Lithium is a key component of lithium-ion battery packs that power electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles. A recent report from Pike Research forecast global sales of EV charging equipment will grow from 200,000 units sold in 2012 to nearly 2.4 million in 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate of 37%. With lithium a key component to the electric vehicle market, it is crucial that North America has adequate access to this critical element minus any geopolitical conflicts.

Credit Suisse has forecast a 10.3 percent annual growth in demand for lithium between 2009 and 2020. Global lithium demand has tripled over the past decade, and the global market price of lithium carbonate has tripled since 2001 to its current level of around $6,500 per ton.

An industrial research report by David & Company forecasts that the global market for lithium-ion batteries will increase to $43 billion by 2020 compared to an $11 billion level in 2010 with the primary catalyst the increased demand for electric cars.

Most lithium today is mined in Australia, Argentina, and Chile. The largest known deposit is in Bolivia but political turmoil has hampered production. In the United States, there is a Nevada mine with geo-thermal powerplants that extracts lithium as a by-product near the Salton Sea in Southern California. China remains the leading importer of lithium minerals and compounds and the leading producer of value-added lithium materials. My company’s 100 percent-owned Rose Tantalum-Lithium Project, in the James Bay region in Quebec, is slated to start production by 2014 and is free of any geopolitical turmoil. We will be a valued global source for conflict-free Tantalum.

High purity lithium is required for a variety of electrical storage needs – from batteries that power electric and hybrid vehicles or provide large scale storage of renewable and conventionally produced power, to the batteries that power electronics including those found in smart phones, laptops, and gaming systems. Having proven a purity of 99.9 percent for our lithium makes our Rose Tantalum-Lithium project one of only five deposits globally that meet the rigorous specifications for lithium-ion batteries.

It is clear we have to ensure that North America does not lose the global war on being the leader in green energy solutions, which includes access to high quality conflict-free lithium. The war of the new millennium is being fought on a monetary and labor scale across the globe, with China the market leader for rare earth metals with about 97% of the world’s supply.

Next on China’s plate is renewable energy integration. Ironically, as environmental pollution in the People’s Republic of China runs rampant, the country has steadfastly focused on securing leadership status in the renewable industry. The Chinese government has set a goal of China securing 11.4 percent of its energy from non-fossil sources by the end of 2015, up from 8 percent today.

The U.S. government’s commitment to supporting both the renewable energy and electric vehicle industries underlines the need for the rapid development of rechargeable batteries, and this has thrown the spotlight on domestic lithium supplies.

It is critical that North Americans understand the importance of assuming a leader stake in the alternative energy market. As my company possesses the key critical elements crucial to the electric battery sector, we are committed to being an active and valued voice in implementing change.

Jean-Sébastien Lavallée, P.Geo, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Critical Elements Corp.

For most Americans, our transportation choices are limited to the fuels offered at the local gas station. For generations, regular gas stations served our needs pretty well, but America’s transportation needs are changing. Every day we learn about new choices in alternative fuel vehicles, advancements in vehicle efficiency, and new, cleaner types of fuel, so it’s bewildering that gas stations haven’t kept up with these changes. Gas stations today offer a fundamental lack of choices and are no longer in step with the way Americans seek to move about their lives.

With 160,000 fueling locations across America, gas stations outnumber McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Starbucks, and Taco Bell…combined. But as consumers’ transportation needs change, there is no effort by Big Oil to change with them. Fifty percent of the cars in Big Three showrooms are now capable of being powered by something besides oil. Domestically produced renewable fuels have surpassed imports from Saudi Arabia, and gas consumption is at a 10-year low – yet gas prices remain at all time record levels. Mobility is transforming in other ways with ride sharing, public transit, cycling, and telecommuting all on the rise. Yet still no change in our fueling infrastructure.

At Propel, we have created a new vision for the way gas stations serve the mobility needs of a community, one that meets the changing habits of America’s drivers. Earlier this year, we launched our first ‘Clean Mobility Center’ in Fullerton, California, to offer consumers new, more sustainable, domestic fuel and transportation choices that are more in line with their values, and also reduce our collective impact on the environment while supporting local economies and decreasing our nation’s reliance on foreign oil.

Our Clean Mobility Centers provide a distinctly different customer fueling experience, offering a full range of high performance renewable fuels (Flex Fuel E85, biodiesel) alongside the conventional gasoline that drivers use today. More than 17 million cars on American roads can fuel with something besides oil, and for those that can’t, we provide drivers an opportunity to be part of the solution and a movement towards clean mobility.

