HEADLINES
SPRING 2010

Coordinator's Corner

Georgia Happenings

Industry Updates

Fuels Fix

Upcoming Conferences and Events

This newsletter is the first of at least six I intend to publish during 2010.  I have been reflecting on all that has occurred in the last ten months since I took over as the Coordinator for Clean Cities-Atlanta.  A lot has happened which has had positive impacts on the coalition and the DOE Clean Cities program. 

Department of Energy support for the Clean Cities program continues to grow with the FY2011 DOE budget including a $35 million line item for Clean Cities activities.  The FY2009 Clean Cities ARRA Grant process is on the home stretch and the final contract between Clean Cities-Atlanta and DOE will be completed in March. 

I have spent most of the last 10 months figuring out what needed to be done and preparing plans to get things going. 

2010 is beginning with an increased emphasis on growing and retaining membership in the coalition.  The coalition’s Board of Directors has selected a local Atlanta firm, Centergy Group, to help grow the membership.  They will soon begin a campaign to reengage our stakeholders including paying dues. Since CC-A is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, our primary source of operating revenue is the dues we receive from our stakeholders.  We have also engaged Centergy to organize and plan the events scheduled for 2010. 

2010 is also going to see the return of the Advancing The Choice workshop this summer along with the AFV Odyssey in the fall.  We will also be partnering with other coalitions and alternative fuel providers to host fuel specific road shows and workshops during the year.

Please let me know if there is anything that you would like the coalition to do during the coming year.

Thanks

Don Francis

Georgia’s ARRA Clean Diesel Grant:
Retrofitting School Buses

In 2009, Georgia's Environmental Protection Division (EPD) was awarded $1.73 million from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act State Clean Diesel Grant.  EPD elected to use the funds to retrofit buses in Georgia with emission control devices. 

In order to issue subawards for distribution of the funds, EPD sent out a request for applications in September 2009.  All of the state's public school systems and transit fleets were eligible. EPD collected 9 applications for retrofitting school buses, and in January 2010 a total of five districts were selected to receive subawards: 

• Muscogee County School Systems, Full Funding
• Jackson County School Systems, Full Funding
• Houston County School Systems, Full Funding
• Banks County School Systems, Full Funding
• Cherokee County School System, Partial Funding

Upon completion of the grant, 179 school buses will have been retrofitted with emission control devices that will reduce particulate matter (smoke) 75% to 95%.  Overall, these projects will improve air quality and generate jobs across the state.

Powering Up for an Electric Future

GM will expand its in-house electric vehicle development capabilities by becoming the first major U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors, a core technology for hybrids and electric vehicles. The company recently announced a $246 million investment that will allow them to add more jobs and continue expanding electric motor research and development, design, and validation capabilities already under way at facilities in Michigan, Indiana, and California. The White Marsh, Maryland transmission plant alone will create about 200 new jobs.
 
The investment also makes it possible for GM to lower cost and improve performance, quality, reliability, and manufacturability of electric motors by controlling design, materials selectio,n and production processes. The first GM-designed and built electric motors are scheduled to debut in 2013 in next-generation, rear-wheel-drive, two-mode Hybrid technology.
 
"Electric motor innovation supported the first wave of automotive growth a century ago with the electric starter, which eliminated the need for a hand crank, and revolutionized automotive travel for the customer," said Tom Stephens, GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Operations. “We think the electrification of today’s automobiles will be just as revolutionary and just as beneficial to our customers. Electric motors will play a huge role in that.”
 
What will this mean for customers?  These electric motors are engines for hybrid and electric vehicles. They provide power to the wheels. By designing and manufacturing electric motors in-house, GM can more efficiently use energy from batteries as they evolve, potentially reducing cost and weight – two significant challenges facing batteries today. The new electric motors will be smaller, more powerful, and more energy efficient. Their smaller size will allow the company to use them in a variety of vehicles.

For more information on GM’s electric drive activities, visit the FastLane Blog.

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Ford Fusion Hybrid Earns Spot
on Car and Driver’s List of 10 Best Cars for 2010

The hits keep coming for America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan, the Ford Fusion. The Fusion Hybrid has been honored as one of Car and Driver magazine’s “10Best” cars for 2010, just weeks after winning the prestigious Motor Trend Car of the Year® award and being named the 2010 North American Car of the Year.

“Car and Driver is always looking for those cars that are most engaging to drive, and in our experience the Ford Fusion Hybrid is the first hybrid vehicle that really delivers a fun driving experience,” said Eddie Alterman, editor-in-chief of Car and Driver, noting that the Fusion Hybrid is only the second hybrid ever to make the magazine’s “10Best” list.

“We were very impressed with how seamlessly the hybrid powertrain functioned,” Alterman said. “We were also impressed with Ford SYNC® and how seamlessly it worked.”

But Alterman says what really sealed the deal for Fusion Hybrid is the simple fact that it’s fun. “The vehicle is entertaining,” he explained. “It’s really fun to drive, and we had fun trying to improve our mileage using the SmartGauge™ technology.”

A total of 58 vehicles were in the running for the Car and Driver “10Best” list. All of the contenders were put through a week of rigorous testing and judged based on three criteria: how well they performed their intended mission (i.e. luxury, sport); how engaging and fun they were to drive; and how much value they delivered.

