Swedes falling in love with Natural Gas Vehicles; In June, 2.9 % of all new passenger cars sold in Sweden were NGVs!

August 2, 2009 at 7:01 pm

(Source: Green Car Congress & NGVA Europe)

Image via Apture

The monthly sales rate of natural gas vehicles in Sweden has increased from about 150 to more than 700 units,according to NGVA Europe. The results are largely driven by the new Volkswagen TSI Passat EcoFuel (earlier post) (60% of sales) and the Mercedes B 170 NGT (earlier post) (24% of sales).

Most of the company cars are medium sized sedans or wagons. Cars like the new Volkswagen Passat TSI EcoFuel, and the Mercedes B 170 NGT (see picture on the right while refuelling at a NG/biomethane filling station of Fordonsgas), belong in this category, and explain the strong growth this year of the Swedish NGV sales. More than 50 % of all new cars sold in the Swedish market are company cars supplied to employees and used both for company and private purposes.

The employee pays income tax based on the assessed value of the car and the value of any fuel paid for by the company. For hybrids and for NGVs the value of the car is reduced by 40 % and for flex fuel cars by 20 %, to stimulate the use of environmentally superior technologies. The 40 % reduction is limited to maximum 16.000 SEK annually which, with a marginal tax rate of 50 %, means a net tax saving of 8.000 SEK (some 800 EUR) annually. The lower fuelling costs also mean a corresponding reduction of tax on the value of fuel paid for by the company. A reduction of the annual fuel costs by say 600 EUR thus normally means a 300 EUR tax saving.

Sweden at the end of 2008 had just under 17.000 NGVs and the Swedish NGV sales in June ran at an annual rate of 8.700 vehicles. Sales of new NGVs are now accelerating and may soon reach about 800 units monthly, corresponding with an annual sales rate of close to 10.000 vehicles. The graph shown below clearly illustrates the importance of the now available new models in the company cars segment (also well suited for the Swedish taxi cab segment).

In June 2.9 % of all new passenger cars sold in Sweden were NGVs!

Click here to read the entire article.

“Cash for Clunkers” Update: House approves $2B additional cash infusion; Senate vote ahead

August 2, 2009 at 6:11 pm

(Source: Bloomberg)

The future of the U.S. “cash for clunkers” program depends on the Senate backing a $2 billion infusion this week, with at least one Republican saying he was going to try to block the effort.

“We’ve got to slow this thing down,” Senator Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican, said on “Fox News Sunday.”

The House voted 316-109 on July 31 for an emergency measure adding $2 billion to the program aimed at reviving U.S. auto sales, after a burst of demand exhausted most of the initial $1 billion in less than a week.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a C-SPAN interview Sunday he expects the current $1 billion in funding to be gone by the end of the weekend. The administration will continue the program until the Senate acts, and dealers will be reimbursed for deals in the pipeline, he said. The government will make a “good-faith effort” for transactions beginning tomorrow, he said.

DeMint said he opposes the program because “we’re helping auto dealers while there are thousands of other small businesses that aren’t getting help.”

Named the Car Allowance Rebate System, the program provides credits of as much as $4,500 for the purchase of a new car when turning in an older vehicle to be scrapped. Lawmakers had expected the first $1 billion to generate about 250,000 vehicle sales and last until about Nov. 1.

The National Automobile Dealers Association said last week that its members should be cautious about signing more deals with customers under the program. Dealers provide buyers the discount they qualify for under the program and then submit paperwork for reimbursement to the federal government.

Demand kindled by the clunkers program may push U.S. auto sales to a 2009 high in July, possibly signaling a bottom in the market’s worst slump since at least 1976. Sales have run at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of fewer than 10 million units since December. That pace trails last year’s total of 13.2 million and the 16.8 million average from 2000 through 2007.

The program was designed to subsidize more new-vehicle purchases in the effort to revive dealerships and automakers while getting older, less fuel-efficient vehicles off the road. It has been advertised by automakers in print and on television.

Click here too read the entire article.

Nissan unveils zero-emission hatchback “Leaf” & Autoblog offers an in-depth look

August 2, 2009 at 7:03 am

(Source: Reuters via Yahoo & Autoblog Green)

YOKOHAMA, Japan  – Nissan Motor Co took the wraps off its much-awaited electric car on Sunday, naming the hatchback “Leaf” and taking a step toward its goal of leading the industry in the zero-emissions field.

Japan’s No.3 automaker and its French partner, Renault SA, have been the most aggressive proponents of pure electric vehicles in the auto industry, announcing plans to mass-market the clean but expensive cars globally in 2012.

Nissan will begin selling the first Leaf cars in the United States, Japan and Europe toward the end of 2010, adding two more models soon after. It expects production to start with around 200,000 units a year at the global roll-out in 2012.


