Vehicle Experts Unveil Design for a Better SUV

"Guardian" Is Safe and Fuel Efficient While Maintaining Size and Performance; Groups Challenge Automakers to Save Lives and Gas by Following SUV Blueprint

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16—Citing poor safety and gas mileage records of the average sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Center for Auto Safety today released a blueprint for the first safe and fuel-efficient SUV.  The "Guardian" and "Guardian XSE" use technologies already in some vehicles and have the same size and acceleration as the Ford Explorer, but are both significantly safer and offer better gas mileage.

"SUVs aren't the problem; poor automaker designs and weak government standards are," said David Friedman, director of research for UCS's Clean Vehicles Program and lead engineer on the blueprint. "Consumers have never been given a choice like the Guardian, a powerful SUV that is safer and runs on the same amount of gas as a car. Our blueprint shows the way; now automakers just need to build better SUVs."

The average SUV lacks much of the modern, fuel-efficient technology used in cars, and burns 40 percent more gasoline than the average car. As a result, the average SUV owner pays more than $11,000 for gasoline over the vehicle lifetime—$3,200 more than car owners (based on the conservative price of $1.40 per gallon.) At today's average price of about $1.70 per gallon, SUV owners would pay more than $13,300 over the vehicle lifetime—$3,800 more than car owners.

In addition, the overall fatality rate for SUV drivers was eight percent higher than for the average car driver in 2000, largely because of SUV design, height, and weight distribution. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), SUVs and pickups accounted for more than 60 percent of the increase in highway fatalities last year. A total of 42,815 people lost their lives on the roads in 2002, the highest total since 1990. A recent poll conducted by Belden Russonello & Stewart showed that while a majority of drivers recognizes that SUVs are more dangerous to others on the road, only one in three understands that SUVs are more dangerous for their own occupants than the average car.

"SUVs are five times as likely as passenger cars to be in fatal crashes where a rollover is the first harmful event," said Carl E. Nash, former head of the Accident Investigation Division of NHTSA and a co-designer of the blueprint. "They have weak roofs and provide very poor protection when they roll over. SUVs are more likely to maim or kill their occupants than passenger cars and present a far greater hazard to the rest of us on the road."

If all SUVs had the Guardian technology (sleek and lower unibody design, stronger materials to reduce vehicle weight and prevent "roof crush," better seat belts and tires, and an efficient six-cylinder engine), fatalities would decline by 2,200 each year and gas mileage would rise from 21 mpg to 27.8. These improvements, which would cost less than $750 per SUV, would pay for themselves in reduced gasoline costs in a little more than two years. By adopting the Guardian XSE technologies (an even more efficient engine and six-speed automatic transmission, an idle-off system, window-curtain air bags, electronic stability control, and more high-strength steel and aluminum), automakers could reduce fatalities by 2,900 each year and achieve 36 mpg for less than $3,000.

The technology in the UCS Guardian would save 800,000 barrels of oil per day in 2015—the equivalent of about half the oil we import from Saudi Arabia—if it were applied to the light truck fleet (SUVs, pickups, and minivans) over the next five years, creating an average light truck fuel economy of 27.5 mpg. And just one Guardian would eliminate more than 27 tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions over its life, about the same as leaving a Ford Explorer in your garage for three years.

"Consumers don't know about the safety and fuel economy failings of their SUVs because neither the government nor the automakers provide much useful information about their vehicles' weak roofs, inefficient engines, and stiff frames," said Friedman. "The market can't solve the problem, as the industry argues it should, if consumers don't know they could be getting something better."

A copy of Building a Better SUV: A Blueprint for Saving Lives, Money, and Gasoline can be found on the web at www.SUVSolutions.org . 

Formed in 1969 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Union of Concerned Scientists is a nonprofit partnership of scientists and citizens combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development, and effective citizen advocacy to achieve practical environmental solutions. The Center for Auto Safety was founded in 1970 to improve the safety and reliability of cars and trucks in the United States.

October 5, 2003

By JIM MOTAVALLI

As a California gubernatorial candidate, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been trying to pull his environmental image out of the shadow of the Hummers in his driveway.

He has embraced hydrogen energy for automobiles and said that he would develop public-private partnerships to install hydrogen filling stations every 20 miles on California interstates by 2010, an inducement for automakers to build fuel-cell cars.

And to counter demonstrators who chant "A Hummer Isn't Green" at his campaign stops, he said he would convert one of his own 12 m.p.g. Hummers to run on hydrogen. (His campaign did not respond to a request asking how many he owns, although The San Francisco Chronicle says he has five.)

