EERE: Funds for Biofuels and Advanced Lighting, plus the Latest Electrified Vehicles

A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The EERE Network News is also available on the Web at: www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm January 20, 2010 News and Events DOE to Award Nearly $80 Million for Biofuels Research and Infrastructure DOE to Award $37 Million to 17 Solid-State Lighting Projects GM Builds its First Lithium-Ion Battery Pack for the Chevrolet Volt Honda and Toyota Unveil New Hybrids at the Detroit Auto Show Automotive X Prize to Hold its Competitive Events in Michigan Eleven Governors Commit to a Regional Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Energy Connections Global Temperatures in 2009 Tied with 2006 as Fifth Warmest on Record

News and Events DOE to Award Nearly $80 Million for Biofuels Research and Infrastructure DOE announced on January 13 its investment of nearly $80 million in advanced biofuels research and fueling infrastructure under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The selections include two biofuels consortia that will seek to break down barriers to the commercialization of algae-based and other biofuels that can be transported and sold using the existing fueling infrastructure, including refineries and pipelines. These two consortia will receive up to $78 million from DOE, to be matched by private and non-federal funds of more than $19 million for total project investments of more than $97 million. In addition, $1.6 million in Recovery Act funds will go toward infrastructure projects to expand the availability of ethanol-rich fuel. The infrastructure funds will be matched with $3.9 million in non-federal funds for a total investment of $5.5 million. The two biofuels consortia are the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB) and the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC). The NAABB, a $44 million effort led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, will develop a systems approach for sustainable commercialization of algal biofuel and bioproducts. The NAABB will integrate resources from companies, universities, and national laboratories to overcome the barriers of cost, resource use and efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and commercial viability of algal biofuels. It will develop and demonstrate the science and technology necessary to significantly increase production of algal biomass and lipids, efficiently harvest and extract algae and algal products, and establish methods of producing both fuels and valuable co-products. The NABC, a $33.8 million outreach led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will conduct cutting-edge research to develop biomass-based hydrocarbon fuels, drawing on such techniques as fermentation, catalysis, and such high-temperature processes as pyrolysis (an oxygen-free process that generally produces an oily liquid), hydrothermal liquefaction (adding water to produce an oily liquid), and gasification (adding oxygen or steam to generate a gas called syngas, which can then be converted into liquid fuels). In addition, the new infrastructure projects will allow the installation of new pumps and the retrofitting of existing pumps to dispense E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The funds will also support the addition of "blender pumps" that offer ethanol blends of up to 85% ethanol. The infrastructure projects will be located in nine states: Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. They will add at least 45 E85 dispensers and 16 blender pumps along key driving corridors and areas with higher concentrations of flexible-fuel vehicles. See the DOE press release and the complete awards list and project descriptions (PDF 70 KB). Download Adobe Reader. DOE to Award $37 Million to 17 Solid-State Lighting Projects DOE announced on January 15 its selection of 17 high-efficiency solid-state lighting (SSL) projects to receive more than $37 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The awards will support research, product development, and manufacturing of SSL technologies and will be leveraged with nearly $28.5 million in private industry funds, for a total project value of more than $66 million. Solid-state lighting, which uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) instead of incandescent bulbs, has the potential to be ten times more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent lighting. Today, lighting accounts for approximately 24% of the total electricity generated in the United States, but by 2030, the development and widespread deployment of cost-effective LED and OLED lighting could reduce electricity use for lighting by one-third nationally. The funding includes $4 million for three core technology research projects (one for LEDs and two for OLEDs), $10.3 million for six product development projects (five for LEDs and one for OLEDs), and $23.5 million for eight SSL manufacturing projects (six for LEDs and two for OLEDs). These projects will address the technical challenges that must be overcome before prices fall to a level where SSL will be competitive with existing lighting on a first-cost basis. This is the sixth round of DOE funding for solid-state lighting core technology research and product development. See the DOE press release, DOE's SSL Program Web site, and the complete list of awardees (PDF 16 KB). Download Adobe Reader. GM Builds its First Lithium-Ion Battery Pack for the Chevrolet Volt Operations Manager Marisol McCormick helps deliver the first Chevrolet Volt lithium-ion battery pack off the assembly line at the GM Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant. Credit: Steve Fecht, GM General Motors Corporation (GM) manufactured the first battery pack for its upcoming extended-range electric vehicle, the Chevy Volt, on January 7. The advanced lithium-ion battery pack rolled off the line at GM's Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant just five months after GM invested $43 million in the facility to prepare for