Government Will Buy Over 5,000 Hybrid Cars This Year

The White House will announce today the government will be buying 5,603 more hybrid vehicles to replace the same number of older, less fuel efficient vehicles. The government estimates the new fleet of cars will reduce petroleum consumption by the equivalent of an estimated 7.7 million gallons of gas, or 385,000 barrels of oil.

The new 5,000 hybrids and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) will double the federal hybrid car fleet. The purchases are made through the US General Service Administration. The hybrid cars will be bought this year, while the PHEVs will be purchased in 2011.

The general goal is to cut petroleum use by 30 percent by 2020.

“President Obama has called on the Federal Government to lead by example in sustainability and our efforts to build a clean energy economy. By doubling the hybrids in the Federal fleet, agencies are answering that call by reducing petroleum consumption and increasing fuel efficiency,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “These types of clean energy investments will help create new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build market capacity, and foster innovation in clean energy industries.”

“By doubling the hybrid fleet and committing to purchasing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, GSA is leveraging our position as the government’s centralized supplier to invest in emerging clean energy technologies, increase the government fleet’s fuel economy, and decrease the cost of government operations,” said Martha N. Johnson, Administrator of General Services. “GSA is committed to delivering solutions that help agencies deliver on the President’s call to increase sustainability and energy security.”

“The Department of Energy is committed to expanding the use of hybrids even as we reduce our fleet overall, saving gasoline and money for taxpayers,” said Secretary Chu.

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Ford Plans to Electrify Michigan

Ford will be building hybrid and electric vehicles in Michigan according to Bill Ford Jr., Ford's executive chairma. In a follow-up to yesterday's teaser, Bill Ford Jr, along with Gov. Jennifer Granholm, announced Ford will be investing $450 million in the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne.

"This investment underscores how serious we are about delivering a range of electrified vehicles to customers -- including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles," said Bill Ford Jr., Ford's executive chairman. "Our industry is at the intersection of three critical global issues -- the economy, energy and the environment. The winning companies will be those that address these issues with vehicles that are also exciting and fun to drive, without compromises."

Michigan granted Ford $188 million in tax incentives to insure Ford's investment in the state. the Michigan Economic Growth Authority board approved Phase II incremental job retention credits valued at $110 million and battery pack tax credits valued at $78 million, for a total incentive package valued at $188 million, to help win Ford’s investment over competing states, China, Europe and Mexico.

“Ford continues to demonstrate its commitment to Michigan by bringing together world-class products, advanced technology applications and our talented workforce to build the next generation of vehicles that will help reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil,” Granholm said.

Ford expects production to begin in 2012, and the hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles will be built on the global C-car platform (same as the Ford Focus).

Ford is also planning on moving battery pack production and development to Michigan, and out of Mexico. The pack manufacturing will include design and in-house assembly, which is currently done in Mexico. The investment will impact several Michigan Ford facilities, including Michigan Assembly, Wayne Stamping, Van Dyke Transmission in Sterling Heights and the Product Development Center in Dearborn, among others.

Sources: govmonitor, reuters, and Detroit free press.

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Department of Defense Funding Next Generation of Research

The $636 billion Department of Defense appropriations bill has set million aside to develop hybrids, hydraulic hybrids, batteries, plug-in hybrids, etc... (Source: Det News).  From Lithium-ion battery production to all terrain hybrid vehicles, the appropriations bill is set to fund years of research into the electrification of America.


Funds Are Being Set Aside For
$27 million for domestic lithium ion battery production. These funds will be used for a competitive program to develop domestic industrial sources of advanced battery technologies for use in military applications. Lithium ion batteries also have dual-use applications in the commercial automotive industry for hybrid electric vehicles. The availability of domestically manufactured lithium ion batteries is critical to both the DoD and to the ability of our automotive manufacturers to produce the next generation of ground vehicles.

$9 million for an advanced battery development program. These funds would initiate a new advanced battery technology development program at TARDEC. Advanced battery technology offers tremendous potential to significantly improve the near-term operational performance and capability for military vehicles to generate, distribute and store electrical power. Advanced batteries are also recognized as a critical component of developing military hybrid vehicles.

$3.2 million to continue a coordinated hybrid engine development program at TARDEC. This merit-based program focuses on both basic and applied research in engine technology, power electronics, control technology and other areas. Research areas include theoretical analysis, computational design and analysis, and experimental verification components.