According to a Reuters report that was widely disseminated, Mr. Schwarzenegger said in Carpinteria on Sept. 21 that he would fit one of his own Hummers with a fuel cell to test the technology. But his advisers say that is not what the candidate said. Rather, they say, he has a much simpler and less expensive goal: to modify the V-8 engine of a Hummer H2 to burn hydrogen gas.

It is not surprising that press accounts got it wrong, because most automotive hydrogen research involves fuel cells. And other remarks by Mr. Schwarzenegger suggest that he may also have been unclear about the distinction. In a Sept. 10 television appearance on "The O'Reilly Factor,'' he said, "I have my Hummer, for instance, right now, trying to see if we can change it, for instance, to try it out and see if it can be done, to have hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen fuel energy."

Tai Robinson, one of several hydrogen experts who are submitting bids to convert the Schwarzenegger Hummer, said that the candidate "didn't know until a few weeks ago that it was possible to burn hydrogen in an internal-combustion car."

Modifying a Hummer to run on hydrogen gas requires some engine work and hydrogen gas tanks. Terry Tamminen, executive director of the Environment Now foundation in Santa Monica, and an adviser to the Schwarzenegger campaign, estimated that such a conversion would cost $20,000 to $35,000 and take 60 days.

Building a road-ready fuel-cell Hummer would cost much more. John DeCicco, a mechanical engineer who is a senior fellow at Environmental Defense, an advocacy group based in New York, said fuel cells were "still hand-built by Ph.D's." He estimated the cost, which would have to include safety and environmental certifications, at $2 million or more.

Among prototype fuel-cell cars, only the Honda FCX has been certified by both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board.

A green Hummer already exists. The Army is testing a hybrid-power Humvee (the military version of the Hummer H1) that was developed in a government-industry partnership.

Some experts question the utility of a hydrogen-burning Hummer. Amory Lovins, chief executive of the Rocky Mountain Institute in Snowmass, Colo., a pioneer in clean-car development, estimates that the vehicle will need storage tanks many times larger than its gasoline tank to have a comparable range.

Simply replacing the gasoline tank with a similar-size hydrogen tank would yield a vehicle that could travel only 40 or 50 miles between fillups, Mr. Lovins said, "because it's such a heavy, high-drag vehicle." Mr. Robinson said his design includes four or five fuel tanks mounted on the roof. Jason Mark, director of the Clean Vehicles Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said a hydrogen car would produce much lower emissions, but any greenhouse-gas reduction would depend on how the hydrogen was produced.

Alan Niedzwiecki, chief executive of Quantum Technologies in Irvine, Calif., insisted that Mr. Schwarzenegger's plan could work. Mr. Niedzwiecki, whose company is one of the bidders, concedes that the size of the tanks is a factor, but he said a 200-mile range could be achieved using "some tricks of the trade."
http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~1673679,00.html

Oakland Tribune

By Sean Holstege

STAFF WRITER

Contact Sean Holstege at sholstege@angnewspapers.com .

Friday, October 03, 2003 - Drivers of hybrid cars will not only save money on gas, but they also may save time in commute traffic if Davis administration officials get their way.

Thursday, Gov. Gray Davis asked Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta for permission to let solo drivers of hybrid cars use California's1,100 miles of carpool lanes. Before that happens, the idea must also be approved by lawmakers in Sacramento and Washington.

Then, cars that meet state emission standards and get better than 45 miles per gallon could enter carpool lanes, or high occupancy vehicle lanes, during rush hour. State officials said they were optimistic they would get the requisite blessings and that motorists could enjoy the benefit by 2005. The Bay Area has 275 miles of carpool lanes -- mostly in the South Bay.

The proposal was part of a three-pronged announcement to boost Davis' environmental record and designed to show he still holds the reins of state government.

Davis also announced he plans to sign a bill by Assemblyman Joe Nation, D-San Rafael, that would help consumers buy fuel-efficient tires, and a separate bill by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, which would replace 73,000 state vehicles with cleaner-burning alternatives.

State Treasurer Phil Angelides, Caltrans Director Jeff Morales and state Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Winston Hickox were joined by environmentalists who all hailed each initiative in the triad as one that leads the nation.

Arizona and Virginia have also sought federal approval to allow gas/electric hybrids -- such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic and Honda Insight -- into carpool lanes. No state yet has put the plan into effect.

Morales said California's move would improve the efficiency of the carpool network by getting more cars to use the exclusive lanes and would also reduce smog. It comes as Caltrans plans to add 300 miles of carpool lanes over the next five years and double the network over the next 20 years.

The proposal also comes amid projections that the20,000 private hybrid cars on California roads will grow to 100,000 to 300,000 by the end of the decade, Angelides said.

Nation's bill will in 2008 require that replacement tires be as fuel efficient as the originals and require that in 2006 consumers be provided efficiency ratings of tires. He likened it to the Energy Star program that labels efficient appliances, such as refrigerators, and said well-designed tires could save drivers up to $150 a year in gas.

