TEXT SIZE By: GEORGE MATTAR
Burlington County Times
The days of filling up the old gas guzzler may be over sooner than you think, as the United States grows weary of relying on foreign countries for about 70 percent of its fuel.

Carmakers say they have the technology, but the big oil companies have steadfastly refused to build natural gas refueling stations in any large number and many Americans refuse to give up gas-guzzling SUVs and other large vehicles.

Still, there is some movement toward alternative-fueled vehicles.

New Jersey government has replaced about 335 gas-burning vehicles with hybrids, natural gas-powered and E85 ethanol-powered vehicles, according to Tim Greeley, spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

"All of our sedan and SUV purchases we have made since (March 2008) have been hybrids. If and when a hybrid minivan is available under contract, we will purchase them as well," Greeley said.

Electric

Environment New Jersey spokesman Matt Elliott says the most efficient vehicle for the next five to 10 years is a fully electric vehicle.

"Even if we have to charge them off the current electric grid, there are far fewer emissions than the current internal combustion engines. Hands down, they are the cleanest cars. The challenges will be developing infrastructure to recharge the vehicles," Elliott said.

"We have the rest areas on our major roads where you can buy fuel. We need to put in charging stations for the electric cars. We need to build charging stations anywhere there are large parking lots, such as malls and office complexes," he said.

Natural gas

Honda makes a natural gas vehicle that costs $25,000 and you get an automatic $4,000 tax credit when you buy one, said Barry Carr, who is a subcontractor consultant for Honda in its alternative-fuel division.

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"They've sold about 10,000 of them since 1998, mostly to fleet sales. There just isn't the public infrastructure to make them practical for public use yet, but that is changing," Carr said.

He cited 32 such fueling stations in New York state alone. Only 140 of Honda's 1,000 dealers have technicians trained to service the natural gas vehicles. Of that number, one is nearby at Marty Sussman Honda in Willow Grove, Pa., he said.

Carr said he drives one of the vehicles and gets about 40 mpg. But the real savings is that natural gas costs about 85 cents per gallon compared with a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

Bio-diesel

Another alternative fuel for diesel-powered cars and trucks is bio-diesel, which is being made in a pilot program by a Bucks County-based company on the Delaware River, just across from Burlington City.

Biofuel Advanced Research & Development began producing bio-diesel from algae, which it grows in a controlled environment in Falls, Pa.

Company CEO Surajit Khanna hopes to employ 640 people and produce 60 million gallons of bio-diesel annually by 2013.

And the best part is that no raw materials, other than wastewater and carbon dioxide, are used to grow the algae. The only waste product is 99.9 percent water, Khanna said.

Contact: gmattar@phillyBurbs.com or 215-949-4165

August 10, 2010 01:50 AM



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