Go to: Index | Front Page | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28
Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire_ By Richard Kassel, Natural Resources Defense Council Recent articles on the auto industry's plans to re-introduce diesel engines to the passenger vehicle market pay little attention to the negative air quality impacts that such a technology switch could have. California is on the verge of classifying diesel exhaust as a toxic air contaminant. While more efficient than gasoline, even the newest diesels emit much higher quantities of fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and numerous known and probable human carcinogens. Particulate matter has been linked to tens of thousands of premature deaths annually, and nitrogen oxides have been linked to ozone formation, acid rain, nutrient pollution of the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways, and atmospheric particulate formation. And, because of its high concentrations of benzene, formaldehyde and other toxic components, California is on the verge of classifying diesel exhaust as a toxic air contaminant. As for industry claims of "clean diesels," the U.S.	Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department currently are investigating whether the diesel engine industry has been installing computer chips and other devices into their engines that make the engines smart enough to run cleanly on EPA emissions tests, but at a significantly dirtier level at other times-all in pursuit of a 5-8 percent increase in fuel economy. Instead of a new generation of diesel engines that trade air pollution improvements for fuel economy, what is really needed is a new approach toward vehicle policy in general. America needs a comprehensive vehicle policy with strong guidelines on fuel economy and tailpipe emission standards as well as with market-based, tax, and other incentives designed to move a new generation of cleaner and more efficient vehicles from Detroit's drawing boards to the nation's roads. Our long-term environmental and energy interests demand that these vehicles be not only more fuel-efficient, but cleaner than the cars they are replacing. Richard Kassel is senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council and coordinator of its New York transportation program.
Glossary of Transportation Terms By Janson Mark, UCS  Wading through the alphabet soup of transportation jargon can be a daunting task. Following is a short glossary of terms to help sort things out: Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). The internal combustion engine is the primary technology that powers today's cars and trucks. By burning (combusting) a fuel such as gasoline or diesel, the engine produces energy to propel the vehicle. Alternative-Fuel Vehicle (AFV). Any vehicle powered by a non-petroleum fuel, such as natural gas, propane, methanol, ethanol, hydrogen, or electricity. AFVs can be electric-drive vehicles or conventional cars powered solely by an internal combustion engine. Electric Vehicle (EV). Any vehicle that uses an electric motor to power a vehicle's wheels. The family of electric-drive technologies includes battery, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. Battery-Electric Vehicles (BEV). An EV that uses batteries to store energy from the power grid for use on the vehicle. Instead of refueling at a gas pump, BEVs recharge at the wall plug. BEVs do not emit any pollution from the vehicle, and are thus classified as zero-emission vehicles. The production of electric fuel for BEVs does create pollution, but the emissions from the electric power plants that feed BEVs are typically much lower than those from gasoline cars driven in crowded cities. Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (HEV). An EV with two different sources of power, such as an internal combustion engine and a battery. Many types of hybrids are under development, and they vary widely in their air pollution and global warming benefits. Some recharge at the wall plug but use a small engine to extend the vehicle's range. Others never plug in but use a battery or other storage device as a supplement. Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV). An EV that generates its own electricity via the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen (taken from the air). Fuel cells generate zero or almost no pollution and, due to their high efficiency, can substantially boost fuel economy and reduce global warming gases. Criteria Air Pollutants. Key air pollutants that are harmful to public health. The Clean Air Act establishes acceptable levels for each criteria pollutant in the air we breathe, called the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The primary greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, are not considered criteria air pollutants. Vehicle Emission Standards. Since the late 1960s, automobile exhaust has been regulated on an emissions per mile basis. Today, not only are emissions from the tailpipe regulated but so is the amount of fuel permitted to evaporate from the vehicle's fuel tank, engine, and hoses. Real-World Emissions. Vehicle emissions are tested under laboratory conditions. But in the real world of jackrabbit starts, high-speed driving, and poorly-maintained vehicles, a modern car actually emits 2-4 times more pollution than the emission standards. Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) Program. A regulatory program initiated by California and adopted by several Northeastern states that establishes five categories of vehicles, including zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), based on their emissions of criteria air pollutants. Automakers are required to sell vehicles in each of the categories, and their annual sales must meet a specific average emissions standard that declines over the years. A separate national low-emission vehicle (NLEV) program exists that allows states not adopting the California rules to opt into a program similar in design but not as aggressive and not addressing pollution from heavier sport-utility vehicles. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE). Federal regulation requiring the average fuel economy of each automaker's yearly sales to meet a target of 27.5 miles per gallon for automobiles and just under 21 mpg for light trucks. Jason Mark is a transportation analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Japanese Dealers Turn Away Prius Orders Nikkei English News Toyota Motor Corporation recently announced that many auto dealers in Japan temporarily have stopped taking orders for its Prius hybrid vehicle due to an overwhelming number of back orders. The automaker initially planned to build only1,000 cars per month, but boosted its output after demand soared. However, many individual dealers ceased taking orders of the new gasoline-electric hybrid car since they could not guarantee when the cars would be delivered. They can't guarantee delivery until April or May so many dealers are halting orders for the time being, said Toyota spokesman Keith Truelove.	Out of stock: the Toyota Prius Toyota is currently manufacturing about 1,200 vehicles a month and is scheduled to increase output again to 2,000 vehicles per month this summer. According to Truelove, Toyota dealers are expected to resume taking orders for the Prius once production increases. The Prius operates on an electric motor at slow speeds and on a gasoline engine at higher speeds.
