By John Donnelly, Globe Staff | July 30, 2007 WASHINGTON -- More than a quarter century after Congress wrote the rules setting automobile fuel economy standards, lawmakers are poised to make substantial increases in them, amid rising oil imports and prices. The debate on mandating higher fuel standards for cars and trucks is unfolding in the House, which could take up the issue this week as part of a comprehensive energy bill. The Senate has already passed legislation that would increase standards for cars and light trucks to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020,... Read more about "<i>Boston Globe</i>: Debate in Congress on fuel standards"...
After several meetings with officials from the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) and the state’s Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA), the Scuderi Group has been informed that the MBTA is interested in possibly using the Scuderi Air-Hybrid Engine as part of a future air-hybrid bus pilot project. The MBTA is the country’s oldest transportation system serving around 1.2 million passengers on a daily basis, operating a fleet of approximately 1,000 buses, consisting of diesel, compressed natural gas and electric. It is constantly looking at ways to improve its fleet's efficiency and environmental performance. Read more about "MBTA interested in bus pilot program with Scuderi engine"...
An article about the Scuderi Group recently appeared in the influential German publication Spiegel Online. A translated version of the article appears below. In the following podcast, Lutz Deyerling, vice president of European operations for the Scuderi Group, talks about the significance of the article: Read more about "Scuderi Group profiled in influential German publication "...
The article that appeared July 10 on Spiegel Online about the Scuderi Air-Hybrid Engine is generating quite a bit of buzz on the Web in Germany. Here is a sampling of German blog discussions and blog posts (in German): Bundesverband Mittelständische Wirtschaft (Federation of Mid-Sized Businesses) Mein Top Auto BMW Driver's Forum Wall Street Online (Germany) Read more about "German blogosphere is buzzing about Spiegel article "...
by David Finlay, July 9, 2007, CARkeys (UK) Plans to reduce European CO2 levels to an average of 130g/km by 2012 (see previous feature) are being regarded as impossible by car manufacturers - though to a certain extent it depends on their nationality. The most optimistic are the French and the Italians, who tend to build smaller and therefore more economical cars. According to industry analyst JATO Dynamics, French manufacturers have achieved an average of 149g/km so far in 2007, while the Italians have got down to 147g/km. Both have improved their CO2 performances over the last... Read more about "Car Manufacturers Grapple with European CO2 Targets "...
Oil prices have hit levels not seen in nearly a year, threatening drivers with another round of increases at the gas pump. Crude oil prices have topped $70 per barrel for the last week, pushed higher by violence against oil workers in Nigeria and fears of tightening supplies worldwide. Contracts to buy crude for future delivery closed Friday at $72.81 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest price since last August. They slid 0.8 percent Monday to close at $72.19. Rising crude prices usually mean that motorists will soon pay more for gasoline. Read more about "Gas prices may be heading up"...
By David Sherpardson, Detroit News, July 7, 2007 WASHINGTON — Facing $3-a-gallon gasoline prices in California last year, John True decided to stop driving his Mercedes-Benz E320 and bought a Honda Civic Hybrid. Impressed by the gas-electric hybrid's advertised mileage — 49 miles per gallon in the city, 51 mpg highway — True plunked down $28,470, at least $7,000 more than for a comparable non-hybrid Civic EX. After 6,000 miles of driving, True said he averaged just 32 mpg in mixed city/highway driving. Read more about "Lawsuit challenges hybrid mileage claims"...
James A. Croce, CEO NextEnergy Originally published in the Michigan Energy Report The massive controversy surrounding CAFE standards, or Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, is so intense that it’s difficult to escape the hype coming from all sides. The fundamental issue is whether an increase in CAFE standards is an effective means to drive the U.S. market towards a sustainable energy future. From the pro-CAFE standards camp; American automakers are losing market share to the more fuel-efficient vehicles produced by foreign automakers and need the “tough love” only CAFE standards can provide. Read more about "Editorial: CAFE standards -- not a solution to the Detroit Three's Financial Problems"...
Thursday June 28th, 2007 Toyota Motor Corp. might postpone the launch of the third-generation Prius gas/electric hybrid model by six months -- to the spring of 2009 -- Japanese industrial daily newspaper Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun reported. According to the newspaper, Toyota is delaying the launch to ensure quality after it decided to forego replacing the nickel-metal hydride battery used in the hybrid gas/electric system with a lithium-ion battery for the first version of the upcoming model. Toyota and battery partner Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Read more about "Prius redo could be held up due to battery issues"...
Another sign of the green tech revolution sweeping the auto industry: Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler Group have followed General Motors Corp. in joining the United States Climate Action Partnership, a coalition that wants to reduce greenhouse gases tied to global warming. The alliance of big business and environmental groups told President Bush in January that mandatory emissions caps are needed to reduce the flow of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Ford and Chrysler on Wednesday announced their membership in the coalition. Read more about "Ford, Chrysler join greenhouse gas group"...