Green-Boating: Electric Outboards by Torqeedo
A recent post to a mail-list I follow turned up a German-based company named Torqeedo that has created some really spectacular all-electric outboard motors for recreational boating.
…With the thrust force of a 6 HP combustion engine, the Torqeedo Cruise is the emission-free alternative for sailing and motor boats up to three-ton displacement. Equipped with the latest torque technology, torque characteristics designed especially for boat motors, and an optimised propeller, the Torqeedo Cruiser is not only the most efficient but also the most powerful 24-volt motor available on the market… (read it all)
GM’s new electric car project – the Volt
GM had a successful electric car push a few years ago, but abandoned it after what appeared to be successful public trials, causing some to theorize that the car was “killed” for other-than-technical reasons. (See “Who Killed the Electric Car?” for more background.)
Today, GM announced that they are re-entering the electric car market with a novel electric design which uses the latest battery technology coupled with a small on-board recharging engine which is powered by gasoline.
This system of battery-drive with combustion engine re-charging is very similar to proven naval propulsion designs used most notibly in diesel-electric submarines from World War II thru present day. In similar systems, electric battery banks power electric motors while underwater with diesel engines recharging as needed while on the surface or at snorkle depth.
…The push to develop environmentally friendly cars is also an attempt by GM to distance itself from its close association with gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles, a reputation executives say has hampered its sales in some markets.
The Volt’s combustion engine is designed only as a supplement to keep its batteries charged, an innovation GM executives hope will help the automaker jump ahead of Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T), which now dominates the hybrid market…
Democrats Promise to Invigorate Alternative Energy
Depending on your politics, you may be happy, disappointed, or indifferent about the outcome of the Tuesday elections which resulted in the United States of America listing slightly to the left.Â
As with any great body at rest, the US Congress has tended to remain at rest over the last two or three years, especially in regard to encouraging the search for, and adoption of, alternative energy sources.Â
In the marching orders for the new leadership of the US Congress is a mandate from America to ween ourselves from foreign oil and prepaare ourselves for a future without an abundance of cheap oil.
Here’s a few related initiatives:
- Using the existing standards, immediately set a higher mileage requirement for all automobiles sold in the United States. A mandatory 7% increase in mileage within 2 model years, and a 15% increase in 5 years.Â
 - Increase incentives for biodiesel, ethanol and other alternative fuels as well as wind, solar, geothermal and other sources of alternative energy.
 - Renegotiate oil and gas leases that waived royalty payments to the government. Oil companies are getting filthy rich at the expense of the US Taxpayer. I feel that mutli-billion dollar profit each quarter for the last few years speaks for itself. It’s simply outragious, and America is being fleeced.
 - We should explore for oil on public lands, I think we have to do this quickly and purposefully. We currently depend on volitile Middle East oil for 20% of our current needs. If we can hold-the-line on our usage by adopting more efficient practices, then we can greatly reduce our dependence on foreign oil by developing our own existing reserves.Â
Okay – that last one might not be a traditional Democrat position, but I think it is the correct path ahead.
Â
Fuel Efficiency Flat-Line
Here’s a nice graphic from the Washington Post (found via AXP Blog) piece on the stagnation of fuel-efficiency ratings for new cars.
Over at the X PRIZE, they did a little computelating and figured that the average MPG of cars today should be in the low 40′s – and not slumming around the low 20′s.
Here’s a (first order) conjecture based on extrapolating the EPA data:Â Given that the average MPG increased roughly 7 MPG during 1975-1981, if that rate of change had continued (with constant average weight and acceleration), the average MPG today would be 42 MPG rather than 21 MPG.
But instead of spending all that engineering talent on creating highly efficient engines for cars, the money was spent building heavier cars with greater performance – and maintaining the status quo when it comes to mpg. Hopefully the new Automotive X PRIZE will invigorate the search for attractive-but-miserly car of the near future.
Next X PRIZE= High-efficiency automobiles that people will actually buy!
Part of the reason I’m developing this FuelClinic.com application is because I’m tired of waiting for things to change. While I believe that I can help people use what they already have in more efficent ways, I also know that I can’t reach as many people as I would like. So the announcement that the next big X PRIZE will be focusing on developing commercially viable high-efficiency automobiles is very exciting.
Why an Automotive X PRIZE?
- Because today’s oil consumption is not sustainable – our current use of oil endangers our health, our economy, and the political and social stability of the world.
