This mainly concerns oil for which George w

In his State of the Union address, President George w. Bush has stressed the need for the United States to break the energy dependence of the country on imported oil. This mainly concerns oil, for which George w. Bush wants to divide the volumes imported from the Middle East for 2025 by four. To support this transition to other sources of energy and solutions more economic, the United States have invested nearly $ 10 billion in the development of alternative solutions in the field energy. And the effort continues with Advanced Energy Initiative which will increase by 22 allocated to the Department of Energy in the field of research on so-called energies "own". This concerns both the energy for buildings and vehicles.

Die ethanol

In this field, the United States intend to accelerate the use of other fuels at destination of the engine. And it including using currently available and renewable resources in the country. The US administration will speed up research on ethanol production methods. It is the sector known as "cellulosic ethanol" that allows to use plant items that are not currently used. The 2007 Budget will include an endowment of $ 150 million ($ 59 additional million compared to 2006) for the development of fuels from agricultural waste. Some scientists believe that the acceleration of research on "cellulosic ethanol" may make this economically competitive solution around 2012. Ultimately this could allow to replace almost 30 of the oil needs of the United States in the area of vehicle transport.

Best batteries for hybrids

Also fuel itself, the other aspect concerns the vehicles. Tracks evoked by the White House appear to favour the engines gasoline hybrids. These include promoting the emergence of a new generation of batteries including that can be recharged on the sector. With the objective to offer vehicles including batteries contain enough energy to travel on the single electric motor in the city. The short term, these solutions have the potential to reduce fuel consumption. Budget 2007 provides for an increase in the credits, which reach $ 30 million next year for research on these new batteries.

For a more distant horizon, the White House is continuing its efforts in the field of hydrogen. The Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, announced in the speech on the State of the Union 2003, was equipped with a budget of $ 1.2 billion.

Of research companies and the FreedomCar initiative programs always the objective of placing on the market of vehicles powered by a battery to fuel by 2020. Here also, the 2007 staffing will be on the rise with $ 289 million. With the aim of accelerating the development of fuel cells to offer on the market of cars and motorized and affordable. The White House estimates that, since 2003, the cost of the fuel cell system was reduced by 50.

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The new mode of calculation of consumption of the EPA is the hybrid

For the 2008 vintage vehicles, EPA offers a new mode of calculation of the consumption. It is designed to present values of consumption more relatives that can observe vehicle users. Thus, indirectly, EPA responds to complaints from purchasers of hybrid vehicles, Toyota Prius, which were not in fact consumption promoted by the manufacturer.

Remember that drinks EPA standards had been enacted to provide a basis for comparison between different vehicles. Methods of measurements in laboratories has been revised in 1985. The current trials are conducted in rather favourable climate conditions, 24 C, with moderate acceleration and speeds lower than those observed in real conditions. In addition, no measurement cycle provides the use of the air conditioning, while it is often triggered by default on a large number of vehicles.

EPA proposes to incorporate new protocols and test conditions. They include more severe conditions of use: higher speeds, more vivid accelerations, air conditioning use and rolling at low temperature (-6 C). The EPA estimates that these tests will be closer to the reality of the use of vehicles. And the EPA reserves the possibility for 2011, submit the vehicle to a new battery of tests more severe. It should be noted that these new protocols of measures does not affect CAFE standards that are under the authority of the Department of Transportation.

With these new measures, the drinks will be on the increase and this will depend on the type of vehicle. For traditional thermal engine vehicles, consumption in the city will be increased 10-20 and 5-15 for the value on the highway. The engines installed in hybrid will be impacted with a city consumption will increase by 20-30 and rising Highway will be comparable to that of other vehicles. In any event, in road use, hybrid motorization behaves like a traditional engine. The unrealistic 60 mpg (3.9 l / 100 km) assigned to Prius in urban use will transform in 45 mpg, or approximately 5.2 l / 100 km, which seems much more honest, and better for Toyota. Indeed, in the United States, many are Prius owners who complain, because they do not reach the consumption promoted in catalogues.