The California Energy Commission (CEC) has adopted their 2013-14 Investment Plan Update setting funding priorities for the $100 million in annual state funds created by Assembly Bill 118. More funding information will be available in July but in the meantime, check out the project priorities with the top three including biofuels, hydrogen fueling, and medium- and heavy-duty electric truck and hybrid vehicle demo projects.

Tesla and Aerovironment, both past recipients of CEC funding, continue to make news. Electric auto manufacturer Tesla keeps riding the advanced vehicle technology mojo wave and Consumer Reports continues to demonstrate their ardor. They just gave the Tesla Model S Sedan its highest ever score of 99 out of 100. Aerovironment has received an endorsement of a different kind with Ford tapping the charging-system manufacturer as their official vendor for Level 2 home-charging systems.

GE Capital Fleet Services recently queried fleet managers about their top focus for their truck fleets. Understanding the impact of new vehicle technologies and alternative fuels ranked right up there, along with specifying the right truck for the right job. All of the above is on the agenda next week when CALSTART joins forces with Alabama Power Company, Alabama Clean Fuels, SE Clean Cities Coalitions, and the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) as we present the HTUF SE Regional Fleet Workshop in Birmingham, AL  Wednesday, May 22. More than 20 trucks are in the Ride & Drive including vehicles from Altec, Boulder Electric Vehicle, DesignLine, Freightliner, Griffin, Hino, Isuzu, Odyne, Terex, Via Motors, and XL Hybrids. Registration is open through COB this Friday.

For fleets trying to figure out the best way to dip their toe in the alternative fuel/advanced technology pool, incentive programs can be the key to taking the leap. One of the sessions in Birmingham will focus on strategies for rolling out such programs throughout the U.S. Trucking Info shares information on available funding for the successful California Hybrid Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP). Tom Brotherton is CALSTART’s resident expert on that project and will be leading the session in Alabama. Several of the Ride & Drive participants listed above have taken advantage of HVIP and are also knowledgeable about how to make these programs work.

CALSTART teamed with NAFA in presenting a sustainability track at their most recent Institute & Expo (I&E)  in Atlantic City, NJ. They are already hard at work trying to identify the speakers and topics for their I&E 2014, taking place in Minneapolis, April 8-11, 2014. If you have an idea or topic, go here, and fill out their online survey to submit it. But be quick, you have 16 days.

CEC Investment Plan Adopted-$100 Million in State Funds, CEC
http://bit.ly/11THecG

Tesla Sedan Gets Best Consumer Reports Auto Review of All Time, Grist
http://bit.ly/198gCHG

Ford Taps Aerovironment for Home-Charging Systems, Autoblog Green
http://aol.it/16f5FaW

Productivity is Top Focus for U.S. Truck Fleets, Trucking Info
http://bit.ly/13vy49j

HTUF SE Regional Fleet Workshop, CALSTART
http://bit.ly/apjPuI

Millions Available for EVs Through California’s HVIP Program, Trucking Info
http://bit.ly/10SwR6G

NAFA Call for Presentations 2014, NAFA
http://bit.ly/h8e31c

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had a chance to reflect on his eight years in office before a global audience of port officials yesterday, where he pointed to the LA port as being at the forefront of advancing clean energy alternatives and air pollution reduction strategies. In particular he highlighted the clean truck program that reduced emissions from trucks at the port by 98%.

Self-driving entrepreneur Elon Musk (you know-Tesla) likes the word ‘autopilot’ more than ‘self-driving’ but alas, his reference point is driverless technology, not himself. While the manufacturer is in talks with Google about their technology, he suspects they will develop their own autopilot system, underscoring the importance of bringing down the overall vehicle cost so mainstream customers can afford them.

Cost-cutting is the industry mantra when it comes to market acceptance of all advanced technology vehicles, and GM’s CEO and Chairman was in California yesterday addressing that very point. Dan Akerson pointed to the price of the Chevrolet Volt saying he believes they can reduce the cost of the next-generation vehicle by $7-$10k. Cost and performance are on the minds of Toyota officials, too, and Sr. Managing Officer Shigeki Suzuki recently told an audience in Tokyo that plug-in hybrid technology is the best medium-term option to achieve results in those areas. And, just in time, a new Consumer Federation of America analysis shows that consumer acceptance of electric vehicles (EVs) is higher than hybrids when they were first introduced.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) understands as well as any funding entity the importance of market research and toward that end, engineering technology consultancy Ricardo has been awarded $750,000 to perform a comprehensive survey of the commercial plug-in EV market. In California-related natural gas news, the California Air Resources Board is out with a new proposal that would modify the certification process for AFV conversions. Manufacturers that fit certain criteria would enjoy a streamlined application and certification process. The ubiquitous CalNGVC president Tim Carmichael finds much to like in the proposal but also voices some concerns. Check them out and get your comments in by their mid-May deadline.

