ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan has several experts available to discuss various aspects of a federal energy bill expected to pass this week by the U.S. Senate.

The bill requires increases in vehicle fuel economy, boosts ethanol production, and mandates improved energy efficiency for appliances and buildings.

U-M experts include:

Walter McManus, director of the Automotive Analysis Division at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, is an expert on the impact of government corporate average fuel economy standards on the automotive industry. He conducts research on alternative drive powertrains, automotive forecasting, the market potential of hybrids and diesel-powered vehicles, and new automotive technologies and their impact on society and the environment. McManus can be reached at (734) 615-6743 or watsmcm@umich.edu.

Duncan Callaway, research investigator at the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is an energy systems analyst. He can talk about the likely impacts of increasing energy efficiency requirements for appliances and buildings. Callaway can be reached at (734) 647-0227 or dcall@umich.edu.

Martin Zimmerman, the Ford Motor Company Clinical Professor of Business Administration at Michigan’s Ross School of Business, is an authority on energy policy, government regulation of business and economic developments in the automotive industry. He is a former chief economist and group vice president at Ford Motor Company, where he was responsible for corporate economics, governmental affairs, environmental and safety engineering, and corporate social responsibility. Zimmerman can be reached at (734) 615-7234 or mbzimmer@umich.edu.

Dennis Assanis, professor of mechanical engineering, is the director of the Automotive Research Center and director of the Walter E. Lay Automotive Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding basic energy conversion processes to develop automotive systems with improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. Assanis can be reached at (734) 764-8464 or assanis@umich.edu.

Zoran Filipi, research associate professor of mechanical engineering, is the assistant director of the Automotive Research Center. Filipi’s research interests include internal combustion engines, alternative fuels and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Filipi can be reached at (734) 936-0427 or filipi@umich.edu.

Donald Scavia, professor at the School of Natural Resources and Environment, can address the likely environmental effects of boosting biofuels production sevenfold, as required by the energy bill. Scavia can be reached at (734) 615-4860 or scavia@umich.edu.