U.S. National Policy Proposed to Lower Trucking Industry Fuel Use and Greenhouse Emissions

This year UPS added 200 new hybrids to its fleet. Photo by roadtransport.com.

Radical changes are speeding toward the auto industry as regulators feel an increasing push from the Obama administration to reduce oil consumption and lower greenhouse gases. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have just proposed a new initiative called the Heavy Duty National Program, geared to reducing the fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of medium and heavy duty vehicles, such as large pickup trucks, vans, semi-trucks, as well as all types and sizes of work trucks and buses.

The agencies estimate that the combined proposed standards have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 250 million metric tons and save approximately 500 million barrels of oil over the life of vehicles sold from 2014 to 2018.

“The new rules are expected to save truckers more than $35 billion in net benefits. Whether you’re an independent contractor who relies on a pickup truck or an independent operator of a full size semi, shrinking fuel costs will mean more money in your pocket,” said Ray LaHood, secretary of transportation.

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Luxury Automakers to Debut EV/Hybrids at New York International Auto Show

The all-electric BMW MINI E. Photo courtesy of Autocraze.com.

If you’ve ever wanted to test drive a concept car - with the bonus of it being environmentally friendly too - then you’re not going to want to miss next month’s New York International Auto Show.

Events will run from March 31-April 11, with the showroom floor opening to the public on April 3 and running to the last day of the show. Among the daily all-day events/exhibits will be the “Indoor Ride & Drive” in the Electric Vehicle Pavilion, which will give attendees the experience of driving non-emission vehicles.

Sponsors, participants, and exhibitors will include Mitsubishi Motors, as well as:    

• THINK - an electric vehicle manufacturer. 
• BMW MINI E - a fully electric, zero emissions brand vehicle.
• PEP Stations - a provider of charge stations for electric vehicles to commercial facilities. 
• Amp Electric Vehicles - a manufacturer and installer all-electric high performance drive trains for Chevrolet Equinox, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac Solstice vehicles.

Also at the show will be some luxury automakers that have stepped into the ‘green’ design arena, and will be exhibiting their newest concept cars.

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Washington Auto Show Expanding Presence of Green Technologies

This year’s auto show season has begun with a focus on ‘green’ - both in the money and eco-friendly sense of the word. Among the first shows this year, The Washington Auto Show plans to more than double the size of its exhibits featuring ‘green’ cars and technologies.

Even before the actual exhibits open on Jan. 27, the day before will kick off with the beginning of the 2010 Electric Drive Transportation Association Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The EDTA is a cross-industry trade association that works in and outside of Washington, D.C. to promote the electrification of transportation, including battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. Members include automotive and equipment manufacturers, energy companies, technology developers, as well as battery and component suppliers.

Among the issues that are set to be discussed will be ways to accelerate the development and adoption of fuel-efficient electric drive vehicles.

As for the actual ‘green’ exhibiting, the show will feature a 65,000 square-foot display called the Advanced Technology SuperHighway, which will showcase advancements in electric, diesel, natural gas, advanced petroleum, biofuels, ethanol, hydrogen, and safety technologies.

Adding to the excitement, Green Car Journal has announced the finalists for its 2010 Green Vision Award, which will be presented at the auto show‘s “Change Happens Here” event on Jan. 26.

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Obama Pledges $2.4 Billion to Fund Next Generation Electric Vehicles Production

Chevrolet Volt. Photo by Xinhua News.

POMONA, Calif.- President Barack Obama has announced that his administration plans to make available $2.4 billion in funding to American manufacturers for the development of next generation plug-in hybrid vehicles and the advanced battery components that will make these vehicle run.

The announcement was made late last week to an audience at the Edison Electric Vehicle Technical Center, where he pledged that “the initiative will create tens of thousands of jobs, and Americans who decide to purchase these plug-in hybrid vehicles can claim a tax credit of up to $7,500.”

President Obama went on to say that the Department of Energy is offering several grant programs in an effort to bring these initiatives to fruition.

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New Prototype Technology Expected to Use Road Bumps to Regenerate Battery

GREENWICH, Conn.- A new prototype technology that can use the bumps in a road to regenerate power to the batteries of hybrid and electric vehicles has been exclusively optioned to Electric Truck, a privately held licensing and technology firm.

The commercial rights were optioned to the company by Tufts University, Boston, which originally developed and patented the technology through its Office for Technology Licensing and Industry Collaboration.

Drivers of hybrid cars could increase their miles per gallon by 20 to 70 percent through the use of this new technology, according to Martin Son, associate director of the OTL&IC at Tufts.

The new technology was illustrated as “one that can be implemented as a shock absorber and instead of having the energy as heat and dissipating, it can be converted into a usable electrical energy which can then be used to recharge the battery,” said Mr. Son.

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