Posts Tagged by Santa Monica
Some Dubious Advice from the AltCarExpo
| October 1, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
I always look forward to the AltCarExpo in Santa Monica each year. It’s rather like one of the major auto shows, but without all the flashing lights, loud noises, “booth-babes” – and, more to the point, all the gas- and diesel-powered cars and trucks. Though generally dominated by electric vehicles, the Expo contemplates all the alternative fuels: hydrogen, CNG, propane, and half a dozen others; it’s more than worth a visit if you’re in the area.
A local radio station, Pasadena’s NPR affiliate KPPC, did a live remote from the Expo, on which a few of my friends in this space were interviewed, taking calls from folks all over Southern California. Here was one that I found most interesting:
Caller: I notice that there are a dozen-or-so alternative fuels. Isn’t it unrealistic to replace one fuel type with dozens? Won’t there eventually be a winner?
Answer Summary: I hope not. We need to have all these – and more – represented in the mix.
No offense, but this is totally misguided. Read More
Electric Vehicle Safety
| January 24, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
Jim Stack writes in:
Nissan is taking care of this for EVeryone with their new Nissan LEAF. It’s made in the far east, Smyrna Tennesse …. They are much safer that gas cars; you don’t die from fires when gas explodes or burns after an accident…
Jim: I’m with you all the way.
I was down in Santa Monica a couple of weeks ago interviewing Rick Sikes (their fleet manager) for my book on renewables. If you didn’t know, Santa Monica is an extremely progressive city in a lot of ways – and one of them is the city fleet, which is 87% alternatively fueled.
In any case, I saw all those tanks of CNG, propane, and hydrogen, and I asked about safety. In his answer, which I found more than satisfactory, he pointed out that, on average, 6 people burn to death in gasoline-powered vehicle fires every day. It’s a phenomenon so common that we don’t even report it — like cats getting stuck up in trees.
Model for Clean Transportation – Santa Monica
| December 11, 2009 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
I want my book on renewables to feature a few chapters on the public sector – what our government at various levels is doing to promote clean transportation and energy. To knock out the piece on municipalities, this morning I’m on my way to interview Rick Sikes, the manager of the fleet of the city of Santa Monica (CA).
I may have mentioned that I moderated a panel discussion at the AltCarExpo this fall. Rick was assigned a different panel — and he certainly has the “creds”: 87% of the fleet he controls is alternative fueled. He was recommended to me as something of a legend among city planners and managers; I’m certainly looking forward to the interview.
AltCarExpo, Santa Monica CA, October 2 – 3
| September 29, 2009 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
I’ll be moderating the “infrastructure” panel at the AltCarExpo in Santa Monica, CA this Friday. I already feel a warm connection with my panelists that I’m sure will make for a good presentation to the audience when we take the stage at about 3:30 that afternoon. And I’m very glad to be moderating; I’m happy to provide answers as I see the issues from my political and technological viewpoints, but I feel that asking good questions is probably just as important.
I’ve met one of my panelists, AC Propulsion CEO Tom Gage, several times. A man for whom I have the utmost respect, Tom describes himself as a “car-nut since childhood.” He took AC Propulsion’s helm from founder Alan Cocconi (designer of General Motors EV-1 — star of “Who Killed the Electric Car“) and leads a team of people here in a California and in Shangai in building the world’s most advanced drivetrains for electric vehicles, including BMW’s Mini-E. “It just rubs me the wrong way to start up a gas engine,” Gage says. I know the feeling.
I’ve also established friendships with panelists Paul Scott from Plug-In America and Enid Joffe of the Clean Fuel Connection – both magnificent people with huge stores of knowledge to share. Again, I hope anyone in the area will drop by.
Electric Vehicles and the AltCarExpo
| September 21, 2009 | Posted by Craig Shields under Electric Vehicles |
I’m honored to be a panelist at the AltCarExpo in Santa Monica, CA, October 2nd and 3rd.
This is a truly special event for several reasons, one of which is obvious: The world is running at top speed in the direction of alternative-fuelled transportation. The buzz in the electric vehicle world is so loud and so constant that it’s almost deafening. The migration to clean transportation is the most important trend in the international business world right now, and this is an opportunity to learn more, and to jump in with both feet.
The other is the uniqueness of Santa Monica itself – one of the most progressive municipalities on earth in terms of environmental responsibility. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the city’s fleet superintendent Rick Sikes, whose passion for sustainability has driven him to create a vehicle array that is 87% alternatively fuelled.
It’s hard to find words to express how impressed I am with the dedication of Christine Dzilvelis and her incredible staff who have worked tirelessly to put this all together.
I hope that readers within a reasonable distance will attend. My group — the ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE PANEL convenes at 3:30 Friday; please come and throw softballs at me — just kidding — feel free to pepper me with tough questions.
