Cars On Alcohol, Part 4: Legislation for Methanol Fuel

Digg This Story

As the latter months of 1992 unfolded, alcohol fuel continued its march toward commercialization. Flexible-fuel vehicles were becoming available in rental car fleets. Federal energy legislation was including methanol alcohol fuel as an integral part of the national strategy, with fleets and fuel providers required to use these vehicles as part of their operations. Methanol buses began service in rapid transit fleets in Southern California. Mercedes-Benz fielded a small number of 300E methanol flexible-fuel vehicles in fleet trials and examined whether mass commercialization might be warranted. Things in the alcohol fuel world seemed very promising, indeed, as these reports reprinted from early issues of Green Car Journal clearly show.

FLEXIBLE-FUEL VEHICLES IN RENTAL FLEETS
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 1992 If an alternative fuel rental car pilot program goes over well in Sacramento, Calif., we could be seeing more flexible-fuel rentals in other areas where methanol pumps are available. Rental car giant Avis (Garden City, N.J.) is offering variable fuel Chevrolet Luminas to its customers at their Sacramento location, with an eye toward expanding the program. Avis will collect data concerning customer perception of the flexible-fuel vehicles and their overall performance. “It is inevitable that Avis and other large fleet operators throughout the country must explore alternative fuel or power sources, including electricity, to power our vehicles,” says Robert Salerno, Avis’ senior vice president.

The Sacramento Avis facility has a fleet of 20 Lumina VFVs that can run on either M85 methanol, unleaded gasoline, or any combination of the two fuels in the same fuel tank. Avis will provide a binder with maps showing the locations of each of the four M85 fueling stations that currently exist in the area. While rental customers may fill up with either fuel, Avis is refueling the Lumina VFVs at their Sacramento location with M85 only.

Green Car expects that other rental agencies are likely to offer similar alternative fuel vehicle rentals in at least small numbers in coming years. These will be found at rental facilities located in areas where a refueling infrastructure is available. Another thought: Could ethanol E85 rental cars in Corn Belt states be far behind? With ethanol interests keenly aware of California’s extensive promotion of methanol, it’s possible that the ethanol coalition, an astute rental agency, and the politically correct could make it happen.

FLEETS TO CONVERT TO ALTERNATIVE FUELS
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 1992 Alternative fuel incentives figure prominently in the massive energy policy bill passed by the 102nd Congress just before it adjourned. U.S. House and Senate conferees settled their disputes over ways to promote these fuels by mandating the use of alternatively fueled fleets of vehicles for government at the federal, state, and local level, and for providers of such fuels as well as for industry in general.

The federal fleet program calls for a phased-in purchase requirement of 5,000 vehicles in 1993, increasing to 75% of the federal fleet acquisitions in 1999 and thereafter. The bill would provide for federal agency promotion, education coordination, and reporting programs. Phased-in purchase requirements of 10% of new state government fleet vehicles would begin in 1995, increasing to 75% in 2000 and thereafter. A voluntary conversion program may be substituted at a state’s discretion.

Fleet requirements for vehicles owned by the providers of alternative fuels, such as ethanol or natural gas producers, include a phase-in purchase requirement of 30% in 1996, rising to 90% in 1999 and thereafter. The requirements apply to firms principally engaged in the production, storage, refining, processing, transportation, distribution, importation, or sale of alternative fuels as an end-use product. If the company has multiple affiliates, divisions, or business units, only the ones engaged in the sale of the alternative fuel are covered.

For private and municipal fleets of alternatively fueled vehicles, the compromise would provide for two rulemakings from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. An early rulemaking, in the 1993-96 period, will phase in the purchase goals of 20% in 1999, increasing to 70% in 2006 and thereafter. The Energy secretary also has the discretion to modify the goals, and the program is conditional on the findings that the effort is necessary and practicable; that adequate alternative fuels, infrastructure, and vehicles will be available; and that sufficient voluntary fuel supply arrangements will be in place. The secretary has the discretion to extend deadlines and reduce the percentage requirements of the program for private, municipal, and alternative fuel provider fleets.

There also will be a later rulemaking, coming in the 1998-2000 period, if the early rulemaking did not result in an alternative fuels fleet program. This second rulemaking will phase in purchase goals of 20% in 2002, increasing to 70% in 2005 and thereafter. Secretarial discretion and findings would be similar to those of the earlier rulemaking.

Among the general provisions for all fleet programs were the following items accepted by the conferences: Provisions are limited to light-duty vehicles of less than 8500 lbs., except for the discretion possibly to include urban buses; the Senate credit program applies; both dedicated and dual-fuel vehicles are eligible; exemptions are permitted where vehicles and fuels are not available; enforcement provisions from the House bill apply; and exemptions for financial hardship are applicable to state and local programs.

Alternative fuel provisions apply to federal fleets of 20 or more centrally fueled vehicles in metropolitan areas with populations greater than 250,000. State and municipal governments, fuel providers, and private fleets that fit the above description, and further own 50 or more vehicles used primarily in a metropolitan area, are also included. Fleet vehicles kept at the driver’s homes would be exempt from the alternative fuels fleet purchase provisions in the case of private company cars, but fully covered in the case of fuel-provider cars.

METHANOL BUSES DELIVERED
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 1992 Southern California Rapid Transit District is using 34 methanol-powered buses in its 2300 bus fleet, the vanguard of more than 300 methanol-powered buses ordered from Transportation Mfg. Co. (Roswell, N.M.). Each 45 passenger bus costs $238,000. The district has been conducting a two year test of 30 methanol buses, 10 compressed natural gas buses, and 49 diesel buses equipped with computer-controlled particulate traps.

According to an RTD alternative fuels engineer, the methanol variants won out because they can be refueled in five minutes, half the time required for natural gas-powered buses – an important consideration to transit agencies with tight schedules. The particulate trap-equipped diesel buses fueled up in an even quicker three minutes, but they don’t filter out carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxide emissions and the traps didn’t always work properly. Because of the use of more volatile methanol fuel, the new buses are equipped with onboard Halon fire suppression systems to guard against the potential for engine compartment fires.

METHANOL MERCEDES 300E
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 1992 Six Mercedes-Benz 300E flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) are currently being tested in Southern Calif. Mercedes says production and marketing decisions will be made on the results of this evaluation program. If the answer comes out “yes”, the automaker could produce as many as 9,000 FFVs by 1994.

The 300E FFV can operate on any fuel combination from 100% premium gasoline to M85 (85% methanol and 15% gasoline). Mercedes has installed a larger fuel tank to provide equivalent range when driving on methanol with its lower energy content-per-gallon. This lower energy content also requires higher rate fuel injectors and a higher capacity fuel pump and fuel filter. The fuel tank is made of stainless steel to handle the more corrosive fuel. Other changes include methanol-tolerant hoses, fittings, evaporative system, fuel injector rail, and pressure regulator. Internally, the 3.2 liter 24-valve engine has been modified with a corrosion-resistant crankshaft and connecting rod bearings. A special engine oil formulation is also used to overcome methanol’s poorer lubrication characteristics.

The 300E uses a Siemens AG capacitance type alcohol sensor that detects changes in dielectric constant as the percentage of alcohol in the fuel changes. Information from the sensor is supplied to an electronic control unit that modulates fuel injection rates and ignition timing according to the fuel sensor signal.