Alexandra Paul on Electric Cars . NOW on PBS: "Actress Alexandra Paul, an activist and former star of 'Baywatch,' is so passionate about electric cars, she even got arrested for trying to save hers. Paul, a founding board member of Plug In America, is currently starring in the Lifetime movie 'The Boy She Met Online' and co-stars in the film 'The Frankenstein Brothers' due out next year.
NOW: You've had four electric cars. What are you driving now?
Alexandra Paul (AP): I drive an electric-powered 2001 Toyota RAV 4. I bought it used after GM wouldn't allow me to re-lease my EV1.
NOW: How do you go about charging your car?
AP: My car charges at home, in my garage, while I sleep. I charge pretty much every night, by just plugging this special paddle into the front of my car. In the morning, it's ready to go. Simplest thing ever.
NOW: How do you handle long distance driving?
AP: My car has a range of 100 miles per charge. I live on the outskirts of Los Angeles and I drive an average of 56 miles per day, so my electric car fits my needs perfectly. When I need to drive farther, I borrow my husband's Prius. But it uses gas, so I don't like it very much.
Range is the number one concern of people thinking about buying an electric car, which is interesting considering the average American only drives 29 miles a day. Here is my advice: if you are a two car family, then use the EV for most of your driving and the gas car for when you have to go farther. If you only want one car and your commute is 100 miles or less, then rent a car for those times you go on long trips. I have found most of us travel less than we think we do.
NOW: Compared to your other electric cars, how does your Toyota RAV 4 compare?
AP: In the 20 years since I bought my first electric car, battery technology has improved 10 times over. My first car, a converted Datsun ran on lead acid batteries, only went 25 miles before I had to plug the extension cord into the wall socket. My next car, which was a converted VW Rabbit, had the same batteries but went 50 miles. My EV1 had nickel metal hydride batteries, a special 240 V charger, and went 120 miles per charge. My current car runs on that same 15 year old technology. Today, the cars being built use lithium-ion batteries, which have the ability to go many more miles on a charge. The Tesla has a range of 240 miles and charges in 3 1/2 hours. Even faster charging batteries are expected in the near future.
NOW: What are some of the advantages of driving an electric car?
AP: The equivalent of 82 cents per gallon, quiet smoother ride, no tailpipe emissions, no transmission to fix, no oil to put in the car, virtually no servicing —except rotating the tires a little more often —no supporting oil wars or oil companies, no pollution if you have solar panels, less pollution even if you charge from the grid, domestic energy source... should I go on?"
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Joule ready to drive in 2012 | ITWeb
Joule ready to drive in 2012 | ITWeb: "South Africa's first consumer electric car, the Joule, will require capital of around R5.5 billion over the next three years to bring to market.
This is according to Kobus Meiring, CEO of Optimal Energy – the Cape-based company that conceptualised and developed the Joule.
“We plan to start setting up a plant in 2010, with the first vehicles off the line in 2012,” says Meiring. He adds that the Eastern Cape is a very strong possibility for the location of the first plant, with the East London Industrial Development Zone being one of the front-runners.
The zero-emissions battery-powered electric vehicle was exhibited at the recent South African Automotive Week, in Port Elizabeth, which Meiring said went well."
This is according to Kobus Meiring, CEO of Optimal Energy – the Cape-based company that conceptualised and developed the Joule.
“We plan to start setting up a plant in 2010, with the first vehicles off the line in 2012,” says Meiring. He adds that the Eastern Cape is a very strong possibility for the location of the first plant, with the East London Industrial Development Zone being one of the front-runners.
The zero-emissions battery-powered electric vehicle was exhibited at the recent South African Automotive Week, in Port Elizabeth, which Meiring said went well."
Friday, October 30, 2009
Pushing Beyond 100G Ethernet - Network World
Pushing Beyond 100G Ethernet - Network World: "Professor Harvey Newman from the California Institute of Technology joins us to talk about his recent experiment that delivered the first true 100 Gigabit payload transmission over a single wavelength, and where Ethernet is headed in the future - to Terabit and beyond! (14:08)"
YouTube - Sen Cardin at Senate Climate Hearings - 10/27/2009
YouTube - Sen Cardin at Senate Climate Hearings - 10/27/2009: "Senator Cardin (D-MD) talks up the benefits the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act will entail for Marylanders and the country at large.."
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Lithium-Ion Batteries Could be Too Expensive, MIT Team Says | BNET Auto Blog | BNET
Lithium-Ion Batteries Could be Too Expensive, MIT Team Says | BNET Auto Blog | BNET: "According to Luis A. Ortiz, research director of MIT’s Group Sadoway, “It’s all about the time frame. There is plenty of lithium overall [mostly in China and South America], but in order to meet expansion targets we’d have to considerably expand the pace of mining, and I don’t see ramp rates that would allow the mines to keep up with that demand. Maybe 10 to 15 years from now.”
Another huge issue is lithium cost, Ortiz said. “There is no open market in lithium, and there are very high swings in demand,” he said. The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) sees as its goal to “continue development of high-power battery technologies to reduce cost to $20 per kilowatt-hour and extend life to 15 years.” Such cost and lifecycle metrics would make mass penetration of battery cars a virtually foregone conclusion. But Ortiz sees $20 a kilowatt-hour as far in the future.
“The cost has to come down to the point where EVs can reach the majority of the population, and I see lithium challenges as keeping batteries at least 2X from the price USABC would allow mass adoption,” Ortiz said. He added that the high cost of containment structures (to ensure safety) and the volatile organic carbonate used as an electrolyte are “fixed overheards” that are hard to bring down over time, and very difficult to reach $100 to $150 a kilowatt-hour. Right now, Ortiz said an optimistic assessment would put lithium-ion battery technology at $400 to $600 per kilowatt-hour."
Another huge issue is lithium cost, Ortiz said. “There is no open market in lithium, and there are very high swings in demand,” he said. The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) sees as its goal to “continue development of high-power battery technologies to reduce cost to $20 per kilowatt-hour and extend life to 15 years.” Such cost and lifecycle metrics would make mass penetration of battery cars a virtually foregone conclusion. But Ortiz sees $20 a kilowatt-hour as far in the future.
“The cost has to come down to the point where EVs can reach the majority of the population, and I see lithium challenges as keeping batteries at least 2X from the price USABC would allow mass adoption,” Ortiz said. He added that the high cost of containment structures (to ensure safety) and the volatile organic carbonate used as an electrolyte are “fixed overheards” that are hard to bring down over time, and very difficult to reach $100 to $150 a kilowatt-hour. Right now, Ortiz said an optimistic assessment would put lithium-ion battery technology at $400 to $600 per kilowatt-hour."
Lithium-Ion Batteries Could be Too Expensive, MIT Team Says | BNET Auto Blog | BNET
Lithium-Ion Batteries Could be Too Expensive, MIT Team Says | BNET Auto Blog | BNET: "By all appearances, battery-powered cars are ready for prime time. The list of companies planning to introduce new plug-in hybrids and electric battery cars in the next few years is long, and includes General Motors (the Volt and a separate plug-in hybrid), Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler, Infiniti, Aptera, Tesla (the Model S sedan), Fisker (the Karma plug-in hybrid), BMW, Bright (a plug-in hybrid commercial van), Coda, Wheego and many more.
Almost all of those vehicles will be powered by lithium-ion batteries, because lithium has the best available energy density while being very low weight. But a team at MIT’s department of materials science and engineering, headed by Donald Sadoway, is convinced that lithium is problematic for a number of reasons and is unlikely to carry EVs the extra mile to widespread consumer acceptance."
Almost all of those vehicles will be powered by lithium-ion batteries, because lithium has the best available energy density while being very low weight. But a team at MIT’s department of materials science and engineering, headed by Donald Sadoway, is convinced that lithium is problematic for a number of reasons and is unlikely to carry EVs the extra mile to widespread consumer acceptance."
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
What Detroit Can Learn From Silicon Valley - WSJ.com
What Detroit Can Learn From Silicon Valley - WSJ.com: "Electric cars have become viable and will likely only become more capable in the future. Components critical to their performance -- batteries and electronic control systems -- are on a rapidly rising technology curve. These technologies are new and therefore capable of improving quickly with incremental investments. By contrast, technologies that have been around a long time, such as the internal combustion engine and the fuel and drive systems built around it, have enjoyed the benefits of decades of development and have limited potential for further improvement.
The result is that there are several factors aligning to bring about a change in the structure of the automobile industry. Electric cars may match the needs of our time better and become more desirable than cars relying on the internal combustion engine. The car industry today is as vertical as the computer industry was before the PC. However, the simplicity of the electric car combined with the standardization of certain components may cause the automobile industry to shift to a horizontal structure. The Internet is already emerging as a key marketing medium for automobiles and is easily adaptable to a horizontal structure."
The result is that there are several factors aligning to bring about a change in the structure of the automobile industry. Electric cars may match the needs of our time better and become more desirable than cars relying on the internal combustion engine. The car industry today is as vertical as the computer industry was before the PC. However, the simplicity of the electric car combined with the standardization of certain components may cause the automobile industry to shift to a horizontal structure. The Internet is already emerging as a key marketing medium for automobiles and is easily adaptable to a horizontal structure."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Ford’s Electrifying Plan To Boost Efficiency | Autopia | Wired.com
Ford’s Electrifying Plan To Boost Efficiency | Autopia | Wired.com: "Ford Motor Co. says as many as one in four cars it sells by 2020 will be electrified.
The company says giving more vehicles electric motors and big batteries is needed to meet tightening fuel economy standards and ease emissions while providing consumers with cars they want to drive. “By 2020, between 10 percent and 25 percent of the fleet will be electrified,” said Nancy Gioia, head of Ford’s EV program.
Ford is serious enough about cars with cords that it has named Gioia, who started with the company in 1982 as a trainee in the electronics division, global director of vehicle electrification. She’s shooting for an ambitious target, considering hybrids currently comprise about 3 percent of the market. But that market is expected to grow, and Ford says vehicles like the Fusion Hybrid will be the bulk of its electrified fleet for the foreseeable future.
“The hybrid will dominate that market through 2020,” Gioia told Wired.com.
But Ford is hard at work on an electric delivery van slated for next year, an electric car we’ll see in 2011 and a plug-in hybrid we’ll see the year after that."
The company says giving more vehicles electric motors and big batteries is needed to meet tightening fuel economy standards and ease emissions while providing consumers with cars they want to drive. “By 2020, between 10 percent and 25 percent of the fleet will be electrified,” said Nancy Gioia, head of Ford’s EV program.
Ford is serious enough about cars with cords that it has named Gioia, who started with the company in 1982 as a trainee in the electronics division, global director of vehicle electrification. She’s shooting for an ambitious target, considering hybrids currently comprise about 3 percent of the market. But that market is expected to grow, and Ford says vehicles like the Fusion Hybrid will be the bulk of its electrified fleet for the foreseeable future.
“The hybrid will dominate that market through 2020,” Gioia told Wired.com.
But Ford is hard at work on an electric delivery van slated for next year, an electric car we’ll see in 2011 and a plug-in hybrid we’ll see the year after that."
Green Energy News | Publications
Green Energy News | Publications: "The Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the U.S. from 1998–2008 -- Study shows installed costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the U.S., showing that the average cost of these systems declined by more than 30 percent from 1998 to 2008. Within the last year of this period, costs fell by more than 4 percent. http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/emp/re-pubs.html"
Carol Cain: Panels may brighten job market | Detroit Free Press | Freep.com
Carol Cain: Panels may brighten job market | Detroit Free Press | Freep.com: "Bob Stempel is an engineer and forward-thinking car guy who worked hard to become chairman and CEO of General Motors before being forced out 17 years ago amid economic strife.
Stan Ovshinsky is a smart, though sometimes prickly, self-taught inventor, who at 86, remains light years ahead of most as he continues to create innovative ways to power cars and homes.
Working at Ovshinsky Innovations LLC in Bloomfield Hills, the two men have started a venture to create a lighter and more-affordable solar roof panel that may put it in reach for the average person.
'This is about creating jobs,' Stempel, 76, told me during an interview.
Ovshinsky, who has more than 300 patents, created the panel. They hope to entice investors when the product is complete."
Stan Ovshinsky is a smart, though sometimes prickly, self-taught inventor, who at 86, remains light years ahead of most as he continues to create innovative ways to power cars and homes.
Working at Ovshinsky Innovations LLC in Bloomfield Hills, the two men have started a venture to create a lighter and more-affordable solar roof panel that may put it in reach for the average person.
'This is about creating jobs,' Stempel, 76, told me during an interview.
Ovshinsky, who has more than 300 patents, created the panel. They hope to entice investors when the product is complete."