Twinning the car’s unveiling with the inauguration of Nissan’s new global headquarters in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn drove up to a stage in a sky-blue Leaf prototype, carrying former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and two other guests to greet a throng of journalists who made the trip from all over the world.

“We celebrate today the start of a new chapter of our company’s life,” Ghosn said.

Nissan is returning to the port city of Yokohama, where it was founded in 1933, after being based in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district for the last 41 years.

Designed as a four-to-five seat, front-drive C-segment hatchback, Nissan says the Leaf is not just for use as a specialty urban runabout, but rather, it was designed as an everyday vehicle – a “real car” whose 160-kilometer+ (100 mile) range meets the needs of 70% of the world’s motorists. In the case of U.S. consumers, Nissan says that fully 80% of drivers travel less than 100km per day (62 miles), making the Leaf a solid fit for America’s motoring majority, even taking into account power-sapping external factors like hilly terrain, accessory draw, and extreme temperatures.

More impressive is the battery pack’s 50 kW DC fast-charge capability, which is capable of accepting an 80% charge in less than 30 minutes, or an extra 50 km (31 miles) worth of range in about 10 minutes. For that, though, you’ll need access to a special dedicated (and at around $45,000 – expensive) three-phase charger, which various cities around the globe have begun installing as part of their own greening strategies. The executives we spoke with says they are working with local governments in the States and around the world to help build supporting infrastructure, but they admit the automaker has no plans to financially support the networks themselves, and fast chargers like the one we experienced in Yokohama are clearly cost-prohibitive for private ownership. 

Make no mistake, though, as despite clever construction methods, the Leaf’s batteries remain heavy, at around 200 kg per car (over 440 pounds). Despite this, Nissan projects that the car’s total weight will be similar to that of a comparable gas car because the electric motor is lighter than a traditional internal-combustion engine and because there is no need for a conventional transmission. Of course, there is the added bulk of a power inverter, but on the whole, Nissan believes the car’s center-of-gravity will be lower than an I.C. car, so handling might actually be better than the aforementioned Versa.

Nissan sees the capability for dramatic user cost-savings versus a traditional internal-combustion equivalent. Using typical Japanese market figures as a starting point, the automaker says an equivalent internal-combustion vehicle’s fuel consumption figure of 20 km/liter (47.5 mpg U.S.) over 1,000 km/month (620 miles) costs about 6,000 yen per month – about $63 U.S. dollars. Conversely, assuming the same operating parameters for the Leaf (using a charge cycle using cheaper nighttime energy rates), Nissan sees an operating cost for its ZEV of just 1,200 yen per month ¬– less than $13. Of course, American drivers will likely pile on far more miles per month on average, and our energy costs differ, but the point is clear – the automaker sees the Leaf as having real money-saving potential.

Click here to read the entire article.


‘Cash for clunkers’ program may end today; House seeks $2B more cash to continue the program

July 31, 2009 at 9:39 am

(Source: AP via Yahoo; Freep & Photo Courtesy: TOBY TALBOT/Associated Press via Free)

The Obama administration promised on Friday that the financially strapped “cash for clunkers” program will be good at least through the day.

Less than four days after launching a popular cash-for-clunkers program, the Obama administration warned Congress the plan already had burned through its $950-million budget, setting off a rush for more money while leaving thousands of dealers and consumers in the lurch.

A White House official told the Free Press late Thursday that all valid deals made under the program so far would be honored, saying it had not been suspended. But administration sources could not say what car buyers hoping to trade their clunker for a new vehicle should do today.

The House is set to adjourn today for a monthlong recess, but Michigan lawmakers and administration officials were pushing for an emergency infusion of cash today. A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said any request would be “quickly reviewed.”

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said he got the word from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as members of the Ohio and Michigancongressional delegations huddled on Capitol Hill to discuss ways to keep the popular program going.

“Beyond Friday,” Levin said, “depends on whether the administration can find some money.”

One participant in the meeting said they were examining possible funding sources and whether there were any glitches in the computer system. The participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talk, said they were also studying how many dealers had enrolled in the system.

Through Wednesday afternoon, more than 23,000 dealer franchises were participating, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The administration dispatched Brian Deese, a top adviser to the Treasury’s auto task force, to the Hill meeting.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said about 40,000 new vehicles had been purchased through the program but dealers estimate another 200,000 vehicles have been sold in transactions that have not yet been completed through the program.

Earl Stewart, who owns a Toyota dealership in North Palm Beach, Fla., said the changing messages on the program has created confusion among his customers and his staff. Stewart’s accounting department also could only enter about a dozen of the 47 sales he made into the government Web site set up to handle the transactions, leaving him wondering if he will get refunded for the remaining vouchers.

