EV WORLD UPDATE
http://evworld.com
Week of 25 April 1999
A BIG WEEK FOR EVS
It was a remarkable week for electric vehicles, no doubt keyed to
Earth Day celebrations, but welcomed non-the-less. First off, GM
and Toyota announced a five year co-development pact to push
forward advanced vehicle technology. We even learned that GM's
vice chairman personally drives a Toyota Prius and thinks it's the
"finest hybrid passenger car in the world." Of course it also
happens to be the only hybrid-electric passenger car in the world.
Next came the news that Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Arco, Texaco and
Royal Dutch Shell, along with the state of California have pledged
to deploy a fleet of 50 fuel cell-powered EVs in the state starting
in 2001. The oil companies will work on finding ways to provide
the vehicles with the hydrogen they require.
Finally, Toyota announced it was the first car company to meet its
California ZEV MOA requirements having placed into service over 500
electric vehicles inside the state, primarily in the form of RAV4
EVs.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION
"WEEKLY UPDATE"
April 25, 1999
GM/Toyota to Produce Fuel Cell Cars:
The "Wall Street Journal" (April 19) reports that GM and Toyota
have announced a five-year partnership to develop cars powered by
fuel cells and other non-traditional-fuel technologies. In
addition, today Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and Ballard Power Systems
plan to announce a partnership with Texaco, Atlantic Richfield, and
Shell Oil as well as the state of California to put a demonstration
fleet of fuel-cell powered vehicles on the road next year.
Federal Government Set to Require Cleaners SUVs:
The "New York Times" (April 14) reports that the inter-agency
review of the proposed EPA rules on motor vehicle emissions is near
final. It could result in cuts of up to 93% in allowable air
pollution from large sport utility vehicles starting with the 2009
model year making them as well as pickup trucks meet the same
emissions standards as cars. The rules will likely pit the White
House against Congress although the former would be able to veto
any congressional attempt to revoke the rules. Incidentally, Ford
Motor, which is seeking a greener image, has begun voluntarily
building all of its sport utility vehicles to be as clean as
current cars. Let us know if you would like us to fax you a copy
of the 5-page article.
Consumers Prefer Green Products:
The April issue of "American Demographics" says that while almost
50% of consumers look for environmental labeling on products,
consumers at both end of the environmental spectrum -- the
activists and the unconcerned -- say they are not willing to pay a
premium for greener goods. However, consumers are willing to
change their lifestyles and buying patterns; one in two Americans
switches product brands based on environment-friendliness.
Regarding cars, though, public awareness for alternative fuel cars
remains low with 74% of adults reporting they haven't heard of such
a thing. The article can be viewed at
<http://www.demographics.com/Publications/AD/99_ad/9904_ad/ad990410.htm>.
