“We are looking forward to having a great conference that really creates some strong business and innovation opportunities for our nation’s future,” said Kris Ellis with EngEx 2010. “The plan is to evolve some big ideas into action from this conference.”
EngEx will be three days of innovation, creativity, business negotiation, planning, contract development and plenty of networking for some of the most talented individuals working on the next stage in the nation’s green movement. The conference will also provide keynote addresses by national green technology leaders, information on grant opportunities and a career and internship fair.

“There will be plenty of decision makers at this conference that will be able to develop and implement that next generation of green engineering businesses,” Ellis said. “Investors will really want to check out this conference to get some great business development collaboration ideas. In fact, more than thirty different disciplines of engineering will be represented at this ground-breaking conference.”

Among the topics planned for the conference are renewable energy; the electric grid; desalination; wastewater treatment; fuel infrastructure; sustainable planning; carbon storage and even carbon reuse technologies.

“EngEx 2010 will be a showcase of the latest research and development of green technologies,” Ellis said. “However it will also be an opportunity for corporations and government agencies to present their technologies, policies and strategies to a large public audience.”

Registration for EngEx 2010 begins on February 8; however advance registration is now available with special exclusive benefits. Among the special perks are a preferred notification the day registration goes on sale; discounted early bird pricing and an extra special hotel accommodation offer. To get on the advance registration list, please visit www.engexpo.com.

More than 250 exhibitors are also expected at the event.  To find out more information on the event, please visit www.engexpo.com.

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Currently, the transportation sector accounts for 28% of total U.S. energy use. As these vehicle technologies are adopted broadly across the country, they could save more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per day, and reduce carbon emissions from on-road vehicles by 20% by 2030.

Vice President Biden said; “By investing Recovery dollars in next generation fuel efficient trucks here at home, we’re not only creating new job opportunities now, but helping lay a new foundation to keep American auto manufacturers competitive in the 21st century global marketplace. Through strategic public-private investments like these, the Recovery Act is helping lay the groundwork for an expansion of our clean energy economy.”

“Improving the efficiency of our vehicles is critical to reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and addressing climate change,” said Secretary Chu. “Today’s awards will help demonstrate the potential benefits for long-haul trucks and passenger vehicles and will play an important role in building a more sustainable transportation system for the country.”

Three projects will focus on cost-effective measures to improve the efficiency of Class 8 long-haul freight trucks by 50%. These projects will receive more than $115 million in funding to develop and demonstrate systems-level fuel efficiency technologies by 2015, including improved aerodynamics, reducing engine idling technologies, waste heat recovery to increase engine efficiency, advanced combustion techniques, and powertrain hybridization.

The remaining six projects totaling more than $71 million will support efforts to increase the fuel economy for passenger vehicle engines and powertrain systems. The goal is to develop engine technologies that will improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles by 25-40% by 2015 using an engine-only approach. The following projects have been selected for awards under two topic areas: Systems Level Technology Development, Integration, and Demonstration for Efficient Class 8 Trucks (SuperTrucks)

•Cummins Inc.- $38,831,115 – Columbus, Indiana: Develop and demonstrate a highly efficient and clean diesel engine, an advanced waste heat recovery system, an aerodynamic Peterbilt tractor and trailer combination, and a fuel cell auxiliary power unit to reduce engine idling.

•Daimler Trucks North America, LLC – $39,559,868 – Portland, Oregon: Develop and demonstrate technologies including engine downsizing, electrification of auxiliary systems such as oil and water pumps, waste heat recovery, improved aerodynamics and hybridization.

•Navistar, Inc. – $37,328,933 – Fort Wayne, Indiana: Develop and demonstrate technologies to improve truck and trailer aerodynamics, combustion efficiency, waste heat recovery, hybridization, idle reduction, and reduced rolling resistance tires. Advanced Technology Powertrains for Light-Duty Vehicles (ATP-LD)

•Chrysler Group LLC – $14,458,572 – Auburn Hills, Michigan: Develop a flexible combustion system for their minivan platform based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases, and flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.

•Cummins Inc. – $15,000,000 – Columbus, Indiana: Develop a fuel-efficient, low emissions diesel engine that achieves a 40% fuel economy improvement over conventional gasoline technology and significantly exceeds 2010 EPA emissions requirements.

