The 'New GM' Out of Bankruptcy, Still Committed to School Bus Market

As the industry has been closely watching the demise of GM, there seems to be some good news coming out of Detroit: the automaker is remaining dedicated to its small school bus business as it was emerging bankruptcy sooner than expected. A company spokesman recently told STN that the commitment to manufacturing chassis for the school bus market has not changed [Look for this article in the August STN issue].

Going forward, the big purchasers of GM cutaway chassis on the Chevy Express and GMC Savana platforms are Girardin Minibus and Trans-Tech. Thomas Built Buses also uses some GM. But in filing for bankruptcy, GM was separated from Opel, the German manufacturer responsible for much of GM's diesel expertise dating back to 1929. What could that mean for the diesel business?

Competition is stiff elsewhere, too. As GM's works hard to keep its head above water, the sharks are circling. That's not necessarily in the best interest of the taxpayers, which now effectively own GM, but it could be an impetus to truly a "New GM," as the company is now calling itself.

Speaking of competition, Collins Bus Corporation announced earlier this spring that it is developing a Ford gasoline-hybrid, as the automaker has slowly but surely been leaving the diesel market. Collins Bus as well as its line of Mid Bus and Corbeil products, have also traditionally built bodies on GM chassis, so it will be interesting to see how the recent deal with Azure Dynamics to develop the gasoline hybrid drive train for Ford will play out. Then there's potential Type A chassis production capabilities at Daimler Truck/Freightliner for Thomas and Navistar for its IC Bus line.

Meanwhile, Girardin Minibus is publicly, at least, reaffirming its relationship with GM because the auto manufacturer is staying true to diesel engine technology, at least in theory. As reported in the July issue of STN, Girardin said it is eyeing a GM diesel-hybrid to compete with Collins' gas-hybrid, the latter expected to be unveiled this summer. GM retained it's two-mode diesel hybrid technology originally slated for the Saturn VUE. This same technology could fuel GM's SUV business, which could in turn have strong implications for the school bus industry.

CARB to Feds: Reinstate Hydrogen Funding

The Green Car Congress published an interesting blog indicating that, if the California Air Resources Board gets its way (which, on a separate note, it did today when the EPA granted a waiver enabling the state to enforce its own greenhouse gas emissions standard), hydrogen fuel cells may not be that far off after all. That is granted Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu's "four miracles" are performed by the scientific community.

Earlier this year, the Obama Administration unveiled its renewable fuel strategy for the next decade, but one alternative energy was blatantly missing: hydrogen fuel cells. Unsurprisingly, when the Department of Energy then released its fiscal year 2010 budget, the federal hydrogen fuel cell research and deployment budget was cut by more than two-thirds ($130 million), and funds were outright eliminated for the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle program and market transformation programs.

This all came not long after the DOE released in February its Fuel Cell School Buses: Report to Congress,” which cited a lack of fuel cell availability as a major obstacle to the technology being ready for the school bus market as well as high costs and questions about durability. DOE Secretary Steven Chu reiterated the basic findings of the study later to MIT Research magazine that "four miracles" needed to occur before hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would be considered viable in transportation, those being fuel cell durability and cost, hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and hydrogen distribution infrastructure.

But CARB recently weighed in on the subject with a visit paid to Chu by CARB Chair Mary Nichols to ask that the funding reinstated. CARB followed up with a letter to the DOE on June 19 highlighting how the issues of cost, production, storage and infrastructure could be solved.

Tweeters Meet mOblu-ers? The Latest in Social Networking for Gas Guzzlers

As fuel prices average at least $2.50 per gallon in every state except South Carolina, a new Web site combines a fuel tracker with a social networking tool by allowing motorists to track how much they spend at the pump and how much bang they get for their buck. Oh, and they can then tell the whole world about it on Twitter.

I recall the good old days when motorists would keep a fuel and maintenance log in their glove compartments and enter in their odometer reading at each fill-up as well as monitoring their car’s service needs. Today, meet mOblu.com. The free site, originating from a husband and wife team joined by a computer programmer and a software engineer from Canada, has been featured in recently in the New York Times, Newsweek and The Wall Street Journal as the latest fad for the technorati to chart their vehicle’s gas mileage.

But it does more than just log your trips. Enter a starting point and destination and it will tell you the amount of carbon monoxide produced, in addition to the amount of fuel used and the fuel cost based upon the price you most recently paid at the pump. Sounds similar to fleet software. But in your garage can you also calculate the carbon cost of your vehicle?

Right to Repair Act Designed to Help Chrysler, GM Customers

More and more automotive shops, obviously, are supporting the Right to Repair Act, which was introduced in the U.S. House in April to protect the ability of consumers to choose their own preferred mechanic to perform warranty work. This has never been more important than for owners of Chrysler and GM models.

Amid bankruptcy, both automakers have announced wide-scale closings of dealerships nationwide that perform the vast majority of warranty work. While Chrysler and GM have also said owners' warranties will remain valid through their expiration date regardless of where the vehicles were purchased -- and any necessary work can be performed at any certified mechanic's shop -- there is anxiety about having to drive many miles in rural areas to reach the next closest dealership certified to perform the work.

The Right to Repair Act would put it in writing that independent repair shops could compete for business previously guaranteed only to dealerships or dealer-contracted garages.

Are you worried about where you can take either your fleet or personal vehicle amid these dealership closings? Are you in a rural area where the closest dealership may be many miles away? Let us know what you think.

Power Steering Repair

On the School Bus Mechanic Blog, John takes a look at a Haldex Two Stage Power Steering Pump from a 1998 Pusher School Buses. Take a look and let us know what you think. Document your on repairs and discoveries to share on this blog and email Ryan@stnonline.com

Thomas Moving Towards an All-Electric?

Daimler AG, the parent company of Thomas Built Buses, has purchased a 10 percent stake in electric vehicle company Tesla Motors, according to a press release. The companies said they will cooperate on battery drive systems, electric drive systems and vehicle projects. Could this put Thomas closer to an all-electric school bus? Representatives from from Thomas weren't immediately available to answer. But for prognosticators and green bus enthusiasts there's some exciting potential.

Thomas is already working on a hybrid Saf-T-Liner C2. According to the release, Daimler and Tesla were also working together to integrate Tesla's lithium-ion battery packs and chargers into Daimler's electric smart car. The release goes on to note that Daimler just founded the Deutsche Accumotive GmbH, a joint venture with Evonik Industries AG, which makes the company "the first vehicle manufacturer worldwide that develops, produces and markets batteries for automotive applications.

Could a new all electric bus be far off?

The Bracket

The NAPT has launched a blog for its America's Best Tech Inspect competition. Check out the site to see the latest results from the regional competitions. Online now: links to stories about winners in Texas, Georgia, Iowa and more.