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Facts of the Day
12/03/07 Without prompting from the federal government, the United States auto industry invested 15.6 billion dollars in research and development in 2004. This investment is greater than any other manufacturing sector. -Wards Automotive Facts and Figures and National Science Foundation 11/30/07 For heavy-duty and medium-duty applications, natural gas engines have demonstrated more than 90% reduction of CO and particulate matter and more than 50% reduction of NOx relative to commercial diesel engines. -The Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center 11/29/07 "In 2004, ethanol use in the U.S. reduced CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 7 million tons, equal to removing the emissions of more than 1 million cars from the road." -Argonne National Lab 11/28/07 "An estimated 187,000 hybrid vehicles were sold in the U.S. market through the first half of 2007, accounting for 2.3 percent of the total U.S. new light-vehicle market through June. While sales of hybrid vehicles are projected to decline slightly in the second half of the year, the market is still on track to sell 345,000 hybrids in 2007 a 35 percent increase from the 256,000 hybrids sold in 2006." -JD Power and Associates: Hybrid Vehicle Sales on Pace to Reach Record Sales in 2007 11/27/07 Conversion of the current U.S. light-duty fleet (some 230 million vehicles) to fuel cell vehicles would require about 100 billion gallons of water/year to supply the needed hydrogen. For comparison, the U.S. uses about 300 billion gallons of water a year for the production of gasoline. -Turner, John A., "Sustainable Hydrogen Production" Science, Vol 305, Issue 5686, 972-974, 13 August 2004 11/16/07 Chevrolet's Tahoe hybrid full-size SUV was named Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Thursday. The hybrid Tahoe is a revolutionary vehicle that combines the room and capabilities SUV owners need with a 50% increase in city fuel economy to 21 m.p.g., Green Car Journal editor and publisher Ron Cogan said. The hybrid is to go on sale early next year. No price has been set. "This is a milestone in many respects," he said. "People don't think green when SUVs are concerned, and generally for good reason. Chevrolet's Tahoe hybrid changes this dynamic." -"GREEN IN A BIG WAY: Hybrid Tahoe's honor helps Chevy redo image" Mark Phelan The Detroit Free Press November 16, 2007 11/14/07 Arizona State University scientists believe they have figured out a way to promote growth of a critical fuel source from containers full of bacteria nurtured with sunshine and greenhouse gases. The heart of the project calls for growing a strain of bacteria in tubes as part of a photosynthetic process. The bacterium is expected to yield a fatty substance that can produce biodiesel. The project will be funded with a two-year, $2.2 million Science Foundation Arizona grant that will be matched by an equal amount from petroleum giant BP and Arizona State University. -Ken Alltucker The Arizona Republic Nov. 2, 2007 11/13/07 Ballard Power Systems said it has agreed to sell its automotive fuel cell assets to Daimler AG and Ford Motor Co. Daimler and Ford will manage and fund automotive fuel cell technology development programs through a new private company located at Ballard's facilities. Daimler and Ford will contribute $60 million in the company and Ballard will invest 60 million. Under the deal, Ballard will transfer to Daimler and Ford automotive intellectual property, 113 employees, test equipment and inventory. -CNNMoney.com 11/12/07 Private U.S. company Range Fuels broke ground this week on the nation's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. The plant, which will use mostly wood waste as a feedstock, will begin producing commercial levels of cellulosic ethanol starting as soon as 2008. The biorefinery, being built in Georgia, will initially make 20 million gallons per year (gpy) of ethanol from sawdust, pine trees and wood bits left over from cutting down lumber. -Range says will make wood cellulosic fuel in 2008, Reuters 11/9/07 Researchers estimate an average of 2.45 billion metric tons of cellusoic biomass could be available in the U.S. each year for fuel conversion-providing a potential ethanol yield of 270 billion gallons (twice the total U.S. gasoline consumption) -National Renewable Energy Laboratory 11/7/07 One hundred Northern California households will be given the use of experimental, plug-in hybrid cars next year in the first widespread consumer testing of the super-high-mileage vehicles in the nation, under a program announced Tuesday by UC Davis transit planners and an auto club. The households, to be chosen from the ranks of more than 4 million members of AAA of Northern California, will each have an eight-week loan of a Toyota Prius converted to run on batteries that are twice as powerful as those originally installed by the automaker. -San Francisco Chronicle, 10/30/2007 11/6/07 Chevron Corporation and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have entered into a joint research and development agreement to study and advance technology to produce liquid transportation fuels using algae. -Chevron and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to Collaborate on Research to Produce Transportation Fuels Using Algae, CNN Money 11/5/07 Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) can be an integral part of the utility grid. When connected, the large capacity storage battery of a PHEV could balance the intermittent operation of renewable generation sources like wind and solar. The connected fleet of PHEVs could enhance grid reliability, protect homes and businesses from power outages, and may even provide a revenue stream for its owner. -National Renewable Energy Lab 11/2/07 General Motors has finally gotten its hands on lithium-ion batteries for the Chevrolet Volt . Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman for development, told the Detroit Free Press that the automaker has received the first experimental battery packs from LG Chem, and expects to receive batteries from A123Systems in December. Lutz said he is increasingly confident that the Volt will be in showrooms by 2010, and although he said GM has not decided how many it will produce, he did say, "it's a very safe bet it will be produced in the tens of thousands." -By Chuck Squatriglia Wired 11/1/07 The use of ethanol blended fuels reduced carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 5.7 million tons in the United States in 2003. -Argonne National Laboratory 10/31/07 "Clean Cities coalitions reported that the US displaced the equivalent of 375 million gallons of gasoline in 2006, a 50% increase on the amount displaced in 2005, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory." -Clean Cities Program Saves 375 Million Gallons Of Gas In 2006, Science Daily 10/30/07 "The president of Houston-based Shell Oil says the company has bet its biofuel future on future generation biofuels. "We are investing in cellulosic biofuel," said John Hofmeister during a visit to California, the 46th stop of a 50-city tour to discuss energy issues face-to-face with the public. He commented that fuel made from orange rinds, wood chips and switchgrass may become part of Shell gasoline in ten to 20 years, beefing up supply and possibly lowering prices." -Shell sees biofuel in future, Inside Bay Area 10/29/07 "Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an independent safety-certification organization that tests and writes Standards for Safety for products, has announced the availability of safety requirements for E85 fuel dispensing equipment. The UL certification requirements are a major victory for the ethanol industry and the efforts to expand the availability of E85. Currently there are more than 1,300 E85 fueling stations open across the United States. With UL's announcement, projections are that the number will double in the coming year, as demand for ethanol increased due to more convenient access to E85." -Underwriters Laboratories Certification Expected to Double E85 Locations, Hoosier AG Today 10/25/07 "Since 2003, the San Jose, California airport has eliminated the use of over 1.1 million gallons of diesel fuel through conversion of its shuttle bus fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG), resulting in savings of over $2.6 million dollars and the reduction of vehicle exhaust emissions by over 70 tons annually." -San Jose Business Journal 10/23/07 "Chrysler plans full hybrid versions of the 2009 Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen using the innovative Two Mode transmission that DaimlerChrysler, General Motors and BMW developed. The Two Mode is expected to be available first in four-wheel-drive models powered by a Hemi V-8 with cylinder cutoff technology. The new engine is expected to yield fuel economy gains of about 35 percent in city driving." -"Powertrains key to closing fuel-economy gap" Richard Truett Automotive News October 22, 2007 10/22/07 "Volkswagen AG is planning to offer versions of all its upcoming new models with full and partial hybrid engines, Ulrich Hackenberg, head of product development at the automaker told Automobilewoche magazine." -"VW to offer hybrid version on all future new models" Forbes.com September 23, 2007 10/19/07 "Governor Edward G. Rendell has said that Pennsylvania is reducing its dependence on fossil fuels by supporting 24 new projects that will replace nearly 95 million gallons of conventional diesel fuel with homegrown biodiesel, expand Pennsylvania's infrastructure, and spur innovation in alternative fuel technologies. The Governor announced $10 million in grants through the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program that will leverage another $108 million in private investment to expand the production and use of homegrown biofuels." -Pennsylvania Governor Rendell says alternative fuel industry growing Wednesday, 17 October 2007 10/18/07 Fifteen fuel-saving hybrid vehicles are hitting the showrooms for 2008, four more than last year. But they're not just gas-sipping compacts anymore. Two huge SUVs and a full-size luxury sedan are among the new hybrids available for U.S. drivers, giving them a wide choice in price, size and mileage ranges. And the world's manufacturers plan more than a dozen new models using the complex gas-electric technology in the next two years. -"GREEN GIANTS: Full-size SUVs Tahoe and Yukon get a hybrid option that could raise their mileage 25%" The Arizona Republic by Bob Golfen. 