•Delphi Automotive Systems LLC- $7,480,572 – Troy, Michigan: Develop a novel low-temperature combustion system, coupled with technologies such as continuously variable valve control and engine downspeeding, to improve fuel economy by at least 25%.

•Ford Motor Company- $15,000,000 – Dearborn, Michigan: Achieve a 25% fuel economy improvement with a gasoline engine in a 2010 mid- to large-size sedan using technologies including engine downsizing, turbo-charging, direct injection, and a novel exhaust aftertreatment system.

•General Motors Co. – $7,705,862 – Pontiac, Michigan: Develop an engine that uses lean combustion and active heat management, as well as a novel emissions control system, to improve the fuel economy of a 2010 Malibu demonstration vehicle by 25%.

•Robert Bosch- $11,953,786 – Farmington Hills, Michigan: Demonstrate a high compression, turbo-charged engine based on homogenous charge compression ignition technology (a combustion technology that allows for lower emissions and higher efficiency) to achieve up to 30% fuel economy improvement in a gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicle.

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 In June, the University of British Columbia published a study on the effect of tax rebates for hybrid vehicles in Canada.  Ambarish Chandra, Sumeet Gulati and Milind Kandlikary set out to analyze what effect, if any, the variety of tax rebates offered by Canadian provinces on the sales of hybrid vehicles in Canada.  The study, re-published under the title “Green Drivers or Free Riders? An Analysis of Tax Rebates for Hybrid Vehicles”, found that hybrid vehicle sales had substantially increased during the timeframe of the tax incentives, “and that Intermediate cars, Intermediate SUVs and some high performance compact cars were crowded out as a result.”

 While these finding may, at first glance, suggest the tax rebates were a stellar success.  However, upon further study, the authors found that “…only 26% off the hybrid vehicles sold during the rebate programs can be attributed to the rebate.  This implies that the rebate programs subsidized some consumers who would have either bought hybrid vehicles or other fuel-efficient vehicles…”  While the authors viewed the tax rebates as having a large impact on hybrid car sales, I would argue that the increase in hybrid sales was really a result of other factors such as a public wary of what most view as inevitably higher gas prices in the near future.

 It was also calculated that the “average cost of reducing carbon emissions from these programs is estimated to be $195 per tonne.”  As a result, trying to put a political spin on the rebate programs by labelling them as contributing significantly to carbon emission reduction does not live up to that goal either.  In fact, it would be as effective, if not more so, to simply offset carbon emissions through the purchase of carbon credits. One may conclude from these findings that the tax rebates currently offered do not achieve any of the stated goals – of being a major impetus for hybrid car sales, “green” job creation, or significantly reducing associated carbon emissions.  The complete study is accessible at http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/download/HybridVehicles_2009.pdf

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 This is not your typical electric bike that simply puts an electric motor onto the traditional two-wheeler design.  This is a pure electric bike (no pedaling), with a range of about 7 miles on a 30-minute charge.  What is revolutionary about this bike is how it easily folds up within minutes and can be placed in an off-the-shoulder carrying bag offering the user a tremendous amount of flexibility, for example, you can ride it to the commuter train, fold it into its case, take the train downtown, ride it to the office then take it inside to your desk!  No large bike to manoeuvre on public transit, nor coming out at the end of the day to the portion of bicycle the thieves didn’t take.  To me, that is the biggest selling features of this machine.

 The negative “Yikes factor” comes from the price tag, running at a relatively rich $4,500 (U.S. Dollars) estimated cost.  It also looks to require a fair adjustment to a cyclist’s usual riding style, as the handle bars wrap around the seat and you end up requiring great balance and upper body strength to keep yourself upright and wobble free.  It appears a little uncomfortable but, like anything, it probably just takes some getting used to. There are also turn-signal indicator lights on the handle bars which the rider can use to help navigate traffic. While the person in the video weaves easily in and out of traffic without a helmet, I would definitely recommend wearing a traditional cycling helmet in traffic (I was once hit in downtown Toronto and have worn one ever since).

So, while there are some definite drawbacks with the Yike Bike, I would definitely love to try one out and see for myself how this electric bike can help revolutionize downtown commuting!  Find out more at http://www.yikebike.com/

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