The Domino Effect in Electric Transportation

December 7, 2009

PhotobucketWhen I was a little boy, the concept of the domino effect occupied a large and scary part of the national consciousness. For those too young to remember, the idea at the time was that, if one country in Southeast Asia fell to communism, then surrounding countries — like tumbling dominos — would as well.

50 years later, we see the same concept applied to electric transportation. Examples of entire nations that are replacing internal combustion engines in favor of electric vehicles (EVs) will soon show the world that this migration process is achievable, and serve as working models for the numerous benefits of eradicating petroleum – engendering the envy of all other nations on earth.

Understandably, this transition is occuring first in places where the benefits of electricity vs. gasoline are most pronounced, e.g., islands nations. Witness Liuqiu, an island off the southern coast of Taiwan, which is in the process of spending $15.5 billion to effect this change. Closer to me personally, check out Bermuda and the actions they are taking, partially under my team’s direction, to do the same on a somewhat larger scale.

It won’t be long until the world can see how painless this transition can be, and how a nation can serve as a beacon of leadership to others in the quest for environmental sustainability.

By Craig Shields | Posted in Electric Vehicles | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Moore’s Law and Renewable Energy

November 30, 2009

PhotobucketMy colleague Bill Moore of EV World wrote an excellent article on the likely trajectory for the price of cars and trucks.  In it, he speculated that the prices of electric vehicles (once they are introduced in production quantities) may actually fall steadily, much like the price of consumer electronics — and that this will represent a first-ever event in automotive history.

I agree.  In fact, I’m quite certain that we’ll see this effect, as it’s essentially guaranteed by Moore’s Law – (named for Intel co-founder Gordon Moore — no relation to Bill — the idea that the sophistication of technology rises and its price falls exponentially over time).

I’m also sure we’ll see this same phenomenon at work driving down in the price of renewable energy. The cost of energy from the burning of fossil fuels is rooted in its ever-shrinking supply, producing prices increases.  On the other hand, the price of renewables is all about technology: semiconductors, advanced materials science, nanotechnology, etc. — all areas that can only improve as the years go by. 

All we have to do is get over the hump associated with ushering oil and coal off the stage. What do you think it will take to accomplish that, do you suppose?

By Craig Shields | Posted in Renewables - Business | Tagged , , , | Comment (1)

Readers’ Reaction to Brass Tack #1 on Electric Transportation

August 2, 2009

I want to thank readers for their enthusiasm for Brass Tack #1 on Electric Transportation. As I knew I would, I see an incredible spirit of devotion and commitment to ecological stewardship, and a positive attitude that something can be done to correct the mistakes we’ve made in the past.

I feel more strongly than ever that 2GreenEnergy will become a forum for meaningful discussions and a meeting place for likeminded people to share their ideas that will ultimately change the course of the entire civilization with respect to the health of our environment.

In the coming days, I will post my views on some of the concepts that have been raised in the comments, and so I encourage readers to post their viewpoints.

Again, please accept my sincere thanks.

 

By Craig Shields | Posted in Electric Vehicles | Tagged , | Comment (1)

Dr. Robert Sweeney on Electric Transportation

July 29, 2009

When Robert Sweeney was earning his Ph.D. in water resources at The Ohio State University, his concentration was the unwanted spin-off from the use of pesticides. “There are many unwanted effects on what we called ‘non-targets’ like algae and other plant life,” Bob explains. “From there, I turned my attention to some of the larger issues that affect the health of our environment, for example, the use of oil and gasoline. I concluded quickly that we really must make the transition to electric transportation in all forms: cars, trucks, buses, and so forth.”

Bob is now the driving force behind a series of expositions, designed to let the public know about the availability of electric vehicles. The Southern Electric Vehicle Expo (October 2-4 in Asheville, NC) will attract people from all over the country. “So many people are interested,” Dr. Sweeney tells me, “but until they have a live experience with an EV, they presume it’s a golf-cart; they need to see that it’s well-made, attractive, and capable of terrific performance.”

When I asked “the good doctor” (as I sometimes call him) where he sees electric transportation going in the coming years, he had some interesting answers. “Well obviously there will be a long and slow replacement of internal combustion engines on our roads generally. But did you know that around here, people with off-grid vacation homes use their EVs as portable batteries? They charge them during the day in town, but use them to power their homes at night. Mall operators are setting up charging stations to entice shoppers to come, and to stay longer and spend more.”

I asked about the involvement of the public sector. “It’s critical. Vancouver has mandated that 20% of its parking spaces be equipped with chargers. Closer to home, Raleigh/Durham/Cary is demanding at a growing portion of its traffic be electric; if it doesn’t, it won’t meet air quality standards and the federal government will cut aid. There is a lot happening fairly quickly; it’s a great time to be involved in this.”

I’m honored to know Dr. Sweeney, and I thanked him warmly for his dedication to making our earth a cleaner place in which to live.

By Craig Shields | Posted in Electric Vehicles | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)