Forget HHO, Go HCCI

In previous posts, ("HHO or HHype" and "HHO Sounds More Like HHype") I have provided a 10,000 foot overview of the HHO topic for increased fuel efficiency. In general, I have found it impractical at best and highly dangerous at worst.

However, there is a newer topic being researched at Berkeley, GM, and Sandia National Laboratory called Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition. Here is a video about GM's research. Shop DriveTime First! Bad credit, no credit, no problem. Apply on-line.

The long and short of it is trying to get a gasoline engine to perform more like a diesel in efficiency. Berkeley explains it best: "Unlike a traditional S.I. or Diesel engine, HCCI combustion takes place spontaneously and homogeneously without flame propagation. This eliminates heterogeneous air/fuel mixture regions. In addition, HCCI is a lean combustion process. These conditions translate to a lower local flame temperature which lower the amount of Nitric Oxide (NOx) produced in the process. NOx is a gas that is believed to be responsible for the creation of ozone (O3)." 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring alerts you to changes on all 3 of your credit reports! Get a free 7-day trial plus credit report & score!

Increased fuel efficiency, lower emissions, using standard platforms, now that is what I call economically efficient. Let's hope that the technology around the lifters is improved to make this viable soon.

Hydrogen Fuel-cell Bus, Another Loser Drives By

**Read the follow on articles, "Big Green Trucks" and "Hybrid Hummer Hums!"**

Alternative energy is great, so long as it is cost effective. As reported in Green Car Journal, and written about by Bill Visnic at Edmunds Auto Observer, in one 3 bus test, hydrogen fuel cells are a bust, big time.

Here is the background:

"To fulfill a California Air Resources Board requirement that operators of large bus fleets participate in a Zero-Emission Bus demonstration program, in 2005 the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority purchased three buses powered by early versions of fuel cells developed by Ballard Power Systems Inc. of Vancouver, Canada."

OK, I am all for pilots, prototypes and testing. Sometimes it leads to very successful outcomes, and other times they just miss the mark. That is why Boeing and Airbus do destructive testing of airplanes. However, before these pilots take place, there is usually a fairly accurate prediction of the outcome. Additionally, good business practices provide that if the predictions and assumptions are wildly off, the pilot is canceled.

In the case of Santa Clara, these buses were a complete flop. The article states that the usual cost per mile to operate a diesel bus is $1.61, however, with the hydrogen fuel cell system, it is $51.66. Further, the hydrogen fuel cell buses broke down with greater frequency and the cost to repair were significantly higher. A diesel bus has a per mile part cost of $0.34, while the fuel cell bus per mile part cost was $34.40. Wow! As if those figures weren't enough, the fuel cell bus broke down six times more than the diesel bus. So, about every 1000 miles, the fuel cell bus broke down. Would you tolerate that in any of your personal or fleet vehicles???

Not that this test was all bad, the company who made the bus, Ballard, has decided to exit the vehicle fuel cell business and sell the assets to Ford and Daimler. That my friends, is economic efficiency.

Hybrids, the Real Deal or Flavor of the Month?

Gas is about $4.00 a gallon where I live, almost twice what it was a year ago. So what? If you are considering a hybrid, it is a pretty big so what. When I was considering the costs and benefits of hybrids a year ago, I came to the reasoned conclusion that there was little economic benefit to be had. The clear reason was that cost savings from using less fuel didn't cover the acquisition cost. Most hybrids tend to several thousand dollars more than their non-hybrid siblings.

The US government, as well as many state governments, decided they should lavish hybrid owners and manufacturers with tax payer money (a.k.a. subsidies), as well as certain privileges, such as driving in HOV lanes without other passengers. They did this to encourage the technology, ostensibly to reduce emissions as well as dependence on foreign oil. Arguably, those may be noble goals, but the number of potential vehicles wouldn't make a dent in either of the issues. ULEV (Ultra-low Emission Vehicles) are able to reduce vehicle emissions without having to worry about recycling or producing expensive battery packs needed for hybrids. Additionally, there are several models of inexpensive gasoline-powered cars that get similar mileage for less money, not to mention diesel-powered vehicles.

Back to the question at hand, will a hybrid save its owner enough money to justify the premium price? The answer is found by using a simple formula. Take the fuel economy of a non-hybrid and multiply by the average number of miles per tank to get price per mile. Do the same thing with the hybrid. Subtract the two results. Take the difference and multiply by tanks per year. So, if one saves $500 a year, and its a 5 year loan, the owner saves $2500 over the life of the car. Is that amount greater than or less than the premium to by the hybrid? That answer will determine generally whether owning a hybrid makes sense from an economic point of view. $4.00 gasoline has really changed the outcome of that equation, making them more attractive. I tell you what I am waiting for though, hydraulic diesel hybrids, as they don't require batteries to store power. UPS is running a pilot now. Details can be found here.

Don't forget to use the MPG calculator at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/savemoney.shtml