Click here to read the entire article.

Breaking News Update:

The Detroit Free Press reports that the U.S. House will vote on $2 billion in additional funding for the cash-for-clunkers program this afternoon.

Michigan lawmakers huddled in the Capitol this morning with a White House official discussing ways to get the cash-for-clunkers program under control. The program is still under way, they said.

While the Obama administration said the plan was not suspended, it doesn’t know how many deals have been made under the program and whether the $950 million available to the plan is enough to cover the deals already made.

The administration may consider whether money from the economic stimulus plan can be diverted to the program.

Click here to read the  update.

ULI Study Says U.S. Can Cut Vehicle Carbon Emissions in Half by 2050; Raising Price of Driving Is Key To Reducing GHG Emissions

July 30, 2009 at 7:04 pm
(Source: Environmental Leader, Hybrid Cars, CitiesGoGreen)
The importance of sustainable land development in mitigating climate change is highlighted in a comprehensive new research report, Moving Cooler: An Analysis of Transportation Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions published by the Urban Land Institute.

The report evaluates incremental reductions in U.S. carbon emissions that could occur within the transportation sector as a result of a variety of transportation- and land use-related actions and strategies to minimize auto use. The report finds that land use strategies will produce the most emission reductions of all 50 strategies analyzed by the report.

Focusing solely on energy-efficient vehicles and cleaner fuels will not address the problem of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to this recent report. A key finding indicates that the U.S. could cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by as much as 24 percent by 2050, without road pricing strategies, through changes to current transportation systems and operations, travel behavior, land use patterns and regulatory strategies.

With pricing measures such as pay-as-you-go drive insurance, direct fees for vehicle miles traveled, carbon pricing or increased gasoline tax, GHG emissions reductions could be as high as 41 to 52 percent.

The research, prepared by Cambridge Systematics, Inc., focuses on strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve the efficiency of the transportation network. Land use is one of nine categories of strategies considered by Moving Cooler, along with transportation pricing and taxes, public transportation improvements, non-motorized transport such as walking and biking, regulations to moderate vehicle use and speed, intelligent systems, expanded highway capacity and more efficient freight movement. The effectiveness of each strategy in cutting greenhouse gas emissions is measured against a baseline that represents current trends.

Moving Cooler outlines a number of bundled strategies for discouraging travel in personal vehicles:

  • create more transportation -efficient land use patterns
  • encourage greater levels of walking and bicycling as alternatives to driving
  • support ride-sharing, car-sharing, and other efficient commuting strategies
  • subsidize public transportation fares, expanded routes and new infrastructure
  • improve intelligent transportation systems to make better use of the existing capacity and encourage more efficient driving
  • expand capacity and relieve bottlenecks to reduce congestion

But none of these steps will be as effective as establishing “strong economy-wide pricing measures.” For example, adding $0.60 to the price of a gallon of gasoline, starting in 2015 and increasing to $1.25 per gallon in 2050 could result in a 17 percent reduction of GHG in 2050, according to the study. If we introduced a fee similar to current European fuel taxes, starting at $2.40 a gallon in 2015 and jumping to $5.00 a gallon in 2050, we could see a 28 percent reduction in 2050. (These fees presumably would be added to the market price for gasoline.)

Moving Cooler points out that economy-wide pricing measures — such as an increase in the gasoline tax, carbon pricing, and pay-as-you-drive insurance – would produce the most significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, due to the likelihood of substantial shifts in driving behavior mandated by the high costs. However, outside of these pricing measures, the land use strategies produce the most emission reductions of any of the other strategies analyzed. Moreover, the costs of implementing such changes in development patterns are offset by the substantial savings in the cost of vehicle ownership and maintenance, the report adds.

The study’s authors say these pricing measures would have two effects: to cut back on vehicle miles traveled and to accelerate implementation and purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles—like hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric cars.

Moving Cooler cites multiple benefits derived from combining concentrated, mixed-use land development strategies and non-motorized transportation strategies to reduce auto dependency: “The combined effect of more compact land use, improved transit service and improved bicycle and pedestrian conditions would be to improve mobility by non-automobile modes…Increased opportunities for walking and biking will lead to improvements in public health, and exercise and activity levels increase. Finally, denser development can lead to energy and greenhouse gas savings through decreased building use, in addition to transportation efficiencies.”

Click here to read the Executive Summary or here to download the the entire report in PDF.

