California And Detroit Go To War Over Gas Mileage

March 8, 2009 at 6:58 pm

 (Source:  Time

For more than three decades Detroit’s Big Three and their allies have successfully blocked or limited changes to the nation’s fuel economy rules. However, with General Motors and Chrysler LLC facing bankruptcy, the carmakers are making what could be one last stand, and this one they may well lose.

Currently fuel economy standards are set by the Environmental Protection Agency. But President Obama, moving to fulfill one of his campaign promises to the state of California, has asked the EPA to consider revising Bush-era rulings so California can impose its own limits on greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. On Thursday, the EPA held public hearings on a possible revision, and it will accept written comments until April 6th with a decision, hopefully, soon to follow. But the EPA has already indicated its discomfort with the original decision made several years ago to deny California the right. Environmentalists, take heart. (See TIME’s portraits of American autoworkers)

Automakers argue that the state’s greenhouse-gas emission standards amount to new fuel-economy rules because about the only way to meet the California standard is to limit the use of fuel burned in the engine: Cars and trucks would have to get 43 miles per gallon on average by 2016, which is far higher than the 35 miles per gallon by 2020 target currently approved by Congress in the Energy Act of 2007. Such a leap would require sweeping changes in the vehicles American drive.

Click here to read the entire article. 

British Touring Car Championship to begin testing CO2 emissions

March 7, 2009 at 3:35 pm

(Source: Autobloggreen)

Motorsports of all kinds are feeling the pressure to reduce their environmental footprint, and the British Touring Car Championship is no different. In an effort to demonstrate their commitment to green racing (a contradiction in terms?), the BTCC has started testing the race cars of its various contenders at Land Rover’s lab in Solihull to be sure that their carbon emissions are in line with the road cars on which they are based.

Alan Gow, BTCC series director, says, “To my mind, it’s a far more meaningful demonstration of our credentials to motor manufacturers, environmental groups, sponsors, the government, motorists and the BTCC’s many millions of fans than us taking less convincing (or demanding) steps.”
Click here to read more.

H2 fuel cells beat the pants off of battery-powered cars – says proponent Sandy Thomas

March 6, 2009 at 8:54 pm

 (Source: Autobloggreen)

At the American Council on Renewable Energy’s RETECH conference and expo last week, I was able to listen to a few presentations on renewables and transportation. It’s always interesting to hear about the auto industry from people on the outside, and the RETECH presentations lived up to expectations. I’ll be writing about a few of them this week. 

The most full-throated defense of hydrogen vehicles I heard was issued by Sandy Thomas, president ofH2Gen Innovations, during the “Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Advanced Engines” panel. H2Gen is mostly interested in stationary hydrogen production stations, but Thomas believes that hydrogen is the one right propulsion system for vehicles, since nothing else will meet America’s greenhouse gas emissions, energy independence, and clean air targets. He had the presentation to prove that H2 cars beat battery vehicles, too, and was willing to share his slides with AutoblogGreen readers. You can read them all in the gallery below (there’s a reason we try to post items like this at the end of the day, when we think you’ll have time to indulge a bit). I’ve also written up some more of what Thomas said after the jump. 

Gallery:RETECH 2009: Hydrogen presentation from Sandy Thomas

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California’s proposed emissions rule sparks firestorm

March 6, 2009 at 12:00 pm

(Source: Los Angeles Times)

The new standard would gauge a fuel’s ‘carbon intensity,’ from its source to its burning.

California regulators Thursday issued a far-reaching proposal to slash carbon emissions from transportation fuels, setting the stage for a national battle over how to reduce the damage to the global climate from gasoline and diesel combustion.

Tailpipe emissionsThe low-carbon fuel standard, if approved next month by the state’s Air Resources Board, would be the first in the nation to restrict greenhouse gases produced by a fuel, from its source to its burning.

Eleven states are considering similar rules, and President Obama has called for a national low-carbon fuel standard as part of his initiative to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by mid-century.

Air board chairwoman Mary Nichols said the proposed rule was a “comprehensive, cradle-to-grave approach” that would spur innovation and competition in the alternative fuels market.

But some members of California’s beleaguered renewable-fuels industry greeted the initiative with outrage. Tom Koehler, spokesman for Pacific Ethanol, said the proposal was “a perversion of science and a prescription for disaster.”

Click here to read the entire article.

Financial Times reviews President Obama’s Infrastructure Spending – Highway to hell revisited

March 5, 2009 at 7:57 pm

(Source: Financial Times)

History reminds us,” President Barack Obama told both houses of the US Congress on Tuesday night, “that at every moment of economic upheaval and transformation, this nation has responded with bold action and big ideas.” By “the nation”, Mr Obama means “the government”. We can tell by the episodes he uses to make his point: the establishment of universal public education, the GI Bill of Rights and – alluded to but not named – the Highway Act of 1956, at the time of its passage the largest public works project in US history.

Mr Obama’s praise for the Highway Act is disturbing. In arguments over his stimulus package and his preliminary budget released on Thursday, Republicans have made the lazy assumption that government intervention in the economy can never succeed. Mr Obama shows signs of the opposite error – believing it can never fail.

The Highway Act probably has more defenders than detractors. But Mr Obama should be among the latter. The act, which budgeted $25bn in federal money to build 41,000 miles of motorway, exacerbated the very problems Mr Obama has been most eager to solve – spoliation of the environment, dependence on foreign oil, overburdening of state and local budgets, abandonment of the inner-city poor and reckless speculation in real-estate development, to name a few.