- Because 40% of world oil output fuels the automotive industry – and, in the U.S., 65% of oil consumption is in the transportation sector.
- Because automotive emissions contribute significantly to global climate change.
- Because there are no mainstream consumer choices for clean, super-efficient vehicles that meet market needs for price, size, capability, image, safety and performance.
- Because the automotive industry is stalled – legislation, regulation, labor issues, manufacturing costs, legacy costs, franchise laws, obsolete technology, consumer attitudes, and many other factors have combined to block breakthroughs.
- Because increases in engine efficiency have been “spent” on increased vehicle power, acceleration, and weight, rather than on increased fuel economy.
- Because we believe there is great opportunity for technological change.
Goals of the PrizeOur goal is to stimulate automotive technology, manufacturing and marketing breakthroughs that:
- Radically reduce oil consumption and harmful emissions
- Result in a new generation of super-efficient and desirable mainstream vehicles that people want to buy
Funny how a giant cash reward has a way of motivating people to come up with great inventions…
South Carolina’s Alternative-Fuel Credits
Last year, the only tax incentive South Carolina offered to consumers for using alternative fuels was a $1,000 tax credit for installing a solar water heater. The state provided only enough funding for 20 people to receive the tax credit, and no one applied.
“In the past year and a half, we’ve seen tremendous awareness of energy issues and global warming issues,” said John Clark, director of the South Carolina Energy Office. “It seems to be snowballing, nationally and locally.”
The federal government approved tax credits for purchasing hybrid vehicles, solar heating systems, energy-efficient windows and other fuel-saving measures in 2005.
Unlike the federal incentives, South Carolina’s income tax credit for hybrid vehicle purchases is not slated to expire. The state credit is worth 20 percent of the current federal credit, which varies by vehicle make, model and year.
The state sales tax rebate for flex-fuel vehicles, which can use either gasoline or the ethanol-gas blend known as E85, is good only through June 30, 2007, but applies to new and used vehicles.
Hybrid vehicles typically cost more than non-hybrids, and there are waiting lists to buy some models, but vehicles that can run on E85 are common and usually carry the same price as similar models that only run on gasoline.
“There are a good number of E85 vehicles on the market,” said Pat Watson, executive vice president of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. “You didn’t hear much about them before, when gas prices were low.”
Small, Clean, Powerful Diesel Engines
From: Edmunds.comÂ
Honda Motors unveiled its latest development in diesel technology on September 25, putting the carmaker well ahead of the pack in the race to bring clean diesel vehicles to market. Its next-generation diesel engine uses a catalytic converter requiring no additives of any kind and will run cleaner through its new design…
…What sets Honda’s new technology apart is that its catalytic converter requires no outside chemicals whatsoever. As the exhaust hits the first layer of the unit, a small amount of NOx is converted to ammonia, which is then absorbed by a second layer. The second layer, now ammonia rich, then reacts with the remaining NOx and spits it out as harmless nitrogen…
…Honda designed the converter for use in its 2.2 iCTDi diesel engine, which has garnered widespread attention since its debut in the current model European Accord. The engine, which is remarkably quiet, is also much cleaner than most diesels right out of the gate. Thanks to a redesigned combustion chamber, a reduction in fuel injection time and other efficiency improvements, the engine already emits significantly less NOx. Add on the new technology the converter affords, and clean diesel could be right around the corner.
While European drivers may be seeing this technology sooner than we will, Honda estimates that their diesel vehicles will start hitting our shores in about three years. Couple this with their recent announcement concerning future diesel hybrid vehicles, and it looks as if Honda is pulling to the head of the clean diesel pack.
Oil Continues to Slide
Oil prices continue to slide today, with news that the US Market is a little over-supplied right now. Through more conservation and better efficiencies, this is the same method consumers can practice to help keep the supply high, and demand low.
…The drop extended a 6 percent slide over two days, pressured by ample fuel stockpiles in top consumer the United States and no evidence of other OPEC members joining Nigeria and Venezuela in cutting output.
“We believe that the market is slightly oversupplied,” OPEC President Edmund Daukoru, who is also Nigeria’s top oil official, told Reuters. “(Today’s drop in the oil price) vindicates what Nigeria is doing and I hope other members will act in the same way.”
Toyota’s New Eco Drive Indicator
Although these kinds of lights and meters have been around in other manufacturer’s vehicles for years, they haven’t been in Toyota’s (except the hybrids, which have a much more powerful driving-economy indication system).
