clean transportation Archives

This Week’s Top 10: Clean Cities announces research resources, Tesla Model S and Toyota Prius take Consumer Reports awards

by Jon LeSage, editor and publisher, Green Auto Market

Here’s my take on the 10 most significant and interesting occurrences during the past week…….

The US Dept. of Energy’s Clean Cities has issued several research resources for stakeholders in the past week. The Clean Cities 2015 Vehicle Buyer’s Guide offers vehicle selection, pricing, infrastructure, and emissions information on a wide selection of alternative fuel vehicles. Categories include propane, compressed natural gas, biodiesel, plug-in electric, plug-in hybrid electric, hybrid electric, and ethanol flex-fuel. Clean Cities also said that it’s moving forward on its request for information (RFI) project announced in November on purchasing and procurement for bulk vehicle orders. The RFI is soliciting feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to purchasing/procurement processes designed to coordinate and consolidate bulk alternative fuel vehicle, advanced vehicle orders, and vehicle subsystems. Responses are due no later than 5:00 pm eastern time on March 13, 2015. This announcement was coordinated with a public meeting for Clean Cities stakeholders to collect input in a new Clean Cities five-year strategic plan. Clean Cities encourages stakeholders to continue to give written comments through its Strategic Planning Meeting website until March 13.
The Tesla Model S and Toyota Prius take best of awards from Consumer Reports. For the second year in a row, the Model S has taken the “best overall” category for its “innovation, magnificence, and sheer technological arrogance.” The testing team likes the fact that Tesla’s over-the-air software updates keep the 2013 model up to date with many of the same features as the new models. The Toyota Prius took the “green car” category again, which has been the case consecutively since 2004. Testers haven’t been that impressed with ride comfort, cornering, and interior, but the affordability, fuel economy, packaging and “blue-chip reliability” make it the “perfect economical transportation solution.” Rating indicators for all Consumer Reports categories are based on overall road-test performance, reliability, and safety.
AltCar has announced dates for its two 2015 events. For the Northern California event, the City of Oakland AltCar Conference & Expo will be held May 28. The 10^th anniversary of the City of Santa Monica’s AltCar Expo will take place on Sept. 18-19. For participation, you can contact Platia Productions at (310) 390-2930, ext. 3.
Toyota started production of Mirai fuel cell sedan at its Motomachi Plant in Toyota City, Japan. The fuel cell car can travel 400 miles on a fueling and has been very important in Toyota’s green vehicle strategy; however, the production numbers are limited to 700 units this year, 2,000 in 2016, and 3,000 in 2017.
Daimler joins other automakers selling in the European market by implementing more material cost efficiencies to meet stringent European Union emissions targets. Daimler Chief Financial Officer Bodo Uebber says that in 2014, the automaker offset the burdens from the variable cost for its carbon reducing measures with material cost efficiencies such as sharing more commonality among its different car lines. Uebber expects to do the same this year through at least 2017.
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is funding $600,000 to Icom North America to support development of its propane autogas technology in the Ford 3.5L EcoBoost engine. That should assist Icom receiving both US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board certifications for the 3.5L EcoBoost platform. Icom’s JTGhp direct-injection system can be applied to the Ford F-150, Explorer, and Taurus vehicle platforms. PERC also announced last week that it will be displaying at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis. Fleet managers are invited to interact with PERC’s dimensional displays for calculating lifetime operating costs, and seeing cost savings that comes from using propane autogas.
Volvo Cars is joining the autonomous vehicle test driving movement by placing 100 self-driving cars on Gothenburg, Sweden streets by 2017. Local residents will be using these autonomous Volvo XC90 crossover test vehicles commuting to work on a controlled 31-mile route. That test is expected to run through the spring of 2019 and will use sensors, cloud-based positioning systems, intelligent braking, and steering technologies through a new Volvo autopilot system.
Texas state grants had pretty good return on investment with grants issued to natural gas vehicles (NGVs), according to a study by the University of Texas San Antonio’s Institute for Economic Development. Three state grants, totaling $52.9 million, supported construction of new natural gas fueling stations and the adoption of NGVs. That generated $128 million in economic impact, $52.9 million in gross state product, and supported 927 full-time jobs in 2014. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality administered the three grants that went out to the Clean Transportation Triangle, the Alternative Fueling Facilities Program, and the Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Program.
As biofuel supporters wait for the US Environmental Protection Agency to get around to announcing its 2014 volume standards, another action was taken in Washington. A bill introduced last week by Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) would repeal the corn ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Feinstein is especially concerned about corn prices increasing if that mandate continues. They’re misunderstanding the facts, according to Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association. “Corn is less expensive today than when the RFS was passed,” Dinneen said.
Solar power will see substantial growth in 2015, according to a new study by GTM Research. Solar installations will grow in 75% of US states, with incremental growth in Arizona and Massachusetts but significant growth in Georgia and Utah.

