Californians Turn To Hybrids To Combat Rising Gas Prices

The rising cost of gasoline is forcing some Californians to rethink their driving strategies. The state has the unenviable title of having the highest average gas price in the country, in part because the Golden State requires different gasoline formulations to reduce air pollution generated by tailpipe emissions. Last week, the average price of regular gasoline climbed over $4 per gallon for the first time, with no end to the price increases in sight.

That is prompting many drivers, who had previously driven larger cars and SUVs, to turn in those vehicles for more efficient hybrids. Others are taking public transportation, and those with no other options are scaling back on personal expenditures to cover the rising cost of fuel.

Car dealerships are also reporting that they’re selling fewer trucks, SUVs and vans since the price of gasoline began to rise. More drivers are turning to more fuel-efficient six-cylinder sedans and small cars in an effort to control their operating costs.

According to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, respondents reported being most stressed out by the rising cost of fuel, and nearly half are having difficulty paying the increased costs. The price of gasoline beat out employment, health care costs, home foreclosures, credit card payments and other personal debt, rising food costs, and stock market losses as American consumers’ top concern.

The cost of fuel is of such concern that Republican presidential candidate John McCain has proposed a Federal tax holiday on gasoline from Memorial Day to Labor Day to help relieve the burden. The Federal gasoline tax is currently 18.4 cents per gallon for unleaded gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. Analysts warn that reducing Federal fuel taxes may encourage consumption, which is counterproductive to finding a long-term solution to the rising cost of fuel.

Source: PhysOrg, via AFP
Source: AFP

Photo Credit: Kelly K.

MIRA Introduces Plugless Plug-in Hybrid Conversion

MIRA has announced a retrofit hybrid conversion kit that provides removable battery packs that plug into a wall outlet for charging. According to the company, the kit can reduce fuel costs by 61% and can reduce tailpipe CO2 emissions by nearly 40 percent, while making a minimal impact on vehicle design. The vehicle’s battery packs also charge while the car is running on its gasoline- or diesel-powered engine.

The company created a proof-of-concept demonstration vehicle, known as the H4V, and was supported as a research project by the Energy Savings Trust’s Low Carbon Research and Development program, and funded by the UK’s Department of Transportation.

The rationale for the removable batteries is cost: it’s cheaper to get electricity from the power company than it is to run a combustion engine, but retrofitting a car with a plug-in kit that requires the entire vehicle to be plugged in is both expensive and impractical. By making the battery packs removable, the range of the car can be extended effectively, provided that the driver has access to electricity at his intermediate destination.

Each lithium-ion phosphate battery stores about 30 kW and is contained in a “cassette” that is about the size of a briefcase. The kit requires three batteries and tests have shown that it delivers better economy than a standard hybrid system does. In addition, the mods feature a regenerative braking system to capture inertia. This, in turn, charges the batteries while the car is in motion. According to the company, regeneration technologies have just become mature enough to provide enough of a cost advantage to make their addition compelling.

The system is not currently in production but MIRA intends to bring it to market soon. The overall cost of the kit is about £2,000, or about USD$4,000.

Photo Credit: MIRA

USDOT Proposes 36-mpg Fuel Economy Standard For 2015

In conjunction with Earth Day celebrations, US Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters introduced proposed regulations that would require automakers to achieve an average fuel economy of 35.7 mpg for passenger cars, and 28.6 mpg for light trucks by 2015, five years ahead of the Congressional CAFE standard of 35 mpg by 2020.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the new regulations would save 55 billion gallons of fuel, reduce carbon emissions by 521 million metric tons and save drivers an estimated $100 billion in fuel costs.

The proposed USDOT regulations also establish a system of credits that automakers would earn for exceeding the proposed regulations. Such credits could then be used to offset sanctions imposed on vehicle lines that do not meet the CAFE regulations. Credits could be stored by the automaker or sold to other automakers.

Auto analysts have already said that automakers can only meet the CAFE standards by introducing hybrid vehicle technologies. The major automakers in the US are already under regulations that require the production of reduced-emission vehicles by 2012. In addition, several US states have initiated their own emissions policies, although California has recently reduced its emissions requirements for automakers who sell cars in that state.

GM and Daimler have both said that they are prepared to meet the standards regardless of the cost of doing so.

Source: NHTSA
Photo Credit: Matthew Maaskant

Development Costs Won’t Stop Daimler Diesel-Electric Hybrid

According to Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, the company will market an advanced diesel hybrid, regardless of the development costs. Daimler joins a growing number of companies willing to take the pledge. Zetsche points out that legislation will soon require higher fuel economy standards that can only be met by the development of hybrid technologies. In contrast, other automakers insist that hybrid technologies will be brought to market only at the rate at which consumers are willing to pay for them.

Adding to the debate was Margo Oge’s statements at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit last week. Oge, who is the director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality department, said that she believes that automakers may be need to offer 75-mpg vehicles by the 2030’s, in order to achieve the 2050 greenhouse emissions reductions goals of 50%-80%.

