In This Issue:

FYI Newsletter Volume 7, Issue 15, August 27, 2002 

 

•

New to NEVC

Why I No Longer Support Alternative Fuels and Alternative Fuel Vehicles

-by Darwin J. Burkhart

Yes, it is true.  I have made a career out of alternative fuels and vehicles for the past ten years, have developed and managed several alternative fuel programs, have given many presentations and speeches on the topic and, along with several of my colleagues, have worked with local governments and businesses in implementing alternative fuels.  And, after all of this, I can no longer promote them.  In my opinion, it’s time to dump alternative fuels! 

Why the sudden change of mind?  Have I given up?  Am I suffering from burnout?   

Hardly.  I have just grown weary of how we market alternative fuels and the lingo that we use.  Let me explain by using some examples and I think this will speak for itself. 

1. The principal recommends that your son be placed in an alternative school because it will be better for him.
2. Your junior high student wants to borrow some money so she can buy the newest alternative music CD.
3. Your 18-year old daughter springs upon you that she will no longer be attending church on Sundays with the family because her friend has talked her into joining an alternative religious group.
4. Your doctor tells you that your ailment is curable and that he could treat it the usual way with conventional medicine or a new, alternative treatment…your choice.
5. You say to the fleet manager “I think you should go with alternative fuels and vehicles, you’ll like it much better than using conventional fuels.” 

Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemy.  In all of these examples, the word “alternative” brings up negative thoughts and feelings, or at least a lack of comfort.  In fact, I cannot think of one example where “alternative” means something positive or has pleasant thoughts associated with it.  The only possibility is “alternative fuels,” but I’m biased.  “Alternative” is often synonymous with experimental, unproven, demonstration, and test, and brings the guinea pig to mind.  You won’t find that in the dictionary, but that’s how it is perceived.  To the uninformed, this is how business or government leaders hear it and it’s definitely the perception of many fleet managers.  It is amazing that “alternative fuels” and “alternative fuel vehicles” have made it this far, and with the level of success they have enjoyed. 

But these fuels and vehicles are no longer alternative.  They are part of the mainstream and are available for fleets to use.  They are proven, reliable, safe, and used by many with much success.  Sure, they are relatively low in numbers, but the momentum continues to grow and I believe that now is the time to shed the inferior label we still use today.  Let’s recognize them for what they are and give them due respect.  After all, a hundred years ago, gasoline was the first major alternative fuel, but has long been regarded in conventional terms.  Alternative fuels deserve better from those that know them best.  And it’s time that those of us in the business change the lingo.  We need to find an alternative to “alternative.” 

This is all about marketing and perception.  We all need to be better marketers of these fuels and vehicles just by calling them something different but more accurate.  Chevrolet learned this lesson long ago with the Nova.  The old Chevy Nova was selling poorly in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries.  The reason?  The direct translation of  “no va” is “no go.”  Who wants to buy a car that doesn’t go? 

Why do more and more governments and businesses use ethanol, natural gas, propane, electricity, and biodiesel fuels?  Not because they are “alternative,” but because they are clean, green, domestic, renewable, less costly, and made in America.  Therefore, the terms clean fuels, domestic fuels, green fuels, renewable fuels, and American fuels seem more appropriate.  I use them all, interchangeably, and the response from a prospective fleet is much more positive than when calling them alternative fuels.  The term “alternative fuels” doesn’t tell them anything, but the other labels speak for themselves and are much more positive.  Then what do we do with our favorite acronym, AFV?  The “A” now stands for American.  So an AFV is an American Fuel Vehicle.  And after the wave of patriotism that has spread across our country since last Fall, who wouldn’t want to buy American Fuel Vehicles that run on one or more clean, green, domestic, renewable, American fuels?  And, more importantly, what member of Congress or a state legislature wouldn’t vote for American fuels and American Fuel Vehicles?  The alternative would be perceived as “un-American.”    

Darwin Burkhart  is the Chairman of the Chicago Area Clean Cities coalition and an advocate of American Fuel Vehicles (AFVs).  He can be reached at (217) 557-1441.     

Congress Returns in September

During the first week of September, both the Senate and House will reconvene for the final two months of the second session of the 107 Congress.  A number of important legislative actions remain to be accomplished in the short time remaining, including consideration of the HomeLand Security Administration, thirteen Appropriation Bills that are due on October 1, 2002, and maybe most importantly, consideration of a comprehensive Energy Bill.

The NEVC has been leading the effort advocating incentives that would reduce the price of E85 to that of gasoline on a “gasoline gallon equivalent.”  That is, with these new incentives, a driver purchasing $1.00 of gasoline and $1.00 of E85 would be able to drive an equal distance.  Remember that E85 has less energy content than gasoline, but these new incentives would “equalize” the cost. 