This Week’s Top 10: More news from the Detroit Auto Show, Rick Sikes and Keith Leech announce their retirements

by Jon LeSage, editor and publisher, Green Auto Market

Here’s my take on the 10 most significant and interesting occurrences during the past week…….

Unveiling the Chevrolet Bolt and 2016 Volt changes stole the thunder last Monday at the North American International Auto Show. As for the rest of that week…….. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk was a keynote speaker at the Automotive New World Congress and said that Tesla will boost production of its electric vehicles from less than 40,000 last year to at least a few million by 2025. The company may not be profitable until 2020. Chinese sales were weaker in the fourth quarter of 2014 than the company had expected; Musk said city-dwelling Chinese consumers have misperceptions about the difficulty of charging their electric cars. On Thursday of last week, Musk traveled to Texas and urged state legislators to ease restrictions on selling Tesla electric cars there, and the possibility of setting up a new car factory or test facility for his “hyperloop” fast train…… Volkswagen debuted its five-seater Cross Coupe GTE. The plug-in hybrid has a maximum output of 355 horsepower and an all-wheel-drive system. It has a manufacturer-estimated fuel economy rating of 70 MPGe…….. Honda showcased its FCV hydrogen fuel cell vehicle concept with US availability of the production vehicle in 2016. The company also announced plans to offer several next-generation, advanced powertrain vehicles, including a new battery-electric model and plug-in hybrid model by 2018………. Ford unveiled the all-new GT, an ultra-high-performance supercar that serves as a technology showcase for top EcoBoost performance, aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fiber construction……… Hyundai revealed a plug-in hybrid version of the Sonata midsize sedan that will go on sale this year. Hyundai said it plans to start by selling the 2016 Sonata PHEV in California and nine other U.S. states that mandate sales of zero-emission vehicles.
Two prominent fleet managers have retired. Rick Sikes, fleet superintendent for the City of Santa Monica, and Keith Leech, fleet manager for the City of Sacramento, announced their retirements this month. Sikes is known for leading Santa Monica’s fleet for more than 25 years and bringing it up to 85% alternative fuel including electric, propane, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, and biodiesel. Sikes has served on the leadership team for the city’s AltCar Expo since its inception in 2005. Leech served as Sacramento’s fleet manager from May 2006, where he promoted fleet sustainability with alternative fuels and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Leech has served as President of the Sacramento Regional Clean Cities Coalition; his fleet has been honored several times with awards including taking #1 Government Green Fleet in North America by “100 Best Fleets” and Green Fleet
Former GM product czar Bob Lutz says that Via Motors delivered its first 40 plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Silverado converted pickups to fleet customers, and 200 retrofitted Chevrolet Express vans are in the works. Lutz plays a leadership role with Via, and he says the company expects to sell 50,000 vehicles per year by 2018.
Cheap gasoline prices make it harder to sell electric cars, says Ian Robertson, BMW’s head of sales and marketing. He expects sales to dip in a few countries due to declining gas prices. Maybe a 60-second spot during the Superbowl will help move the metal. The i8 plug-in hybrid is only available in limited production and is quite expensive with a list price of $137,450, but the interest in strong. People are waiting about a year to receive their i8, doubling the delivery this year to 1,000 plus compared to last year. Ludwig Willisch, CEO of BMW of North America, said those i8 models won’t be in the US until October.
Roush CleanTech has earned California Air Resources Board (CARB) retrofit certification for all Ford 6.8-liter vehicles for model years 2012 to 2015 – and is the first company to receive this certification for propane autogas. Any 2012 – 2015 model year Ford E-450, F-450, F-550, F-650, F-53 and F-59 vehicles can now be converted to run on propane autogas in all 50 states.
A recent JD Power and Associates study found that fuel economy has been the top vehicle buying decision for consumers for the past four years; and it should stay high on their consideration list even with the huge drop in gasoline prices, a JD Power analyst said.
The California Energy Commission approved more than $12 million for alternative fuel vehicle projects during its first business meeting of the new year. Regents of the University of California will receive $11.2 million for a natural gas vehicle incentive program; US General Services Administration will receive $600,000 to install 50 electric vehicle charging stations at federal facilities in California; and Linde LLC is receiving $300,000 for a new hydrogen fueling station in West Sacramento.
Uber will provide the City of Boston with data on its ridesharing service trips as part of Boston’s plan to ease traffic congestion and assist in smarter city planning. Uber will provide a quarterly report with trip logs with details on the ride – pickup days and times, distance travel, and zip codes where passengers were picked up and dropped off. That follows new rules from the state of Massachusetts officially recognizing Uber and other ridesharing services as valid modes of transportation. Question: could carsharing services track and report trips to cities and fleets?
Tom Saxton, chief science officer for Plug In America, analyzed how things are going for workplace electric vehicle charging in a blog post. One of the challenges is finding the “just right” fee for charging costs. Free charging is a good thing for kickstarting awareness of electric vehicles but it’s not going to last forever. Free charging can lead to oversubscription and reduce charging availability for those needing charges; that would discourage EV adoption from people who could most benefit from charging at work, Saxton says.
While the price drop at gasoline pumps was a leading topic last week at the Detroit Auto Show, it’s not going to last forever, says Bob Carter, the head of US automotive operations for Toyota. Carter is in agreement with most other automotive executives that those prices will go up; but the question continues on what impact it may have in 2017 during the industry-government review of the 54.5 mpg corporate average fuel economy by 2025 mandate.

