They can put regulations and proposals in at the Federal level all they want. But here at state level, outside California, people do what they want with those emissions controls. Quickest way to make the biggest ACTUAL reduction in emissions is enact FEDERAL required smog test. So EVERYBODY has to pass a smog test to get their registration stickers. BTW - passed a new Dodge Cummins with Kentucky plates - belched a cloud of thick smog with every gear shift. Easy money to bet that truck has all its cats, DPF, EGR torn off for the sake of "I don't need any of that power robbing junk on my truck" attitude.

Am I the only one who thought "hey, H2 on a boat. And if you ever run out you could produce more from the ocean". Now, obviously, a dockside refuel is MUCH more efficient in terms of cost and emissions. But for vessels that may get stuck on mission, being able to run electrolysis and produce fuel in emergencies seems like an idea. Some sort of wind or solar plant to produce stand by electricity and H2 plant to produce and store. Kind of like keeping a gas can when you go on off road trip.

In automotive applications the waste heat can be used in similar manner as the ICE currently do - providing cabin heat for cold weather. Also there are projects to capture waste heat for energy savings and production that I'm sure can be applied as well. I wonder if there would be any part of the process, such as running fuel cell at high temperature for efficiency, that could use that waste heat to improve overall system efficiency? Also how would this compare in overall efficiency compared to traditional compressed storage of H2? How would the 55% lost through waste heat trade off for pumping loss, alternative methods of H2 production, loss of H2 through seepage, etc.? Also how does this look from the safety POV? I think when this is designed into a complete system it will be better than current options.

I really wish companies would make drive units like this available in retro fit form. I have a FWD car that had a AWD option available. Most of the hardware is there and retro fitting a rear drive unit wouldn't be that hard. I can think of all the E-mode time during my commute that I could use.

How about this - if this has such a low power requirement, then make a simple, inexpensive device for bicyclists and pedestrians that make then "appear" bigger or stand out to cars' radar systems. Bikes could be built with some sort of low power generator and have this build into the frame somewhere. Or retro fit it to the seats. Pedestrians could have an inertial charging setup and put it in your pocket. Or build them into the fabric of the clothes. Jason

48V micro/mild hybrid strikes a balance between price and performance that a lot more people are willing to take. Only so many people want to go full Prius, while a lot more still want to save gas. Manufacturers can implement this across entire model lines and reduce overall fuel consumption and emissions while full Hybrids tend to only be one model. Add this to every SUV and truck and you will make a bigger improvement to fleet emissions and MPG.

@CheeseEater88 - OBDii pass/fail is a joke. I have lived and registered cars in California and Tennessee - CA is much harder to cheat or game the system, and usually costs you more than just fixing the car so it passes. But in TN (Nashville) you can get a chip tune on your car that makes it pass their OBD test, so you can have a gross polluter that passes no problem. Even had a buddy cut his cat conv off then stick the heat shield back in the same place - his car passed. Only part that sucks is the dyno test they introduced in CA for smog test. That is a pain. As for $100 on ZEV, they have been working on how to get road tax from vehicles that don't get fuel. For a while they were working on a GPS device to measure mileage. Obvious privacy concerns there, but they still need to come up with a better method to tax actual usage.

One thing I do like is they are basically electric buses. I don't know how much extra cost it would incur, but running these as a hybrid between EV for where there are gantries to supply electricity and FCEV when the route takes the bus down a hiway (or other areas with no gantries) segment seems like a doable prospect. Or another idea is to replace the diesel hybrid idea with a FC hybrid. Run the bus on batteries more and only run the FC plant at certain charge threshold. Additionally have fast charge facilities at major stops on routes to limit the FC usage. Basically reduce the load on the FC plant by making it a range extender. Some cities like San Francisco have many electric buses, but also a mix with diesels and hybrids. By using a FC hybrid you gain flexibility instead of being stuck with certain buses on only some routes. I would suspect you could eliminate the diesels and some diesel hybrids if you change the FC to hybrid.