$3.28 million for the development and testing of advanced plug-in hybrid vehicle technologies. This project seeks to develop and deploy plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) technologies that will reduce DoD fuel consumption using conventional generation, renewable generation, and vehicles with exportable electric power.

$2.8 million for hydraulic hybrid vehicle technology. This research seeks to produce a new line of advanced, highly efficient, hydraulic pump and motor products, which will replace conventional automatic transmissions and could significantly improve overall drivetrain efficiency in military ground vehicles.

$2.4 million to continue development of lightweight, rechargeable lithium ion batteries using nanomaterials technology. Lithium ion batteries could be considerably lighter, much more capable, and more affordable than currently available battery systems.

$2 million for the development of a digital hydraulic hybrid system. The goal of this project is to develop a series hybrid hydraulic system that achieves significant weight and volume reduction while also gaining a 50 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over current technology. It is intended that the hybrid hydraulic system resulting from this research will be demonstrated on a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).

$1.6 million for the development of a lightweight hybrid transmission for military ground vehicles. This project seeks to develop a hybrid transmission for military ground vehicles that will result in improved reliability, reduced weight, and increased fuel savings.

$1.6 million for the development of all-terrain hybrid electric vehicle technology.

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Lawmakers Offer $220 Million in Tax Credits to Build Batteries in Michigan

Car makers are set to receive $220 million in tax credits for building and developing battery packs in Michigan. State officials believe 1,000 jobs will be created because of the offer.

FM, Ford and Dow Chemical are the companies the tax credits will benefit. According to Sen. Jason Allen, R-Traverse City, the credits are based on production and jobs created. He estimates the jobs created will be more than 2,000.

Ford and GM were pushing for the tax credits as they plan on building plants for assembling hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery packs in Michigan.

GM is investing $700 million to build the Volt (plus others), while Ford is planning on investing $500 million.

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Audi Says Not So Fast to Plug-in

Audi of American President Johan de Nysschen brought the fight for diesel vs plugs to the forefront once again. Not surprisingly, given their success in Europe with diesels, Audi is a proponent of diesel technology.  And they would like it if the federal government would stop encouraging plug-ins so much.  He'd prefer it if they let the 'marketplace decide.' 

But other car makers and the Obama administration seem to disagree with him.

Johan de Nysschen points out that if 1/3 of Americans drove diesels, "America would save 1.5 million barrels of oil a day."

"I understand why political leaders have fallen in love with hybrids and electrics. But this may be the one time you'll hear someone in Washington say it shouldn't be a monogamous relationship," de Nysschen said.

But that's not enough for some. With oil dependence and environmental issues coming to the forefront, gas and diesel are taking the backseat to electricity right now.

The Obama administration has given $2.4 billion in cash grants to help develop battery technology and electric vehicles. Congress has set up $7,500 in tax breaks to those who buy cars like the Volt or plug-in Prius in the coming years. And Obama hopes to have 3 electric vehicle plants and 30 advanced battery factories running by 2015. That sort of production could lead to the production of 500,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles a year by 2015.

Those sort of federal incentives will allow plug-ins and electric vehicles to compete at first, given the head start diesels and gas only engines have.

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Edmunds and Obama Fight it Out Over Cash for Clunkers

The Cash for Clunkers Program is over and done, but the overall benefit and cost is still being debated.  On Wednesday, Edmunds laid out a study showing it cost taxpayers $24,000 per vehicle sold under the Cash for Clunkers Program.

Edmunds Lays Out the Cost
What it boils down to, for Edmunds, is despite 690,000 sales being made under the Cash for Clunkers Program, they believe only 129,000 would not have been made otherwise.  They based it on what the prediction for sales was, plus the 'hangover' affect slowing sales before and after the program

"Our research indicates that without the Cash for Clunkers program, many customers would not have traded in an old vehicle when making a new purchase," Edmunds.com Senior Analyst David Tompkins, PhD told AutoObserver.com. "That may give some credence to the environmental claims, but unfortunately the economic claims have been rendered quite weak."

The White House Gets Angry

That analysis seems to have ticked off the whitehouse.  Waxing on the sarcastic side, the Whitehouse blog accuses Edmunds of attempting to grab headlines (which they did: CNN).  The White House went on to say Edmunds was saying "all the other cars were being sold on Mars."

I think their counter was strong enough not to need the sarcasm, but that's just me.