Monday, October 26, 2009
Nissan Aims to Leapfrog Ahead with Stylish Leaf Electric Car | GreenCar.com
Nissan Aims to Leapfrog Ahead with Stylish Leaf Electric Car | GreenCar.com: "NISSAN LEAF SPECS
Length: 175.0 in. Width: 69.7 in. Height : 61.0 in.
Wheelbase: 106.3 in.
Driving range: Over 100 miles (US LA4 mode)
Max speed: Over 90 mph
Motor type: AC motor
Max power: 107 hp (80kW)
Max torque: 206 lb-ft
Battery type: Laminated lithium-ion
Total capacity: 24 kWh
Power output (kW): Over 90
Energy density (Wh/kg): 140
Power density (kW/kg): 2.5
Number of modules: 48
50kW quick charge: 0 to 80% in less than 30 min
Home AC200V charger: Less than 8 hrs
Battery layout: Under seat and floor"
Length: 175.0 in. Width: 69.7 in. Height : 61.0 in.
Wheelbase: 106.3 in.
Driving range: Over 100 miles (US LA4 mode)
Max speed: Over 90 mph
Motor type: AC motor
Max power: 107 hp (80kW)
Max torque: 206 lb-ft
Battery type: Laminated lithium-ion
Total capacity: 24 kWh
Power output (kW): Over 90
Energy density (Wh/kg): 140
Power density (kW/kg): 2.5
Number of modules: 48
50kW quick charge: 0 to 80% in less than 30 min
Home AC200V charger: Less than 8 hrs
Battery layout: Under seat and floor"
Nissan Aims to Leapfrog Ahead with Stylish Leaf Electric Car | GreenCar.com
Nissan Aims to Leapfrog Ahead with Stylish Leaf Electric Car | GreenCar.com: "Green Car traveled to Yokohama, Japan to drive a Nissan Versa (known as the Tilda there) outfitted with the Leaf’s advanced electric powertrain, and we sure didn’t come away disappointed. To place this in context, Green Car editors have driven all the electric vehicle models that were test marketed by the major automakers in the 1990s, spent a year behind the wheel of GM’s EV1, and also drove many developmental electric vehicles on test tracks over the past two decades. It takes a lot to impress us. And we are, we must admit, impressed."
Top Down Auto Blog : Nissan races to install electric-car chargers
Top Down Auto Blog : Nissan races to install electric-car chargers: "With Nissan planning to roll out its first electric vehicles in five states next year and nationwide in 2012, the Japanese automaker is racing to set up a recharging network quickly enough to be ready for them.
Tennessee, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington are the states getting the vehicles first; they won't be available in Texas until sometime in 2012.
Even before the nationwide rollout, thousands of chargers will be needed. Nissan has ambitious plans to sell thousands of the cars in the first year as it becomes the first automaker in the world to attempt to mass-market an all-electric vehicle.
Unlike the popular hybrids on the market today, Nissan's new Leaf, a five-passenger compact hatchback, won't have an internal-combustion engine onboard to back up the electric power. When the battery runs down, the car stops.
Getting the charging infrastructure in place may be a herculean task, said Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan North America Inc., but the automaker vows to be ready when the first cars come to market in December.
“We have to have a different approach from what's been done before because we're looking to mass-market this vehicle rather than just test a few,” as General Motors did with the EV1 in the mid- to late 1990s in California and Arizona."
Tennessee, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington are the states getting the vehicles first; they won't be available in Texas until sometime in 2012.
Even before the nationwide rollout, thousands of chargers will be needed. Nissan has ambitious plans to sell thousands of the cars in the first year as it becomes the first automaker in the world to attempt to mass-market an all-electric vehicle.
Unlike the popular hybrids on the market today, Nissan's new Leaf, a five-passenger compact hatchback, won't have an internal-combustion engine onboard to back up the electric power. When the battery runs down, the car stops.
Getting the charging infrastructure in place may be a herculean task, said Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan North America Inc., but the automaker vows to be ready when the first cars come to market in December.
“We have to have a different approach from what's been done before because we're looking to mass-market this vehicle rather than just test a few,” as General Motors did with the EV1 in the mid- to late 1990s in California and Arizona."
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Tesla Roadster, Toyota Prius, VW Touareg Crash in Denmark - All Cars Electric
Tesla Roadster, Toyota Prius, VW Touareg Crash in Denmark - All Cars Electric: "Here's a frightening scene from the streets of Denmark submitted to Autopia by reader, Lars H. A Tesla Roadster was involved in a three-way crash with a Volkswagen Touareg and a Toyota Prius earlier this week. Apparently the Roadster was stopped behind the Touareg when the Prius rear-ended the Roadster, pushing it under the SUV."
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Nails For the OPEC Coffin | New Energy and Fuel
Nails For the OPEC Coffin | New Energy and Fuel: "Most people don’t grasp the scale of fuel use – 18 million barrels of crude oil in the U.S. – just a single day’s use"
The Future of Cars Was Hydrogen, Once - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com
The Future of Cars Was Hydrogen, Once - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com: "Mr. Lincoln said that venture capital funds had about $20 billion to $24 billion to invest in clean technology this year. That amount is dwarfed by government funds, which could reach $200 billion in the clean energy field 2009, thanks to the administration’s push for renewable power.
“Over all, the stimulus is very good, but I do worry about the government skewing the market, picking winners and losers,” Mr. Lincoln said.
One of these winners has been A123, which received $249 million from Department of Energy."
“Over all, the stimulus is very good, but I do worry about the government skewing the market, picking winners and losers,” Mr. Lincoln said.
One of these winners has been A123, which received $249 million from Department of Energy."
Hydrogen's prospects for autos refreshed | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Hydrogen's prospects for autos refreshed | detnews.com | The Detroit News: "No automaker has committed to bringing a fuel cell vehicle to the mass market before 2015.
GM says progress is being made toward resolving the refueling and price obstacles."
GM says progress is being made toward resolving the refueling and price obstacles."
A Long Bet on Electric Cars - BusinessWeek
A Long Bet on Electric Cars - BusinessWeek: "Tesla has more credibility as an innovator. It has the only true electric car on the road, and it designed the battery pack that provides the juice. Its technological prowess prompted Daimler (DAI) to invest $50 million in Tesla and tap the company to make electric Smart cars."
Governor betting big on e-cars in Oregon | KATU.com - News, Weather and Sports - Portland, Oregon | Technology
Governor betting big on e-cars in Oregon | KATU.com - News, Weather and Sports - Portland, Oregon | Technology: "Oregon made a separate bid for federal dollars for its electric vehicle push, seeking $13.9 million from the Department of Energy. The funds were to match the $25.4 million pledged by public and private entities for the purchase by companies and government agencies of 716 electric vehicles and a network of 1,250 charging stations along the Interstate 5 and Interstate 84 corridors.
The Oregon proposal stood out among those from other parts of the country, which sought federal money to buy or convert vehicles to run on a variety of alternative power sources - not just electricity but also natural gas, ethanol and propane.
'We were all in on electric vehicles,' said Eugene Water & Electric Board's Jeannine Parisi, who was part of the effort. 'We put all our eggs in one basket and it didn't work out.'
The Department of Energy called the Oregon plan too futuristic, saying last month in a letter to state officials: 'Availability of vehicles is very problematic to this proposal.' The difficulty was that many of the electric vehicles Oregon wanted federal money to help pay for likely would not be available for purchase until two to three years after the money was awarded. Until then, the charging stations proposed for workplace parking lots and other locations would sit idle."
grant fail
The Oregon proposal stood out among those from other parts of the country, which sought federal money to buy or convert vehicles to run on a variety of alternative power sources - not just electricity but also natural gas, ethanol and propane.
'We were all in on electric vehicles,' said Eugene Water & Electric Board's Jeannine Parisi, who was part of the effort. 'We put all our eggs in one basket and it didn't work out.'
The Department of Energy called the Oregon plan too futuristic, saying last month in a letter to state officials: 'Availability of vehicles is very problematic to this proposal.' The difficulty was that many of the electric vehicles Oregon wanted federal money to help pay for likely would not be available for purchase until two to three years after the money was awarded. Until then, the charging stations proposed for workplace parking lots and other locations would sit idle."
grant fail
Electric vehicles are charging up the automotive industry -- latimes.com
Electric vehicles are charging up the automotive industry -- latimes.com: "Next time you're filling up the cavernous fuel tank of the gas-gulping family jalopy, imagine getting 230 miles per gallon.
Better yet, how about never buying another gallon of gas?
After years of hope and hype, electron-powered driving finally appears to be on the verge of reality.
In the next three years, at least a dozen pure electric or plug-in hybrid cars are slated to hit the market in the U.S. Electricity-driven vehicles from giants such as General Motors Co. and Nissan Motor Co., as well as start-ups like Fisker Automotive Inc. in Irvine, will provide consumers with a wide variety of choices. These new vehicles promise to combine blinding fuel efficiency, radical new technology and futuristic styling that makes the hybrid Toyota Prius look downright staid.
Battery makers and automakers alike are tooling up factories to produce big volumes of electric vehicles. Meanwhile, power utilities and regulators are scrambling to figure out just how big the market will be."
Better yet, how about never buying another gallon of gas?
After years of hope and hype, electron-powered driving finally appears to be on the verge of reality.
In the next three years, at least a dozen pure electric or plug-in hybrid cars are slated to hit the market in the U.S. Electricity-driven vehicles from giants such as General Motors Co. and Nissan Motor Co., as well as start-ups like Fisker Automotive Inc. in Irvine, will provide consumers with a wide variety of choices. These new vehicles promise to combine blinding fuel efficiency, radical new technology and futuristic styling that makes the hybrid Toyota Prius look downright staid.
Battery makers and automakers alike are tooling up factories to produce big volumes of electric vehicles. Meanwhile, power utilities and regulators are scrambling to figure out just how big the market will be."
Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources
Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: "Energy Subsidies Favor Fossil Fuels Over Renewables
Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008The current energy and climate debate would benefit from a broader understanding of the explicit and hidden government subsidies that affect energy use throughout the economy. In an effort to examine this issue, ELI conducted a review of fossil fuel and renewable energy subsidies for Fiscal Years 2002-2008. Our findings are presented in the graphic “Energy Subsidies Black, Not Green.” The accompanying paper, Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008, describes the approach used to identify and quantify the subsidies presented in the graphic. ELI researchers used a standardized methodology to calculate government expenditures. Where this methodology was lacking or did not apply, ELI researchers calculated subsidy values on a case-by-case basis.
Applying a conservative approach, explained in further detail in the paper, ELI found that
* The vast majority of federal subsidies for fossil fuels and renewable energy supported energy sources that emit high levels of greenhouse gases when used as fuel.
* The federal government provided substantially larger subsidies to fossil fuels than to renewables. Subsidies to fossil fuels—a mature, developed industry that has enjoyed government support for many years—totaled approximately $72 billion over the study period, representing a direct cost to taxpayers.
* Subsidies for renewable fuels, a relatively young and developing industry, totaled $29 billion over the same period.
* Subsidies to fossil fuels generally increased over the study period (though they decreased in 2008), while funding for renewables increased but saw a precipitous drop in 2006-07 (though they increased in 2008). The largest subsidies to fossil fuels were written into the U.S. Tax Code as permanent provisions. By comparison, many subsidies for renewables are time-limited initiatives implemented through energy bills, with expiration dates that limit their usefulness to the renewables industry.
Energy Subsidies Black, Not Green
*
The vast majority of subsidy dollars to fossil fuels can be attributed to just a handful of tax breaks, such as the Foreign Tax Credit ($15.3 billion) and the Credit for Production of Nonconventional Fuels ($14.1 billion, though this credit has since been phased out). The largest of these, the Foreign Tax Credit, applies to the overseas production of oil through an obscure provision of the Tax Code, which allows energy companies to claim a tax credit for payments that would normally receive less-beneficial tax treatment.
*
Almost half of the subsidies for renewables are attributable to corn-based ethanol, the use of which, while decreasing American reliance on foreign oil, raises considerable questions about effects on climate."
$72M. Fossil Fuels subsidized far greater than renewables.
Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008The current energy and climate debate would benefit from a broader understanding of the explicit and hidden government subsidies that affect energy use throughout the economy. In an effort to examine this issue, ELI conducted a review of fossil fuel and renewable energy subsidies for Fiscal Years 2002-2008. Our findings are presented in the graphic “Energy Subsidies Black, Not Green.” The accompanying paper, Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008, describes the approach used to identify and quantify the subsidies presented in the graphic. ELI researchers used a standardized methodology to calculate government expenditures. Where this methodology was lacking or did not apply, ELI researchers calculated subsidy values on a case-by-case basis.