We’ve got plug-ins, natural gas, hybrids, propane, aerial devices and lifts, idle-reduction and the whole kit and caboodle (reference the original Star Wars Episode) of high-efficient, clean truck fuels and technologies taking center stage on May 22 in Birmingham, AL. Not only is the HTUF 2013 SE Regional Fleet Workshop chock full of great trucks for the Ride & Drive, it also takes place on the grounds of the Barber Motorsports Park Museum. If having an extra $50 in your pocket appeals to you, register by this Friday, May 10 (early fee is $50 for fleets and $175 for everyone else). Check it out here.


LA Is a Leader In greening of Ports, Los Angeles Times
http://lat.ms/18VgtqY

Tesla CEO Talking With Google About ‘Autopilot’ Systems, Bloomberg
http://bloom.bg/12PbZyG

Akerson: GM Looking to Cut Chevy Volt Price By Up To $10k, MLive
http://bit.ly/1320OVV

Japanese OEMs Charge Ahead With New Battery Technology, WarsdAuto
http://bit.ly/140Yhvb

Consumer Federation Says Americans Ready for Stricter Fuel Economy Standards, Autobloggreen
http://aol.it/15zzBOM

Ricardo Receives Funding for PEV Project, PR Newswire
http://prn.to/11jcR4u

CARB Looks to Ease CNG Upfits, Fleets & Fuels
http://bit.ly/18UmV1m

HTUF 2013 Southeast Regional Fleet Workshop, CALSTART
http://bit.ly/apjPuI

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is out with a new analysis showing how easy it would be to keep CO2 emissions from rising between now and 2040. All it would take, they say, is to make a variety of renewable energy tax credits permanent and regularly update fuel efficiency standards at an annual average rate of 1.4%. Outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood points to Obama administration new fuel economy standards as the thing that will become the President’s legacy. LaHood made the comment at a press conference earlier this week announcing Obama’s choice to replace LaHood with Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx.

May Day. May Day. Bad news for electric car maker Coda. The Los Angeles based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today allowing them to exit the automotive sector and focus on energy storage. Just what will it take for electric vehicles (EVs) to succeed is the question that the Christian Science Monitor poses. Among their suggestions is giving buyers bigger tax breaks, funding battery research, infrastructure development and instituting a gas tax.

Building dreams comes naturally to Chinese company BYD whose vision of manufacturing electric buses in the U.S. is coming to fruition. Today the company announced plans to open a manufacturing plant northeast of Los Angeles with initial plans to build 10 electric buses by next year for the city of Long Beach. As buses transition to alternative fuels and technologies, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reports that more than 35% of U.S. public transportation buses are hybrid, or fueling with biodiesel or natural gas. The real trend, though, is that CNG and LNG buses are leading the pack.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is out with funding news, including that Electromotive Designs has received $250k. The company focuses on hybrid-electric engines for buses and trucks using ultracapacitors manufactured by Ioxus. And, thanks to the California Energy Commission (CEC) CALSTART and Odyne Systems will soon begin working on advanced diesel plug-in hybrid electric truck systems.

Odyne, XL Hybrids, Terex, Freightliner, Boulder Electric, Altec, Via Motors, and Griffin, Inc. are among the manufacturers who will have vehicles in a Ride & Drive in Birmingham, AL May 22nd at the High-Efficiency Truck Users Forum Southeast Regional Fleet Workshop. There is no charge to have a vehicle in the Ride & Drive which is presented by CALSTART, Alabama Power, National Association of Fleet Adminstrators (NAFA), and the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition with hefty support from SE region Clean Cities coalitions. For more information on the event that takes place at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, check it out here.

