CARFCO

As consumer demands for electric cars increase, so will jobs in green technology. The last five years have seen the auto industry handing out more pink slips than applications and even though it is agreed that the auto industry will most likely never return to its pre-recession employee numbers, the increasing popularity of environmentally friendly vehicles will see some jobs return.

According to information from Des Rosiers Automotive Consultants, in 2001, it there were 199,218 Canadians working in the auto industry. In 2009, a 7 per cent drop to 133,375 was noted and in April of 2010, there were an estimated 123,829 Canadians employed by the industry.

The Electrovaya Mississauga, Ontario plant is currently hiring engineers to help produce the lithium-ion batteries that run these green, eco-machines. Gitanjali DasGupta, manager of Electrovaya’s electric vehicle division says, “Every auto company is looking to green their fleets, to electrify their fleets. (The industry) is truly making a very structural shift. Electrovaya is an enabler of that and one of the key beneficiaries of that.”

Due to high expectations in the demand for green cars, Linamar Corp, which is Canada’s second largest manufacturer of auto parts in Guelph, intends to hire as many as 1,300 people by the end of 2011. Linda Hasenfratz noted in a recent interview that these numbers are the result of the consumer’s demand for the manufacturing of solar energy parts as well as to build more fuel-efficient cars.

Carlos Gomes, automotive economist at Scotiabank feels, “The next generation of jobs in the Canadian auto industry won’t come from the big automakers’ assembly plants, but from suppliers that develop innovative new technologies. I think that is one of the key trends going forward, especially because we now have legislation in place that requires the automakers to improve their overall fuel efficiency,” Gomes said.

The employment boost from the demand in green technologies won’t be felt until around 2015. “Certainly there will be an advantage from green (technology), but that’s not going to be instantaneous. We don’t expect to see massive impacts from green for some time,” says Bill Pochiluk, president of industry research firm AutomotiveCompass.

In April 2010, the Canadian and U.S. governments made a joint announcement regarding the new auto standards which include an increase of 40 per cent on fuel-efficiency and a 25 per cent reduction of greenhouse emissions within the next six years. These new compliances will put a strain on older cars that are still on the road, but putting in some environmentally friendly repairs in an attempt to upkeep is cheaper than altogether replacing your car.

Where would people be without their cars? Environment Canada has begun the promotion of its green cars, which are to be the majority of the selection of new cars, by 2016.

The government-mandated green cars will be about 30 per cent more fuel-efficient while Environment Canada claims they will cost consumers 5 per cent more to purchase at an average $25,000 vehicle. They also add that what a consumer loses at the dealership, they will gain at the pump within a year or two, depending of course, on the price of fuel.

Auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers, of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, says “the government estimates do not factor in the cost of any subsidies offered to buyers of green vehicles. On top of that, the technologies required meet CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) come with big price tags. Direct fuel injection, lightweight materials, advanced transmissions, cylinder deactivation systems, gas engines that generate combustion like diesels and all the rest cost more than $1,200 per car to develop and produce for the marketplace.

Many auto experts wonder who is going to pay for all this infrastructure of an electric vehicle fleet and if the government has really included all the costs of producing advanced ‘green’ technologies into cars. Technologies such as plug-in hybrids, pure electric cars, gasoline and diesel-electric hybrids as well as cars that run ultra-clean diesel are some of the fleet-wide fuel economy cars we can expect.

Over the next six years, Canada and the United States are expected to set the new fuel economy standards for the new vehicles. By 2016, the new stanadars will see consumers driving vehicles that get a combined average of 6.6 liters / 100 km or 35.5 miles to the US gallon.

“Let me say what everyone refuses to acknowledge: These standards are impossible to meet,” notes DesRosiers. Think about this: In Canada, we have witnessed a 1.0 litre per 100 km improvement in the last 25 years, moving from 11 litres per 100 km to 10 litres per 100 km. Roughly 10 per cent. And this was an era of unprecedented technological improvement. Does anyone truly believe that we can now move to below 7.0 litres per 100 km in the next six years? I fully understand the potential for hybrids, electrics and other advanced power trains, but this level of improvement is just not achievable.”

FUEL EFFICIENCY OF CANADIAN CARS BY SEGMENT (LITRES/100 KM) (1982 / 2007)
Subcompact
6.65 / 6.75

Compact
7.79 / 7.65

Intermediate
10.93 / 9.11

Sport
10.66 / 9.63

Luxury
10.95 / 9.88

FUEL EFFICIENCY OF CANADIAN LIGHT TRUCKS BY SEGMENT (LITRES/100 KM) (1982 / 2007)
Small
11.02 / 10.07

SUV
13.44 / 11.93

Intermediate SUV
12.99 / 13.78

Large SUV
16.39 (year 2000) / 12.30

Luxury SUV
12.14 / 11.95
Large Pickup

[Source: DesRosiers Automotive Consultants]

It is certain that the cost of vehicles will only increase as the years pass, and buying more fuel efficient cars will cost more as well.

