Connecting the Dots | Green Energy News

January 22, 2006 – Vol.10 No.44

CONNECTING THE DOTS.

Asked whether Ford or GM would receive government bailouts (as with Chrysler in the 1980’s) President Bush responded, "We live in a world in which a Ford or GM has got to compete with other manufacturers that are able to deal with costs in a different way than they are, as well as coming up with product that is relevant."

He didn’t explain what relevant meant in terms of cars and trucks but went on to say, “As these automobile manufacturers compete for market share and use technology to try to get consumers to buy their product, they also will be helping America become less dependent on foreign sources of oil.”

So relevant may mean vehicles that get better fuel economy. This was an odd comment from a President who has been pushing for increasing the supply of domestic oil rather than pursuing energy conservation.

Beyond the White House elsewhere in Washington gasoline conservation was making the news.

The Plug-in Partners campaign was launched as a continuing grassroots effort to build public, industry and government support for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). PHEVs would be able to operate in a recharged-from-the-grid, all-electric mode for the first 25-35 miles of driving each day. Average gasoline fuel economy of 80 miles per gallon, or more, would be expected.

The founding members of the Plug-in Partners Coalition include 10 major cities, 5 local or county governments, 35 organizations and nearly 120 public power utilities. In a press release they note that:

--- There is enough overnight capacity (when power plants are operating at reduced demand) to recharge one-third of all the vehicles in the U.S. if they were PHEVs.

--- In all-electric mode, the gasoline cost equivalent is 75 cents per gallon at average prevailing electric rates.

--- Half the cars in the U.S. are driven 25 miles, or less each day.

--- A PHEV with an all-electric range of only 20 miles per day could reduce petroleum fuel consumption by 60 percent.

--- The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and DaimlerChrysler will be testing a PHEV prototype van - with a 20-mile all-electric range - in a small number of U.S. cities over the next year.

--- Drawing from existing power plants, PHEVs would have the potential to cut a vehicle’s petroleum consumption by 75 percent or more, operate on as little as 25 percent of the fuel cost and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds.

--- Gasoline and diesel consumption would be further reduced by the use of biofuels - ethanol, bioethanol or biodiesel.

--- Automakers say that cost, reliability and weight of the batteries are stumbling blocks to PHEVs.

The campaign is seeking more partners - individuals, organizations, companies, etc - to initiate petition drives to encourage government and businesses to issue soft orders or expressions of interest in purchasing PHEVs.

In the City of Austin, Texas, whose public utility Austin Energy appears to be spearheading the Plug-in Partners National Initiative, more than 11,000 have signed petitions asking automakers to produce PHEVs. Further, soft orders for more than 600 PHEVs have been taken from government and businesses.

Not far from the National Press Club, where the Plug-in Partners campaign was launched, Ford introduced a flexible fuel (FFV) Escape Hybrid at the Washington Auto Show. The vehicle, a concept that could easily be produced, can run on gasoline or 85 percent ethanol/gasoline blend (E85).

In a statement, Ford said that running on ethanol blend the Escape Hybrid FFV would emit 25 percent less carbon dioxide than running on gasoline. Further, if just 5-percent of all the vehicles in the U.S. were hybrids operating exclusively on E85, imports of oil would be reduced by 140 million barrels a year.

(It should be noted that determining greenhouse gas emissions from E85 is complicated because of the production methods of ethanol balanced against the carbon-neutrality of ethanol feedstock, such as corn, sugars, or cellulose feedstock used in bioethanol.)

The coincidence of the announcement of the Plug-in Partners campaign, Ford’s Escape Hybrid FFV and Bush’s statement are interesting.

The Escape Hybrid FFV is one of those vehicles that could be readily adapted to become a Plug-in Hybrid by adding another battery pack. Maybe the Bush comment was a subtle hint: Connect the dots, Ford.

Visit the Plug-in Partners campaign at http://www.pluginpartners.org/ , Ford at http://www.ford.com/ .