Reducing the Need for Oil in the
Transportation Sector
Improving the Fuel Efficiency of
Cars: The New Hybrid Cars
Current Issues Regarding Fuel
Consumption by Transportation (1)
• Transportation Sector Consumes Over 2/3
of Petroleum in the U.S.
• Public Transportation is Not Widely Used
by the General Public
– It’s “uncool”
– It’s unavailable
Issues (2)
• Decrease in Oil Supplies will Increase Cost
of Gasoline.
– Increase of Gasoline Costs Will Directly Affect
the Consumer
• Passenger Cars do not Currently Meet Fuel
Efficiency Standards Set by Congress;
SUVs Have a Lower Standard which
Lowers Overall Fuel Efficiency Even More
Easier to Change the Car Than to
Change the Person!!
• Sport Utility Vehicles are a Status Symbol
– Only 10-30% of people who own SUVs actually use
them for off-road activities
– 38% of the cars on the road are SUVs
• With Hybrid technology, people can keep their
“big” cars while using less fuel.
– Ford Escape, 2004
– Dodge Durango SUV, uncertain release date
Top 5 Contributors to Greenhouse
Gases Around the World
1.
2.
3.
4.
United States
China
Russia
Japan
5. United States’ Automobiles
Law Of Supply and Demand
• A decrease in oil supply will cause an
increase in gas prices
• Gas Prices are currently (in Chicago) $1.72
/ gallon
– Average U.S. price = $1.67
• Imagine Fuel Costs if Gas Prices Continued
to Rise
Electric Cars Are Not the Answer
• While electric vehicles qualify as Zero
Emission Vehicles, they are impractical
• Electric vehicles are ideal for short trips
around town, but not so good for crosscountry trips
• This is where Hybrid technology becomes
key.
Improving the Fuel Efficiency of
Cars Is the Answer
43% of U.S. petroleum use and 11%
of world petroleum use is due to
consumption of gasoline
Improving Fuel Efficiency to 40
mpg would save 2 million barrels of
oil per day
CAFE Standards
•
•
•
•
Currently set at 20.7 for light trucks
27.5 for cars
Standards were set in 1978
Current standards have not changed since 1990,
despite various attempts to change them
legislatively
• Between 1997 and 2001, average fuel efficiency
dropped from 22.1 (peaking) to 20.4 (lowest in 20
years)
Factors Behind Setting CAFE
• When CAFE standards were designed, light
trucks were predominantly work and cargo
vehicles
• Comprised less than 20% of new car market
• Today, light trucks comprise nearly 50% of
new car market and are mostly used for
personal transport
Limits on CAFE
• Vehicles that weigh over 8500 pounds are exempt
from CAFE requirements
• This Includes:
– Ford Excursion
– Hummer H2
– Chevrolet Suburban 2500
• Automakers can change the car to make it look
like a truck
– i.e. PT Cruiser can’t tow anything and can only
transport 4 passengers is a light truck because it has a
removable backseat
Credits for Fuel Efficiency
• Credits for producing alternative fuel
vehicles
• Credits for exceeding CAFE standards in a
given year
• Credits may be carried backward or forward
three years
CAFE Fines
• Producers must pay a penalty if the average fuel
efficiency of their individual fleets is below CAFE
standards
– Domestic Car Fleet (at 75% of car manufactured in
U.S.)
– Imported Car Fleet
– Light Trucks
• $5.50 for every 0.1 MPG that average falls below
relevant standard
Concerns with Relying on CAFE
to Reduce Oil Consumption
• Possibly encourage more driving instead of
changing personal driving habits
• Will automakers really respond?
– Agree to pay fines?
– Produce cars that fall into the light truck
category so as to avoid complying with the
more stringent car CAFE requirements
• Reduction in Safety with Lighter Cars
Will Hybrid Cars “Fix” These
Problems?