With a focus beyond fuel, our Clean Mobility Centers also offer a series of unique, community-friendly features not found at any other gas station in the nation. To maximize fuel economy, we offer free air to fill-up vehicle tires and we have installed bike repair stations so cyclists can tune up and fix bikes along their route. Additionally we have kiosks that provide local bus and other mass transit maps and routes, along with information about rideshare opportunities. Finally, we have two new features at the fueling island: recycling on the go, and the nation’s first carbon offset program, which for only $1 per fill-up allows drivers to offset the carbon emissions from their purchase right at the pump and support local clean energy projects.

Looking forward, as new, even more sustainable fuels and transportation options come to market, we’ll use the infrastructure we’re building today to offer new choices. In fact, we’re actively exploring options such as renewable gasoline and diesel, cellulosic fuels, algae-based fuels, natural gas, EV charging, and car sharing.

Just as we’ve seen in other industries, such as manufacturing labor, fair trade practices, or organic agriculture, consumer choice can be the biggest force for change in our society. At the pump, consumers can now vote with their wallets and choose a fuel company that better aligns with their values and interests. No matter what type of car they drive, consumers can use our new stations and learn about cleaner mobility options along the way. With 160,000 outlets and regular contact with customers, the fueling industry is in a unique position to engage consumers and lead them to a brighter future.  So far, though, our industry hasn’t shown much leadership. America’s transportation needs are changing, and we believe it’s time our gas stations changed, too.

Matt Horton is CEO of Propel Fuels, www.propelfuels.com

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing ‘Tier 3’ cleaner tailpipe standards that will significantly reduce smog-forming pollution from vehicles. These standards will save lives, reduce asthma attacks, and give Americans cleaner air to breathe.

Today, more than one in three Americans live where the air is sometimes unsafe to breathe, due in part to pollution from passenger cars and trucks. The proposed standards would reduce air pollution by requiring refiners to produce lower sulfur gasoline and automakers to use advanced pollution control technology.

Lower sulfur gasoline is essential for advanced vehicle technology to work with maximum efficiency. For example, hybrids, gasoline direct injection, and turbocharged engines reduce waste heat. At lower temperatures, pollution control technology can’t work at maximum efficiency, resulting in increased pollution.

These cleaner tailpipe standards will provide tremendous health benefits. According to the EPA, less pollution will prevent 2,500 premature deaths, 22,000 asthma attacks, and 3,200 hospital visits each year. Automakers, auto workers, public health organizations, and environmental groups all support these standards.

Only the oil industry stands in opposition, fighting anything that would force them to clean up their act. However, studies have shown cleaner-burning gasoline, and the health benefits that come with it, will cost less than one penny per gallon. As the EPA moves forward with Tier 3 cleaner tailpipe standards, we can all look forward to cleaner cars and cleaner air.

 

 

 

Due to our rigorous vehicle test schedule here at Green Car Journal, we are very aware of the fluctuating pattern of gas prices. Fuel economy testing requires regular and sometimes daily fill-ups. This past week was telling. The price of leaded regular shot up more than 30 cents in a matter of five days. Premium fuel is once again over $4.00 per gallon.

Regardless of the price fluctuation’s root cause, the end effect is the numbing of consumer reaction and outcry. I remember the conversations across the gas island at my regular station when gas prices topped $3.00 per gallon. The reaction was even greater when gas first topped $4 per gallon.

When consumers cut back on driving and fuel consumption, the price generally retreats, but generally not quite to the same level it was at before the increase. The pattern repeats in a general upward trend until the average consumer now thinks that gasoline prices below a certain threshold like $4.00 seems like a bargain. Over time, consumers are desensitized to the price at the pump as it edges upward.

As fuel prices reach new highs, vehicle-buying habits certainly change. Fuel economy becomes a priority. Hybrids and fuel-efficient models move quickly. When the market can’t sustain higher prices, however, and prices slump, fuel economy lessons are often forgotten. Vehicle purchases tend to revert back to less efficient models. All the while, the long-term trend is that the price of transportation takes an ever-larger bite out of the household budget.

Some feel that higher fuel prices are a good thing, forcing consumers into more fuel-efficient transportation choices. I’ve never agreed with that stance because high gasoline prices hit lower income consumers the hardest. When the necessary work commute takes an extra twenty bucks each week, many simply must cut back on other essentials. Those living on a very tight budget often can’t afford to trade up to a more fuel-efficient vehicle.

As I’ve noted before, my biggest gripe with higher fuel prices is less apparent but has a widespread impact. When the price of fuel goes up, nearly all goods and services will cost more. Farmers rely on diesel tractors to cultivate and harvest the food we eat. Transporting food and products we use on a daily basis requires diesel fuel. Nearly every product you use each day is moved multiple times by a diesel truck. From moving raw materials to the manufacturer to finished products cycled through the distribution chain, everything becomes more expensive. These are hard costs of doing business that can’t be absorbed and must be passed along to the end consumer in the form of higher prices for the essentials of our modern life.

