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                      NEWS RELEASE FROM THE

                  CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
May 15, 1995                             Bob Aldrich, 916-654-4993



         ENERGY COMMISSION FUNDS PROJECT TO DEVELOP
            MEDIUM-DUTY, ALCOHOL-FUELED "ULEV"


The California Energy Commission has entered into an agreement 
to develop and demonstrate an ultra-low emission alcohol-fueled 
vehicle. The vehicle will use a medium-duty diesel engine that 
can be powered by either methanol or ethanol Ρ both clean, 
alternative fuels.

The nearly $1.3 million dollar project is being done in 
association with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 
the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Cummins 
Engine Company, Chrysler Corporation, and the Great Lakes 
Regional Biomass Program in the midwest.

The two-year project will develop an alcohol-powered Cummins 
5.9 liter, turbo-diesel "B" engine. The engine can be calibrated 
to run on different types of alcohol fuels -- either 100 percent 
methanol, 85 percent methanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline 
(M85), 100 percent ethanol, or E85 (85 percent ethanol and 15 
percent unleaded gasoline). 

Once the engine is tested and emission tests are concluded, 
the engine would be installed in a Chrysler (Dodge RAM) T300 
pickup.

"This project will extend the types of vehicles that can use 
methanol or ethanol," said Energy Commission Chairman Charles 
Imbrecht. "Opening up another market, such as medium-duty 
vehicles, will enlarge the demand and market for alcohol fuels. 
And proving that alcohol fuels will be able to reach ultra-low 
emission standards in a popular engine size will be a benefit 
to advancing these clean, alternative fuels to wider use.  We 
expect this technology to be easily transferable to California's 
substantial light-duty vehicle market."

Emission goals for the project are to reach ultra-low emission 
vehicle levels (ULEV). These are standards set by the California 
Air Resources Board that will go into effect for light-duty 
vehicles in 1997. No medium-duty engines or vehicles are 
currently certified to meet that standard. Another goal is to 
achieve a 20 to 30 percent higher fuel efficiency than an 
equivalent Otto-cycle gasoline engine. 

A final goal for the project is to allow the vehicles to start 
at minus four degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Centigrade). 
Alcohol fuels usually have difficulty starting in colder weather, 
and gasoline is usually added to assist in cold-weather starts. 
The engine will use direct injection, hot surface ignition, which 
will overcome this problem.

The program partners are expected to contribute the following 
amounts to the project.

  National Renewable Energy Laboratory............$556,299
  South Coast Air Quality Management District......250,000
  Energy Commission................................200,000
  Cummins Engine Company...........................100,000
  Chrysler Corporation.............................100,000
  Great Lakes Regional Biomass Program..............50,000
                                                 ----ΡΡΡΡΡ
  Total.........................................$1,256,299


The Energy Commission portion of the funding comes from the 
Petroleum Violation Escrow Account, which is funded from 
fines collected by the federal government from oil companies 
that over charged consumers at the pumps during the 1970 oil 
crises.


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File Name: 95-05-15_Commission_Funds_Alcohol-Fueled_"ULEV