In practice, however, the State of California recently blinked for the second time in five years on its zero-emission vehicle standards, reducing the number of ZEVs required to be on the road, increasing the number of acceptable non-ZEV technologies and lengthening the time in which automakers have to comply with the state’s mandate. Additionally, states with ZEV standards patterned after California’s are expected to lower their ZEV requirements accordingly.

Meanwhile, demand for oil is expected to increase from its current levels of 85 million barrels per day to 120 million barrels per day by 2030, largely due to increased demand for vehicles in China an India. According to GM, the size of the world’s auto fleet could also increase to more than one billion in the same time.

Some experts expect biofuels to take up the slack, but recent interest in the formulations has not produced a clear-cut solution. Corn, a popular biofuel component, is a staple in the diet of many. Rising demand for corn for biofuel production has reduced the amount of corn available for food. Mexico has seen the price of corn jump more than 400 percent in the past year, which has spurred protests from people who cannot afford to pay the increased cost of flour, tortillas and other corn-based products.

Biofuel technology may also be lacking. Congressional mandates also call for an increase in the use of biofuels, and all gasoline sold in the US by 2013 must be a 10% ethanol formulation. Congress has also ordered the production of cellulosic ethanol, a technology that’s still under development, and may not be ready for widespread use in time to comply with the legislation.

Volvo Testing Hybrid Trash Trucks In Sweden

Two Swedish waste hauling firms are testing Volvo’s new hybrid garbage trucks in advance of the company’s planned market release in 2009. The trucks offer a 20 percent savings in fuel over Volvo’s non-hybrid model.

The hybrid trash truck features a 7.0L diesel-electric powertrain and regenerative braking. The diesel-electric hybrid concept vehicle was first presented in 2006. According to Volvo, the hybrid model is powerful enough to pull a heavy load and is more cost-effective than other alternatives.

The truck uses its electric motor on start-up and for acceleration to 20 kph. The vehicle automatically switches from diesel to electric when the truck stops, providing quiet curbside collection. Regenerative braking, which is ideal for stops and starts, charges a battery pack that runs the truck’s compactor unit. This secondary system is also recharged when the truck is parked overnight. The interoperation of the diesel and electric motors could cut CO2 emissions by as much as 30 percent.

The trash truck represents the first of several hybrid heavy vehicles Volvo has planned.

Extreme Hybrid Goes Cross-Country For Earth Day

The 150 MPG Extreme Hybrid SUV, a product of the AFS Trinity Power Corporation, is currently making a cross-country trip, and will be on display at the Capitol Mall on Earth Day, April 20, 2008. The vehicle stopped last week in Austin, TX for a demonstration sponsored by Austin Energy and the Plug-n Partners, an Austin-based consortium that supports the development of PHEVs.

In recent tests, the vehicle was able to power a 200-hp motor at speeds of up to 86 mph and charges on normal house current (110V). According to AFS Trinity CEO Edward Furia, most American drivers would use no gasoline at all and would not draw significantly more power from the grid than they do now, if their vehicles were powered by the technologies that drive the XH-150. Further, Furia estimates that owners could recoup the vehicle’s cost in 2-3 years, based primarily on fuel savings.

The vehicle offers a dual mode operation: all-electric for the first 40 miles - which would suit most American commuters, or hybrid gas-electric operation, which would increase the maximum output to 370-hp, and run both the gasoline engine and the electric motor. This mode is better suited for towing or emergency vehicles.

The company expects to license its hybrid powertrain to auto manufacturers for production within two to three years. AFS Trinity has created a number of novel power generation and storage technologies for automobiles, spacecraft and stationary power sources. The company also produces flywheel-based propulsion systems for Formula 1 race cars.

Chinese Automakers Step Into Hybrid Vehicle Production

Chinese Automakers Step Into Hybrid Vehicle Production

Chinese automaker Chery has announced that it plans to begin production of a hybrid gas-electric sedan this summer following the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. To publicize the availability of the vehicle, the company is providing the Olympic Committee with 50 vehicles for use during the Games.

The first hybrid off the line for Chery will be a gas-electric hybrid of the A5 sedan. The standard gasoline version retails for about USD$10,000 and the hybrid version will come with a $1,500 to $3,000 premium added to that. Other Chinese manufacturers, including Geely, Chang’an, BYD and SAIC all plan to introduce hybrids by the end of 2008.

BYD has announced its plans to develop a gas-electric hybrid for the European market within the next two to three years. BYD was formed in 2003 and initially developed lithium-ion battery technology. Based upon its successes in that field, the company has committed to the production of hybrid vehicles. The company reports that its prototype can travel 110 km on battery power alone. Initially, the company expects to make 500 units per month, but could expand its production to 2,000 units per month within the next year.

