Engines of Change (page 2 of 3)

Reducing U.S. Oil Consumption

Even as more hybrid cars hit the road, the technology is a key element in an exciting new project, one that could hasten our transition to a hydrogen-fuel economy. The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to energy policy, has launched a research center with the sole purpose of creating the "Hypercar." This vehicle's design is what sets it apart. Hypercars are formulated to make the most of an ultra-light construction, low-drag aerodynamics and hybrid-electric drive trains to achieve much greater fuel economy than today's hybrids, while maintaining or improving performance, safety and affordability.

According to the head of RMI, Amory Lovins, the Hypercar will also be designed to "reach its full potential" with an eventual conversion to hydrogen fuel cells. It's a goal RMI shares with the federal government's Freedom CAR (Cooperative Automotive Research) program. The Department of Energy and automakers Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler created a joint project to develop hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles that require no oil and emit no pollutants.

A few numbers explain the urgency behind this initiative. The International Energy Association reports that North America's oil consumption now accounts for 31 percent of the world's total. If current trends hold, by 2030 about half of all U.S. oil imports will come from Middle Eastern suppliers. In the meantime, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, vehicles account for 40 percent of all oil use in America, and carbon emissions from the tailpipes of cars and trucks are responsible for almost one-third of the air pollution in this country. Recognizing these long-term threats to the environment and national security, President Bush proposed in 2003 to spend $1.2 billion on hydrogen fuel-cell technology. "The first car driven by a child born today could be powered by made-in-the-U.S. hydrogen gas," Bush said.

This effort may get an added boost from energy sources already available to us. A variety of homegrown sources, such as ethanol and biodiesel, can help power cars while being produced not by ominous oil cartels, but by American farmers. President Bush's energy plan includes tax credits for producers of both ethanol and biodiesel, sales of which could substantially reduce U.S. oil consumption.

One big advantage to these two alternative fuels is that they're derived from corn and other grains. "We produce far more grain than we consume," says Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois. "Clearly, we have an untapped resource sitting literally in our own backyard." Durbin's state makes enough ethanol to potentially offset over 36.5 million barrels of oil per year.

This past spring, Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin introduced a bill that authorizes $5 million over three years to look into the possibility of producing hydrogen for fuel from ethanol; the bill is still being debated in the Senate. But critics say it will take much more spending, well beyond even the President's $1.2 billion proposal, to seriously pursue our quest for hydrogen fuel. The very nature of hydrogen ensures that it will require a lot of money, as well as brainpower, to turn it into a viable solution to our energy crisis.

General Motors is pushing this effort forward by teaming with Toyota to collaborate on hydrogen fuel-cell goals. Meanwhile, GM has produced a hydrogen-fueled car called the Hy-Wire, which has no internal combustion engine, no instrument panel, and no brake or accelerator pedals; the car is controlled through wires rather than a hydraulics system. For its part, Honda has developed its FCX fuel-cell vehicle, five of which already are being used by city officials in Los Angeles.

On the afternoon I spent tooling around Washington in the hydrogen minivan, the engine's quiet hum brought a curious thought to mind. In the future, would children say "zee, zee" while playing with toy cars instead of "vroom, vroom"? Maybe, if they're lucky. For the coming of hydrogen cars will bring huge side-benefits to those children: cleaner air, less reliance on OPEC oil, and in time less money spent on energy. The end of vroom can't come too soon.

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