Lug Nuts - Consumer Watchdog - November 2008

Preliminary results from a CEC study found that gasoline was sold in California at a weighted average year-round temperature of 72 degrees, which means that drivers are getting almost 1% less motor fuel than they pay for due to the heat expansion of gasoline. In many southern states, fuel is sold at even higher average temperatures than in California.

Gasoline expands as the temperature rises, roughly 1% for every 15 degrees F. A century-old industry standard fixes the assumed temperature at point of sale at 60 degrees. Nationally, the year-round average is near 65 degrees, and much higher in southern states. That means that drivers nationally are getting more than 750 million gallons less than they pay for each year. If prices hold in the $4 range for a year, U.S. drivers will give up more than $3 billion to hot fuel sales.

Key committees of the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM), a key rule-making body for consumer protections, voted to sit on the hot fuel issue, consumerwatchdog.org told us. The group declined to decide whether states should require motor fuel retailers to compensate for temperature expansion at the pump-essentially by pumping a little more gasoline per gallon as the fuel heats up. Specifically, the committees declined to vote on proposals to develop specifications and certifications for gas-pump equipment already used in Canada that automatically compensates for fuel-temperature changes. The equipment specifications would have made it easier for warm states to act individually.

Such equipment is installed in more than 95 percent of fuel pumps in Canada (based on information supplied by consumerwatchdog.org), where the cold climate provides fuel retailers with an incentive to adjust fuel price to temperature. In the U.S., such equipment is virtually nonexistent. Approving specs for automatic temperature compensation (ATC) devices would have been a first step toward the conference recommending that states require such equipment at the pump.

"Ignoring the data from California, the NCWM continues to avoid any action toward ending the hot fuel ripoff, which costs drivers more every year as fuel prices soar," said Judy Dugan, research director for the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog. "That leaves it up to individual state regulators, legislators, or litigators to make drivers whole."

For more information about hot fuel, visit Consumer Watchdog's website oilwatchdog.org.

Selective Catalytic Reduction News
The North American SCR Stakeholder Group is comprised of many manufacturers and others with an interest in the selective catalytic reduction issue. This group tells us that leading trucking and automotive manufacturers and suppliers from around the world met recently to discuss ways to create a diesel exhaust fluid infrastructure for SCR-equipped vehicles.

As you may know, SCR-equipped cars and light trucks began to roll out recently, with many truck manufacturers following suit by 2010 in order to meet stringent EPA emissions standards. A core component of the SCR vehicle rollouts is the availability of diesel exhaust fluid-the key ingredient in the SCR process that treats the truck's exhaust, converting it into harmless nitrogen and water vapor. At this time, no national diesel-exhaust-fluid distribution infrastructure exists (meaning it is not as available to truckers/car drivers as it will need to be) so the trucking industry will want to pay close attention to how this develops.

SCR is one of the only emissions-control technologies that can reduce harmful NOx emissions while increasing fuel economy. It is one of the most promising technologies to deliver clean, fuel-efficient, and environmentally compliant diesel power for cars and commercial trucks. By optimizing fuel efficiency, SCR improves engine performance while reducing emissions to near-zero levels. SCR-equipped vehicles require only the addition of small quantities of the separate diesel exhaust fluid to reduce exhaust to harmless levels of nitrogen and water. In addition to improved air quality and benefits to public health, SCR-equipped vehicles offer significant fuel savings for vehicle owners and operators, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign sources of oil.

The SCR Stakeholder Group represents nearly 200 public and private organizations. Participants include government agencies (U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), automotive and heavy-duty engine and truck manufacturers and trade associations, fuel retailers and truck-stop trade associations, chemical and oil companies, diesel exhaust fluid producers, distributors, and dispensing equipment manufacturers.