New York to Convert 600 Hybrids to PHEVs

New York Governor George E. Pataki and Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno today announced a new $10 million State program to convert vehicles in the State fleet to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and plans for the construction of a state-of-the-art alternative fuel research laboratory at the Saratoga Technology + Energy Park (STEP).

The conversion program should be a big boost the PHEV movement, probably the biggest single project that has been started.  The cost of $10 million for 600 vehicles, $16,666, seems way out of whack to me when EDrive plans to do it for $10-12,000, Hymotion conversions will start at $9,500, and CalCars is working with the Electric Auto Association to develop a "Do It Yourself Option" to convert hybrids for under $5000.

The $10 million PHEV program will encourage the development and deployment of these vehicles, which can achieve a fuel economy of up to 100 miles per gallon. The 600 hybrid vehicles in the State fleet will be retrofitted to be PHEVs. Once the State’s hybrid vehicles have been converted to PHEVs, the program will be made available to private vehicle owners through a competitive process.

“This year, New York State has taken significant steps to reduce our dependence on imported energy, and we will continue to promote cutting-edge research and technology that will build a brighter energy future here in the Empire State,” Governor Pataki said. “This new vehicle testing laboratory and our investments in plug-in hybrids are critical to this effort, and will help spur the innovation necessary to transition away from a petroleum-based transportation sector."

Plug-in hybrid vehicles can be plugged into the electric grid – such as a normal 120 volt household outlet - to boost mileage. This will allow the vehicles to operate on emissions-free battery power, reducing the amount of fuel utilized and significantly decreasing the release of harmful pollutants, including greenhouse gases. Since the utility grid has lower demand during overnight hours, the recharging of plug-ins would not add to the peak load.

In addition, the Governor announced that Electrovaya, a Canadian high-tech battery manufacturing firm, plans to expand Canadian operations into 5,000 square feet of manufacturing space at STEP, with additional expansion planned. The company’s lithium-ion batteries can be used in a variety of products and applications.

The New York State Alternative Fuel Vehicle Research Laboratory, the first of its kind in the nation, will develop scientific data to formulate new programs to conserve energy, diversify our energy supplies, decrease our dependence on imported fuels, and protect our environment. The facility will conduct testing for advanced and emerging technologies such as fuel cell propulsion systems, alternative fuels, and greenhouse gas reduction technologies. Special focus will be on test systems to quantify all emissions from diesel buses and trucks, which will help to develop advanced control and retrofit technologies for these vehicles.

This year, Governor Pataki proposed an energy independence plan designed to reduce our State’s dependence on imported energy, promote greater use of clean, renewable fuels, and spur additional research and development into clean and alternative energy sources. Besides the initiatives described above, programs proposed by the Governor and approved by the State Legislature were:

* The elimination of all State taxes on renewable automobile fuels, including ethanol (E85), biodiesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen, and other renewable fuels, providing a savings of approximately 40 cents/gallon for consumers.
* A $10 million competitive grant program, administered by NYSERDA, for private sector gasoline companies to install renewable fuel pumps for E85, biodiesel, CNG, or other renewable fuels. It is estimated that the program will support the installation and operation of between 400 and 600 renewable fuel pumps at private stations across the State. The New York State Thruway Authority is already moving forward with its program to install renewable fuel pumps at all 27 Thruway travel plazas.
* The expansion of the State’s Empire Zones program to provide tax benefits to clean energy companies regardless of where they are located in New York State. These tax incentives will be available to qualifying companies engaged in research, development, or manufacturing of energy-efficient or renewable energy technologies or products.
* A $5 million competitive grant program, administered by NYSERDA, for start-up companies that are developing or deploying the next generation of vehicle batteries, propulsions systems, and lightweight vehicle parts and components.
* The elimination of "exclusivity contracts" between fuel providers and retail service stations, which only allow the service stations to sell specific brands of fuel. In most cases, these brands do not include renewable fuels. Since the “exclusivity” contracts prohibit service stations from obtaining renewable fuels like ethanol (E85) from other sources, these fuels are not available for sale to consumers.
* Tax credits to cover up to 50 percent of the cost of purchasing alternative fuel vehicle refueling equipment that would be used by facilities selling E85, biodiesel, CNG, hydrogen, natural gas, liquefied or petroleum gas.
* A $5 million competitive grant program, administered by NYSERDA, for the development of hydrogen fueling stations across New York and the conversion of existing internal combustion vehicles to be able to operate using hydrogen fuel.

