54.5 MPG and beyond: fueling energy-efficient vehicles

For many can refuel your vehicle be disappointing. It is the only activity that quickly eat up dollar by dollar, the consumer of that sum cost disposable income look at. And a large part of this money goes right the tailpipe - only 14-26% of the energy from the fuel is used to move a vehicle on the road.

Fortunately, the Obama administration's new national fuel economy will improve standards for passenger vehicle efficiency and save Americans at the pump, while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and the US economy is growing.

Completed in August, the new standards build on first fuel economy that rises the Obama administration — the first increase since 1985 - raised, the average fuel economy of passenger cars 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. Under the new rules, passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, trucks built a model years 2017-2025 industry average are expected to fuel efficiency to reach equivalents of 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025 - the efficiency of the cars on the road today almost to double. The complete history, see the blog post of energy.

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DOE provides up to $2 million for hydrogen fueling stations data collection

DOE announced on 13 March that up to 2 million dollars available this year to collect and fueled, analyze performance data for hydrogen refuel stations and advanced components. DOE tracks performance and technical progress innovative gas stations to find systems ways to reduce costs and improve operations. The funding is part of the Department of obligation to help, bring hydrogen technologies in the mainstream market and provide new opportunities for vehicles that are not dependent on petrol.

Many car manufacturers have announced production plans for fuel cell electric vehicles for retail sale or lease as 2015, and some States invest in hydrogen fuel infrastructure to accommodate these vehicles. The new funding supports projects to monitor the performance of several hydrogen filling stations and advanced components for up to five years. The data and analyses resulting from this initiative help also hydrogen the designs of existing systems to improve fueling equipment manufacturers.

DOE is seeking applicants for this funding opportunity new petrol stations technologies test that could significantly reduce the hydrogen. These include advanced compressor design, the the required number or size of the compressors, at petrol stations commercial premises; reduce Hydrogen supplied tanks with higher capacity and optimal tank pressure, which can reduce the need for compressors and the frequency of deliveries to petrol stations websites and advanced electrolysis, potentially producing hydrogen at higher loads, reducing the cost of hydrogen by reducing the amount of post production compression required. Answers are by May 11. Find out the DOE progress and funding opportunity announcement on funding opportunity Exchange Web site.

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At pump was the year of the big squeeze 2011

NEW YORK — 30 years since gasoline has such a big bite from budget of families.

If the gifts from Grandma are unloaded and holidays is over, the typical American household is $4.155 a record fills up this year have issued. This is 8.4 per cent of which average family finds in the highest proportion since 1981.

Gas another deplorable record on average more than $3.50 per gallon this year. And next year not likely facilitate to bring.

In the past high gas prices in the United States hand in hand went with good economic times, making them less harmful to family finances. Now, despite slow economic growth and weak demand prices are high.

This is because demand for crude oil rises worldwide, especially in the developing countries of Asia and Latin America. But it puts the squeeze on the United States, where unemployment is high and many people that are jobs not always throws.

The case has caught Michael Reed at Charlotte, n.c. He was unable to find work since he lost his support for computer work in 2009. Now, high gas prices ask about what he has left. He and his wife will not exchange gifts this Christmas.

"I try to take as little as possible so that it not as a piece of my wallet," he says.

1981, As the economy slipped into recession and oil prices were high because of the Middle East turmoil, gas by 8.8 percent, from which says typical family budget Fred Rozell ate from the oil price information service.

In the last decade, gas has recorded 5.7 percent of budget of families. If only 5.7 percent spending families this year, it would have saved $1,300.

Gas should be $3.53 per gallon average for this year. Thats 76 cent more than in the last year. It is 29 cents per gallon more than 2008, if gas most recently record an annual, set $3.24. In the same year the price of oil a record in the summer but reduces the financial crisis in the fall hit.

In addition to families, leaving less money for food and go through to the cinema, tribute high gas prices a disproportionate on consumer confidence. People are better about small changes of in gas prices, because they drive past the signs of all time.

And the money on gas has spent less bang in the economy than, say, a dollar spent at a restaurant. The United States an oil is investing in new companies and jobs importing country, so many of the dollars expended leave the country instead, here gas finally.

James Hamilton, Professor of Economics at the University of California, San Diego, that energy prices studies, estimates that high gasoline prices growth of about 0.5 percent for the year reduced - a major hit for an economy grow only at an annual rate of around 2 percent.

Still, it could be worse. The US economy is much more fuel-saving, as it was during the oil spikes from the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1980 $1,000 were used for each performance, 1.07 barrels of oil. It took until the year 2010 the - 0.53 barrels, says half, Judith Dwarkin, Chief Energy Economist at ITG investment research.

Today, almost no oil uses the United States to generate electricity. The proportion of households with heating oil fell. And vehicles are less than ever thirsty - 20 percent more fuel efficient than later in the year 1980.

In addition the low price of natural gas has kept low heating and electricity costs for the same households give more money on gas.

Relief from high gas prices is nowhere in sight, though. Ed Morse, head of research were expected $100 a barrel with Citibank, oil next year, on average, that 2011 would eclipse the average of about $95 a barrel.

Tom Kloza, Chief oil analyst at OPIS, expected approach the gasoline prices to $4 per gallon again next spring.

Drivers keep gas guzzlers in the driveway, combine trips and more efficient cars to buy. Compared with the previous year, American gas consumption was that every week more than nine months, according to MasterCard SpendingPulse, a spending survey.

But this helps only so much. Hunter Collins, a software support engineer lives in Richmond, Maine, commute 40 miles each way to his job in Falmouth. He began to work van-pooling if it in turn is to drive more fuel-efficient car with a colleague and his wife.

It is still not enough. He says that he goes to his beloved cylinder Dodge Charger sell. "She's my baby, but I'll have to go to SI"

Fueling the Navy green fleet with advanced biofuels

Of oil, energy plays a central role in almost everything, what does the U.S. military fuel nozzles and vehicles to supply battery packs, infantry. It is essential that energy sources maintain the military are subject to the whims of the outer Nations by this dependency. Another option for fuel are increasingly as important produces renewable energy sources as solar play in this effort, advanced biofuels in Germany.

The latest milestone in this effort to our energy supplies to secure is the December 5 announcement that the defense of Logistics Agency has signed 450,000 gallons of domestic purchase extended drop in bio-fuel for the Navy. This agreement builds from a new partnership between the Navy, DOE and the Department of agriculture investing to advanced biofuels for military and commercial transport - up to $ 510 million and it represents, the largest purchase ever undertaken of bio-fuels by the Government.

By 2016, the Navy, a large green plans fleet powered to provide alternative fuels. Advanced biofuels, which help fuel would be the proposed Navy ships and aircraft from a variety of biomass ingredients in some regions of the country.

So, what's behind the rise of biofuels? There was considerable progress in the pursuit of a better recipe for bio-fuels in large part. Instead of the processing of raw materials, which could otherwise be used for food, the next-generation fuels can be produced from a variety of ingredients including dedicated energy crops such as switchgrass, to the non-edible parts of maize plants unmarketable wood from the forest industry - resources, which otherwise would go to lose to and with them our fuel energy independence. Read the energy blog post.

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