Biofuels Not as Big as Electric Cars, but 2010 Was Interesting Year

Electric vehicles stole the limelight in 2010 for alternative fuels and vehicles, but biofuels had a few significant trends worth viewing. Federal policy decisions, economic milestones, and capital investment were noticeable - affecting cellulosic and corn ethanol, synthetics, and next-generation biofuels.

 

Truck, SUV Sales Increased in 2010

Truck and SUV sales increased by 15% and 21% respectively for 2010 topping all vehicle sales. Midsize increased by 7.8%, compacts by 1.1%. Hybrids declined by 8.1%. Average used prices grew from $16,856 in 2009 to $19,345 in 2010. This change can be attributed to a switch from new unit purchases to certified pre-owned vehicles. Most manufacturers scaled back on incentives except the Japanese who increased incentives from a low base.

Dealer CPO Sales Making a Real Comeback

While certified pre-owned sales are still coming back from heights during 2006 to 2008, 2010 was a great year. Three were 10 consecutive months of year-over-year improvements, and 13 brands experienced full-year record CPO sales levels, real improvement over a sluggish 2009.

 

Economy Hits Fleet Professionals in the Pocketbook

The average fleet director earned more than $100,000 and fleet managers earned more than $83,000 in 2010, but more than half of those who responded to a recent survey also said their salaries were frozen at the beginning of the year, while another 10% saw their salaries reduced. The results were gleaned from the 2010 Fleet Manager and Fleet Director Compensation Survey, from FleetAnswers.com. The social networking site for fleet managers surveyed more than 200 fleet directors and managers in the United States and Canada.

 

Pike Research Says Biomass Dynamic, Rapidly Evolving

Pike Research has issued a report on the biomass industry, which is producing biofuels, bioenergy, and bioproducts globally. The report predicts the biomass industry will have worldwide capital investment infrastructure of $33.7B by 2016. Biofuels will continue to lag behind bioenergy and bioproducts until second- and third-generation cellulosic technologies are available on a commercial scale, the company predicts.