Thanks to Green Car Congress for the tip.

New York Governor And Senate Majority Leader Announce Innovative Energy Programs To Be Located At Saratoga Technology + Energy Park, press release, New York Governor's Office, August 2, 2006

Comments

[petropest]

If they would convert those things to run off of a PV trickle charger and get the price down that would be way kewl.

[amazingdrx]

Do it yourself option 5000 bucks, excellent!!!!!!! Are these guys reading my bloggerel? Hehey.

[hybrid cars]

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[Honda Generators]

Sounds like they may want to re-bid their job. Or just spend the extra 3 million. I guess mayeb it isn't that bad considering they wanted to go with a union job, but it really does show another inefficiency. It George Bush took the bid there would be people all over this one. Anyways, it is a move in the right direction, and if we had all electric cars and Nuclear power we would be way ahead, imagine where this technology could be had we been on it for the last 25 years. Bye bye American car companies, although I bet the new ones will be started in America.

[Derek]

> taxes on renewable automobile fuels, including ethanol (E85), biodiesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG) ...

CNG renewable? Wow, now that's news. Please just call this alternative fuels next time and stop annoying those of us trying to actually save the world.

[John Acheson]

How efficient is your grid?

Most are measured at 50% vs. the gasoline value chain at 80% and diesel at 90%.

A new Prius is 37% times 80% for gasoline gives us almost 4 barrels of oil to the wheel.

I'm hoping that New York isn't simply trading barrels for buckets of coal...

[amazingdrx]

That gasoline in an internal combustion engine in a car is burned at 14% efficiency. From combustion to wheels.

Electricity used to recharge an electric vehicle is used at 80% efficiency to the wheels.

At an average grid efficiency of only 25%, that still beats gasoline. And renewables use no fuel, so converting the grid to solar, wind, and water power raises that plugin car efficiency as it is adopted.

The idea of plugin cars is part of a larger strategy to convert the grid to renewables. Then 100s of millions of fuel cell/plugin cars running on biogas can serve as a huge distributed backup power generating capacity completely replacing conventional power plants eventually.

Converting coal, tar sand, and oil deposits to natural gas underground would provide hundreds of years of fairly clean fossil backup fuel also. The pipeline system already exists to backup all those biogas fuel cell vehicle to grid installations with natural gas if necessary.

[Nucbuddy]

Dr X wrote: That gasoline in an internal combustion engine in a car is burned at 14% efficiency.

Advanced gasoline engines achieve higher efficiency.
fueleconomy.gov/feg/tech_adv.shtml

Why are you comparing expensive alternatives, on the one hand, to old-technology gasoline engines that are purchased on the basis of today's cheap fuel, on the other hand?

[John Acheson]

What does "plug-in" really mean?

Plugging into a coal fired power plant for the masses?

OR, plugging into a solar panel that hasn't been installed yet?

OR, plugging into a fuel cell or wind mill?

Who can really plug a plug-in into a renewable energy source?

We are all at the hands of big energy OR big oil, is there really a choice for most of the people on Earth that have little resources of their own?

[Payday Loan Advocate]

Back in 2006, both Presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, gave their support to the bill that took away a select group’s access to no fax payday loans. The bill, which went into effect in October 2007, capped interest rates that payday loan stores could charge military personnel at 36 percent. This action was based off the increasing number of American soldiers in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, National Guard, and other branches, who had loans taken out under their names without their knowledge, which sometimes led to becoming victims to identity theft. Other times, their spouses take out loans under their names without their consent. Despite the well-beings of the greater number of American citizens who are occasionally in need of financial help, they passed this bill in hopes to prevent further financial mishaps based on this reasoning. Now, Barack Obama has made another declaration to broaden this bill to affect every single one of us. With our financial freedom at stake, think about this before casting your vote.
Post Courtesy of Personal Money Store
Professional Blogging Team
Feed Back: 1-866-641-3406
Home: http://personalmoneystore.com/NoFaxPaydayLoans.html
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[生薬]

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[アバクロ]

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[RMT]

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[Real Estate in Vietnam]

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[アバクロ]

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[レディースブーツ]

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