10/18/2007 10/17/07 "Toyota Motor Corp., Ford Motor Co., Daimler AG and General Motors Corp. are among the world's six biggest spenders on research and development, a survey by consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. found. Automotive spending accounted for 17% of the total last year, compared with 29% for computing and electronics and 22% for health, Booz Allen said." -"Carmakers spend on R&D" The Detroit Free Press, 10-17-2007 10/16/07 Dual-clutch transmissions use electronic controls to automatically shift a gearbox that's mechanically similar to a manual. They reduce fuel consumption as much as 6% and give you the option of taking over the controls for quick shifts in sporty driving. -"Less fuel use and more safety" Mark Phelan The Detroit Free Press October 14, 2007 10/15/07 Direct gasoline injection uses a high-pressure pump and lightning-fast electronics to squirt just the right amount of fuel into each cylinder at precisely the right time. It's been around in high-performance gasoline engines for a few years, but the breakthrough comes this year with the Cadillac CTS, the only direct-injection engine that recommends regular gasoline instead of pricier premium. It ratchets the CTS's horsepower up 15%, improves fuel economy 3% and reduces startup hydrocarbon emissions 25%. -"Less fuel use and more safety" Mark Phelan The Detroit Free Press October 14, 2007 10/12/07 The biodiesel industry in the United States is small, but it is growing rapidly. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, biodiesel production has grown six-fold since 2004. -Department of Energy 10/10/07 Mercedes-Benz used the International Motor Show in Frankfurt to unveil its B-Class B 170 NGT, the company's first compact model with a natural gas engine. -Mercedes launches B class running on CNG, Autoblog Green 10/9/07 Ford has developed what it calls the first drivable fuel-cell hybrid electric plug-in vehicle. The Ford Edge crossover with HySeries Drive combines an on-board hydrogen fuel-cell generator with lithium-ion batteries. The vehicle is designed to drive the first 25 miles each day on stored electricity alone, after which the fuel cell kicks in to keep the battery pack charged. An 110/220-Vac charger on board can refresh the battery pack when a standard home outlet is available. With the HySeries Drive, the Ford Edge reportedly delivers 41 mpg with zero emissions. -"Automakers' green initiatives outpace government progress" EE Times, Spencer Chin 10/8/07 Scientists at Texas A&M University and energy crop company Ceres, Inc. have developed a sorghum plant that can grow up to 20 feet tall and yield a massive amount of plant matter. The grain-free sorghum crops will provide feedstock for ethanol plants producing the next generation of biofuels. Ceres is targeting a yield of 15 to 20 tons of sorghum biomass per acre, depending on geography and rainfall. That type of yield could produce up to 2,000 gallons of ethanol per acre of crop about four times the yield of an average acre of corn, the crop most commonly used by existing US ethanol plants. Texas-sized sorghum to fuel future ethanol output, Reuters 10/5/07 Electric cars are extremely efficient with electric motors converting 75% of the chemical energy from the batteries to power the wheels internal combustion engines (ICEs) only convert 20% of the energy stored in gasoline. www.fueleconomy.gov, Department of Energy 10/4/07 After unveiling their new Volkswagen up! mini-car at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month, VW is set to show two more variants in the next month and a half. The Tokyo Motor Show at the end of October should see a small five door mini-van based on the up! which would be a spiritual successor to the old Micro-Bus. On this continent we should be getting a plug-in version of the car at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. It's not know at this point if this will be a straight battery electric car or a hybrid, but the former is far more likely because of the small size. Automotive News 10/3/07 Using hydrogen as the "battery" to store energy from a nonpolluting, renewable source would result in a truly unlimited supply of clean fuel. The advantage of using hydrogen to store energy rather than a battery pack is that a hydrogen tank can be refilled in minutes rather than recharged in hours, and it takes less space and weight to store enough hydrogen to drive a given distance on a single refueling than it does to carry enough battery capacity to go the same distance on a single recharging. www.altfuels.com 10/2/07 The California Air Resources Board has calculated (see Table 9-3 on page 137 of a 2000 staff report) that a battery electric vehicle recharging from the California utility power mix will produce about 98% less pollution than an average 2002 model car over their respective lifetimes, and 95% less pollution than even the cleanest 2002 car--hybrid The California Air Resources Board 10/1/07 The US Dept. of Energy has announced that it will invest nearly $20 million in plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) research. PHEVs have the potential to displace a large amount of gasoline by delivering up to 40 miles of electric range without recharging a distance that includes most daily roundtrip commutes. Five projects will focus on developing batteries and cells for 10- and 40-mile range PHEVs and building small cells to test new cathode materials. In addition, the University