Applying a conservative approach, explained in further detail in the paper, ELI found that
* The vast majority of federal subsidies for fossil fuels and renewable energy supported energy sources that emit high levels of greenhouse gases when used as fuel.
* The federal government provided substantially larger subsidies to fossil fuels than to renewables. Subsidies to fossil fuels—a mature, developed industry that has enjoyed government support for many years—totaled approximately $72 billion over the study period, representing a direct cost to taxpayers.
* Subsidies for renewable fuels, a relatively young and developing industry, totaled $29 billion over the same period.
* Subsidies to fossil fuels generally increased over the study period (though they decreased in 2008), while funding for renewables increased but saw a precipitous drop in 2006-07 (though they increased in 2008). The largest subsidies to fossil fuels were written into the U.S. Tax Code as permanent provisions. By comparison, many subsidies for renewables are time-limited initiatives implemented through energy bills, with expiration dates that limit their usefulness to the renewables industry.
Energy Subsidies Black, Not Green
*
The vast majority of subsidy dollars to fossil fuels can be attributed to just a handful of tax breaks, such as the Foreign Tax Credit ($15.3 billion) and the Credit for Production of Nonconventional Fuels ($14.1 billion, though this credit has since been phased out). The largest of these, the Foreign Tax Credit, applies to the overseas production of oil through an obscure provision of the Tax Code, which allows energy companies to claim a tax credit for payments that would normally receive less-beneficial tax treatment.
*
Almost half of the subsidies for renewables are attributable to corn-based ethanol, the use of which, while decreasing American reliance on foreign oil, raises considerable questions about effects on climate."
$72M. Fossil Fuels subsidized far greater than renewables.
Gen. Wesley Clark Says Nation Must Apply Economic Might To EV Technology - All Cars Electric
Gen. Wesley Clark Says Nation Must Apply Economic Might To EV Technology - All Cars Electric: "The thoughts of General Wesley Clark of the U.S Military came out as powerful words at the Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit this week. As Clark said, 'The nation must muster the same economic might that brought about the explosion in personal computing, the Internet and cellular phones, and apply it to electric vehicle technology to help wean the U.S. from its dependence on foreign oil.'
As a former supreme allied commander for NATO forces, Clark has noted that the past few wars including the Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq both saw this nation go to war in part to secure U.S. access to oil. The dependency on foreign oil led the U.S. in to secure vital resources.
Weening the U.S. off of foreign oil is critical to our national security. As Clark said, 'It's absolutely dead center of the bull's eye of national security. It's a tragedy. It doesn't have to be that way, but it is.'
12 million barrels of imported oil per day go to fueling nearly 240 million vehicles nationwide. The country pays out between $300 and $500 billion annually to purchase foreign oil. Clark noted, 'All that could be money better spent invested here to create jobs and stimulate the economy. We need the next big thing for America. It could be in electric vehicle technology.'"
As a former supreme allied commander for NATO forces, Clark has noted that the past few wars including the Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq both saw this nation go to war in part to secure U.S. access to oil. The dependency on foreign oil led the U.S. in to secure vital resources.
Weening the U.S. off of foreign oil is critical to our national security. As Clark said, 'It's absolutely dead center of the bull's eye of national security. It's a tragedy. It doesn't have to be that way, but it is.'
12 million barrels of imported oil per day go to fueling nearly 240 million vehicles nationwide. The country pays out between $300 and $500 billion annually to purchase foreign oil. Clark noted, 'All that could be money better spent invested here to create jobs and stimulate the economy. We need the next big thing for America. It could be in electric vehicle technology.'"
Investing in Battery Stocks
Investing in Battery Stocks: "$2.4 billion from the stimulus has already gone to fund advanced battery and electric drive projects, including:
* $45.1 million to UQM Technologies (AMEX: UQM)
* $34.3 million to Exide Technologies (NASDAQ: XIDE)
* $118.5 million to Ener1 (NASDAQ: HEV)
* $299.2 million to Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI)
And the recently IPOed A123 Systems (NASDAQ: AONE) was awarded $249.1 million.
Even Warren Buffett has embraced batteries, turning a $1 billion profit in less than a year on an investment in Chinese battery maker BYD (1211.HK)."
* $45.1 million to UQM Technologies (AMEX: UQM)
* $34.3 million to Exide Technologies (NASDAQ: XIDE)
* $118.5 million to Ener1 (NASDAQ: HEV)
* $299.2 million to Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI)
And the recently IPOed A123 Systems (NASDAQ: AONE) was awarded $249.1 million.
Even Warren Buffett has embraced batteries, turning a $1 billion profit in less than a year on an investment in Chinese battery maker BYD (1211.HK)."
A Free Market Perspective on Electric Vehicles
Cascade Policy Institute
http://www.cascadepolicy.org/pdf/env/FMPonElecVehicles_100109a.pdf
http://www.cascadepolicy.org/pdf/env/FMPonElecVehicles_100109a.pdf
Friday, October 23, 2009
Governor betting big on e-cars in Oregon | KATU.com - News, Weather and Sports - Portland, Oregon | Technology
Governor betting big on e-cars in Oregon | KATU.com - News, Weather and Sports - Portland, Oregon | Technology: "Will 2010 be the year electric cars hit the road in Oregon?
Gov. Ted Kulongoski hopes so.
He's spent more than a year touring factories overseas, forging agreements with electric vehicle makers, prodding his staff to lobby for federal grants, and persuading the Legislature to tweak the tax code - all in pursuit of his vision of Oregon as a state that shows the way to a future where battery-powered cars are assembled, parts are made and motorists say goodbye to carbon-producing gasoline.
'It's going to be the showcase of where this is all going,' he said in a recent interview.
If things go as planned, the Oregon showcase goes on display starting next year.
That's when the state's share of a five-state, $100 million federal grant will help businesses expand into manufacturing electric vehicle components in Coburg, Albany and Lebanon. And it's when nearly 1,000 all-electric Nissan Leaf cars and more than 2,250 electric charging stations are supposed to arrive in Eugene, Corvallis, Salem and Portland through the same joint public-private venture, dubbed the EV Project."
Gov. Ted Kulongoski hopes so.
He's spent more than a year touring factories overseas, forging agreements with electric vehicle makers, prodding his staff to lobby for federal grants, and persuading the Legislature to tweak the tax code - all in pursuit of his vision of Oregon as a state that shows the way to a future where battery-powered cars are assembled, parts are made and motorists say goodbye to carbon-producing gasoline.
'It's going to be the showcase of where this is all going,' he said in a recent interview.
If things go as planned, the Oregon showcase goes on display starting next year.
That's when the state's share of a five-state, $100 million federal grant will help businesses expand into manufacturing electric vehicle components in Coburg, Albany and Lebanon. And it's when nearly 1,000 all-electric Nissan Leaf cars and more than 2,250 electric charging stations are supposed to arrive in Eugene, Corvallis, Salem and Portland through the same joint public-private venture, dubbed the EV Project."
When Conservative Values Achieve Liberal Green Goals : TreeHugger
When Conservative Values Achieve Liberal Green Goals : TreeHugger: "Two states have emerged as leaders in renewable energy, a recent piece in the New York Times notes--California and Texas. Historically, they're politically as different as night and day; one is dark blue, the other deeply red. But while California's liberal voter base has allowed it to pass aggressive energy efficiency laws and renewable energy standards, Texas is poised to leave California in the dust when it comes to renewable power. The state's secret weapon? It just might be its deep seated conservative values.
As Green Inc explains, 'Texans despise regulations, an attitude that has helped wind farms to flourish; California, by contrast, requires hefty environmental assessments for large projects.' You may recall that some major projects have been held up or aborted in California due to wildlife concerns or national park considerations--so while rooftop solar has grown exponentially, large renewable plants are stalled by regulations and bureaucracy. That's not the case in Texas."
As Green Inc explains, 'Texans despise regulations, an attitude that has helped wind farms to flourish; California, by contrast, requires hefty environmental assessments for large projects.' You may recall that some major projects have been held up or aborted in California due to wildlife concerns or national park considerations--so while rooftop solar has grown exponentially, large renewable plants are stalled by regulations and bureaucracy. That's not the case in Texas."
EV WORLD: Best Approach to Electric Car Range-Extension Still Evolving
EV WORLD: Best Approach to Electric Car Range-Extension Still Evolving: "how does using a turbine sound? Several companies claim that turbines -- a.k.a. jet engines -- are the ideal range extender. At a recent conference in Munich, I spoke with Mateusz Kurkowski of MTT (Micro Turbine Technology), a company based in the Netherlands. The MTT range extender system is flightcase-sized, at 900 by 60 by 30mm: an incredibly compact package. For a Prius-class car, MTT recommends a 10 kW turbine that weighs, all in all, 40-50 KG. The advantages of a turbine are: extremely low vibration, low noise, small size, and very clean combustion, also due to its ability to recirculate gases. A turbine spins at a superfast speed of 240,000 RPMs, yet can be air-cooled, which saves size, weight and complexity. And you can use any fuel you like, too: gasoline, Diesel, ethanol -- you name it. Rather flippantly, based on Mr. Kurkowski's name, I took the liberty of suggesting Vodka as a fuel, but as a naturalized Dutchman, he said Jenever would do. Personally, I find the concept extremely attractive: an EV with a turbine engine would be a sexy way of combining greenness with Buzz-Lightyear-type futuristic coolness.
In any case, a good range extender that works well with a modern battery set-up sounds like a dream team. Size it right, and your batteries become more affordable, because you don't need so many. Cheap, clean electric power for 80-90% of your drives, and a small, quiet additional engine for the occasional trip to your mother in-law: what's there not to like?"
In any case, a good range extender that works well with a modern battery set-up sounds like a dream team. Size it right, and your batteries become more affordable, because you don't need so many. Cheap, clean electric power for 80-90% of your drives, and a small, quiet additional engine for the occasional trip to your mother in-law: what's there not to like?"
EV WORLD: Best Approach to Electric Car Range-Extension Still Evolving
EV WORLD: Best Approach to Electric Car Range-Extension Still Evolving: "EVs are clean, quiet and efficient. But at the present, they have a limited range of not much more than 100 miles. For electric vehicles (EVs) to become ubiquitous, it may be necessary for them to employ range extender technology. (A range extender is an internal-combustion engine that produces electricity, to charge an EV's batteries while underway. So, you don't have to find an electrical outlet, and then wait a few hours to re-charge when your batteries are low). And here's some delicious irony. If adding a range extender enables the success of the EV, then an internal-combustion engine will have killed the internal-combustion engine (as the main way of powering cars). The engine, so to speak, will have destroyed the engine's main purpose."
EV WORLD: Renault Electric Kangoo Can Do
EV WORLD: Renault Electric Kangoo Can Do: "The Kangoo offers the same level of safety and security as a conventional car including standard airbags, seatbelts and head restraints for all the passengers (side airbags are option). The vehicle is also offered also as 2 place delivery van. Both versions meet Switzerland's A24 zero emissions code.
While the operational manual for the car is available only in French, it is very detailed and written specifically for the electric version of the Kangoo; it is not simply a amended version of the gasoline car's manual. In order to save weight and space, Renault has replaced the spare tire with a spray can of emergency inflation sealant."
While the operational manual for the car is available only in French, it is very detailed and written specifically for the electric version of the Kangoo; it is not simply a amended version of the gasoline car's manual. In order to save weight and space, Renault has replaced the spare tire with a spray can of emergency inflation sealant."
Porsche's "Semper Vivus", a hybrid powered ca ... - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com
Porsche's "Semper Vivus", a hybrid powered ca ... - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com: "Porsche's 'Semper Vivus', a hybrid powered car from the first decade of the twentieth century, is seen during the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California November 14, 2007."
Series Hybrid or Range Extended Vehicle (EREV)
Series Hybrid or Range Extended Vehicle (EREV)
LEDs: Throwing Some Light on the Hype - Boing Boing
LEDs: Throwing Some Light on the Hype - Boing Boing: "There Are Good LED Lights Out There; But You Probably Can't Afford Them
A Twitter friend lamented the other day that LED lighting technology just isn't getting any better. And that's wrong. Right now, if you were a city manager, the owner of a fine hotel (like the Wit) or somebody with enough cash to hire a lighting designer to pick out the fixtures in your living room, you could go drop some money on LED lights that would work great, look beautiful and (depending on your project) give you some big savings on energy use. The obvious problem here is that, with a few exceptions, you are likely none of those things.
