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Ethanol Savings Run Out of Gas

Gasoline prices are bad enough, but what’s up with these ethanol prices? That’s what readers wanted to know this past week. I’ve written over the summer that ethanol offered a competitive alternative to gas, even though it delivers a bit less fuel mileage. But that’s not true lately. E85 ? the 85 percent ethanol blend hyped as a new domestic alternative to imported fossil fuels ? is running by my tally at about 20 cents less to as much as 40 cents more than unleaded regular, depending on the gas station and area of the country. A cursory survey showed prices for a gallon of e85, made from grain alcohol, ranged from $2.19 to $2.79, while unleaded regular sold for $2.38 to $2.55. (That was before Hurricane Rita-related price hikes.) That’s a far cry from May, when a gallon of e85 sold for as little as $1.69, which at the time was about 60 cents below the price of unleaded regular. That made it a bargain for consumers with flexible-fuel cars that could accommodate the high-octane ethanol blend. All late-model cars can use the more available 10 percent ethanol blend. So what happened? Industry experts say unexpected demand sucked up […]

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UQM Technologies System Selected for U.S. Army Future Heavy Truck Demonstrator

UQM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (Amex: UQM) has been selected by Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc. (NYSE: SVC) to provide a UQM hybrid electric propulsion system for use on a U.S. Army future heavy truck demonstrator. The custom UQM hybrid electric propulsion system is being provided in support of the Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems, LP (TVS) recently announced contract award to develop a prototype as part of the U.S. Army’s evaluation of a next generation tactical wheeled vehicle. The Stewart & Stevenson contract, which is part of the Army’s Future Tactical Truck System (FTTS) effort, extends the current National Automotive Center’s Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle (MSV) modeling and simulation program to prototype stage. The FTTS is being built to support Future Force units equipped with the Future Combat Systems (FCS). The MSV program will allow the U.S. Army to evaluate the need and performance requirements for a future tactical vehicle that eventually could satisfy both the heavy and medium fleet. “We are pleased to be part of the Stewart & Stevenson TVS team win and to have the opportunity to provide an advanced UQM hybrid electric propulsion system as part of the US Army’s Future Tactical Truck System program,” said William […]

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