I am fortunate to test and evaluate some of the most fuel-efficient vehicles in the world on a regular basis. As a benchmark, our family go-to vehicle is a 2003 Honda Pilot. The seven-passenger Pilot has been a trusted all-mission transport that simply does everything well. From hauling a pack of home school kids through winter weather conditions to moving our youngest into a college dorm, the Pilot continues to deliver great performance. Now, with over 150,000 miles on the odometer, we continue to average 21 mpg. In the 10 years we’ve owned the Pilot, however, the price to fill the tank has more than doubled. The price of anything we rely on so heavily doubling in one decade is a reality check that can’t be ignored.

Todd Kaho is executive editor of Green Car Journal 

It is said that today’s teenagers are more interested in cell phones than in cars. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, but it does signal a kind of dematerialization that could create major opportunities for sustainable transportation. The triumph of the digital over the mechanical certainly has big implications for the design and use of vehicles.

First, there are the electronics-based improvements to the vehicle itself. Computer control of engines, drivetrain, and auxiliaries is a major enabler of today’s rapid rise in fuel economy, though perhaps a growing obstacle to do-it-yourself car repair. Then there’s the explosion in onboard information and communications technology, which is now a focus of vehicle marketing, especially to younger buyers. These trends feed a car aesthetic of smart and sleek, rather than the pursuit of raw power that dominated the ads until recently.

Moreover, cars increasingly will fit into a virtual, just-in-time lifestyle. That might mean, for example, major growth in on-demand transit services, home delivery, and car-sharing. More broadly, it will probably mean thinking about how to do what you need to do in a very different way. You’ll use a personal logistics app to optimize in real time the execution of the day’s activities with respect to time, money, and comfort. And maybe you will choose a new house based in part on the resources required to get where you want to go.

Matt Horton’s column in the Fall 2012 issue of Green Car Journal captured the spirit of this new vision of mobility. He described an all-purpose service station that provides everything a person on the move needs, whatever the technology, fuel, or mode of transport. Local governments, entrepreneurs, and advocates would do well to stay ahead of this changing mobility landscape and help to create a streamlined, efficient transportation system through the application of advanced technology.

Therese Langer is Transportation Program Director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, www.ACEEE.org

It’s the beginning of awards season in Hollywood as I write this and we are in the thick of making plans for our annual Pre-Oscar party.

It’s been almost 10 years since we launched the Global Green USA ‘Red Carpet, Green Cars’ campaign to help make hybrid and fuel-efficient cars fun and sexy. Once again, we will be highlighting the virtues of green cars at our Pre-Oscar event in Hollywood. And each year the audience is even more receptive and excited for change.

Ten years ago, many of us were the only ones on our blocks driving green cars. We received a lot of press attention back then for shuttling Hollywood influencers to the Academy Awards – in the first-generation Prius, among other green cars – and to the Emmy Awards in hybrid-electric buses.

Now, of course, we don’t really need to introduce the public to vehicles that are better for the environment. The Prius was named the best-selling car in California in 2012 and the third-best selling car in the world. And there’s not enough room in this column to list the actors, athletes, and other influencers who drive hybrid or electric cars.

The downturn in the economy certainly played a role in increasing the profile of green cars, as record-setting high gas prices convinced people to choose vehicles that are more fuel-efficient and wallet-friendly. Consumers have also naturally started making more environmentally friendly lifestyle choices in other areas of their lives – just take a look at the rise in organic food choices at mainstream grocery stores as an example.

Personal choices we make to curb greenhouse gas emissions are to be applauded, but they are not enough. Now, we need more action from elected leaders to make clean our roads.

Again, Hollywood – all of California, really – is leading the way with stricter emission standards for vehicles. California’s Advanced Clean Cars Program will impose very high emissions standards on cars powered by gasoline. We need other states to take California’s lead and make changes to make green cars the norm.

 

Matt Petersen is President and CEO of Global Green USA, the American arm of Green Cross International

While Washington was gripped by negotiations over the fiscal cliff, California got a welcome dose of good news. On December 27, the Environmental Protection Agency granted California a waiver to move forward with its Advanced Clean Cars program.

Currently, vehicles are responsible for roughly one-fifth of the nation’s smog-forming pollution, and are the second leading source of carbon pollution. According to the American Lung Association, 127 million people (41 percent of the U.S. population) live in areas where the air is not healthy to breathe. With pollution standards functionally equivalent to recently adopted national standards, California’s program will reduce smog-forming pollution from new vehicles roughly 75 percent by 2025 and significantly reduce carbon pollution, improving air quality and public health.

