FXSTD – Alternative Energy Center

By: Glady Reign
In his State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush outlined his proposed mandates to cut down the dependency of the country on foreign oil and urges the development of alternative fuels. This commitment of the President is evident in his financial support to the alternative fuel industry. This move by on the part of the government is commended by auto makers. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an association of domestic and foreign car maker has recently made known their support to the president’s initiative.

Dave McCurdy, the President of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has this to say about the president’s dedication to the development of alternative fuels: “The President recognizes that in order to enhance our energy security, we must develop an energy policy that incorporates all stakeholders, including alternative energy suppliers, the research & development and scientific community, the investment community, government at all levels and especially consumers. Reducing petroleum consumption is a shared responsibility.”

Indeed, the responsibility not only falls on one sector but it does include every sector and every citizen. This is evident in the partnerships between car makers and alternative fuel producing companies. The effort made by these companies result to a wider range of alternative fuels and an even wider range of vehicles running on those fuels. Up to this day, the members of the alliance have entered into more than 25 partnerships, joint ventures, or research & development projects with alternative fuel producers. This is being undertaken by car makers to further develop alternative fuels which will be a much better alternative to gasoline. Among the alternative fuels they are developing include fuels like ethanol, biomass, and hydrogen.

“Alternative Fuel Autos of all kinds are a reality today. Whether it’s achieving greater fuel economy or reducing America’s reliance on oil as a primary fuel source, automakers remain committed to populating America’s roadways with innovative vehicle technologies,” McCurdy added. As of now, there are 60 models of alternative fuel powered vehicle available in the market. These vehicles were designed to either run on ethanol, or biodiesel. Some of these vehicles are hybrid electric cars. All of these vehicles though have one thing in common - they are of great service to the environment. Because of their fuel efficiency and economy, they emit a lower amount of greenhouse gases. And true to the reputation of the car makers producing them, they are sure going to be as tough as Volvo 780 parts.

Alternative fuels like ethanol is a good substitute to gasoline since this fuel burns much cleaner than gasoline. The emission of a car using this kind of fuel is 85 percent cleaner than those using gasoline only. As of today, the most commonly used ethanol based fuel is E85 which is 85 percent bio-ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Another alternative fuel being developed and fast becoming a favorite among motorists is biodiesel. This type of fuel can be used by diesel engines. The clear advantage of these two alternative fuels is that they both come from renewable sources which means there is no danger of their supply running out. Continuous development in this field though has yet to be made to eliminate the use of fossil fuel in the production of such alternative fuels.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is a trade association of vehicle manufacturers. All of their members are committed in the development of alternative technologies for vehicles evident on their lineup which boasts of hybrid vehicles, flex-fuel cars, clean gasoline engine cars, and clean diesel powered vehicles. The alliance is composed of BMW, DaimlerChrysler, the Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen.