Green Machines Road Trip

A Green Vue

After getting back to Michigan, we sat down to reflect on our experience with the Saturn Vue “Green Line”, which was very graciously loaned to us by Darius Sivin, member of UAW Local 1981 and staffer in the UAW’s Health and Safety Department.

The EPA estimates that the Saturn Vue “Green Line” should get a combined (hwy./city) fuel mileage of 29 mpg.  We expected that our mileage would be somewhat lower than that because we drove in some severe cold temperatures and on some pretty slippery roads.  Plus, we understand that NiMH batteries, like the one in the Vue, don’t often work as well in cold temperatures (more on the challenges for hybrid batteries in our “Plugs-ins in Minnesota?” post). EPA will be revising its fuel economy ratings for the 2008 model year to better account for these “real world” conditions. After tallying all our fill-ups, we calculated an average fuel-economy of 25 mpg over about 2000 miles.

Saving Oil and Greening Fleets in Michigan

Along our way, we listened as President Bush delivered his State of the Union address where he laid out his goal of a 75% reduction in America's use of Mideast oil.  While we certainly agree with the goal, we have our doubts about the plan to actually get us there.  Let's just say that the administration's track record for addressing the nation's "addiction to oil" has been somewhat less than stellar.  That's why our Green Machines Tour is asking for your help in calling on Congress to take stronger action to "Save Oil and Save Jobs."

Back home in Michigan, on a cold January day, we met with some of the people that are taking action to save oil.  The Ann Arbor area Clean Cities Coalition has been one of the leaders of the Green Fleets movement.  We met at the City of Ann Arbor's fleet garage where fleet services manager Tom Gibbons operates his fleet of nearly 400 vehicles, most of which use renewable and alternative fuels.  Tom showed off his super-sized "bio-diesel" tank and fueling station, which uses a minimum of 20% bio-diesel in colder months, and up to 50% blends of the renewable diesel fuel in the summer.  The City also runs part of its fleet on clean-burning natural gas (CNG), and also maintains a public CNG filling station.  While it plans on adding E-85 "flex-fuel" vehicles in the future, the City currently uses a 10% blend of ethanol in all its gasoline-powered vehicles. 

Significant to the City's progress was passage of a Green Fleets policy in 2004 that set a 10% reduction goal of gasoline and diesel fuel use by 2012.  According to the City's Energy Coordinator, Dave Konkle, the City had already surpassed this goal in 2006, achieving an 11% reduction.  Konkle also estimates reduced greenhouse gas emissions of 7%.  In addition to the City's use of renewable and alternative fuels, savings have also been achieved through fleet downsizing and the purchase of vehicles with higher fuel economy. 

Its not just the City that has been greening fleets in the Ann Arbor area.  Sean Reed now manages the local coalition that also includes the University of Michigan, Washtenaw County, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, and a host of other public and private fleet operators.  Notably, the University of Michigan has been one of the early pioneers in the use of E-85 and biodiesel, with one of the largest fleets (over 400) of flex-fuel vehicles anywhere in the country.  All in all, area Clean Cities partners have put more than 1,850 renewable or alternative-fuel vehicles on the roads in Washtenaw County, displacing more than 1,300,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel. 

34,000 Jobs for Michigan

We finally made it back home to Michigan, and spent today meeting with UAW leadership up at Region 1C in Lansing.  Members up there are real excited about the new assembly plant in Delta Township that builds GM’s crossovers: the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.

Watch video clips of our interviews with Region 1C Director Duane Zuckschwerdt and other UAW leaders!

The new plant and vehicles in it are really a success story for the region. Doug Rademacher, President of UAW Local 602 informed us that they’re the biggest vehicles on the road that achieve 25 mpg.  They have all the bells and whistles of a BMW SUV, but they seat more people (8 max), get higher fuel economy, and are $20,000-$30,000 cheaper. As Doug said, “What more could you ask for?”

From our end, we were especially interested to learn about all the advanced technology in the crossovers and where it’s coming from. 

Green Manufacturing in Ohio

This morning we were in Toledo, Ohio, meeting with Lloyd Mahaffey, Director of UAW Region 2B.  Lloyd told us about initiatives in Ohio that are aimed at generating jobs in the green manufacturing sector, and mentioned some really innovative ideas.  He talked about a landfill located adjacent to Chrysler’s Jeep plant in Toledo that is burning methane.  He envisions producing ethanol from the methane and using it to fuel Jeeps as they come of the line.  With the Jeep plant producing 300,000 Jeeps per year and filling them with 10 gallons of fuel each, that’s a lot of ethanol that would create a bunch of jobs in the neighborhood.  He also envisions using geo-thermal or wind energy to help power a plant in Maumee that is scheduled to shut down.  That technology could significantly reduce energy costs at the plant and might make the facility more desirable to potential investors. 

We also talked to Lloyd about a Ford Transmission plant in Sharonville that is producing advanced six-speeds that help save fuel.  Ford is looking to expand production, since the new transmissions are being used in so many of the company’s new and upcoming models.  Mexico offered Ford $90 million in incentives to build the transmission there. Lloyd is hoping that the newly elected officials in Ohio and Congress will step up and make an effort to attract those kinds of green manufacturing jobs by offering similar incentives.

With energy and global warming becoming increasingly important economic and political issues, we were thrilled to see a leader like Lloyd with so many innovate ideas and taking real initiative to move things forward.  And, were also pleased to see him take action by signing our pledge.

