GM Pushing industry to get on the Hydrogen Bandwagon

General Motors Corp.'s leading proponent of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will challenge the energy industry and governments to commit to developing a public hydrogen fueling infrastructure when he addresses the National Hydrogen Association's annual conference in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday.

In his keynote address to the conference aimed at ramping up commercialization of hydrogen, GM Vice President of Research & Development and Strategic Planning Larry Burns is expected to urge cooperation from government and the energy industry and to outline GM's proposed plan for establishing hydrogen fueling stations first in small numbers in and around a few major cities and over time connecting cities to one another along main arteries.

"The automobile industry has reached a critical juncture in our journey to realize the full potential of hydrogen fuel cell-electric vehicles," Burns is expected to say as part of his prepared remarks. "We have now reached a point where the energy industry and governments must pick up their pace so we can continue to advance in a timely manner."

Urban areas that could be first to establish hydrogen fueling infrastructures include Berlin, Shanghai and Los Angeles, Burns says.

But even in California, a state that is pushing automakers to improve fuel economy and lessen vehicle dependence on fossil fuels, GM says government hasn't cleared the way for hydrogen fueling stations.

The Los Angeles area is one of three urban areas where GM has launched a pilot program called Project Driveway to put Chevrolet Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicles into the hands of businesses and average drivers. To support the program, GM is prepared to put in fueling stations that deliver hydrogen in a compact form, called 700-bar, that delivers the desired mileage from a fill-up. But GM was surprised at how difficult it is to get the permits it needs to build adequate fueling stations.

"We are all excited about the project and frustrated by this issue," said Chevrolet spokeswoman Carolyn Normandin.

"What is urgently needed is sufficient investment by energy providers and the cooperation of government."

New E3 Spark plugs - Marketing myth or Gas saver?

Over the years, countless companies have come up with devices claimed to reduce fuel consumption. The claims have ranged from plausible to the ridiculous. For example, wrapping magnets around your fuel line will not double your mileage and the only way you will ever get 200 mpg with a carburetor is to make it so small that air and fuel flow are so restricted that it can't possibly use more fuel than that. Of course your engine would produce so little power in the process as to be useless.

Spark plugs have long been a popular area for "innovation" of this sort. One of the latest comes in the form of the E3 spark plug featuring its DiamondFire electrode. This one falls into the plausible-but-unlikely category. Writer Larry Edsall recently undertook the latest iteration of a 5,000 mile annual road trip and decided to try out the E3 plugs. While E3 claims a 3-5 percent improvement in mileage, Edsall found his dipped from 20.11/19.98 the previous two years to 19.18 with the E3 plugs. He did all the usual maintenance like oil changes and tire pressures before leaving. Of course the vehicle was a year older and more worn which may have contributed to the dip. But even a fully scientific test with two or more vehicles running side by side in the same conditions (aside from the spark plugs) would probably yield a negligible difference at best. The E3 plugs aren't that pricey ($6-7 each) so if you do choose to try them it won't cost a lot. Just don't be too disappointed if you don't see much improvement in mileage.

Indian Study indicates many vehicles are not ready for 10% Ethanol Blend

The mandatory 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol may not happen for the existing 101 million vehicles on the Indian roads without introducing technical changes in them.

The central government plans to make 10 per cent blending compulsory from October from the current 5 per cent.

“We can introduce 10 per cent blending in new vehicles from October, after making the necessary changes in them. However, we are not ready to introduce 10 per cent ethanol blending in the existing 101 million vehicles from October since there is no domestic study on the impact of 10 per cent blending,” said an automobile industry official.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) is conducting a study with the oil marketing companies to study the impact on existing vehicles.

These vehicles are not capable of running on 10 per cent ethanol-blended petrol as ethanol releases more heat and can corrode vehicle engines, experts say.

Automobile industry officials also say that 10 per cent blending will lead to a 3 per cent drop in a vehicle’s mileage since ethanol has a lower calorific value than petrol. “However, being an energy deficient country, this should not deter us from blending,” the official added.

In a move that could have implication for India, Germany, which had plans similar to India’s, has decided to scrap the 10 per cent blending programme “as the cost of damages to existing vehicles” would be very high, news agency Bloomberg reported recently.

Biofuel programmes around the world are at the centre of a food-versus-fuel debate. Ecologists argue that producing ethanol from sugarcane and corn, which is being done in the US, is responsible for rise in food prices as a result of food supply shortage.

According to a recent Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)-European Bank for Reconstruction and Development report, the reliance of the expanding biofuels market on commodities such as sugar, maize, oilseeds and palm oil is a major reason for the global price rise in foodgrain.

Ecologists also argue that while biofuels reduce emissions, production of ethanol is resulting in large-scale deforestation across the world.

Officials in the petroleum ministry contest such criticism by saying that ethanol used for blending with petrol in the country will be indigenously procured.