In the News: Top Headlines on Cash For Clunkers a.k.a. Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS)

July 30, 2009 at 6:29 pm

CARS tells dealers how to kill a C4C’s engine

…LegalCash for Clunkers can be a bit complicated, what with last minute rule changes and the multitudes of stipulations ingrained into the program. However, one aspect of C4C that leaves little to the imagination is what happens when a vehicle is turned in under the program: The engine is permanently wrecked, and the vehicle is destroyed.The offi…

Making the Most of Your Clunker Cash

…new government Cash for Clunkers program (or Car Allowance Rebate System – CARS). The dealers have set out all their signs and wacky personalities and inflatable monkeys – all to get you to trade in your clunker for a better car right now. I’ve spent some time discussing CARS with Ann Mesnikoff, head of the Sierra Club’s Green Transportation Ca…

Cash for Clunkers racks up 22,782 trade-ins and $95.9 million so far

…s Cash for Clunkers program returned 4,026 orders on its first full day of availability, some were surprised by the speed with which the sales booster took off. After only five days, the program seems to have picked up steam rather than lost it: 22,782 trade-ins have funneled through dealer lots in the 3-4 days since Monday when the program beg…

Shady Website Claims D-List Stars Support Cash For Reasonably Clunked Cars [Carpocalypse]

…to the Cash For Clunkers program has been nefarious types creating websites posing as helpful/official sites (the only official one is CARS.gov) and snagging personal data. A practice now endorsed by D-list celebs. The most hilarious/awful instance of this practice we’ve yet seen is the “Cash For Clunkers Automotive Network,” promoting sites lik…

REPORT: 9 of Top 10 clunkers being traded in are large trucks

cash for clunkers“) program, people are taking old vehicles and turning them into new ones, with a fancy $4,500 check attached. Now that CARS has been active for a short while, early numbers are in: the trucks and SUVs that were so incredibly popular just a few years ago are being dumped by the thousands for smaller, more efficient vehicles. A…

Cash For Clunkers Update: 22,782 Trade-Ins, Money May Run Out By September! [Carpocalypse]

Cash For Clunkers has quickly encouraged 22,782 trade-ins for $95.9 million. At this rate, NHTSA forecasts the one billion dollar fund could run dry by early September.

Where the fiasco is at today, a Cash for Clunkers update

Cash for Clunkers” program has transitioned from Congressionally-passed legislation to NHTSA rule book, it has at same time gone from a great way to get old gas guzzlers off the road to something resembling a fiasco. Over the course of the past week, dealers have worried that they might be subject to income taxes on the rebates they collect and …

Cash For Clunkers Worthless For Most Auto Recyclers [Carpocalypse]

…suggest the Cash For Clunkers program is creating some new cars sales, but it’s also creating questions: are there incentives forrecyclers? Can you strip down your own car? Is the CARS Act “horseshit beyond repair” for recyclers? According to the law, there are approximately 7,700 car recyclers who have the ability to process cars because they …

Cash for Clunkers program nets 4,000 sales on first day

…s Cash for Clunkers program only got off the ground on Monday, yet 4,026 eligible vehicles were reportedly swapped out in the program’s first day. The program already has 20,564 certified Clunkers dealers, which gives eligible customers plenty of places to tocash in on the federal program. That is, assuming the EPA didn’t make your vehicle inel…

Hoping to snag a Jetta TDI with your clunker cash? Sorry, you may be too late!

…click above for high-res image gallery Undoubtedly, one vehicle with the potential to profit handsomely from this week’s expected rush by Americans to unload old gas guzzlers for newer, more thrifty vehicles is Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI. With owners reporting typical real-world mileage of around 35-40 mpg along with superior dynamics to most hybri…

REPORT: EPA ratings changes shift some “clunkers” out of cash range

…official rules for the CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS, also known as the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 and the “cash for clunkers” bill) were released. Also last Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “refreshed” the combined mpg ratings on its Fuel Economy website. Why does this matter? Turns out the refres…

Full List Of Disqualified Cars Under Cash For Clunkers Refresh [Carpocalypse]

…the disqualified cash for clunkers vehicles. Below, the cars recently made eligible and ineligible after the EPA “refresh.” According to the EPA, what’s used on the window sticker or on their website is considered to be purely for guidance, whereas the Cash ForClunkers (i.e. CARS Act) program requires data out to the fourth decimal place. When …

Eight Ways To Get Screwed By Cash For Clunkers [Carpocalypse]

…screwed the Cash For Clunkers bill. A lot has happened in a month and we now we’ve got three more ways to get screwed. 8.) Buy A Clunker Now! Some unscrupulous sellers may try and convince you to buy a clunker for a few hundred dollars with the promise of being able to trade it in for a $4,500 voucher. In reality, if you haven’t owned your car a…

