wanted to see what this looks like on a map?
Today I received an interesting note from Jay Hoffman at ESRI about a new website they are beta testing called MapMPG.com
ESRI has an interesting new web site called MapMPG.com that maps the distance two different cars can drive on one gallon of gas. This rather unique and useful application compares the mpg’s on your specific neighborhood streets.
I compared my 2001 Toyota Tacoma to a newer Toyota Prius to produce this map of my local area.
Select one vehicle as Vehicle 1, and another as Vehicle 2, enter a street address and zip code, and you’ll see a graphic representation of how far you can get on one gallon of gas, based on the roads in your area.
Right now the site uses EPA estimated MPG figures for each vehicle, but Mr. Hoffman indicated that his team is seeking comments and may be able to modify the interface to be more usable.
ESRI is a world-leader in digital mapping for large organizations and government agencies, and has been doing scientific GIS and mapping long before anyone else.
What do you think? Comments are open.
The Case for “Future-Proof” Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs)
Over the next few years you’ll see a change at your local gas stations as more alcohol-blended fuel pumps are installed across the nation. Alcohol-blended fuels like E85 are already available in some areas, and more are coming to market as more FFVs are sold in the United States.
US based manufacturers have committed to making 50% of their new autos FFVs by 2010 and and 85% by 2012. In addition, there is proposed legislation called the Open Fuel Standard Act which will mandate all cars sold in America meet the same goals, so this will mean that all imports sold in the US will meet the same FFV standard. (You can help support this legislation here.)
Since FFV is an widely available and mature technology (there are already millions of FFVs on the road in the US - you may be driving one), adding the capability to all new vehicles sold in the US doesn’t add notably to the cost of making new cars (usually about $100) - and provides a way for auto manufactures to “green-up” their product lines.
Drivers of FFVs will be able to choose what fuel to buy, based on price at the pump, performance needs, personal preference, etc. - just like shopping for any other commodity. You’ll be able to mix E85 with E10 (the current flavor of gasoline almost everywhere in the US) and newer alternative blends like E25 or M50. Using FFV technology, your car will automatically adjust your engines settings to run properly on any combination of gasoline and alcohol fuels.
Unlike more exotic alternative fuels like compressed hydrogen or natural gas, drivers of FFVs are not stuck on a virtual “energy island” of specialized refueling stations. You will be able to travel freely, just like today, as far and wide as you like - choosing your favorite blend of alcohol fuels as you go - or using straight gasoline where no other choice exists.
So if your next car has an engine that burns liquid fuel, makes sure it is “future proof” and check that it’s a Flex-Fuel Vehicle before you buy it, or else you’ll be left without options at the pump when the alcohol-blended fuels hit the wider market.
FORD TESTS SHOW ECO-DRIVING CAN IMPROVE FUEL ECONOMY BY AN AVERAGE OF 24 PERCENT
PHOENIX, Ariz., Aug. 27, 2008 – Tests performed by Ford Motor Company show that motorists coached by eco-driving experts can significantly improve the fuel economy performance of their cars, trucks or SUVs.
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Eco-driving refers to specific driving behaviors that can improve fuel economy, save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote safe driving. Ford and Phoenix-based Pro Formance Group have teamed up to pilot an eco-driving program for fleet customers. The program would employ certified master trainers to deliver hands-on coaching to maximize mileage in everyday driving.
Over a four-day period, Ford and the Pro Formance drivers conducted validation tests using volunteers from Phoenix who were given individual coaching on specific driving behaviors. The Sports Car Club of America verified the results, which showed an average 24 percent improvement in fuel economy as a result of hands-on eco-driving training.
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Scania Training Sveaskog Truckers in Eco-Driving
Source: Green Car Congress
Scania is now running a training course in fuel-efficient driving for trucking companies that haul timber in parts of central Sweden for the Sveaskog forest product company. Results indicate that after training, the drivers can reduce their fuel consumption by 9%. For these truckers alone, this would represent 8,000 tonnes less carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Scania’s driver training course is designed to meet the requirements of a new European Union directive on mandatory periodic training of professional drivers.
Our timber transports by truck total about 70 million kilometers a year. If their fuel consumption can be lowered by 9 percent, this will save more than 3 liters of diesel fuel and 8,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
—Olof Johansson, Senior Vice President Environment and Social Responsibility at Sveaskog
Sveaskog’s investment in driver training is one element of the State-owned company’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its silviculture operations. Sveaskog has signed an agreement with Scania Sweden which covers training in safe, fuel-efficient driving for about one hundred drivers employed by trucking companies responsible for hauling timber for Sveaskog in the Bergslagen and Södermanland regions of central Sweden.
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Scientists propose modifying “MPG” to “gal/100mi”
Here’s a great idea that’s already used around much of the world. In the U.S. we think of fuel efficiency in terms of “miles per gallon” (MPG) - and in most of the rest of the world where the metric standard of measure is used, they already measure fuel efficiency with “liters per 100 kilometers” ( l/100km).
Two scientists from Duke University propose that modifying the way we express fuel mileage can help people understand the concepts of “better mileage” more easily. They propose an expression of “gallons per 100 miles” be adopted.
