Automobile fuel efficiency standards have been strengthened as a result of rising gas costs

The magnitude of the devastation brought about by the enormous tsunami that followed the recent big earthquake off the coast of Miyagi, Japan, has shocked me.

The early morning news on many Colorado television stations on March 12 (Saturday) was dominated by reports of the devastating fires in Kesennuma and the subsequent inundation of the town by the tsunami. Over time, news of damage estimates let us grasp the scope of the calamity.

The disaster at Unit 3 of Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station was depicted in a massive photo that dominated the front page of the Denver Post, a local newspaper in Colorado, on March 13 (Sun).

The Denver chapter of Nikkeijinkai promptly emailed its members with instructions for contacting the Japanese Consulate General in Colorado to verify the well-being of a Japanese friend. increase.

This broad and deadly calamity has highlighted the dangers of nature once again.

Around the United States, summer has finally arrived.

On Sunday, March 13th, the United States transitioned to Daylight Saving Time. At 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 13th, Colorado time will be advanced by one hour. There is now only a 15-hour time difference between Japan and Colorado, down from 16 hours previously. As a result, in Colorado, it is 6:00 p.m. the day before while it is 9:00 a.m. in Japan.

Rising gas costs have prompted stricter limits on vehicle fuel efficiency.

The control of automotive combustion efficiency, so-called fuel consumption law, will be imposed in the United States beginning in 2012. The levels specified in this rule will be tightened gradually between 2012 and 2016 as shown below.

passenger car	light truck	Truck/passenger hybrid vehicle
year 2012	33.3	25.4	29.7
2013	34.2	26.0	30.5
2014	34.9	26.6	31.3
2015	36.2	27.5	32.6
2016	37.8	28.8	34.1

The value is expressed as a ratio, in this case (miles per gallon).

Not only will passenger cars and light trucks be subject to the new legal criteria for fuel efficiency improvements, but so will trucks that tow huge trailers and other vehicles that have not been regulated in the past.

Right now,

Heavy-duty vehicle emissions must be cut by 20% by 2018 at the latest.

Tractor-trailer emmissions decreased by 20%

10% price drop for gas-powered vehicles

Diesel trucks and vans with engines of 5,000 pounds and higher should expect a 15% price cut.

Buses, trash trucks, campers, etc. get a 10% discount.

The rising cost of imported crude oil has kept the retail price of gasoline in the United States at a premium.

The United States, as the largest consumer of energy worldwide, also bears some of the blame for climate change and should take action in response, such as by supporting clean energy laws. From the perspective of mitigation strategies, similar regulatory measures have been applied before, but they appear to have entered a final, or at least very near to final, stage.

Today I'd like to share some recent developments in the news that I've seen in relation to this issue.

In regards to the current status of electric vehicles in the USA

Based on information provided by their respective manufacturers, this article compares the two recently introduced all-electric automobiles on the market: the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt.

Nissan Leaf	Chevrolet Volt
base price	$32,780	$41,000
power source	electricity	electric and auxiliary petrol engine
Driving distance	100 miles (160km) on a single charge. However, it changes depending on the weather and driving conditions.	25-30 miles (40-48km) on electric only, 350 miles (560km) on auxiliary petrol engine.
body length	14'7″ (4.445m)	14'9″ (4.496m)
body width	5'9″ (1.753m)	5'10″ (1.778m)
trunk storage volume	12.2 cubic feet	10.6 cubic feet

Aurora, Colorado, where I currently reside, sent out a public warning to its residents as early as the month of March, reading, "A sign reads, "Before you buy an electric car, make sure your garage is wired for charging."

If you believe it, "When each residence has a charging station for electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt, a simple installation permit and post-installation inspection by a full-time city official is required. These regulations were recently added to the National Electric Code (rules for using electricity established by the country).

A citizen can walk into City Hall's Permit Center, get their permit the same day, and schedule testing for the next day if they so want.

Ford Motor Company, one of Detroit's Big Three automakers, also expects to introduce an electric version of its Focus compact passenger vehicle model by the end of this year, with deliveries beginning in early 2012. It has been reported that BestBuy, the ubiquitous electronics retailer, would work with a third party to provide customers with a charging station for their electric vehicles.

Although consumers are more likely to purchase electric vehicles and there is a lot of interest in the spread of such charging devices, the price of an electric car itself is considerably higher than that of a normal car, and it takes several hours to charge, and a single charge There are challenges that must be overcome before the widespread adoption of electric vehicles can be achieved.

