Bush's push for plug-in and hybrid vehicles

President Bush's State of the Union Address, delivered yesterday meets the goal of delivering alternative energy and directly new electric batteries:

"We need to press on with battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles"

But even more important than this general goal, Los Angeles Times says that today, through an executive order, President Bush:

"ordered the government today to move toward purchasing hybrid-powered vehicles and reducing the federal fleet's petroleum consumption by 2% each year through 2015.

The executive order, consolidating earlier ones while setting new goals, follows his call in the State of the Union address Tuesday night for the nation to reduce its overall use of gasoline by 20% over 10 years. (...)

His executive order is intended to put the federal government, which Bush noted operates the nation's largest automobile fleet, in the position of trying to lead by example, White House officials said.

Bush said the government was being directed to purchase plug-in hybrid vehicles, which he said could be driven 20 miles before their batteries were drained and the engines needed to switch over to more conventional power. But he said the purchases only could be made when the vehicles are commercially available.

He said, however, that the potential federal market for such cars might increase the confidence of automobile manufacturers that a market for such new technology products could be developed, thus making them more commercially viable." [bold's mine]

Well, there are full electric vehicles already available: Phoenix Motorcars's...


Disclaimer: I owe shares of Altair Nanotechnologies, which has struck a deal to get 16.6% of Phoenix Motorcars.

GM announces hybrid SUV with lithium ion batteries

Rick Wagoner, GM Chairman and CEO, has said on November, 29:

"GM Announces Intention to Produce Plug-in Hybrid SUV
Saturn Vue Green Line Will Use Modified 2-mode Hybrid System, Lithium Ion Battery
LOS ANGELES – General Motors Corp. intends to produce a Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid that has the potential to achieve double the fuel efficiency of any current SUV, the automaker announced at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.
This hybrid SUV will use a modified version of GM’s 2-mode hybrid system and plug-in technology, a Lithium Ion battery pack when ready, highly efficient electronics and powerful electric motors to achieve significant increases in fuel economy.
“GM has begun work on a Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid production vehicle,” said Rick Wagoner, GM Chairman and CEO. “The technological hurdles are real, but we believe they are also surmountable. I can’t give you a production date for our plug-in hybrid today. But I can tell you that this is a top priority program for GM, given the huge potential it offers for fuel-economy improvement.”
A plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle differs from non-plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles by offering extended electric-only propulsion, additional battery capacity and the ability to be recharged from an external electrical outlet.
The Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid is expected to offer electric-only propulsion for more than 10 miles."

So, GM doesn't have the lithium ion battery technology yet. Which will be the supplier?

GM and electric batteries

As a comentator suggests here, I also think that the electric batteries will gain the race over the fuel cells.

The comment, albeit anonymous, stresses that GM has made a recent move to the development of electric batteries over its previous choice - the fuel cells. As a matter of fact, Bob Lutz, GM vice-president, has said so in June, 2006 in an interview to Automative News: "Tom Stephens (group vice president of GM Powertrain), Rick Wagoner and I believe in the ultimate electrification of the automobile". Furthermore, Bob Lutz said that "(A) series hybrid could run primarily on electricity from lithium ion batteries, with an engine as backup to replenish the batteries". And recently, as Horse Power Sports notices, has mantained that "executives think electric vehicles are the future".

It seems that the future is knocking GM's door (and the other majors). And its name seems to be lithium ion batteries. Now, let's us see if they open the door. And which will be the supplier of the lithium ion batteries.