of Michigan will receive nearly $2 million to explore the future of PHEVs in a two-year study. DOE to Invest up to $20 Million for Plug-In Hybrid Research, EERE News 9/28/07 Biodeisel (B20) requires absolutely no change in the storage or dispensing hardware that handles petroleum diesel fuel, and even "neat" biodiesel (or "B100") would only require minor changes in some materials used for seals, hoses and the like so the retail infrastructure for a B20 market is already in place. Thus any diesel-powered truck or bus is, potentially, already an alternative-fueled vehicle. For example: an ordinary used Winnebago was "converted" into the "Veggie Van" simply by pouring homemade biodiesel into its tank. http://www.altfuels.org/ 9/27/07 The University of Tennessee has confirmed it will build a $40 million biofuel plant to create ethanol from switchgrass and other plants. The university will build and operate the demonstration scale facility in partnership with the Mascoma Corporation in the Niles Ferry Industrial Park in Monroe County, southwest of Knoxville. It is the second major alternative fuels project announced this year for the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley. University of Tennessee to build demonstration biorefinery" Biofuel Review 9/26/07 Chrysler has announced a new engineering division, called ENVI, that will focus on designing and building electric and hybrid vehicles, allowing the company to develop a new generation of environmentally-responsible Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles. Chrysler plans to roll out its first two hybrid vehicles, a Dodge Durango and a Chrysler Aspen, somewhere in 2009 those models will use a transmission developed with GM and BMW. Chrysler announces a new electric and hybrid vehicle division called ENVI" Auto123.com 9/25/07 Visitors to Manhattan's ECOFEST 2007 will witness the first of a fleet of fuel-cell Chevrolet SUVs that will soon be driving across metropolitan New York, fueled by hydrogen and emitting nothing more than water vapor. Real drivers will participate in the world's biggest fuel-cell test, involving more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell SUVs. The two-year pilot will begin in the New York metropolitan area at the start of calendar 2008. Hydrogen-Powered Chevy and Saturn Hybrid On Display at ECOFEST" autochannel.com 9/24/07 U.S. sales of new hybrid cars were up 49 percent in the first seven months of this year, due largely to a boom in sales in the Midwest, an auto information and marketing company said Monday.Lonnie Miller, director of industry analysis for R.L. Polk, said hybrids are a bright spot in a U.S. market that is otherwise down. Miller predicted total U.S. hybrid sales will exceed 300,000 this year, or more than 2 percent of all sales. U.S. consumers bought 254,545 hybrids in 2006. "More people in U.S. buying hybrid vehicles; sales up 49 percent in first 7 months of 2007" September 17, 2007 Associated Press 9/21/07 A federal initiative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and growing customer demand for "green" shippers could accelerate biodiesel use in the trucking industry. Through its new "Grow and Go" program, the EPA is educating the industry about biodiesel's benefits, and matching product shippers with truckers that use the fuel. As a result, companies, such as California-based State Logistics, are increasing their business by finding sustainable transportation for environmentally conscious customers. Most of State Logistics' trucking contractors use a 5 or 20 percent blend, but the company has also run trucks on B99 (99 percent biodiesel). Demand for 'green shippers' driving biodiesel markets, Farm Week 9/20/07 Clean Energy has begun construction on California's first, large-scale LNG (liquefied natural gas) production plant, with commercial shipments scheduled to begin in the second half of 2008. The plant will serve the growing demand from California's heavy-duty natural gas vehicle fleets, including fleets that serve the Los Angeles Ports. Initial production capacity will be around 160,000 LNG gallons per day, which will be delivered for use by fleets throughout California and the Southwest. Clean Energy begins construction on LNG plant in California, Businesswire 9/19/07 Google and Pacific Gas & Electric have unveiled their vision of a future in which cars and trucks are partly powered by the country's electric grids, and vice versa.The companies displayed six Toyota Prius and Ford Escape hybrid vehicles modified to run partly on electricity from the power grid, allowing the vehicles to go up to 75 miles on a gallon of gas, nearly double the number of miles of a regular hybrid. They also modified one vehicle to give electricity back to the power company. Google and Utility to Test Hybrids That Sell Back Power, New York Times 9/18/07 VeraSun Energy Corporation, one of the nation's largest ethanol producers, and The Kroger Co. have opened 20 VE85 fueling locations at Kroger convenience stores, making Kroger the first national retailer to offer VeraSun's branded E85 a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline for Flexible Fuel Vehicles. With the addition of the 20 Kroger locations, VeraSun is now selling VE85 at more than 100 retail fueling stations nationwide. "Kroger Becomes First National Retailer to Sell VeraSun's