Green Energy News | December 28, 1997

December 28, 1997 – Vol.2 No.39

ENERGIES... week of December 28, 1997

HAVE THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO. According to a new study 70% would like their cars or trucks to pollute less, and 62% would like to see their states impose zero emission vehicle (read electric vehicle) mandates, but 39% still intend to purchase a fuel hungry light truck, sport utility vehicle or minivan.

However, 31.5% said they would definitely or probably consider an electric vehicle in the future. That percentage shoots up to 47.1% if the EV would have lower operating expenses than a gas powered vehicle. Only 26% said they they would definitely or probably not consider an EV.

What can be read into this study? That the American public is still unclear about the relationships between fuel efficiency, pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Governments, educational institutions, trade associations, environmental groups and the mass media could fix that problem.

Also, many Americans are sensitive operating costs - gasoline, insurance, repairs and maintenance. Marketing efforts for EV’s and hybrids could emphasize these costs - generally considered less for these vehicles.

The study was made by the Dohring Co. of Glendale, California, an automotive research firm.

MORE OFFERINGS AT THE TABLE. The auto show season in the U.S. begins with the holidays - and more public debuts of clean and efficient cars. Nissan’s Altra EV 4 passenger mini-van was first shown to the general public at the opening of the Los Angles International Auto Show. Nissan claims a 120 mile combined city-highway range on lithium-ion batteries. The Altra has all the creature comforts of a gas-powered mini-van and utilizes the same inductive charging system as GM’s EV-1. Retail sales will start in 2000.

At the same show Honda introduced a gasoline-electric hybrid concept car - the J-VX sports car. The J-VX uses regenerative braking to charge an ultracapacitor, which releases its energy to the electric drive motor to assist a 3-cylinder, 1.0 liter gasoline engine. This Integrated Motor Assist System has the performance of a 1.5 liter engine and fuel economy of 70 miles per gallon

Also in L.A., Honda showed its 1998 Accord ZLEV (zero level emission vehicle) which uses a dual-function catalyst, variable valve timing and computerized fuel management system to zero-out smog-related emissions.

REAL EFFICIENCY IN RAIL. So far for the holiday season, AMTRAK, the major passenger rail service in the U.S., has seen ticket sales increase 13% over last year in the busy Northeast U.S. On some runs to upstate New York, sales were up 19-38%. Bad weather in Boston two days before Christmas helped ticket sales climb 61% in that city over last year. Good news for the ailing rail service.