AltFuel Blog

Cancellations Jeopardize California's 'Hydrogen Highway'

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s vision of a “hydrogen highway” - 100 fueling stations by 2010 that would make it practical for California motorists to use non-polluting hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles - has hit a roadblock

Link to story in the San Jose Mercury News:

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_7930155

Alt Fuel Vehicle Update

Let’s start with Westport Innovations. You are no doubt aware of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Clean Truck Superfund which provides $1.6 billion to replace dirty goods movement trucks. Yesterday, Vancouver based Westport issued a news release saying Kenworth will begin manufacturing LNG trucks in an exclusive deal that uses Wesport’s LNG fuel system technology. Oh, beautiful, clean growth. And, in more news, you take domestic based Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) and sign on the dotted line with India’s Tata, and what do you get? According to AutoBlog http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/24/tata-and-chrysler-sign-deal-to-import-electric-ace/ , the result is a fully assembled, U.S. standards compliant, version of Tata’s Ace mini truck. Now that’s a GEM

For information on The Southern California Clean Cities Coalition visit http://www.the-partnership.org/ccities.htm

GM's Plug-In Push

General Motors is developing a plug-in hybrid technology for its Chevy Volt that is miles ahead of Toyota and Honda.

Link to story in BusinessWeek:

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/nov2007/bw20071120_443524.htm

Paying at the Pump

Record-Setting Gas Prices Are Squeezing U.S. consumers. –reported by NPR (National Public Radio)

Gas prices remain high – with no end in sight. NPR takes a look at how peiple across the country are coping with the gas crunch, the factors behind skyrocketing oil prices, what’s being done to bring them back to earth and cost-cutting strategies to emply in the meantime.

The Cost of Your Car - Fact for Thought

According to the Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, car ownership costs are the second largest household expense in the U.S. In fact, the average household spends more on their cars than they do on food and health care combined for their entire family.

* Housing - 32.9%
* Transportation - 19.1%
* Food - 13.1%
* Insurance/Pensions - 9.9%
* Healthcare - 5.9%