How to succeed in green vehicle marketing: Forget about gas prices and focus on clean energy

Gasoline and oil prices have seen sizable drops recently. Gasoline in the US lately has been averaging $2.41 per gallon versus $3.23 a year ago. As of Dec. 15, WTI crude oil was $55.96 per barrel versus $97.18 a year ago. The consensus opinion among analysts is that petroleum prices should stay down for the next year or so, and will eventually go up to record high prices. That could be somewhere around 2020 through increased government taxes and reduced oil supply driving the pump price of gasoline up to around $10 per gallon.

In the meantime, there has got to be a better marketing tactic for reaching fleets and consumers and their decision-making process. It looks like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, gaining more freedom from oil dependency, and supporting advanced vehicle technology innovation would be the best ways to go. A new study by the Union of Concerne d Scientists (UCS) offers some convincing resources, as does development of solar energy storage systems.

UCS has calculated that electric vehicles (EVs) have less “wells-to-wheels” emissions than they did a year ago. Top-selling Nissan Leaf increasing its electric range from 73 miles to 84 miles has helped, and the arrival in the past year of more energy efficient EVs like the BMW i3 has played a part in the improvements. Another UCS study, the “State of Charge,” finds that electricity production is getting cleaned up through reduction in coal generation and increasing renewable energy – helping EV makers and drivers meet their goals of reducing emissions and fossil fuel consumption.

Solar energy has huge potential for leading the renewable energy front, but it’s still behind wind energy in the US as a source currently being tapped into by utilities. For both solar and wind, one of the biggest challenges for market growth has been the capacity to store that power when the sun goes down (or is limited by storm clouds) and when the wind fades away. These are fluctuating, intermittent energy sources that need storage systems if they stand a chance of meeting load demand and gaining the financial backing they need.

A new study by GTM Research forecasts the market for solar energy paired with energy storage will surpass $1 billion per year in revenue by 2018 in the US. Installation of 318 cumulative megawatts of storage capacity through 2018 will come from state incentives, falling battery costs, net metering changes, and solid growth in the solar photovoltaics market. Two developments play a part: California’s mandate to procure 1.3 gigawatts of energy storage and Tesla’s Gigafactory will mean that capacity for energy storage will soon reach a tipping point. A federal 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC), available in certain situations, is also expected to help meet that $1 billion forecast – up from its current $42 million annual revenue.

California and Hawaii have been the major growth markets for solar power in the US, and more incentives are expected to show up. California, New Jersey, and New York have been offering incentive programs. California’s Small Generation Incentive Program has supported several megawatts’ worth of solar-plus-storage to date.

It’s typical to see incentives for adding solar power to homes and commercial properties, and occasionally these programs are tied into EV ownership. Solar-powered canopies with charging stations have taken off in California and other states; and solar companies have made marketing arrangements with automakers to entice EV owners to install solar on their homes – such as SolarCity has done with Honda through its discount solar financing program.

Climate change is real for large institutions but it’s not making the case for cost-cutting fleets and consumers

Whatever you want to call it – climate science, climate disruption, or global warming – climate change is still coming up all over the map. Institutions of all types – large corporations, government agencies, research centers, and the United Nations – quickly set aside arguments that climate change isn’t happening. Their concern is whether it’s too late to stop devastating weather events, ocean acidification, melting ice caps, and massive losses of natural resources.

Most automakers and other major stakeholders tend to agree with making the case for climate change. Volvo Group renewed its partnership with World Wide Fund supporting its Climate Savers program. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says that climate change is one of his company’s primary concerns. Honda has been pleased to announce that it’s further reducing carbon footprint by building a wind farm in Brazil that will produce enough energy to power its car factory in that country. Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo has made a partnership with Carbon War Room and The North American Council for Freight Efficiency for the Trucking Efficiency joint effort. Thousands of diplomats from around the world are meeting in Lima, Peru to make a United Nations agreement on the long dragged-out debate on implementing its Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Even though ground transportation makes up a big share of greenhouse gas emissions, it’s been a very tough sell to gain green vehicle acquisitions from fleet purchasing managers, truck transportation companies, corporate and government procurement officers, car shoppers, and consumers with influence over what their peers may purchase. Declining gasoline prices recently have had a big impact on retail car buyer decisions dipping on hybrids and electric vehicles. Those pump prices may drop down to $2 per gallon by Christmas-time at some US gas stations. OPEC failing to cut down on oil production should have something to do with dropping gasoline prices.

Fleets are shying away from investing in natural gas vehicles and fueling, and to some extent propane, when they can better contain costs with fuel-efficient internal combustion engine vehicles. Consumers are facing similar challenges – the economic collapse of 2008-2009 is over, but the environment has definitely changed. There are still a lot of layoffs going on, sending kids to college is incredibly expensive, medical coverage hasn’t been turned around yet by Obamacare, and the cost of living can quickly creep up on each month’s bill-paying cycle for many Americans. Making an investment in a new vehicle technology is a tough sell, and the early adopters are done with their fascination with electric vehicles and other alternative powertrains.

So how does one make the case for green vehicle acquisitions in this landscape? Wearing my consultant hat, and being a rabid consumer of news and peer conversations on the topic, here are a few strategies that seem to be working:

Make the case for return on investment (ROI). Fleets are finding they can reach payback in about two-to-three years in duty cycles after making the acquisitions; sometimes that happens within a year-and-a-half. After that point, the fleet saves money on that vehicle acquisition through fuel cost savings and sometimes through reducing maintenance costs.
Green vehicles support the organization’s sustainability priorities. Many government and corporate employees will tell you impressive stories about their leaderships’ programs designed around handing over a clean environment to future generations. Their fleet vehicles make up a lot of that environmental impact, and today there are many practical and viable options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transportation.
Don’t forget infrastructure. For alternative vehicle technologies to take off, they need a lot more fueling and charging stations out there. That takes a lot of funding and support, but the resources are impressive for those willing to build a network of leaders in the community. Go to your local Clean Cities Coordinator to get the ball rolling.
Speak to other reasons besides climate change. While many key stakeholders accept climate change as a given, some don’t and will shut down their attention and support if that’s the cause they’re asked to buy into. When you’re making the case for gaining funding support from your city council, corporate board, investors, or your spouse, also mention other top issues. These days, air quality and health hazards would make top of the list; independence from foreign oil imports still gains support out there (anti-OPEC is still a good one); and a broad sustainability perspective usually works, especially the idea of being responsible for what’s handed over to future generations.
Don’t forget economic growth. In this day and age of economic globalization, fast-changing technologies, and industry shutdowns, supporting clean transportation makes more sense. It’s usually part of political lobbying and grant funding applications; but it also goes over well with business leaders looking for growth opportunities as the economic landscape continues to become more of a moving shell game. Job creation, public and private investment, infrastructure development, training and education programs, and technology innovations generally support the case for growth in clean transportation.

Natural gas vehicles may be hurt in California by CARB decision on Low Carbon Fuel Standard

As the NGVAmerica North American NGV Conference and Expo starts up today in Kansas City, Mo., one issue is inevitably going to be mentioned by speakers and at luncheon tables. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) just-released proposed changes to adopting the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard would give natural gas vehicles lower clean fuel ratings as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That would likely mean less funds will be available for grants, incentives, and through participation in California’s cap-and-trade credit market.

NGVAmerica is challenging CARB to refrain from adopting its proposed GREET 2.0 model that puts natural gas lower on the scale due to emissions of unburned methane escaping from a natural gas vehicle’s tailpipe. “We respectfully urge CARB to refrain from making changes in the California GREET model at this time,” NGVAmerica’s Jeffrey Clarke, director of regulatory affairs and general counsel, wrote in a letter to CARB. Similar letters have been filed by Clean Energy Fuels Corp, Westport Innovations, the California NGV Coalition, Southern California Gas Co., and others. They’re making the point that the methodology CARB used in its proposed policy drew from obsolete data; and it was released in October with only nine days to respond.

The Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the cap-and-trade market came from the passage of AB 32 in California with targets to reduce greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020. Credits being traded by oil companies, refineries, utilities, and other carbon producers through cap-and-trade have brought more funds to the state with a sizable chunk of it now being available for clean transportation projects. There will be an important meeting by CARB coming up in February on adopting changes to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard that will affect the future of natural gas vehicles in the state.

Renewable natural gas (such as Clean Energy Fuel Corp.’s Redeem fuel) has made financial gains through California’s carbon credits. Whether biomethane will be included in CARB’s natural gas vehicle cutback is yet to be seen.

Another significant development coming up in 2015 is transportation fuels being added to the cap-and-trade system. Starting in January, oil companies and refineries will begin adding fuel that ends up in gas stations to the credit allowances that they buy that make up for the excessive greenhouse gases that they’re releasing at their refineries. In 2015, they’ll have to buy extra allowance credits to pay for the emissions coming from gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel sold in the state. One major oil company is sending a loud warning to the legislature and residents of California: this will cause a big spike in gasoline prices.Chevron Corp., based in San Ramon, Calif., has been warning that gasoline prices will spike up because of AB 32 implementation adding fuels to its cap-and-trade list next year. State officials and economists don’t see this happening, but it has been an effective argument for Chevron and its oil industry colleagues to make. Gasoline prices aren’t expected to go up next year, but their analysts warn that adding transportation fuel to the carbon credit market could jack up credit prices, which will make its way back to gasoline and diesel going up as much as 50 cents a gallon at gas pumps.

