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June 2008
Give Us Your Feedback--What Do You Want To See in Clean Motion?
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Nissan Announces Plans for All-Electric Vehicle
Nissan
Motor Company plans to offer a fully electric vehicle for sale in the
United States and Japan by 2010—the same year that the first production
models of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that employ both electric
motors and liquid-fueled combustion engines are expected from General
Motors and Toyota.
Nissan would be the first
major automaker to bring a zero-emission vehicle to the American
market, according to Nissan Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn, though “zero”
in this case refers only to direct emissions of the vehicle. Greenhouse
gases and other air pollutants associated with the production of the
electricity that powers the vehicle would be factored into the
vehicle’s overall emissions profile. The relative efficiency of
electric drive motors compared to internal combustion engines, however,
plus the potential for electric vehicles to be charged at off-peak
times suggests that electric vehicles present opportunities to reduce
vehicle carbon emissions dramatically.
Mr.
Ghosn said Nissan decided to accelerate development of battery-powered
vehicles because of high gasoline prices and environmental concerns,
not just because of the need to meet stricter fuel-economy standards.
“What we are seeing is that the shifts coming from the markets are more
powerful than what regulators are doing,” Mr. Ghosn was quoted as
saying. Nissan hopes to follow its debut with a line of electric cars
to be marketed globally by 2012.
Resources
http://www.eere.energy.gov/news/archive.cfm/pubDate=%7Bd%20%272008%2D05%2D14%27%7D#11765
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2008/_STORY/080513-01-e.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/plug-in-hybrid-cars-co2-emissions-electricity-energy.php
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GM Begins Testing New Generation of Batteries
General
Motors (GM) announced commencement of road testing for the lithium-ion
battery system that will be installed in the Chevrolet Volt, GM‘s much
anticipated plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. With only two years before
the expected rollout, GM engineers hope tests will solidify projections
for the expected service life of the battery pack, currently estimated
at 10 years.
The Volt will be powered entirely by
an electric motor that can be charged by plugging directly into a
household outlet. The Volt’s small internal combustion engine will
serve as an onboard battery recharger and range extender. The Volt is
expected to travel up to 40 miles on a single battery charge, engaging
the engine only on longer trips. The U.S. Bureau of Transportation
Statistics estimates that the average driver in the United States
drives 29 miles per day.
Resources
http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/03/autos/bc.na.fin.com.us.gm.volt/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080404/BUSINESS01/804040430
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SUV Sales Continue Big Slide While Small Cars Gain
Overall
U.S. sales of cars and light trucks in May of this year were seven
percent below monthly totals for 2007; the decline for trucks and
sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), however, was even sharper. General
Motors reported a 26.7 percent drop in light-truck sales, contributing
to a 16 percent decrease in overall yearly sales for the company. SUV
sales overall declined more than 25 percent for the past year.
Countering
this trend is a significant jump in sales of compact and subcompact
cars, which accounted for 20 percent of overall sales in April. In the
face of historically high prices for gasoline, many small car model
lines saw unprecedented gains. The Ford Focus, Toyota Yaris, and Honda
Fit each recorded rises in sales of 32, 46, and 54 percent,
respectively. Average sales of six-cylinder engine vehicles were
outpaced by smaller four-cylinder models for the first time in decades.
George Pipas, chief sales analyst for the Ford Motor Company, called it
“easily the most dramatic segment shift I have witnessed in the market
in my 31 years here.” According to Michael Jackson, chief executive of
AutoNation, the nation’s largest auto retailer, “the era of the
truck-based large SUV’s is over.”
Resources
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120957431268556721.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/business/02auto.html?ei=5087&em=&en=0d7ec6aead52a524&ex=1209873600&pagewanted=all
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Simple Retrofit for Trucks Saves Fuel
A
new study conducted in the Netherlands suggests that trailer truck
retrofits designed to increase aerodynamic efficiency can save fuel and
reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 15 percent. The study focused
on specially-designed “side-skirts” that cover the gap between a
truck’s cab and trailer to reduce air resistance. These side-skirts can
be attached easily to trailers currently in use, achieving immediate
results. Interest in the retrofit should be high among truck drivers as
U.S. prices for diesel fuel have jumped to over $4.50 per gallon, while
truckers in several European countries are demonstrating and
threatening labor strikes in protest of high fuel prices.
