Act Two: The Future of Cars and Trucks

May 14, 2006 – Vol.11 No.8

ACT TWO: FUTURE OF THE CARS AND TRUCKS.

Here’s a possible script for evolution vehicles during the next decade or two:

1) Hybrid cars continue to grow in popularity.

2) Hybrid cars evolve into plug-in hybrids.

3) Gasoline-fueled plug-in hybrids are modified to run on ethanol blend (flexfuel).

4) Trucks become diesel hybrids then plug-in diesel hybrids running on biodiesel blend.

5) Drivers get accustomed to plugging in their vehicles. Recharging from the grid or distributed power source becomes a way of life.

6) The gasoline, diesel or biofueled combustion engine in plug-in hybrid vehicles becomes optional equipment.

7) Battery electric vehicles share the road with plug-in hybrids.

There are bits and pieces of evidence to show that this is the direction things will go.

--- A few weeks ago GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW announced the development of a hybrid electric drive system that will fit in the place of the transmission in most any vehicle.

Now, Siemens VDO has announced a similar upcoming product. The company plans to have an integrated hybrid drive - transmission, clutch, electric motor, generator and starter all in one unit - ready for testing by the end of 2006. Cars fitted with the drive could be driven solely on electric power. Plug-in ability would be possible.

--- TXU Electric delivery is now testing a biodiesel fueled diesel/electric bucket truck in Dallas, Texas. The truck, used for line repairs, can operate on battery power alone at job sites, eliminating idling ordinarily needed to run hydraulic equipment. TXU expects overall fuel savings of 40 -60 percent adding up to $4500 per year saved. The truck is one of 24 in the country like it and was built by International Truck and Engine in partnership with Eaton in a program administered by WestStart-CALSTART.

--- The Edison Electric Institute, the premier trade association for US electric utility companies, now thinks plug-in hybrids are the way to go. If not just to sell more electricity, plug-in hybrids would add to the diversity of energy sources used to energize the nation’s fleet of vehicles thus reduce the nation’s dependence on imported oil, they say.

--- The US Postal Service (USPS) has its first hybrid delivery truck in service. It was built by Azure Dynamics of Vancouver and is in service in Boston, Massachusetts. Fuel savings are expected in the 30-50 percent range.

The USPS fleet drives about 1.1 billion miles and consumes 125 million gallons of fuel every year. Each penny increase in the cost of fuel costs the agency an additional $8 million per year.

Visit the Edison Electric Institute at http://www.eei.org/ ,TXU Electric Delivery at http://www.txuelectricdelivery.com/ , Azure Dynamics at http://www.azuredynamics.com/, Siemens Pictures of the Future, Spring 2006 edition http://www.siemens.com/pof