(Reuters) – Italy’s Piaggio is preparing to launch a small city three-person, four-wheel car, including a hybrid-powered version, for use in Asian and European cities to overcome traffic congestion, its Chairman Roberto Colaninno said on Tuesday.

Best known for its Vespa scooters, Piaggio plans to launch the low-consumption, low-polluting vehicle on the market in the next three years but has so far made no decisions on where to produce the vehicle, nor where it will start selling, nor the price, Colaninno said at the presentation of prototypes at a motorbike show.

“We have not thought of the Nano for India even less the Smart,” Colaninno said, asked about possible competitors produced respectively by India’s Tata Motors and Germany’s Daimler AG.

The prototypes shown on Piaggio’s stand at the show resemble both these two other small vehicles, though the unnamed Piaggio vehicle has two seats behind and a single driver’s seat upfront.

The vehicles handle and perform well on the road, a Piaggio executive said.

The car responds to the needs of the Indian market, where Piaggio’s Ape three-wheeler is widely sold, but could be produced first in India or Vietnam where Piaggio produces Vespa models, Colaninno said.

Power will come from 200 cc or 300 cc motors, and a hybrid with the 300 cc motor plus electric alternative, with the 200 cc offering speeds of up to 60 km/h, sufficient for the Indian market, commercial executive Maurizio Marcacci said.

“The idea of the project was developed in India to deal with traffic in big cities. It is for big cities in Asia and Europe. I have very high numbers in mind in India,” Colaninno said, adding the project has been developed 100 percent by Piaggio.

Writing by Nigel Tutt; editing by Jon Loades-Carter. Article appearing courtesy Reuters.

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Between 1950 and 2008 more cars were added to our roads virtually every year as the total fleet expanded steadily from 49 million to 250 million vehicles. In 2009, however, 14 million cars were scrapped while only 10 million cars were sold, shrinking the fleet by 4 million vehicles, or nearly 2 percent. With record numbers of cars set to reach retirement age between now and 2020, the fleet could shrink by some 10 percent, dropping from the all-time high of 250 million in 2008 to 225 million in 2020.

The United States, with 246 million motor vehicles and 209 million licensed drivers, is facing market saturation. With 5 vehicles for every 4 drivers, the 4-million-vehicle contraction in the U.S. fleet in 2009 does not come as a great surprise. In a largely rural society, more cars provided mobility, but in a society that is now over 80 percent urban, more cars provide immobility.

A combination of driver frustration and the soaring congestion costs associated with wasted time and fuel are leading to a cultural shift that is reducing the role of the automobile as people turn to alternatives. Almost every major U.S. city is either building new light rail or express bus systems, or expanding and upgrading existing ones to reduce dependence on cars. The peak fleet may now be behind us.

The number of U.S. teenage drivers has declined from a peak of 12 million in 1978 to 10 million today, dropping the share of driving-age teenagers with licenses from 69 percent to 56 percent. An increasing number of Americans are growing up in urban environments in families without a car. This trend, combined with a shift in socialization habits among young people away from cars to the Internet and smart phones, means that the car no longer holds the allure of years past.

For background data and further discussion of these trends, see the January 2010 Plan B Update by Lester R. Brown, “U.S. Car Fleet Shrank by Four Million in 2009 .” Additional information is in Lester R. Brown, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization (W.W. Norton, 2009), on-line for free downloading at www.earthpolicy.org .

Article by Lester Brown, appearing courtesy of Celsias; via Earth Policy

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Felix Kramer of Calcars thinks 2010 will be the year of the plug-in car.  He’s got a good case: After years of advocacy and technology development, 2010 is the year that major manufacturers will finally make plug-ins broadly available, and rapidly decreasing battery costs are helping the conversion industry reach new customers and help retrofit the existing fleet at scale.  After years of work and promise, 2010 is the payoff year.

I see a similar trend in solar in California, where years of policy and business development are all coming together to make 2010 an extraordinary year for solar development.