EIA Finds Renewable Energy Policies Won’t Reduce CO2, WonkBlog
http://wapo.st/13JBns5

Fuel Efficiency Standards Part of Obama Legacy, The Hill
http://bit.ly/16eBHTw

Electric Car Maker Coda Files for Bankruptcy, MercuryNews.com
http://bit.ly/102Vihp

Six Ways to Boost EVs, The Christian Science Monitor
http://bit.ly/13MeuUH

China Automaker To Open Electric Bus Plant in CA, ABC News
http://abcn.ws/130hHBa

NG Buses at Forefront of US Public Transit Transition, NGV Global News
http://bit.ly/14LoiTn

Electromotive Receives NYSERDA Funding, Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/103kN33

Work on HD Diesel-Electric Hybrids Begins Soon, NGT News
http://bit.ly/12VPXg9

Birmingham Regional Meeting, CALSTART
http://bit.ly/YerWQK

President Obama has submitted his budget proposal to Congress and proponents of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies should be very pleased. The recommendation is for the Department of Energy (DOE) is for an 8% increase over the 2012 level. And, for advanced vehicle technologies research the proposal calls for $575 million, or an increase of 75%. It also includes $282 million for next-gen biofuels and $2 billion to transition vehicles away from oil.  The National Science Foundation is talking money, too, but in their case they want to give away up to $13 million for sustainable production of electricity and transportation fuels. The categories include biomass, biofuels, and bioenergy, as well as advanced batteries for transportation.

The Hill is alive today with what the National Journal calls a “high-drama clash” over global warming with Gina McCarthy (President Obama’s choice to lead the EPA) on the hot seat. She’ll be answering questions from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which is considering her nomination. Tackling clean air issues has been a specialty of California and Governor Jerry Brown is in China this week with an eye toward partnering to reduce air pollution by forming business deals with the Chinese. Yesterday he secured an accord with Environmental Protection Minister Zhou Shengxian to enhance cooperation on air pollution reductions, the first such accord between the Chinese government and a U.S. state.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says that alternative fuel use jumped by 13% in 2011, including a 35% increase in consumption of electricity in light-duty vehicles. Natural gas was the consumption winner with 246,489 gasoline-equivalent gallons used, or half of all alternative fuels used by vehicles in the U.S. in 2011. The natural gas friendly American Clean Skies Foundation is out with a report that says the transition to natural gas fueled transportation between now and 2025 will have a very small impact on natural gas prices, paving the way for even greater growth over the next decade.

Navigant Research is forecasting, too, and their bet is that by 2020, 200,000 plug-in vehicles will have vehicle-to-building (V2B) technology installed in them. They contend that vehicle and building owners can both win to offset the costs of electric vehicles (EVs). Here! Here! say the manufacturers of six new PHEVs that will debut over the next year. The vehicles to watch for include the BMWi3, Cadillac ELR, Chevrolet Spark EV, Fiat 500e, Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In, and the Smart for Two Electric Drive.

Whether you are interested in natural gas, hybrid, electric, hydraulic hybrids, propane, biodiesel, CALSTART is joining with Alabama Power and Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition to present the first HTUF Regional Fleet event in Birmingham on May 22 at the Barber Motorsports Park. This Ride & Drive product showcase features the latest high-efficient medium- and heavy-duty truck technologies. We’ll also help understand the business case, look at funding, and identify technologies with the best payback. The cost is $50 for fleets. Register today!

President’s FY 2014 Budget Boosts DOE Spending, Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/14Y01se

NSF To Award Up To $13 Million for Electricity and Transportation Fuels, Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/ZanKOQ

A Political Fight over Climate Change is Expected at EPA Nominee Hearing, National Journal
http://bit.ly/14dZ8N3

China Solution May Hold Silver Lining For California, LA Times
http://lat.ms/154BthJ

Alternative Transport Fuel Use Jumps 13%, Environmental Leader
http://bit.ly/10UJwJf

NGVs Won’t Make Prices Skyrocket, American Clean Skies Foundation
http://bit.ly/XFqd92

200,000 V2G Plug-Ins to Be Sold by 2020, Autoblog Green
http://aol.it/10WNHUX

Six New Plug-in Electric Cars Coming in 2014, Green Car Reports
http://bit.ly/Zjefgx
    
HTUF SE Regional Fleet Workshop, CALSTART
http://bit.ly/apjPuI

Automakers gathered in Washington, DC last week to urge the Obama administration to issue low-sulfur gasoline rules, backing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) planned "Tier 3" fuel and vehicle emissions rule. Oil interests are crying foul saying it will cost them too much to comply, while advocates call the rules important to advance public health benefits and are needed to harmonize with California's emissions rules.

