xcel
01-30-2007, 01:13 AM
Austin campaign spurs plans to get environmentally friendly cars built and sold in next five years. (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/01/24/24hybrid.html)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/EnergyCS_Prius_PHEV.jpgTara Copp - American Statesman - Jan. 24, 2007
Austin’s own EnergyCS uses Valance Technology Li-Ion’s in a converted Prius II PHEV.
WASHINGTON - A year ago, Austin Mayor Will Wynn launched a program to get the nation's 50 largest cities to buy plug-in hybrid vehicles to show automakers there was a market for the environmentally friendly cars.
As a crammed hearing with Republicans and Democrats showed Tuesday, Wynn's timing couldn't have been better. Growing concern about global warming and dependence on foreign oil has lawmakers hungry for ideas they can support, and the campaign has the benefit of appealing to both automakers and environmentalists.
Wynn's national Plug-in Partners campaign, which was borne of an idea the city and Austin Energy crafted to push the hybrids, has now reached far beyond its initial 50 target cities. To date, it has 500 partners that together have committed to buying 8,300 plug-in vehicles.
Hours before President Bush pushed his own energy initiatives in his annual State of the Union address, lawmakers, automakers, power company officials and environmentalists met to mark the first anniversary of Austin's program and to talk about plans to get millions of plug-in hybrids on the road by 2012.
"It is very rapidly taking over the discussion of the U.S. Congress," Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., said of plug-in hybrids. "This is the most rapidly developing technology that can give us action this decade."
Plug-in hybrids combine the power of gasoline and electricity. Unlike hydrogen cars, they don't require a separate hydrogen fuel pipeline distribution system to be built. They can be driven greater distances than electric cars or ethanol-fueled cars before needing to be refueled.
A user can choose to run the car on gasoline or another fuel such as ethanol, or on the car's charged battery. In the future, plug-in stations at home and on the road would provide areas for owners to charge their vehicles. It's estimated that the cars will reduce carbon emissions 15 percent.
Technological and cost hurdles must be overcome before plug-in hybrids are built and sold on a mass scale, but automakers are developing models and making plans to sell the cars in the next few years.
Ford introduced a plug-in hybrid with a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell at the Washington Auto Show this week, and General Motors introduced the gasoline-electric plug-in Chevy Volt at the Detroit Auto Show this month. Toyota is expecting to sell 250,000 Prius hybrids this year and has announced plans to introduce a plug-in electric version of the Prius.
"The fundamental challenge is trying to get the unit costs down so automakers actually build them," Wynn said.
On Tuesday, it was evident that what started as a city-to-city effort has attracted, in only a year, major attention from Congress and federal agencies.
Members of the House and Senate have pledged to sponsor bills this session to promote plug-in hybrids. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, has said he will refile legislation he authored last year that would open up $250 million in federal grants to push the technology.
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and Michael McCaul, R-Austin. Doggett is drafting a bill to offer a tax credit for buyers of plug-in hybrids.
"Now is the right time to establish new incentives for plug-in hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has worked with Wynn since the partnership was announced.
Austin has set aside $1 million for tax incentives or rebates it will offer residents once the cars are available, Wynn said. A few of the ideas Austin is considering include free parking for plug-in hybrid vehicles, a $1,000 rebate per car or subsidized toll tags, he said.
"Not sure how we will spend that money . . . we still have to get the cars manufactured," Wynn said.
But the mayor is hopeful production is just a few years away.
"I think from where we were a year ago with our discussions with the automakers to where they are today, I am optimistic," Wynn said.
"With the right nuance of either legislation or awareness," one or more automakers will jump into full production of plug-in hybrids, he said.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/EnergyCS_Prius_PHEV.jpgTara Copp - American Statesman - Jan. 24, 2007
Austin’s own EnergyCS uses Valance Technology Li-Ion’s in a converted Prius II PHEV.
WASHINGTON - A year ago, Austin Mayor Will Wynn launched a program to get the nation's 50 largest cities to buy plug-in hybrid vehicles to show automakers there was a market for the environmentally friendly cars.
As a crammed hearing with Republicans and Democrats showed Tuesday, Wynn's timing couldn't have been better. Growing concern about global warming and dependence on foreign oil has lawmakers hungry for ideas they can support, and the campaign has the benefit of appealing to both automakers and environmentalists.
Wynn's national Plug-in Partners campaign, which was borne of an idea the city and Austin Energy crafted to push the hybrids, has now reached far beyond its initial 50 target cities. To date, it has 500 partners that together have committed to buying 8,300 plug-in vehicles.
Hours before President Bush pushed his own energy initiatives in his annual State of the Union address, lawmakers, automakers, power company officials and environmentalists met to mark the first anniversary of Austin's program and to talk about plans to get millions of plug-in hybrids on the road by 2012.
"It is very rapidly taking over the discussion of the U.S. Congress," Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., said of plug-in hybrids. "This is the most rapidly developing technology that can give us action this decade."
Plug-in hybrids combine the power of gasoline and electricity. Unlike hydrogen cars, they don't require a separate hydrogen fuel pipeline distribution system to be built. They can be driven greater distances than electric cars or ethanol-fueled cars before needing to be refueled.
A user can choose to run the car on gasoline or another fuel such as ethanol, or on the car's charged battery. In the future, plug-in stations at home and on the road would provide areas for owners to charge their vehicles. It's estimated that the cars will reduce carbon emissions 15 percent.
Technological and cost hurdles must be overcome before plug-in hybrids are built and sold on a mass scale, but automakers are developing models and making plans to sell the cars in the next few years.
Ford introduced a plug-in hybrid with a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell at the Washington Auto Show this week, and General Motors introduced the gasoline-electric plug-in Chevy Volt at the Detroit Auto Show this month. Toyota is expecting to sell 250,000 Prius hybrids this year and has announced plans to introduce a plug-in electric version of the Prius.
"The fundamental challenge is trying to get the unit costs down so automakers actually build them," Wynn said.
On Tuesday, it was evident that what started as a city-to-city effort has attracted, in only a year, major attention from Congress and federal agencies.
Members of the House and Senate have pledged to sponsor bills this session to promote plug-in hybrids. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, has said he will refile legislation he authored last year that would open up $250 million in federal grants to push the technology.
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and Michael McCaul, R-Austin. Doggett is drafting a bill to offer a tax credit for buyers of plug-in hybrids.
"Now is the right time to establish new incentives for plug-in hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has worked with Wynn since the partnership was announced.
Austin has set aside $1 million for tax incentives or rebates it will offer residents once the cars are available, Wynn said. A few of the ideas Austin is considering include free parking for plug-in hybrid vehicles, a $1,000 rebate per car or subsidized toll tags, he said.
"Not sure how we will spend that money . . . we still have to get the cars manufactured," Wynn said.
But the mayor is hopeful production is just a few years away.
"I think from where we were a year ago with our discussions with the automakers to where they are today, I am optimistic," Wynn said.
"With the right nuance of either legislation or awareness," one or more automakers will jump into full production of plug-in hybrids, he said.