There are four major market drivers:

1. The California RPS
California’s renewable portfolio statute requires the state’s utilities to include 20% renewables in their portfolio by 2010, and last year Governor Schwarzenegger issued an Executive Order increasing the requirement to 33%.  To date, California investor-owned utilities have signed over 7 GW of contracts with solar companies, of which 4.9 GW are at prices below the Market Price Referent (that’s the 20-year levelized cost of energy for a combined cycle gas turbine, a proxy for the fossil fuel alternative).  An Excel spreadsheet of the contracts, modified from the one found on the CPUC’s website, here.  This list will be expanding rapidly; by all accounts, the 2009 RPS solicitation garnered a tremendous response from solar (especially photovoltaic) developers, and as the utilities send contracts to the CPUC for approval, we are likely to see contracts for gigawatts more of mid-sized wholesale PV projects in the coming months.  That’s what happens when solar gets cheap.

2. Utility Wholesale Distributed Generation Programs
California’s investor-owned utilities have all applied for significant investments in utility-owned solar projects, and 2010 is when these programs hit the street (or rooftop).  Southern California Edison (SCE) wants to develop 250 MW of primarily rooftop solar projects; as a condition for approval, the California Public Utilities Commission is requiring SCE to buy an equivalent amount of solar, in 1-2 MW increments (90% of which have to be rooftop) from independent power producers through competitively-bid power purchase agreements.  The details of how the auction mechanism is to work (including standard terms and conditions of the contract) were the subject of a workshop process last fall, and are to come before the CPUC for approval on Jan 21.  Assuming approval, the first auction for PPAs could take place the following month or so.  Details of the proceeding here and here.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has applied for a similar program: 250 MW of utility-owned generation (systems sized from 1-20 MW), and an equivalent amount to be purchased from independent power producers.  For the IPP portion, PG&E’s initial application proposed to offer standard contracts at PG&E’s cost of development (initially estimated to be 29.5 cents/kWh, but would reset based on actual costs); this issue is being litigated before the CPUC, with resolution expected around February.  As the CPUC forced SCE to competitively bid their IPP portion, it would be a good bet to speculate that they will decide on a similar requirement for PG&E, but who knows?

Combined, these utility programs represent a gigawatt of wholesale distributed generation solar over the next 5 years.

3. Feed-in Tariff Programs
California has two feed-in tariff programs under development.  The first is a proposed 1 GW market-based feed-in tariff, which would require the state’s investor-owned utilities to conduct multiple annual solicitations for 1-10 MW renewable projects.  It’s different from a traditional feed-in tariff in that instead of guaranteeing a price, it guarantees a market and lets project developers set their own price.  The proceeding to establish this program is inches from the goal-line–after over a year of work, we we are currently waiting on the Administrative Law Judge to issue a proposed resolution. We expect the process to be concluded in the next few months (knock wood), and the first auctions to begin before summer.  The pilot program totals 1 GW over 4 years, though once the process gets moving and proves successful, it could easily be expanded.  I believe that this program hits a sweet spot on several levels: 1) the 1-10 MW size targets projects that don’t need new transmission, and can thusly come on line quickly, and 2) the competitive pricing element, combined with solar’s dramatically lower costs, will finally bring on massive amounts of solar at politically palatable price-points.

The second is SB 32, passed by the legislature last year.  SB 32 requires the CPUC to develop a must-take standard-offer price for renewable contracts–essentially based on avoided cost.  More details here, but as rulemaking will take awhile, it is unlikely that this program will be available in 2010.

4. Customer-Side of the Meter
The California Solar Initiative is the program that provides incentives for behind-the-meter generation–the owner of the system uses the production to offset purchases from the utility and reduce electric bills.  Over 135 MW of photovoltaics, both residential and non-residential, were installed in 2009.  We still have to raise the 2.5 % net metering cap, but if that’s accomplished, Jigar Shah (founder of SunEdison) told me he has a standing bet that the remaining incentives (all 1303 MW) will be reserved in 2010.  Here’s hoping he’s right.  Also of note, just about every property owner in California will have access to a PACE financing program by the end of the year.  As financing the high up-front costs of solar and energy efficiency is a long-standing hurdle to greater adoption, these new programs should help drive demand considerably.