The Department of Energy's ARPA-E program has $40 million available for two new programs aimed at new technologies that will wean U.S. cars and trucks away from oil. One focuses on techniques to process and recycle metals, making vehicles lighter. The second is for the conversion of natural gas to liquids for transportation fuels. The California Air Resources Board also recently announced they are putting an additional $6 million in funding into the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, adding to $4.5 million that the California Energy Commission (CEC) put in two weeks ago. The $10.5 million provides tax credits that, according to ARB Chair Mary Nichols, will help "...establish California as the EV capital of the nation."

Fuji Electric Corporation of America is helping to do their part to realize that vision. This week the company has started U.S. production of its 25 kW DC EV quick chargers which are manufactured in Milipitas, California. The Golden state already has an impressive amount of charging infrastructure for their growing number of EVs, including the ubiquitous Chevy Volt. AAA has just bestowed another honor upon General Motors by naming the Volt among the best commuter vehicles in the U.S. The Toyota Prius and Prius V also received honors in that category.  

The California Hybrid, Efficient and Advanced Truck (CalHEAT) Research Center (which is sponsored by the CEC and operated by CALSTART) held its third Forum yesterday in Sacramento where a who's who of industry stakeholders gathered for an update on the pathway for commercialization of advanced, efficient truck technologies. Natural Gas continues to generate a lot of buzz and Volvo Trucks along with Mack Trucks is creating even more this week as they announced collaboration with Shell to further expand liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure to ensure commercialization success.

Gaseous fuels, electric, biofuels and infrastructure of all kinds take center stage in Washington, D.C. the week of April 7 when Clean Cities coalitions and industry stakeholders gather for Energy Independence Summit 2013. CALSTART's Tom Brotherton joins an opening day session to talk about state initiatives and his will include the California Hybrid Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP). Other notable speakers include Sharon Burke, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Defense, and Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

The rapid pace of technology developments require creativity, both for things from the past and those yet to come. For the former, think of pay phones, specifically, the 5,000 dotting the streets of New York City. The New Museum has an exhibit focused on 1993 and some clever person is using the phones to promote the exhibit by allowing people to use the phones, dial 1-855-FOR-1993. Callers will be redirected back in time as they are regaled with tidbits about what life was like in the city twenty years ago.  Now, full speed ahead to the perfect parking garage, an experimental project devised by Audi. Picture this-you pull up to a parking garage, get out of your car, and voila it drives itself into the garage and finds a parking spot. At the end of the day you press a button on a smartphone app and the car obediently returns. While fully autonomous cars aren't here yet, drivers in Ingolstadt, Germany are diving into the future as they test what could become commuter nirvana.

Automakers Parry Oil Industry on EPA Rules, The Hill
http://bit.ly/YGQKh4

ARPA-e Offers $40 Million for Research Projects, DOE
http://1.usa.gov/ZYV9OM

California ARB Adds $6 Million to Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, EV World
http://bit.ly/14vx3jG

Fuji Electric Quick Chargers on US Assembly Line, NGT News
http://bit.ly/XcfJxy

Triple A Chooses Chevy Volt as a Top Commuter Car, PlugIn Cars
http://bit.ly/15U1Oe7

CalHEAT, CALSTART
http://bit.ly/apjPuI

Volvo, Mack Forge LNG Partnership With Shell, Fleet Owner
http://bit.ly/ZYxEpa

Energy Independence Summit 2013, Valpo Life
http://bit.ly/14omUER

California HVIP, CALSTART
http://bit.ly/eJDe7D

Soon You’ll Be Able to Use Pay Phones to Call 1993, Grist
http://bit.ly/ZwJAPa

The Perfect Parking Garage, MIT Technology Review
http://bit.ly/YHsonp

The Mid-America Truck Show (MATS) is taking place this week in Kentucky and so far there is a lot of buzz about fuel economy. Autoblog is touting the Cummins and Peterbilt SuperTruck which is demonstrating a tractor trailer that is achieving a 54% increase in fuel economy. This week Allison Transmission announced results from over 100 major fleets using their TC10 transmission in real world duty cycles over the past two years. Their TC10, on display at the MATS, is showing a 5% fuel economy improvement over manual and automated manual transmissions. Fans of hybrids will want to know about Echo Automotive’s plug-and-play kit that provides a $10,000 retrofit of 2007 to 2013 Ford E-series trucks. The company claims fuel savings of 25-50%, meaning a payback in 3-4 years.