Kalashnikovs for Clunkers: The Next Stimulus Plan

…t qualify for the federal CashforClunkers rebate program, Mark Muller of Max Motors in Butler, Missouri, has an offer you might want to consider: get a free AK-47 with a new truck. The dealer, whose motto is “God, Guns, Guts and American Pick-Up Trucks,” one-upped himself from last year’s offer of pistols or petrol, and said that…

The Next Stimulus Plan: Kalashnikovs for Clunkers

…t qualify for the federal “cash for clunkers” rebate program, Mark Muller of Max Motors in Butler, Missouri, has an offer you might want to consider: get a free AK-47 with a new truck. The dealer, whose motto is “God, Guns, Guts and American Pick-Up Trucks,” one-upped himself after last year’s offer of pistols or petro and…

Hoping to snag a Jetta TDI with your clunker cash? Too late!

…click above for high-res image gallery Undoubtedly one of the vehicles could have profited handsomely from this week’s expected rush by Americans to unload old gas guzzlers for something more thrifty was Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI. With its typical 35-40 mpg real-world mileage, superior dynamics to most hybrids and relatively sedate pricing, the Je…

REPORT: EPA performs 11th-hour refresh that makes some cars ineligible for Cash forClunkers

…fore the federal Car Allowance Rebate System – CARS (a.k.a. “CashforClunkers“) program went into effect last week. The sweetening $3,500 and $4,500 incentives are available to consumers who trade-in 1984 or newer vehicles with a combined fuel economy average of 18 miles-per-gallon, or less in exchange for more fuel efficient transportation (22…

Show Us The Clunkers! [Show Your Pics]

…With the Cash For Clunkers trade-in program in full swing, we think it’s time to take the pulse of the state of our clunker nation. So grab your cameras Jalopni-philes and head over to your local dealership. Give us your photos of traded-in clunkers in the comments below and we’ll make sure they show up on the front page. The commenters who get …

Gray Market Cars, a Cash for Clunkers Stumper

…car qualify for the cash for clunkers program? It is just one of many issues that Congress did not anticipate while creating the law.

REPORT: Dealers may have to pay taxes on Cash for Clunkers rebates

Cash for Clunkers” program, or CARS (Car Allowance Rebate System) that launched yesterday. As the rebate program kicks into gear, dealers that are hoping to cash in are facing a new worry. But according to Automotive News, they may end up having to pay federal and/or state taxes on the rebate money they receive from the federal government. It se…

EPA Secretly Changing MPG Numbers Ahead Of Cash For Clunkers, Screwing Consumers [Cash For Clunkers]

clunkers” for new vehicles through the Cash for Clunkers (or CARS) program are discovering the EPA changed fuel economy numbers for some cars last week, making it impossible to trade them in! Update. New Jersey resident Jeff Chase was considering trading in his 1989 Mazda 929 for a new car and checked the government’s FuelEconomy.gov website and…

smart USA president Dave Schembri on clunkers, upcoming electric smarts

…2009 Smart ForTwo – Click above for high-res image gallery In the first year that smart fortwo’s were available in the U.S., the company sold about 30,000 units. After that first heady period, though, sales dropped off dramatically. In June 2009, the company sold just 1,116 fortwos and in May the number was 1,169, for an annual rate of just over…

From the Dept. of Mixed Messages: LaHood Touts ‘Cash for Clunkers

cash for clunkers” program. Originally touted as a boost to both the environment and the adrift domestic auto industry, the “cashfor clunkers” concept quickly became nothing but the latter after Congress watered it down to apply to cars that get as little as 22 miles per gallon — and trucks that boast even lower fuel…

REPORT: Nissan engineers tweaking vehicles to meet CashforClunkers requirements

…Click above for a high-res gallery In an effort to sweeten the incentive for those taking advantage of the government’s Car Allowance Rebate System (a.k.a. “CashforClunkers“), Nissan has reportedly sent its engineers back to the lab in order to pinch every last mile out of each gallon of fuel. As it is written, the program offers a sweeter inc…

Cash for Clunkers Begins Today

cash for clunkers,” finally kicks off with a press conference this morning by the transportation secretary, Ray LaHood.

REPORT: CashForClunkers dealers instructed to kill engines with sodium silicate

…s CashForClunkers program were being certified as destroyed, but actually being resold. To prevent that scenario from repeating itself in the U.S., land of Honest Abe, dealers have apparently been instructed to fill the engines of trade-ins with sodium silicate and run them for seven minutes in order to permanently disable them. Early reports …

Biofuel research should focus on planes and not cars, says British think tank Policy Exchange.

July 22, 2009 at 1:07 am

(Source: BBC)

A crop area the size of the USA would be needed to biofuel all the world’s cars and alternatives, such as electricity, exist for them, it added.