• Hybrid Cars are One of the Best Short Term
Solutions to the Overuse of Petroleum by
the Transportation Sector
• Without a widespread belief that public
transportation is the “Cool” thing to do, fuel
efficient cars will allow people to drive just
as much as they do now, while significantly
decreasing use of oil by autos.
Will Hybrid Cars Actually
Encourage More Driving?
• Hard to say
• The U.S. is already a mobile society
• Easy to determine that the car is “clean” and
therefore justify driving more
• People who buy hybrid cars are those who are
interested in conservation, and likely, that would
stay the same for a large percentage of hybrid
buyers
• Regardless, Hybrid cars are just a part of the
solution—maybe the biggest part of the solution,
but nevertheless, just one part
Will Automakers Respond
Appropriately?
• Eliminating differences in CAFE between
light trucks and passenger cars will prevent
automakers from shifting production
• Increasing the fine, or adding incentives for
improving fuel efficiency will help prevent
the willing paying of fines
What about Safety Concerns?
• The Honda Civic Hybrid actually weighs 100
pounds more than the Honda Civic EX
• Effectively, by using Hybrid technology, fuel
efficiency can be increased without sacrificing the
weight of the car
• Other equipment has been added to cars to
improve safety such as air bags; fatality rates have
declined significantly since enacting CAFE in
1978
Saving Money at the Pump
(Using Current Gas Price of $1.67 and driving
12,000 miles / year)
•
•
•
•
Average Car
27.5 mpg = 436
gallons of gas per year
T.C. = $728 / year
Average SUV
20.7 mpg = 579
gallons of gas per year
T.C. = $967 / year
•
•
•
•
Honda Civic Hybrid
48 mpg = 250 gallons
of gas per year
T.C. = $417 / year
Ford Escape Hybrid
30 mpg = 400 gallons
of gas per year
T.C. = $668 / year
Are the Differences Enough to ReCoup the Cost of the Car?
• At current gas prices, an owner would have
to keep a car for 8 years to recoup the
difference in price between a hybrid and a
“normal” car.
• But, if gas prices increase (as expected
would happen if current oil suppliers
decreased oil supply by 25%), recoup in
price would be noticed earlier.
Eight Years With One Car?
• Concern that the battery-operated engine
would not last 8 years and batteries cost
$2000-$3000 to replace
– Honda & Toyota both offer 10 year warranties
on the electric motor.
• Additionally, tax incentive for buying a
hybrid vehicle. (Currently $2000
adjustment to gross income)
Hybrid Cars Are Cool
• Cameron Diaz Drove a Toyota Prius to the
Oscars
• Ed Begley, Jr. drove a Prius across the country
• Leonardo DiCaprio’s family owns 4 Priuses
• Carole King, Billy Joel, David Duchovny, & Bill
Maher also own a Prius
Incentives
• CAFE not effective in that automakers have
chosen to pay fines in many cases
• Loophole that allows SUVs to be treated
differently by CAFE, even though most of
the car-buying public buys them to use as
passenger cars
• Congress should act to fix these problems
Proposed Legislation #1
Senators Diane Feinstein & Olympia
Snowe
Components of the Feinstein
Proposal
• Require SUVs to meet the same standards
as passenger cars by 2011
• Aimed at bringing SUVs to the same
requirements as currently required by CAFE
for passenger cars (27.5 mpg).
• No Change for passenger cars
Critique of Feinstein’s Proposal
• Doesn’t improve fuel efficiency of passenger cars
• While SUVs are gaining market share and it’s
important to close the loophole, we need to
continue to increase fuel efficiency standards for
our passenger cars, especially considering the
technology exists.
• However, does prevent automakers from shifting
production to light trucks to avoid fuel efficiency
standards
Proposed Legislation #2
Senator Durbin’s Proposed New
Efficiency Legislation
Components of Durbin’s Legislation
• Light Truck exception would only include true
trucks and vans—not SUVs or minivans
• Raise the fuel economy of passenger automobiles
to 40 miles per gallon by 2015 with the first
increase required in model year 2006.
