AUBURN HILLS, MI – After a two-year hiatus, DaimlerChrysler is in the process of certifying vehicles capable of burning high blends of ethanol in California, according to EnergyWashington. For the past two model years, neither Daimler nor Ford have certified FFVs for sale in California, put off by stricter new evaporative emissions standards in the state. Without California Air Resources Board emissions certification, the companies have been unable to sell FFVs in a handful of Northeastern states as well, including another large car market, New York, because these states have adopted California’s auto-emission regulations. A top DaimlerChrysler official said the only way to squeeze significant oil reductions from the light-duty fleet is through the use of biofuels, arguing that hybrids and diesels alone are not the answer. One-third of the oil currently used in transportation could be eliminated through the use of ethanol and biodiesel, according to the EnergyWashington. report. This is along the lines of the Bush administration, which has set a goal of 60 billion gallons of ethanol by 2030. DaimlerChrysler’s current diesel models leave the factory with a 5-percent biodiesel blend in the tank. Daimler is also seeking to develop a standard for a 20-percent biodiesel blend by the end of the year.