Importantly, the state’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standard will speed the adoption of battery electric and fuel cell vehicles. These standards are an essential part of California’s plans to meet its air pollution goals. Now, 13 states and the District of Columbia that have previously adopted some or all of California’s standards are updating their standards to match California’s.

As the vehicles featured in Green Car Journal can attest, these standards are feasible. Alongside cleaner conventional vehicles, more plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles are hitting the roads than ever before and consumers are enjoying the savings at the pump that come with more efficient vehicles. With its waiver in place, California’s Clean Car program will help ensure that our cars continue to get cleaner.

Jesse Prentice-Dunn is the Washington Representative for Sierra Club’s Green Transportation Campaign

In the wake of the tragedy of Hurricane Sandy, the government released its findings that last year was the hottest on record for the continental U.S. While exact causes are difficult to pin down, what we do know is that just like the unprecedented droughts, flooding, and heat we all experienced this past year, storms like Hurricane Sandy are what global warming looks like.

It’s unfortunate that oil companies, coal companies, and their allies have been successful in stalling a common sense, comprehensive national solution to controlling carbon pollution.

But there is good news. Over the last four years, this country has made huge, transformative strides in cleaning up tailpipe carbon emissions that account for about one fifth of the nation’s carbon pollution. Last fall, the Obama Administration adopted final rules, with the support of the auto industry, UAW, and environmental leaders, requiring the equivalent of 54.5 mpg by 2025.

This doubling of fuel efficiency standards is the biggest action this country has ever taken to cut oil dependency and carbon pollution. By 2030, doubling fuel efficiency will reduce carbon pollution by the equivalent of 85 million cars or 140 coal power plants.

Because of the phasing in of the standards begun in 2012, they are already working to cut carbon pollution and fuel bills. In fact, 2012 set a record of 23.8 mpg for the average fuel efficiency of new autos sold. Compared to the previous model year, hybrid sales grew by 55 percent and plug-in electric vehicles sales tripled.

Now, 2013 promises to be even better with automakers offering at least six more hybrid models and eight more plug-in vehicle offerings than last year. A wave of higher mpg midsize cars, getting up to 38 mpg on the highway, will be launched this year.

By supporting stronger standards and putting clean car offerings on the fast track, the American auto industry is doing its part to avert dangerous climate change. Let’s hope other industries follow their lead.

Roland Hwang is Transportation Program Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council

Over the years I’ve driven many battery electric vehicle prototypes and all production EVs in the U.S., spending a year living with a GM EV1. I have also spent time behind the wheel of many electric car conversions from small and hopeful new EV companies ranging from U.S. ElectriCar to those founded by entrepreneurs like Malcolm Bricklin and Miles Rubin. Test drives took place on highways and test tracks on multiple continents, sometimes for short drives out of necessity and sometimes for weeks at a time. Electric cars were my beat as feature editor at Motor Trend in the 1990s, by choice. I’ve been a vocal advocate for electric cars since the first issue of Green Car Journal 20 years ago…sometimes very vocal.

Time has a way of tempering not only perspective but expectations. One example: Over two decades of following battery development, I recall clearly the high expectations many have had that battery breakthroughs would come. Affordable and energy-dense batteries would be the enabling technology that could encourage full-function battery electric cars to market, making them cost competitive with internal combustion and readily displacing cars that for 100-plus years have relied on petroleum, a commodity that has grown costlier and in tighter supply.

That battery breakthrough has yet to occur. Yes, we have batteries with better chemistry and advanced designs. But they don’t represent the breakthrough that’s been widely anticipated and they remain quite expensive, so much so that battery electric cars must still be federally subsidized because of their high battery cost and retail price. In a normal world, a compact electric SUV should not cost $50,000, nor should a four-door electric sedan be $40,000, or a small electric hatchback priced over $30,000. Yet they are. And yes, there are a few electrics priced under $30,000, but as internal combustion models they would typically be priced $10,000 to $15,000 less while offering greater functionality.

It’s understandable why electric cars are being pushed so hard. Historically, EVs have spoken to a lot of needs. States have included them in State Implementation Plans as a way to show how their state would meet air quality standards under the Clean Air Act. Electric utilities see them as a pathway to selling electricity as a motor fuel. Government agencies often view electric vehicles as a panacea for (you choose) improving air pollution, mitigating petroleum use, decreasing CO2 emissions, and enhancing energy security. Automakers realize the dramatic impact that electric propulsion can have in helping achieve increasingly higher fleet fuel economy averages in coming years. Thrifty and eco-minded consumers understand the value of a smaller environmental impact by driving oil- and emissions-free, at a low cost per mile.