Natural Resources Defense Council scientist Roland Hwang said the measure would save more gas over the next 50 years than can be recovered from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/970117.asp?0cv=BB10&cp1=1

Green Hummer for Schwarzenegger?

Idea is to convert one of movie star’s vehicles to hydrogen

By Miguel Llanos

MSNBC

CAPTION: Arnold Schwarzenegger signs autographs on the hood of Tai Robinson's hydrogen-powered pickup truck after unveiling his environmental policy in Carpinteria, Calif., on Sept. 21. Robinson could be tapped to convert one of the gubernatorial candidate's Hummers to hydrogen.

ROBINSON IS ONE of four bidders for the conversion, which Schwarzenegger touted when he unveiled his environmental platform last month.

After noting he convinced General Motors to produce a civilian version of the Hummer 11 years ago, Schwarzenegger said he aimed to do the same with vehicles that run on hydrogen, a much cleaner fuel than diesel or gasoline but one that’s still expensive to extract given its chemical characteristics.

“I want to show them my car when it’s done and inspire Detroit and let them know that this is what we can do,” Schwarzenegger said at the event in Carpinteria, Calif.

“By the end of this decade,” he added, “we will have hundreds of thousands of cars driving with hydrogen fuel rather than fossil fuel.”

Robinson, a former U.S. Ski Team racer who has become a hydrogen junkie, was at the event along with his pickup, and is quick to show off where Schwarzenegger signed his name on a wheel panel.

He’s also quick to share his enthusiasm for hydrogen, which can be used directly in internal combustion engines or even more efficiently in fuel cells, which mix hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity.

“Hydrogen is the future, that’s where we have to get to,” he says, and converting vehicles now gets around the barrier of what comes first, the cars or the filling stations for them. “These vehicles will solve the chicken or egg dilemma,” he says.

He’s also determined to get away from using the term “alternative fuels” and instead talks of “American fuels” to emphasize the fact that they are not dependent on foreign sources. “If we call it alternative it’s never going to go mainstream,” he adds.

Schwarzenegger’s campaign likes Robinson’s drive.

“We really admire Tai,” says Terry Tamminen, an unpaid environmental adviser to the Schwarzenegger campaign.

But he notes that others are competing and that Robinson’s low-budget operation has its drawbacks. “He would be the first to tell you that there are limitations to his shop,” Tamminen says.

Tai Robinson stands next to his pickup truck, which he modified to run on hydrogen, natural gas, ethanol or gasoline. Arnold Schwarzenegger liked it so much he autographed the left panel, seen next to Robinson.

DREAM TO REALITY?

Robinson’s journey on the road to hydrogen began four years ago with the birth of his son.

That’s when he decided he needed to make a difference, so he gave up professional skiing and took seriously the hydrogen skills his father had forged in his own career as a mechanic. “When I was 10 months old, my dad was converting a diesel boat engine to run on hydrogen,” he says.

Robinson dove into conversions, spending about $5,000 in parts to prepare his pickup truck for a cross-country trip over the summer along with other environmentally friendly vehicles.

He picked up hydrogen in tanks from welding shops along the way in order to refuel the tanks installed in the bed of his truck. While on the road, he periodically “hyboosted” the truck by running it on gasoline with two percent hydrogen — a trick that took his top speed to 110 mph, he says, and his mileage from 17 miles per gallon to 23.

Robinson says he pays for his passion via his window cleaning business in Snowbird, Utah. “I make my money washing windows and spend it all on hydrogen,” he says.

He also opened a business, Intergalactic Hydrogen, to do conversions and said his next project is converting a diesel Hummer to run on vegetable oil and biodiesel, which is reformulated from animal fat or vegetable oil.

The $8,000 conversion is for a yoga retreat center that aims to be self sufficient. The engine will fire up on biodiesel, which then warms up the thicker vegetable oil so the Hummer can run directly off that.

Robinson has also moved to Southern California to be where the hydrogen action is, and he hopes to eventually do fleet conversions — a niche market that he doesn’t think will attract carmakers, who are developing long-term prototypes like GM’s hydrogen and fuel cell Hy-wire.

“We can make a profit off of doing 20 to 30 vehicles, whereas automakers they need thousands,” he says.

He’s hoping for conversions that cost between $12,000 and $20,000 but is quick to say a Hummer conversion like Schwarzenegger’s requires “serious upgrades” and will cost more than he originally bid on.

Unless equipment makers kick in parts, Robinson says, the price will be closer to $100,000, about what Schwarzenegger paid when he first converted a military Hummer to civilian use.