The manufacturers have not indicated whether they plan to bring hybrid vehicle designs to the US market, however Chery has developed a number of vehicles designed to appeal to US consumers that will be distributed through Chrysler as part of a twenty-five year agreement between the companies.
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Ford, GM Discuss Long-Term Emissions Strategies

Last week, the Ford Motor Company announced its intention to cut its vehicle emissions by 30 percent by 2020. Ford is the first major automaker to pledge to reduce greenhouse emissions, although many automakers have emission-reducing technologies, including zero-emission vehicles, waiting in the wings. Ford’s plan closely follows legislation that requires carmakers to raise the fuel efficiency of their vehicles to 35 mpg by 2020.

Ford’s emissions pledge comes after a coalition of environmental activists pushed the automaker to detail its plans to reduce emissions that encourage global warming. Ford’s environmental performance has been especially irksome to green vehicle proponents, partially because the company backed off of earlier promises to increase the fuel efficiency of its SUVs. It also had to pull back from promises it made to build 250,000 hybrid vehicles by 2010. Ford says that it is now confident that it can meet the 2020 goal because it has refined its modeling and projection techniques, and believes its emissions goals are realistic.

While General Motors has not committed to emissions or production targets, the environment and clean fuel technology is also on the General’s mind. GM has outfitted the Chevy Tahoe and the GMC Yukon with dual-mode hybrid power trains, and also plans to introduce a light-duty V-8 clean diesel truck in North America. The company is also pursuing the final engineering needed to bring the Volt to production in 2009.

GM is moving toward fuel cell vehicles in the long term, and sees the electric vehicle program as a natural lead-in to hydrogen propulsion. FCV’s would virtually zero out the impact of vehicle emissions on the environment. GM has said that it cannot continue the effective development of FCVs until the infrastructure to support hydrogen FCVs is in place.

Photo Credit: Vince Petaccio

Hydrogen From Sugar Might Power FCVs

Drivers don’t usually want to think about pouring sugar in their gas tanks, but if Percival Zhang, a research scientist at Virginia Tech University, has his way, you might be doing just that in the not-too-distant future. Zhang is developing a new process that converts plant sugars into hydrogen. The process is inexpensive and could lead to a cheap, abundant source of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. Using a similar process, cellulose may also serve as a ready source of hydrogen.

The research team used 13 common enzymes and combined them with water and various starches in a special low-temperature reactor. The result was hydrogen and carbon, with no undesirable leftovers. The reactor brew produced three times as much as anaerobic fermentation, currently used to produce hydrogen from biomass.

Zhang’s team acknowledges that the process does not yet produce sufficient hydrogen, and the reaction time is not particularly fast. To remedy this, they are looking for enzymes that operate at a higher temperature, which would improve the rate at which hydrogen is produced. The team believes that by substituting different enzymes, cellulose could be used to produce hydrogen, since its chemical composition is similar to that of starch.

Zhang believes that his research may increase the hydrogen yield of the process sufficiently to power an automobile in eight to ten years. At that time, consumers could buy starch from the grocery store and add it to their FCV. The technology might also be used to supply hydrogen filling stations or home-base filling stations. In the interim, the technology may be modified to power smaller devices like cell phones or portable electronics.

Photo Credit: sanja gjenero

EVs “Too Quiet” For Blind, Vulnerable Pedestrians

A researcher at the University of California Riverside says that slow-moving electric vehicles may pose a significant risk of injury to blind pedestrians, who rely on changes in the noise level of an oncoming vehicle to determine its direction and speed. Lawrence Rosenblum, a professor of psychology at UCR says that electric cars diminish the lead time in which blind pedestrians have to identify a moving vehicle by 40 percent or more, significantly increasing the likelihood that a blind pedestrian will not have enough time to avoid a collision with an EV.

The risk is also greater for sighted pedestrians, bicyclists, children and runners who may be distracted by other elements of their environment, or who cannot visually identify a moving vehicle. Rosenblum bases his conclusions on preliminary research conducted in a laboratory setting, which sought to determine a blind person’s ability to identify recorded vehicle noises from conventional internal combustion engines compared to those produced by electric vehicles.

Rosenblum will conduct tests with blind people to determine their actual risk level. Additionally, he will meet with researchers who are developing audible systems that would enhance pedestrian’s ability to detect the vehicle when it operates at slower speeds. At higher speeds, road noises from tires and wind would likely generate enough sound to warn pedestrians of the vehicle’s presence.

According to Rosenblum, vehicle manufacturers would not have to make major modifications to the vehicle to achieve added safety goals. He believes that subtle acoustical enhancements would be sufficient to provide additional warning to pedestrians.

Last month, the National Federation for the Blind successfully lobbied a subcommittee of the Maryland legislature to study the possibility of requiring EV manufacturers to increase the operational noise of their vehicles to accommodate blind and visually impaired people. The Maryland committee is expected to conclude its investigation and make a recommendation on ambient noise levels for EVs by the end of the year.

Photo Credit: Helmut Gevert

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