the manufacturing of the Volt and other electric vehicles with extended-range capabilities. The Volt is designed to drive up to 40 miles on electricity alone, after which a flex-fuel engine-generator kicks in to extend the total driving range to about 300 miles. GM's initial battery production at Brownstown will be used to validate the plant's equipment and processes, and batteries will be sent to GM's Global Battery Systems lab in Warren, Michigan, for testing. This spring, GM will begin shipping batteries to GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant, the assembly location for the Volt, for use in production validation vehicles. Regular production at Brownstown and Detroit-Hamtramck is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2010. See the GM press release and the Chevy Volt Web site. Ford Motor Company is also investing heavily in electrified vehicles. The company announced on January 11 that it will invest an additional $450 million in Michigan as part of its aggressive electric vehicle plan. Ford intends to build a next-generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid in Michigan beginning in 2012. The new investment is in addition to a previously announced $550 million investment in the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, in part for the production of an all-electric Ford Focus, starting next year. But first, Ford is collaborating with Azure Dynamics Corporation to produce an all-electric Ford Transit Connect van, which will be sold in the United States and Canada this year. Azure will integrate its battery electric drive train in the Transit Connect van for commercial fleet and retail use. The collaboration with Azure Dynamics for the Transit Connect BEV will build on the existing business relationship between Ford and Azure as well as their shared experience with Johnson Controls-Saft, their battery supplier. Looking towards the future, Ford is even working with the University of Detroit Mercy to retrain automotive engineers to develop electric vehicles instead. See the Ford press releases on the new investment, the Transit Connect BEV, and the retraining program. GM and Ford can expect plenty of competition in the electric vehicle arena. In addition to Toyota's plans to offer an electric vehicle for model year 2012 (see the story below), the Norwegian company Think (once part of Ford) is investing $43.5 million in a factory in Indiana that will produce the all-electric Think City, a highway-capable urban vehicle. Think says the plant could begin assembling vehicles early next year. In the truck market, Balqon Corporation introduced a heavy-duty electric truck for short haul applications, the Mule M-150, in late September, while Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp started assembling electric trucks in Kansas City, Missouri, in October. See the Think press release, the Balqon press release and Mule M-150 Web page; and the press release from Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp. Organizations are also preparing for the coming electric vehicles, as the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) released a standard for an electric vehicle charging coupler in mid-January. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Electric Power Research Institute, and DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are also working together to test and deploy solar-assisted electric vehicle charging stations across the state of Tennessee. The prototype charging station will be built in Knoxville this spring, followed by a second prototype in Oak Ridge, with plans to install additional stations in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville over the next few years. See the press releases from SAE and TVA. Honda and Toyota Unveil New Hybrids at the Detroit Auto Show The 2011 Honda CR-Z sport hybrid-electric coupe, showcased at the Detroit Auto Show, is set to go on sale in the United States during late summer. Credit: Honda American Honda Motor Company and Toyota Motor Sales unveiled new dedicated hybrid vehicles on January 11 at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan. The 2011 Honda CR-Z sport hybrid coupe, set to go on sale in the United States in late summer, is powered by a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder i-VTEC engine paired with a 10-kilowatt motor to deliver up to 122 horsepower. The two-seat car introduces a three-mode drive system that allows the driver to select between sport, economy, and normal driving modes. The coupe comes with a six-speed manual transmission, but a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is also available. Honda expects the CVT-equipped CR-Z to achieve 36 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, while the fuel economy of the manual transmission model should drop to 31 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. See the Honda press release and the Honda NAIAS Web site. Toyota unveiled the FT-CH, which is 22 inches shorter than the Prius. While the automaker didn't divulge the new model's fuel economy, it noted that the FT-CH would be lighter and even more fuel efficient than Prius, targeting a lower price point than Prius. It said the addition was part of its strategy to offer a wider variety of conventional hybrid choices. The company said it plans to begin introducing plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles in model year 2012, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in 2015 in global markets. See the Toyota press release. This year's Detroit Auto Show features "Electric Avenue," where more than 20 electric vehicles are on display. Among the green vehicles on display in Detroit, China's BYD Auto exhibited its all-electric five-seat crossover, the e6, which uses the BYD ferrous battery to achieve a 205-mile range. The company expects to begin selling the car in the United States this year. BYD Auto also displayed the newest version of its F3DM plug-in electric sedan, which includes a 1.0-liter gasoline engine as well as a solar panel on