How Bush destroyed the US car industry after Clinton/Gore saved it with the 80 mpg car
Does anyone remember those heady days in 2000 before the Bush theft of the Presidency when we learned that the $1.5 billion sunk into the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles, the U.S. government-industry collaboration to develop an 80-mpg, six-passenger vehicle by 2004 had worked out well? It had been widely praised by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler officials for its progress thus far in developing the then newly unveiled Ford hybrid that was going to use clean diesel technology or CIDI (compression-ignition direct-injection gas engines) until we developed viable efficient fuel cells. The advanced hybrid design (leapfrogging the then current Prius with a better - perhaps 2005 Prius - design) in combination with a continuously variable transmission would be an easy 50% improvement in fuel economy – and lighter cars from better materials plus regenerative braking would do the rest. Indeed a Ford Built a pre-production model and even gave us a picture of the car(albeit that it was only a 63 mpg success).
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tech/fordp2000.jpg
And then Bush killed the program for his “Freedom Car” research on hydrogen fuel cells. Seems Bush wanted to skip the moving from the year 2000 pre-production to production models in the year 2004. He preferred working on solving hydrogen’s problems – like the fact that when used to transmit renewable electricity, only 51% can reach the end user due to losses in electrolysis, hydrogen compression, and the fuel cell. That Clinton Gore (and Toyota/Honda at that point) conventional electric storage technologies allowed between 75% and 85% of the original electricity to be delivered, creating cars that exceeded fuel cell cars in efficiency, cost and performance. Indeed plug in electric meant that new coming on line carbon-neutral energy could prevent twice the quantity of GHG's by displacing fossil electricity than hydrogen could by powering fuel cell vehicles. The new energy resources should be used to displace high-GHG electric generation, not to manufacture hydrogen.
Hybrids made sense since it takes so little to power a typical passenger car ( less than 20 horsepower to cruise on a level highway). The Clinton Gore project had identified gas saving adjustments in design and developed some but by no means all of the corresponding improvements. It was thought that the current 27.5 mpg could be improved by 25% via improved engine efficiency, several more percent via better transmission and transmission matching to engine and car, another 2% via a 10% lowering of wind drag, and another 1.0 to 1.5% via better lower rolling resistance of tires. Additional MPG savings would come from dropping vehicle weight by 800 lbs by greater use of advanced lightweight, high-strength steels(the steel industry had already demo’d a weight reduction of 100 lbs no reduction in crash worthiness design), aluminum(a 40% weight reduction when aluminum is used instead of steal), and composites, plus use of the 42-volt electrical system, which permits electrification of many accessories that are now mechanically operated, and the integrated starter/alternator (ISA), which allows the engine to be shut down during idling or deceleration and restarted instantly when needed, plus battery storage that allowed regenerative braking to recapture energy normally wasted in braking. And then we throw into the mix European quality clean modern diesels (which comprise 40 percent of the new automobile market in Europe at a cost increase of $1,000 to $2,000 per car for that 50% better gas mileage they give) and we have ourselves a 80 MPG car – in the year 2000.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore launched the PNGV program on September 29, 1993. PNGV’s major goal was to design and build pre-production mid-sized sedan prototype vehicles by 2004 – but we never moved from the 2000 hybrid drive trains, lightweight materials with other fuel efficient technologies “pre-production” proof of concept 80 mpg cars that did not require sacrificing size, safety, and comfort or increasing vehicle emissions to a 2004 mid-sized Sedan prototype – or – any production model announcements to date. Thanks, George. But then it was not all George, since some of those on the left (Commondreams http://www.commondreams.org/views/.htm . and MotherJones http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2000/03/fotc19.html to name two) had demanded an end to the program as a give away to corporations – as corporate welfare put out by those corporate loving Clintons – and our friends on the left got what they wanted with the Bush decision.
http://media.www.studlife.com/media/storage/paper337/news/2002/01/11/News/Bush-Abandoning.HighMileage.Car.Program.For.Hydrogen.FuelCell-.shtml
Bush abandoning high-mileage car program for hydrogen fuel-cell
H. Josef Hebert (AP) Issue date: 1/11/02
WASHINGTON (AP) – After nearly $1.5 billion in subsidies, the Bush administration is ending an eight-year program to help automakers develop high-mileage, family size cars. Instead, it wants to spur the growth of hydrogen fuel cells to power the next generation of motor vehicles.
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, addressing an auto show in Detroit, planned Wednesday to tout hydrogen fuel cell development as part of a broader strategy to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil and help the environment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and other tailpipe pollution.
Department officials said Abraham would be joined by auto executives in unveiling the new program, called "Freedom Car." It is expected to emerge as the Bush administration's response to critics who are calling for a phase-out of gas-guzzling cars and sport utility vehicles.<snip>