William Ford, chairman of the corporation, recently made these remarks at the Wall Street Journal's "ECOnomics Conference":

To this day, it is unclear which technological approach will prevail. Almost a third of the automobiles on the road before my great-Ford grandfather's Model T were electric, but they became extinct because there was nowhere to charge them. There are obstacles, and the promise of a truly ubiquitous charging infrastructure remains elusive.

The aggressiveness of oil corporations in the fuel market has led to gas stations popping up all over the country's highways. When it comes to long-distance travel, it appears that electricity is the better, more convenient, and less expensive option. Particularly appealing is the possibility of doing so in each individual residence.

Thus, charging times and the ability to accomplish rapid charging provide the greatest obstacle for electric cars. The emphasis is squeezing me.

Interestingly, although filling stations in Japan are known as Gas Stations in the United States, these kind of charging stations for electric cars are known as "desk stations" in Japan. is that going to happen?

Auto dealerships on Aurora City's Havana Street.

Havana Street goes north to south along Aurora's western border with Denver, close to where I reside. To create a huge reservoir at the southern end of this Havana street, a dam was built over Cherry Creek, and the route now makes a sharp right turn before the dam and becomes Hampden Avenue, continuing westward. increase.

There is a straight line from Havana Street in the shot to the Cherry Creek Dam, and the top of the dam is a road with moving vehicles on it. Just behind the dam lies a sizable reservoir that serves as a vital water source for the city of Denver.

In addition, the JF Kennedy Municipal Golf Course, a 34-hole facility with a driving range and miniature golf can be found just around the bend on Cuba Street that leads in that direction.

The golf course and the dam are connected by Highway 225.

Here near the northern end of Havana Street, a large group of vehicle sellers has assembled, and I'll be introducing each of them in turn.

BMW dealership in Germany with the Denver, Colorado, logo

Motorcycles, not German BMWs, are the specialty of this shop. BMW's motorcycle is easily recognisable because to its horizontally opposed engine, and Colorado is one of the top states in the country for motorcycle sales.

Landrover, a well-known brand of British SUV automobiles, and used car lots can be found to the right of this store.

Retailer of Infinity luxury vehicles

Japanese Honda dealership

Sales representatives for the Japanese automakers Acura and Mitsubishi

Automobileatre specialising in Dodges

Ed Bozarth, Colorado's Biggest Automobile Dealer (1)

Several new Chevrolets, a symbol of America, are shown outdoors, among newer models from other automakers and used vehicles from throughout the world.

Ed Bozarth, General Motors Dealer (2)

The right side of the building includes a dealership and service centre for automobiles.

The Japanese branch of Nissan's official distributor

The American flag flying outside the business is the largest one along Havana Street.

The German VolksWargen dealer

Store selling Japanese Subarus and Suzukis, as well as South Korean KIAs and Hyundais

To the right of Shortline stores is a Suzuki dealership, while to the left is a Hyundai shop.

The facility that makes and fixes Subarus is hidden behind the main structure, which serves as a showroom. The two structures on the left house Suzuki and Hyundai showrooms, while farther up Havana Street is where you'll find KIA's second showroom.

Subarus have a long history as all-wheel-drive passenger vehicles in Japan, and their reputation for handling well in the snow and on mountain roads has helped them maintain a strong following in Colorado.

Stevinson Garage is a Japanese Toyota dealership (1)

It is the largest vehicle dealership on this Havana street, both in terms of sales and servicing.

Stevinson Garage is a Toyota dealership in Japan (2)

On the left side, I surveyed the establishment. There's a huge lot out front for new and used cars, and within the dealership itself is a huge showroom full of different models of Toyota cars. And we back it up with a full-scale repair and upkeep facility.

Authorized retailer of Chrysler and Jeep vehicles

Because Colorado has such a vast mountainous territory and so many options for unpaved mountain excursions, Jeeps have long been popular, especially among young people.

Jeep dealership sign on the crossroads of Havana and Alameda avenues, belonging to Chrysler.

Signs pointing to "Colorado Havana Street" may be found at the end of the walkway at the crossing.

Distributor of KIA automobiles in a retail outlet with limited hours

All Shortline clients' cars, including Subarus, Suzukis, Hyundais, and Kias, are serviced in the building's bigger right side, which is primarily a repair and maintenance shop.

Particularly highlighted are electric car motors from a provider with whom the author is familiar.

UQM Technologies, a company that plans to make power motors for electric vehicles, has constructed a factory in Longmont, Colorado, a city approximately 60 miles (100 km) north of Denver that is well-known for its hard disc drive makers. , and it's getting a lot of notice.

UQM, previously Unique Mobility, was a prominent provider of niche market special motors and controls for military vehicles and buses. increase.