I remain an electric car enthusiast. But as a seasoned auto writer and industry analyst I’m also obliged to focus on reality. Today’s reality is that if we’re to make a real difference in petroleum reduction and environmental impact, battery EVs are not the short-term answer. While important and deserving of continuing development and sales, they are just one part of the solution, along with advanced gasoline, alternative fuel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and extended-range electric vehicles that create on-board electricity to provide full functionality. That’s the way forward.

Ron Cogan is editor and publisher of Green Car Journal.

I recently climbed out from behind the wheel of a 2013 Lexus GS450h. Fully loaded, this very luxurious hybrid will easily top $70,000 MSRP. And that’s not the most expensive hybrid offered by Toyota’s luxury brand. The LS600h L starts at $119,910.

Back to the GS450h: It’s hard not to be impressed with the car’s performance – delivered via 338 combined horsepower and a 34 mpg EPA highway rating, wrapped in a very stylish sedan with luxury appointments.

That got me thinking about the difficulty of bringing advanced technologies to the automotive market. We sometimes hear complaints that a powertrain or technology breakthrough ‘shoulda’ been out years ago. Truth is, it takes considerable time and money to bring any new idea to market these days. Big breakthroughs take even longer and often require a major capital investment on the part of the automaker.

The Prius is a good example. Toyota bet on a forward-thinking, long-term approach with this iconic gasoline electric hybrid. You can bet that Prius isn’t a profitable platform for Toyota when viewed in traditional automotive parameters. But now with over a million Prius models on the road, ‘Prius’ is used as a generic term when talk turns to hybrids. It’s difficult to measure the green halo that the Prius casts across the entire Toyota brand, but it’s certainly a marketing home run. Toyota has the resources to make that kind of multi-year investment. Many companies, especially smaller startups, need to be profitable early in the game.

That’s why we often see green technology introduced in cars that are much more expensive than the Prius. Both Fisker and Tesla took this approach with their launches working the ledger with high-end models eclipsing six figures. In a blog some six years ago, Tesla founder Elon Musk pointed out that his company’s strategy was to “enter at the high end of the market, where customers are prepared to pay a premium, and then drive down market as fast as possible to higher unit volume and lower prices with each successive model.”

At the time of his blog, Musk’s plan was to follow through with a second model that would be roughly half the cost of the $89,000 Tesla Roadster. As recent history has shown, that $89,000 MSRP ultimately became $111,000, which meant the cost of a more affordable coming sedan would likely be higher as well. That sedan is the highly acclaimed and awarded Tesla Model S. Initially, Tesla is only delivering the limited edition Model S Signature Series at a cost of $95,000 to $105,000. The plan is to next roll out less expensive Model S variants with an MSRP starting at $59,900 with smaller battery packs and shorter, although still exemplary, electric range.

Though battery cost is a prime contributor, this economic reality is not limited to hybrids or electric vehicles. Even clean diesel feels the influence of advanced technology running up cost. A diesel is generally more expensive to produce than a gasoline engine. When you add the cost of federally mandated high-tech pollution controls and exhaust aftertreatment systems, it’s easier to merge clean diesel into higher-end luxury vehicles and more expensive three-quarter ton and larger pickup trucks.

Clearly, the path to vehicles using highly-advanced technology is not a quick or easy one, nor as it turns out, one without cost.

 

Todd Kaho is executive editor of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com

While we sadly may be part of the exception rather than the rule here in LA, many of Global Green's staff in Santa Monica live close enough to the office to walk or bike to work with ease. We have two walkers, four bikers, and a bus-taker.

On top of that, we have lots of eco drivers: three Prius drivers, and three others with Toyotas that get 30+ mpg. Others in the office are behind the wheels of EVs: two drivers of the Ford Think Neighbor EV (remember that vehicle…they're still on the road!), and one new and very proud Chevy Volt owner. They share an outlet in the garage for charging up their vehicles – and when California gas prices topped $5 a gallon last month, they were feeling pretty good about their vehicle choices.
The topic of how much we pay at the pump and how we can reduce our carbon footprint with transportation methods was a water cooler topic in many workplaces with the latest surge in gas prices. As the rest of the nation reacted to the news with fear that prices would rise everywhere, we reminded ourselves that we are lucky to live in a state that is leading the way in fighting climate change with legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions on the roads, and with stationary sources. Our low carbon fuel standard and greenhouse gas emission reduction law means our air is cleaner and our impact on the planet is lessened.

