Jalopnik: department of energy

Fisker Granted $528 Million Loan By Feds To Develop “Low-Cost” Plug-In Hybrid

Wes Siler — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EDT

The DoE just gave Fisker a $528 million loan, part of which will bring the Fisker Karma to market in 2010, while most will go to Project NINA, a $39,900 (after tax credits) plug-in hybrid. [Fisker]

Tesla Gets Full $465 Million In Federal Loans

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:55:00 EDT

The Department of Energy just announced electric automaker Tesla will get the full $465 million in Federal loans it asked for. Ford will receive $5.9 billion and Nissan will get $1.6 billion. America will get three I.O.U.'s. [AP]

Government May Delay $25 Billion For Automakers Until Mid-2010

Andrew Stoy — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Apparently the Department of Energy is really slow when it comes to writing checks, as the Detroit News now reports that Detroit automakers may not get their recently approved loan packages until mid-way through 2010. DOE spokesperson Healy Baumgardner said "there are a number of legal and administrative requirements with which the Department must comply, such as the National Environmental Policy Act, we anticipate it could take at least 6 to 18 months or more, after necessary funds are appropriated." Which, of course, is a bureaucratic way of saying "red tape." Not surprisingly, the news didn't sit well with Michigan lawmakers and representatives from the Detroit Three, who had been laboring under the impression that checks would be cut as early as January 2009.

US Representative John Dingell of Dearborn, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said, "It appears that DOE is making excuses for its own anticipated failures. If DOE is asking for vigorous oversight to ensure it performs its duties, we will be happy to oblige." Snap!

As it turns out, though, Dingell has a basis for frustration. The Detroit News also reports that the loan program was authorized in the Energy Act passed in December 2007, but the Energy Department didn't begin writing the regulations until late August. Additionally, DOE has yet to provide any funds for a $2 billion advanced energy program approved in 2005, despite picking 26 finalists almost a year ago. Your government at work, folks: Filling out forms in triplicate while automakers wait for funding that's already been approved. [Detroit News; Photo Credit: AP]

Researchers Continue Attempts To Turn Car Exhaust Into Power

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:40:00 EDT

The Department of Energy is funding research at GM and BMW, along with several partner universities, into a little-known technology called the thermoelectric generator. Internal combustion engines use a grand total of maybe 25-30% of the energy contained in gasoline for actual propulsion. Everything else is wasted running accessories, being consumed by friction and drag, or gets tossed into the wastebasket of exhaust heat loss. A thermoelectric generator takes advantage of the exhaust heat and uses it to make electricity — a delicious excited electron broth you can use for all kinds of recipes.

GM, BMW and its university partners aren't so much working on developing the technology as they are trying to shrink it — the original systems were developed 12 years ago by the government and tested on heavy diesel applications. They work by utilizing a dipole metallic medium which is heated on one side, exciting electrons which then flow to the cool side of the device. When the device is attached to an exhaust system, the energy created can reduce the drag on the alternator, allowing less engine drag and increasing fuel economy. The result on your average suburban goliath — 1 MPG. Neat-o kids! Hugely complicated technology with a result which can be bested by extra tire pressure and speed tape. [DetNews]

Plug It In, Plug It In: Plug-in Hybrids No Problem for Power Grid, Says DOE

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 14:46:39 EST

According to the US Department of ~~Ex—Oil Company Executives~~ Energy in a new report yet to be published, the tangle of Christmas-tree lights known as the power grid can handle an upsurge in plug-in hybrids lickety split. The report, via The Car Connection, points out that by employing off-peak energy production via existing capacity, the grid could support 84 percent of the US's 220 million vehicles for their daily commute if such vehicles were plug-in hybrids — though Eastern and Midwest states have enough surplus capacity to power 100 percent plug-in hybrids in those areas. The bad news is that emissions from coal-fired powerplants would increase in the near term, though the report suggests increased demand would spur the building of more, cleaner-coal plants. We're starting to really feel for those poor grandma-molesting Enron utility traders, gone before the party even started. – Mike Spinelli

[via The Car Connection]

Related:
BREAKING: GM to Produce Plug-in Hybrid Vue [internal]

DOE Reports Power Grid Can Fuel Millions Of Plug-Ins, No Word On Whether GM Will Kill It

Ray Wert — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:47:03 EST

According to a Department of Energy (DOE) study released today, the nation's power grids can fuel millions of plug-in electric cars, and it estimated that if

"84% of the nation's 220 million vehicles relied primarily on electricity, emissions of carbon dioxide...would be cut by as much as 5%."

Wow, five whole percentage points — come on guys, let's all switch now! Oh wait, there's more,

"although vehicle-produced smog would drop in major cities...sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, would rise in rural areas where coal-burning power plats are located."

D'oh! The report does peg the total number of plug-ins the grid can sustain at somewhere around 180 million. Unfortunately, it doesn't tell us whether we'd also be able to turn on light bulbs or watch television with all of those electric cars plugged in. Therefore, I've no plans to trade in my gas-guzzler just yet because I'm trying to do my part for all of those people out there who want to read and watch porn at night — you know, for the kids. – Ray Wert

U.S. Finds Electric Power Grid Can Fuel Fleets of Plug-In Cars (sub. req.) [WSJ]