Gas 2.0

The biggest limitation on electric cars, as we know, are the batteries. They take hours to charge, and cannot travel nearly as far as gas-powered engines. So while California may be the center of the “green movement,” traveling the almost 400 miles between Los Angeles and San Francisco is impossible on electric power. Until now.

SolarCity has announced an EV charging corridor spanning the 382 miles between LA and San Fran featuring four stations, with a fifth station opening in October.

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Asphalt is ugly and flaky, and requires constant supervision. Snow and road repair can slow down traffic worse than an ugly accident, and the resources that go into building maintaining high-use highways are intimidating to consider.

But there may be another way. A radical intelligent highway design utilizing solar panels, LED lighting, and heating elements has been awarded funding by the Department of Transportation to the tune of $100,000. Will the Solar Highway soon replace asphalt, and how will we all adapt to driving on glass?

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Wind power is a great, effective way to make energy, but only when the wind blows. Or if you can find the open space to plant large wind farms that tear apart birds, bats, and low-flying hot air balloons. There are also many people who would hate to live in the shadow of one of these wind farms. But what if the turbines were 1,000 feet in the air?

This is the idea behind a conceptual wind turbine in the sky built by Magenn Power Inc. Called the MARS (Magenn Air Rotor System), this system utilizes an inflatible rotor that floats high above the air without requiring a tower, just a tether.

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Talk about rapid charging! Aerovironment today unveiled a near-megawatt scale electric vehicle charging system for the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC).

The AV-800 delivers DC current at 800 volts, up to 999 amps in single-channel mode and 500 amps in independent dual channel mode. The bi-directional unit can also return power to the grid, with an efficiency of over 90%.
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Electric transport and infrastructure company ECOtality has made a move to expand its manufacturing and distribution operations for electric vehicle charging systems in China by entering into a joint venture with the Chinese firm Shenzhen Goch Investment to establish a manufacturing base in China.

In return for a $10 million investment, Shenzhen Goch Investment will have exclusive sale and distribution rights for ECOtality’s charging stations in China.

The Chinese government has instituted incentives designed to leapfrog the gasoline-based car industry. The state electricity grid has been ordered to set up electric car charging stations in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, and government research subsidies for electric car designs are increasing rapidly in China.

And an interagency panel is planning tax credits for consumers who buy alternative energy vehicles. Already the Chinese government is offering subsidies of up to $8,800 to taxi fleets and local government agencies in 13 Chinese cities for each electric (or hybrid) vehicle they purchase. Shah Agassi’s Better Place is also moving into the potential tipping point Chinese EV charging market.

The New York Times noted a report by McKinsey & Company last fall estimated that replacing a gasoline-powered car with a similar-size electric car in China would reduce greenhouse emissions by “only 19 percent” (since the country gets three quarters of its electricity from coal).

But 19 percent is actually a pretty sizable reduction in carbon emissions. And there is always the chance; (by  adding more wind and solar on a massive scale) of being able to increasingly green the grid in the future.

By contrast, gasoline cars will increasingly run on rivers of blood as we begin to scrape the bottom of the peak oil barrel.

Image via ECOtality

“Our city is progressive and aggressive in implementing sustainable solutions to environmental and economic challenges.”

–David Robinson, director of Facilities and Fleet, City of Hillsboro, Oregon

Hillsboro, Oregon, the 5th largest city in the state and known as “Silicon Forest” is joining the growing electric community with the announcement that it will be the first in the state to install public ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations for both plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles. The city will install 16 charging stations downtown, one as part of its “green” intermodal transit facility due to be constructed this year.

It’s not surprising that this announcement comes from the environmentally progressive Northwest. Robinson noted that the community has a, “large forward-thinking population ready to embrace electric vehicle technology,” and that the City is committed to providing the facilities that its community needs. Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s Note: This is a guest contribution by Richard Lowenthal, CEO of electric vehicle ChargePoint manufacturer Coulomb Technologies. See his last post here: Henrik Fisker Debuts Karma Plug-in Hybrid in San Jose. This is part of our ongoing series on EV Charging Infrastructure, which was initiated by Mayors Gavin Newsom and Sam Adams.

This week, Coulomb Technologies announced that Walnut Creek, California has become the third Bay Area city (along with San Jose and San Francisco) to deploy Coulomb’s ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations for electric vehicles.

Coulomb’s charging stations were officially welcomed in a ribbon cutting ceremony in downtown Walnut Creek.  We were joined by the city managers of Walnut Creek and Orinda as well as Walnut Creek city officials.  As many California readers know, Walnut Creek is considered one of the top destinations in the Bay Area, known for its outdoor festivals, performing arts scene and superb shopping and dining.  EV owners across the Bay Area now have a premier destination where they can recharge while enjoying downtown Walnut Creek.

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Editor’s Note: This is a guest contribution by Richard Lowenthal, CEO of electric vehicle ChargePoint manufacturer Coulomb Technologies (ChargePoints pictured above in front of SF City Hall). This post is a followup to last week’s (and ongoing) discussion on EV Charging Infrastructure by Mayors Gavin Newsom and Sam Adams. UPDATE: Listen to Shai Agassi of competitor Better Place on Mayor Newsom’s radio show.

With all of the recent talk about who will become the EV capitol of the US, we would like to point out the obvious: without the necessary charging infrastructure, the cars won’t run. Read the rest of this entry »

As we speak, the TED 2009 (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference is well underway, and one of their star contributors, as far as green transportation goes, is Aptera Motors.

Normally a secretive company, Aptera chose this venue to be the first public debut of their new, pre-production “2e” electric car and gave attendees who signed up test rides (the list filled up quickly). At the same time, they released detailed feature sheets, discussed performance specs, toured the onboard software, and on and on down the list.

Where to start? After the jump!

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Before it brings its much ballyhooed Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid to American streets, General Motors Corp. is laying out a “roadmap” for getting metro areas ready for the arrival of plug-in vehicles.

At the Washington Auto Show, the troubled automaker said it will collaborate with San Francisco and Washington D.C. to ensure that the proper policies and infrastructure are in place for the time when plug-ins such as the Volt start hitting the streets.

GM says it will work with everyone from governments to utilities to permitting and codes officials to prep for the launch. Among the challenges that need to be tackled, GM says, are consumer incentives, charging infrastructure and the codes and permits to allow charging stations to be installed, commercial and government fleet purchases, and utility rates that encourage plug-in use.

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