Hybrids in Indianapolis

We spent today in Indianapolis, visiting folks at GM’s Allison Transmission Division.  Allison makes transmissions for commercial and military applications, including transit buses. The division was the first to discover the advantages of a parallel hybrid system (as apposed to a series hybrid), and developed the system 5 years ago for use in transit buses.  In recent years, the division has gone a step further and re-engineered its system to be used in GM’s light-duty cars and trucks.  The first application of the new two-mode hybrid system will be launched later this year on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, and will be featured next year on DaimlerChrysler’s Dodge Durango.  When meeting with the hybrid team in Indianapolis, we were not only amazed at the amount of development work and the “get it done” spirit that exists within the facility, but also by the team’s pure enthusiasm over its product and belief that it is future of the auto industry.

Since beginning production in 2003, Allison has made 588 deliveries of its hybrid transit system and is by far the industry leader in the segment.  Their product is operating in 46 North American cities, as well as Shanghai, Dresden and other places across the globe.  Worldwide interest is growing rapidly, and fleets in France, Austria, Istanbul, Switzerland and elsewhere are showing interest in purchasing their own.

And while these buses sure have environmental advantages, there is a whole host of other features that make them ideal for communities everywhere. 

Flex-Fuel SUVs in Janesville, WI

Today we stopped near the Wisconsin–Illinois border to visit GM’s Janesville Assembly plant, which builds the Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Chevy Suburban.  We were greeted by leadership from UAW Local 95, who were interested to learn more about the kinds of fuel-efficient technologies we are promoting and the chances of GM actually making the Chevy Volt plug-in electric concept vehicle that debuted at the North American Auto Show last week. 

The SUVs being built in Janesville now are pretty efficient, for what they are.  They are among the class leaders in terms of fuel-economy, so if you need to haul large or heavy loads, they really are a pretty good choice.  The standard engine on 4x4 models is flex-fuel, so it can run on corn grown right in Wisconsin.  In fact, GM makes the majority of flex-fuel vehicles offered in the US.  Currently there are 27 flex-fuel models on the market, 25 of them are made by domestic companies, 14 are made by GM. (To learn more about GM's flex-fuel vehicles, visit its Live Green - Go Yellow website.)

The engine also uses an Active Fuel Management system that shuts half the engine’s cylinders down when driving conditions are light.  If you get the Denali version of the Yukon, it comes with a new six-speed that helps make the vehicle a little more efficient.

Crossovers Bring Jobs to Belvidere, IL

We made our way back to Illinois today, and stopped off this morning in Belvidere to meet Mr. Thomas Littlejohn, President of UAW Local 1268.  Before we got there we thought we already knew the story about Belvidere’s newly renovated assembly plant, but it turns out there was even more good news there than we had thought.

Watch video clips of our interviews with President Littlejohn and other UAW leaders!

DaimlerChrysler’s Belvidere Assembly plant makes three new crossover vehicles: the Dodge Caliber, the Jeep Compass, and as of this month, the Jeep Patriot.  All three come with continuously variable transmissions (which save fuel and provide a smoother ride than conventional 4, 5 or 6-speed transmissions) and efficient engines with dual-variable valve timing  (that are built by UAW Local 723 in Dundee, MI).  These advanced technologies make all three vehicles capable of 30 mpg.

We had heard that Chrysler created a bunch of jobs at the plant when they renovated to build the new crossovers last year, but didn’t know all the details.  We found out today that union employment at the plant went from 1700 before the renovations to 3600 after.  In addition, we also found out that an entire supplier park was created in the surrounding neighborhoods and now employs 2900 workers, all of whom have been organized in the past year.  That’s 4800 new jobs in the Belvidere area – what an enormous impact that must have on the local economy!  And that’s only the direct manufacturing jobs; there must also be thousands of new in-direct jobs, for example at local diners and construction companies.

President Littlejohn also mentioned that the state played a big role in enticing DaimlerChrysler to re-invest in the plant by offering millions in tax incentives.  He said Governor Blagojevich and the local government have been some of the UAW’s strongest allies in the region.  If state policies made such a big difference in Illinois, imagine what federal policies could! 

Take Action! Tell Congress to encourage more investments like this one!

For more information on these crossovers , visit the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot websites.

Plug-ins in Minnesota?

One of the other meetings we attended while in St. Paul was the Legislative Task Force on Plug- in Electric Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV).  The Task Force was established by the legislature last year to identify barriers to plug-in hybrid vehicles and possible financial incentives to encourage Ford to produce such vehicles at its St. Paul plant. 

Plug-in hybrids are an advanced form of hybrid vehicle that allow for extended driving in an all-electric mode.  They do this by incorporating a larger battery pack and the ability to plug-in to an electric outlet to recharge the batteries.  Electric-drive offers the potential for more efficient use of energy to move the vehicle, though this partly depends on the energy source for the electric power used to charge the batteries (e.g. dirtly coal plants v. renewable energy like wind or hydropower).

Chatting with UAW Region 4 in Illinois

On our way up to St. Paul, we made a quick stop yesterday afternoon just north of Chicago to chat with Dennis Williams, Director of UAW Region 4. Brother Dennis’ region covers a large portion of the Midwest, including members that work at auto plants that we plan to visit in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Mr. Williams has been working closely with policy makers throughout his region who are promoting advanced auto technologies and biofuels. He spoke to us about new legislative activities, the closing of Ford’s Twin Cities plant in St. Paul, and some new eco-technologies being built in his region. Check it out!

What is a Green Machine?