Anyways, the White House points out that "people were drawn into dealerships by the Cash for Clunkers program and ended up buying cars even though their old car was not eligible for the program."  And 2) "Major automakers including GM, Ford, Honda and Chrysler all increased their production through the end of the year as a result of this program, which will help boost growth beyond the third quarter."

The White House points to a CEA report, which estimates the number of sales made as a result of the CARS program at being 3-4X higher than that of Edmunds.  There's a lot of fuzziness around both numbers, but that's the problem with these analysis.

The report cited by the White House says exactly that in the first sentence of their conclusion: "The analysis contained here is necessarily speculative, because little can be said with confidence about two key questions: what is the time frame over which the “payback” effect will occur, and what would the pace of clunker-replacement-induced demand for new cars have been in the absence of the program?"

Edmunds Reply
Edmunds has fired back saying "The truth is that consumer incentive programs are always hugely expensive when calculated by incremental sales — always in the tens of thousands of dollars. Cash for Clunkers was no exception."  They also point out the claim for drawing potential customers in was "widely supported by anecdote but by little analysis."  And finally "the economy is recovering accompanied by improved car sales. No manufacturer increases production -- a decision with long-term consequences -- based on the 30-day sales blip triggered by an event like Cash for Clunkers."

As an aside: One wonders if, like the banks, the auto makers started increasing production so quickly based on pressure from the government.   The banks were told to take the loans being offered, and GM and Chrysler are still the major beneficiaries of government 'aid.'  It's fair to suppose the production increases may have been political decisions, even if they weren't asked to do so.

Who Wins?
So, who's right?  I'd say they both were.  Certainly, when Edmunds focused in tightly on what the cost per vehicle was, that cost is going to be high.  And they are certainly right to say that most of the sales during the program would have happened anyways.  The number they use may be low, but sales would have happened with or without the CARS program.

I would argue the Dept of Transportation and the Whitehouse did not need to be sarcastic in their counter, but they definitely were correct in pointing out the bigger picture.  But that picture is not as black and white as they say.  The long term economic recovery is what is driving the car makers to increase production, not the C4C program.

Was the program helpful at a low point for the manufacturers? Absolutely. Although it was harder on the dealers than the administration would probably want to talk about, Edmunds figures show at least an increase of over 100K sales. That's not nothing.

But the high cost per vehicle is also a key reminder that such programs, while helpful for the overall economy, do cost a lot to run and the tax payers paid it. Was there a payback? Was it worth it? These, unfortunately, aren't answerable. Not in the real world, which is too fluid and when either direction can find indicators for it.

Follow Up
It seems that Detroit News writer David Shepardson is siding with the White House in their argument with Edmunds. He points out (See
detnews.com) the different estimates: Ford says 30-40 percent of the sales were from the Cash for Clunkers (CARS) program (210,000-280,000), GM thought it was 500,000 and Moody estimated the difference at 60 percent (420,000).

That's quite a range of numbers to deal with.  Edmunds is clearly on the more pessimistic side, while GM is clearly the most optimistic about the affect, although both the government and the Moody figures are obviously on the more 'optimistic' side.

But most damaging to Edmunds is the quote from Mike Jackson, chairman and CEO of AutoNation.

While Edmunds is usually highly respected within the automotive industry for its accuracy and reliability, he said, its analysis of the cash for clunkers program is "shoddy."

"Simply put, they've misrepresented the facts, and the White House is completely justified in calling them out on it," Jackson said, adding that it appears "Edmunds' political views have tainted their usual rigorous approach to research."

Ouch! The shoddy remark in particular was pretty harsh. None of those involved in the argument can truly be treated as disinterested parties, however. Any estimate from Ford or GM, especially, have to be taken with a grain of salt. The same can be said of AutoNation, Moody's and Edmunds. And certainly the White House has a stake in how the program is perceived.

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Not Everyone Gets TARP Funds for Hybrids

With all the press releases from towns, counties and states that have gotten federal money to buy hybrids lately, it's interesting to note those who don't.

In Oregon, a $15 million application to provide hybrid vehicles and electric recharging stations along Interstate 5 and Interstate 84 was not approved.  Oregon had hoped to use the funds to help purchase 800 vehicles that use partial or all electric power, as well as 1,250 recharging stations.

"Oregon's project was unfortunately not selected for funding under this opportunity. We are currently trying to identify other sources of funds or other ways to accomplish the objectives of the project," said Oregon Business Development Department Clean Tech Industry Strategist Mark Brady.