Innovation on the fuel side continues to expand and the latest is an announcement that refiner Tesoro has agreed to buy algae-derived green crude oil from California-based Sapphire Energy, which has an algae farm in Columbus, New Mexico. Sapphire, which has Monsanto and Bill Gates as investors, sees this as validation of the market viability of green crude.  

There’s no slowing down for natural gas, which is in it for the long haul. Quantum Fuel Systems, which makes compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel storage tanks and systems, has seen a meteoric rise in sales from 2011 to 2012. Their ultra-lightweight Q-Lite storage tanks have been very popular with new orders increasing by 231% year-to-year, totaling $19.1 million last year. National Geographic also carefully demonstrates the unstoppable momentum of NG for trucking. Heavy-duty trucks account for more than one-tenth of all U.S. oil consumption and for long-haul trucking, liquefied natural gas is an energy dense dream come true for those wanting cleaner and more affordable fueling solutions. From Boone Pickens and Clean Energy to Cummins Westport, Westport, Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Volvo and Navistar, the story lays out how the stars are aligning for NG trucking.

The National Research Council was tasked three years ago with figuring out if it is possible to cut emissions and fossil fuel use by 80% by 2050. The answer from a panel of experts is no way if it is left up to the market to make it happen. Instead there has to be a suite of policy and technology solutions. California has multiple strategies in place to figure that out, not the least of which is the California High Efficiency and Advanced Truck Research Center (CalHeat). Sponsored by the California Energy Commission (CEC), CALSTART brings industry leaders together next Tuesday in Sacramento to look at the roadmap and development of strategies to expand the market for clean trucks. Registration is still open for the March 26 Forum.

CALSTART is also participating in Energy Independence Summit 2013, taking place April 8-10 in Washington, DC. CALSTART Regional Director Tom Brotherton will participate in a roundtable on innovative state policies including successful models for voucher incentive programs. Earlier today, Sharon Burke, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Defense confirmed her appearance as a keynote speaker. More information is available here.

SuperTruck Semi Achieves 54% Increase in Fuel Economy, Autoblog
http://aol.it/Zxxbdo

Allison Transmission Offers 5% Better Fuel Economy, Automotive World
http://bit.ly/13fhNrv

Echo: A New Option in Hybrid Upfits, Fleets & Fuels
http://bit.ly/Ybidx6

Tesoro to Buy Green Crude Oil, Fuels Fix
http://bit.ly/13eIOLB

Quantum Sees Strong Growth for Q-Lite Fuel Systems, Your Oil and Gas News
http://bit.ly/14ezC9H

Filling Up With NG for the Long Haul, National Geographic
http://bit.ly/ZnT1Qk

Efforts to Cut Emissions and Fossil Fuel Use Require Subsidies, The Daily Climate
http://bit.ly/WBNDL9

CalHeat Forum 2013
http://bit.ly/ybOx5N

Energy Independence Summit 2013, Transportation Energy Partners
http://bit.ly/14Wwmv5

If no one was answering your phone calls last week it could be because a who’s  who of the industry assembled in Indianapolis for the CALSTART and NTEA Green Truck Summit, followed by NTEA’s Work Truck Show. While there, CALSTART VP Bill Van Amburg held a press briefing on a new business guide on the rapidly growing truck and bus market in China. CALSTART’s efforts to assist U.S. companies in launching or expanding efforts in China includes the U.S. China Truck and Bus Forum that will take place later this year.

If being “in the know” is an aspirational goal, there are several upcoming meetings to be aware of. The third annual California Hybrid, Efficient and Advanced Truck (CalHEAT) Forum takes place March 26 in Sacramento. The program, which is sponsored by the California Energy Commission and operated by CALSTART, invites stakeholders to help develop research and market transformation plans. California’s successful Hybrid Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP) is just one of the topics that CALSTART’s Tom Brotherton will address as a speaker on an Innovative State Policies panel at the upcoming Energy Independence Summit in Washington, D.C. April 8-10. This Transportation Energy Partners (TEP) event also features U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Acting Under Secretary David Sandalow and will showcase the successes of Clean Cities Coordinators.

