Posts Tagged by Electric Vehicles
Webinar: Top Business Plans in Renewable Energy and Electric Transportation
| February 20, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Business |
The Future of Transportation — February’s Free Webinar
| January 28, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
It’s certain that 6600-pound Hummers will not occupy an important position in the way we transport our bodies and our “stuff” in the coming years. But where exactly are we going? And who’s going to make a buck in the process?
I hope you’ll be able to join us for our next webinar, 10 AM PST on Friday, Feb. 10th: “The Future of Transportation,” in which I’ll be interviewing Dan Sturges. Dan’s life is dedicated to developing and promoting a complex and dynamic set of solutions built around overhauling the way we move ourselves and our cargo around the surface of the planet. He shares my belief that our current conception of transportation — redundant, heavy, bulky, and fossil-fuel-reliant – is simply unaffordable in every sense of the word. It’s not economically sound to the individual consumer, and it’s exorbitantly expensive to society as a whole, both financially and ecologically.
In this lively discussion, Dan will explain how mass transit, car-sharing, ride-sharing, and micro-rentals can begin to reduce car ownership. He’ll talk about introducing small, light, and inexpensive urban transportation, while encouraging walking and bicycling, and the use of information and communication technology to make these blended solutions convenient and appealing, thus ensuring the consumer-citizen adopts these concepts enthusiastically.
I certainly hope you can make it. Here’s the sign-up form: http://2greenenergy.com/free-webinar/
Natural Gas Powered Versus Electric Vehicles
| January 25, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
A reader notes:
I did not see a comparison to natural gas powered vehicles. It’s the most abundant fuel we have in the US, and it’s dirt-cheap.
True. Personally, I favor electric transportation because of the potential for clean transportation if they are powered with clean, renewable sources, and because of the ubiquity of the electrical grid. One can unplug one’s toaster and plug in one’s car. It is for this reason that I do not favor hydrogen; we have a landmass of 3.5 million square miles in the continental U.S. alone that would be fabulously expensive to retrofit for another fuel. Natural gas has, to a great degree, the same issue.
Other points to consider: natural gas is a fossil fuel (bad), but it’s an energy source, versus a carrier like hydrogen (good).
Finally, the reason that natural gas is abundant and thus ”dirt-cheap” (as you say) is because of fracking, a practice that has considerable environmental costs that we’re just beginning to understand.
Oil Carries a Few Externalities, Like Death and Dismemberment
| January 25, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
I received the normal pushback on my recent piece praising electric transportation. In response, I make two broad points:
1) We are most definitely headed in the direction of clean energy, electric transportation (including small, urban commuter vehicles, e-bikes, mass transit, car-sharing, etc.), smart-grid, energy storage, and so forth. For a great number of reasons, we will not be burning coal and driving Hummers in 2050. One of these reasons is cost: the cost of renewables is falling, and will continue to do so.
My point is that each of these arenas will improve in something close to lockstep: cheaper and cleaner energy/storage and transportation. There are, of course, important questions about exactly how and when this will occur, and who’s going to make a buck in the process.
2) I call your attention to the variety of externalities of oil, which include war. I recently became aware that there are very scholarly, actuarial-style analyses of the value of a human life; see the discussion below if you think I’m kidding.
I’m not sure how you do this type of thinking without laughing. I just can’t imagine what Socrates, Jesus, or Buddha would say — but I can tell you very specifically what I say: our sending our children to fight and die over oil is an abomination. Read More
The Auto Industry Embraces Electric Vehicles – Kicking and Screaming
| January 24, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
If you’re looking for evidence that the auto companies are resisting the migration to EVs, here’s news from sunny California. It appears that Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota have successfully lobbied the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and members of the California State Legislature to open a gaping loophole in the new zero-emission vehicle mandate. Now, automakers that ‘overcomply’ with the new Federal greenhouse gas (GHG) standards can get away with producing fewer EVs. This sweetheart deal allows an automaker to cut the number of pure electric-drive vehicles by as much as 50% over the 2018 to 2021 timeframe in exchange for just 2 grams per mile GHG overcompliance during that time.
Jay Friedland of Plug-In America, whom I interviewed for my first book (Renewable Energy – Facts and Fantasies) sums it up: This is a bad deal for California and for the United States.
Electric Transportation Offers Advantages, But No Free Lunch
| January 24, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
A reader writes in:
Craig, I’m reading your book and really like the point made about gas being double dirty and double inefficient because of the refining process. I just think that the conversation then should also look at the double / extra cost and pollution that the batteries represent. Thoughts?
Here’s the way I would look at that:
1) Batteries are more closely analogous to the gas tank than they are to the gas itself. I.e, they’re the place in which the energy is stored, and they are only minutely consumed as the electro-chemical energy is converted to kinetic energy to power the vehicle, and then recharged from an external source. Read More
From Guest-Blogger Joshua Okomo: Global Investment in Renewables Exceeds Non-renewables
| January 24, 2012 | Posted by okomo under Renewables - Business |
Assessment of energy investment in the world shows a clear path to bigger investment in renewable than non renewable. Clean energy technology is making clear progress globally, in some countries current and planned deployment of renewable far outstrip investment in non renewable energy.
More aggressive clean energy policies are required, including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and implementation of transparent, predictable and adaptive incentives for cleaner, more efficient energy options. Due to government support and investors strategy for capital returns, solar PV and wind power are achieving strong growth. However for many developing countries where the natural potential for solar and wind power is even higher, much effort is needed in solar and wind power deployments.
Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan/Renault, Has a Lot Riding on Electric Vehicles
| January 19, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
At this point, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan/Renault, has invested $5.6 billion into electric vehicle technology — a big bet, to be sure. But I believe he feels it to be a fairly safe one, as it rests on his certainty that EVs will ultimately come to dominate the automotive space — and that he’s the man to make it happen. Read More
Shortfall in Electric Vehicle Charging Stations?
| January 17, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
A reader points out, “Given this map of electric vehicle charging stations, there is a serious shortfall, given that there will be over 30 models of electric vehicles available in 2013.”
I see the point, but I’m not particularly swayed. First and most obviously, we need to be more interested in the number of vehicles than the number of models; I’m sure the reader is aware of this. But we also need to keep in mind the driving style of these early adopters. To that end, note that there are 25 million multi-car, single-family homes in the U.S. alone where one of these cars travels less than 40 miles per day. In my mind, these are the perfect candidates. 25 million is a heck of a lot of low-hanging fruit – and note that this “fruit” doesn’t require ANY charger outside the home.
I’m not saying that charging at the workplace and marketplace won’t facilitate EV adoption, but it’s not truly required in the vast majority of these cases.
Snappy Little Electric Trike
| January 8, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
I just got off the phone with long-time 2GreenEnergy supporter Ron McCurdy who reviewed his electric trike website with me. He’s looking for dealers and other business partners; anyone interested can reach him at freedex@rogers.com.
Ron also pointed me to Organic Transit, another group with a vision for low-impact urban transportation, and a cool, futuristic design.
