All About Alternate Fuel Vehicles (AFV)

Tokyo / Associated Press /May 22, 2007
Source: WoodTV
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6549456&nav=0Rce

Toyota is introducing cars that run on ethanol and gasoline in Brazil, a major Japanese business newspaper reported Tuesday, at a time when such flexible-fuel vehicles are growing in popularity there.  According to The Nikkei, Toyota was set to unveil Corolla subcompacts that run on ethanol, gasoline or a mixture of the two fuels, and plans to switch models the Japanese automakers produces in Brazil to flex-fuel cars. (more…)

By Carlos Caminada and Katia Cortes, May 31, 2007
Source: Bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aMTdPkuJo7a4&refer=latin_america

May 31 (Bloomberg) — Sugarcane output in Brazil, the world’s biggest grower, will rise to a record in the current season after farmers increased planting to meet growing demand for ethanol, the Agriculture Ministry said.  Farmers will reap 528 million metric tons of sugarcane in the current harvest, up from 474.8 million tons last year, the ministry said today in its first estimate for this year’s crop. (more…)

John Tramontana, May 29, 2007
Source: Wilx.com
http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/7730812.html

They’re calling it the future of fuel production. E-85, or predominantly ethanol based fuel, output is expected to more than double over the next 10 years. “We’ve got to get off of oil and this is a means of doing that,” said MSU Professor of Chemical Engineering Bruce Dale.

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Lack of stations, demand could stall carmakers’ plans

By Ken Thomas, Associated Press
Source: Ohio.com
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/business/17283625.htm

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is Part 3 of an Associated Press series on ethanol, whose fortunes as a gasoline additive have risen and fallen with the price of oil and are now in the middle of a boom. Biofuel plants are sprouting up across the Midwest and corn farmers are rushing to cash in. But this agriculture gold rush carries many questions, not the least of which centers on demand. The Associated Press examines the promise and pitfalls of ethanol.
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by Kate Merx, Free Press Business Editor, May 30, 2007
source:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070530/BUSINESS01/705300335/1002

Ethanol could become a more practical fuel for Americans who would like to slow the pace of global warming and their dependence on foreign oil, if one Michigan State University professor’s predictions about ethanol production are accurate. Michigan State Univ. professor Bruce Dale says the cost of so-called cellulosic ethanol — a form of ethanol produced from nonfood plant materials — could be cut in half, to about $1.30 per gallon by 2012, and fall below $1 per gallon by 2020. Dale said it costs about $2.20 per gallon to produce gasoline at current oil prices. (more…)

OJ Fagbire, 07 May 2007
Source: H2Daily.com
http://www.h2daily.com/news/

The California Fuel Cell Partnership celebrated 1 million miles of emission free driving. They will celebrate reaching this milestone on Earth Day which is also the eight anniversary of its annual earth day open house.  Many Californians are being moved every day though busses and cars that are powered with clean hydrogen fuel cell technology. Catherine Dunwoody explained that every mile driven brought the state a little bit closer to its goal of widespread commercial applications for the clean new technology, and shows California’s commitment to a cleaner world through sustainable transportation alternatives.
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April 12, 2007
By Bob Priddy, MIssourinet
http://www.missourinet.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=E7F18FB5-FD77-F05E-C5A007B4588A8160

The Missouri Senate has advanced a series of tax credits encouraging Missourians to buy and drive more hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles. Sponsor LuAnn Ridgeway lives in Clay County, home of the Ford Claycomo plant, where a lot of hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles are made.  She says 40 percent of the vehicles coming off the assembly lines there fall into those categories. (more…)

Flex Fuel Vehicles FFV (vehicles using ethanol-gasoline blends)

* While pure ethanol is rarely used for transportation fuel, there are several ethanol-gasoline blends in use today.

* E85 is a blend of 85 percent denatured ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

* E85 cannot be used in a conventional, gasoline-only engine. Vehicles must be specially designed to run on it.

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