Wait, wait, there’s more. The National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) and CALSTART have teamed up to present a green training track at NAFA’s upcoming annual meeting  in Atlantic City, New Jersey. CALSTART has developed the sessions that include everything from how to plan a fleet sustainability path to myths, facts, and misperceptions. FedEx Express is one company that can demonstrate the results of good planning. The company has announced that their global vehicle fleet has already exceeded their 2020 fuel economy goals. Matching the right vehicle to the right route was a key step in helping them realize a greater than 22% improvement.

The City of Chicago has their sight set on significant cost savings, emissions reductions and fuel economy improvements through the purchase of 20 Heavy-Duty electric-powered trash trucks. Motive Power Systems, the supplier of the electronic controls, estimates a 50% reduction in operating costs for the first of their kind trash trucks in the nation. The affordability of electric vehicles (EV) is the focal point of more than $50 million that the DOE has announced in the form of a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Their target is new research projects that will make plug-in EVs as affordable to own as gasoline powered vehicles. The FOA identifies twelve interest areas.

If fuel cell and hydrogen technologies are more your thing, DOE has also issued a request for information from stakeholders who can provide feedback on technology and validation and deployment for commercialization. There are nine interest areas ranging from refueling protocols to hydrogen storage tank systems.

And finally, for those who just want to delight in innovation, meet Derek Diedricksen who gathered repurposed goods from dumpsters and construction sites to build a tiny house that he calls the “Gypsy Junker.” There’s solar, gardening, music, sleeping and humor, and it is all documented in the “Tiny Yellow House” video. The best part of all may just be the price tag-$1200!


CALSTART Finds Commercial Truck Opportunities in China, Trailer Body Builders
http://bit.ly/10MERMD

US-China Clean Truck and Bus Forum 2013, CALSTART
http://bit.ly/YaEHs7

CalHEAT Third Annual Forum, CALSTART
http://bit.ly/apjPuI

Energy Independence Summit, TEP
http://bit.ly/14Wwmv5

NAFA Next Month in New Jersey, Fleets & Fuels
http://bit.ly/WEHGOp

FedEx Express Fleet Exceeds 2020 Fuel Improvement Goal, Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/13FNrx4

Electrifying the Windy City, Trucking Info
http://bit.ly/YY6sTW

$50 Million for EV Technology, CleanTechnica
ttp://bit.ly/10Fw4bw

DOE Commercialization of Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Tech, Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/15LXfUM

The Best $1200 House Ever, Grist
http://bit.ly/YfoW21

2013 came in with a bang but that hasn’t deterred the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) from making a little noise over hybrid and electric vehicles (EV) meeting minimum sound standards. Their proposal, designed to decrease pedestrian and bike injuries, is to mandate that the vehicles make detectable sounds when going under 18 mph. The notice is headed for the Federal Register and a 60-day public comment period. Balqon Corporation entered the new-year out loud as the recipient of just under one million dollars to develop three on-road electric trucks for use at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The Department of Energy (DOE) funding is expected to demonstrate solid zero emission trucks with short charge times.

There’s a lot of scuttlebutt about who will replace DOE Secretary Steven Chu, but unlike erstwhile EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, he has yet to announce he’s leaving. So, the whisper campaign has begun about who the new EPA Administrator might be and leading the list is former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire. Also in the appointee rumor mill are EPA’s Gina McCarthy and California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols.

So what lies ahead for the year in terms of energy policy out of Washington D.C.? If InsideClimate News is right, maybe not all that much. There could be a comprehensive energy efficiency bill out of the Senate and possibly some tax code tweaks. Of greater interest is a focus that the fossil fuel industry has placed on the 29 states that have long-standing renewable energy standards. One-third of those have introduced legislation to weaken those standards. California will once again be a focal point, too, as states and the feds observe how the new carbon trading and low carbon fuel standard fare as they are implemented. A good year in California could mean other states or the federal government could model their own policies after the Golden state.

R.L. Polk is out with their listing of the cities with the greenest cars. They found that 15 cities (9 of which are in California) account for 30% of all hybrids and 41% of all EVs. Tulsa hit the bottom as the city with the fewest hybrids and electrics. Autoblog Green brings encouraging overall news about alternative fuel/powered vehicle sales saying that December numbers are superb and 2012 vs. 2011 saw a 63% surge in sales. The best part is their chart that lists the Company/Brand showing their sales numbers for both years.

Techno enthusiasts everywhere are twitterpated (word introduced in the movie Bambi) this week by the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place in Las Vegas. Some of the coolest gizmos are from the automotive sector, which, in fact has grown significantly as a presence at CES. From driverless cars to in-vehicle technologies, a record number of OEMs are exhibiting and holding press events with an automotive exhibit footprint of more than 100,000 square feet.

