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ARB Offering $25M for Biofuels and High Efficiency Vehicle Technology, Including Plug-in Hybrids

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is now accepting grant proposals for a total of $25 million in available funding from the Alternative Fuels Incentives Programs for the purposes of incentivizing biofuels and high efficiency, low-emitting vehicle technology.

Funds from the program, made available by the passage of AB 1811 in 2006, will help develop specific measures to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. These funds are to be awarded by June 30, 2007, consistent with an expenditure plan jointly developed by the ARB and the California Energy Commission (CEC).

ARB and CEC staff are proposing that monies be expended in the following categories:

  • Infrastructure for dispensing E85 (fuel that is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) and potentially other alternative fuels ($7 million);

  • Startup of small biofuels production facilities ($5 million);

  • Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle demonstration projects ($5 million);

  • Transit bus projects ($2 million);

  • Incentives for PZEVs and ZEVs ($1.5 million);

  • Alternative fuel vehicle research ($3.5 million)

  • Funding for consumer education and outreach ($1 million)

The deadline for submitting a grant proposal is 12 March 2007. ARB and CEC staff will review the proposals in March 2007 and develop recommendations for awarding grants in April 2007. ARB and CEC staff will update the Board in May and awards will be made in late May and June 2007.

Comments

Van

How about CalCars applying for a grant to throw in a Electrovaya MN line 24 KWH battery in the 2008 Highlander with the Electric Mode Only Switch, to extend the AER from 1 mile to perhaps 40 miles, with an onboard charger so it can be plugged in overnight? Lets see what a 330wh/kg battery does with regard to thermal runaway, self discharge, cost, power flow limits, cycle life, and calendar life.

andrichrose

No mention of "fool cells " but then they were so last year ! maybe GM should apply for a grant and dust off the old EV1 production line , I am sure with a little updating , and a decent battery , they could sell them as long as the price is realistic ! in six months they could start taking sales from toyota !

Van

Great observation, Andrichrose, the whole concept of fuel cells is fodder for fools. In politics, opponents of an idea, say electric cars, introduce a similar sounding alternative with the purpose of defeating the opposed idea. So just as the lottery is a "fools tax" the fuel cell is simply a fool cell, designed to fool folks and avoid funding battery R&D&D.

Cervus

The EV1 would need to be totally redesigned to meet current safety standards. This is one of the issues that killed it in the first place, another being that there wasn't a large enough market to make the EV1 profitable after that redesign. GM had to get special dispensation to keep the cars on the road as long as they did.

Patrick

If they took the EV1 and replaced the batteries with Li-ion...every ounce of weight saved would go into reinforcing the structure for safety.

The people who would buy the EV1 would be satisfied but for it to be a mass market success and sell to the general public it would need significant updates in comfort and convenience. If GM wants to sell more than the 2000-3000 that the environmentalists would buy that is...

lensovet

wow, how about knocking out the infrastructure grants and spreading the "saved" money into ZEV, transit bus, and plug-in hybrid categories? seriously?

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