Posted on 03/08/2008 9:52:20 AM PST by bjs1779
President Bush toured a display of Volvo renew- able- energy vehicles March 5 at the AB Volvo Group booth at the International Renewable Energy Conference in Washington.
The trucks are designed to run on a variety of renewable fuels, ranging from natural and synthetic biodiesel that can run in today’s engines to more exotic liquid and gas fuels that would require vehicle modifications to make them practical, clean and efficient. Refinery and distribution networks also would have to be built.
Mack, a Volvo brand, showed off a heavy-duty electric hybrid dump truck designed to recover energy from the brakes and exhaust to run engine accessories and help in acceleration.
After receiving a tour of the booth from Volvo AB Chairman Leif Johansson and Mack Trucks President and CEO Paul Vikner, Bush gave the conference’s keynote address.
“The more sources of energy we have, the less influence any one of them, such as oil, has over the United States’ security and prosperity,” Bush said. “Renewable fuels are some of the most promising new sources of energy because they are clean and because they can be regenerated.”
“The United States is serious about climate change,” Bush said. “But we need an effective international agreement that is result-oriented. No country should get a free ride.”
The most well-publicized such international agreement, the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, was never submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification by either the Clinton or Bush administrations, partially because it exempts the world’s second largest emitter of carbon dioxide after the United States: China.
Bush noted the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates the production of various renewable fuels as well as improved efficiency for automobiles, lighting, and appliances.
Critics argue the mandates don’t go far enough, and California has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in an attempt to implement stricter rules on motor-vehicle emissions.
At a press conference held later at the Volvo booth, Johansson joined Maud Olofsson, Swedish minister for enterprise and energy, and Andy Karsner, assistant U.S. energy secretary, in describing the progress made by Volvo and Mack in developing alternative-energy vehicles, a project undertaken in a joint agreement between the U.S. and Swedish governments.
I'm looking forward to the day when we can send a nice, polite diplomatic message to the sheiks: "See sand. Go pound."
What next ... the Vagina Monologues?
Volvo has a reputation for safety - but I wonder if these new hybrids are made lighter, like new cars, for added fuel efficiency? Which would also make them less safe in a crash
Hmmm.
Where do you think electricity comes from?
Clue: Fossil fuels.
And the efficiency of converting fossil fuel to electricity, transmitting the electricity, charging batteries, then running a truck off the batteries:
How do you suppose that compares to the efficiency of simply running the truck engine on fossil fuel?
If you said, "Very poorly," you're almost as smart as a fifth-grader...
Volvo cars, that is: and they're owned and run by Ford.
Keep in mind Volvo Trucks are a totally separate company, and not near the top of U.S. truck manufacturers.
Nope:
The purpose of trucks is to carry stuff, and you can't do that unless you're strong enough to hold the "stuff" up.
Oh, man. I quickly scanned the headline and thought the President was at the V-Monologues.
Sure sign my brain’s fried......
“Volvo cars, that is: and they’re owned and run by Ford.”
Keep in mind Volvo Trucks are a totally separate company, and not near the top of U.S. truck manufacturers.”
- A lot of people are unaware of this fact, just like few seem to realize there exists no company by the name “Panasonic” (just one of many brands owned by Matsushita Ltd.).
Greetings from Gothenburg, Sweden, (nowadays) base of two corporations named “Volvo”.
I take it you're running your car on coal?
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