Source:State loses on hybrid money | MailTribune.com

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Senator Kerry Introduces Green Taxis Act of 2009

Boston, New York and Seattle have all tried and failed to force their taxi fleets to go hybrid over the past couple of years. Each time, the local taxi fleet owners have challenged and beaten the local lawmakers ability to set rules about their fuel efficiency.

Fleet owners don't want to change over because hybrid taxis are more expensive to purchase.  Drivers like hybrid taxis because they have to pay for the gas, which allows them to make more even when the fleet owners are allowed to charge more for driving them.

Judges would tell the city officials their new rules would go against the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, which allows the federal government to set fuel economy standards.

While states could petition for exemptions (see California et. al. working hard to do just that), local governments could not.

Senator Kerry (D-MA) has introduced a bill (on behalf of Boston) to ammend that law. The ammendment would allow local governments to set fuel efficiency standards for taxicabs.

The bill is being dubbed the Green Taxis Act of 2009. It is part of the overall climate change bill. It will allow local government would be allowed to set taxi fleet fuel efficiency based on their own needs and policies.

"This legislation will help empower cities and towns across the nation, including Boston, to improve air quality, lower carbon emissions, and save cab drivers and passengers money," Kerry said in a prepared statement. "We know we must reinvent the way America uses energy and once again Boston is leading the way."

Mayor Thomas M. Menino added "Hybrid taxis make sense for taxi drivers, for consumers, and for the health of all Bostonians."

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Cash For Clunkers Top 20

I know about how statistics can lie, but it seems that numbers can mislead just as badly. The government, when it released its numbers on the Cash for Clunkers program, kept touting the top 10 vehicles being sold.

Too bad they didn't emphasize they were splitting up the two-wheel or four-wheel drive models. To be fair, the lists released did have FWD on them, but it's still misleading.

The choice they made to split up FWD and AWD tended to keep any trucks, as opposed to cars that don't have the options, down the list. Well, the numbers were released and the Detroit Free Press put together the list for us to see.

Top 20 models sold under the U.S. government’s cash-for-clunkers program, according to a Free Press analysis of data released this weekend.

1. Toyota Corolla 29,488
2. Honda Civic 28,456
3. Toyota Camry 27,137
4. Ford Focus 22,388
5. Ford Escape 21,894
6. Honda CR-V 20,106
7. Hyundai Elantra 19,797
8. Chevrolet Cobalt 16,724
9. Chevrolet Silverado 16,330
10. Nissan Versa 16,300
11. Ford F150 16,263
12. Honda Accord 15,922
13. Nissan Altima 15,426
14. Toyota RAV4 15,255
15. Toyota Prius 15,013
16. Ford Fusion 13,415
17. Honda Fit 12,361
18. Nissan Sentra 12,158
19. Chevrolet Aveo 11,557
20. Toyota Tacoma 10,692

As you can see, the Prius, which the government had at number 7, is actually number 15.  And the top 10 vehicles purchased using government money includes the Escape, CR-V, and Silverado.  And don't forget the F150 sitting at number 11.

Fuel economy definitely went up for the trade-ins, although the long term impact of the program will probably be minimal from a national standpoint.  But it's little things like this that make you wonder why they couldn't just release the numbers as the program was progressing?

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Stimulus Funds for Diesel-Electric Hybrid Buses

Chicago and Albany will soon be getting hybrid buses, courtesy of the Stimulus package.

Chicago is receiving another $3.5 million in funds to help purchase 20 diesel hybrid buses. The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) in Albany, N.Y. had already received $2 million back in May. The overall cost is expected to reach $10.6 million.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) received and have already placed in service 58 hybrid buses. That brings their total up to 208 'articulated hybrid buses' in their fleet. $50 million (out of a total of $241 million in stimulus money) was used to buy the buses.

The CTA expects to save over $7 million in parts, labor and fuel from their hybrid buses.

According to the press release, the 60 foot buses can transport 125 riders and are 30 percent more fuel efficient and emit 60 percent fewer emissions. They are also replacing smaller buses, which could only transport 80 riders.

The buses can be plugged in overnight to keep the batteries charged. The batteries also keep the auxiliary heater running, eliminating the need to idle buses for startup.

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Automakers Promise Fuel Cell Vehicles by 2015

Filed under 'interesting but vague,' automakers released a joint statement promising electric vehicles with fuel cell development and market introduction through a Letter of Understanding (LoU).

