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| PZEV Focus To Be Offered In All 50 States | ||
For the 2004 model year, Ford will expand availability of its super-clean Focus PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) to all 50 states. The Focus PZEV, powered by the company’s new Duratec 23E engine, was introduced in the spring of 2003 to help Ford meet California’s Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which also has been adopted by New York, Vermont and Massachusetts. Since the 1960s, California has pursued its own regulatory strategy to reduce air pollution from automobiles and other sources. In 1990, it adopted a rule that required automakers begin selling zero-emissions vehicles in large volumes by 1998. Under the rule, the seven largest auto manufacturers were required to sell zero and near zero emissions vehicles in varying quantities based on a complex formula that took into account market share, when the vehicles were sold, as well as other factors. The origin of PZEVs are rooted in a compromise reached between regulators and automakers recognizing that consumer demand was very low for battery-powered vehicles, which have high costs, limited ranges and need to be plugged-in to recharge. The new rules created PZEVs – a class of vehicles that emit no more pollution than a power plant generates to recharge an electric car’s battery. California now allows automakers who build PZEVs to reduce their obligation to sell battery-powered vehicles. The new rules also recognize the contributions that the burgeoning class of hybrid electric vehicles, like Ford’s Escape Hybrid, will make toward cleaner air. How Clean is a PZEV Focus? Compared to the nation-wide Tier I emissions standard, the SULEV standard requires 97 percent fewer hydrocarbon emissions, 76 percent less carbon monoxide and 97 percent less nitrogen oxide. In practical terms, a SULEV like the Focus PZEV emits only one pound of smog-forming pollution over 15,000 miles of driving. That’s good enough to earn a perfect “10” on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Guide to Green Cars. By comparison, each Focus powered by a 2.0-liter Zetec four-cylinder engine emits up to 10.7 pounds of smog-forming pollution and a vehicle certified to the Tier 1 standard emits about 30.1 pounds over the same distance. Outside of California, the Focus PZEV has slightly higher tailpipe emissions – even though the car’s electronics, powertrain and emissions equipment are identical – because of the unique gasoline formulations used in that state. The warranty also is different. All Ford vehicles sold outside of California and the states that have adopted California emissions rules carry a three-year or 36,000 mile emissions performance limited warranty and an eight-year or 80,000 mile limited warranty on major emissions system components. In addition to the
California and Federal emissions warranties, all Focus models are sold
with a no-charge five-year or 100,000-mile limited powertrain extended
service plan. |
| EPA Confirms Prius Fuel Economy Ratings |
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The EPA has confirmed the previously estimated fuel economy ratings for the all-new, redesigned 2004 Toyota Prius. The mid-size model carries an impressive EPA fuel economy rating of 60 mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway and has a combined rating of 55 mpg. This is the highest fuel economy rating of any mid-size vehicle on the U.S. market. The combined rating of 55 mpg is also higher than any available compact sedan sold in the country. Prius has been certified as a Super Ultra Low
Emission Vehicle (SULEV) and an Advanced Technology Partial Zero
Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) category vehicle in California and those
states adopting California standards.
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| Nissan Plans Hybrid Altima |
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According to the Detroit News, Nissan plans to offer a gasoline-electric hybrid version of the Altima sedan in 2006. Sources did not specify whether it would be introduced in the 2006 model year or calendar year. The upcoming model is expected to get mileage comparable to that of the redesigned Toyota Prius and will be sold in the U.S., the report said. This new model will mark Nissan’s second attempt at producing hybrids for the retail market. Previously, Nissan produced about 100 hybrid versions of its “Tino” model before it was discontinued. |
| Latest Escape Hybrid ‘Unplugged’ Newsletter Now Available |
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The second issue of Ford’s “Unplugged”
newsletter, which features the upcoming Escape Hybrid model, is
now available. With the new model’s introduction set for summer
of 2004, dealerships across the country are gearing up for the vehicle
that they believe will launch hybrid electric technology into the
retail mainstream.
The latest Unplugged newsletter features an article about a dealer test drive that took place in September. Dealers from around the country traversed the test track at the Proving Grounds in Dearborn, MI and learned first-hand that the Escape Hybrid performs, handles and maneuvers like a conventional vehicle. “It was great. The shifting was really smooth, the same as a gas engine,” said O.C. Welch III from O.C. Welch Ford in Beaufort, SC. “You wouldn’t even know the difference. I felt the vehicle was very competitive. People have come into the dealership asking about it. The most surprising thing for me on the test drive was how good the pickup was and the smooth shifting.” The new issue also features an interesting article that explains the differences between a “full” hybrid system and a “mild” hybrid. A helpful “FAQ” section is also featured in the new issue. To read Unplugged, go to http://www.fordvehicles.com/escapehybrid/, scroll down and look for the link in the lower left corner of the main page. |
| Honda Introduces Fuel Cell that Operates Below Freezing Temps | ||
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. recently announced the development of the Honda FC Stack, a compact next-generation fuel cell stack that delivers higher performance with increased range and fuel efficiency, and is designed to operate at temperatures as low as -4°F. Cold weather operation is one of the most significant technical barriers to the mass-market application of fuel cell technology. Honda will soon begin public road evaluation of the vehicle's cold start and driving performance capabilities to advance more widespread use of fuel cell vehicles. Honda began fuel cell technology research in the 1980s. Tests of Honda developed fuel cell stacks were conducted under a range of driving conditions using the 1999 FCX-V2 and the 2001 FCX-V3 prototypes. Developed with a view to volume production and the ultimate need to recycle fuel cell vehicles, this next generation Honda FC Stack significantly reduces the use of special materials and offers excellent driving performance and low temperature starts, Honda said. Key Features of the Honda FC Stack • The number of components is reduced by almost 50 percent through
use of the world's first stamped metal separators and a panel-type structure,
while the output density is almost double that of the Honda FCX V3 stack.
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| Hybrid Owners in California May Get Special Privileges |
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The State of California recently requested authority from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to allow hybrid vehicles to drive in High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV), or carpool, lanes with only a single occupant. Eligible vehicles would include fuel cells and gas/electric hybrids like the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Honda Civic Hybrid. Since July 2000, a small number of California alternative fuel vehicle drivers have gained legal access to the state’s carpool lanes as solo drivers. Privileged vehicles mainly include battery-electric, natural gas and propane powered cars and trucks. California Governor Gray Davis has now put forth the initiative to open the lanes to other advanced technology vehicles. Currently around 5,500 solo motorists driving AFVs get to use carpool lanes in the state. If Davis’s proposal is approved and hybrids are added to the list of eligible vehicles, that number will increase to over 20,000. |
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