its roof. BMW unveiled its Concept ActiveE electric vehicle, based on a 1 Series coupe, which achieves a range of 100 miles using a liquid-cooled, lithium-ion battery pack. General Motors Corporation (GM) revealed its Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept, which pairs a 3.6-liter V-6 direct-injection engine to a plug-in hybrid system to achieve 350 horsepower. Volvo Cars unveiled its next-generation all-electric Volvo C30k, slated for real-world trials in 2011, while Volkswagen took the wraps off its New Compact Coupe hybrid concept, which can achieve an estimated combined fuel economy of 45 mpg. Ford claimed the spotlight, too, when its 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid was named North American Car of the Year. The NAIAS runs through January 24. See the BYD Auto Web sites for the NAIAS, the e6, and the F3DM; the press releases from BMW, GM, Volvo, Volkswagen, and Ford; and the NAIAS Web site. Automotive X Prize to Hold its Competitive Events in Michigan The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize has chosen Michigan to host a multi-stage competition that will determine the winners of its $10 million prize purse for super fuel-efficient vehicles. This a departure from previous plans, which called for a rigorous long-distance stage competition. Instead, the 51 competing cars from 41 teams will start on-track performance events at the Michigan International Speedway, beginning on April 26 and continuing through July. During these closed-door competition stages, the competition organizers will evaluate the efficiency, safety, and performance of each competition vehicle under real-world conditions. The competition will feature a public open house at the Michigan State Capitol on April 29, and the racetrack will be open to the public at some time in July, but not during competitive events. In August, the vehicles will undergo dynamometer testing (similar to vehicle emissions tests) at a laboratory run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with technical support from DOE's Argonne National Laboratory. The on-track performance results and the lab test results will lead up to an award ceremony in Washington, D.C., in September. Specific dates for the final events will be announced later. The goal of the Automotive X Prize is to inspire a new generation of viable, super fuel-efficient vehicles. Prizes totaling $10 million dollars will be awarded to the teams that win the competition to create clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed the energy equivalent of 100 miles per gallon of gasoline. DOE is supporting the competition through a $3.5 million grant for an associated education program and through technical support, which is funded with $5.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Automotive X Prize is administered by the X Prize Foundation, an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. See the Automotive X Prize press release and Web site. Eleven Governors Commit to a Regional Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Governors of 11 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on December 30 that commits their states to developing a regional low-carbon fuel standard, a market-based, fuel-neutral program addressing the carbon content of fuels. If adopted by the states, the standard would apply to the transportation sector, and potentially to fuels used for heating buildings, with the aim of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of liquid fuels. The program could also reduce regional vulnerability to petroleum price volatility, facilitate the long-term transition from petroleum-based fuels, and spur economic growth related to the development of advanced fuels. The MOU establishes a process to develop a regional framework by 2011 and to examine the economic impacts of a low-carbon fuel standard while getting input from business and environmental stakeholders. The 11 signatories include Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. See the press release from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and the MOU (PDF 642 KB). Download Adobe Reader. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) spearheaded the concept of a low-carbon fuel standard, adopting a standard in April 2009 that intends to achieve a 10% reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuelsby 2020. The measure was given final approval on January 12 by the California Office of Administrative Law, causing the regulation to take effect immediately. See CARB's Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Web page and an article on the standard from the EERE Network News.

Energy Connections Global Temperatures in 2009 Tied with 2006 as Fifth Warmest on Record The tally of global land and ocean surface temperatures for 2009 places it in a tie with 2006 as the fifth warmest year on record, according to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ocean surface temperatures were 0.86°F above the 20th century average, which put them in a tie with 2002 and 2004 as the fourth warmest on record. Land surface temperatures averaged 1.39°F above the 20th century average, tying with 2003 as the seventh warmest on record. Combining the two yielded an average global surface temperature that was 1.01°F above the 20th century average. Perhaps more significantly, the decade of 2000 through 2009 was the warmest on record, with an average global surface temperature of 0.96°F above the 20th century average. For comparison, the 1990s was the next warmest decade, at 0.65°F above the 20th century average. See the full details of the 2009 global temperature trends on the NCDC Web site.

This newsletter is funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and is also available on the EERE Web site. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber. This service is provided to you at no charge by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE). Visit the Web site at http://www.eere.energy.gov.

 

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