The automakers are Daimler, Ford, GM/Opel, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Renault, Nissan and Toyota. "These companies have built up remarkable know-how in fuel cell technology and thus, the signing marks a major step towards the serial production of such locally emission-free vehicles."

The automakers believe that from 2015, 'a quite significant number' of electric vehicles powered by fuel cells will be commercialized. Of course, the timeline could be even earlier, based on the individual automakers development.

The whole statement is very vague and certainly hard to interpret. Some have pointed to the possible reduction in funding for fuel cell vehicle development as the impetus for the statement.

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Hybrid Truck Research Bill

The house has passed a bill to create a grant program targeted at heavy duty hybrid trucks. The Senate has introduced a companion bill.

"Hopefully we can get some movement on this measure this time around," said Paul Tonko , D-N.Y. "By enhancing the Department of Energy’s research program in heavy duty hybrid trucks, this bill draws much-needed focus to a very critical component of the transportation sector — that being commercial trucks."

Source: CQ Politics | House Passes Bill to Encourage Hybrid Trucks

$3 million a year would be set aside for the research program. The first phase would allow one year for the recipients to produce an advanced heavy-duty hybrid vehicle, while the second/third year would be used to produce 50 trucks.

The heavy duty hybrids would have a gross weight of 14,000 - 33,000 pounds.

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Fed Handing Out Grants for Hybrids

Seattle received $1.4 million in federal grant money to purchase 15 diesel electric hybrid trucks.  The money will also go towards equipping city-owned properties with electric charging stations.  $500,000 of the grant will go towards the electric charging station, with the rest being used to pay for the trucks.

It's estimated the diesel hybrids will save more than 10,000 gallons of fuel annually.

The Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec) is line to get $20 million in federal grant money, which will be used to install 2,550 charging systems for electric vehicles.


Maryland will be buying 150 hybrid vehicles with $5.9 million in federal stimulus money.  The hybrids will be used by private companies.  Aramark, Efficiency Enterprises, Nestle Waters of North America, Sysco Corp. and UPS who are all part of the Maryland Hybrid Truck Good Movement Initiative.  The new fleets will cost $14.7 million, so the companies are paying almost two-thirds of the cost.

Aramark alone is expecting to purchase 50 hybrid vehicles.

The hybrids are estimated at reducing fuel consumption by 460,000 gallons a year.

The Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition will use $12.9 million in federal stimulus funds to purchase hybrid electric school buses.  The money is coming through the Dept of Energy, which estimates the new buses will save 122,000 gallons of petroleum a year.

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Nissan Laughs at Chevy Volt 230 MPG Rating

Nissan, either to prove a point or to just steal GM's thunder, pointed out the Nissan Leaf, their new electric vehicle due out in 2010, will get 367 mpg by the EPA rating.

Too bad they're not going to use any gasoline.

In the meantime, the EPA won't back up GM's claim to 230 mpg since they haven't tested the Volt and won't for a while.

Of course, both numbers are ridiculous on the face of it. Rating an electric vehicle (which won't use any gasoline) or a plug-in hybrid (or E-REV which may never use any gasoline) for 230 mpg or 367 mpg is foolish in the extreme.

The EPA needs to come up with a different rating system for the plug-in and electric vehicles that are coming. Whether it's 230, 367, or 99,999 mpg, they still aren't using fuel the way they used to and those numbers tell you absolutely nothing about what you're going to get from the vehicle.  How many people are going to buy the Chevy Volt and be really disappointed once they realize their car really gets only 40 mpg or less once the gas engine kicks in?

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Senate Passes Funding for Cash for Clunkers

As expected, the Senate has passed the funding bill for the Cash for Clunkers program. For another $2 billion, the CARS program is expected to last through September. President Obama is expected to sign the bill ASAP.

The $2 billion is being transferred out of the money set aside for the Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, which was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus Act).

I would expect sales will slow after the initial rush, although dealers and the government are still working to clear all the claims already made. So it's hard to guess how long the CARS program will take to run through the next $2 billion. It only took a week to run through the first billion.

The Senate vote 60-37 to pass the bill, after stripping out the seven amendments attached by some of the Senators. If they hadn't stripped out the amendments, the House would have had to get together with the Senate to work out the differences. Since the House was already in recess, that would have delayed it until September. Which probably would have ended the program, as the Obama administration had already warned the program was out of money and would probably be done on Friday without extra funding.

