Cars On Alcohol, Part 5: US DOE Supports FFVs

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With alternative fuel vehicle activities evolving through 1992 and 1993, it was obvious that methanol was one of the favored fuels for commercialization. This was underscored by the Department of Energy, which determined that flexible-fuel vehicle technology was highly-developed and nearly ready for mass-marketing. National Association of Fleet Administrators member companies were reporting favorable experience with FFVs, rating them as satisfying as conventionally-fueled fleet vehicles in use. Cities like Sacramento were pushing methanol hard. There, rental companies Avis, Budget, and Hertz were renting FFVs to customers. Support from Sacramento ? ranging from cash vouchers for FFV purchases and incentives to dealers selling methanol-capable vehicles, to expedited permitting for new methanol fueling stations ? continued to drive interest in these alternative-fuel vehicles. Here, we include reports from Green Car?s archives just as they ran during these early years when alcohol-fueled vehicles were gaining a foothold.

PROGRESS IN AFVs NOTED
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 1992 Researchers have made “significant progress” in meeting the goals of the alternative Motor Fuels Act (P.L. 10-494) enacted in 1988, according to the Final Report from the Interagency Commission on Alternative Motor Fuels of the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE). Performance of alternatively fueled vehicles (AFVs) is gaining but much more work is needed, says the report, which is based on studies by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, EA Eastern Division, and Carlton Enterprises.

With the passage of the National Energy Strategy (NES) bill, the report maintains that sales of AFVs could exceed 1 million by the end of the decade, and 1 million AFVs could be sold to business fleets alone by the year 2010 or sooner. Resulting oil displacement is estimated to be 200,000 bbl. per day by 2010.

The problems of corrosivity on metal and plastic components of conventional vehicles running on methanol and ethanol are solved readily by substituting materials, the report notes. Materials substitution and development of appropriate engine oils have ameliorated the problem of refueling systems. Similarly, the problems of volatility of neat alcohol fuels have been solved by the addition of volatile primer in amounts of about 15%. Gasoline has been added to create the fuels of M85 (85% methanol) and E85 (85% ethanol).

Flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) technology is cited as being highly developed and nearly ready for full-scale marketing. “However, a disadvantage of the FFV concept is that the emissions advantages of methanol and ethanol are seriously compromised by the addition of even 15% gasoline. It’s likely that reformulated gasolines will be able to achieve the same level of emissions performance as M85 or E85.” Moreover, the emissions characteristics of lower alcohol-content mixtures (which are likely to be present occasionally in FFV fuel tanks) could be worse. Because FFV technology allows fuel metering to be precisely controlled for any gasoline-alcohol mixture, engine design is limited to characteristics suitable to gasoline. This can sacrifice some of the advantages of alcohols. “Thus, properties such as higher octane and the lean-burn capability of alcohol fuels cannot be fully exploited at this time.”

The report points to development of lean-exhaust emissions control (lean catalysts) to capitalize on alcohol fuels’ excellent lean-burn properties, thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy, and the development of engine systems optimized for methanol or ethanol. “Dedicated engines optimized for methanol or ethanol are needed to fully take advantage of the low emissions and high fuel economy potential of alcohol fuels.”

METHANOL MEETS WITH FLEETS’ APPROVAL
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MAY 1993 A survey by the National Assoc. of Fleet Managers (NAFA) indicates that most fleet managers in California are as pleased with their methanol-powered flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) as they are with the cars, trucks, and vans that run solely on gasoline. Among fleet managers, 73% say they are “equally satisfied” with the FFVs in their fleet. Individual drivers of these fleet vehicles are pretty much in agreement with a 60% response expressing equal satisfaction. In addition, 7% of the managers and 23% of the drivers say they’re more satisfied with the FFVs than their gasoline-only counterparts.

However, the study does reveal complaints about fuel availability. Eighty-three percent of the managers cite inconvenient fueling facilities as the main drawback to FFV use. More than half say that traveling outside areas where methanol is available is a serious problem, resulting in M85 only being used about two-thirds of the time.

Charles Imbrecht, Chairman of the California Energy Commission (CEC), admits that availability is a major stumbling block, but says the problem is unavoidable while the methanol fuel network is in its infancy. Imbrecht points out that 43 fueling sites are currently available in the state with nine more under construction. CEC has contracts out for another 40 methanol fueling facilities by 1994.

Fleet managers cite both environmental and political reasons for operating FFVs. Seventy-eight percent say they purchased FFVs to help improve air quality. Nearly that many (73%) admit their decision was also influenced by the public relations value of being viewed as a “green” company or agency. The NAFA survey was sent to every California fleet known by CEC to be using methanol FFVs. The 79 respondents control 1,703 of the 2,012 FFVs operating in the state.

SACRAMENTO’S AFV SUCCESSES
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MAY 1993 In Sacramento, Calif., the Cleaner Air Partnership has been fighting local air pollution and has seen significant progress in clearing that city’s air. Result: Sacramento now has more clean-fuel vehicles in use, per capita, than any other community in the U.S.

The coalition, made up of businesses, government agencies, and environmental activist groups, convinced the California state legislature to impose the state’s first “pollution surcharge”, an annual $4 fee levied on all vehicles in Sacramento County. This money is used by the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) to introduce alternative fuels into the county.

About 20% of all the flexible-fuel cars and trucks manufactured worldwide are currently registered in Sacramento. Also, Avis, Budget, and Hertz Rent-A-Car are providing flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) for customer rental, making Sacramento the only city in the world with this service.

Using funds from the state’s petroleum violation account (PVA), fines previously assessed against oil companies, the Sacramento-based California Energy Commission (CEC) has been instrumental in establishing alternative fuels, and in particular flexible-fuel methanol vehicles, in the state. CEC’s negotiations with automakers and oil companies helped bring about the early limited production of flexible fuel vehicles and the growing number of methanol-capable stations to refuel them.

Further developments also are taking place to support the growth of an alternative fuel infrastructure. The county is expediting permit applications for service stations to distribute methanol and natural gas fuels. The Sacramento Metropolitan Utility District is also planning construction of charging stations capable of serving the many electric vehicles expected to be on Sacramento roads by 1998.

Purchase incentives fostered by the program include a $500-per-vehicle methanol voucher and a $1,000 rebate from SMAQMD to companies, organizations or individuals purchasing qualifying vehicles. A $1,250 rebate is also offered by pacific Gas & Electric. Recently, PG&E also offered fleet buyers a special $2,500-per-vehicle cost sharing incentive on a limited number of 1992 Sierra compressed CNG pickups, provided they are principally operated in Sacramento County. CEC has been offering financial incentives to offset the incremental cost differences of alternative fuel vehicle purchases for several years. Support is even coming from private companies in the area. Lyon & Associates Realtors, for example, has offered a $1,500 rebate to their agents and employees who buy AFVs.

Latest innovation: SMAQMD has just approved a program offering cash incentives to licensed dealers and brokers in Sacramento County that sell clean fuel vehicles. These vehicles include the Chevrolet Lumina, C2500 CNG Pickup, and Dodge B350 CNG Van. Dealers must certify that 75% of the miles traveled by these vehicles will be within the Sacramento area. An initial allocation of $50,000 has been made for this dealer program with funds available on a first-come, first-serve basis.