Former representative director William Rankin departed in February of this year, and Chrysler's former Chief Operational Officer Eric Rindenour was tapped for the position.

Before, the company's facility, located across from Longmont on the east side of National Highway No. 25, produced around 5,000 motors every year. The current factory, which debuted this year, produces just 1,000 motors per day. Twenty thousand in one batch, and forty thousand spread across two.

In addition, we hope to hire around 76 additional workers at this new plant, though we can't say when that will happen just yet.

The company's consumers will have a stake in the success of the new electric automobiles on the market. Our goal is to create a mass-produced electric motor, much like the one in the Volt, a plug-in hybrid electric car powered by a gasoline engine.

Businesses like UQM in Colorado are gaining traction because of their present and potential contributions to the control of exhaust emissions from electric cars and automobiles in the United States.

A123 Systems, Inc., Manufacturer of the Tesla Electric Vehicle,

Designing and producing state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries

"Johnson Controls"

A manufacturer and distributor of battery-compatible energy management tools

Sensata Technologies, maker of systems that increase the efficiency of fuel combustion; Tenneco Automotive, maker of exhaust control devices

Also, it is becoming increasingly well-known and widely used, notably in the world of stock trading.

Manufacturer of electric aircraft

In response to exhaust pollution and rising fuel prices, the car industry is developing and commercialising electric vehicles, but a startup based out of Centennial Airport, south of Denver, called Bye Energy is working on electric-powered commercial light aircraft. We have a workshop set up at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County, north of Denver, and our first test flight is expected for this spring, so we're ready to go commercial.

An electric motor and battery pack take the place of the traditional gasoline engine and fuel tank, respectively, in this modification of the Cessna 172 Skayhawk, the most common kind of small light aircraft in the United States. The construction of a working prototype has begun.

Bye Energy was established in February 2010; nonetheless, firm president and founder George Bye has been interested in the commercialization of electric aircraft for quite some time. It had been floating about in my imagination for a while, but with the advent of more practical electric cars, I figured it was time to get rolling.

Companies like Jeppesen (a subsidiary of Boeing) and Cessna are promoting the development of electric aircraft, and Bye Energy is one of their partners in this "Green Flight Project."

According to Bye, the industry has been doing research and development on electric automobiles for almost 10 years, and the same can be said of an electric aeroplane. The plane's maiden voyage is a two-hour journey. In particular, the electric aeroplane has the following characteristics.

When it comes to the initial test vehicle, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk,

An electric motor can weigh as little as 50 pounds, while an air-cooled piston engine might weigh hundreds of pounds. A gasoline engine may fit comfortably inside this space.

Exhaust gas pollution and climate change from carbon dioxide emissions are two major environmental problems that our solution addresses perfectly.

The aircraft maintenance expenses for users are reduced and the reliability is increased as compared to gasoline engines.

The test plane automatically switches to charging mode during flight thanks to its cutting-edge rechargeable batteries, solar panels, and miniature propellers located on the front edges of the main wings.

Similar to the Toyota Prius, in which using the brakes causes the motor to transition into a charging mode, this is also the case with the aircraft.

And in particular with regards to aircraft maintenance in 3, once the propeller stops working, the only option is to rely on gliding from that altitude of flight, which leads to crashes, fatalities, and major mishaps. Maintenance on gasoline engines requires a great deal of expertise and time, making it one of the most expensive parts of ownership. If dependability can be improved, however, this burden might be significantly lessened.

Ground tests with batteries, motors, and propellers put outside at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport have been conducted daily, and data collecting is under progress as Bye Energy prepares to execute the first test flight this spring.

So, the company's future condition will be scrutinised closely.

Postscript

As a result of the massive recall of Toyota cars in 2010, hybrid car sales in the United States dropped from 3% of all new passenger car and truck sales in 2009 to 2.5% in 2010. Did.

In addition, Toyota Prius accounted for about half of the hybrid automobiles sold in the United States (274,763). Incredibly, it has been a whole decade since Toyota first introduced the Prius.

Below are the top 10 best-selling hybrids in America in 2010:

The top 10 hybrid car models sold in the United States in 2010 are:

First place	Toyota Prius	140,928 units
2nd place	Honda Insight	20,926 units
3rd place	Ford Fusion	20,816 units
4th	Toyota Lexas RX45h	15,113 units
5th place	Toyota Camry	14,587 units
6th place	Ford Escape	11,182 units
7th place	Toyota Lexas HS250h	10,663 units
8th place	Toyota Highlander	7,456 units
9th place	Honda Civic	7,336 units
10th	Nissan Altima	6,710 units

It is