The Platform for Aerodynamic Road Transport (PART), which conducted the
study, noted that the fuel savings can pay for costs of the side-skirts
in as little as two years. Professor Michael van Tooren of the Delft
University of Technology notes that the use of side-skirts in the
Netherlands alone could cut up to 50 million tons of carbon dioxide
emissions a year. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports there
were 7.9 million trucks in commercial use in the United States in 2002,
which averaged 27,000 miles annually.
Resources
http://www.bts.gov/publications/freight_in_america/html/nations_freight.html
http://www.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=0f68aa8f-96e0-4d88-98a8-e965db2e0644&lang=en
http://www.enn.com/business/article/34918
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Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks To Be Tested
Trucks
employing hybrid hydraulic-diesel drive technology will be built and
tested under a project sponsored by the Hybrid Truck Users Forum, a
government-corporate partnership led by CALSTART. Michigan firm
Hybra-Drive has been selected to build three identical trucks this
coming year, which will be tested as delivery trucks by shipping
companies UPS, FedEx Ground, and Purolator for a six to nine month
period. "We are increasingly convinced that this technology offers a
chance to fairly quickly improve the fuel mileage of large trucks,"
said Bill Van Amburg, senior vice president of CALSTART.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy,
the project hopes the test will confirm potential reductions in fuel
use of approximately 60 percent, as laboratory testing has suggested.
Hydraulic hybrid trucks combine a high-efficiency diesel engine with a
unique hydraulic propulsion system that replaces a conventional
drivetrain and transmission. The vehicle uses hydraulic pumps and
hydraulic storage tanks to store energy, similar to how electric motors
and batteries are used in hybrid electric passenger vehicles. Fuel
savings are achieved in three ways: by recovering vehicle braking
energy that normally is wasted; by allowing the engine to be shut off
when the vehicle is stopped or decelerating; and by helping the diesel
engine operate more efficiently overall.
Resources
http://www.hybra-drive.com
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LNG Trucks Pay Off for Fresno
With
the price of diesel fuel skyrocketing in recent months, the City of
Fresno (CA) has paid approximately $400,000 in additional fuel costs
for 2008. The increase would have been $1.2 million, however, had the
city not switched 80 of its diesel refuse trucks to liquid natural gas
(LNG), according to Fresno fleet supervisor Joseph Oldham. “Now we've
seen not only emissions benefits but cost savings by running
alternative fuels,” Oldham reports. The LNG trucks are quieter and cut
many air pollutants in half—the original reason Fresno decided to begin
the switch five years ago. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions from
using LNG may be about 25 percent less compared to conventional diesel,
depending on the source of the natural gas. Fresno plans to replace its
entire fleet of refuse trucks with natural gas trucks by 2010.
Resources
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/natural_gas_emissions.html
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=6035378
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Converting Waste Gases to Transportation Fuel Brings Dual Climate Benefits
Gases
from waste facilities that are typically vented or burned are being
tapped as a significant potential energy source that would both avoid
the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and save carbon
emissions that would have been released by burning other fuels.
The
largest refuse hauling company in North America, Waste Management Inc.
(WMI) is planning to convert gas collected from a municipal landfill
into fuel for its own fleet of natural gas-powered trash collection
trucks. In partnership with truck manufacturer, Linde North America,
the $15.5 million program will purify and liquefy gas created by
decomposition of organic waste at a California landfill.
Meanwhile,
the city of Flint, Michigan and Swedish company Biogas International
have announced a joint plan for a plant to convert waste from the
city’s wastewater treatment facility into biomethane fuel. Initially,
the biomethane will be used to fuel Flint’s fleet of municipal
vehicles. The program will receive $6 to $10 million in start up money
from state and federal grants, as well as money from Swedish and
private funds. “This is the biggest no-brainer in the history of
mankind,” says James R. Hiendlmayr, owner of BioGas Technologies in
Ohio. “Why waste something you can put to beneficial use?” Sweden has a
proven track record with biomethane — the alternative fuel makes up 2%
of the country’s transportation fuel, with buses, taxis, trucks and
cars running on the biogas.