We strongly encourage you to contact your members of Congress, both your Senators and Congressman, and ask them to support the alternative fuel tax incentive provisions of the pending energy legislation.  To learn more information about the bill, click here.

Signs Remind Fleets to Use E85

What do Jefferson City, Denver, and Salt Lake City all have in common?  They are on the leading edge of the efforts to increase the use of  E85 as a form of alternative transportation fuel.  Signs are being posted in many parking lots within these state capitol cities reminding flexible-fuel fleet drivers that they should fuel with E85 according to Federal Executive Order 13149 and various state programs.

Using materials that were first developed by the General Services Administration in Minnesota, the NEVC provided  these first signs for fleet use four of which were sent to Denver and the other half were sent to Salt Lake City. An example of the sign is located to the right or you can view it by clicking here.

“Our plan is to encourage the use of E85 fuel in GSA fleet vehicles that are designed to run on this type of alternative fuel by placing signs in the area were these vehicles are parked on a regular basis,” said Mike Steffan, Denver’s GSA Fleet Manager.  “Since most of these areas are already clearly identified with signs that indicate ‘government vehicle parking only’ we believe that placing the E85 fuel reminder sign on the same sign-post will get the drivers' attention and possibly persuade them to use the E85 fuel.”

Paul Deppen, Salt Lake City’s GSA Fleet Manager, posted two signs at the Hill Air Force Base motor pool area.  The remaining two signs will be posted at the new E85 fueling site which will be located at 269 West 12300 South in Draper, Utah.

Missouri’s Departments of Transportation, Mental Health Natural Resources and Office of Administration unveiled their sample sign at the MO state fleet managers’ workshop in July.  “The signs are on a rush order so we should have them soon,” commented DNR Energy Specialist, Cindy Carroll.  An example of Missouri’s sign is located to the right or you can view it by clicking here. 

The NEVC thanks the GSA fleet managers in Denver and Salt Lake City and all the state employees in Missouri who are helping advance the use of E85 in American fleets!  Would similar signs be cost effective in your area?

- letter to The Jackson Times – Union by Robert P. Loftus

As we wage our war on terrorism, some of our enemies, like Iraq, have threatened to use Middle Eastern oil as a weapon against us.

If we are going to win this war, it is clear that we cannot be dependent on our enemies for something as important as energy. Saddam Hussein shouldn't have control over what we pay at the pump. Indeed, President Bush has stated we will not have homeland security until we have energy independence.

He's right. Until we have our own reliable sources of energy, American soldiers will be asked to offer their lives to protect our access to oil. While our troops are ready, willing and able to do whatever it takes to protect our security, we don't have to put them in harm's way, just so that we can buy oil from hostile countries. As a veteran, I know that paying for oil with blood is too high a price.

But, fortunately, there is one clear and immediate step we can take to help achieve energy independence. In this day and age, homegrown energy is the best kind of energy. That's why Congress is now looking for ways to produce energy domestically. There are a couple of ways to do this. And, one of those is ethanol.

Ethanol is as homegrown as they come. It's made out of corn, and it's added to gasoline, which extends our supply and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.

Ever since the 1970s and the Arab oil embargo, U.S. foreign oil dependence has grown tremendously. Today, we import more than half of our oil. But what is most frightening is that the fastest growing source of foreign oil is Iraq, which sends us 600,000 barrels of oil every day. This means we send Saddam $12 million a day, which adds up to $4.3 billion a year.

It's time for this to stop. Quite simply, the stakes for our country are too high to ignore. By using homegrown energy like ethanol, we can invest at home in America and send less of our hard-earned money to Iraq.

Right now, Congress is considering a bill that would do just that. The president has voiced his support for increased ethanol use. Even most of the big oil companies support using more ethanol. Now, it's time to get the job done. Washington needs to make this the law of the land.

This isn't a silver bullet. But, this will get us heading in the right direction. This will help us start fighting back. This will help us fight the war on terrorism and stop funding Saddam's war against us.

 Deciding on Refueling Locations

Ever wondered why an E85 refueling pump is located at a certain station?  Well, it may not be as random as you think.  Because of Federal Executive Order 13149 which states that the federal government must purchase alternative fuel vehicles and fuel with alternative fuels, the most obvious places to ground E85 pumps should be where most federal government FFV fleets already fuel or stations that are in close proximity to where the fleets run. 