All told, we are looking at tremendous amounts of new solar development in the state.  Here’s to more solar gen in two-thousand and ten…

Adam Browning is the Executive Director of Vote Solar, a non-profit grassroots organization working to combat climate change and foster economic development by bringing solar energy into the mainstream.

photo: Flickr

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I like to ride my bike and take public transportation when I can. But I still rely on the car to move me around a few days every week. That said, developments in cars and personal transportation are things I take both personal and professional interest in.

So after Ford loaned a new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid to me and Gas 2.0 editor Nick Chambers for an extended test drive – that we would take on a trip to and from a multi-day music festival in Southern California we were both covering — I decided to share my thoughts about why Ford’s first foray into the hybrid sedan market is making a big splash:  Partly because of good business timing;  but also because they built a great car.

The backstory

It’s no big secret that the American auto industry has been in a bit of a funk in recent years. While gas prices were still on the rise, the industry continued to make bigger and bigger vehicles claiming the market was demanding it. The market may have been demanding it, but demand was only as stable as the price of gasoline, and as we saw in 2007 and 2008, the price of gas is not always stable.

Unlike General Motors, which had to turn to the United States Government for money to keep it afloat, Ford kept its head above water. While GM was building cars and trucks with “Flex Fuel” engines, making slow progress on the Chevy Volt and closing dealerships across the U.S., Ford was tightening its focus and forging a new strategy for the company:  One that still made Flex Fuel vehicles to run on cheap American ethanol, but also one that looked to smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids.

In short, Americans suddenly began demanding more efficient vehicles and Ford was in a better position to deliver.

Evidence of the transition from SUVs to smaller, more efficient vehicles can be found by looking at the makes of the cars traded-in during the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program. Six of the top ten cars traded in were big Ford SUVs, trucks and minivans (Explorer, F-150, Windstar). While many of those taking advantage of the program went on to buy Toyotas and Hondas, the Ford Focus was the third most popular vehicle purchased after the trade-in and the mid-size SUV, Ford Escape, was eigth. Absent from the list was a competitor to the Toyota Prius, but Ford hopes to change off that with the Fusion Hybrid.

Thanks to robust growth figures, the Fusion is now leading the charge of Ford’s boost in sales in the Fall of 2009. The company last week reported $1 billion in net profits for the 3rd quarter of 2009, an increase of almost $4 billion dollars over last year’s numbers. While these numbers are certainly good for the company–and Ford has thus far been successful at branding the new Fusion Hybrid as “green”–I wanted to see if that growth could be at all explained by an authentic step in an environmentally-friendly direction for the company.

The review

At first blush, the Fusion is a good looking and comfortable vehicle with a cool user interface and a comfortable ride. The Fusion isn’t cheap. Starting at $27,625, it costs about five thousand bucks more than a brand 3rd Generation Toyota Prius. And at 41 miles per gallon (hwy), it won’t get the mileage that the 51-mpg Prius will. But in terms of comfort, features, and its larger size, the Fusion is really more like a Toyota Camry than a Prius.

The first thing that I noticed when I got behind the wheel was that the Fusion’s user interface has a lot going on. They call it the Dual LCD SmartGauge Cluster with Eco Guide that provides real-time information to help you squeeze the most efficiency from your Fusion Hybrid. While it could be a little overwhelming for the easily distracted, after making myself familiar with the cluster, I found the gauges to be plenty informative without having to look directly at them.

The SmartGauge with EcoGuide uses LCD screens on either side of the center-mounted speedometer. (A tutorial built into the display lets you choose one of four data screens for the level of information you want – Inform, Enlighten, Engage or Empower – and explains your options within each. Nick had already done this by the time he picked me up at the airport and gave me quick run-through.)

On the data screen setting we opted for, the LCD screen on the left had guages indicating fuel level, battery level and miles per hour (with the EcoGuide indicator telling you when you are driving in EV-mode). You keep it in the green zone on the EcoGuide and the 2.5L Atkinson-Cycle I-4 Hybrid engine shuts off and runs completely off of the high-power NiMH battery. Keep it in the green and you are essentially driving an electric car.