CARB chairman Mary Nichols says that it will take a few years for transportation fuel to see the effect of cap-and-trade. Compliance starts on January 1, but it’s phased in over time. Transportation fuel was added to the cap-and-trade process later than other energy sources to make adoption of the rules more viable, she said. Transportation fuel is the single largest source of carbon pollution in the state and bringing it in after credits being used by electric utility companies and other industries has expanded the number of allowances in the system and makes the whole program much more liquid, she said.

ASE releases hybrid and EV certification plus other training resources to know about

A new job certification category was just released that should be very good news to educators in programs supporting skilled workers servicing alternative fuel vehicles. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) last week announced the Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Specialist (L3) certification category. Service technicians may register starting Dec. 1, 2014, and testing begins in January 2015.

“The new Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle certification was developed in response to industry requests for an ASE certification for those servicing hybrid vehicles,” said Tim Zilke, ASE President and CEO. “The L3 is the result of years of work by industry specialists from both OEM and Aftermarket segments who came together to develop a certification which encompasses a wide range of hybrid/electric vehicle technology.”

The L3 Certification Test Reference is included as an electronic pop-up during the test. This document identifies the concepts for the hybrid/electric vehicle technology included in the test, and outlines the three common types of hybrid/electric vehicle drive systems, with diagrams shown for each type.

As discussed by educators last February at a day-long workshop, there is a real need for certified service technicians working with hybrids and electric vehicles. Dealers, fleets, and maintenance garages will need to hire more service technicians trained to keep these vehicles running safely and efficiently. As I’ve mentioned many times in this newsletter, and since starting my consulting practice, education and public awareness programs are essential for job creation, vehicle acquisition decisions, and support in legislatures and corporate boards.

It’s good for stakeholders in clean transportation to stay updated on educational resources like the ASE certification. Here’s a list of other resources to keep in mind………

Community-College Based Training
The best training programs out there are coming from community colleges across the country; along with service technicians, training is being delivered for maintenance and repair, fueling stations and infrastructure, other technology courses supporting natural gas, propane autogas, hybrids and electric vehicles, hydrogen, and biofuels. US Dept. of Energy’s Clean Cities Coalition Coordinators are very good to contact for guidance on these resources.

National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium
NAFTC is a nationwide training organization, headquartered at West Virginia University, that develops curricula and conducts more than 20 courses and workshops focusing on alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. NAFTC works with US Dept. of Energy (DOE) and Clean Cities, and has 30 national training centers located throughout the US.

Natural Gas Vehicle Institute
NGVI offers natural gas vehicle education, in-house training, and public education forums, technical assistance, and awareness programs for government, utility companies, suppliers, and customers.

Propane Autogas Fleets Safety & Training
Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) offers guidelines for constructing or modifying repair and maintenance garages for propane autogas-fueled vehicles including passenger cars, vans, buses, and trucks. Fleet managers, operators, and private garage owners are given information on basic requirements of a propane autogas-fueled vehicle repair or maintenance garage.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NPFA is considered by educators to be an essential resource for training programs serving emergency responders. In September, NFPA received a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to develop NFPA’s Alternate Fuel Vehicle Safety Training. NFPA’s online program will be used to provide free training to the US fire service on safe handling of electric, hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas at incidents involving passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses.

The Hybrid Shop
Powered by technology developed by Automotive Research and Design, The Hybrid Shop is an international network of service centers dedicated to bringing scientifically-sound, environmentally friendly, and cost effective repair solutions to owners of hybrid and electric vehicles.

Clean Vehicle Education Foundation
CVEF manages a DOE-funded program that increases awareness of compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder inspection requirements; and encourages natural gas vehicle owners to periodically have their tanks inspected.

Alternative Fuel Data Center (AFDC)
Check out DOE’s AFDC section on natural gas vehicle maintenance and safety. It’s an educational site covering cylinder inspection, oil-change intervals, ignition systems, and other topics.

SAE International
The Society of Automotive Engineers has working groups that issue standards shaping the way alternative fuel vehicles and the charging/fueling infrastructure are designed and manufactured. Two good sites to research are focused on alternative fuels and vehicle electrification.

Auto Career Development Center (ACDC)
ACDC offers hybrid and electric vehicle technician training through classrooms and other channels such as webinars and DVDs. Its hybrid training goes back to 2000, and electric vehicles were added in 2008.