Instead, it said the EU should fund research into using plant-based fuel for aviation to help cut emissions.

Sceptics say some biofuels create more carbon than they save and push up the price of food for the poor.

Most biofuels are derived from crops such as corn, sugarcane and rapeseed.

The UK government, which is funding a £27m research centre to find economically viable alternatives to fossil fuels, says 25% of greenhouse gas emissions come from transport.

The EU also changed its stipulation that 10% of transport fuel had to be from crop-based fuel, instead saying the targets could be met by any renewable source, including fuel cells, hydrogen or solar power.

Policy Exchange has previously said the government should spend its £550m annual biofuel subsidies on halting the destruction of rainforests and peatland, which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Now the centre-right think tank says the EU should switch policy to subsidising development of biofuels for aviation because planes cannot run on other sources of energy.

Airlines including Virgin Atlantic have trialled flights using up to 20% biofuel to power the engines, although climate change campaigners say use of the fuel is not sustainable.

Policy Exchange claims using biofuels is the only way in the foreseeable future to meet people’s desire to travel without escalating emissions of greenhouse gases.

Airlines should be mandated to blend biofuel with kerosene in increasing quantities from 2020, it believes.

Click here to read the entire article.

Commuters Go Head to Head in Battle of the Bikes – Cycling commuters naturally fall into bike ‘tribes’. But in a door-to-desk race, who takes the gong?

July 20, 2009 at 1:54 pm

Commuters Go Head to Head in Battle of the Bikes

I’m beginning to love The Guardian’s bike related blog posts. Only yesterday they got me musing over the rights and wrongs of cycling drunk, and they’ve also explored work-appropriate bike clothing. It’s just nice to see bike articles that aren’t all about the Tour de France or the latest developments in lycra, but rather issues that the rest of us cyclists have to face daily. Their latest contribution to the debate is an exploration of riding styles for commuting – do fixed gear riders really get to work faster than mountain bikers or those of us on granny bikes? Read on for a (pseudo) scientific experiment…

OK, so Matt Sparkes’ experiment of which ‘bike tribe’ is fastest is hardly the stuff of scientific break throughs – after all, setting up a race between one rider on a racer, one on a fixed gear bike, one on a mountain bike, and one on a ‘granny bike dawdler’ is, as he himself admits, “as scientific as a climate change sceptic”, but it does raise an interesting debate.

Glance around during rush hour and you’ll spot all manner of bike riders: dawdlers in suits and dresses, racers in revealing Lycra and simplicity-craving single speeders. These are just some of the cycling “tribes” that can be identified by simple clues such as their choice of bike, wardrobe and riding style.  Just like Galápagos finches, they have evolved to fill different niches based on their needs. How far is the commute, what needs to be carried and are there showers at work? And of course, fashion plays a large part, too.

Unlike natural selection, though, we have a choice over which species to become. But have I made the best choice, or are my wheels just stuck in a rut? I decided to find out by mocking up an average commute and holding a “tribal commuter race”, to see who could get from door to desk quickest.

The contestants: road-bike racer; fixed-gear rider, mountain biker, hybrid commuter and granny-bike dawdler.

As soon as they set off it was clear who was going to arrive first. Fixed-gear rider sprinted away at the head of a fast pack, with road-bike racer in close and streamlined pursuit. Not far behind was hybrid commuter – slowed slightly by his panniers and upright seating position, but keen to compete.

Separated by a widening gap was mountain biker, whose bouncy suspension and wide, knobbly tires were a significant disadvantage. Granny-bike dawdler, equipped with baguette-carrying wicker basket, brought up the rear – but didn’t seem to mind one bit.

The slower tribes made up some time when road-bike racer’s skinny, slick tyres succumbed to some gravel in a shortcut through a park. Palms bloodied and confidence shaken, he failed to recover his initial advantage. Fixed-gear rider seized this opportunity to extend the lead, hopping red lights as he went.

A few miles later and everyone crossed the finish line in varying states of disarray. Fixed-gear rider was first, but sweaty enough to star in a Lynx commercial; hybrid commuter next and only slightly less moist. Last place on the podium went to road-bike racer, who was in need of a shower and a trip to the office first aid box before starting his working day.

Just a handful of minutes behind came mountain biker, who may have won had the course involved any sudden descents through woodland, but on the day arrived late and panting. Mere moments later came a grinning granny-bike dawdler, pulling up at the finish line slowly, but as fresh as a daisy.

Click here to read the entire article.