“Being ranked one of Car and Driver’s ‘10Best’ cars for 2010 is high praise indeed,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development. “In addition to being fun to drive, the Fusion Hybrid offers unsurpassed fuel economy that our customers truly appreciate with an EPA estimated rating of 41 mpg in the city and the ability to travel more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas.”

Despite the slump in overall industry sales, 2009 has been a record-breaking year for the Fusion. Sales are at an all-time high, with the Fusion Hybrid accounting for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. Perhaps even more significant, more than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.

For more information on the Ford Fusion Hybrid, visit Ford's web site.

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Altech-Eco Adds 2010 Ford Transit CNG Conversion
EPA-Certification to its Growing Portfolio
 

Altech-Eco Corporation, the conversion facility for Transeco Energy Corporation, has obtained a Certificate of Conformity (COC) from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — the first of its kind from the EPA for a taxi — for their bi-fuel 2010 Ford Transit Connect compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion system. The announcement comes in parallel with Ford’s news on the prep-package option for the Transit Connect Taxi, for incorporation into Ford’s 2011 model due out later this year.

The “bi-fueled” system means that the Transit Connect can switch between natural gas (CNG) and gasoline by pressing a button. Driving range is said to be over 700 miles on a single fill-up.

A 100% CNG monofuel version will reportedly be available for CNG-only operation. The complete conversion system includes CNG cylinders with fuel storage capacity starting at 10.6 GGE (Gas Gallon Equivalent), and a CNG average of 31 mpg on the highway and 25 in the city. Altech-Eco provides a lifetime warranty on all conversion system emissions components.

Altech-Eco Conversion Systems are produced by Altech-Eco exclusively and are not a Ford Motor Company manufactured product.

For more information on Altech-Eco’s BI-FUEL CNG/Gasoline Conversion System, visit the EON news site.

Are you curious about what others in the southeast are doing to reduce oil dependence, improve air quality,and promote advanced vehicle technologies? If so, you should read the quarterly Fuels Fix Ezine, a collection of stories that represents a collaborative effort from Clean Cities Coalitions from across the southeast.

Past issues of Fuels Fix can be found here.  The Spring 2010 issue will be forthcoming soon.

National NGV Fleet Summit
March 24, 2010

Crowne Plaza Hotel
Louisville, Kentucky

The  crème de la crème of the heavy-duty natural gas fleet summit is set to  converge on Louisville the day prior to the Mid America Truck  Show. JOIN US and get all the news you need to know now about natural gas for heavy  duty trucking.

• OEMs are  bringing new equipment, high-level speakers, and key reasons why natural  gas will play an increasingly important role  in the transportation sector in the U.S. and around the  world.
• You’ll hear directly from Boone Pickens  about the latest on the PICKENS PLAN, the NAT GAS Act, and the plan to put  400,000 natural gas trucks on the road in the United States.  
• UPS,  Trimac Transportation, California Cartage and other  existing natural gas fleet users will give you the straight scoop on their  past successes and experiences with natural gas.   No-holds-barred!
• The National  NGV Fleet Decision makers from America’s top fleets are  attending the National NGV Fleet Summit. Join the members of this group as  they learn how to save money and take advantage of the significant  opportunities that natural gas presents.
  

Fleet registration is free.
Clean Cities Atlanta Stakeholders can email for discounted registration.

For additional information, please visit the Summit website, call 888.993.0302, or send us an email.  

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AF&V 2010
May 9-12, 2010

The Rio All-Suite Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada

In its sixteenth year, AF&V 2010 is THE industry event representing all fuels, vehicles, and technologies that provide an alternative to petroleum. This fuel- and technology-neutral conference brings together industry experts, transportation leaders, and policy makers to help fleet managers and other decision makers sort through which fuels and vehicles make the most sense for them. The conference embraces advanced technologies that result in fuel efficiency, petroleum displacement, and emissions improvements. Included are hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid technologies; blends, including hydrogen; fuel cells; and idle-reduction devices. All of these are featured as part of the diverse program, Expo Hall, and Ride-n-Drive.

For additional information and registration, visit the AFV2010 website.

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Biodiesel Workshop
May 23, 2010

Columbia Convention Center
Columbia, South Carolina
1:00-5:00 p.m.

Learn about :

• Biodiesel and the  physics of "fuel”
• Biodiesel and the modern engine, do's and don'ts
• ASTM quality standards and emission regulations
• Political, economic & environmental issues driving the renewable fuels industry
• Federal and State Incentives

For more information and to register contact Erika Myers, (803) 737-7951.

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IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition
September 12-16, 2010

Hilton Atlanta Hotel
Atlanta, Georgia

The Energy Conversion Congress & Expo will provide a forum for the exchange of information among practicing professionals in the energy conversion business. The scope of the conference includes energy conversion applications ranging from household appliances, industrial equipment, regenerative energy systems, automotive power trains, transportation propulsion systems, as well as electrical distribution and transmission systems. Application focused sessions will be a featured part of the technical program, taking into account real-world challenges such as energy conservation, carbon emission reduction, renewable energy and smart grid and sustainable/electrified transportation; while also moving the leading edge of the traditional component technologies forward.

For additional information and registration, visit the conference website.