Resources to review on the cleantech investment front

Hey there, startup cleantech company executive, are you looking for investors? Would pitching to GM Ventures and other corporate investors on your advanced vehicle technology be of interest to you? If that be the case, check out Cleantech Group’s new online i3 platform. Beyond that announcement, what research tools are out there now for those seeking venture capital and corporate investors or IPOs?

The way i3 works is that start-ups are able to highlight key information about their business model, differentiators, financial backing, partnerships, and leadership team. This process facilitates executives in corporate strategy, R&D, and other business units being able to view a company’s profile in i3 and quickly assess a potential fit. With the new i3, corporate users are now able to get in touch with start-ups worldwide that might make for the best fit, and easily keep track of what their internal team is doing to build their innovation pipeline. Start-ups have more opportunities to find their next partner or investor. You can participate in a webinar on Oct. 15 or 16 to learn more.

CleanTech OC’s 2014 Conference & Expo will be taking place tomorrow, Oct. 7, in Irvine, Calif. I’ll be attending the event that highlights key technologies and drivers spurring economic growth in the Orange County clean technology industry. This is the only annual conference in Orange County dedicated to covering the clean technology space and connecting industry stakeholders throughout the region and state. The LA Cleantech Incubator is hosting its second annual Cleantech Global Showcase during that time – Oct. 6-7 at the landmark Los Angeles Theater.

If you’re interested in tracking stock in cleantech, clean transportation, renewable energy, biofuels, smart grid, and other related fields, check out Alt Energy Stocks and Seeking Alpha. It’s good to review market capitalization, stock price trends, earnings statements, and analyst commentaries on key players in green transportation. Green Auto Market – Extended Edition tracks publicly traded companies in green transportation, along with newsworthy items on private investments, mergers and acquisitions, and government incentives and loans.

“We see the tough realities that innovators face – the political, economic, and technology trends that, when fully understood, influence clean energy business strategies,” says Craig Shields, editor of 2GreenEnergy. Shields and his colleagues bring together investors and investment opportunities in clean, renewable energy and electrified transportation. You can sign up for the free “2GreenEnergy Alert” newsletter, which covers a wide range of topics from lessons learned at a wind energy conference to the latest on ocean acidification. You can also buy one of Shields’ books, including Renewable Energy – Facts and Fantasies.

Biofuels Digest is a good newsletter to sign up for and receive each business day; its editor, Jim Lane, is a name you’ll hear mentioned regularly. He and his staff dig deep into the geopolitical issues surrounding biofuels from the Renewable Fuel Standard to developments in growing overseas markets; and how biofuels are playing out in other markets like cosmetics, medical products, and jet fuels. Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLCNext), organized by Biofuels Digest, will be taking place in San Francisco next month. Biomaterials, biogas, and ethanol will be among the topics discussed by leaders in the field.

It’s also a very good idea to get on the Navigant Research email list and find out about new market reports being released and events coming up. Smart is the keyword used by the market intelligence firm – smart energy, utilities, transportations, and buildings are tracked and analyzed. You’ll see reports on everything from autonomous vehicles and a forecast of global electric vehicles sales to challenges being faced in the charging infrastructure and making sense of the expanding business of nanotechnologies.

Who will name the greenest car of the year at LA Auto Show?

For those of us who regularly attend the Green Car of the Year presentation at the LA Auto Show, a very interesting announcement was made last week that caught our attention. Bobit Business Media will present the first-ever Green Fleet Car and Truck of the Year Awards at the 2014 Connected City Summit on Nov. 20, 2014, as part of the Los Angeles Auto Show’s Connected Car Expo.

Bobit Business Media publishes the flagship magazine in the fleet industry, Automotive Fleet, and a few years ago started up Green Fleet and its annual conference. The company will select three finalists in each category, car and truck fleet of the year, based on submissions by OEMs. The finalists will then be voted upon by the readers of Green Fleet, Automotive Fleet, Work Truck and Business Fleet magazines through an online ballot.

Deciding factors will include fuel economy, petroleum displacement, EPA air pollution score, EPA greenhouse gas emissions, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Association ratings, and passenger capacity for cars and payload capacity for trucks. Bobit Business Media received input on the award criteria from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory.

“Fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly cars continue to be a hot topic,” said LA Auto Show President Lisa Kaz. “We are excited to include the Green Fleet Awards this year and shed some light on the cars and trucks that make the most positive impact on the environment.”

Per usual, the Green Car of the Year Award appears on the schedule on a Thursday morning during Press & Trade Days at LA Auto Show. At 8:35 am on Nov. 20, the award will be named. It’s not clear whether that will be the Bobit award or the one presented for several years at that day and time by Ron Cogan, publisher and editor of the Green Car Journal magazine. Last year, the winner of that Green Car Journal annual award was the Honda Accord ninth generation line-up, including gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid variants. The finalists for Green Car of the Year are usually announced in October.

