Local Firms Plan to Stay Ahead on Auto Fuel Efficiency
NEAL GOSWAMI, Staff Writer Bennington Banner
12/28/2007

BENNINGTON — Two companies in Bennington are quietly positioning themselves to benefit from the manufacture of automobile parts that could help automakers meet a new fuel efficiency standard set to increase in 2020. Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Dec. 19. The law will increase fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks in the United States for the first time in decades to 35 miles per gallon. But while most of the attention has been focused on technological breakthroughs such as plug-in hybrid vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells, some in the automotive industry have developed other technologies to improve fuel efficiency.

NSK, Plasan USA
   NSK Steering Systems America is making an electric steering column that should increase fuel efficiency by 3 to 5 percent depending on the vehicle, according to Andrew Moylan, a market analyst for NSK. Plasan USA, a subsidiary to the Israel-based Plasan, is making automobile parts out of composite material that is lighter and stronger than traditional materials, allowing for less resistance, said Dalton Blackwell, vice president and general manager of Plasan USA. "Each one produces a proprietary product that would enhance fuel efficiency of vehicles that would use their product," said Peter Odierna, executive director of the Bennington County Industrial Corp.
   Moylan said NSK's Bennington plant, which employs more than 500 people, is scheduled to begin production of electric steering column components in 2009. The new fuel efficiency requirement is expected to bring an increase in business to Bennington.
   "The market for electric steering continues to grow worldwide. Because technology is constantly improving, electric steering systems once limited to small car applications are now being applied to larger cars, light trucks, and SUVs," Moylan said in an e-mail. Moylan said conventional steering systems provide power assist through a hydraulic pump that is mounted to the engine. Hydraulic steering pumps constantly draw power from the engine, however, whether it is providing power assist during a turn or cruising straight down the road when no power assist is required.
   Moylan said NSK's electric power steering system operates independently of the engine and only draws power from the vehicle's electrical system when the driver turns the wheel, allowing the engine to operate with less drag and consume less fuel.
   Plasan USA is also expecting to see more business, Blackwell said.
   "Our parts are considerably lighter than standard parts," he said. "One of the main parts we're making now is for the (Chevrolet) Corvette. That part is half the weight."
   Blackwell said people typically think of "rolling resistance and aerodynamics" when trying to increase fuel efficiency. Those concepts are mostly for highway driving, though. Plasan's composite automobile parts can make the biggest difference in urban areas, Blackwell said. "For city driving, there's a lot of fuel consumed in the takeoff from the stopped position. The lighter the vehicle, the less fuel it takes to get moving," he said.
   Plasan USA, which will also have parts on the 2008 Dodge Viper, will be looking to expand from the high-end sports car to more family-friendly vehicles. "That's what our strategic plan is — to develop composite panels that will be cost effective and increase the fuel efficiency of those vehicles," Blackwell said.

Fuel Rules to Benefit Bennington Firms
By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff
December 27, 2007
BENNINGTON — Two local manufacturers are poised to benefit from national legislation signed into law on Dec. 19 to make cars more fuel efficient.
   NSK Steering Systems America makes components for a power-steering system that can reduce fuel use by up to 3 percent to 5 percent while Plasan USA supplies carbon body parts for American sports cars that are lighter and stronger than steel.
   The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which both Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders voted to support, sets a national standard of 35 miles per gallon for automobile manufacturers to meet by 2020. While the bill, according to the White House, "will improve vehicle fuel economy and help reduce U.S. dependence on oil," it also should help Bennington manufacturers grow and ensure job security.
   Dalton Blackwell, vice-president and general manager of Plasan USA, said there should be greater enthusiasm for Plasan parts because they can help manufacturers meet the mandate. Plasan USA, the American arm of Israel-based Plasan, already makes the fenders for the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Blackwell said the part was half of the weight of the fender it replaced. According to Blackwell, the amount of fuel needed to keep a vehicle in motion once it's moving regardless of weight isn't significant. However, lighter parts allow a car's engine to use less fuel to start or stop.
   Manufacturers have already taken note and Plasan USA will have a display at the suppliers show adjacent to the American Automobile Show in mid-January in Detroit. Blackwell said both Chevrolet and Ford will be showing vehicles that have Plasan USA parts at the show.
   The NSK plant in Bennington does not produce steering columns but will be making components in 2009 that will be part of an electric power-steering system designed to make cars more fuel-efficient. Andrew Moylan, a market analyst for NSSA, explained that conventional steering systems provide power assist for steering through a hydraulic pump, mounted to the engine, which constantly draw power from the engine, whether the driver is making a turn or not. Electric power steering systems, like those made by NSSA, operate independently of the engine and only draw power from the electrical system when the steering wheel turns.
   "With an electric steering system, when the driver turns the steering wheel, a sensor provides feedback to a controller. The controller tells a motor which direction and how quickly the driver wants to turn the vehicle. The motor, mounted on the steering column, then provides the appropriate level of power assist," Moylan said in an e-mail. This allows the engine to operate with less drag and consume less fuel, increasing fuel efficiency by 3 percent to 5 percent. Electric steering systems were once only practical for small cars but now can be used for light trucks and sports utility vehicles.
   With the new federal regulations, Moylan believes the market for electric steering systems will be growing markedly. "It's been going that way for a while. There's always been a push for anything that will improve fuel efficiency but now that push is increasing," Moylan said by phone from NSSA's Ann Arbor, Mich., site.
   The NSK plant in Bennington employs about 550 people while Plasan USA on Shields Drive employs about 135. In November, Plasan announced plans to expand to another site in Bennington and add about 100 new jobs.
   The Energy Independence and Security Act also set a goal toward alternative energy use by requiring fuel producers use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuel in 2022.

Contact Patrick McArdle at patrick.mcardle@rutlandherald.com.