No different than handicap parking fines. But in this case they could install a barrier that lowers/opens/etc when an approved wireless charging vehicle approaches. Maybe make it part of the payment system and if combined with parking fees then should be a cinch. On the other hand maybe have a warning system that shames the driver if they are not a compatible vehicle. I'm thinking something like electronic tags and the warning system at the doors (Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc.). So if you park in the wireless charging spot with a Explorer flashing lights and a LOUD recording "this parking is reserved for wireless charging cars, please begin charing your car or park in another parking spot"

It doesn't seem like that many vehicles, but this is directed at trains, stationary power units (pump water, generators, etc.), tractors, dozers, yard trucks, mining/logging trucks, semis (local and long haul). Basically all the engines that either were cheaper to repair as is, or even were bought specifically because the lack of emissions "hassle". Of course there is also a substantial portion of these owners that don't have the funds to upgrade to the latest and greatest. Here is one example - growing up (graduated '96) one tractor was newer than 1980, the rest were '50s and '40s models of Cat and John Deere. Most of the yard trucks were early '50s GM product. Local haul to the processing plant and port were auction semis that were retired from larger fleets. That's how my dad's friend/boss was able to grow a successful business - scrimp and save. Now they can afford to upgrade to newer products and retire older equipment. Back to the article - the engines targeted by this grant program are so much older that replacing even a small few make a much larger impact than stricter regulations on current or even a couple year old engine.

@ GOR Here, let me be clear. You may not like diesel, but you are wrong about the exhaust. Here is the coffee filter test; https://youtu.be/fH834IFpGTQ BTW International Navistar built a diesel school bus and performed the same test, with the same result. I have tried this and even a new GASOLINE car exhaust leaves a noxious odor and foul taste, but not on the TDI. You are free to express your opinion, but please stop spreading lies and fallacies to support your opinion. Jason

**Update to above** The study includes the US Passat TDI and the Euro Passat TDI. EU is still coming inline with US diesel emissions standards and the study was current in 2012 when the cars in question were released. Jason

I hate people who spread lies through ignorance. The outgoing PZEV(Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) is actually MORE polluting than the same year TDI (Clean Diesel). The new TDI is even lower emissions. It is the older cars in use, before modern emissions regulations came into effect, that are the main problem. BTW there are plenty of GASOLINE cars with sooty bumpers, so don't tell me its all diesel's fault. http://webpages.charter.net/lmarz/emissions2012.html Jason

The BiTurbo 2.0 CR-TDI is only available outside North America (IE:Europe). There is a version of the old 2.0 CR-TDI installed in the Amarok (about the size of Chevy Avalanche/Honda Ridgeline). I believe the BiTurbo installed in the Euro Passat is based on the new 2.0 CR-TDI. The only similarity between the two engines is bore spacing. The Q7/Touareg/Cayenne triplets have slimmed down in the last few years, but they are all 5k lbs SUVs with 7,800lbs tow ratings. While a 2.0 TDI might be able to move these monsters, it will not return the driving experience owners expect. Besides even the 3.0 TDI without hybrid is returning 30MPG+ with demanding US drivers. The two vehicles with BiTurbo 2.0 CR-TDI; The Aramok (as available in Australia) http://www.volkswagen-commercial.com.au/en/models/amarok.html The BiTurbo Passat (VWVortex article) http://www.vwvortex.com/news/volkswagen-news/best-thing-upcoming-european-passat-everyone-missed-twin-turbo-2-0-tdi-500nm-torque/?COLLCC=1955323222 Jason

I think the bigger problem here is you are restricted to buying a well equipped ($$$) model to get this drive train. Typical complaint I have with a lot of car manufactures. As for Diesel being more expensive, you really have to work out cost per mile for the same kind of vehicle. For someone buying a 1/2 truck to haul their boat or camper around the options are V6, V8, this Diesel. Most 1/2 ton V6s are fine to commute and haul a BBQ home in the bed, but load up a decent trailer or fill the bed with gravel/mulch and it struggles. Most opt for the V8 to get the job done, but now have to live with 15-20 real world MPG. This Dodge fills the niche by getting Camery/Accord MPG most of the time and still have the power when it needs it. Or you can take a pessimistic view and say at least Buffy soccer mom is getting better MPG than all the other dolts driving V8 SUVs. If you really want to save resources/gas/environment then you have to accept that the biggest savings comes from what looks like small improvements on the low end of the scale. Take a Tahoe or Durango and improve it from 18 MPG to 22 MPG is a bigger improvement than a Prius going from 48MPG to 54MPG. I know most of you on here would rather we all drive electric penalty boxes, but think of the real world benefit of almost 10MPG for a 1/2 ton truck. Jason