Resources
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/natural_gas_emissions.html
http://cbs5.com/local/livermore.landfill.gas.2.713003.html
http://www.ngvglobal.com/en/market-developments/flint-to-build-biomethane-plant-for-vehicles.html
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US DOT Initiates Study of Hydrogen Fuels for Trucks
The
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) within the U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT) is implementing a two-year study to
determine the feasibility of using hydrogen as a fuel for medium-duty,
short-range trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles. Potential
applications of hydrogen-based technology for such vehicles include
auxiliary power (i.e., refrigeration, lighting, and climate control) to
avoid diesel idling as well as propulsion power in local, urban
delivery trucks. Hydrogen use in long-haul trucks is not a promising
option, according to DOT, because hydrogen’s low energy density makes
it difficult to replace diesel fuel in such operations
Among
the issues that deployment of hydrogen fuels would present include
dissemination of safety information related to operation, fueling, and
electrical systems. Hydrogen has hazardous properties that are not
necessarily more hazardous but different than conventional diesel fuel.
The potential undetectability of hydrogen leaks by unaided human senses
and hazards of on-board storage and high voltage electrical components
are two of the main safety concerns that would need to be managed. DOT
has a series of reports regarding deployment of hydrogen technology
including Guidelines for Use of Hydrogen Fuel in Commercial Vehicles. Report No. FMCSA-RRT-07-020 and System Safety Plan for Commercial Vehicles Using Hydrogen as an Alternative Fuel. Report No. FMCSA-07-025.
Resources
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/art-public-reports.asp
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Rising U.S. Imports of Canadian Tar Sand Oil Raises Climate Concerns
The
United States imports more oil from Canada than any other
country—approximately 2.5 million barrels per day (mbd) or 18 percent
of all oil imports. Mexico is second at about 15 percent, followed by
Saudi Arabia and Nigeria at 12 percent each. A large share of Canadian
oil, however, is derived from bituminous sands, commonly referred to as
“tar sands” or “oil sands”. The production and consumption of tar sand
oil can generate up to three times more greenhouse gas emissions
compared to conventional oil, according to a recent report by
Environmental Defence Canada, raising concerns about the impact of
rising production of the fuel on global warming.
Canadian
oil production has been steadily increasing, primarily due to expanded
extraction of oil sands in the province of Alberta, which has among the
largest deposits of the material in the world. Oil sands production now
exceeds one million barrels per day and is projected to reach three
million barrels per day by 2015, according to Natural Resources Canada.
Tar sands are naturally occurring mixtures of sand, clay, and an
extremely dense and viscous form of petroleum known as bitumen.
Releasing the petroleum and processing into transportation fuel or
other products is a very energy-intensive process. Until recently,
large-scale tar sands production was not economically viable, but
rising oil and gas prices have increased private investment and
attracted support from the Canadian government. Plans to build the
first U.S. refinery in more than 30 years in South Dakota were prompted
by rising Canadian oil imports.
Resources
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=8918e0f8-de7e-4bb3-a14d-5d94b1085b70
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/16177
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN0547416320080605
http://news.gc.ca/web/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=306539
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New Google Tool Helps Transit Riders Find Their Way
Google
is currently testing a feature for its Google Maps application that
integrates public transit routing and schedule information. The new
feature, “Google Transit”, will allow individuals to type in their
starting location and destination or simply select locations by
clicking on a map. The test version currently offers transit system
information for 38 U.S. metropolitan areas and eight other countries.
Those
involved with the project say it will make public transportation more
convenient to use and easier for transit agencies to provide
information to customers. Francisco Oaxaca of Metrolink in Los Angeles
noted that designing and implementing an online trip planner from
scratch can cost an agency over $100,000. Linking in with Google
Transit, however, costs a fraction of that amount and should simplify
future updates.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daly
welcomed the development noting, “regardless of whether you want to
travel three miles or 3,000 miles from home, the tools to plan the most
convenient and easy way to reach your destination is captured all in
one space. The CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] is now a part of a
global community…that offers people the opportunity to choose a more
environmentally friendly way to get where they want to go.” Other U.S.
test cities, representing several regions in the country, include San
Francisco, Detroit, Dallas, and Tampa, and countries such as Australia,
Italy and Canada. Try it yourself: http://www.google.com/transit.