Branded E85," CNN Money 9/17/07 AUDI has released details of an A5 concept vehicle with a natural gas engine. The concept AUDI A5 2,0 T-CNG been based on the TFSI engine, a turbo engine with gasoline direct injection, and according to Audi, emits approximately 20 per cent fewer CO2 emissions than a comparable gasoline fueled vehicle while only weighing 90 kilograms more. "AUDI Develops A5 Concept Vehicle with Natural Gas Turbo Engine," NGV Global 9/14/2007 Electric vehicles reduce pollutants by more than 90 percent when compared to the cleanest conventional gasoline-powered vehicles (even when factoring in the emissions from power plants generating the electricity to the charge the vehicle). Driveclean.ca.gov 9/13/2007 The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) recently announced that Biodiesel Industries, Inc. and the city of Denton, TX opened earlier this week a new biodiesel plant powered entirely by biogas from the city landfill. Alternative Transportation Fuels Today 9/12/2007 Madison, Wisconsin took a step toward cleaner air and a reduced dependence on oil with the unveiling of five new hybrid-electric public transit buses. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz revealed the many advantages of the new buses, including up to 75 percent better fuel economy and a significantly smoother ride for passengers. According to a 2006 study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the buses are also expected to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions up to 39 percent, particulate matter up to 97 percent, carbon monoxide up to 60 percent and hydrocarbons up to 75 percent. Bridget Roby "New hybrid Metro buses set to hit campus streets soon" The Badger Herald Wednesday, September 12, 2007 9/11/2007 At the bi-annual Frankfurt show, GM's Opel unit showed a concept for a sleek electric hatchback that pairs an electric motor with a 1.3-liter diesel engine. Called the "flextreme," it would be able to run for 40 miles on power from a large battery pack that can be recharged during longer trips by the diesel engine. Although the Flextreme's battery can be recharged in around three hours from a 220-volt outlet, the vehicle could be driven up to 480 miles without stopping to recharge or refuel, using the stored battery power and a tank of diesel fuel. John McCormick "Opel Flextreme merges electric, diesel" The Detroit News September 11, 2007 9/10/2007 "Mitsubishi Motors Corp. unveiled a concept electric vehicle model that makes use of both solar and wind power, for exhibiting at the Tokyo Motor Show this autumn. The i MiEV Sport model features a high-performance rechargeable battery and a body made of aluminum to keep down the weight. With one charge of electricity, the model has a range of 200 kilometers, 25 pct more than the automaker's i MiEV minivehicle-type electric vehicle model. The concept electric car has a solar cell panel attached to the roof so that it can accumulate electricity whenever sunlight is present. It is also equipped with a fan in the front air intake system, to enable wind power generation." Japan Corporate News Network KK 9/7/2007 "If 10,000 Electric Vehicles in California all plugged in at the same time to recharge, they would represent less than 0.06 percent of California's total power demand. EVs use on average a little less than half a kilowatt-hour per mile as they drive. Since Californian's drive an average of about 36 miles per day, a typical estimate of electricity used daily by an EV is about 15 kilowatt-hours." California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board 9/6/2007 "Hyatt is installing recharging stations for the Tesla electric roadster in three hotels: San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, Sacramento, and Incline Village on Lake Tahoe's North Shore. A Tesla owner now can drive from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe without fear of running out of power." David R. Baker "Hyatt puts Tesla roadster recharging stations in 3 hotels" San Francisco Chronicle August 30, 2007 9/5/2007 "Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has helped break ground on what will be the largest biodiesel refinery in the United States and one of the largest in the world. The $150 million Louis Dreyfus Soybean Processing and Biodiesel Plant to be constructed in north-central Indiana will process nearly 50 million bushels of soybeans annually. It is expected to produce 80 million gallons of biodiesel for blending into motor fuel each year." "U.S. Biodiesel Plant Breaks Ground in Indiana," Environment News Service 9/4/2007 "In 2006 alone, the ethanol industry helped create more than 160,000 jobs in various sectors of the economy, boosted U.S. household income by $6.7 billion through increased economic activity and new jobs, and added $2.7 billion in federal tax revenue and $2.2 billion in state and local tax revenues.