Driving the Fusion, I couldn’t really notice when the car shifted between gas-powered and electric-powered, the transition was seamless. The smooth transition can be explained by the fact that there is no progression of gear changes light you are accustomed to.

The right-hand screen had a display for small green leaves, when you drive more efficiently, the display will grow more leaves, when you don’t they will fade away. I found the immediate feedback to be a useful motivational tool without being a big distraction.

When all was said and done, we were able to average almost 39 mpg for the entire 328 mile trip. But considering that we made good use of the vehicle to charge our peripherals and gadgets; and hit some heavy construction and stop-and-start festival traffic, I think the Fusion’s mileage claims lived up to their billing.

One particularly helpful feature we discovered about the car was that it would–while in “Park” and with the key in the ignition–turn on the engine by itself to charge its depleting battery. Since we were making such heavy use of the car’s battery to charge our electrical accessories via the Fusion’s USB and AC charge-ports while we were at the festival (cameras, PDAs, computers, batteries, etc.), we found this to be a real bonus to those who might like to use their cars in a situation like the one we were in, tailgating, car-camping, or just listening to the stereo real loud at home in your driveway.

The cruise control feature on the Fusion is a little bit different than what you’re used to, so much so that Ford decided to name it, ‘Speed Control’. The difference between the two is that cruise control on most cars will do whatever they have to do to keep speed. That means when you are driving uphill, the computer will feed more gasoline to the engine to maintain that speed. The Speed Control feature of the Fusion will ease up a little, understanding that the hill likely won’t last forever and that a few miles per hour under the chosen speed is much more efficient than gunning the engine.

While the much anticipated Ford Fusion is a tech-lover’s dream and an overall excellent car, there are a few technical glitches we discovered over our extended test-drive. The Microsoft navigation interface was a little clunky at times, requiring one too many buttons and screens to navigate through just to perform fairly simple operations. The rear-view camera was a neat addition but the on-board obstacle sensor seemed way too eager to tell us when something was anywhere near us (like in a parking lot).

While the Fusion maybe a little late to the hybrid vehicle game, Ford is betting big that their new flagship sedan will make a big splash into the U.S. car market, and in so doing, helping the company position itslef as the lean, green, and profitable leader of the big U.S. auto companies.

Author Tim Hurst is the executive editor of Live Oak Media.

Article appearing courtesy of Celsias

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In an effort to reduce automobile usage and greenhouse gas emissions, the Dutch cabinet has approved a driving tax that would charge motorists seven cents a mile.

The plan, which must still be approved by parliament, would use GPS systems installed in each car to keep track of mileage and automatically bill drivers. The mileage charges would be higher at rush hour, for large cars, and for commercial vehicles.

Dutch officials said the driving tax, which would replace existing road taxes and duties on new car purchases, is designed to cut traffic by 15 percent and reduce emissions from transport by 10 percent.

Other European nations are considering similar driving taxes, and a driving tax experiment was recently tried in Oregon in the United States. The chances of a tax comparable to the Dutch tax being levied in the U.S. are slim, however, as that would more than triple the $260 a year that the average U.S. driver now pays in state and federal gasoline taxes.

Article appearing courtesy of Yale Environment 360

[photo credit: Peter Hilton]

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This post is dedicated to my hometown, Hazleton Pennsylvania

This corridor hits close to home for your humble correspondent as I, Alexander John Lennartz, am a born and raised Pennsylvanian…who did not step foot on a passenger train in the state until age 25 when I moved to the greater Philadelphia area.

In my part of the country there is no passenger rail. A fact of life for the good people of Northeast Pennsylvania is that you cannot live without a car. This was, is and for the foreseeable future will be to only mean of transportation over mid to long distances. Pennsylvania’s proud locomotive heritage has fallen to the point that many in the state regard trains in the historical sense, no longer are a form of modern transportation. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Lancaster Country is a testament to when rails crisscrossed the Keystone State and help build and power America, moving goods and people quickly and efficiently.