Resources
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/emeraldcity/2008/04/google-transit.html
http://www.transitchicago.com/news/ctaandpress.wu?action=displayarticledetail&articleid=100614
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Large Rural Developments Raise Local Concerns
Compact,
walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods are seen by many observers as the
antidote to low-density sprawling developments, the predominant land
use phenomenon in the United States in the second half of the last
century. Such development patterns have been shown to reduce overall
energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and are considered an
important tool for addressing concerns about energy security and
climate change. These concepts typically apply to urban and suburban
areas, but two recent proposals for dense mixed-use projects in
outlying rural areas have faced opposition from residents and town
officials.
In Snohomish County (WA) outside Seattle, a
proposed 3,000-acre, 6,000-home development would include schools,
shops, and a golf course and would house an estimated 15,000 people.
State law requires dense developments to be built in designated urban
growth areas, although a loophole exists for developments considered to
be “self-sufficient.“ Current residents argue that a project of this
size would fundamentally impact the character of the region, impact
environmental quality, and create unmanageable traffic.
Developers in Lancaster, New York, want to build a large mixed-use
development on a piece of land that is zoned as a
“residential-commercial-office” district. Residents of an adjoining
neighborhood, however, say that they do not want to live close to a
retail area and are asking for a 250-foot buffer to be incorporated
into the project.
Resources
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=11FF042D247EFCB0&p_docnum=1
http://www.speakupwny.com/article_3639.shtml
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2004351438_minicities16n.html
http://www.eesi.org/publications/Newsletters/CleanMotion/clean_motion_apr_08.html#10
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New Affordability Index Includes Transportation Costs
An
analysis of 52 U.S. metropolitan areas has led to the development of a
web-based “Housing + Transportation Affordability Index“ tool, which
allows users to view how much residents of an area spend on housing and
transportation as a percentage of median household income. Many people
buy or rent homes in outlying areas in search of lower housing costs.
They may, however, underestimate the additional transportation costs
that living in such areas will incur.
Housing
is generally defined to be “affordable” when costs are under 30 percent
of household income. The index shows, however, that the residents of
many outlying areas spend upwards of 48 percent or more when
transportation costs are included. Developed through a collaboration
among the Brookings Institution, the Center for Neighborhood
Technology, and the Center for Transit Oriented Development, the index
enables users to manipulate a regional map and examine various
statistics, such as cars per household, transit ridership, median
household income, and employment density.
Resources
http://htaindex.cnt.org/.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/04/07/daily27.html
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=85375
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“Benchmark” Study Highlights Effectiveness of Land Use Policies
King
County, Washington enacted a land use planning initiative in 1994 to
concentrate new development and redevelopment within designated “Urban
Growth Areas.” In the same year, the County began the “Benchmarks”
program which tracks information to help measure benefits and
effectiveness of different land use and environmental policies. A
recently released 2008 Benchmarks Report documents several positive
changes between 1995 and 2006, suggesting that key policies have been
successful.
The report indicates that
roughly half of the nearly 300,000 new jobs and 225,000 new housing
units within the Puget Sound region occurred within King County; 96
percent of that growth occurred within Urban Growth Areas. The report
also shows increased redevelopment of existing properties, increased
average housing units per acre, increased urban park and open land
space, and virtually no net loss of forest land acreage.
According
to King County officials, the region’s Urban Growth Areas have enough
remaining capacity for housing and job growth to roughly double the
initial goals of the program. According to Ron Simms, County Executive,
“this report points to the continued effectiveness of land-use policies
that direct growth into areas where public amenities are already
available, while maintaining open space including forestland and other
natural areas.”
Resources
http://www.metrokc.gov/budget/benchmrk/bench08/landuse/LandUse2008.pdf
http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/news/2008/0429benchmarks.aspx
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Give Us Your Feedback
Clean
Motion covers energy, climate, and environmental topics related to
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technology, smarter transportation systems, integration with land use
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Above
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tell us about your work and interests and how we might better meet your
information needs. Send to Jan Mueller at jmueller [at] eesi.org, 202-662-1883, 1112 16th St., NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.
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