Another confusing point is how close these two award presentations will come to crossing over each other. If the usual Green Car of the Year is handed out at 8:35 in the South Lobby of the convention center, will it clash with the Connected City Summit, scheduled to start at 9:00 that morning? The Bobit press release says it will take place that day at Connected City Summit, but the Connected Car Expo site doesn’t specify those details. It’s possible that LA Auto Show forgot to revise the schedule to say that the Green Fleet Car and Truck Award winners will be handed out at 8:35 in South Lobby. Maybe both awards will be given out that day. I guess I could always ask somebody involved with putting on the conferences to clear up my questions.

Reading my notes on the best parts of attending AltCar Expo 2014

Now in its ninth year, AltCar Expo 2014 held in Santa Monica, Calif., on Friday and Saturday, was a must-attend for several stakeholders in clean transportation. Those of you who’ve receive this newsletter have previously read all about it. As for this year, here are a few highlights from my notes.…………

The conference format was different this year. The panel topics were broken out into three sections on Friday – Fleets Track, Policy Track, and AltBuild Energy Track. NAFA Fleet Management Association presented workshops with Katherine Vigneau, professional development strategist, and Bryan Flansburg, director of transportation at University of Colorado and NAFA vice president, educating attendees through the association’s Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) program. The role of state and local governments in converting over to alternative fuels, and the role that PEV Collaborative has played in California, were discussed during the policy track. AltBuild Energy co-located with AltCar Expo for building planners and designers to collaborate and discuss energy efficiency and the alternative fuel infrastructure.
One of the highlights was listening to Tony Seba, Silicon Valley entrepreneur and Stanford University lecturer, making far-reaching forecasts about electric transportation, autonomous vehicles, and solar power. The statements were “outside the box” enough to be humorously mentioned by panelists during later presentations. One interesting point was seeing photos of a street in New York City in 1900 and then in 1913 – with one car featured in 1900 and the street filled with them 13 years later. That’s what is meant by “disruptive technology,” and Seba thinks Tesla Motors and the “gigafactory” are leading the way in this century. By 2030, Seba thinks that all mainstream cars will be electric and internal combustion engines will be obsolete; he based that radical assumption on a model analyzing the technology’s growth rates in the market. Another good one: it wasn’t Henry Ford who invented the modern automobile industry. Seba thinks a key enabler was General Motors and DuPont offering the very first car loans so that average income people could own their very first cars.
NAFA’s Sustainable Fleet Standard Program may be rolled out for fleets in January 2015 or soon thereafter, according to Flansburg. NAFA and CALSTART have been working with 14 fleets on developing the measures for the certification program. Participating fleets will be asked to adopt standards based on core metrics (air quality, fuel efficiency, fuel usage, and emissions reductions) and supporting metrics (fleet plan, baseline fuel use, vehicle deployment, and vehicle operations). For measuring the data, CALSTART is utilizing metrics from the US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Energy, and the California Air Resources Board. Fleets will be advised to establish a baseline for measurable data with goals of reducing emissions from that point. One fleet might set 2013 emissions and fuel consumption as the starting point for meeting a certain percentage point in emissions reductions for the next few years. There’s no one alternative fuel or technology being recommended; fleets might hit their targets by reducing the numbers of vehicles in the fleet, converting over to natural gas vehicles, increasing driver efficiency, or other methods.
Mike Britt, international fleet director at UPS, spoke during a case study panel on the delivery company being a test lab for nearly every type of alternative fuel and technology – CNG, LNG, hydraulic hybrid, propane, biomethane, electric, and hybrid electric. For the 100,000 vehicle fleet, 5% of them are targeted to be alternative fuel by the end of 2015 and 8% by the end of 2016; he thinks the vehicles will have driven one billion miles on alternative fuels by the end of 2017. During that panel, Michael Brylawski, CEO at Vision Fleet, described the challenges of getting fleets to consider electric vehicles (EVs). The company is working with fleets on improving their usage of EVs. For example, Chevrolet Volts used in fleets are only being plugged in to 30% of their potential. Vision Fleet is working with them on upping it to 50%. He says the company will be making a very big EV deployment announcement in about a month from now.
It was very good to actually talk face-to-face with a few folks I’ve been on conference calls with and have exchanged emails with. They see AltCar Expo as an important conference to attend, but the decision is getting trickier than it used to be. As one automaker executive said, the challenge is deciding on which conference to attend. AltCar Expo has spun off two other conferences (Dallas and the bay area) and seems to have fueled a number of copy cats around the country tied to car shows, green conferences, etc. Companies have limited budgets for travel and time spent at events.
Driving the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. While Mercedes-Benz would argue with me placing its B-Class in other another vehicle category, I would say that it’s the very first ever electric crossover, or SUV, to go on the market. I thought it was going to be the Tesla Model X, which is rolling out next year. It was also interesting to drive the B-Class F-Cell; about 70 of them are coming off lease and are available as certified pre-owned vehicles.
Mike Calise, senior director, electric vehicle solutions, partner business at Schneider Electric, shared his “its cooler than” marketing method while introducing speaker Tony Seba. He thinks owning a BMW i3 will be cooler than owning a BMW 7 Series luxury car. Early adopters like to make a statement in their purchases.
Southern California Gas Company showed the 2015 bi-fuel CNG Chevrolet Impala in the exhibit tent. The bi-fuel Impala will go on sale late this year with a starting price of $38,210; it’s the first manufacturer-produced bi-fuel sedan to come on the North American market.

