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Valley Sky-Lines eNewsletter - February 2010
February 2010 - In this Edition
MotorWeek’s John Davis Reflects on the Greening of the Auto Industry
As the host of MotorWeek, television’s longest running automotive series, John Davis has watched and reported on the evolution of the automotive industry for 30 years. Before the rest of the media deemed it a newsworthy topic, Davis was among the first to pay attention to alternative fuel vehicles and the “greening” of the automotive industry. About ten years ago, he was introduced to the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program and believed that their mission coincided with the direction in which he wanted to take MotorWeek. He appreciated Clean Cities’ grassroots efforts to influence change by convincing local businesses and government that using less oil was more than just good for their bottom line. “Instead of one big victory…these folks are out there with a policy to chip away at the monolith,” Davis says of Clean Cities Coordinators. “Every little bit less oil we have to import…is good for the country.”
This relationship with Clean Cities has not only blossomed into a bi-monthly segment, featuring Clean Cities’ success stories, but has influenced MotorWeek in other ways and has come to differentiate them from other automotive publications. “We’ve added more and more consciousness to our efforts and more environmental information to our car tests,” he says. “We’re the first and only ones that use a lot of the expanded government fuel economy information, as far as carbon footprint and how much oil is consumed per year.” Now, more than 15% of the show’s content is dedicated to alternative fuels and the environmental impact of transportation.
With that he still cautions “we are not green car people by basis…we’re car enthusiasts.” Although, he wants to see cars become more energy efficient, they still need to be fun to drive as to not “lose the love affair of driving that is so important to this country.” One car that may have lived up to that challenge is the 3rd generation Toyota Prius, which Davis proclaims as the most important car of 2009. His reason: the Prius proved that hybrid technology was not “fragile.” “We’ve driven on flat lands, on mountainous conditions, high speed, low speeds and it still wows us with fuel economy. It beats everything else out there.” Coming in a close second for the most important car of 2009 is the Ford Fusion Hybrid. His reason: It’s a “real car,” meaning you don’t have to sacrifice size, space and luxury for good fuel economy. As to 2010, Davis has high hopes for the Chevrolet Volt, adding “if it works, it’s going to probably be the most important thing that has happened to the domestic auto industry in the last 25 years.”
While the Obama Administration has all but declared electric as its clear winner and is backing it up with huge investments, Davis is not as convinced. “Clearly, electrification of vehicles is going to happen. I’m not as convinced as some are that it’s going to be pure electric. Don’t misunderstand me. Electric will turn the wheels, but that’s not what will power the car. When I’m saying electrification, I’m saying electric motors will turn the wheels, but they get that juice from somewhere. The juice comes from batteries and those batteries for the most part are going to have some other type of engine on board that acts as a generator.” He believes there is no reason that the “juice” can’t be an alternative fuel such as propane or natural gas.
In fact, Davis is a big proponent of natural gas, saying “if I had to pick a fuel for the future that I think is going to win out, I think it’s natural gas.” With all the new discoveries of domestic natural gas and, as extraction methods become more economically and environmentally sound, we will definitely see its prominence increase. It will increase so much that Davis predicts we’ll see municipal vehicles running almost 100% on natural gas. He agrees that there is a bit of “a chicken and the egg” situation when it comes to OEMs building more natural gas vehicles and getting the public to accept them due to lack of fueling infrastructure. This may be solved as fleets build more and more natural gas fueling stations for their own use and the public may turn to home fueling like Honda promoted with FuelMaker’s Phill (now owned by Fuel System Solutions).
In the meantime, Davis postulates that both 100% electric and 100% natural gas are too extreme, so “some clever combination in the middle” is where the auto industry is heading in order to meet federal fuel economy mandates by 2014.
Even with the auto industry’s still uncertain future, it is an exciting time in the business, especially in the alternative fuel and advanced technology industries. Davis believes the media-buzz they are generating will have staying power as long as we’re worried about our supply of oil and fuel prices. He also thinks that the federal fuel economy mandates will also keep alternative fuels and advanced technologies front and center. “I see 2010, barring something I’m not aware of, as…the first year that we’re really going to get serious about meeting the new mandates,” says Davis. “Up to now it’s been promises and talk. I think in 2010 we’ll see less talk and more action.”
Davis summarizes his look toward the future by saying, “I’m very much an optimist, I really am. It s a great country and I think technology is going to once again save us from ourselves.”
The Plight of Fleet Managers
Davis has a special respect for fleet managers, saying “I learned more of this business from talking to fleets administrators than anyone else I’ve talked to.” He recognizes the tough position fleet managers are in. “For the most part they serve two masters. They serve their corporate masters up top, who are on them to spend as little money as possible, and they serve their clients, the people who actually use the vehicles, who may want luxury, comfort, or big roomy trunks – things that often fly in the face of saving fuel.”
One major concern about alternative fuel and advance technology vehicles that he often hears is the worries regarding maintenance. “They’re very afraid of anything that’s complicated. If they trade the car every 10, 15 or 20 thousand miles, that’s fine. But I’m finding more and more of these fleets are running their cars 40, 50, 60 thousand miles in order to save money. And by that time, you’re starting to pay maintenance. If it’s one engine you have to take care of its fine. But if it’s a hybrid, you have two powertrains to worry about. So they are very gun shy about complexity.” He says, to gain greater acceptance of these vehicles among fleets, manufacturers have to prove their reliability and back them up with a warranty and the support fleet managers need.
Making the business case to those “corporate masters” may be easier now than ever. Bargains abound, as OEMs struggle to rebound from the near collapse of the Big Three and the US recession. Calling this a “buyers’ market,” Davis thinks that “the smart companies will start telling their fleet buyers to go snap up all the bargains they can.” And these bargains may not come from the “traditional sources” like the Big Three. He foresees new players entering or making a stronger presence in the fleet business such as Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Kia. He says that they can no longer ignore the fleet market as retail sales wane.