The NEVC works closely with GSA, state and federal agencies to locate appropriate future E85 pump locations.  We acquire spreadsheets with information similar to below: 

MISSOURI TOP FUELING LOCATIONS OF STATE EMPLOYEES FOR JUNE 2002

MISSOURI TOP FUELING LOCATIONS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES FOR THIRD QUARTER

 

Participation Code	# of Invoices	Address	City
AAFES	748	Missouri Ave. Bldg. 170	Fort Leonard Wood
Conoco	604	649 E. Bannister Rd.	Kansas City
Texaco	445	9700 NW Polo Dr.	Kansas City
AAFES	299	410 3rd St.	Knob Noster
Shell	281	4903 Goodfellow	St. Louis
Sinclair	273	1708 Jesse James Road	Excelsior Springs
Citgo	262	Route 2 Box 2918	Wappapello
Mobil	242	203 Mid River Dr.	203 Mid River Dr.
Conoco	240	701 Eastland Dr.	Jefferson City
Phillips 66	221	6901 NW Barry Rd.	Kansas City
Shell	208	10691 St. Charles Rock Rd.	St. Ann
Mobil	194	122 St. Roberts Blvd.	Waynesville
Phillips 66	194	Hwy. 65 & Hwy. 7	Warsaw
Amoco	191	701 Russell	St. Louis
Shell	189	519 N. Main St.	Monroe City
Phillips 66	185	12421 Grandview Rd.	Grandview
Shell	174	2001 Richardson Rd.	Arnold
Conoco	164	1509 N. Scott Ave.	Belton
MFA	163	8314 Liberty Rd.	Jefferson City
Amoco	145	8787 N.W. 112th St.	Kansas City

By using both analysis, the above gives a good indication of where E85 fuel pumps can be placed.  This will further ensure success for the retailer in the use of E85.

To inquire more about the placement of E85 pumps, please contact the NEVC office at info@e85fuel.com or at (573) 635-8445.

NEW MEMBERS of the NEVC

The North Dakota Corn Growers Association and the Kentucky Corn Growers Association have both recently joined the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.  During the past several years, both North Dakota and Kentucky Corn Growers have been instrumental in developing new E85 fueling sites in their respective states and have led the efforts to educate the public regarding this excellent form of alternative transportation fuel.  In addition to these state corn grower associations, World Energy Company of Chelsea, Massachusetts has recently joined the NEVC.  World Energy is a leading supplier of E85 and biodiesel throughout the Northeast.  Additionally, Wyoming Ethanol, located in Torrington, Wyoming has joined the NEVC.

We would like to welcome these new organizations along with several new individual members.  Together we CAN make a difference!

 NEW to NEVC

Have you taken a look at our website lately?  Now you can be updated on E85 and ethanol news every day!  The NEVC has partnered with Moreover Technologies and added a headline section to our front page that will inform our web visitors on ethanol happenings around the nation.  Just click on the headline listed in red, and you will be forwarded to the original article published by a lead news line across the U.S.  Click here to see for yourself!

Also, don’t forget about supporting our clean fuel, E85, by joining our organization.  Click here to learn more!

NEVC Calendar

September 4, 2002
North Dakota Ethanol Workshop for Rural America at the Radisson Hotel in Bismarck, North Dakota.  For more information, call (701) 258-7700.

September 18, 2002
Designation of Greater Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities Coalition at Old Faithful at 9:30 a.m. in West Yellowstone, MT. For more information, contact (208) 529-1431.

September 26-27, 2002
Fuel Ethanol Thailand at the Regent Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. For more information, email abfbkk@loxinfo.co.th or email Nuchada Paradeevisut at nuchada@abf-asia.com.

October 6-8, 2002
National Association of Convenience Stores Show at the Orlando County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. For more information, visit http://www.cstorecentral.com/nacsshow/2002info.asp.  

October 15, 2002
Ethanol Workshop for Rural America at the Holiday Inn in Billings, MT.  Kickoff banquet on October 14 in the Stillwater Room of the Holiday Inn at 5500 Midland Rd.  For more information, visit http://www.ethanolmt.org.

October 22-26, 2002
2002 National Conference of State Fleet Administrators in Mystic, CT. For more information, contact (623) 772-9096.

October 28-30, 2002
2002 New Mexico Environmental Health Conference at the Historic Sheraton Old Town in Albuquerque, NM. For more information, visit www.nmehc.org.

February 17-19, 2003
8th Annual National Ethanol Conference: Policy and Marketing at the Camelback Inn Marriott Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, call BBI International at (800) 567-6411.

February 27 – March 1, 2003
2003 Commodity Classic at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. For more information, visit www.commodityclassic.com.

CONTACT US. . .

Please feel free to e-mail your story suggestions, comments, corrections or clarifications to us at info@e85fuel.com or call us toll free at 877-485-8595.

Phillip J. Lampert, Executive Director
info@e85.com

Michelle Saab, Director of Communications
info@e85.com

Randa Barker, Director of Administration
info@e85.com

You may view this FYI online by clicking here.
 

NEVC  promotes the use of 85 percent ethanol as a renewable form of alternative transportation fuel while enhancing agricultural profitability, advancing environmental stewardship and promoting national energy independence.