Ford Motor Co. revealed details today of advancements it has made to its Escape Hybrid. A research version of the vehicle has been designed to operate on gasoline containing a blend of up to 85 per cent ethanol. It makes complete sense, of course. Why not use the best that hybrid technology has to offer while at the same time reducing emissions on the internal combustion side?

Ford unveiled the design at the Washington Auto Show today. “Ethanol-fuelled hybrids could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” the company said in a statement. “Ford Escape Hybrid, already the world’s cleanest and most fuel-efficient small SUV, would produce about 25 per cent less carbon dioxide if operated exclusively on renewable E85 ethanol fuel instead of carbon-rich gasoline.”

What Ford is acknowledging is that there is no silver bullet to auto design, and that it may take more than one approach to create the most efficient car with the lowest emissions. Imagine a plug-in flex-fuel-hybrid Toyota Prius running on a blend of 85 per cent cellulose ethanol? There’s no reason it can’t be done today…

(NOTE: Should point out that demand for plug-in hybrids is gaining momentum in the United States, with a growing number of U.S. cities demanding that the major automakers seriously consider the design.)

I’m a big fan of solar PV technologies, but not blinded to its limitation. This story from the Buffalo News points out something that everyone — homeowners, businesses, government bureaucrats — need to consider as they try to “greenify” their operations. Officials in Cheektowaga are a little furious to learn that after 13 sunless days in a row the solar-powered street lights they installed didn’t work. The company that installed them — Johnson Controls — did disclose that the system can only go 2 days without sun before the battery packs with the lights drain. Who knew that December/January could be so dreary and overcast? Duh!

I guess it pays to think these kinds of things through.

Canadian cleantech companies have until March 15 to apply for project funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada, which issued its 9th call for funding today. For the first time SDTC is including technologies that help clean up water and soil.

“Prospective clean water technologies will look to optimize Canada’s water and waste-water infrastructure, improve water conservation, update existing diagnostic tools and methods, and address public concern over drinking water safety. Soil-improvement technologies will aim to prevent, treat or contain the contamination of soil, improve water retention, crop yield and vegetation cover, and support brownfield redevelopment to enhance land value and use. Solutions that mitigate environmental impacts such as soil remediation, or that remove pollution and generate value such as brownfield redevelopment, will also be considered.”

Since April 2002 SDTC has allocated $169 million to 75 clean technology projects, an amount that has been matched with $446 million from project consortia members, mostly from the private sector.

SDTC has $550 million in its investment fund. Vicky Sharpe, president and CEO, told me last week that the organization’s mandate lasts until 2015 but most of the money will be allocated by 2010. Between now and then projects that began receiving funding in 2002 will gradually be completed and reviewed. “We’ve had seven in 2005 that have been completed or are in the final throws of putting out their report,” she said, pointing out that Carmanah Technologies and DynaMotive Energy Systems investments are examples so far of projects that have been completed and are now producing commercial sales.