[i] Growth of the biomass industry is creating new markets and employment for farmers and foresters, as well as job opportunities in processing and distribution." EERE, Department of Energy 8/31/2007 "Better technology and Americans' demand for more efficient cars and trucks will drive the average fuel economy of new vehicles to the highest level ever, according to a federal estimate. Based on sales estimates from automakers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calculated that 2007 models, including both cars and light trucks, would average 26.4 miles per gallon, surpassing the previous peak of 26.2 in 1987. The increase of 1 mile per gallon, or 3.9%, from the 2006 models follows two years of no change in the fleet average." Justin Hyde "Vehicle fuel economy surges toward record" Detroit News August 31, 2007 8/30/2007 "Multiple displacement technology deactivates some of an automobile's engine cylinders when they are not needed. This temporarily turns an 8- or 6-cylinder engine into a 4- or 3-cylinder engine. This can improve fuel efficiency by 7.5% and save consumers $2,000 at the pump over the lifetime of the vehicle." "Department of Energy, www.fueleconomy.gov 8/29/2007 "Several car companies have been working on homogeneous charge compression ignition engine technology, commonly known as HCCI. The technology promises the fuel economy of a diesel engine, which is typically much more efficient than a gasoline engine, but with the much cleaner exhaust of a gasoline engine. In an HCCI engine, gasoline is ignited inside the cylinder using compression and the engine's own heat without the need of a spark. The engines will get 15-percent better fuel economy than ordinary gasoline engines. "GM unveils diesel-like gasoline engines" CNN Money August 24, 2007 8/28/2007 "The U.S. Agriculture Department has awarded $97 million in loan guarantees to support four biofuel projects as part of a broad push to encourage renewable energy use. The program provides financial assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to install renewable energy projects. The loans will fund the following projects: an ethanol plant in North Carolina ($35 million), two biodiesel plants in Illinois ($42.5 million in total) and a facility in Georgia that will produce wood pellet fuel ($19.5 million)." Gov't backs $97M in biofuel loans" Associated Press 8/27/2007 "Monthly production of ethanol in the US topped 500 million gallons in May 2007, representing a 38% increase over May 2006, according to figures from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). Demand for ethanol climbed to 556 million gallons in May 2007, an increase of 22% over May 2006." US Ethanol Production Tops 500 Million Gallons in May, Green Car Congress 8/24/2007 "Experts estimate that a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle could get more than 100 miles per gallon while the vehicle runs primarily on the battery compared to the 30 to 55 miles per gallon that most of today s hybrid electric vehicles achieve at a charging cost that s equivalent to roughly $1 a gallon." Larry Johnson, Director of Argonne National Laboratory's Transportation Technology R&D Center 8/23/2007 "Prometheus Energy Company has begun producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the world's first landfill gas-to-LNG plant. The plant was installed in late 2006 at the Frank R. Bowerman Landfill in Orange County, California. The entire output of the plant will be used as an alternative fuel in public transport vehicles in the Orange County Transit Authority fleet." Prometheus Energy Company 8/22/2007 "Ford Motor Co. said a speed record set last week by the company's prototype fuel-cell car could hasten use of the technology in its vehicles. The car, powered by hydrogen and an electric motor, reached 207.297 mph Wednesday at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah." Bloomberg News, Sunday August 18th 8/21/2007 "Monthly production of ethanol in the US topped 500 million gallons in May 2007, representing a 38% increase over May 2006, according to figures from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). Demand for ethanol climbed to 556 million gallons in May 2007, an increase of 22% over May 2006." US Ethanol Production Tops 500 Million Gallons in May, Green Car Congress 8/20/2007 "One of Ford Motor Co.'s top executives responsible for hybrid-powered vehicles said Friday that the company is looking to hire 70 engineers and scientists to support its growing programs for alternative-fuel vehicles, such as those powered by gasoline-electric engines or those that can be plugged into an outlet." Sarah A. Webster "Ford seeks 70 engineers for hybrid program" The Detroit Free Press August 18, 2007 8/17/2007 "The Hill-Terry legislation takes a reasonable approach with bold CAFE standards, reducing emissions and a dependence on foreign oil. But it is balanced, allowing our domestic automakers to achieve this without weakening the industry. Our domestic automakers invest $17 billion yearly in the research and development of alternative fuel vehicles and deserve recognition for this leadership." Secretary Rodney Slater, Buffalo News, August 17, 2007 8/16/2007 "Hydrogen can be produced using diverse, domestic resources including nuclear; natural gas and coal; and biomass and other renewables including solar, wind, hydroelectric, or geothermal energy. This diversity of domestic energy sources makes hydrogen a promising energy carrier and important to our nation's energy security. It is expected and desirable for hydrogen to be produced using a variety of resources and process technologies (or pathways)." EERE and the Department of Energy 8/15/2007 "In an all-electric car, high performance batteries store cleaner, cheaper, domestically produced electricity, and