No, what you see is the stuff for sale at Home Depot. And that, my friends, is usually not worth your time or money. Not yet, anyway. Buy 'em if you want, but prepare for disappointment...Christmas tree lights that say 'white' and turn out to be blue...$20 lightbulbs that conk out after two weeks. That's a lot of what's out there. Case in point: A couple weeks ago, I was at an LED conference and one of the speakers told a story about buying 10 screw-in LED lightbulbs from his local Costco, just to see what they'd do. The box claimed they'd last 30,000 hours. Within two weeks, four were dark, and one had changed colors and started blinking. Less than two months later, all the lights had dimmed out enough to be useless. I've heard that same, basic story about 50,000 times now. Sure, there may well be good, affordable products out there. But you have no way of telling the difference, which brings me to...."
A Twitter friend lamented the other day that LED lighting technology just isn't getting any better. And that's wrong. Right now, if you were a city manager, the owner of a fine hotel (like the Wit) or somebody with enough cash to hire a lighting designer to pick out the fixtures in your living room, you could go drop some money on LED lights that would work great, look beautiful and (depending on your project) give you some big savings on energy use. The obvious problem here is that, with a few exceptions, you are likely none of those things.
No, what you see is the stuff for sale at Home Depot. And that, my friends, is usually not worth your time or money. Not yet, anyway. Buy 'em if you want, but prepare for disappointment...Christmas tree lights that say 'white' and turn out to be blue...$20 lightbulbs that conk out after two weeks. That's a lot of what's out there. Case in point: A couple weeks ago, I was at an LED conference and one of the speakers told a story about buying 10 screw-in LED lightbulbs from his local Costco, just to see what they'd do. The box claimed they'd last 30,000 hours. Within two weeks, four were dark, and one had changed colors and started blinking. Less than two months later, all the lights had dimmed out enough to be useless. I've heard that same, basic story about 50,000 times now. Sure, there may well be good, affordable products out there. But you have no way of telling the difference, which brings me to...."
EV WORLDwire: The End of the ICE Age, Rise of the Smart Grid
EV WORLDwire: The End of the ICE Age, Rise of the Smart Grid: "With coal representing half of the nation's current electricity generation, the carbon density of a plug-in hybrid powered by the grid is about 55 percent that of conventional gasoline. Applied across the entire light-duty fleet, the shift to plug-in hybrid vehicles would cut more than one-quarter of the total transportation emissions—or close to 7 percent of the nation's total GHG emissions.
Further Greening of Electrons
Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) mandating minimum levels of renewable energy generation will further enhance GHG savings. Just over half of the states have developed renewable portfolio standards calling for up to 20 percent of electricity from renewable sources. California, always the leader, just raised its RPS, mandating 33 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020."
Further Greening of Electrons
Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) mandating minimum levels of renewable energy generation will further enhance GHG savings. Just over half of the states have developed renewable portfolio standards calling for up to 20 percent of electricity from renewable sources. California, always the leader, just raised its RPS, mandating 33 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020."
EV WORLDwire: The End of the ICE Age, Rise of the Smart Grid
EV WORLDwire: The End of the ICE Age, Rise of the Smart Grid: "The electrification of transportation is unique in that it intersects national security, economic, and climate change agendas. In what seems to be a rare occasion these days, there is something to please both political parties.
By shifting the primary fuel for light-duty vehicles from oil to electricity, the U.S. Energy Department estimates that the United States stands to reduce petroleum consumption by as much as 6.2 million barrels of oil per day, eliminating 52 percent of current petroleum imports. Those concerned with national security note that these savings exceed total oil imports from OPEC countries (5.9 million barrels per day)."
By shifting the primary fuel for light-duty vehicles from oil to electricity, the U.S. Energy Department estimates that the United States stands to reduce petroleum consumption by as much as 6.2 million barrels of oil per day, eliminating 52 percent of current petroleum imports. Those concerned with national security note that these savings exceed total oil imports from OPEC countries (5.9 million barrels per day)."
Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center: Electric Charging Station Locations
Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center: Electric Charging Station Locations: "To find electric charging stations, select a state on the map below. The database will generate a detailed list of stations verified to offer electricity as an alternative fuel for electric vehicles. If you want to search for another fuel or search for stations near a specific address or city location, go to the Alternative Fueling Station Locator."
Business - Wire News - sacbee.com
Business - Wire News - sacbee.com: "ClipperCreek, Inc. announced today that it is introducing a new model electric vehicle charging station available for under $1,000.
“This product is to answer the call by our customers to start installing cost effective public charging stations now”, said Dave Packard, President of ClipperCreek. “Our customers are able to serve their customers, complete 90% of the installation work, and be ready for a simple upgrade when the new plug is available early next year.”
ClipperCreek also announced it will have a fully compatible SAE-J1772™ Level 2 upgrade package available for $2,000 in early 2010. Like all of ClipperCreek products, this unit will be UL listed."
“This product is to answer the call by our customers to start installing cost effective public charging stations now”, said Dave Packard, President of ClipperCreek. “Our customers are able to serve their customers, complete 90% of the installation work, and be ready for a simple upgrade when the new plug is available early next year.”
ClipperCreek also announced it will have a fully compatible SAE-J1772™ Level 2 upgrade package available for $2,000 in early 2010. Like all of ClipperCreek products, this unit will be UL listed."
Crucial deal sets stage for Reva electric car plant in Central New York | News from The Post-Standard -
Crucial deal sets stage for Reva electric car plant in Central New York | News from The Post-Standard -: "Syracuse, NY -- A company that wants Central New York workers to build a new generation of electric cars for North America has struck a crucial agreement with the Reva Electric Car Co. of India, removing one of the last hurdles to a deal for a new local assembly plant.
Bannon Automotive, of Long Island, has secured an exclusive North American licensing deal with the company, according to sources familiar with their negotiations.
The partners want to open their first North American plant in Onondaga County, where several sites are under consideration, the sources said. A state official said Monday that Bannon plans to renovate a 150,000-square-foot building in Clay.
The plant would initially employ 100 people, with the potential to add many more as the plant ramps up to full capacity."
Bannon Automotive, of Long Island, has secured an exclusive North American licensing deal with the company, according to sources familiar with their negotiations.
The partners want to open their first North American plant in Onondaga County, where several sites are under consideration, the sources said. A state official said Monday that Bannon plans to renovate a 150,000-square-foot building in Clay.
The plant would initially employ 100 people, with the potential to add many more as the plant ramps up to full capacity."
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tokyo 2009: Nissan confirms three EVs for production, including Infiniti — Autoblog Green
Tokyo 2009: Nissan confirms three EVs for production, including Infiniti — Autoblog Green: "CEO Carlos Ghosn has just confirmed that Nissan, Renault's Japanese alliance partner, will boast a lineup of at least three electric vehicles in the next few years – and a fourth vehicle is also possible. We already know about the Leaf hatchback (above) that was unveiled back in August. In addition, Nissan will build an electric version of the NV200 light commercial van that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show. For the first time, Ghosn also confirmed that Infiniti will get a compact four-passenger sedan powered only by batteries."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Cascade Policy Institute - Oregon Public Policy » A Free Market Perspective on Electric Vehicles
Cascade Policy Institute - Oregon Public Policy » A Free Market Perspective on Electric Vehicles: "A Free Market Perspective on Electric Vehicles
Filed under:
* Carbon Cartel Education Project
* Climate Change
* Reports
* Transportation
— Cascade Policy Institute
By Todd Wynn and Steve Lafleur
Summary:The first alternative fuel vehicle to hit the market arrived without government subsidies. Within a decade, the gas-powered automobile dominated the market. While the emergence of automobiles took place more than a century ago, it is an excellent analogy to the current development of the electric car."
Filed under:
* Carbon Cartel Education Project
* Climate Change
* Reports
* Transportation
— Cascade Policy Institute
By Todd Wynn and Steve Lafleur
Summary:The first alternative fuel vehicle to hit the market arrived without government subsidies. Within a decade, the gas-powered automobile dominated the market. While the emergence of automobiles took place more than a century ago, it is an excellent analogy to the current development of the electric car."
Governor betting big on e-cars in Oregon | KATU.com - News, Weather and Sports - Portland, Oregon | Technology
Governor betting big on e-cars in Oregon | KATU.com - News, Weather and Sports - Portland, Oregon | Technology: "The Department of Energy called the Oregon plan too futuristic, saying last month in a letter to state officials: 'Availability of vehicles is very problematic to this proposal.' The difficulty was that many of the electric vehicles Oregon wanted federal money to help pay for likely would not be available for purchase until two to three years after the money was awarded. Until then, the charging stations proposed for workplace parking lots and other locations would sit idle."
Governor betting big on e-cars in Oregon | KATU.com - News, Weather and Sports - Portland, Oregon | Technology
Governor betting big on e-cars in Oregon | KATU.com - News, Weather and Sports - Portland, Oregon | Technology: "If things go as planned, the Oregon showcase goes on display starting next year.
That's when the state's share of a five-state, $100 million federal grant will help businesses expand into manufacturing electric vehicle components in Coburg, Albany and Lebanon. And it's when nearly 1,000 all-electric Nissan Leaf cars and more than 2,250 electric charging stations are supposed to arrive in Eugene, Corvallis, Salem and Portland through the same joint public-private venture, dubbed the EV Project."
That's when the state's share of a five-state, $100 million federal grant will help businesses expand into manufacturing electric vehicle components in Coburg, Albany and Lebanon. And it's when nearly 1,000 all-electric Nissan Leaf cars and more than 2,250 electric charging stations are supposed to arrive in Eugene, Corvallis, Salem and Portland through the same joint public-private venture, dubbed the EV Project."
Report Tallies Hidden Energy Costs / Science News
Report Tallies Hidden Energy Costs / Science News: "The average retail cost of U.S. coal-fired electricity was 9 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2007 (the most recent year for which data are available). But there are health and environmental costs of that power that consumers don't pay, at least as part of their electric bill. According to a new report, accounting for those costs would double the true cost of shooting some electrons through the nation's power grid.
As long as such costs remain hidden, they risk skewing policy and purchasing decisions. A new report released today by the National Research Council now attempts to compute and tally those hidden health and environmental costs associated with energy. And although the sums it offers up are huge, the report acknowledges that society may decide they’re well worth accepting in light of the benefits provided by that energy.
At least as long as those costs are recognized.
For instance, siting a coal plant in a region that exaggerates the environmental impact of that fuel might be avoided if the costs associated with particular siting options were identified. Similarly, motorists may lose part of any incentive to conserve when the true costs of gasoline are not reflected in prices paid at the pump.
Now about that coal, which supplies nearly half of U.S. electricity: The NRC report finds that the hidden per-kWh health and environmental costs average a little more than 3 cents, but can be as high as 12 cents. The big differential largely reflects the age of plants — newer ones must employ better stack-gas cleaning technologies — and how much sulfur the coal contains.
These extras also don’t account for any pricey environmental havoc associated with global change wrought by coal’s emissions of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide. NRC’s rough gauge of such costs, based on reviewing analyses by others, suggests that these might amount to another 3 cents/kWh.
The report also tackles natural gas use, transportation fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy sources. Together, it computes their fairly easy-to-identify hidden health and environmental costs as at least $120 billion per year. However, NRC’s new analysis adds, because “large uncertainties are associated with the [report’s] estimates, there is little doubt that this aggregate total substantially underestimates the damages.” And that’s because this aggregate total doesn’t account for climate impacts, many ecosystem impacts, damage to infrastructure and potential national-security and environmental risks that could be associated with the cradle-to-grave nuclear-fuel cycle.
When energy decision makers and consumers lack access to such “external” costs of power production, the NRC report says, “there is a case for government intervention in the form of regulation, taxes, fees, tradable permits or other instruments” — things that effectively serve to unveil those formerly hidden costs. And it was to gauge the magnitude of these — and, therefore, the potential need for new regs or taxes — that Congress commissioned this new analysis.
There is another source of hidden costs that this report doesn't seem to have addressed: subsidies. They also distort the apparent price of a fuel. I'm not arguing that subsidies aren't often useful, for instance in getting new technologies into the marketplace. They just shouldn't be hidden — at least not on timescales of years."
As long as such costs remain hidden, they risk skewing policy and purchasing decisions. A new report released today by the National Research Council now attempts to compute and tally those hidden health and environmental costs associated with energy. And although the sums it offers up are huge, the report acknowledges that society may decide they’re well worth accepting in light of the benefits provided by that energy.
At least as long as those costs are recognized.
For instance, siting a coal plant in a region that exaggerates the environmental impact of that fuel might be avoided if the costs associated with particular siting options were identified. Similarly, motorists may lose part of any incentive to conserve when the true costs of gasoline are not reflected in prices paid at the pump.