Suggested theme for marketing success in clean transportation: Pragmatism

Pragmatism: (noun)

a reasonable and logical way of doing things or of thinking about problems that is based on dealing with specific situations instead of on ideas and theories

–Merriam-Webster

Advanced, alternative fuel vehicles face the challenges of any new technology – overcoming ignorance and resistance to change. The past four years have witnessed positive, impressive numbers in US sales of electric vehicles (EVs) and breakthroughs in new vehicles and fueling infrastructure for natural gas, propane, and hydrogen. It is going to take a while to see sales increase substantially, and charging and alternative fueling stations to become commonplace.

All that being said, there are green vehicles seeing sales growth; and solid steps are being taken in government and corporate policies embracing alternative fuels and clean transportation. Fleet managers are bringing in more alternative fuel vehicles and doing the numbers on lifecycle cost comparisons; consumers are looking into deals on EVs, or trying out their first diesel, hybrid, or natural gas vehicles (NGVs). Corporate sustainability programs are including clean transportation targets more often lately. They seem to value clean transportation meeting a few of their goals – reducing emissions and petroleum consumption, offering more energy independence, and contributing to domestic economic gains. They do see it as a pragmatic alternative.

What seems to be working? Pragmatic messages seem to be clicking with shoppers and buyers:

You get to drive by gas stations while smiling big – the original Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt ads played on these messages, and you can still see it in TV commercials for new EVs.
You could also pull up into a gas station and have more options – buying less fuel, choosing biodiesel or ethanol, and eventually even more – hydrogen, methanol, natural gas, and maybe even an EV fast charger; as mentioned in the upcoming film, “Pump.”
Lifecycle ownership cost savings – this big question is still being worked out. What does it cost for a fleet to convert over to natural gas or propane compared to gasoline and diesel engine vehicles? How long until the acquisition cost evens out? There’s always the question of how long incentives will last, how many charging and fueling stations there are – or the cost of having one installed on your property. But it is a tipping point that’s taken seriously in electric, CNG, propane, hybrid, and flex-fuel vehicle options for fleets and consumers. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have a big challenge here, but their pricing is starting to come down; and per gallon equivalent pricing on hydrogen will be released in the near future by government agencies. Rising gasoline prices always help tip the scale to green vehicle, but the prices are probably not going to be spiking up substantially anytime soon. Finding other analytics and messages makes a lot of sense.
Reducing greenhouse gas/carbon emissions – that’s becoming the widely accepted global tracking standard, whether or not the policy is based on the climate change/global warming issue or if its primarily a logical, accepted standard. It’s becoming the broad standard that encapsulates air pollution, smog, carbon, and other pollutants. The advantage coming from GHG/carbon emissions as the standard is that you can reduce your emissions several ways – purchasing EVs, natural gas, or other alternative fuel vehicles; buying more fuel efficient vehicles and hybrids; driving less and using carsharing and ridesharing services; using stop-start technologies and reducing driver idle time; or some combination of methods. That’s good news for those concerned about emissions, or who are being directed by their employers to reduce vehicle emissions.
Connectivity to mobile devices, dashboards and WiFi, and to “the internet of things.” A good example being Android Auto, which offers a simple and intuitive interface, integrated steering wheel controls, and powerful new voice actions designed to minimize distraction and keep the driver focused on the road. Automakers and technology suppliers are integrating safety systems that are considered a stepping stone toward autonomous vehicles. It also brings more simplicity to drivers. They can find charging stations, NGV stations, schedule maintenance, and use carsharing and ridesharing services – all from their mobile device integrated into their dashboard.
Economic development and job creation. If you’re looking for perspectives on this issue, ask a venture capital executive; or a good number of automotive executives, military officers; scientists, college students, and young professionals. Many people see clean transportation as a pragmatic, win-win scenario, meeting economic and environmental targets. There are significant job announcements, as reported by Environmental Entrepreneurs. Another sustainability organization, Ceres, has always supported federal mpg standards as a vital catalyst for reducing fuel consumption and emissions and creating more jobs.
The US has a strong platform for capitalizing on technology innovations – with examples being Tesla Motors and its Model S and the “Gigafactory;” General Motors research centers, Ford’s personal mobility campaign; automaker sustainability and water conservation campaigns, such as Ford’s Oakville Assembly plant sending zero waste to landfill; and EVs, hybrids, NGVs, propane, hydrogen, and advanced biofuels seeing increasing signs of acceptance and support.