an electric motor provides propulsion with zero emissions. Electric cars are very reliable. No oil changes, no tune ups. EVs have fewer than 1/10th as many parts as a gas car. There's no engine, transmission, spark plugs, valves, fuel tank, tailpipe, distributor, starter, clutch, muffler or catalytic converter." Plug In America 8/14/2007 "The standard warranty on hybrid batteries usually runs between 80,000 and 100,000 miles. Great advances in battery technology since 2000 have raised the life expectancy to a respectable level in 2007. The warranty for battery life may be at 100,000 miles, but taxi services using hybrid-only cars are springing up everywhere and these taxi services are seeing 200,000 to 300,000 miles with absolutely no degradation in battery performance." "12 Common Hybrid Car Myths" hybrid-electric-car.net 8/13/2007 "Any fleet director concerned about sustainability and responsible financial stewardship would aggressively expand the use of vehicles powered by clean-burning natural gas. Natural gas used in Utah is domestically produced, emits almost none of the pollutants that cause most of our air quality problems in the Salt Lake Valley, emits 40 percent fewer global warming pollutants than conventional gasoline and is far less expensive, at 73 cents per gallon, than gasoline." Rocky Anderson, Mayor of Salt Lake City. "State should pursue sensible energy alternatives, not wasteful policies" The Salt Lake Tribune August 11, 2007 8/10/2007 "Increased utilization of renewable biofuels results in significant microeconomic benefits to both the urban and rural sectors, and the balance of trade. A study completed in 2001 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that an average annual increase of the equivalent of 200 million gallons of soy-based biodiesel demand would boost total crop cash receipts by $5.2 billion cumulatively by 2010, resulting in an average net farm income increase of $300 million per year. The price for a bushel of soybeans would increase by an average of 17 cents annually during the ten-year period." The National Biodiesel Board 8/9/2007 "Congress needs to pass an energy bill that reduces America's dependence on Middle East oil and encourages research in alternative fuel technologies like ethanol, biodiesel, fuel cells, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen. Such a bill must also include common sense legislation that will give our American auto industry equal footing with foreign manufactures, not a sweeping, one-size-fits all unfunded industry mandate." Representative Tim Walberg "Don't aid foreign automakers with fuel rules" The Detroit News August 09, 2007 8/8/2007 "Ethanol biofuel could play an important role in reducing petroleum consumption by enabling a substantial increase in the fuel efficiency of gasoline engine vehicles. This ethanol boosted engine concept uses a small amount ethanol to increase the efficiency of use of a much larger amount of gasoline by approximately 30%. Gasoline consumption and the corresponding CO2 emissions would thereby be reduced by approximately 25%." Massachusetts Institute of Technology study "Direct Injection Ethanol Boosted Gasoline Engines: Biofuel Leveraging for Cost Effective Reduction of Oil Dependence and CO2 Emissions" 8/7/2007 "Neat biodiesel (100% biodiesel) reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 75% over petroleum diesel. Using a blend of 20% biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15%." The Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center 8/6/2007 "An estimated 187,000 hybrid vehicles were sold in the U.S. market through the first half of 2007, accounting for 2.3 percent of the total U.S. new light-vehicle market through June. While sales of hybrid vehicles are projected to decline slightly in the second half of the year, the market is still on track to sell 345,000 hybrids in 2007 a 35 percent increase from the 256,000 hybrids sold in 2006." JD Power and Associates: Hybrid Vehicle Sales on Pace to Reach Record Sales in 2007 8/3/2007 "In 2000, biodiesel became the only alternative fuel in the country to have successfully completed the EPA-required Tier I and Tier II health effects testing under the Clean Air Act. These independent tests conclusively demonstrated biodiesel's significant reduction of virtually all regulated emissions." The National Biodiesel Board 8/2/2007 "For heavy-duty and medium-duty applications, natural gas engines have demonstrated more than 90% reduction of CO and particulate matter and more than 50% reduction of NOx relative to commercial diesel engines." The Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center 8/1/2007 "In 2004, the biodiesel industry sold 25 million gallons of pure biodiesel. By 2005, that number had tripled to 75 million gallons. The National Biodiesel Board estimates at least 150 million gallons of biodiesel will be produced in America this year but it could go as high as 250 million gallons." National Biodiesel Board 7/31/2007 "The Environmental Protection Agency noted that for every BTU of gasoline replaced by corn ethanol, the total lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions that would have been produced from that BTU of gasoline is reduced 21.8 percent. Such emissions account not only for carbon dioxide, but also methane and nitrous