New Feature Aims to Encourage Environmentally Considerate Driving
Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that, beginning in October, new Japanese-market vehicle models with automatic transmissions will be equipped with the Eco Drive Indicator, a feature meant to encourage environmentally considerate driving. This development—aimed at reducing CO2 emissions through increased fuel efficiency—is part of Toyota’s efforts to combat global warming.
Based on a comprehensive determination that takes into consideration such factors as accelerator use, engine and transmission efficiency and speed and rate of acceleration, the Eco Drive Indicator, located on the instrument panel, lights up when the vehicle is being operated in a fuel-efficient manner. This is hoped will raise driver awareness toward environmentally considerate driving and contribute to fuel economy…
BMW Reduces Fuel Consumption 4% – with a new Alternator
BMW is looking for methods for increasing fuel economy, and has developed a novel new Intelligent Alternator Control which may reduce fuel consumption by up to 4%. It’s part of an effort to improve fuel economy in their larger luxury cars.
BMW Introduces Intelligent Alternator Control with Regenerative Braking; Reduces Fuel Consumption by About 4%
At the Paris Auto Show, BMW introduced a system it calls Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC) to generate electric power for a car’s on-board network exclusively in overrun and during braking—IAC thus also incorporates a system for regenerating brake energy.
The system is part of a larger BMW initiative to improve the overall efficiency of a vehicle by decreasing ancillary loads on the engine and recuperating more of the waste heat energy. (BMW is currently involved in one of several projects tackling the development of a thermoelectric waste heat recovery system targeted to deliver a 10% improvement in fuel economy. More on this below.)
Only about 25–30% of the energy contained in fuel is actually used for driving the vehicle. Most of the energy consumed is still converted into heat, although the fuel burnt also serves to generate electrical energy for the on-board network.
Honda Announces Cleaner Diesel Car Engine
I’ve always appreciated Honda’s quality and economy – and within 3 years there will be a new Honda powertrain available in the US that meets stringent emission standards by adding a revolutionary new catalytic converter to an already acclaimed diesel system.
Honda designed the catalytic converter for use with its 2.2 i-CTDi diesel engine, which has earned widespread praise for quiet, clean operation and dynamic performance since its introduction in 2003 on the European Accord model. By further advancing combustion control, the 2.2 i-CTDi delivers cleaner exhaust to the NOx catalytic converter. Honda achieved this by optimising the combustion chamber configuration, reducing fuel injection time with a 2,000-bar common rail injection system and boosting the efficiency of the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system. Thanks to these improvements, Honda has reduced the amount of NOx and soot normally found in engine exhaust, while increasing power output.
Along with developing superior technology for cleaning exhaust gas, Honda plans to address other technical challenges in developing clean diesel engines, such as handling diesel fuels with different cetane numbers and meeting U.S. On-Board Diagnostic System requirements. Honda plans to introduce its next-generation diesel engine in the U.S. within three years.
7-11 Fires Citgo
7-11 is creating it’s own brand of gasoline, and giving Citgo their walking papers. Part of the reason is concern over Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s anti-US politics. Citgo is a Venezuelan state-owned company.Â
Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline supplier at more than 2,100 locations and switching to its own brand of fuel.
The retailer said Wednesday it will purchase fuel from several distributors, including Tower Energy Group of Torrance, Calif., Sinclair Oil of Salt Lake City, and Houston-based Frontier Oil Corp.
A spokeswoman for Dallas-based 7-Eleven said its 20-year contract with Citgo Petroleum Corp. ends next week. About 2,100 of 7-Eleven’s 5,300 U.S. stores sell gasoline.
Citgo is a Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, and the foreign parent became a public-relations issue for 7- Eleven because of comments by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
California Sues 6 Major Automakers
California Attorney General Bill Lackyer sues General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., DaimlerChrysler AG, Honda Motor Co., and Nissan Motor Co. in US District Court in Oakland, CA for causing pollution in California and contributing to global warming.Â
I think this is an interesting, but odd move. Trying to force the global warming issue into the courts also means that you must prove that global warming is being cause by human activities and is not part of a natural cycle, which is still debated among scientists after 30 years. If the scientific community cannot agree with the available evidence, how is one judge supposed to decide?Â
From Bloomberg.com
By Karen Gullo and Alan OhnsmanÂ…The suit, which seeks damages related to pollution, beach erosion and reduced water supplies, is the latest action by California to push businesses and the federal government to address global warming. The legislature approved a measure last month to force utilities to cut emissions, and the state has sued the U.S. for failing to address the effects of global warming.
“Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and the automakers have refused to act,” said California Attorney General Bill Lockyer in a statement.
California has already targeted carmakers with rules that would require them to lower emissions. The state enacted rules in 2004 that would force them to cut the amount of carbon dioxide and other tailpipe gases by up to 30 percent in cars sold in the state. Several other states have adopted or are weighing similar rules. Â
What also bugs me about this suit is the idea of suing manufacturers for products that meet all the government standards placed on them. The auto industry in America may be one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. I strongly agree that automobiles should be made more fuel efficient, but I disagree that our courts should be used to legislate.
Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of burning gasoline. Car companies say the only way to meet California’s emissions rules is to reduce vehicle fuel consumption. They claim the state is trying to regulate fuel economy, or the number of miles a car runs on a gallon of gas, a standard which is set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Automakers including GM, Honda, and Toyota said they are developing so-called fuel-cell cars in response to consumer demand for better fuel economy amid higher gas prices. Fuel cells produce only water vapor as a byproduct.
We should require our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to raise fuel standards – or better yet, we need to push automakers to create more fuel efficient cars by buying their most fuel efficient cars and leave the gas-guzzlers sitting in their sales lots.
Won’t Return to Gas-Guzzling Habits
A recent article from America’s cheese-capitol indicates that the sustained high gas prices of this spring and summer have changed the gas-guzzling habits of survey respondents, and that the recent drop in gasoline prices will not change them back. Let’s hope there are similar mid-west sensibilities from the right coast to the left coast.
From Wisconsin State Journal
Survey: Driving won’t climb as gas prices fall
MARV BALOUSEK…After more than a year of high prices driven by a range of factors – increased demand, last year’s hurricanes and global instability – gasoline has plunged in recent weeks, selling for $2.51 a gallon at some Madison-area stations. And analysts say prices could drop further, thanks to the end of the summer driving season and stable supply. Natural gas prices also have declined, setting the stage for decreased energy spending for consumers in the coming months.
But area drivers say they haven’t forgotten the summer’s high prices, which saw gasoline approach $3.20 a gallon in Madison, and they say aren’t returning to their old gas-guzzling ways. That’s because many are aware prices could easily go back up…
…Some analysts are forecasting that gas prices will continue to decline, said Pam Moen of AAA Wisconsin. But she said consumers are smart to be wary.”People are relieved and we should be thankful these prices have finally come down,” she said. “But it’s important to understand that nothing really has changed. Until we address issues with our national energy infrastructure, we are going to be vulnerable to the kind of volatility and extreme pricing we’ve seen in the past year.”
Gas prices accelerated the boom in hybrid cars and now play a bigger role in consumer choices, said Neeraj Arora, a UW-Madison professor of marketing research.
“People are going to reflect back on the prices that have changed over the last month or two more than they did three or four years ago,” he said. “My guess is it’s going to become a bigger factor than it has in the past in making a consumer decision on which (vehicle) brand they should buy.”
Jeff Beddow of the National Automobile Dealers Association said it took a long stretch of higher gas prices before sales of less fuel efficient vehicles dropped, and he doesn’t see buyers quickly coming back to gas-guzzlers.
“Typically, changes in consumer buying habits related to gas prices come after a sustained period of time at either a high or low price level,” he said…
Giving Up Gasoline
Here’s an interesting article out of Alaska. It’s no Tesla Roadster, but it is an all electric vehicle that allows Mike Willmon to commute to work for $20 per month (average monthly cost of electrical charge).
Giving up gasoline
Mike Willmon put an electric motor in his pickup to save on fuel billsBy RICHARD RICHTMYER
Anchorage Daily NewsPublished: September 18, 2006
Last Modified: September 18, 2006 at 07:45 AMAt first glance, Mike Willmon’s 1988 Mitsubishi MightyMax looks like any other pickup cruising Anchorage’s streets.
But instead of the rattling and rumbling sounds that typically go with old pickups, Willmon’s rig emits a gentle whir that gradually fades as he eases it to a stop at a traffic light. And there’s no sight or smell of exhaust fumes as he waits for it to turn green.
That’s because Willmon, an electrical engineer, overhauled the truck, replacing its gasoline engine with an electric motor that runs on batteries…
Hey, he sounds like somebody I know!