Now about that coal, which supplies nearly half of U.S. electricity: The NRC report finds that the hidden per-kWh health and environmental costs average a little more than 3 cents, but can be as high as 12 cents. The big differential largely reflects the age of plants — newer ones must employ better stack-gas cleaning technologies — and how much sulfur the coal contains.
These extras also don’t account for any pricey environmental havoc associated with global change wrought by coal’s emissions of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide. NRC’s rough gauge of such costs, based on reviewing analyses by others, suggests that these might amount to another 3 cents/kWh.
The report also tackles natural gas use, transportation fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy sources. Together, it computes their fairly easy-to-identify hidden health and environmental costs as at least $120 billion per year. However, NRC’s new analysis adds, because “large uncertainties are associated with the [report’s] estimates, there is little doubt that this aggregate total substantially underestimates the damages.” And that’s because this aggregate total doesn’t account for climate impacts, many ecosystem impacts, damage to infrastructure and potential national-security and environmental risks that could be associated with the cradle-to-grave nuclear-fuel cycle.
When energy decision makers and consumers lack access to such “external” costs of power production, the NRC report says, “there is a case for government intervention in the form of regulation, taxes, fees, tradable permits or other instruments” — things that effectively serve to unveil those formerly hidden costs. And it was to gauge the magnitude of these — and, therefore, the potential need for new regs or taxes — that Congress commissioned this new analysis.
There is another source of hidden costs that this report doesn't seem to have addressed: subsidies. They also distort the apparent price of a fuel. I'm not arguing that subsidies aren't often useful, for instance in getting new technologies into the marketplace. They just shouldn't be hidden — at least not on timescales of years."
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sound cars about to get plugged in | Northwest News - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination
Sound cars about to get plugged in | Northwest News - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination: "Tacoma’s Castro is among those who think an electric corridor running along I-5 is not that farfetched.
“They got the West Coast dialed,” he said. “It’s a progression, a matter of time.”"
“They got the West Coast dialed,” he said. “It’s a progression, a matter of time.”"
Sound cars about to get plugged in | Northwest News - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination
Sound cars about to get plugged in | Northwest News - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination: "by 2030 one-third of all new cars in the Northwest might be plug-in electric cars."
Sound cars about to get plugged in | Northwest News - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination
Sound cars about to get plugged in | Northwest News - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination: "“No one has ever tried a project like this.”
Tacoma Power will not only help connect and supply electricity to the charge stations, but it also hopes to buy 10 or so of the vehicles for its own fleet.
“It’s the new frontier in sustainable green transportation,” said Frank Castro, utilities fleet manager for Tacoma Public Utilities.
Electric cars aren’t just some green fantasy, Reed said."
Tacoma Power will not only help connect and supply electricity to the charge stations, but it also hopes to buy 10 or so of the vehicles for its own fleet.
“It’s the new frontier in sustainable green transportation,” said Frank Castro, utilities fleet manager for Tacoma Public Utilities.
Electric cars aren’t just some green fantasy, Reed said."
Sound cars about to get plugged in | Northwest News - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination
Sound cars about to get plugged in | Northwest News - The News Tribune | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination: "electric corridor stretching from Eugene, Ore., to Vancouver, B.C., where you could swipe your card and receive a 15-minute quick charge"
Samsung OLED is Virtually Indestructible - Tom's Hardware
Samsung OLED is Virtually Indestructible - Tom's Hardware: "Ever seen a broken LCD screen? Not pretty. Not at all. It's just one big explosion of black liquid that reminds me of a very freaked out squid.
Samsung's OLED technology, however, appears to hold up much better under pressure. We're not just talking about tense situations here, but literal pressure of a hammer pounding it directly. Check it out below:
Samsung Flexible AM OLED
But will it blend? Probably. Regardless, that's one resilient OLED. Of course, the OLED screen will most likely be placed on top of circuitry, so any attempt to hammer a device that carries such a screen might not destroy the display right away, but will do some damage to everything else.
Source : Tom's Hardware US"
Samsung's OLED technology, however, appears to hold up much better under pressure. We're not just talking about tense situations here, but literal pressure of a hammer pounding it directly. Check it out below:
Samsung Flexible AM OLED
But will it blend? Probably. Regardless, that's one resilient OLED. Of course, the OLED screen will most likely be placed on top of circuitry, so any attempt to hammer a device that carries such a screen might not destroy the display right away, but will do some damage to everything else.
Source : Tom's Hardware US"
Gallery: 10 Cars Way Too Far Ahead of Their Time | Autopia | Wired.com
Gallery: 10 Cars Way Too Far Ahead of Their Time | Autopia | Wired.com: "1999 Honda Insight
Leave it Honda to create a hybrid vehicle when we were paying a buck and change for a gallon of gas. The Honda Insight was the first gas-electric hybrid sold in North America. It was a revolutionary vehicle, which is one reason it didn’t really catch on. Beyond the innovative drivetrain, the car featured an ultra-aerodynamic drag-coefficient of 0.25 and futuristic design. It also got as much as 70 mpg, setting a benchmark current hybrids — including the current Honda Insight — are still trying to attain. Of course, Toyota came along with the Prius shortly after Honda introduced the Insight, and the rest, as they say, is history."
Leave it Honda to create a hybrid vehicle when we were paying a buck and change for a gallon of gas. The Honda Insight was the first gas-electric hybrid sold in North America. It was a revolutionary vehicle, which is one reason it didn’t really catch on. Beyond the innovative drivetrain, the car featured an ultra-aerodynamic drag-coefficient of 0.25 and futuristic design. It also got as much as 70 mpg, setting a benchmark current hybrids — including the current Honda Insight — are still trying to attain. Of course, Toyota came along with the Prius shortly after Honda introduced the Insight, and the rest, as they say, is history."
Gallery: 10 Cars Way Too Far Ahead of Their Time | Autopia | Wired.com
Gallery: 10 Cars Way Too Far Ahead of Their Time | Autopia | Wired.com: "1996 GM EV-1
We’re not about to wade into the debate over how and why General Motors killed the EV1 and whether the car was commercially viable. Suffice it to say the electric car was a wondrous machine and a technological marvel. First-gen cars produced between 1996 and 1999 used lead-acid batteries with a range of 70 to 100 miles; the second-gen models used nickel-metal hydride that bumped the range to 80 to 140 miles. GM built the cars to appease the California Air Resources Board, which was coming down hard on emissions to improve air quality. General Motors (and other automakers) fought the mandate and argued there was no market for EVs. GM built 1,117 EV1s and leased them to consumers; it argued the cars were not profitable and canceled the program in late 2003, took back the cars and crushed all but two of them. Those so inclined can argue the details and conspiracy theories in the comments."
We’re not about to wade into the debate over how and why General Motors killed the EV1 and whether the car was commercially viable. Suffice it to say the electric car was a wondrous machine and a technological marvel. First-gen cars produced between 1996 and 1999 used lead-acid batteries with a range of 70 to 100 miles; the second-gen models used nickel-metal hydride that bumped the range to 80 to 140 miles. GM built the cars to appease the California Air Resources Board, which was coming down hard on emissions to improve air quality. General Motors (and other automakers) fought the mandate and argued there was no market for EVs. GM built 1,117 EV1s and leased them to consumers; it argued the cars were not profitable and canceled the program in late 2003, took back the cars and crushed all but two of them. Those so inclined can argue the details and conspiracy theories in the comments."
Gallery: 10 Cars Way Too Far Ahead of Their Time | Autopia | Wired.com
Gallery: 10 Cars Way Too Far Ahead of Their Time | Autopia | Wired.com: "Some of the coolest automotive technology came about before the public was ready for it. But we can look back and see the cars that featured it were well ahead of their time. And so we present Autopia’s top 10 cars that were ahead of their time. Each contributed something significant to the mix: They often fell flat in the showroom, but sooner or later the innovation they heralded changed the face of motoring.
1898 Lohner-Porsche Mixte-Hybrid
The world’s first gas-electric car (pictured above) was built by 18-year-old Ferdinand Porsche as he worked his first job with coach-builder Jacob Lohner & Co from 1898 to 1906. Propelled by four electric-drive hubs, the gas- and battery-powered car carried almost two tons of lead-acid batteries and reached a top speed of 37 mph. Three hundred were sold during Porsche’s eight-year tenure with Lohner. In 1906 Porsche was recruited by Austro-Daimler as chief designer. When he left, Lohner said, “He is very young, but is a man with a big career before him. You will hear of him again.”"
1898 Lohner-Porsche Mixte-Hybrid
The world’s first gas-electric car (pictured above) was built by 18-year-old Ferdinand Porsche as he worked his first job with coach-builder Jacob Lohner & Co from 1898 to 1906. Propelled by four electric-drive hubs, the gas- and battery-powered car carried almost two tons of lead-acid batteries and reached a top speed of 37 mph. Three hundred were sold during Porsche’s eight-year tenure with Lohner. In 1906 Porsche was recruited by Austro-Daimler as chief designer. When he left, Lohner said, “He is very young, but is a man with a big career before him. You will hear of him again.”"
Gas in Afghanistan Costs $400 Per Gallon : TreeHugger
Gas in Afghanistan Costs $400 Per Gallon : TreeHugger: "And we worry about the price of gas here. The Pentagon estimates that by the time it lands fuel in Karachi, trucks it through Pakistan, moves it around Afghanistan and sometimes even flies it in helicopters, gas costs four hundred bucks a gallon. The Marines run through 800,000 gallons per day.
According to the Hill, the $400 per gallon reflects what in Pentagon parlance is known as the 'fully burdened cost of fuel.'"
According to the Hill, the $400 per gallon reflects what in Pentagon parlance is known as the 'fully burdened cost of fuel.'"
Sunday, October 18, 2009
AskOxford: How do you describe a person who does not eat meat, but eats fish?
AskOxford: How do you describe a person who does not eat meat, but eats fish?: "How do you describe a person who does not eat meat, but eats fish?
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The word demi-vegetarian appears in our file with the sense 'a person who eats fish but not meat', but this is not obvious as the meaning of the term, and some self-styled 'demi-vegetarians' may eat poultry and avoid only red meat.
The invented terms pesco-vegetarian and pescatarian are increasingly common, and clearer in meaning. The most practical option is usually to state a person's eating preferences in an explicit phrase."
print buttonPrinter Friendly Version
The word demi-vegetarian appears in our file with the sense 'a person who eats fish but not meat', but this is not obvious as the meaning of the term, and some self-styled 'demi-vegetarians' may eat poultry and avoid only red meat.
The invented terms pesco-vegetarian and pescatarian are increasingly common, and clearer in meaning. The most practical option is usually to state a person's eating preferences in an explicit phrase."
"Bill To Extend Federal Advance Vehicle Loans to 3-Wheelers Wins Approval" Green Car Advisor
"Bill To Extend Federal Advance Vehicle Loans to 3-Wheelers Wins Approval" Green Car Advisor: "The Senate has approved a measure directing the Energy Department to extend advanced vehicle research and development fuiding programs to manufacturers of three-wheeled vehicles as well as to the conventional carand truck industries.
The bill, already approved by the House, now goes to the President for his signature.
To qualify, three-wheelers would have to meet the federal saftety standards applied to four-wheel vehiocles.
The measure was spurredby lobbying from companies such as Aptera that are developing fuel-efficiend, lightweight and often sporty three-wheel passenger vehicles.
----------
Aptera prototypes at assembly plant in SouthernCalifornmia early this year."
The bill, already approved by the House, now goes to the President for his signature.
To qualify, three-wheelers would have to meet the federal saftety standards applied to four-wheel vehiocles.
The measure was spurredby lobbying from companies such as Aptera that are developing fuel-efficiend, lightweight and often sporty three-wheel passenger vehicles.
----------
Aptera prototypes at assembly plant in SouthernCalifornmia early this year."
Ecuador’s Case Against Chevron Grows Murkier - NYTimes.com
Ecuador’s Case Against Chevron Grows Murkier - NYTimes.com: "Ever since the oil giant released videos in August that were secretly taped by two businessmen who seemed to have the ambition of feasting off the expected $27 billion in damages sought, Ecuadorean officials and Chevron have accused each other of gross improprieties, including espionage.
The Ecuadorean judge hearing the case recused himself after he appeared in the recordings discussing the case and potential damages. He was returned to the case by another judge, but he was then removed again.
The two mysterious businessmen, who used watches and pens implanted with bugging devices to make the recordings, have refused to explain their motivations for going to the furtive meetings in Quito and a jungle outpost to discuss a bribery plot. And now, with questions mounting, one of them has enlisted a lawyer who has represented Barry Bonds.
In recent days the plot has thickened further. The Ecuadorean political go-between whose taped remarks about apportioning bribes put him in the middle of the scandal, Patricio GarcÃa, said he was entrapped in a dirty-tricks campaign by Chevron.