It also means California is positively impacting the development of cleaner, fuel-efficient cars. Based on the EPA estimate that a typical passenger vehicle emits about 5.1 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, we were able to calculate the greenhouse gas savings of our Santa Monica staff: we are able to save more than 50 metric tons per year by walking, biking, and driving green cars. In the meantime, our conscious commute choices are saving us cash while we cut GHGs. And one employee also estimated that the walkers and bikers combine to burn off a half a million calories per year, too! It’s win-win-win.

Matt Petersen is President and CEO of Global Green USA, the American arm of Green Cross International

 

Model year 2012 was a record breaking year for green cars. Average fuel economy (23.6 mpg), conventional hybrid sales (399,782), and plug-in electric sales (37,753) all hit historic highs. As a result of steadily rising fuel efficiency over the last five years, American drivers will use over two billion gallons less gasoline and cut their fuel bills by over $8 billion in 2012.

Unfortunately, in this sea of good news, there are still those who criticize the clearly successful government policies that have fostered this outcome.

Consider the case of plug-in electrics. Detractors like to focus on their sales as a percentage of total auto sales, but instead the focus should be on the incredible growth in sales this year in this sector and that the trends are in the right direction.

In the first nine months of 2012, electric vehicle sales increased an astounding 178 percent in the U.S.  over the first nine months of 2011. The number of hybrid and electric models available on the market increased in 2012 by 10 and about 15 more models are expected in 2013.

Instead of focusing on the bankruptcy of A123 systems, the focus should on the fact that the U.S. now has a healthier advanced battery manufacturing industry and that the A123 automotive technology, products, customer contracts, and its two Michigan factories will stay in the U.S., thanks to its purchase by Johnson Controls.

The bottom line is that overall, the government strategy to support the market for green cars through consumer incentives, retooling loans and providing long-term pollution and fuel efficiency standards is already paying off.

But particularly with new technology such as plug-ins, it takes time to reach critical mass. When first introduced, cell phones were more rare than California Condors, but now they're more like pigeons – everywhere.

Survey after survey shows fuel efficiency is key to auto purchases. With electrics able to deliver the equivalent of running on $1 per gallon gasoline, consumers becoming more familiar with the technology, more models entering the market, and prices continuing to drop, the future is bright for electrics.

Roland Hwang is Transportation Program Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council

Recent media coverage of electric vehicles has featured claims of high environmental impact due to the production and disposal phases of the vehicle life cycle. ACEEE’s Green Book, which evaluates such impacts for real vehicle models, helps put this issue into perspective.

Among model year 2012 vehicles, production and disposal emissions were about 30 percent higher for EVs than for comparably-sized conventional vehicles, due to relatively high per-pound battery production emissions. And while these ‘embodied’ emissions accounted for 22 percent of total vehicle impacts on average, they were just above half for EVs.

Nonetheless, EVs received very high Green Scores, reflecting low environmental impact, not a surprise given their zero in-use emissions. And of course, their scores will climb further if and when the ‘upstream’ emissions associated with electricity generation decline.

More broadly, as vehicles’ in-use emissions and energy consumption fall, production and disposal will indeed be increasingly important determinants of environmental impact. Material substitution to reduce vehicle weight, which in turn allows downsizing of vehicle systems and further weight reduction, is already a key strategy to boost fuel economy. Production of advanced, lightweight materials can be energy-intensive, and net impacts will reflect this, together with material recyclability and the fuel savings these materials enable. But careful analyses of these considerations to date have shown a clear net reduction in energy use and GHG emissions from the use of high-strength steel and aluminum, for example.

The recent light-duty vehicle fuel economy and GHG emissions rule provoked a lively discussion of the possibility of standards based on full life cycle emissions. At present, this would be quite a challenge, given the paucity of data on the content and production of individual models and differing views on life cycle analysis.

And for now, fuel economy remains the undisputed heavyweight in vehicle environmental impacts. But we should prepare for a time when, thankfully, that will no longer be the case.

 

Therese Langer is Transportation Program Director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, www.ACEEE.org

 

The development and growth of the U.S. ethanol industry over the course of several decades has had concrete impacts on every day Americans. It is helping more than 400,000 of our friends and neighbors find work or keep the jobs they have. It is putting money back into consumers’ pockets by lowering gas prices by a national average of more than $1.00 and reducing the average American’s household gasoline bill by $1,200. Ethanol is now ten percent of America’s fuel supply and 25 percent of all the motor fuel produced from domestic resources, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and increasing our national security.

America consumes approximately 135-140 billion gallons of gasoline a year. More than 95 percent of those gallons were blended with ethanol, predominantly E10 (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline). America’s new fuel, E15 (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline), a cheaper and higher octane fuel than E10, is begin­ning to gain momentum in the marketplace.

Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska now have E15 being sold to model year 2001 and newer vehicles at a total of nine stations. E15 is approved for more than 65 percent of all vehicles on the road today, which consume about 80 percent of all unleaded fuel sold. Thus far, E15 sales have been nearly 20 percent of all sales at each sta­tion offering it today, quickly outpacing traditional premium volumes.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is working in various states to remove the state level hurdles restricting the sale of E15. There are many fuel retailers and marketers nationwide who have been misinformed on costs, liability, and consumer demand revolving around E15. The RFA continues to correct this information by educating on why they should consider offering E15 and what the benefits are.

This includes the development of an E15 business case that will show impact to the bottom line for retailers considering adding this new product. Through a joint effort of the RFA and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), the Blend Your Own (BYO) Ethanol Campaign is also offering to educate retailers and marketers on E15, MLEBs, E85, and blender pumps through station visits and free online webinars.

The RFA is working diligently with the petroleum industry, gas retailers, automakers, and consumers to ensure E15 is used properly. RFA developed a model Misfueling Mitigation Plan (MMP) as required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for education and outreach on E15 and focused on the prevention of illegal use of E15 by consumers. This is the only EPA approved MMP and was deemed as sufficient on March 15, 2012. E15 Stakeholders can choose to adopt RFA’s model plan by notifying EPA of their intentions utilizing the RFA’s E15 retail and consumer resources.

Additionally, RFA has developed the E15 Retailer Handbook for evaluating existing infrastructure com­patibility, safety and conversion practices, and state specific regulatory requirements. Specifically, the handbook offers guidance regarding: Federal regulatory requirements including blender registration, octane posting, proper pump labeling, compliance with an EPA approved fuel survey and OSHA regulations; state and local fuel and safety regulations; E15 conversion guidelines for fueling infrastructure; retail conversion procedures; E15 fuel specification and properties; transportation and storage requirements; and safety and firefighting procedures.

E15 remains the most tested fuel ever approved by EPA and is perfectly safe and effective for approved engines. Adding this fuel option to the marketplace allows consumers to make the decision of which fuel works best for them and their vehicle. Allowing for additional ethanol-blended fuel use will help to lower gas prices, create domestic jobs, reduce oil dependence, and accelerate the commercialization of new bio­fuel technologies.

Robert White is Director of Market Development at the Renewable Fuels Association, www.ethanolrfa.org

The basic facts about our dependence on oil are troubling. Burning oil is changing our climate and it threatens our health and environment. We use about 18 million barrels of petroleum products every day with about two-thirds of that going to keep our transportation system moving – with cars and light trucks being the biggest driver for our oil appetite. So what would this oil dependence look like county by county on a map, in aggregate or per capita? Could such a map help us assess which solutions will work best to address oil hot spots – those places using the most oil? We took a look.

Our maps (done with NRDC and League of Conservation Voters) can be seen here. It turns out that of the 3,144 counties in the U.S., 108 of them use 10 percent of the oil.

Population is a key driver with counties in Texas, California, Florida, the Northeast, and Chicago popping out as red hot spots for aggregate annual oil consumption. However, a map of how much oil each person is using is quite different. Suddenly those dense and populous counties – many with transit systems and walkable communities – are quite green and counties in the middle of the country suddenly become angry red.

Eighty percent of the population now lives in metropolitan areas where distances between destinations are shorter and transportation choices make driving, or even car ownership, optional. Increasing transportation choices and access to existing transit, making walking and biking safer, and better planning can cool off the large metropolitan area hot spots.

Those living in angry hotspots in the Midwest and northern plains will find relief in the fuel efficiency automakers are now bragging about, which will continue to improve as standards double fuel efficiency and cut carbon pollution from new vehicles in half. These standards will have a significant impact on oil consumption for those who do need to drive. Ultimately, using less oil nationwide will mean more transportation choices: more transit, more safe biking and walking, and more efficient vehicles when we do drive. We need to cool off our oil hot spots.

 

Ann Mesnikoff is Green Transportation Campaign Director of the Sierra Club

 

With a bumper crop of fuel-efficient vehicles driving sales and jobs growth, automakers and their suppliers are looking ahead to a brighter future after the dark days of the recession. Since June 2009 when the industry hit bottom, the American auto industry has grown 24 percent, adding 150,000 jobs in motor vehicle and parts manufacturing.

And as demand grows for fuel-efficient cars, so does the business case to ‘onshore’ the production of fuel-efficiency components. Thanks in large part to the first round of stronger fuel efficiency standards that began this year, this onshoring is already happening.