The beginning text of the bill:
For an additional amount for `Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program' to carry out the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program established by the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 (title XIII of Public Law 111-32), not to exceed $2,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2010: Provided, That such amount shall be available for such purpose only to the extent directed by the President, and shall be derived by transfer from the amount made available for `Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Title 17--Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program' in title IV of division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5): Provided further, That the amount under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement and necessary to meet emergency needs pursuant to sections 403 and 423(b) of S. Con. Res. 13 (111th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010.

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Cash For Clunkers Numbers Updated

The Dept of Transportation announced some more numbers for the CARS program (Cash for Clunkers). With 180,000 sales processed, the Ford Focus is no longer the top vehicle being purchased. (Source: Autonews).  Instead, the Toyota Corolla is now the number one vehicle consumers have purchased using the up to $4,500 in rebates when they trade in their 'clunker' to be recycled.

The top five vehicles purchased so far:

1. Toyota Corolla
2. Ford Focus
3. Honda Civic
4. Toyota Prius
5. Toyota Camry
   

Over 80 percent of the trade-ins were light trucks, sport utilities, pickups and vans. 59 percent of the new vehicles are passenger cars. The fuel economy of the trade-ins has average 18.5 mpg, while the fuel economy of the new purchases is averaging 25.3 mpg.

Federal reimbursements have been sent out to the tune of $775.2 million so far.

The Senate is expected to pass (without amendments) the same version of the bill the House passed last week to fund the program with another $2 billion. If any amendments were approved, the House and Senate would need to get together and work out the bill. With the House already on recess, that would delay the funding of the program.

The Obama administration has stated they would have to suspend the program at the end of the week if new funding was not approved by Congress.

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Nissan Backs eTec By Deploying 1,000 LEAF Electric Vehicles

As part of the $2.4 Billion in grant money being handed out yesterday, the Electric Transportation Engineering Corp (eTec) received $99.8 million. After matching the grant by regional project participants, a total of $199.6 million will be used to install approximately 2,500 charging stations in each of the selected markets – Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region.

Nissan will be adding in to the mix 1,000 LEAF electric vehicles (EV) in each market. The LEAF has a range of 100 miles of all electric power on a full charge and can seat 5.

The EVs will be used to collect and analyze data characterizing vehicle use in diverse topographies and climate conditions, evaluate the effectiveness of charging infrastructure, and conduct trials of various revenue systems for commercial and public charging infrastructure. To test and analyze electric vehicle usage and charging patterns in a simulated, mature charging environment, the deployment of charging infrastructure will target major population areas.

“Nissan appreciates the support of the Department of Energy in helping jumpstart the electrification of the transportation sector,” said Scott Becker vice president, Legal and General Counsel, Nissan North America. “This is a major step in promoting zero-emission mobility in the United States. Nissan is looking forward to partnering with eTec to help make electric cars a reality and to help establish the charging networks in key markets.”

“This project will enhance America’s leadership role in clean electric transportation and exemplifies the Department of Energy’s strategic foresight and commitment to improving our environment, economy and energy independence,” said Jonathan Read, president and CEO, ECOtality, parent company of eTec. “By developing a rich charge infrastructure in each market, this project will enable a successful consumer experience among early EV adopters and increase market demand for electric transportation.”

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US Grants $2.4 Billion to Develop Batteries and Electric Vehicles

President Obama announced $2.4 billion in grant money would be used to fund various companies and projects to accelerate the manufacturing and deployment of the next generation of US batteries and electric vehicles.

The Department of Energy selected 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects (pdf) to receive the funding. Companies like GMC, Johnson Controls, A123 Systems, Enerdel, Saft, etc... will each receive grants. The amount of each grant ranges from $0.5 million to the City College of San Francisco to develop Educational Programs for secondary students, Service Personnel, and Technicians all the way up to $299.2 million for the production of nickel-cobalt-metal battery cells and packs, as well as production of battery separators (by partner Entek) for hybrid and electric vehicles.

"If we want to reduce our dependence on oil, put Americans back to work and reassert our manufacturing sector as one of the greatest in the world, we must produce the advanced, efficient vehicles of the future," said President Obama.

"For our nation and our economy to recover, we must have a vision for what can be built here in the future - and then we need to invest in that vision," said Vice President Biden. "That's what we're doing today and that's what this Recovery Act is about."

