Awake at the Wheel

ASTM, the global leader in fuel specifications, has approved biodiesel standards for B5 and B20. B5 was approved under the current ULSD diesel fuel specification.The specifications were approved with support from vehicle OEMs and petroleum suppliers.

“It is quite remarkable that the big oil companies and engine makers on the committee have now joined forces with the biodiesel industry to help approve these standards,” said Steve Howell, chairman of the ASTM Biodiesel Task Force. Howell was presented with an award of appreciation from ASTM for his dedication in leading the effort.
More than five years of research and consultation with the ASTM fuel experts went into the new standards. “We addressed the issues and concerns with solid, scientific research,” said Joe Jobe, chief executive officer of the NBB. “Without the tremendous amount of scientific data provided by independent organizations like Southwest Research Institute, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Coordinating Research Council and others, and the cooperation of the petroleum and engine communities, this would not have been possible.”

With the Challenge X Competition, GM posed university students across the US with a challenge: How do you re-engineer a Chevrolet Equinox Crossover SUV to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize pollution? Their answer: direct-injection diesel engine fueled by B20 biodiesel. In fact, all three of the top placing teams in GMs Challenge X Competition employed B20 biodiesel. Read more at the daily green.

The team’s turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine fueled by B20 biodiesel was 38% more fuel-efficient than the original, produced 44% less pollution but managed to improve quarter-mile acceleration by 1.6 seconds.

New York Times outlines pros and cons of new diesels coming to the US market in 2008 - 2010. Article notes new arrivals from VW, Audi, Mercedes, Acura, Nissan, Jeep and others.

A snapshot below. Read more

Pros

• Mileage is 25 percent to 40 percent higher than gasoline.
• Carbon dioxide emissions are lower.
• Highway mileage and performance are better than hybrids’.
• High torque is well suited to large pickups and S.U.V.’s.
• Extended driving range means less frequent fill-ups.
• Engines are robust, often lasting 300,000 miles or more.

Cons

• Engines and emissions systems can be costly.
• Diesel fuel currently costs far more than gasoline.
• Like gasoline, diesel is a petroleum product from foreign suppliers.
• Though outdated, image as a dirty technology lingers.
• Only 42 percent of American filling stations have diesel pumps.
• Some companies’ latest emissions controls require refills of urea.

Propel’s commitment to alternative fuel access and sustainability includes economic sustainability. As a retailer, Propel purchases biodiesel at wholesale prices, and sells to our customers at margins equal to or less than traditional petroleum retailers. As wholesale costs rise for biodiesel, Propel is committed to offering clean fuel access at a reasonable price point. And our fuels and vehicles team is aggressively looking at biodiesel supply options that meet our quality, cost and sustainability parameters.

There is one main factor driving the current pricing increase: the price of vegetable oil. In the past 12 months, March 2007 to March 2008, prices have jumped 90% for soy oil.

For biodiesel producers, between 80% - 90% of the input cost of biodiesel production is vegetable oil, like canola and soy oil. And vegetable oil is currently selling at a price equivalent of between $180-$190 per barrel. This is an increase is due to speculation, not market demand. Global demand for consumable veg oils has risen at a consistent 3% level for over two decades and continues at this level. There has not been a significant demand increase, or supply decrease, that explain the price run up in veg oils. Commodities across the board have risen at the same pace- petroleum, minerals, and all agricultural products. On the upside, current economics benefit USA farm communities.

Propel is dedicated to providing the most sustainable and renewable fuels that meet our cost and quality standards. We are working hard to open markets for new feedstocks and technologies that offer viable alternatives to petroleum. Together with you, we are pioneering new ground, creating economic opportunities, and building a sustainable future for our children. We will keep you informed as biodiesel prices change. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to write us. Thank you for your commitment to clean and renewable biodiesel.

We’d also like to credit Becky Lyle, a WA small farm owner, and NW Biodiesel Network, for the ongoing discussion of feedstock costs. Join the NW Biodiesel Network email list, visit http://www.nwbiodiesel.org/mail_list.htm.

Safeway has boldly chosen to become one of the nation’s first major retailers to convert its fleet to clean burning biodiesel. No doubt the benefits of biodiesel were hard for the Pleasonton, California-based company to ignore.

In addition to improved engine performance, less harmful emissions, and a fuel source that isn’t tied to the volatility of the Middle East, none of the company’s 1,000 fleet vehicles will require any major mechanical conversion as biodiesel performs exceptionally well in any diesel motor.

For more information click here.

Leading a wave of new clean-burning diesels headed to the states are two offerings from BMW that deliver power and performance with the added benefit of a good carbon-conscience. Take a look at this article describing the BMW 335d sedan and X5 3.0sd SUV.

BMW makes no reference regarding the use of biodiesel in these vehicles, but rest assured we’ll pass along any warranty information or blend recommendations put out from Bavaria.

From Green Car Congress

Audi is launching its TDI diesel initiative to the North American market in 2008 by putting its 3.0-liter TDI diesel with ultra-low emission system into production almost in parallel to its launch in Europe. The 3.0 TDI, which is California LEV II, US EPA Tier 2 Bin 5 compliant, will initially be available for the Audi Q7, and later for the new Audi A4.