• Update civil penalties for violating CAFE laws to
account for inflation
Advantages of Durbin’s Leg.
• Increasing CAFE to 40 mpg would realize a
cumulative savings of 123 billion gallons of
gasoline by 2015 – a number 10 times the
amount projected to be realized from
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge
Durbin’s Other Legislation
• Fuel Efficient Vehicles Tax Incentives Act
• Would Create a tax break for purchasers of
cars that exceed CAFE standards by more
than 5 mpg
Advantages of Durbin’s Other”
Legislation
• Encourages the Customer to buy a fuel
efficient car—but it doesn’t necessarily
apply to hybrid cars as there is already a tax
deduction available for hybrid car
purchasers
• Encourages Automakers to produce cars
that customers will buy
Proposed Changes ala Patti
• Close Loophole for SUVs and Light Trucks
that are used as passenger vehicles
• Encourage Automakers to produce more
fuel efficient cars beyond CAFE
requirements
• Improve CAFE requirements
• Encourage Consumers to purchase Fuel
Efficient Cars
Closing the Loophole
• Single Standard for all Passenger Vehicles
requires defining “passenger vehicle”
• Phasing the new standard in over time
Light Truck
• Sold primarily to commercial entities (and
not to soccer moms)
– Require dealers to keep track of sales
• Has the ability to tow other vehicles or
trailers beyond the smallest U-Haul-type
trailers
• Seats more than 4 people
• Other Requirements?
Passenger Car
• Seats 4 people or less
• Can’t tow most trailers or other cars
• Bought primarily by families and private
individuals
• Other requirements
New Unified Standard
• Adopt portions of Senators Feinstein’s and
Durbin’s proposals to eliminate the
differences.
• Give manufacturers 3-5 years to bring
SUVs and minivans to the current 27.5
Also Apply to Passenger Cars that
Exceed 8500 pounds
• Require large passenger cars (such as the
Ford Excursion) to meet fuel efficiency
standards; otherwise, auto manufacturers
may just switch to making super large cars
to avoid compliance
Improving CAFE
• While bringing SUVs and minivans into
compliance with current CAFE standards,
also gradually increase CAFE standards
• Gradually, over 7-9 years to 40 mpg
• Effectively, in 9 years, fleet averages for all
automobile makes used primarily for
personal transportation should meet 40 mpg
standard
Encourage Manufacturers to Produce
• Increase Fines for failure to meet standards to a
more “harmful” level
• Currently, many fines are merely built into the
price of an SUV rather than the manufacturer
paying for them out of pocket
• Make fines high enough such that if incorporated
into sales price, will discourage average joe from
buying or if not incorporated, will significantly
punish the manufacturer
Remove Credit System
• Allowing manufacturers to incorporate
credits both forward and backward three
years makes for difficult enforcement—
can’t enforce a fine until 3 years after the
failure to meet the goal, by which point,
manufacturers may have made enough
money on the inefficient vehicle to more
than cover the fine
Or Leave Credit System In With
Modifications
• Allow manufacturers to trade credits
amongst selves in same year—in other
words, Ford can sell emissions credits to
GM. If Ford’s average fuel efficiency is 44,
and GM’s average fuel efficiency is 38, then
Ford can sell to GM (under regulated
conditions) 2 mpg.
Encourage Consumers to Buy
• Continue Tax Break for Fuel Efficient Cars
• Don’t phase out the HEV tax credit until Hybrid
cars are more established.
• Incorporate tax credits for consumers who trade in
an older, less efficient car, for a more efficient
vehicle.
– Encourages people who can’t afford new cars to buy a
new car
– Many less efficient cars stay on the road because
consumers can’t afford a new, more efficient one
How Should Manufacturers
Comply?