But he expects a big payoff. “The Hummer gets about 11 mpg and we should be able to get double that,” he says. Moreover, “the emissions will actually be cleaner than the air in downtown Sacramento,” where Schwarzenegger would have his office if elected governor.

SCHWARZENEGGER’S PROMISED PATH

Tamminen says a decision on who’ll get the conversion job is expected by mid-October. The work itself should take one to two months and Tamminen says Schwarzenegger intends to go ahead win or lose California’s Oct. 7 election.

Schwarzenegger’s conversion, he adds, is not a media stunt. “We knew it wasn’t going to get done before the election,” he says.

Tamminen says converting a Hummer to fuel cells and hydrogen was considered but dropped due to the estimated $100,000 cost. The bids for converting the Hummer’s diesel engine to use hydrogen run from $21,000 to $35,000, he adds.

Acknowledging that the final cost could near $100,000, he insists that won’t affect the outcome. “Even a man of Arnold’s resources has an ouch factor,” says Tamminen, “but we’re not going to reach that on this project.”

The conversion is part of a broader “hydrogen highways” program unveiled by Schwarzenegger at the Carpinteria event. It largely mirrors proposals from Energy Independence Now, a group headed by Tamminen.

The cornerstone of that plan is to build hydrogen filling stations every 20 miles along major highways in California.

California has more hydrogen stations than any state, 12 and a new one opening this month at Los Angeles International Airport, but that’s still a pittance and Tamminen is anxious to jump start the industry.

“These vehicles are ready for prime time if we can get the fueling infrastructure in place,” he insists.

REAL GREEN, OR COATING?

As bold as Schwarzenegger’s hydrogen plan is, he has not been embraced by environmentalists.

They cite his SUV image and recent statements, particularly the suggestion that California’s Environmental Protection Agency was one of those “overlapping agencies” that could be eliminated because “we have to strip that down and get rid of some of those agencies.”

“Any college student who cares about the environment could have explained why we need Cal EPA,” responded Rico Mastrodnato, head of the California League of Conservation Voters. “We need Cal EPA to push for stronger protections for California’s air and water and because it is our best defense against the destructive environmental rollbacks of the Bush administration.”

And at his Carpinteria event, Schwarzenegger was interrupted at times by a few protestors, one using a megaphone to shout, “A Hummer isn’t clean and Arnold isn’t green.”

Asked by reporters if his own SUV passion — he owns five Hummers and arrived at the event in a GMC Yukon — didn’t undermine his environmental credentials, Schwarzenegger said he was only now becoming aware of the possibilities of green technologies.

“The things I’ve learned in this last month running for office have been spectacular,” he said.

Robinson, for his part, is determined to stay on the hydrogen highway no matter what. “It’s the right thing to do,” he says. “I have a son and we have to change what we’re doing ... the price of gasoline isn’t enough to truly respect it.”

 fact file 

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Hummer conversion is part of a more ambitious environmental plan. Other goals include:

Hydrogen filling stations every 20 miles on major interstates by 2010.

Solar energy in half of all new houses in California by 2005.

Cut air pollution by 50 percent in California.

Retire those heavily used state vehicles that do the greatest harm to air quality.

Prevent coastal oil drilling.

Reduce energy consumption by 20 percent within two years.

Protect parks and open spaces.
http://www.joinarnold.com/en/agenda/#D1

Arnold Shwarzenegger's Action Plan for California's Environment

Summary:

California's economic future depends significantly on the quality of our environment. We face serious environmental challenges, which have profound impact on public health and the economy. "Jobs vs. the environment" is a false choice. Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that clean air and water result in a more productive workforce, and a healthier economy, which will contribute to a balanced state budget. Moreover, it is children who suffer disproportionate impacts of environmental toxins. Studies show that children who live near freeways, for example, suffer significantly higher asthma rates and learning disabilities. This administration will protect and restore California's air, water and landscapes so that all the people of California can enjoy the natural beauty that is California.

Full Policy: The Schwarzenegger Administration will protect and restore California's air, water, and landscapes with the following initiatives:

1. Cut Air Pollution Statewide by Up to 50% -- and Restore Independence From Foreign Oil.

Breathing clean and healthy air is a right of all Californians, especially our children, whose health suffers disproportionately when our air is polluted. The future health of California's environment and economy depend on our taking action now.

As Governor I will:

Invest in Hydrogen Highways. Several leading auto manufacturers have stated that they can have tens of thousands of competitively priced hydrogen fuel cell cars on the road by the end of this decade if the fueling infrastructure were is available. I will create a public-private partnership to ensure that before 2010, California has a network of stations in place to allow motorists a real choice of cleaner fuels to put in their tank.

These "Hydrogen Highways" will ensure the availability of hydrogen fueling stations every 20 miles on California's major interstate highways. I will challenge businesses to match the government's investment in these new fueling stations.