NEWS BRIEFS FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 9, 2006

Elvis Hoffpauir, MACS Worldwide president (left), presents Marine Gunnery Sergeant Joshua Draper with the association's Simon Oulouhojian Technical Achievement Award.
(Photo: MACS Worldwide)

ORLANDO, FL (Jan. 31, 2006) - Gunnery Sergeant Joshua Draper, USMC, was honored with the Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Simon Oulouhojian Technical Achievement Award at the association's 26th Annual Convention and Trade Show. 

Created to honor the legacy of MACS co-founder, mobile air conditioning (A/C) industry leader and technical training advocate Simon Oulouhojian, Sr., the Technical Achievement award recognizes and encourages efforts by mobile A/C industry service technicians that attain a high level of technical knowledge and proficiency. 

Gunnery Sergeant Draper is MACS certified and is a Section 609 MACS Proctor Trainer, helping to certify fellow U.S. Marines in refrigerant recovery and recycling and A/C field repair. 

(Source: MACS Worldwide)

WASHINGTON (Jan. 10, 2006) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised how it calculates fuel economy ratings for new cars and trucks, the first changes in two decades. 

The Agency says the proposed revisions will improve the estimates to better reflect real-world driving conditions today, such as higher speed limits, greater traffic congestion and more use of power-hungry accessories, such as air conditioning. The new proposed rules are expected to have the effect of reducing the expected mileage by 10 to 20 percent in city driving with conventional vehicles; hybrid vehicles could see reduction of nearly 30 percent.

EPA will use the results from three tests it currently uses on new vehicles but that have not been part of the previous ratings. These will incorporate high speed driving, the use of air conditioning and operation in cold temperature - all less than ideal fuel economy conditions, but typical of real-world experience. The new methods will take effect for model year 2008 vehicles, which will generally be available for sale in fall of 2007.

The Agency also is proposing an across-the-board adjustment to better account for other conditions that can affect fuel economy but that aren't included in the tests, such as road grade, wind, tire pressure, load and the effects of different fuel properties. EPA advises that even with improved estimates, "actual fuel economy will vary because no test can ever account for all individual driving styles, vehicle maintenance practices and road conditions."

To more clearly convey fuel economy information to consumers, EPA is proposing to change the design and text of the window sticker itself. Four options are under consideration. 

The Agency is providing a 60-day public comment period on the proposal. The proposal and information about how to submit comments are available at EPA's Web site.

None of the changes proposed today affect the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT, along with the National Highway and Safety Transportation Administration, will continue to conduct the same tests it has in the past, using separate requirements for the test methods and procedures for determining fuel economy values under CAFE. 

(Source: EPA)

WASHINGTON (Jan. 13, 2006) - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of the Treasury have provided guidance titled "Notice 2006-09" on a process that auto mobile manufacturers can use to certify the amount of credit the purchaser of a hybrid or lean burn vehicle can claim. Taxpayers who are purchasing these vehicles will be able to rely on the manufacturer's certification when they claim the credit on their tax return.

The tax credit for hybrid vehicles, which was enacted by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, may be as much as $3,400 for those who purchase the most fuel-efficient vehicles. The guidance provides a certification process for qualifying hybrid vehicles and advanced lean-burn technology motor vehicles. The full text of Notice 2006-09 can be viewed on the IRS Web site.

There is one stipulation in the notice: Taxpayers may claim the full amount of the allowable credit, but only up to the end of the first calendar quarter after a manufacturer records its sale of its 60,000th hybrid and advanced lean-burn technology motor vehicle. Consumers seeking the credit may want to buy early in the year.

For other vehicles qualifying for a credit under the Energy Policy Act - fuel cell vehicles, alternate energy vehicles and heavy truck hybrids - the IRS says it will issue guidance providing certification procedures in the near future.

(Source: IRS)

DIAMOND BAR, CA - The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) announced that legislation to create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles and provide for special license plates for these vehicles has been introduced in New Hampshire. 

Sponsored by State Senator Rob Boyce, the SEMA-model bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom vehicle as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The measure also allows kit cars and replica vehicles to be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model year designation as the production vehicle it most closely resembles. 

Similar SEMA-model bills have already been enacted into law in Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Montana and Rhode Island. 

(Source: SEMA)

WASHINGTON - The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) commended Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) for his efforts related to and for his support of the rewrite of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, "for lighting, reflective devices and associated equipment." 

FMVSS 108 sets minimum safety performance standards applicable to all motor vehicles and automotive lighting equipment in the United States. The standard has been amended frequently by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the past 30 years. As a result, says MEMA, FMVSS 108 became very difficult to understand and interpret, which made enforcement of the standard increasingly more difficult.

(Source: MEMA)

DETROIT (Jan. 12, 2006) - After co-sponsoring the 11th Annual Ward's 10 Best Engines Awards, CEO Gary Rogers of FEV Engine Technology says the emerging fuel-saving technologies seen there present both opportunities and challenges. This year's award winners were the manufacturers who incorporated vehicle technology that hit a home run with the targeted North American market. 

"That's much more challenging than simply hitting power and torque targets," said Rogers.

Rogers pointed to emerging technologies that serve as prime examples: gasoline direct-injection engines, advanced valve deactivation, variable valve timing, variable valve lift systems, camless electro-mechanical valve trains, and various hybrid configurations. For companies that are developing systems to balance shifting consumer demand with increasing fuel economy improvement, performance and drivability, automakers, suppliers and the aftermarket will have to contend with these technologies for some time.

Diesel engine technology shouldn't be ignored, Rogers suggests. He noted the historically higher prices for fuel in Europe as being a factor in consumer demands there, and that recent sales successes of diesel-powered passenger vehicles in the United States indicate that greater acceptance is occurring here. He added, "The diesel engine's strong low-end torque makes it ideal for the vehicle sizes and driving conditions in North America."

The advent of cleaner low-sulfur diesel fuel, improved diesel engine performance advances, particulate filters and emissions treatment systems are factors that could shift consumer preferences over time. While Rogers conceded that advanced diesel engines cost more than advanced gasoline engines, he noted that they are much less expensive than hybrid electric systems. Consumers, such as those looking to balance expense with return on the investment, may lean to diesel as the alternative of choice. 

(Source: FEV Engine Technology)

ANN ARBOR, MI (January 12, 2006) - Using building blocks that make up ordinary plastics, but putting them together in a whole new way, University of Michigan researchers have created a class of lightweight, rigid polymers they predict will be useful for storing hydrogen fuel. This new material is known as covalent organic frameworks (COFs). "This is the first step to what we think is going to be a very large and useful class of materials," said Adrien C