• Hybrid Cars
– Eliminates risk of lighter cars
– Technology is already available
• Lighter, GEO Metro type cars
– Not popular with people who buy cars as a
status symbol
– Safety Risk
Hybrid Cars:
How do we get there from here?
http://www.
ta.doc.gov/
PNGVArchive/Ab
outPNGV/i
ntro.htm
Project description
• Hybrid Emission Vehicle (HEV) Program
commenced in 1993
• Partnership between the US DOE and “Big
Three” automakers (5 year plan)
GOALS of Program
• Decrease emissions
• Improve mileage (twice the fuel economy)
• Comparable performance, costs, and safety
PNGV and DOE
• Goals of program began to mesh with that
of PNGV (Partnership for a new generation
of vehicles)
• To develop technologies for a new
generation of vehicles
FreedomCAR
• FY 2003: Re-focusing of PGNV into
FreedomCAR (Cooperative Automotive
Research) Program within DOE)
Goals (1)
• “transforming the transportation sector to
run on renewable resources…”
• Main focus on hydrogen fuel cell cars
(2)
• Freedom from/to:
–
–
–
–
–
petroleum
pollutants
choosing vehicle we want
drive where we want, when we want
obtain affordable fuel
• http://www.cartech.doe.gov/freedomcar/tec
hnical-goals.html
PNGV Success
• Decrease foreign oil dependence
– need to become less vulnerable
• Lower pollutants
– Autos = major CO contributor
– 194 million autos (1993) ==> 270 million
(2010)
• Create jobs
– promotes “global competitiveness”
NREL
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
– Project’s technical manager
• Technical work of “Big 3” ended in 1999
• NREL continuing to help auto industry with
HEV development by providing technical
expertise (battery management, load
reduction, and vehicle simulation)
http://www.ctts.nrel.gov/analysis/hev_test/data.shtml
How Hybrids Work
• Electric portion of the motor gets power
from nickel-metal hydride battery (next to
fuel tank)
• NO PLUGGING IN NEEDED! (battery
maintained by regenerative braking- kinetic
energy captured by forward momentum)
• Gasoline engine made from plastic
materials
How It Works (2)
• Two or more sources of power combined
• Ex:
–
–
–
–
–
Mo-ped
Trains
Buses
Mining trucks
Submarines
Components
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gas engine
Fuel tank
Electric motor
Generator
Batteries
Transmission
Electric Motor Components
• Armature or rotor
– Thin wire coiled around two or more poles
• Commutator
– Plate pair attached to axle
• Brushes
– Provides “flipping” action with the commutator
• Axle
• Field magnet
• DC power supply
Poles
• Car motors usually have 3 poles…
– Better dynamics in the car (magnet cannot get
“stuck” b/w the poles)
– Avoids wasting energy and wasting the battery
Generator
• Similar to electric motor, but only produces
electrical power
• Used in series hybrids
• Electric motor acts like a generator when it
slows car down to charge the batteries
Batteries
•
•
•
•
Higher voltages serial
Higher currents parallel
Energy storage device for electric motor
Electric motor: puts energy into batteries
and draws from them
• Gives that extra “help”
The upper arrangement is called a parallel arrangement. If you assume that each
cell produces 1.5 volts, then four batteries in parallel will also produce 1.5 volts,
but the current supplied will be four times that of a single cell. The lower
arrangement is called a serial arrangement. The four voltages add together to
produce 6 volts.
Types of Hybrids
• Parallel hybrid
– Fuel tank provides gasoline to engine
– Batteries supply power to electric motor
– Engine and electric motor work together to turn
transmission simultaneously
– Transmission turns the wheels
Parallel Hybrid
• Fuel tank and gas engine connect to
transmission
• Batteries and electric motor connect to
transmission independently
• Thus, electric motor and gas engine propel
auto
• PICTURE- PARALLEL HYBRID
• Series hybrid
– Gas engine turns the generator
– Generator charges batteries or powers electric
motor, which rives transmission
– Gas engine does not directly power auto
Series Hybrid
• Components are linear, connecting with
transmission
• PICTURE
Fuel Efficiency
•
•
•
•
•
Regenerative Braking
Engine shut-off
Aerodynamics
Low resistance tires
Lightweight materials
Why own a hybrid?
• Combination of technology of electric cars
and economical advantages of conventional
cars
• Low-emissions, fuel efficient
• Cost of batteries for electric vehicles still
too exorbitant for consumers
The result…
• Electric vehicle advantages that apply to
hybrids…
– Lower emissions
– “Regenerative breaking”
– “Torque-on-demand”
Ford Escape SUV
Goals:
Improve fuel efficiency 25% by 2008
Advantages of Escape
• 40 mpg city/ 29 mpg highway
• 500 miles per tank of gasoline
• Powered by 300 volt battery, along with 2liter 4-cylinder engine
• Performs like V6 Escape (4x4 capability)
• 2001 Escape: 18 mpg city/24 mpg highway
Honda Insight
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1st gas-electric car in North America
61 mpg city/70 mpg highway (Civic comparison)
Parallel hybrid
Lightweight body
Small engine
Advanced aerodynamics
2-Seater
Stats
• Runs by Integrated Motor Assist power
train (IMA)
• Magnetic electric motor and 5-speed
manual transmission
• 1 liter VTEC gasoline engine, 67 hps
• Unique torque features
Honda Civic Hybrid
• 5-star frontal crash protection rating
(NHTSA)
• Decreased gas mileage, lower emissions
• VTEC, i-DSI (Dual Point Sequential
Ignition), and friction-reducing materials =
excellent performance
• Available in both Manual Transmission and
CVT
Civic Hybrid Stats
• 48 mpg city/47 mpg highway (ULEV)
– Actual: 43 mpg city / 52 mpg highway
– City fuel efficiency decreases in winter when temps are
below freezing; closer to 35 mpg in city; highway stays
the same
• 47 mpg city/48 mpg highway (SULEV)
– 1/03: SULEV marketed in California
• 650 miles per tank of gasoline
• IMA technology; 1.3 L VTEC 4-cylinder engine
• 10 year battery life
Honors/Awards
• 2002: Best fuel economy award
• 2002: Runner-up to Insight in Best Fuel
Economy Class
• Best in Category: 1-1.4 Liter
Toyota Prius
• Parallel hybrid
• Electric motor starts the car
• Power Split Device
– Series hybrid
• Only Available in a Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT)
Prius vs. Civic
• Prius:
– SULEV rating (emissions
90% cleaner than current
average)
– Operates in electric-only
mode
– 44 hp/274 volt
– THS switches from allelectric to all-engine
(efficient mixes)
• Civic
– ULEV rating (SULEV
available in California)
– Always driven by gas
portion with assistance from
electric motor as necessary
– gas engine turns off
whenever temps are above
freezing and car is stopped
or slowing to below 20 mph
– 13 hp/144 volt
– Feels more like a “normal”
car when accelerating
Advantages & Stats
• $2000 tax deduction starting July 2002
–
–
–
–
In 2004, the deduction decreases to $1500
2005 to $1000
2006 to $500
There are talks of Congress extending the phase-out,
but nothing concrete, yet.
• Both Honda and Toyota offer extended warranties
(8-10 years) on the electric engine.
Toyota’s Future
• Late 2002: marketing began on 20 fuel cell
hybrid vehicles (FCHVs)
– Highlander SUV
– Featuring nickel-metal hydride battery similar
to Prius
How to make the most of your
hybrid
•
•
•
•
Don’t speed
Keep speed constant
Don’t stop abruptly
Manual transmissions: let the regenerative
braking work before putting in the clutch
Fuel Economy
35
30
25
20
Fuel Economy
15
10
5
0
1/1/00
1/8/00
1/15/00
1/22/00