San Jose Mercury News

Mercedes-Benz started leasing diesel-powered sedans in California Monday, the first new diesel passenger cars available in the state in nearly a decade.

Mercedes “has developed a diesel emission control system that results in a car as clean as comparable gasoline vehicles being sold here,” Tom Cackette, head of the California’s Air Resources Board, said in a statement.

The company said the car gets 20 to 40 percent better fuel efficiency than a comparable car with a gasoline engine and has a 700-mile range. According to the federal government, the ‘08 E320 Bluetec gets 23 mpg in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway. The gasoline-powered E350 gets 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

Volkswagen has said it would put a diesel version of its Jetta compact that meets California emissions regulations on sale in early 2008. Other automakers are expected to start selling diesels here by the end of the decade.

Chrysler is encouraging drivers to run biodiesel in their new vehicles.

“Modern clean diesel offers significant improvements in fuel economy, which also means a reduction in carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions,” said Deborah Morrissett, Vice President – Regulatory Affairs for Chrysler.

“When our diesel products are run on clean, renewable biodiesel, the environmental benefits are even greater – at the same time we are reducing our dependence on petroleum and supporting America’s farm economy.”

 From Deep Green Crystals

Data provided by PSA, the collective Peugeot and Citroën brand, shows that the percentage of the European fleet [18 EU countries including France, Germany and the UK] of new car registrations has risen from 22.3% in 1997 to 50.8% in 2006.

It is the first time that more diesel powered cars were sold than gasoline powered cars.
The country with the highest percentage of diesel cars is France with 71.4% of new cars registered in 2006 diesel totaling 1,427,698 units.

Auto Week:

Diesels are common in domestic brands’ heavy-duty pickups. But fuel economy concerns and competitive pressures are prompting automakers to put them in light-duty trucks as well…

All Detroit 3 automakers offer diesels in their heavy-duty trucks. The engines are popular and profitable.

About 40 percent of the 796,000 Ford F-series trucks sold in the United States last year were diesel-powered. Diesels are optional in Ford’s F-250 and larger trucks….

Sales of GM’s heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra diesels are capped at about 200,000 units annually because of production constraints at the Moraine, Ohio, plant. Dodge sold about 150,000 heavy-duty Ram pickups in 2006 with Cummins-built diesel engines.

A diesel costs a consumer an average of $6,660 more than a comparable gasoline engine. But after 4½ years of ownership, a diesel truck is worth $4,700 more than a gasoline-powered truck, according to a study by the Martec Group, a marketing and consulting firm.

Also after 4½ years, the diesel owner has spent about $4,200 less on fuel than the gasoline engine owner, Martec says. Last week the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel was $2.91, 7 cents less than for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

Diesel truck sales generate at least $1 billion in additional profits to the Detroit 3, Martec says.

With consumer sentiment and political consensus clearly aligning for change, Big Detroit is looking like Big Oil as they push back against innovation and consumer choice in a desperate struggle for a continuation of the status quo. The question must be asked- what status quo? Chrysler has been sold, Ford is near failure, VW is in a leadership position with diesel vehicles, Toyota with Prius and new hybrids… strange bedfellows when CAFE is on the table. Diesels are running the table in EU markets, hybrids and diesels in the emerging markets of India and China, while the largest global vehicle market, the USA, is being relegated to the dark ages.

Green Car Congress reports: Automakers Rally US Citizens to Oppose Higher Fuel Economy Standards

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) has launched a website (www.drivecongress.com) that encourages citizens to compose messages of protest against “unrealistic fuel economy increases” to be hand-delivered to elected officials. AAM represents BMW, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.

The website allows users to insert statements provided by the AAM, such as “I value fuel economy, but I also want many other attributes in my automobile like safety, passenger and cargo room, performance, towing, hauling capacity and more” or “Rather than setting a harmful mandates [sic] like the one being proposed, the government should encourage the use of alternative fuels like ethanol, and provide incentives for consumers, like me, to purchase alternative fuel autos.”

The Detroit News reports that the campaign will also include at least a million dollars of radio ads in ten states that have a high percentage of truck and SUV owners.

The AAM’s efforts are bolstered by parallel campaigns from DaimlerChrysler and General Motors, each of which has brought a dedicated website online to help with the campaign.

According to GM’s website (drivingamericasfuture.com), CAFE standards “deter innovation”; “have no near term effect on oil consumption”; “foster competitive disparities that discriminate against US  automakers”; and are “a 1970’s solution to a 21st Century problem.”

The website cites the steady rise in US oil consumption as an indicator that CAFE standards have failed, but does not calculate the level of consumption that might exist if such standards had not been enacted.

DaimlerChrysler’s password-protected website (www.grabdemocracybythehorns.com) is described as a “grassroots advocacy website, a legislative activation tool that provides employees, retirees, dealers and suppliers with a means to conveniently contact elected officials about the issues that concern you, your family and our company.”

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Categories: Biodiesel · Climate Change · Green Business · Propel Biofuels · Vehicles · blog

Diesel Mini Uproar

May 31, 2007 · 4 Comments

Categories: Biodiesel · Propel Biofuels · Vehicles