After a long period of decline that led to the discontinuation of passenger rail in most of Pennsylvania, there are faint signs of a comeback for trains in the Commonwealth. This can be attributed in large part to the efforts of the governor, the honorable Edward G. Rendell. Former Mayor of Philadelphia, mass transit advocate and a man who does not hesitate to voice his displeasure at the sight of something he does not like (he admitted to booing Santa Claus at an Eagles game in 1968), Rendell is the first governor to take action against the death spiral rail has been on for decades. Even more encouraging is the support of both US Senators for rail projects that would link the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh together through the high speed Keystone Corridor, plus other rail projects in the state like the Scranton/New York City rail link.

James Carville is famously quoted as saying Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between. That is an exaggeration but contains within it a grain of truth. Driving through Central Pennsylvania is one of the most mind-numbingly boring exercises a person can go through. During the winter when the interstate is covered in ice and snow it can also be one of the most dangerous. The Keystone Corridor would be a boost not only for commuters between the state’s two biggest cities, but if it were to be connected to mid-sized cities in Central PA like Williamsport, Hershey and State College, the state would have an element of interconnectivity not seen in ages.

Pennsylvania has a rich history from the colonial period all the way through the contribution the state made in World War II. It was fitting Tom Hank’s character in Saving Private Ryan, Captain John H. Miller, was from a small town in Pennsylvania. Despite being the state that was a pillar of building the most powerful nation in the world, Pennsylvania standing in the Union is in decline. It desperately needs this project to inject jobs, vitality and a sense of pride in itself.

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As a former resident of Florida (1999-2002…Go Seminoles) your author can assure you, the state is in need of high speed rail. The vast state makes travel times by car irritatingly long. The most extreme example is the drive from Pensacola to Key West. Distance of that journey is 828 miles, clocking in at over 13 hours. From anywhere in the panhandle to south Florida is an all day affair behind the wheel.

Drivers along the highways (especially 10) are under the close eye of the Highway Patrol and must keep the pace under 75 miles per hour for hours and hours and hours. Out of all the HSR corridors, Florida should have the most urgent need for speed. A 220 mph train would be the optimal mode of transit from Tallahassee all the way down to Miami. The length of that journey (480 miles) gives passenger rail a time advantage over cars and planes. Any trip less than 500 miles gives trains the upper hand concerning travel times.

All of Florida’s major cities are in that crucial 500 mile range along the I-75 corridor or coast. From Jacksonville to Miami, virtually the entire length of the state, the distance is 344 miles. With this in mind, the architect of the modern Florida HSR Corridor, C.C “Doc” Dockery, sought to bring this infrastructure to the state. This effort ran headlong into the Bush family. For some reason, Governor Jeb Bush was diametrically opposed to HSR in Florida and did everything in his power to kill passenger rail in the Sunshine State (*FYI – House of Bush, House of Saud offers some rather salient points and can be found on Amazon.com here).

Florida’s population has nearly doubled since 1980 from over 9 million people to over 18 million in 2008. This constant influx of people shaped the Floridian economy into what has been described as a giant Ponzi scheme. The state is dependent on new arrivals and investment to keep the economy running. Developers built condos, malls and golf courses, but neglected to build sufficient transport infrastructure to link what they had made.

The economic crisis bit Florida in a number of ways. The housing bubble was the most significant. Also high on the list of ills is that expensive fuel hit Floridians very hard because the only way to get around the peninsula is by car. It does not matter if you are a student going to see your parents on the weekend or a retiree that wants to hit the links, without a car you are going nowhere. This dependence is unhealthy and other transport options need to be made available.

The good news is that the Bushes are out of their respective offices. Republican Governor Charlie Crist is a tacit supporter of the plan, which by GOP standards is a ringing endorsement. Governor Crist is set for a Senate run in 2010 so it may be up to a new Governor to get momentum for the project on the state level. For this project, the federal government might need to step in and get things rolling.

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