| Freedom CAR: Goodbye Gasoline, says DOE | |
|
Dateline: Jan. 22, 2002
The corner gas station will become the corner hydrogen station, and America's motorists will motor cheaply and environmentally clean if the Department of Energy's "Freedom CAR" program succeeds.
Project Freedom CAR, announced by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham at the Detroit Auto Show, replaces the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) program. [Text of Speech]
Under C-A-R (Cooperative Automotive Research), the Department of Energy and auto makers Ford, General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler will join in a public-private partnership to develop technologies for hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles that will require no foreign oil and emit no harmful pollutants or greenhouse gases.
"In keeping with the President's National Energy Plan, I am pleased to announce a new public-private partnership between my department and the nation's automobile manufacturers to promote the development of hydrogen as a primary fuel for cars and trucks, as part of our effort to reduce American dependence on foreign oil," Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said.
"Under this new program, which we call Freedom CAR, the government and the private sector will fund research into advanced, efficient fuel cell technology which uses hydrogen to power automobiles without creating any pollution. The long-term results of this cooperative effort will be cars and trucks that are more efficient, cheaper to operate, pollution-free and competitive in the showroom. This plan is rooted in President Bush's call, issued last May in our National Energy Plan, to reduce American reliance on foreign oil through a balance of new domestic energy production and new technology to promote greater energy efficiency," Abraham said.
Despite advances in the development and sales of electric and hybrid electric-gasoline vehicles, 95 percent of America's transportation sector remains dependent on petroleum, with transportation consuming 67 percent of all petroleum used in the United States. Perhaps even more significant, America's dependence on foreign oil has continued to increase, with some 10 million barrels of imported oil -- per day -- now required to meet the demand.
Fuel cell technology and mass production of vehicles powered by hydrogen produced domestically from renewable sources will be the main focus of Freedom CAR research. Other CAR teams will work in parallel to develop the hydrogen-delivery system necessary to support a nationwide fleet of next-generation vehicles. In other words, the corner hydrogen station. In addition, CAR will continue to support petroleum-based technologies that have shown potential to significantly reduce oil consumption and its related impact on the environment.
To consumers, Freedom CAR promises cheaper transportation. "Families will no longer have to factor in the cost of gasoline in their budgets, in their vacation plans, or in what type of vehicle they buy." said Secretary Abraham. " The gas-guzzler will be a thing of the past."
