Alternative Power

In a letter to Congress, Detroit automakers stated on Wednesday their intention to produce double the amount of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) by 2010, placing demands on Congress to make renewable fuels more commonly available in the United States.

 

Executives from General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group are pushing for the promotion and production of ethanol and to raise the number of service stations offering the alternative fuel, despite the fact that service stations have cited a low demand for E85.

 

"Our hope is that with this commitment, fuel providers will have even more incentive to produce ethanol and other biofuels and install pumps to distribute them," the automakers said, according to the Associated Press.

 

Furthering their commitment to biofuels, Ford Motor Co. is scrapping its plans to build more gas-electric hybrid vehicles in order to boost their FFV production, citing an increase to 500,000 FFVs by the end of the decade.

 

According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, GM projects it will build 400,000 E85-capable vehicles this year while Chrysler plans to produce over 250,000 in 2007 with almost a half a million in 2008.