In an interview, he claimed that Chevron had masterminded an industrial espionage project, with digitally manipulated videos and gangsters disguised as entrepreneurs on the prowl for contracts, intended to smear him and Ecuador’s legal system.
“This was all planned from the United States, by Chevron itself,” said Mr. GarcÃa, 55, a businessman and former car mechanic. He chafed at any suggestion, as laid out in recordings made public by Chevron, that he had discussed a bribery scheme that was to include President Rafael Correa’s sister, Pierina Correa, and Judge Juan Núñez, who was then overseeing the case."
The Ecuadorean judge hearing the case recused himself after he appeared in the recordings discussing the case and potential damages. He was returned to the case by another judge, but he was then removed again.
The two mysterious businessmen, who used watches and pens implanted with bugging devices to make the recordings, have refused to explain their motivations for going to the furtive meetings in Quito and a jungle outpost to discuss a bribery plot. And now, with questions mounting, one of them has enlisted a lawyer who has represented Barry Bonds.
In recent days the plot has thickened further. The Ecuadorean political go-between whose taped remarks about apportioning bribes put him in the middle of the scandal, Patricio GarcÃa, said he was entrapped in a dirty-tricks campaign by Chevron.
In an interview, he claimed that Chevron had masterminded an industrial espionage project, with digitally manipulated videos and gangsters disguised as entrepreneurs on the prowl for contracts, intended to smear him and Ecuador’s legal system.
“This was all planned from the United States, by Chevron itself,” said Mr. GarcÃa, 55, a businessman and former car mechanic. He chafed at any suggestion, as laid out in recordings made public by Chevron, that he had discussed a bribery scheme that was to include President Rafael Correa’s sister, Pierina Correa, and Judge Juan Núñez, who was then overseeing the case."
"Bill To Extend Federal Advance Vehicle Loans to 3-Wheelers Wins Approval" Green Car Advisor
"Bill To Extend Federal Advance Vehicle Loans to 3-Wheelers Wins Approval" Green Car Advisor: "The Senate has approved a measure directing the Energy Department to extend advanced vehicle research and development fuiding programs to manufacturers of three-wheeled vehicles as well as to the conventional carand truck industries.
The bill, already approved by the House, now goes to the President for his signature.
To qualify, three-wheelers would have to meet the federal saftety standards applied to four-wheel vehiocles.
The measure was spurredby lobbying from companies such as Aptera that are developing fuel-efficiend, lightweight and often sporty three-wheel passenger vehicles."
The bill, already approved by the House, now goes to the President for his signature.
To qualify, three-wheelers would have to meet the federal saftety standards applied to four-wheel vehiocles.
The measure was spurredby lobbying from companies such as Aptera that are developing fuel-efficiend, lightweight and often sporty three-wheel passenger vehicles."
FCEV
YouTube - Virginia coal plant prompts front porch protests
YouTube - Virginia coal plant prompts front porch protests: "Helen and Mike Eggleston, who have lived in Dendron nearly all their lives, were featured in this MSNBC Nightly News piece on the proposed coal-burning monstrosity in Hampton Roads. The proposed plant would be in their backyard. Watch and spread the word!"
Friday, October 16, 2009
Reality check: Hybrid or all-electric?
Reality check: Hybrid or all-electric?: "According to Brady, two of the changes are cost and driving range. Chevrolet is estimating the cost of the Volt at around $40,000, almost twice as much as the least expensive Prius. Some analysts say the fuel savings never will be enough to pay for the high sticker price, especially if gasoline prices stay relatively low.
The Prius uses nickel-metal-hydride batteries, a technology that’s been around for many years. Much of the higher cost of the Volt is to pay for its next-generation lithium-ion batteries. “Li-ion” batteries have many advantages, including being smaller and lighter. But they also cost four to five times as much.
Only one li-ion-powered car is sold in America – the Tesla Roadster, a plug-in rechargeable electric sports car. Although it doesn’t use any gasoline, the Tesla Roadster costs more that $100,000 and carries only two passengers.
Nissan officials haven’t announced prices for the Leaf but are saying it will be affordable. They face the same challenge as Chevrolet, though, because the Leaf also will be powered by li-ion batteries.
Then there is the psychological barrier. The Volt is supposed to travel 40 miles between charges, the Leaf more than twice that. Both distances are more than most people travel in a day, theoretically making them practical cars. But what about emergencies or additional daily trips? Buyers could fear being stranded by a dead battery."
The Prius uses nickel-metal-hydride batteries, a technology that’s been around for many years. Much of the higher cost of the Volt is to pay for its next-generation lithium-ion batteries. “Li-ion” batteries have many advantages, including being smaller and lighter. But they also cost four to five times as much.
Only one li-ion-powered car is sold in America – the Tesla Roadster, a plug-in rechargeable electric sports car. Although it doesn’t use any gasoline, the Tesla Roadster costs more that $100,000 and carries only two passengers.
Nissan officials haven’t announced prices for the Leaf but are saying it will be affordable. They face the same challenge as Chevrolet, though, because the Leaf also will be powered by li-ion batteries.
Then there is the psychological barrier. The Volt is supposed to travel 40 miles between charges, the Leaf more than twice that. Both distances are more than most people travel in a day, theoretically making them practical cars. But what about emergencies or additional daily trips? Buyers could fear being stranded by a dead battery."
Blog Action Day 2009: If We All Just Do Two Things We Can Prevent Climate Change : TreeHugger
Blog Action Day 2009: If We All Just Do Two Things We Can Prevent Climate Change : TreeHugger: "1) Sign Up For Green Power With Your Utility
Want to slash your personal carbon emissions and send a message to your electric utility that renewable energy is important to you? Then take 5-10 minutes out of your busy day and sign up for green power with your utility.
The amount of carbon emissions you've just cut out of your life varies from state to state and region to region (based on how polluting your energy mix is) but it's a significant thing to do no matter where you live. On average in the US you're avoiding 3 tons of carbon emissions.
Don't know where to start? Go here: EPA Green Power Locator
2) Stop Eating Meat
I don't know if I'd go so far as calling meat eating 'the single worst things humans can do to the environment' like Change.org does, but in terms of actions you can take to reduce your carbon emissions (not to mention cultivating compassion for all life...) adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet is one of the most powerful things you can do.
Cut out meat from your diet and your personal carbon emissions drop a ton. Cut out meat, dairy and eggs and it's a two ton reduction.
At absolute minimum you should cut way back on your meat consumption. Try becoming a weekday vegetarian to start, if that seems easier to do.
Want some more stats to back that up? If we just reduced meat consumption to historic levels (think pre-WW2) we could cut the costs of mitigating climate change -- up to 70% in fact, if enough people became vegetarians."
Want to slash your personal carbon emissions and send a message to your electric utility that renewable energy is important to you? Then take 5-10 minutes out of your busy day and sign up for green power with your utility.
The amount of carbon emissions you've just cut out of your life varies from state to state and region to region (based on how polluting your energy mix is) but it's a significant thing to do no matter where you live. On average in the US you're avoiding 3 tons of carbon emissions.
Don't know where to start? Go here: EPA Green Power Locator
2) Stop Eating Meat
I don't know if I'd go so far as calling meat eating 'the single worst things humans can do to the environment' like Change.org does, but in terms of actions you can take to reduce your carbon emissions (not to mention cultivating compassion for all life...) adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet is one of the most powerful things you can do.
Cut out meat from your diet and your personal carbon emissions drop a ton. Cut out meat, dairy and eggs and it's a two ton reduction.
At absolute minimum you should cut way back on your meat consumption. Try becoming a weekday vegetarian to start, if that seems easier to do.
Want some more stats to back that up? If we just reduced meat consumption to historic levels (think pre-WW2) we could cut the costs of mitigating climate change -- up to 70% in fact, if enough people became vegetarians."
Predicting the 2020 EV Market: Consider the Wild Cards | BNET Auto Blog | BNET
Predicting the 2020 EV Market: Consider the Wild Cards | BNET Auto Blog | BNET: "It’s always fun to predict the future, and the beauty is that if you are projecting far enough ahead no one’s likely to remember what you’d said—even if turned out to be egregiously wrong.
How many battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and just plain hybrids will sell in 2020? I can make only educated guesses, which is also the case for Lux Research, which just released its latest report, “Unplugging the Hype Around Electric Vehicles.” In that study, it predicts the size of the market based on different oil-price scenarios. Roughly, the higher the oil price, the more EVs will be sold. If oil reaches $200 a barrel by 2020, for instance, Lux thinks that light plug-in hybrids will be the best-selling EVs in the U.S., with a million units sold annually. “At lower oil prices, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics languish.”
Even a million EV cars and trucks is not a lot when you consider that the entire auto market today is around 10 million (down from 16 million annually). That’s a dent, but not a huge one.
My problem with Lux’s analysis here is that it assumes that car sales are wholly based on the fluctuations of the free market. Much as we all may want to keep Adam Smith’s dream alive, there are other factors at play, especially with EVs. A market-only scenario, for instance, discounts the role of such physically unavoidable barriers as peak oil and greenhouse gas buildup. Both have already influenced the “free” market."
How many battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and just plain hybrids will sell in 2020? I can make only educated guesses, which is also the case for Lux Research, which just released its latest report, “Unplugging the Hype Around Electric Vehicles.” In that study, it predicts the size of the market based on different oil-price scenarios. Roughly, the higher the oil price, the more EVs will be sold. If oil reaches $200 a barrel by 2020, for instance, Lux thinks that light plug-in hybrids will be the best-selling EVs in the U.S., with a million units sold annually. “At lower oil prices, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics languish.”
Even a million EV cars and trucks is not a lot when you consider that the entire auto market today is around 10 million (down from 16 million annually). That’s a dent, but not a huge one.
My problem with Lux’s analysis here is that it assumes that car sales are wholly based on the fluctuations of the free market. Much as we all may want to keep Adam Smith’s dream alive, there are other factors at play, especially with EVs. A market-only scenario, for instance, discounts the role of such physically unavoidable barriers as peak oil and greenhouse gas buildup. Both have already influenced the “free” market."
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Conservatives pledge on electric car plugs | This is Money
Conservatives pledge on electric car plugs | This is Money: "While the pledge is unlikely to cost much at the moment as there are only a few thousand electric vehicles, it could become very expensive over the next decade.
Experts believe that by 2020 there could be about one million electric cars on the roads.
Over the next few years, major manufacturers such as Vauxhall, Renault and Toyota plan to introduce electric or plug-in hybrid cars into the UK.
This will not be a problem for car owners who can access a plug socket in their house from the road or their drive, but it could be a tremendous hurdle for thousands of City-dwelling flat owners."
Experts believe that by 2020 there could be about one million electric cars on the roads.
Over the next few years, major manufacturers such as Vauxhall, Renault and Toyota plan to introduce electric or plug-in hybrid cars into the UK.
This will not be a problem for car owners who can access a plug socket in their house from the road or their drive, but it could be a tremendous hurdle for thousands of City-dwelling flat owners."
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Discord Over Regulation of Car Charging - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com
Discord Over Regulation of Car Charging - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com: "With electric cars set to hit the mass market next year, a skirmish is breaking out in California over who will control the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure.
The California Public Utilities Commission will write the rules of the electric road and is just starting to grapple with the complex regulatory issues surrounding the integration of battery-powered cars into the state’s electrical grid.
One of the biggest questions is whether to regulate Better Place, Coulomb Technologies and other companies that plan to sell electricity to drivers through a network of battery-charging stations.
California’s three big investor-owned utilities have split over the issue.
“The commission should establish its authority to regulate third-party providers of electricity for electric vehicles,” Christopher Warner, an attorney for Pacific Gas & Electric, wrote in a filing with the utilities commission. “Managing the increased electricity consumption and load attributable to electric vehicles in order to avoid adverse impacts on the safety and reliability of the electric grid may be one of the most difficult management challenges that electric utilities will face.”"
The California Public Utilities Commission will write the rules of the electric road and is just starting to grapple with the complex regulatory issues surrounding the integration of battery-powered cars into the state’s electrical grid.
One of the biggest questions is whether to regulate Better Place, Coulomb Technologies and other companies that plan to sell electricity to drivers through a network of battery-charging stations.
California’s three big investor-owned utilities have split over the issue.
“The commission should establish its authority to regulate third-party providers of electricity for electric vehicles,” Christopher Warner, an attorney for Pacific Gas & Electric, wrote in a filing with the utilities commission. “Managing the increased electricity consumption and load attributable to electric vehicles in order to avoid adverse impacts on the safety and reliability of the electric grid may be one of the most difficult management challenges that electric utilities will face.”"