Home Heating Prices to Fall
From the Land of the White Squirrel, futures trading has driven the Natural Gas market to a two-year low.
From Olney Daily Mail
Heating prices will drop sharply
By Mary McGlasson and Associated PressNatural-gas futures fell 10 percent to a two-year low Thursday after U.S. government data showed record supplies.
As a result, Richland County homeowners who depend on natural gas for heat should see lower gas bills this winter, assuming normal temperatures.
“We are optimistic that prices will be quite a bit lower than last winter,†said Darin Houchin, General Manager of Illinois Gas Company.
Houchin said supplies are at record highs because there were no hurricanes or other such events during the summer.
Oil prices were weighed down by the sharp sell-off in natural gas, which analysts attributed to the rising inventory of fuel, slack demand and receding fears about possible Gulf of Mexico supply disruptions during this year’s waning Atlantic hurricane season.
October natural-gas futures fell 55.7 cents to settle at $4.892 per 1,000 cubic feet on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The last time front-month natural-gas futures settled below $5 was Sept. 16, 2004.
$1.15 per gallon?
Wow… wondering if I should go buy that Escalade I’ve been wanting… maybe some 55 gallon drums…
From The Seattle Times: Business & Technology
Analyst predicts plunge in gas prices
By Kevin G. Hall
September 14, 2006WASHINGTON — The recent sharp drop in the global price of crude oil could mark the start of a massive sell-off that returns gasoline prices to lows not seen since the late 1990s — perhaps as low as $1.15 a gallon.
“All the hurricane flags are flying” in oil markets, said Philip Verleger, a noted energy consultant who was a lone voice several years ago in warning that oil prices would soar. Now, he says, they appear to be poised for a dramatic plunge.
Crude-oil prices have fallen about $14, or roughly 17 percent, from their July 14 peak of $78.40. After falling seven straight days, they rose slightly Wednesday in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, to $63.97, partly in reaction to a government report showing fuel inventories a bit lower than expected. But the overall price drop is expected to continue, and prices could fall much more in the weeks and months ahead…
Research Finds Biodiesel Performs Well in Harsh Environments
Here’s the take-away for the attention challenged:
“Yellowstone National Park, serving as the soy biodiesel testing ground for the National Park Service, has a pickup truck that is still running on 100% biodiesel after 10 years and 181,000 miles in this high-altitude extreme environment.”
From Farm Futures
September 13, 2006
Soy biodiesel has stood up to the test of time and harsh environment conditions, according to decade-long look at use in national parks including Yellowstone and Grand Teton.In 1995 Yellowstone National Park began serving as the soy biodiesel testing ground for the National Park Service. The park boasts over 300 pieces of machinery operating on soy biodiesel, the centerpieces being the park’s well-known yellow buses and a 1995 Dodge pickup. Yellowstone’s trademark yellow tour buses have evolved into a high tech, biodiesel-powered riding experience including on-board electronic and communications gear. The pickup has been running on 100% biodiesel for over 10 years and 181,000 miles. This is no small feat, with an elevation of 6,241 ft., the mountainous region surrounding the park experiences a variety of extreme weather throughout the year, the United Soybean Board says…
Falling Gas Prices = The Big Carrot?
It seems like Christmas in September here in the US. Gas prices are free-falling to levels we haven’t seen in a while. It’s such a sudden and drastic change that it’s got me wondering “why?â€â€¦
From USA Today
9/12/2006Gasoline prices continue to tumble, almost free-falling toward levels not seen in five months.
The nationwide average for regular was $2.618 a gallon, the Energy Information Administration reported Monday. That was 10.9 cents lower than a week earlier.
“The reason prices are going down so far so fast is that they shouldn’t have been that high in the first place. Two reasons they were: fear and speculation,†says Mike O’Connor, president of the Virginia Petroleum, Convenience and Grocery Association. It represents gasoline distributors who operate about 4,000 stations.
O’Connor says $2 gasoline “is more likely than unlikely†if the Gulf of Mexico isn’t hit by hurricanes and if there isn’t a flare-up of tensions in oil-producing regions.
So gasoline prices are likely to be down to $2/gallon as long as there are no oil-platform eating hurricanes or a flare-up of tensions in Venezuela and Canada (or was that some other oil-producing regions they had in mind)? Wow, that sounds great… I’m not convinced this is the whole story. Letâ’s keep digging and reading’
2006 cars are as efficient as… 1982 cars?
