Bush pushes alternative-fuelled cars
By: AWKnowledge staff writer, Wednesday, January 29, 2003, AutomotiveWorld.com
In his State of the Union speech to Congress, President George W. Bush said promoting energy independence for the United States and dramatically improving the environment was one of the four domestic goals he wanted lawmakers to address this year.To promote a cleaner environment and tackle dependence on foreign crude, Bush proposed research funding of US$1.2bn, which includes US$720m in new funding for the development of the infrastructure needed to store and distribute hydrogen fuel so that motorists can refuel with hydrogen. The other US$500m was from the administration's "Freedom Car" programme announced last year, which will spend the money to build vehicles that would be fuelled by hydrogen.
The White House said in a written statement the money will be spent over five years and while it will be aimed at making a commercial hydrogen powered car available for mass production by 2020, it would also look at technologies that can help power homes and offices. According to the U.S. Energy Department, the cars could reduce US demand for foreign oil by 11 million barrels per day by 2040. America currently imports between 10 and 11 million barrels of oil daily.
The principal goals of the programme are:
• Lowering the cost of hydrogen: Currently, hydrogen is four times as expensive to produce as gasoline (when produced from its most affordable source, natural gas). FreedomFUEL seeks to lower that cost enough to make fuel cell cars cost-competitive with conventional gasoline-powered vehicles by 2010; and to advance the methods of producing hydrogen from renewable resources, nuclear energy, and even coal.
• Creating effective hydrogen storage: Current hydrogen storage systems are inadequate for use in the wide range of vehicles that consumers demand.
• Creating affordable hydrogen fuel cells: Currently, fuel cells are ten times more expensive than internal combustion engines. The FreedomCAR Initiative is working to reduce the cost to affordable levels.
"With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen and pollution free," Bush said in his speech.
Published on Wednesday, January 29, 2003
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