By Dennise Ryder

Here is a car shopping tip you don’t see everyday. In March 2007 the Canadian Government announced in their budget that a rebate would be available for fuel efficient vehicles, referred to as the ecoAuto Rebate Program.

The idea is to reward those drivers who are trying to help with the environment by driving vehicles that are more fuel efficient. So here is a win/win car buying tip for anyone in the market for a new vehicle, drive a vehicle that is more fuel efficient and then get $1000 back for your new car purchase!

If you are in the market for a new car you can follow the link at the end of this article for a list of vehicles that are included under this program. Keep in mind that the 2008 model year vehicles haven’t been released as of yet, but keep visiting the site and in time the 2008 model year will be included.

The an outline of the ecoAuto Rebate Program is as follows:

The progam is applicable to anyone buying or leasing a vehicle after March 20, 2007 as long as the car you purchased is on the list.

Only cars bought or leased in Canada are eligible for the Program. If you purchased your car in the USA then you are not entitled to the rebate.

Individuals, businesses and organizations can apply under the EcoAuto Rebate Program, again as long as the vehicle bought or leased is on the list of eligible vehicles.

It’s a pretty simple process however there is no indication as to how long it will take for you to receive your ecoAuto Rebate, understand however that this rebate comes directly from the Canadian Government it is not associated with the car dealership where you purchase or lease your new vehicle. You can get the forms from the Dealership where you initially purchased our vehicle or again follow the ecoAuto Rebate Program link below for all the information you need!

Dennise Ryder writes from her home in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Learn more about the Canadian Government ecoAuto Rebate Programs and car buying tips that will help you save money.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennise_Ryder [http://ezinearticles.com/?Car-Shopping-Tip—Save-On-Fuel-And-Get-$1000-From-The-Canadian-Government&id=831501 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Car-Shopping-Tip—Save-On-Fuel-And-Get-$1000-From-The-Canadian-Government&id=831501

Independent tests conducted by engineers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory on a BMW Hydrogen 7 Mono-Fuel demonstration vehicle have found that the car’s hydrogen-powered engine surpasses the super-ultra low-emission vehicle (SULEV) level, the most stringent emissions performance standard to date.

"The BMW Hydrogen 7’s emissions were only a fraction of SULEV level, making it one of the lowest emitting combustion engine vehicles that have been manufactured," said Thomas Wallner, a mechanical engineer who leads Argonne’s hydrogen vehicle testing activities. "Moreover, the car’s engine actively cleans the air. Argonne’s testing shows that the Hydrogen 7’s 12-cylinder engine actually shows emissions levels that, for certain components, are cleaner than the ambient air that comes into the car’s engine."

It was not an easy task to measure the Hydrogen 7’s emissions. "A gross polluter is easy to measure, but the cleaner the car the harder it is to test," said Don Hillebrand, director of Argonne’s Center for Transportation Research. "Most labs test at the SULEV level. Argonne’s vehicle testing facilities are unique in that they are able to detect even trace levels of emissions. In this case, it was near-zero emissions."

After an extensive evaluation by BMW, "Argonne’s Advanced Powertrain Research Facility was found to be the only public test facility in North America capable of testing hydrogen vehicles at these low emissions levels," said BMW’s Wolfgang Thiel, manager, operating support emissions analysis. "Zero is a very small precise number — we are pushing the boundaries of emissions testing."

Technical and program information about the Hydrogen 7 tests will be presented by Wallner and BMW North America’s Jason P. Perron Wednesday, April 2 during the National Hydrogen Association Annual Hydrogen Conference, March 30-April 3, in Sacramento, Calif. Argonne will join BMW’s Christoph Huss, senior vice president, science, traffic and vehicles regulations, in a press conference to present the test results during the Society of Automotive Engineers 2008 World Congress, April 14-17, in Detroit.

BMW has put the hydrogen model into limited series production. Although the vehicle is not yet available for sale to the general public, it is being made available to "influential public figures," whose use demonstrate a new era in clean energy, BMW has said. In the meantime, the greatest challenge to widespread use of hydrogen cars is the limited number of hydrogen refueling stations.

Argonne’s transportation research program and facilities are primarily funded by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which supports the development of vehicle technologies and alternative fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on foreign oil, and enables the U.S. transportation industry to sustain a strong, competitive position in domestic and world markets.

Special thanks to Science Daily

I am pleased to be writing what will be the first of a long line of posts relating to anything and everything automotive.  The launch of this blog just happens to coincide with some very interesting industry news from ZENN Motor Company.  ZENN announced the fall 2009 launch of a fully electric, highway capable vehicle.

The car is reported to be able to accelerate to speeds of 125 KPH/ 80 MPH and can run for up to 400km (225 miles) without a recharge.  One of the most impressive features is that this vehicle will only take 5 minutes to recharge. It also boasts 1/10^th of the operating costs of the average gasoline powered internal combustion engine.  Best of all, the car is reported to be 100% emission and noise free.

ZENN currently produces low-speed (40KPM/25MPH) fully electric cars, not legal for use on highways. The cars are available for sale in some US States. Here is the press release in its entirety.