(Source: TreeHuggerGuardian, UK; Image Courtesy: Guardian –  Cyclists wearing different outfits in London Photograph: Graham Turner/ Antonio Olmos/Guardian/ Observer)

FHWA Transportation and Climate Change Newsletter – June 2009

July 14, 2009 at 2:53 am

(Source: Office of Planning, Environment and Realty Federal Highway Administration)

Recent Events

Transportation Legislation Introduced. On June 18, Representative Oberstar introduced the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009, which includes several provisions relating to climate change. The bill proposes to revise metropolitan and statewide planning statutes to require greenhouse gas reduction targets and strategies. DOT would not be able to certify the planning process of any MPO that fails to develop, submit or publish its emission reduction targets and strategies. Large urbanized areas would also be required to have a greenhouse gas emissions reduction performance measure. Additional information on the bill is available on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee website: http://transportation.house.gov/

House Passes Climate Change Legislation. On Friday, June 26, the House of Representatives passed the “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,” a comprehensive climate change bill. The provisions of the bill, including a cap on greenhouse emissions, are intended to reduce overall greenhouse gas emission from major U.S. sources (which include transportation) by over 80% in 2050 compared to 2005 levels. The bill also mandates new energy-savings standards for buildings, appliances and industry; requires increased use of renewable energy sources by electric utilities; and provides funds to invest in new clean energy technologies and energy efficiency. Similar to the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 that was recently introduced by Representative Oberstar (see above), the climate change bill requires States and MPOs to develop greenhouse gas reduction targets and strategies for metropolitan and statewide transportation plans. The Senate is expected to take up the matter later this summer. For more information, go tohttp://energycommerce.house.gov/.

Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States Report Released.On June 16, The US Climate Research Program released a plain-language report on the science of climate change and the impacts of climate change on the U.S. The report includes a chapter on transportation which incorporates key messages and several regional spotlights. The report and accompanying factsheets on projected regional impacts are available here: http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts

DOT, HUD, and EPA Announce Partnership for Sustainable Communities. On June 16, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced a new partnership to help American families in all communities — rural, suburban and urban – gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs. Earlier this year, HUD and DOT announced an agreement to implement joint housing and transportation initiatives. With EPA joining the partnership, the three agencies will work together to ensure that these housing and transportation goals are met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of climate change. For more information on the partnership, see:http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot8009.htm

EPA Grants Available to Develop Local and Tribal Government “Climate Showcase Communities.”EPA has announced $10 million in grants available for local and tribal communities to establish and implement climate change initiatives, with awards ranging from $100,000 to $500,000. A 50% match is required from local governments. The Request for Applications will be available this summer. For more information, see: http://epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/state-and-local/showcase.html

CCAP Releases Two Climate Change Studies.The Center for Clean Air Policy recently released two new studies relating to transportation and climate change. Ask the Climate Question: Adapting to Climate Change in Urban Regions describes some of the adaptation measures that members of its Urban Leadership Adaptation Initiative have undertaken, including actions King County, WA is taking to make its transportation system more resilient. In Cost-Effective GHG Reductions through Smart Growth & Improved Transportation Choices, CCAP argues that smart growth measures can be cost-effective and profitable and calculate that comprehensive application of these policies could lead to substantial reductions of CO2 equivalent emissions by 2030.

State and Local News

EPA Grants Waiver to California. On June 30, 2009, EPA granted a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption to California for its greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles beginning with the 2009 model year. California has committed that when a new national program comes into effect in 2012, automakers which show compliance with the national program will also be deemed in compliance with the State’s requirements. Now that California has been granted the waiver, other States will be allowed to enforce the same tailpipe standards. Thirteen other States and the District of Columbia have already moved to adopt the California standards, and a few others have indicated they may follow. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/ca-waiver.htm.

Washington Governor Directs State Agencies to Lead on Climate Change. On May 21, Governor Christine Gregoire signed an executive order directing State agencies to take action on climate change. She directed the State DOT to estimate current and future statewide VMT, evaluate potential changes to state VMT benchmarks to address low and no emission vehicles, and develop strategies to reduce transportation emissions. She also directed the DOT to work with the State’s MPOs to develop and adopt transportation plans that will provide transportation choices, reduce GHG emissions, and achieve VMT benchmarks. The executive order is available at: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/Executive_Order_09-05.pdf.

Reminders

2009 Transportation, Planning, Land Use and Air Quality Conference to focus on Climate Change. The conference, sponsored by the Transportation Research Board, FHWA, and others, will explore the latest research in the coordination of transportation, land use and air quality with a specific focus on climate change strategies. The conference will be held in Denver, CO July 28 and 29, 2009. For more information, see:http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/tpluaq/home.html.

Previous Newsletters

If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future issues of Transportation and Climate Change News, or if someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you would like to receive it directly in the future, please send your suggestions or request to Becky Lupes at Rebecca.Lupes@dot.gov.

GAO Report Offers Preliminary Observations on the Links between Water and Biofuels and Electricity Production

July 13, 2009 at 1:16 am

(Source: GAO)

Water and energy are inexorably linked—energy is needed to pump, treat, and transport water and large quantities of water are needed to support the development of energy. However, both water and energy may face serious constraints as demand for these vital resources continues to rise. Two examples that demonstrate the link between water and energy are the cultivation and conversion of feedstocks, such as corn, switchgrass, and algae, into biofuels; and the production of electricity by thermoelectric power plants, which rely on large quantities of water for cooling during electricity generation.
At the request of this committee, GAO has undertaken three ongoing studies focusing on the water-energy nexus related to (1) biofuels and water, (2) thermoelectric power plants and water, and (3) oil shale and water. For this testimony, GAO is providing key themes that have emerged from its work to date on the research and development and data needs with regard to the production of biofuels and electricity and their linkage with water. GAO’s work on oil shale is in its preliminary stages and further information will be available on this aspect of the energy-water nexus later this year.
To conduct this work, GAO is reviewing laws, agency documents, and data and is interviewing federal, state, and industry experts. GAO is not making any recommendations at this time.
Why GAO did this study:
Water and energy are inexorably linked—energy is needed to pump, treat, and transport water and large quantities of water are needed to support the development of energy. However, both water and energy may face serious constraints as demand for these vital resources continues to rise. Two examples that demonstrate the link between water and energy are the cultivation and conversion of feedstocks, such as corn, switchgrass, and algae, into biofuels; and the production of electricity by thermoelectric power plants, which rely on large quantities of water for cooling during electricity generation.
At the request of this committee, GAO has undertaken three ongoing studies focusing on the water-energy nexus related to (1) biofuels and water, (2) thermoelectric power plants and water, and (3) oil shale and water. For this testimony, GAO is providing key themes that have emerged from its work to date on the research and development and data needs with regard to the production of biofuels and electricity and their linkage with water. GAO’s work on oil shale is in its preliminary stages and further information will be available on this aspect of the energy-water nexus later this year.
To conduct this work, GAO is reviewing laws, agency documents, and data and is interviewing federal, state, and industry experts. GAO is not making any recommendations at this time.

What GAO found:

While the effects of producing corn-based ethanol on water supply and water quality are fairly well understood, less is known about the effects of the next generation of biofuel feedstocks. Corn cultivation for ethanol production can require from 7 to 321 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol produced, depending on where it is grown and how much irrigation is needed. Corn is also a relatively resource-intensive crop, requiring higher rates of fertilizer and pesticides than many other crops. In contrast, little is known about the effects of large-scale cultivation of next generation feedstocks, such as cellulosic crops. Since these feedstocks have not been grown commercially to date, there are little data on the cumulative water, nutrient, and pesticide needs of these crops and on the amount of these crops that could be harvested as a biofuel feedstock without compromising soil and water quality.
Uncertainty also exists regarding the water supply impacts of converting cellulosic feedstocks into biofuels. While water usage in the corn-based ethanol conversion process has been declining and is currently estimated at 3 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol, the amount of water consumed in the conversion of cellulosic feedstocks is less defined and will depend on the process and on technological advancements that improve the efficiency with which water is used. Finally, additional research is needed on the storage and distribution of biofuels. For example, to overcome incompatibility issues between the ethanol and the current fueling and distribution infrastructure, research is needed on conversion technologies that can be used to produce renewable fuels capable of being used in the existing infrastructure.
With regard to power plants, GAO has found that key efforts to reduce use of freshwater at power plants are under way but may not be fully captured in existing federal data. In particular, advanced cooling technologies that use air, not water, for cooling the plant, can sharply reduce or even eliminate the use of freshwater, thereby reducing the costs associated with procuring water. However, plants using these technologies may cost more to build and witness lower net electricity output—especially in hot, dry conditions. Nevertheless, a number of power plant developers in the United States have adopted advanced cooling technologies, but current federal data collection efforts may not fully document this emerging trend.
Similarly, plants can use alternative water supplies such as treated waste water from municipal sewage plants to sharply reduce their use of freshwater. Use of these alternative water sources can also lower the costs associated with obtaining and using freshwater when freshwater is expensive, but pose other challenges, including requiring special treatment to avoid adverse effects on cooling equipment. Alternative water sources play an increasingly important role in reducing power plant reliance on freshwater, but federal data collection efforts do not systematically collect data on the use of these water sources by power plants.
To help improve the use of alternatives to freshwater, in 2008, the Department of Energy awarded about $9 million to examine among other things, improving the performance of advanced cooling technologies. Such research is needed to help identify cost effective alternatives to traditional cooling technologies.

Click here to download the entire PDF report.