calcars-news : Message: Auto Industry at a Crossroads

calcars-news : Message: Auto Industry at a Crossroads: "PLUG-IN CARS HAVE EMERGED AS THE MOST AVAILABLE, PRACTICAL
TECHNOLOGY. Here's the package:
* RAPID TRANSITION: change the primary vehicle propulsion fuel from
gasoline/diesel to electricity, starting with everyday, local commuter miles.
* DOWNGRADE LIQUIDS TO 'RANGE EXTENSION' FUELS for PHEVs. (They
vanish for vehicles where an all-electric range of 100+ miles is sufficient).
* ALL FUELS EVOLVE: generate electricity from increasingly renewable,
low-carbon sources and use it mainly off-peak. Change the range
extension fuel to blends with increasingly low-carbon biofuels.
* 'HIGH EFFICIENCY' PITCHES IN: electric motors are already 4-5 times
more efficient than internal combustion engines, and any engine
modifications enable less use of liquid fuel.
* OPTIMIZE NEW VEHICLE DESIGNS: lightweight materials and
streamlining reduce consumption of both electricity and liquid fuels.
* COMMERCIALIZE SAFE, AFFORDABLE RETROFIT SOLUTIONS: partially
electrify millions of large internal combustion vehicles that will
otherwise guzzle gas for decades, whose conversion, compared to
scrapping, saves energy while accelerating market penetration and
petroleum displacement.
* REDUCE VEHICLE MILES TRAVELLED: promote and expand mass transit,
ride sharing, smart communities, satellite offices and telecommuting.
* POLICY MEASURES: prime the pump with public and private fleet
orders, incentives and benefits for new and converted plug-in
vehicles, and incentivize more efficient cars with revenue-neutral "feebates."
* READ "Energy guru Lovins to carmakers: time for big bets" at
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10112893-54.html by Martin LaMonica
for a good summary of many of these steps; also see Amory Lovins's
20-minute talk at the 2005 TED Conference (when Rocky Mountain
Institute had just published "Winning the Oil Endgame," but was not
yet focusing on plug-in cars)."