Loopholes Big Enough for a Truck Automakers enjoy rules for light trucks that are less stringent than those for ordinary cars. Light trucks include pickups, mini-vans and sport utility vehicles. GAS MILEAGE Minimum average m.p.g Cars: 27.5 / Trucks: 20.7* EMISSIONS (MAX. PER MILE) Nitrogen oxides (grams) Cars: 0.4 / Trucks: 0.4-1.1 CARBON DIOXIDEÝ (LBS.) Cars: 0.72 / Trucks: 0.95 TAXES Gas-guzzler tax Cars: Covered / Trucks: Exempt LUXURY VEHICLE TAX Cars: Covered / Trucks: Exempt Larger Models   *The very largest models are exempt from gas mileage rules. ÝAverage emissions regulated indirectly through gas mileage rules Source: The New York Times
Impossible Dream continued from page 24 corn-based fuel. "There used to be tremendous scorn for our technology,'' says Jeffrey M. Bentley, vice-president and technology director at ADL. "Now we get board-level attention.'' The environment takes a hit with the ADL approach, though. Extracting hydrogen from methanol or gasoline produces carbon dioxide as a by-product-although only a fraction of the CO2 that combustion produces. "The fuel cell has great potential, but it's certainly not the solution to global warming,'' says David E. Cole, director of the University of Michigan's Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation. Another problem: it takes 10 minutes to warm up a fuel processor. Until then, the car must run on a 500-pound nickel-metal-hydride battery, which now costs $20,000.	"That's completely unacceptable,'' says Barroni-Bird. "We need it to be less than one minute'' to shrink the heft and cost of the battery. Promises, Promises. Other pieces of the fuel-cell puzzle are falling into place. Impressive progress has been made in developing transmissions, for instance. While consumers haven't flocked to battery-powered cars, the R&D that went into them helped Detroit cut the cost and improve the reliability of the motors and generators. Insiders say that GM, thanks to its EV1 electric car, has an edge in electronic controllers, which coordinate all the high-voltage operations of the drive system. By 2000, these sources expect GM to have an electric transmission equal in cost to a traditional automatic transmission. Still, researchers may have trouble keeping up with the public-relations machine. Already, engineers are looking for wiggle room in the pronouncements by senior managers. Even Ford's Bates has a hard time accepting the newfound optimism. "We really have no confidence these things will completely deliver on their promise,'' he admits. "But the promise is so great, you just have to give it a go.'' Or risk seeing more German and Japanese cars in driveways.
"For global warming the question remains: do we have the political will_ Politicians rarely act in pro-environment ways in a vacuum-they need to be pushed and prodded. They respond to crisis, and to public demand. We can't wait for an environmental crisis to spark action, because once climate change catastrophes start to strike regularly, we're in for years of destruction no matter what we do. Generating an overwhelming outpouring of public demand for action is much smarter, but takes tremendous effort. Entrenched politicians, fueled by ever-escalating campaign contributions from polluters, would rather not rock the boat. So the challenge is for us to act, and energize our friends and neighbors to act, before it is too late." Gene Karpinski Executive Director, US Public Interest Research Group

Page 24 | Top Of Page | Next Page

Go to Page: Index | Front | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28