Auto Safety House (ASH) has been providing fleet solutions to municipalities, public utilities, private contractors, school districts and others since the early 1900s. Any company with a fleet of vehicles will find the products and services offered by ASH useful in maintaining the safety and performance of their fleet. With four locations throughout Arizona and Nevada, ASH can provide their services over a large geographic area. The range of services and products offered include:
- Mechanical service and repair of work vehicle and bus chassis
- Full service collision repair
- DOT inspections
- Truck equipment retrofitting
- Chassis and body replacement parts
- New and used bus sales
- Safety and cargo control products
- Trailer service/retrofit/repair/parts
- Accessories for all types of construction and maintenance-related working environments
ASH is very pleased to be an active member of the Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition. We are very active in identifying and providing green fleet solutions to the many fleet customers that have been incorporating sustainability solutions for their fleets. Over the last several years, ASH has been assembling a full line of green solutions that reduce fuel consumption through, among other things, the use of tire pressure monitoring systems, alternative fuel retrofits, hybrid retrofits and vehicles. ASH also provides emissions reduction devices that improve air quality, reduce power needs and extend oil and battery life far beyond previous industry standards. ASH stays focused, at the same time, on improving the effectiveness and safety of the fleets we support.
ASH participates in many industry and trade associations, is active on many association boards and has received numerous awards in recognition of contributions and support provided. ASH is a proud member of the Pima Association of Governments Clean Cities, Valley of the Sun Clean Cities Coalition, West Coast Collaborative and SmartWay. ASH also helped establish the Arizona for Green School Buses Coalition that successfully assisted a group of 10 school districts to submit a grant proposal for DERA funds.
For additional information on how ASH’s fleet solutions that can improve the efficiency and safety of your fleet contact: Rudy Garcia, V.P. Sales & Marketing by phone 800-352-5255 x 1332 or by email rgarcia@autosafetyhouse.com.
Introducing Xtreme Green ProductsHow We Started
Almost three years ago, Las Vegas businessman, Neil Roth, joined forces with automotive industry executive, Sanford Leavitt, to launch Xtreme Green Products (XGP), a company dedicated to developing 100% electric vehicles.Who We Are
Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, our small manufacturing plant has created nine new “green” jobs in six months. Our 100% electric vehicles include motorcycles, motor scooters and police mobility vehicles. Our newest options will be available in the second quarter of 2010 and include the 100% electric ATV and the 100% electric UTV (last set of photos below.) XGP is definitely poised for significant rapid growth. What distinguishes our products are our proprietary energy management system and electric propulsion system. In late 2009, we won an American Lung Association Clean Air Merit Award.
We invite you to take the opportunity to ride the XRider and PMV at the upcoming Annual Clean Cities Meeting on March 4, 2010!
Key Product
The X Rider is the ultimate electric, two-passenger, Green Urban Commuter. This powerful, yet efficient, electric vehicle can travel up to 65 miles per hour with a range up to 100 miles per charge dependent on speed. With an operational cost as low as $0.003 per mile (equivalent to 525 mpg at a gasoline price of $2.69/gallon) and zero emissions, the X Rider is the perfect eco-friendly alternative to traditional fuel-powered transportation.It received the first Certificate of Conformity from the EPA for an on-highway electric motorcycle. The Police Motorcycle combines all the attributes of the X Rider with a complete police light and siren package, as well as rear storage boxes.
Sentinel – Police Mobility Vehicle
The Xtreme Green Sentinel is an electric police mobility vehicle (PMV) designed to replace the bicycle and foot patrol with a reliable, state-of-the-art and efficient urban neighborhood and downtown patrol.
The three-wheel design and the size of the vehicle (approximately 58” long and 32” wide) will allow officers to patrol on sidewalks safely, as well as go through open doorways and climb 4-6” curbs when in pursuit or rushing to a crime scene. In addition to its multi-terrain design, the Sentinel is also designed with sufficient storage units to allow an officer to carry the emergency supplies that are hard to carry on a bicycle or on foot. The electric propulsion system and energy management will allow an officer to patrol as much as 80 miles per charge. With the internal charging system, the Sentinel can be recharged with any 110-volt outlet.
A cost of about one cent per mile makes the Sentinel a cost-effective and reliable alternative to traditional, fuel-powered, law enforcement vehicles.
LVRCCC Annual Meeting
The Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, March 4, 2010. This meeting will be held at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.The Annual Meeting will begin with a hosted lunch, which will be followed by the election of Board members.The meeting will conclude with a presentation about the 2009 accomplishments and 2010 goals of the LVRCCC.
Invitations to this event were emailed to current LVRCCC members in early February. If you did not receive an invitation, but are interested in attending, please visit the LVRCCC website and register to become a member of the Coalition by completing and submitting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Once an MOU has been received and processed, an invitation to the event will be emailed. http://www.lasvegascleancities.org/membership.html
This is a very important meeting in the vitality of the Coalition, so please plan to attend. An RSVP is required to attend the event as seating is limited.
Board of Directors Meeting
LVRCCC Stakeholders and Board of Directors Lunch and Annual Meeting
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Work Truck Show 2010
St. Louis, MO
March 9-12, 2010
www.ntea.com
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2010 NAFA Institute & Expo
Detroit, MI
April 24-27, 2010
www.nafaiande.org
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Alternative Fuels & Vehicles Conference 2010
Las Vegas, NV
May 9-12, 2010
www.afv2010.com------------------------------------
More Calendar Listings...
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