US Coal Plants Dump Thousands of Gallons of Waste Into Drinking Water Supplies a Day : TreeHugger
US Coal Plants Dump Thousands of Gallons of Waste Into Drinking Water Supplies a Day : TreeHugger: "A detailed report in the New York Times just revealed that hundreds of coal plants across the country are routinely dumping thousands of gallons of waste water into rivers and lakes--rivers and lakes that millions of people get their drinking water from.
So here's why all that dumping is going on, in a nutshell--coal plants, as you well know, are extremely heavy polluters. Some plants pollute so heavily, some even spewing sickly yellow smoke, that little coal waste chunks litter nearby residents' yards and coat their property in a thin film. So when a community gets tired of this--and gets sick of the respiratory illnesses and intermittent acid rain the plant creates as well--sometimes they're able to get the state to insist on stricter pollution regulations."
So here's why all that dumping is going on, in a nutshell--coal plants, as you well know, are extremely heavy polluters. Some plants pollute so heavily, some even spewing sickly yellow smoke, that little coal waste chunks litter nearby residents' yards and coat their property in a thin film. So when a community gets tired of this--and gets sick of the respiratory illnesses and intermittent acid rain the plant creates as well--sometimes they're able to get the state to insist on stricter pollution regulations."
First Look: Dyson’s Blade-Free Wonder Fan Blows Our Minds | Gadget Lab | Wired.com
First Look: Dyson’s Blade-Free Wonder Fan Blows Our Minds | Gadget Lab | Wired.com: "James Dyson has a fetish for making unusual products: everything from vacuums that suck (in a good way) to hand dryers that blow (also in a good way), each use a clever combo of eye-catching design along with innovate methods of compressing and dispensing air. But even we in the Lab weren’t prepared the WTF moment when we pulled Dyson’s blade-less Air Multiplier fan from its packaging.
The thing should not work. A gust of air should not be coming form this giant blue Froot Loop. But upon closer inspection, all that’s at work here is some clever engineering tricks. The unit is essentially one of Dyson’s vacuum cleaners working in reverse. The gray base station sucks up air and forces it through the circular blue thing that sits atop the rig. When the air jets through the front of the circle, it creates a suction behind and to the sides that draws more air through the loop and makes the fan more powerful. Dyson claims the Multiplier increases pressure15-fold and spews 118 gallons of air every minute. To get a better idea of how it works, checkout this bullshit artist rendering:
picture-81
The fan’s operation is really quite amazing. Not only is it eye catching — everyone at the Wired office today was slack jawed by its striking build and apparent miraculous tempest — but the thing runs quiet too. There’s virtually no operating noise aside from the light hum of the engine and whoosh of the blowing gas. And it’s especially safe for worrisome parents who fret about junior getting his precious digits mangled by a high RPM spinning plastic blade.
The only thing we don’t like about the fan? (Aside from the ridiculously high price tag.) There’s no emulating Darth Vader’s voice with this thing. I mean, how would it work in a Tommy Boy remake?
The Air Multiplier will go on sale on this fall and will cost $300 - $330."
The thing should not work. A gust of air should not be coming form this giant blue Froot Loop. But upon closer inspection, all that’s at work here is some clever engineering tricks. The unit is essentially one of Dyson’s vacuum cleaners working in reverse. The gray base station sucks up air and forces it through the circular blue thing that sits atop the rig. When the air jets through the front of the circle, it creates a suction behind and to the sides that draws more air through the loop and makes the fan more powerful. Dyson claims the Multiplier increases pressure15-fold and spews 118 gallons of air every minute. To get a better idea of how it works, checkout this bullshit artist rendering:
picture-81
The fan’s operation is really quite amazing. Not only is it eye catching — everyone at the Wired office today was slack jawed by its striking build and apparent miraculous tempest — but the thing runs quiet too. There’s virtually no operating noise aside from the light hum of the engine and whoosh of the blowing gas. And it’s especially safe for worrisome parents who fret about junior getting his precious digits mangled by a high RPM spinning plastic blade.
The only thing we don’t like about the fan? (Aside from the ridiculously high price tag.) There’s no emulating Darth Vader’s voice with this thing. I mean, how would it work in a Tommy Boy remake?
The Air Multiplier will go on sale on this fall and will cost $300 - $330."
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Trying to sell shares in a private startup? Join the club! | VentureBeat
Trying to sell shares in a private startup? Join the club! | VentureBeat: "SharesPost is just the latest in a host of companies that are trying to make it easier to buy and sell shares in private companies.
Until recently, the assumption for most startups was that they’d get sold or go public in a reasonable amount of time — say six or seven years. That meant founders and executives of these companies didn’t really worry too much about finding an early way to sell shares.
But the dearth of IPOs — there have been some, but far fewer than in past years — has blown up that assumption and ushered in a set of companies trying to help founders and others sell their shares."
Until recently, the assumption for most startups was that they’d get sold or go public in a reasonable amount of time — say six or seven years. That meant founders and executives of these companies didn’t really worry too much about finding an early way to sell shares.
But the dearth of IPOs — there have been some, but far fewer than in past years — has blown up that assumption and ushered in a set of companies trying to help founders and others sell their shares."
Selling the Electric Car
Selling the Electric Car: "A real or perceived lack of marketplace demand became, in fact, the rationale for GM and other brands to pull the vehicles. But don't mention that to John Dabels. 'When GM says there was no interest and no demand, [that] is just bullshit,' says Dabels, who headed up marketing for the EV-1. 'The EV-1 got more positive press for GM than the rest of the company combined.' In addition to faulting a design that was 'innovative but impractical,' Dabels -- who now heads EV Power Systems, a company that retrofits commercial truck fleets with EV technology -- says that GM's entrenched and gas-engine-centered culture was unwilling to embrace the potential that electrics represented. 'The technology was ready,' he says, 'but introducing a disruptive technology into an existing organization is difficult if not impossible.'
If Dabels is correct, it's probably why many of the newest entrants to the EV market (with the notable exception of cars like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt) are indie makers with names like Zap, Fisker, Coda and Tesla. Meanwhile, Dabels laments what he saw as a needless and expensive end to a project that would have been a winner for GM, to say nothing of the environment. 'I still get frustrated,' he says. '[GM] passed up a great opportunity. Even Rick Waggoner has admitted that. Cancelling the EV-1 was a mistake.'"
If Dabels is correct, it's probably why many of the newest entrants to the EV market (with the notable exception of cars like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt) are indie makers with names like Zap, Fisker, Coda and Tesla. Meanwhile, Dabels laments what he saw as a needless and expensive end to a project that would have been a winner for GM, to say nothing of the environment. 'I still get frustrated,' he says. '[GM] passed up a great opportunity. Even Rick Waggoner has admitted that. Cancelling the EV-1 was a mistake.'"
Selling the Electric Car
Selling the Electric Car: "electric cars are automakers' Next Big Thing. More are coming from companies including Wheego Electric Car -- an Atlanta startup that plans to upgrade its neighborhood electric vehicle, the Whip, to a highway-ready car -- Renault, Audi and Volkswagen."
Friday, October 9, 2009
Quote of the Day: The More Things Change... 1916 Book on Electric Cars : TreeHugger
Quote of the Day: The More Things Change... 1916 Book on Electric Cars : TreeHugger: "he fundamental reasons why the electric car has not attained the popularity it deserves are (1) The failure of the manufacturers to properly educate the general public regarding the wonderful utility of the electric; (2) The failure of [power companies] to make it easy to own and operate the electric by an adequate distribution of charging and boosting stations. The early electrics of limited speed, range and utility produced popular impressions which still exist. --Electrical world, Volume 67, Part 2. Published: 1916."
Electric Vehicles May Help Ease State Gas Woes - The Daily Californian
Electric Vehicles May Help Ease State Gas Woes - The Daily Californian: "As California gas prices steadily rise above the national average, UC Berkeley economists, area car dealerships and PG&E are looking towards electricity as an alternative to gas-powered vehicles.
Electric vehicles were not previously feasible due in part to high up-front battery costs and low total mileage per charge. Now that more advanced batteries have been developed, however, electric cars can travel much longer distances on a single battery charge."
Electric vehicles were not previously feasible due in part to high up-front battery costs and low total mileage per charge. Now that more advanced batteries have been developed, however, electric cars can travel much longer distances on a single battery charge."
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
India's 1.1 Billion Move to Feed-in Tariffs - Renewable Energy World
India's 1.1 Billion Move to Feed-in Tariffs - Renewable Energy World: "The world's largest single political jurisdiction to date, India, has made a strategic move to use a comprehensive system of feed-in tariffs to develop its renewable energy potential.
China had previously announced feed-in tariffs for wind energy only. The country is expected to reveal feed-in tariffs for solar energy later this year.
India's Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) in New Delhi announced September 17, 2009 new regulations launching a system of feed-in tariffs for renewable energy, including both wind and solar energy.
India's 1.1 billion people together with China's 1.3 billion and the bulk of Europe's 300 million inhabitants --about one-third of the world's population-- have committed to developing renewable energy with feed-in tariffs.
It was not clear from CERC's press release that the feed-in tariff regulations were in response to the National Action Plan on Climate Change. The action plan calls for five percent of electricity generation in India to be from renewable sources by 2010 and to increase one percent per year for the next ten years. Yet, the move by CERC on feed-in tariffs strengthens India's position in the run up to the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen."
China had previously announced feed-in tariffs for wind energy only. The country is expected to reveal feed-in tariffs for solar energy later this year.
India's Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) in New Delhi announced September 17, 2009 new regulations launching a system of feed-in tariffs for renewable energy, including both wind and solar energy.
India's 1.1 billion people together with China's 1.3 billion and the bulk of Europe's 300 million inhabitants --about one-third of the world's population-- have committed to developing renewable energy with feed-in tariffs.
It was not clear from CERC's press release that the feed-in tariff regulations were in response to the National Action Plan on Climate Change. The action plan calls for five percent of electricity generation in India to be from renewable sources by 2010 and to increase one percent per year for the next ten years. Yet, the move by CERC on feed-in tariffs strengthens India's position in the run up to the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen."
Researchers tally real-life mileage for plug-in cars | Green Tech - CNET News
Researchers tally real-life mileage for plug-in cars | Green Tech - CNET News: "If you're wondering how the familiar term 'gas mileage' translates to a car that runs partially on electric batteries, you're not alone.
Industry group SAE International plans to recommend that the Environmental Protection Agency use 'electricity per mile' in addition to the familiar miles-per-gallon rating for plug-in electric vehicles, according to a member of the SAE committee tasked with the job. The EPA is working on mileage ratings for plug-ins, which are poised to enter the market, and reviewing its rules for displaying fuel economy on car stickers."
Industry group SAE International plans to recommend that the Environmental Protection Agency use 'electricity per mile' in addition to the familiar miles-per-gallon rating for plug-in electric vehicles, according to a member of the SAE committee tasked with the job. The EPA is working on mileage ratings for plug-ins, which are poised to enter the market, and reviewing its rules for displaying fuel economy on car stickers."
Solar Charging Stations for Electric Vehicle - SolarCity & Rabobank ~ Cleanergy.org - Energy Efficiency, CleanTech, Solar, Wind, Hydro...
Solar Charging Stations for Electric Vehicle - SolarCity & Rabobank ~ Cleanergy.org - Energy Efficiency, CleanTech, Solar, Wind, Hydro...: "SolarCity® and Rabobank, N.A., announced a partnership to create the world’s first solar-power enhanced, fast-charge electric car charging corridor. When complete, the corridor will include four locations between San Francisco and Los Angeles (Salinas, Atascadero, Santa Maria and Goleta), allowing all-electric cars to make the trip using solar energy and provide for the fastest charge time available for public electric vehicle (EV) charges. The SolarCity owned and operated corridor, built in cooperation with electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors, will provide a full charge in one-third the amount of time of other charging stations.
San Francisco and Los Angeles each support local infrastructure for EVs and many enterprising EV owners have successfully completed ambitious road trips throughout California and cross-country. Allowing drivers to plug in and charge up at multiple locations along well traveled corridors will dramatically increase the convenience and practicality of the growing number of EVs on American roads. Rabobank branches are positioned all along the high-traffic Highway 101 corridor, close to shops, restaurants and other commercial centers in Northern and Southern California, making them ideal locations for charging stations.
“This charging station corridor demonstrates an important component of SolarCity’s vision for a carbon-free lifestyle. We’re combining clean, renewable solar power with all-electric transportation, allowing drivers to travel through California with zero emissions,” said SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive. SolarCity has installed more than 100 solar home-charging stations for Tesla owners. The company has also assumed responsibility for a distribution contract for electric vehicle chargers for Toyota Tsusho as part its acquisition of SolSource Energy, announced last week."