Hybrid production exemplifies this trend. With U.S. hybrid sales booming (up 63 percent this year), Toyota and Honda are bringing production to the U.S. Honda plans to bring all global Civic Hybrid manufacturing to its Greensburg, Indiana manufacturing plant from Japan. Toyota has also announced it would bring production of its Highlander Hybrid from Japan to its Princeton, Indiana plant and the Prius to the U.S. by 2015.

With greater hybrid production comes even more jobs related to building the key components. Already Ford has moved battery pack assembly to the Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and electric drive transaxles to the Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

But hybrids and hybrid components are just the start of the story. With standards set to be finalized – which will double today’s efficiency to 54.5 mpg by 2025 – automakers

will need to make more fuel-efficient vehicles and buy more fuel-efficient components. The high volumes needed to meet stronger standards means that a large proportion of these components will be made in America.

Setting strong fuel efficiency standards means that manufacturers throughout the auto supply chain gain certainty for what innovative and efficiency-boosting products they should invest in. Regardless of one’s place on the political spectrum, we can all agree that changing the terms of the debate from ‘out’ to ‘on’ is a positive development for our country.

 

Roland Hwang is Transportation Program Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council 

After spending four months in São Paulo, I’m taking a more expansive view of feasible policy options. Car ownership is still low in Brazil, but in wealthy São Paulo it’s far higher and growing at breakneck speed. Daily paralysis of major thoroughfares has led to implementation of a ‘rodízio’ prohibiting certain license plates from circulating each day during peak periods.

In terms of energy impacts, however, Brazil’s new automobiles have an edge over those in the U.S. More than 80 percent of light-duty vehicles sold last year were flex-fuel vehicles. Ethanol consumption varies greatly with price, but it accounted for close to 40 percent of car and light truck fuel consumed in 2010. And Brazil’s sugar-cane-based ethanol is said to be substantially less carbon-intensive than the corn ethanol used here.

In addition, the average fuel economy of Brazil’s vehicle stock is about 26 miles per gallon, in energy-equivalent terms, while the U.S. value stands at 23 miles per gallon. That’s largely a reflection of engine size, not technology – over 90 percent of the vehicles sold in Brazil in 2011 have engines of 2.0 liters or less. A tax differential of 18 percentage points between a 1.0-liter and a 2.5-liter engine helps to explain this. Plus, gasoline in Brazil costs about 40 percent more than in the U.S.

Now there’s a major new vehicle tax policy in the works, and it’s tied to fuel efficiency. With substantial and rapidly growing oil production, Brazil is a net petroleum exporter.

And climate change concerns are not driving policy at this time. So who’s worried about fuel economy? The President herself, along with the Ministry of Development and Commerce: the new tax regime would replace the 30 percent tax that Brazil slapped on imported vehicles last fall. That policy has come under fire at the World Trade Organization, and there’s a sense that that approach to keeping imports at bay won’t fly in the long run. So fuel efficiency is the new competitiveness policy for the Brazilian auto industry. Sound familiar?

 

Therese Langer is Transportation Program Director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, www.ACEEE.org

For all of our Global Green projects to help communities, people, and the planet in crisis, we seek to reduce greenhouse gases and stem climate change. On the road, that means reducing emissions by promoting the use of public transportation, car sharing and carpooling, and driving vehicles that do not rely on fossil fuels.

 In this last year, one of our initiatives has been to help green the streets of Santa Monica, California, where we have our headquarters. For this pursuit, our focus has been on a vehicle that was invented long before the automobile. This type of vehicle reduces pollution, emissions, traffic, and parking congestion – and also helps drivers stay fit. I’m talking about the two-wheeled, human-powered bicycle.

Our policy and legislative team worked with the City of Santa Monica on its Bike Action Plan and bike sharing, bringing together businesses and community groups to discuss the possibilities and advocate for its adoption. We looked to cities such as Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, and Portland that have already seen the benefits of bike sharing programs. In addition to the positive environmental impact, bike sharing programs can improve the local economy, as bicycling cuts down on gasoline and other car-related costs and makes popular businesses more accessible.

Our efforts are paying off, as the Santa Monica City Council overwhelmingly voted to pass the Bike Action Plan with an added emphasis on bringing a bike share system to Santa Monica. We also helped the City of Los Angeles secure a Metro grant that will help fund bike sharing in Los Angeles.

We hope this will serve as a catalyst for communities across the Los Angeles basin and beyond to develop their own bike share programs and help us all depend less on greenhouse gas-emitting vehicles. After all, more bikes on the road will mean reduced greenhouse gases – and more room for the eco vehicles we still drive.

 

Matt Petersen is President and CEO of Global Green USA, the American arm of Green Cross International