Car sales may be down, but people who are looking for a new ride would do well to consider diesel and hybrid vehicles if they want a lower cost of ownership in the long-term. IntelliChoice.com has released its fourth annual survey of eco-friendly vehicles and has found that standard gasoline cars, while often less expensive up front, just aren’t a good deal when compared to clean diesels and hybrids.

IntelliChoice looked at 2009 model year diesels and hybrids and found that, after five years or 70,000 miles, these powerplants cost less than simple ICEs. The survey looked at overall maintenance costs and resale value in addition to fuel savings. Since hybrids and clean diesels are built and sold as top-of-the-line models, IntelliChoice says, they keep their resale value up. Of the 51 cars tested, 35 "deliver a cost-of-ownership that is somewhat or significantly lower than gasoline versions of the same vehicle," said IntelliChoice editor James Bell. Bell singled out the VW Jetta TDI and Mercedes Benz E320 as diesel vehicles that "perform even better than hybrids in saving thousands of dollars in costs and recouping their purchase premium."

CNBC pulls some numbers from the report that show that, for example, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI may cost an extra $2,070 up front, but it will save the owner $6,210 over five years compared to the standard Jetta. A 2009 Prius costs $1,805 more than a new Camry, but the savings will be $4,930 during the half decade. You can download the study here (PDF).
 

The United States imported about 58% of the petroleum, which includes crude oil and refined petroleum products, that we consumed during 2007. About half of these imports came from the Western Hemisphere. Our dependence on foreign petroleum is expected to decline in the next two decades. 

The United States consumed 20.7 million barrels per day (MMbd) of petroleum products during 2007 making us the world’s largest petroleum consumer. The United States was third in crude oil production at 5.1 MMbd. But crude oil alone does not constitute all U.S. petroleum supplies. Significant gains occur, because crude oil expands in the refining process, liquid fuel is captured in the processing of natural gas, and we have other sources of liquid fuel, including biofuels. These additional supplies totaled 3.6 MMbd in 2007. However, we still needed 13.5 MMbd of imported crude oil and petroleum products to meet U.S. demand. The United States also exported 1.4 MMbd of crude oil and petroleum products during 2007, so our net imports (imports minus exports) equaled 12.0 MMbd.

Did You Know? The United States produces 10% of the world’s petroleum and consumes 24%.

Petroleum products imported by the United States during 2007 included gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, chemical feedstocks, asphalt, and other products. Still, most petroleum products consumed in the United States were refined here. Net imports of petroleum other than crude oil were 10% of the petroleum consumed in the United States during 2007

About Half of U.S. Petroleum Imports Come from the Western Hemisphere

Some may be surprised to learn that almost 50% of U.S. crude oil and petroleum products imports came from the Western Hemisphere (North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean including U.S. territories) during 2006. We imported only 16% of our crude oil and petroleum products from the Persian Gulf countries of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. During 2007, our five biggest suppliers of crude oil and petroleum products were:

• Canada (18.2%) 
• Mexico (11.4%) 
• Saudi Arabia (11.0%) 
• Venezuela (10.1%) 
• Nigeria (8.4%)
   

It is usually impossible to tell whether the petroleum products you use came from domestic or imported sources of oil once they are refined.

Lower U.S. Petroleum Imports Expected in the Future

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects U.S. crude oil and petroleum products imports will decline from 12.1 MMbd in 2007 to 8.3 MMbd in 20302 . Growth in total U.S. petroleum consumption is expected to remain relatively flat out to 2030. Meanwhile, The increase in U.S. crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, combined with increasing biofuel and coal-to-liquids (CTL) production, is expected to reduce the need for imports over the longer term. U.S. petroleum import dependence is projected to fall from 58% in 2007 to 41% by 2030.

Honda FCX Clarity

The Feds aren’t done with hydrogen just yet. In an effort to "[lay] the foundation for a green energy economy," the Department of Energy has just announced a $41.9 million dollar investment in fuel cell technology using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a.k.a. the Stimulus Bill). The first industries expected to benefit from this funding will be emergency backup power systems and material handling applications, better known as forklifts. The DOE forecasts nearly 1,000 new fuel cell systems will be deployed immediately.

This investment will also make possible the development and demonstration of a 3-5kW solid oxide fuel cell auxiliary power unit for commercial class 8 trucks, made possible by a $2.4 million grant to bankrupt auto parts supplier Delphi. It’s hoped that these investments will help accelerate commercial fuel cell applications and stimulate new jobs. Of course, this investment is a small fraction of the $2-plus billion in funding for advanced battery technology. See the full press release after the break.

[Source: Department of Energy]