EERE Network News
May 05, 2004
News and Events
GM Delivers the World's First Full-Sized Hybrid Pickup
General Motors Corporation delivered the first Chevrolet Silverado hybrid pickup to Miami-Dade County in Florida on May 3rd. GM presented the vehicle at the 10th National Clean Cities Conference and Expo. DOE's Clean Cities Program also launched an updated Web site for the conference.
U.S. Hybrid Vehicle Registrations and Sales on the Increase
In 2003, the number of hybrid electric vehicles registered in the United States increased nearly 26 percent to 43,435, according to a new study. Meanwhile, company sales figures for April say that 9,023 Civic Hybrids and 13,602 Toyota Priuses have been sold since the start of this year.
Technologies to Boost the Fuel Efficiency of Cars and Planes
Some fuel-efficient technologies are more nuts-and-bolts than cutting-edge. Ford and GM, for instance, will achieve efficiency gains with their new six-speed automatic transmissions, while Boeing's new 7E7 saves fuel with lighter, more efficient engines and other energy-saving advances.
University of Victoria Wins Hydrogen Fueling Design Contest
The grand prize winner of the first Hydrogen Fueling Station Design Contest is the University of Victoria, followed closely by the University of California, Davis. High school students are also competing with hydrogen, as 16 teams from the National Science Bowl raced fuel-cell model cars on May 1st.
Canadian Company Starts Production of Ethanol from Cellulose
Iogen Corporation is now producing ethanol from cellulose for commercial use. Meanwhile, a process under development by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Novozymes Corporation is achieving new milestones, while the traditional U.S. ethanol fuel industry continues to grow.
New England Grid Operator Awards Energy Efficiency Contract
ISO New England has contracted for four megawatts of energy efficiency services as part of its effort to increase reliability in southwest Connecticut. In the Pacific Northwest, DOE's Bonneville Power Administration recently tested an Internet trading system to help improve electric reliability.
Site News
Treepower.org
Treepower.org is a public and industry research partnership in which the Common Purpose Institute, the University of Florida, energy companies, and others are studying ways to grow and harvest fast-growing trees as a renewable energy fuel source for electric utilities in the Southeast.
Energy Connections
EPA: No Change in U.S. Fuel Economy in 2004
The average gas mileage for cars, pickups, and SUVs has stayed essentially the same since 1997, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). U.S. fuel economy peaked in the late 1980s and then declined as more U.S. drivers chose pickups and SUVs over cars.