Ahh, the good old days. I remember 1982 like it was 24 years ago! Those were the days of simple living – before CD’s competed with vinyl records, before the Apple IIe computer, before a touch-tone phone in my home… Wow! We have come a LONG way since then with technology, haven’t we?
Then imagine my disappointment that average fuel efficency ratings for Automakers this year are almost exactly the same numbers for 1982 …
Gas Prices Are Up but Not Fuel Economy
Little Change Since 1980s, EPA Finds
By Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 18, 2006; Page D01…
The EPA said its study found the 2006 model-year vehicles to be the heaviest, fastest and most powerful vehicles than in any year since the agency began collecting data. Environmentalists have complained that automakers are investing in technologies that make cars go faster or tow more at the expense of improving vehicle fuel efficiency.
Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents many of the automakers, said the industry is building more vehicles with fuel-saving technology, but consumers are still buying heavier, faster vehicles in large numbers.
“The fuel-efficient models are out there, we just need to sell more,” she said. “We are trying very hard.”
Fuel economy made rapid increases in the mid-1970s and in the 1980s. The 1982 level was 21.1 miles per gallon, almost exactly today’s level. The U.S. government began pressing for improvements in fuel-economy rules after the oil shocks of the early 1970s. Mileage for the industry peaked in 1987 and 1988, when the EPA estimated vehicle fuel economy was 22.1 miles per gallon. But industry economy levels gradually began to decline the 1990s, as large, gas-hungry sport-utility vehicles rose in popularity.
The report’s fuel-economy measurements were based on laboratory data adjusted downward by about 15 percent to better represent real-world driving conditions. The data are equivalent to the estimates provided to consumers on new-vehicle labels.
So far this year, lawmakers have rejected attempts to offer legislation to increase the government’s fuel-economy rules. In a speech in Washington today, James E. Press, chief executive of Toyota’s U.S. division, is expected to reiterate his company’s pledge to build more fuel-efficient models, including a goal to sell 1 million hybrid models annually worldwide by 2010.
Tax Credits for Toyota Hybrid’s Begin to Phase Out…
One of the ways the US Government has helped motivate consumers to buy more fuel efficient vehicles is through generous tax incentives on the Hybrids. These include various models from Ford, General Motors, Honda and Toyota.
But as the manufacturer sells more of any particular model, those incentives begin to “phase out” in two steps, each one reducing the tax credit for that particular model by half.
Toyota appears to be the first manufacturer reaching those sales numbers, and on October 1st, 2006 the tax credits for the 5 Toyota-made models will be cut in half. If you want a Toyota Hybrid, you have until the end of September to get the full tax credit for your purchase! ($3150 on the Prius)
(From “FuelEconomy.gov”)
Qualifying hybrids purchased or placed into service after December 31, 2005 may be eligible for a federal income tax credit of up to $3,400.
Credit amounts will begin to phase out for a given manufacturer once it has sold over 60,000 eligible vehicles.
…
When does this incentive end?
The credit will begin to phase out for vehicles offered by a given manufacturer after it sells a total of 60,000 eligible hybrid and lean-burn vehicles starting from January 1, 2006. RS will announce when a manufacturer has exceeded this sales figure.
Beginning with the second calendar quarter after the calendar quarter in which the manufacturer sells 60,000 vehicles, the credit will be 50% of the full credit amount. This part of the phase-out will last for two calendar quarters (6 months).
For the next two calendar quarters, the credit will be 25% of the full credit amount. The incentives for vehicles by that manufacturer will end thereafter.
In addition to the phase out rules, any vehicle purchased after December 31, 2010 will not be eligible for the credit.
Oil Prices Continue to Fall – Below $66 USD per barrel.
Just in time for the home heating season, the world oil market continues to slide back down to pre-summer numbers.
Oil prices extend losses, Brent drops below 66 dollars
LONDON (AFP) – World oil prices have fallen to a five-month low point below 66.0 dollars a barrel in London on diminishing prospects of supply disruptions.
Crude futures, already weakened in recent days by expectations that Iran would not face economic sanctions over its nuclear programme any time soon, have been weighed down further by strong rises in US energy stockpiles.
Prices were being pressured also Friday by fading fears over this year’s Atlantic hurricane season and by BP’s announcement it might restore production sooner than expect at the biggest oil field in the United States.
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