A lot of people complain today about the rump of Republican disbelievers in Keynes, feckless though they may be, who fiddle while Rome burns. There was no hint of such heresy in 1956. The Senate passed the bill 89-1. Otherwise, the political climate bore some resemblance to our own: conformism bred of confusiofinancial meltdown whodunnit in FTn. A 40,000 mile highway network had been on the wish list of the armed forces since 1944. Eisenhower was a big backer, and had hopes of justifying it as a stimulus during the recession of 1954. That downturn was long past when the bill came to a vote, but the vested interests remained, and so did the fear that one’s constituents might think it a bit communist to vote against a highway bill.

Click here to read the entire article.  (Free registration required at FT.com)

California may soon require smog checks for motorcycles

March 5, 2009 at 6:06 pm

California may soon require smog checks for motorcycles

Back on February 26th, California State Senator Fran Pavley introduced legislation that would “amend Section 44011 of, and to add Section 44012.5 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to air pollution.” All right, what’s that mean? Basically, this legislation would require motorcycle owners in California to get smog checks for their motorcycles once every two years. The law would cover all motorcycles model year 2000 or newer and, if passed, would go into effect on January 1st, 2012. 

Click here to read the rest ofthe article.

Ready, Set, Go! Paving the Way for Plug-In Vehicles

March 5, 2009 at 1:03 pm

(Source:  Rocky Mountain Institute Via Tree Hugger)

plug in vehicle photo

Image credit:RMI

President Obama has set the goal of adding one million plug-in vehicles to the country’s fleet by 2015. And while the recently passed stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, contained some very generous incentives for plug-in vehicles, much work remains to be done.

One million is one half of a percent of the fleet—a good start, but a small start. How do we make sure the first million are a screaming success, and that we accelerate to 10 million, and 100 million soon?

Rocky Mountain Institute believes the solution lies with preparing our cities and communities, and we recently launched Project Get Ready to speed up the transition.

Getting ready for plug-ins isn’t going to be a massive overhaul, but it does require some planning, and targeted shifts in several important sectors. Examples include changing electrical code to allow for charging spots, creating special electricity pricing for plug-ins, and teaching citizens what to expect from a plugged-in lifestyle.

Click here to read the entire article.

Obama administration works on U.S. fuel rule

March 5, 2009 at 12:57 pm

State standards could be supplanted

(Source: Freep.com, Detriot Free Press)

WASHINGTON — Even as his administration moves toward allowing California and other states to set limits on vehicle fuel economy, President Barack Obama has begun crafting a new national standard that will likely supplant the states’ efforts.Hello again, cheap gas

The moves would allow the president to fulfill a campaign promise to let the California limits take effect while addressing the chorus of concerns from a financially beleaguered U.S. auto industry about meeting a so-called patchwork of state-level greenhouse gas controls, in addition to federal fuel economy rules.

The rules are different but the effect is similar — greater fuel efficiency from vehicles leads to reduced emissions.

The administration has raised the idea for a national limit as part of its talks with Detroit automakers and suppliers for additional aid, an administration official said Wednesday.

“The president believes that one national policy for autos would provide the industry with certainty while achieving our environmental and energy independence goals,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The California rules would have little immediate effect on automakers if adopted, but the standards would toughen annually through 2020.It´s the economy, stupid!

Click here to read the entire article.

MIT takes on global transportation challenge

March 4, 2009 at 8:51 pm

New initiative to pioneer 21st century solutions via greater coordination and interdisciplinary collaboration

(Source: MIT News)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology today launchedTransportation@MIT, a coordinated effort to address one of civilization’s most pressing challenges: the environmental impact of the world’s ever-increasing demand for transportation. Building on MIT’s rich tradition of engineering research and interdisciplinary collaboration, the new initiative will knit together the wide-ranging, robust research already under way at the Institute and create new opportunities for education and innovation.

The program’s creation comes as the global movement of people and things becomes increasingly unsustainable — a problem that cannot be pinned on any one mode of transport. Two-thirds of the world’s petroleum consumption is taken up by transportation-related needs. Projections indicate that demand for petroleum, if unchecked, may outstrip supply within a few decades, while carbon dioxide output across the globe could triple by 2050.Modern Gate

“The global transportation challenge is as multi-faceted as a problem could be, and it is hard to think of an institution better equipped to tackle it than MIT,” said Dean of Engineering Subra Suresh. “By coordinating our own efforts and leveraging connections among faculty across our schools — from researchers exploring efficient new fuels to those studying transportation as a system to those rethinking how our cities are organized — we can make important and innovative contributions and encourage the rapid development of new ideas in sustainability, technology, business practices, and public policy related to all modes of transportation.

Click here to read the entire article.

TransportGooru Loves Bus Chick, Bus Chick Nerd & their adorable Bus Chicklet

March 4, 2009 at 6:39 pm

(Source: Street Films via Treehugger)

Thanks to Tree Hugger, Transportgooru got to know the biggest transit proponent that lives in the Western hemisphere.  I am proud to introduce you to the Bus Chick and her adorable family.  Meet Carla Saulter, aka Bus Chick (she has a blog on the Seattle Post Intelligencer’s website: Bus Chick, Transit Authority).  Check it out:

Car-Free and Loving It!