San Francisco and Los Angeles each support local infrastructure for EVs and many enterprising EV owners have successfully completed ambitious road trips throughout California and cross-country. Allowing drivers to plug in and charge up at multiple locations along well traveled corridors will dramatically increase the convenience and practicality of the growing number of EVs on American roads. Rabobank branches are positioned all along the high-traffic Highway 101 corridor, close to shops, restaurants and other commercial centers in Northern and Southern California, making them ideal locations for charging stations.
“This charging station corridor demonstrates an important component of SolarCity’s vision for a carbon-free lifestyle. We’re combining clean, renewable solar power with all-electric transportation, allowing drivers to travel through California with zero emissions,” said SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive. SolarCity has installed more than 100 solar home-charging stations for Tesla owners. The company has also assumed responsibility for a distribution contract for electric vehicle chargers for Toyota Tsusho as part its acquisition of SolSource Energy, announced last week."
Monday, October 5, 2009
BBC NEWS | Business | Car firms disagree about electric future
BBC NEWS | Business | Car firms disagree about electric future: "'The framework is changing, the environment is changing,' says Mr Zetsche. 'I am convinced we are facing a paradigm shift.'"
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Sens. Kerry & Boxer Introduce Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act - Renewable Energy World
Sens. Kerry & Boxer Introduce Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act - Renewable Energy World: "U.S. Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, today introduced the Kerry-Boxer legislation to create clean energy jobs, reduce pollution, and protect American security by enhancing domestic energy production and combating global climate change.
Called the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, the bill could help the U.S. cut carbon pollution and stimulate the economy by creating millions of jobs in the renewable energy sector.
“This is a security bill that puts Americans back in charge of our energy future and makes it clear that we will combat global climate change with American ingenuity."
Called the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, the bill could help the U.S. cut carbon pollution and stimulate the economy by creating millions of jobs in the renewable energy sector.
“This is a security bill that puts Americans back in charge of our energy future and makes it clear that we will combat global climate change with American ingenuity."
Founder of EV maker BYD now richest person in China | Electric Vehicle News
Founder of EV maker BYD now richest person in China | Electric Vehicle News: "The owner of a Shenzhen car and battery maker BYD has emerged from the growing pack of Chinese millionaires to be named the richest person on the mainland after a boost to his wealth driven by an investment by Warren Buffett.
Wang Chuanfu, the founder and chairman of BYD , jumped from 103rd to first place with a net worth of $5.1bn, according to the annual Chinese rich list compiled by Hurun , a Shanghai-based consultancy.
MidAmerican Energy , a business controlled by Berkshire Hathaway, the flagship company of the closely watched US investor, paid $230m for a 10 per cent stake in BYD a year ago. Shares in BYD have since risen more than sevenfold, propelling Mr Buffett's stake to $1.7bn.
While BYD's main businesses are making batteries for mobile phones and producing passenger cars, much of the increase in its valuation has been based on the prospects for the electric cars it is developing."
Wang Chuanfu, the founder and chairman of BYD , jumped from 103rd to first place with a net worth of $5.1bn, according to the annual Chinese rich list compiled by Hurun , a Shanghai-based consultancy.
MidAmerican Energy , a business controlled by Berkshire Hathaway, the flagship company of the closely watched US investor, paid $230m for a 10 per cent stake in BYD a year ago. Shares in BYD have since risen more than sevenfold, propelling Mr Buffett's stake to $1.7bn.
While BYD's main businesses are making batteries for mobile phones and producing passenger cars, much of the increase in its valuation has been based on the prospects for the electric cars it is developing."
Eco Gadgets: Perfect Flush Makes Any Toilet Save Up To 50% Water - Ecofriend
Eco Gadgets: Perfect Flush Makes Any Toilet Save Up To 50% Water - Ecofriend: "Ecofriendly flush system reduces water use by as much as 50%.
While manufacturers are now developing toilets that either save water or don’t use it at all, Brondell is working to develop means for homeowners to green their existing toilets by making them run on less water.
The company has unveiled a new toilet upgrade dubbed Brondell Perfect Flush that comes with two buttons allowing the user to either use the full flush and empty the tank or use half flush to save up to 50% water.
perfect flush_1
The system installs in less than 30 minutes and cuts water use by 30 to 50%, which the company claims will save an average home up to $100 annually in water use, thereby recouping its cost of $99 in just one year."
While manufacturers are now developing toilets that either save water or don’t use it at all, Brondell is working to develop means for homeowners to green their existing toilets by making them run on less water.
The company has unveiled a new toilet upgrade dubbed Brondell Perfect Flush that comes with two buttons allowing the user to either use the full flush and empty the tank or use half flush to save up to 50% water.
perfect flush_1
The system installs in less than 30 minutes and cuts water use by 30 to 50%, which the company claims will save an average home up to $100 annually in water use, thereby recouping its cost of $99 in just one year."
Eco Tech: IBM To Develop Smart Batteries To Enhance EV Range To 500 Miles - Ecofriend
Eco Tech: IBM To Develop Smart Batteries To Enhance EV Range To 500 Miles - Ecofriend: "IBM has kicked off its Battery 500 Project, which if successful will result in the development of next-gen batteries which could boost the range of electric cars to as much as 500 miles on a single recharge. The project commenced at the company’s Alamaden Laboratory in San Jose, California and will require the resources of 40 of the world’s best engineers and scientists.
The technology will be based on the use of lithium-air batteries, which instead of being a sealed system, harness atmospheric oxygen in the air as the cathode of the battery. In addition to a ten times larger storage density than conventional lithium-ion batteries, the lithium-air batteries will weigh considerably less, which will better the performance of the car in which they’re installed."
The technology will be based on the use of lithium-air batteries, which instead of being a sealed system, harness atmospheric oxygen in the air as the cathode of the battery. In addition to a ten times larger storage density than conventional lithium-ion batteries, the lithium-air batteries will weigh considerably less, which will better the performance of the car in which they’re installed."
Biden sets new stimulus goals - National Politics Blog - Political Intelligence - Boston.com
Biden sets new stimulus goals - National Politics Blog - Political Intelligence - Boston.com: "Batteries for Vehicle Electrification: By the end of the year, the Department of Energy will have put in place funding for battery manufacturing plants that can power 400,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, each year."
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Silicon Valley warning: Detroit still doesn't get it | U.S. | Reuters
Silicon Valley warning: Detroit still doesn't get it | U.S. | Reuters: "SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - From Detroit's union halls to its boardrooms, the consensus belief is that billions of dollars in federal investment and loans kept the American auto industry from collapse.
But drive up Silicon Valley, and you hear a sharply different -- and far darker view -- from some of the world's most prominent venture investors.
The U.S. auto industry, they warn, remains too wedded to a dying business model and too out of touch with the sources of innovation to become competitive again.
Instead, they look for a new group of upstart companies to shoot to prominence and profitability, eclipsing the automakers once known as the 'Big Three' just as Google Inc came from nowhere a decade ago to eclipse established technology companies.
'I do not believe that the U.S. auto business can be competitive,' said Ray Lane, Managing Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. 'I don't see any of these new car companies based in Detroit.'
Lane, who is backing plug-in hybrid carmaker Fisker Automotive that is planning to launch a $39,000 model, said Detroit has lost its entrepreneurial spirit.
'For years they have been led by accountants and lawyers, not engineers and entrepreneurs,' Lane said. 'That's OK if the industry isn't changing.'"
But drive up Silicon Valley, and you hear a sharply different -- and far darker view -- from some of the world's most prominent venture investors.
The U.S. auto industry, they warn, remains too wedded to a dying business model and too out of touch with the sources of innovation to become competitive again.
Instead, they look for a new group of upstart companies to shoot to prominence and profitability, eclipsing the automakers once known as the 'Big Three' just as Google Inc came from nowhere a decade ago to eclipse established technology companies.
'I do not believe that the U.S. auto business can be competitive,' said Ray Lane, Managing Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. 'I don't see any of these new car companies based in Detroit.'
Lane, who is backing plug-in hybrid carmaker Fisker Automotive that is planning to launch a $39,000 model, said Detroit has lost its entrepreneurial spirit.
'For years they have been led by accountants and lawyers, not engineers and entrepreneurs,' Lane said. 'That's OK if the industry isn't changing.'"
PRICE ANNOUNCED OF THE NEW REVA NXR - AN ELECTRIC CAR THAT CAN BE ORDERED TODAY - With Photos
PRICE ANNOUNCED OF THE NEW REVA NXR - AN ELECTRIC CAR THAT CAN BE ORDERED TODAY - With Photos: "Wednesday September 16th 2009. 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) /PRNewswire/ — Today sees the world launch of the REVA NXR (NeXt Reva), a new lithium-ion powered electric car from REVA Electric Car Company (REVA), which is scheduled to go into production early 2010. Also being unveiled for the first time is REVA's showcar, the REVA NXG (NeXt Generation), which is the company's 2011 model.
REVA NXR is an M1 category three-door, four-seater hatchback family car that is suitable for urban driving. Top speed is 104 kph (65 mph) with a range of 160 kms (100 miles) per charge. If using the 90 minute fast charge (normal charging is eight hours), the REVA NXR offers an effective range of 320km a day. A fast charge for 15 minutes will provide a 40 km (25 mile) range."
REVA NXR is an M1 category three-door, four-seater hatchback family car that is suitable for urban driving. Top speed is 104 kph (65 mph) with a range of 160 kms (100 miles) per charge. If using the 90 minute fast charge (normal charging is eight hours), the REVA NXR offers an effective range of 320km a day. A fast charge for 15 minutes will provide a 40 km (25 mile) range."
Fisker to launch $39,000 electric car in 2012 | Small Business | Reuters
Fisker to launch $39,000 electric car in 2012 | Small Business | Reuters: "SAUSALITO, California (Reuters) - Fisker Automotive Inc, a builder of luxury plug-in hybrids, will launch a sedan car in 2012 that will sell for $39,000, a major investor in the automaker said on Tuesday.
The privately held startup would likely refurbish a factory in the United States to build the vehicle and is aiming to produce 100,000 of the lower-cost plug-in hybrids, Ray Lane, Managing Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, told Reuters in an interview.
U.S. and many global automakers are betting that battery technology will make electric cars the environmentally friendly transportation of the future, and the switch to electric engines has drawn a wave of new companies into the auto industry, including Fisker and Tesla in California."
The privately held startup would likely refurbish a factory in the United States to build the vehicle and is aiming to produce 100,000 of the lower-cost plug-in hybrids, Ray Lane, Managing Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, told Reuters in an interview.
U.S. and many global automakers are betting that battery technology will make electric cars the environmentally friendly transportation of the future, and the switch to electric engines has drawn a wave of new companies into the auto industry, including Fisker and Tesla in California."
Audi e-tron: An Electric Supercar Concept - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com
Audi e-tron: An Electric Supercar Concept - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com: "The German automaker has been one of Europe’s most strident champions of diesel technology and has repeatedly voiced its doubts on battery electric power and hydrogen fuel cell technology. But at the Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday, Audi unveiled the e-tron, an electric-car concept.
The e-tron, which looks to be a cross between a TT and an R8, carries four electric motors, one at each wheel (which makes it four-wheel drive, of course) and a horsepower equivalent rating of 313.
The e-tron uses lithium-ion batteries developed with Sanyo, and Audi says the car will be able to travel nearly 150 miles on a charge, even with the air-conditioning — actually, a heat pump — running. Accelerating from zero to 60 miles an hour will take 4.8 seconds.
Audi says the car is very much a concept, although some prototypes are expected to be on the road next year and there will be “a small build” of series production models in 2012."
The e-tron, which looks to be a cross between a TT and an R8, carries four electric motors, one at each wheel (which makes it four-wheel drive, of course) and a horsepower equivalent rating of 313.
The e-tron uses lithium-ion batteries developed with Sanyo, and Audi says the car will be able to travel nearly 150 miles on a charge, even with the air-conditioning — actually, a heat pump — running. Accelerating from zero to 60 miles an hour will take 4.8 seconds.
Audi says the car is very much a concept, although some prototypes are expected to be on the road next year and there will be “a small build” of series production models in 2012."
Friday, October 2, 2009
Blind leading the blind? « evchels
Blind leading the blind? « evchels: "Cleaner, quieter transport means higher property values in often economically depressed neighborhoods adjacent to freeways and high-traffic roadways, to say nothing of the health of the families living there and public dollars saved from not building sound walls and other noise abatement measures. Electric drive technology has attendant benefits beyond the obvious environmental and energy concerns that we haven’t begun to analyze- but should, before we go adulterating it."
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