“These are incredibly effective investments that will come back to us many times over – by creating jobs, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, cleaning up the air we breathe, and combating climate change,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “They will help achieve the President’s goal of putting one million plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2015. And, most importantly, they will launch an advanced battery industry in America and make our auto industry cleaner and more competitive.”

The $2.4 billion in grants is coupled with another $2.4 billion in cost share from the award winners. The government expects the grants will create tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. battery and auto industries.

Other awards include:

* $1.5 billion in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce batteries and their components and to expand battery recycling capacity;
* $500 million in grants to U.S. based manufacturers to produce electric drive components for vehicles, including electric motors, power electronics, and other drive train components; and
* $400 million in grants to purchase thousands of plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles for test demonstrations in several dozen locations; to deploy them and evaluate their performance; to install electric charging infrastructure; and to provide education and workforce training to support the transition to advanced electric transportation systems.

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Cash for Clunkers Numbers

The top three cars purchased through the CARS program so far were the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Next on the list was the Toyota Prius. The Civic, Escape, and Camry have hybrid versions, but I haven't seen if buyers were opting for the hybrid versions of the vehicles.

83% of the vehicles traded in to be scrapped were trucks and SUVS (not surprising given the maximum mpg values allowed for the trade in). 60% of the vehicles purchased were passenger cars (Source: Cash for Clunkers cars: Small wins big - CNN.com).

The Top 10 Picks for the CARS Program (Source: NYTimes):
1. Ford Focus
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Corolla
4. Toyota Prius
5. Ford Escape
6. Toyota Camry
7. Dodge Caliber
8. Hyundai Elantra
9. Honda Fit
10. Chevrolet Cobalt

Overall, the fuel economy increase from the old vehicles has been 61 percent, with the new vehicles getting 25.4 mpg.

The top 10 vehicles being traded in were domestic models (Source: LATimes):
Ford Explorer 2WD and 4WD, Ford F-150 2WD and 4WD, Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD, Dodge Caravan, Chevy Blazer 4WD, Chevy Silverado 1500 2WD and Ford Windstar.

Senators are saying the $2 billion bill to extend the Cash for Clunkers program passed by the House is likely to pass the Senate this week.  The legislation would transfer the money from an Energy Department loan guarantee program in the economic stimulus package approved in February.

As of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, 157,000 transactions had been completed across the country and $664 million in federal vouchers spent as part of the CARS program, said Eric Bolton, spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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Where are the Cash for Clunkers Numbers?

Despite rumors on the number of cars sold using the Cash for Clunkers program, there are no numbers yet to back up what or how many have occurred. And that's worrying to the AP:Obama administration withholds data on clunkers - Yahoo! News

The Associated Press has sought release of the data since last week. Rae Tyson, spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the agency will provide the data requested as soon as possible.

DOT officials already have received electronic details from car dealers of each trade-in transaction. The agency receives regular analyses of the sales data, producing helpful talking points for LaHood, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and other officials to use when urging more funding.

LaHood said in an interview Sunday he would make the electronic records available. "I can't think of any reason why we wouldn't do it," he said.

So, go ahead and do it? Congress is looking to put in $2 billion more into the program. And the program has continued this week, despite possibly being out of money.  The least the Obama administration could do is release the numbers they have.

I'd be most curious about the difference in fuel economy, not to mention the makes and models of the cars being bought and sold. Ford has stated the CARs program has been extremely helpful for them. But rumors are saying a majority of the cars being bought are from Honda and Toyota.

Quick Update:
Bloomberg has a story on the numbers being released. The CARS program is currently hiring twice as many consultants just to handle the claims being made.

Vehicles made by the three largest U.S. automakers -- General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC --were fewer than half of sales under the program through Aug. 1, according to Transportation Department data obtained today. The companies accounted for 47 percent of the clunkers transactions.

About 80,500 transactions had been logged at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is administering the program. That doesn’t include the backlog.

Vehicles traded in under the program averaged 15.8 miles per gallon, compared with 25.4 miles per gallon for the new purchases, or a 61 percent improvement, according to the Transportation Department data.

That's a good deal of improvement for the cars being traded in, although I hasten to point out 80,000 vehicles is just a drop in the bucket for overall sales.  That's about 8% of the sales made in July, for instance.  And sales were still down 12% from last year, never mind what they were down from two years ago.

This program is moving so fast, it's hard to keep up with the latest information.

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