Finally NewsNotes readers, here is a teaser alert that does not involve driverless cars or 100,000 square feet of space. We’re receiving a lot of inquiries about the plans for the High-Efficiency Truck Users Forum (HTUF) 2013, and we have details to deliver. Later this week you’ll receive information about a webinar on January 30, and a meeting in Pasadena on February 20, to gather input on and roll out plans for the HTUF road ahead. Stay tuned!

DOT Wants Electric Cars to Make More Noise, The Hill
http://bit.ly/UwEspL

Balqon to Receive $925k, Green Car Congress
http://bit.ly/XeY2sS

Is Washington Gov Gregoire Front Runner for EPA?, Washington Post
http://wapo.st/V3flyp

The Year Ahead in Clean Energy, InsideClimate News
http://bit.ly/Rx3k3G

Cities with the Greenest Cars, Forbes
http://onforb.es/WE1drT

December Alt Fuels Sales Solid, Autoblog Green
http://aol.it/Vym94z

Automakers Touting More in Vehicle Technologies, Detroit News
http://bit.ly/TIKF4G

It appears that the First Daughters caught the ear of their father where environmentalists couldn’t. President Obama told Time Magazine, as he was interviewed as the recipient of their Person of the Year honor, that climate change is one of his top 3 second term priorities, thanks to Sasha and Malia. The economy and immigration rounded out his top 3 list (this was before last week’s tragic shooting in Connecticut).  Achates Power and AVL Powertrain Engineering are big winners, too, as the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) has awarded them a contract worth $4.9 million to design and construct the Next-Generation combat engine.

Calling fleets that are in the market for well-maintained LNG T800 tractors. Perris, California is the place to be today as LA County Sanitation is selling five Kenworth LNG fueled tractors as they transition into a CNG, short-haul focus using the Cummins ISX12 G engine. The results of today’s auction will show how strong the resale value is for LNG tractors. Journalist Jim Motavalli has been around the automotive block a lot over the last several decades and this time he’s cruising in a Ford F-250 that runs on $2-a gallon, clean-burning propane. There are 350,000 propane vehicles in the U.S., and growing, as Omaha public schools has just placed the largest propane school bus order in history. The Blue Bird Vision is equipped with Roush Clean Tech’s dedicated liquid propane autogas fuel system.

Yesterday, NPR dialed up two of Santa’s colleagues (aka Paul Tronsor with FedEx and Mike Mangot with UPS) to get a sense of the logistics involved in delivering gifts to kiddos around the world. Among the findings, it would require 46 International Distribution Centers; 400,000 workers to load presents; 100 meteorologists on the lookout for disruptive weather events; and 40,000 folks to help him clear customs (getting reindeer through can be tricky, I hear). I’m just hoping while Mr. Claus is in the cloud(s) he’s employing dynamic-routing, real-time work order management, and mobile integration services for his mobile workforce. Providing all of those services for someone on your holiday list is Telogis, which has just released a terrific Santa helper in the form of “Fleet 10.”

What would the last NewsNotes of 2012 be without automotive prognostications? Thanks to Pike Research, some educated guesses have been made about what’s on the 2013 horizon. Making the list, among other things is that North America electric bike sales will jump more than 50%; hydrogen fuel cell vehicle sales will more than double to more than 3400 units; and, leasing will trump selling electric batteries. If any of these things come true, you’ll hear about it here when NewsNotes 2013 returns. Happy Holidays!

 

Climate Change Among Obama’s Top 3 2nd Term Priorities, The Hill
http://bit.ly/R5cHqY

AVL and Achates Win $4.9 Million TARDEC Award, PR Newswire
http://prn.to/R4Z7nq

Five LNG T800’s Up For Bid, Fleets & Fuels
http://bit.ly/Ub6iu2

Cruising In My Propane Truck, Mother Nature Network
http://bit.ly/REvhb6

Largest Propane School Bus Order in History, School Transportation News
http://bit.ly/XOTB6J

Without Magic, Santa Would Need 12 Million Trucks, NPR
http://bit.ly/VbACBk

Telogis Releases Scalable Fleet 10 Software, Fleet Owner
http://bit.ly/12Crg81

10 Predictions for 2013 Alt-Fuel Vehicles, Autoblog Green
http://aol.it/TCasKn