oxide." EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, April 2007data 7/30/2007 "1,151,412 and counting In 2006, Americans purchased more than 1 million Alternative Fuel Autos between January and October." J.D. Power and Associates 2006 data 7/27/2007 "Plug-in hybrids use a more powerful array of lithium-ion batteries and are recharged using a standard home electric outlet. That enables the car to travel up to 40 miles, by some estimates, on electricity alone before the battery is depleted and the hybrid powertrain takes over. That could allow the typical Southern California commuter to make it to work and back only on electrons, based on government estimates that the average commute in the region in 2005 was around 19 miles each way." Martin Zimmerman Los Angeles Times, July 20, 2007 7/26/2007 "Biodiesel contains no sulfur or aromatics, and use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. A U.S. Department of Energy study showed that the production and use of biodiesel, compared to petroleum diesel, resulted in a 78.5% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions." National Biodiesel Board 7/25/2007 With the number of cosponsors of H.R. 2927 growing to over 100 in a remarkable period of time 11 legislative days it has quickly become the strong bipartisan alternative to more radical fuel efficiency bills. Congressional Record 7/24/2007 A 2006 study by the DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory estimates that the United States could meet the electrical needs of 73 percent of its light-duty vehicles with today's electricity grid. This would offset the country's daily oil use by 6.5 million barrels, or nearly one-third. Popular Science, May 2007 7/23/2007 Ethanol blends are likely to reduce carbon monoxide emissions in vehicles by between 10% - 30%, depending upon the combustion technology. Environmental Protection Agency 7/20/2007 "Researchers estimated that with a market share of about 60 percent or more plug-ins, the vehicles could help reduce approximately 450 million metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions a year by 2050. The reductions would be the equivalent of removing 82 million passenger cars, or about one-third of the cars currently on the road." Thomas, Ken. "Study: Plug-In Hybrids May Cut Emissions." The Washington Post. July 19, 2007 7/19/2007 For every barrel of ethanol produced (1 barrel = 42 gallons), 1.2 barrels of petroleum are displaced at the refinery. Information Resources Inc. 7/18/2007 Adoption of plug-in hybrids will transfer the overwhelming majority of our miles driven to nearly oil-free electricity. If all vehicles were plug-in hybrids we would cut our oil needs by 55%, nearly enough to eliminate foreign sources altogether. 2003-07 California Cars Initiative, an activity of the International Humanities Center 7/17/2007 In 2006, the production and use of ethanol in the U.S. reduced oil imports by 170 million barrels, saving $11 billion from being sent to foreign and often hostile countries. LECG, LLC December 2006 7/16/2007 CAFE only affects 44% of consumed petroleum, that used by cars and light trucks. There is no effect on the other 56% of petroleum consumed by industrial and residential uses or burned in heavy trucks, trains, boats and airplanes EIA 2006 Annual Energy Outlook 7/13/2007 In 2004, ethanol use in the U.S. reduced CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 7 million tons, equal to removing the emissions of more than 1 million cars from the road. Argonne National Lab 7/12/2007 "In June 2006, the Big Three automakers announced that by 2010 they will double the annual production of two million E-85 capable cars and trucks. This is the single largest commitment to renewable fuels in U.S. history." Richard Wagoner, CEO General Motors, November 29, 2006 7/11/2007 A shift of only 10 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet to fuel cells could save motorists $200 million a day, and could reduce daily imports by 1.8 million barrels. US fuel Cell Council "An Agenda for Action" 7/10/2007 There are more than 5 million Flex Fuel Vehicles currently on the road in the U.S. today" DOE, EERE study 7/9/2007 "Simply put, the Senate energy bill lacks foresight, creativity and ambition. And those are the qualities we need most as we grapple with the related issues of energy dependence and environmental responsibility." Editorial, Anderson Herald-Bulletin (IN), July 5, 2007. 7/6/2007 In 2006, the Department of Energy announced $100 million to fund 25 hydrogen research and development endeavors. These projects will transform how our automobiles are powered. U.S. Department of Energy release 10/24/2006 7/5/2007 There are 10.5 million alternative fuel automobiles on the road today. R.L. Polk and Company, 2006 7/3/2007 Without prompting from the federal government, the United States auto industry invested 15.6 billion dollars in research and development in 2004. This investment is greater than any other manufacturing sector. Wards Automotive Facts and Figures and National Science Foundation 7/2/2007 Currently there are 60 models of alternative fuel vehicles available, up from only 12 in the year 2000 Auto Alliance 6/29/2007 Since the CAFE program was enacted, U.S. consumption of gasoline has increased by 60 percent Energy Information Administration
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