Richard Larrick and Jack Soll of Duke University in the US say that a simple switch from expressing a car’s fuel efficiency in miles per gallon (mpg) to gallons per 100 miles makes it much easier for people to assess how much money they could save on fuel.
They showed that people think of fuel efficiency as linear. If this were true, doubling the fuel efficiency of a gas guzzling SUV would save the same amount of fuel as doubling the efficiency of a smaller more efficient car.
In fact, the relationship is not linear and doubling the efficiency of an SUV saves far more than if you own a small car (see graph, right).
I think it’s an idea worth trying, and will incorporate this as an alternate SOM view in FuelClinic reports and displays in the next updates made to the software.
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Death of the SUV
“It’s an irrational vehicle. It’ll never come back.” - High fuel prices have started a re-alignment, and quite possibly the death of the SUV.
…Americans are turning away from the boxy, four-wheel-drive vehicles that have for years dominated the nation’s highways. Sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks - symbols of Americans’ obsession with horsepower, size, and status - are falling out of favor as consumers rich and poor encounter sticker shock at the pump, paying upward of $80 to fill gas tanks.
The sale of new SUVs and pickup trucks has dropped precipitously in recent months amid soaring gas prices and a weakening economy: SUV sales for the month of April alone fell 32.3 percent from a year earlier and small car sales rose 18.6 percent. This fundamental shift comes against a backdrop of relentless gas increases, and growing concerns over the environment and US oil consumption, according to auto analysts and car dealers.
“The SUV craze was a bubble and now it is bursting,” said George Hoffer, an economics professor at Virginia Commonwealth University whose research focuses on the automotive industry. “It’s an irrational vehicle. It’ll never come back.”
With stocks of unwanted new SUVs and pickups piling up at dealerships across the country, automakers are offering unprecedented promotions. Incentives for large SUVs, including cash rebates, topped $4,000 in March, or more than double those offered in March 2002, according to Edmunds.com, which monitors the motor industry.
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Americans Buying Smaller Cars
Detroit is feeling the pinch of soaring fuel prices.
“We think we’re in the trough of the downturn in the second quarter,” GM’s chief sales analyst, Michael DiGiovanni, said. “What we did not count on is oil being as high as almost $120 a barrel. That’s causing a very sharp shift to cars and crossovers from trucks, and it’s also lowering the overall industry.”
While it’s easy to use software like FuelClinic.com and “smart-driver” habits to improve your fuel efficiency a few percentage points, it still much more effective to trade up to a car that’s engineered for better mileage. Combine a new (or used) smaller and more efficient automobile with ”smart-driver” habits and you can slash fuel usage.
If these sky-rocketing fuel prices remain a reality for Americans into the next few years, expect to see more large cars sitting in the used car lots around town.
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150 MPG (Equivalent): XH-150 and XH250 Hybrids
At the Detroit 2008 Car show… Details over at Autobloggreen…
AFS Trinity Power Corporation is displaying a new hybrid SUV (actually a converted Saturn Vue) that gets more than 150 mpge thanks to something AFS calls the Extreme Hybrid (XH). The SUV recently achieved “more than 150 miles per gallon of gasoline based on the EPA Combined Urban/Highway Driving Cycle with 6 days per week of 40 miles per day in all electric mode and one day at 100 miles with assistance of the gas engine.” The test reportedly returned mpge numbers of around 170, but AFS wants to use 150 so as not to leave people disappointed if they drive more aggressively or under different circumstances than the test was run in.
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$2500 Sticker Price & 47 MPG - But would YOU drive it?
The Indian car company Tata Motors has unveiled is micro-commuter the Nano, designed for developing nations - it’s a simple commuter that will sell in India for about $2500. Air conditioning and radio are extra.
This little car has four doors, a 2 cylinder 33-horsepower engine that gets a motorcycle-ish 47 MPG (that’s without any hypermiler tuning) and motors along at a less-than-US-highway-safe 60MPH.
It’s called the “People’s Car”, referring to it’s appeal to people who normally couldn’t afford a vehicle. It will be sold in India later this year, and then distributed to developing countries in the same general area. Read more
Aviation Bio-Fuel Being Evaluated in New Zeland
Reportedly the worlds-first project under consideration by an airline.
Air New Zealand and airliner manufacturer Boeing are secretly working with Blenheim-based biofuel developer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation to create the world’s first environmentally friendly aviation fuel, made of wild algae.
If the project pans out the small and relatively new New Zealand company could lead the world in environmentally sustainable aviation fuel.
It’s understood Air NZ is undertaking risk analysis. If everything stacks up it will make an aircraft available on the Tasman to test the biofuel…
Basically, it’s pond scum.
…The fuel is essentially derived from bacterial pond scum created through the photosynthesis of sunlight and carbon dioxide on nutrient-rich water sources such as sewage ponds.
Air NZ would most likely test the fuel on one engine while normal aviation fuel would drive the other engine. Fuel is held in cells on the aircraft that can be directed to a specific engine…
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