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Tag Archives: doe
EPA Emergency Order Allows Summer Sale of E15 Gasoline
“This action will provide Americans with relief at the pump from ongoing market supply issues created by Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine by increasing fuel supply and offering consumers more choices at the pump. The waiver will help protect Americans from fuel supply crises by reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels, building U.S. energy independence, and supporting American agriculture and manufacturing. Current estimates indicate that on average, E15 is about 25 cents a gallon cheaper than E10,” EPA said in a press release. Omitted was the fact that ethanol contains less energy by volume than gasoline so mileage decreases. Continue reading
Posted in customer satisfaction, energy, environment, prices, transportation
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, doe, ethanol, Ken Zino, Michael S. Regan, putin, Ukraine
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Biden Admin Making American Manufacturing Great Again
It is the latest fulfillment of the Biden Administration’s pledge to protecting American jobs, as well as the Constitution, in stark contrast to the last mis-administration. In Michigan, the Department of Energy also launched next steps in the Battery Workforce Initiative (BWI), a program geared toward supporting workforce training for good clean energy manufacturing jobs and the development of strategies to bring supply chains back home from overseas. Continue reading
Posted in economy, environment, global warming, milestones, news analysis
Tagged Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Battery Workforce Initiative, doe, DOE Loan Programs Office, General Motors’ Ultium Cells, Jennifer Granholm, Julie Su, Ken Zino
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Taxpayer-funded Bankrupt Fisker Sold to Chinese Wanxiang
This completely sorry story started in 2010 when DOE awarded Fisker $529 million in loans as part of an effort to help development of so-called advanced-technology vehicles. Part of the loan was for redeveloping a closed General Motors plant in Wilmington, Delaware to build a small electric car, code named Nina, that has yet to appear. Continue reading
Posted in electric vehicles
Tagged a123, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, doe, Ken Zino, Wanxiang
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Automotive Waste Heat Recovery Closer to Production
Not surprisingly, given increasingly stringent fuel economy and CO2 regulations, much advanced research is being done to see how this wasted exhaust heat can be used. Two areas show promise – generating electricity from the heat, and/or using the exhaust heat for a vehicle’s heating and ventilation system. Continue reading
Posted in electric vehicles, energy, fuel economy or emissions
Tagged amerigon, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, doe, freedom car office, gentherm, Ken Zino
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Global Sales of Toyota Motor Hybrid Vehicles Pass 5 Million
“We had to develop a hybrid system from scratch, making our task extremely difficult,” said TMC Vice Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, who was responsible for development of the first-generation Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle. Toyota had been excluded from participating in a multi-billion dollar U.S. Government program that subsidized the national labs and GM, Ford and Chrysler to develop 80 mpg cars. The so-called partnerships for a New Generation of Vehicles ended in failure with no cars other than a few prototypes produced. Continue reading
New Steel Alloys can Outperform Aluminum and Carbon fiber
Part of the steel industry’s problem, aside from the overall lack of interest among technically illiterate consumers, is regulatory. While the Obama Administration is in the process of implementing the most stringent emissions and fuel economy standards in history, the Environmental Protection Agency only looks at a crude mile per gallon rating that does not take into effect the energy used and greenhouse gas emissions that result during the creation of the 10,000 or more components that comprise an automobile. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, design and styling, fuel economy or emissions
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, co2, doe, epa, greenhouse gas emissions, Ken Zino, u.s. steel
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Henrik Fisker Out at Fisker Automotive, the Firm He Co-Founded
Fisker Automotive announced today the resignation of its Executive Chairman, Henrik Fisker who in turn said there were disagreements with the oft-changing management team, which had three different CEOs during 2012. Fisker, a car designer by trade, had been executive chairman of the hybrid electric car company that he helped found in 2007. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, news analysis, people
Tagged a123, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, doe, fisker, Ken Zino
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Energy Secretary Steven Chu Resigns after a Distinguished Four Years
The Department of Energy, oft mocked by right wing Republicans, in Chu’s mind actually serves U.S. taxpayers as a Department of Science, a Department of Innovation, and a Department of Nuclear Security. Continue reading
Fisker Shows Atlantic EV – Will It Ever Be Built?
In essence, Fisker – similar to EVs – has a range problem with doubts about whether it can reach its stated destination of creating 2,000 autoworker jobs building 100,000 plug-in hybrids per year at the 3.2 million square-foot factory in Delaware before it runs out of cash. Continue reading
DOE Nixes Carbon Motors Loan in Midst of Taxpayer Subsidy Storm
How you view this depends on what you think of the role of government should be – if any- in nurturing the U.S. economy and promoting energy independence, among other thorny issues. Herewith, two, admittedly simplified interpretations:
– a needed correction after the ‘green jobs’ that were supposed to be established by such subsidies were revealed as just the latest lies from politicians;
or
– simply the squealing of corporate pigs when feeding at the taxpayer trough was stopped
And there remains another real issue about whether there is much – if any – thinking behind the proper role of vast government subsidies, but don’t look for that debate in the sound-bite campaign now under way. Continue reading
Fisker Automotive Makes Tom LaSorda CEO
Nevertheless, the future of Fisker is not clear. In 2010, the U.S. Energy Department awarded Fisker $529 million in loans as part of an effort to help development of so-called advanced-technology vehicles. Part of the loan was for redeveloping a closed General Motors plant in Wilmington, Delaware – home state of vice president Joe Biden – to build a small electric car, code named Nina – that has yet to appear. Fisker said that about one-third of the total loan amount – $190 million – has been drawn, mostly for Karma design and development. Continue reading
Goodyear Experiments with an Inside Tire Air Pump
The technology involved is interesting if only because underinflated tires result in between a 2.5% and 3.3% decrease in fuel mileage, according industry research. That translates to about 12 cents per gallon at the pump at current – outrageous – fuel prices. Continue reading
General Motors Announces EcoCar2 at SAE World Congress
In a sign of how the U.S. no longer occupies the predominate position it once held in automotive engineering, LG Chem ,a Korean company that supplies the lithium-ion cells used in the Chevrolet Volt, will be event’s tier one strategic partner. Continue reading
GM Says No To More Taxpayer Funding. Withdraws Federal Loan Application for Advanced Technology Vehicles
General Motors today announced it is withdrawing its $14.4 billion application for direct loans from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that it submitted in October of 2009 after it had emerged from bankruptcy. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, results
Tagged advanced technology vehicles manufacturing loan program, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, doe, energy independence and security act, GM, gm bailout, gm bankruptcy, gm doe loans, Ken Zino, section 136 loan, zino
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EPA Offers Grants to Cut Oil and Gas Well Methane Emissions
“Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we now have unprecedented funding to cut methane pollution that is fueling the climate crisis,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This investment will increase competition and help small and medium-sized producers compete on a more level playing field, create new good-paying jobs in energy communities, and support environmental restoration, making clear that strengthening our economy, tackling climate change, and protecting our communities go hand in hand,” Regan claimed. Continue reading →