Green Machine Digest

Batteries are biggest concern for future of EVs

2011-05-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

Hybrid electric vehicle technology is good to read about occasionally to get a feel for what's next with plug-in electric vehicles. There are some differences -- the fact that hybrids haven't absorbed lithium ion batteries being a big one. However, the future of battery systems might be the most important part of the future of plug-in electric vehicles, and whatever revamped versions of hybrids are in the pipeline.

Here's a few points made by HybridCars on some frequently asked questions:

The hybrid battery packs are designed to last for the lifetime of the vehicle, somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, probably a whole lot longer. The warranty covers the batteries for between eight and 10 years, depending on the carmaker and the location.
Battery toxicity is a concern, although today's hybrids use NiMH batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. "Nickel metal hydride batteries are benign. They can be fully recycled," says Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal. Toyota and Honda say that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards.
There's no definitive word on replacement costs because they are almost never replaced. We have seen anecdotal reports of total battery replacements costing about $3,000.

That's much better than hybrid battery systems were known for delivering not that many years ago. You might have bought a hybrid with battery life of 50,000 to 60,000 miles and weak warranty coverage. There was also controversy over the enviro-landfill problems of big batteries being pulled out of Priuses and other competitors and dumped somewhere. Things look much better these days.

Glass Half Full or Half Empty for EVs & Hybrids?

2011-04-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

JD Power and Associates has a sad, somber story to tell about the growth potential for hybrid and electric vehicles -- at least in its version of the story. The research company's take on its study results, along with much of the media coverage it received, says that sales of hybrid and electric vehicles will be less than what automakers have been hoping for. Consumers often cite saving money on fuel as a primary benefit of owning an alternative vehicle, yet the reality for many is the initial cost of these vehicles is too high, even as fuel prices in the US soar.

It was a bummer for me to read about the findings of the survey and market report from such as prominent automotive research institution. However, as has been said to me many times over the years in response to my habit of coming to negative assumptions and conclusions, you can see the glass as being half full or half empty.

Here's a taste of the HybridCars version of the story:

"The newly released J.D. Power and Associates 2011 US Green Automotive Study indicates major growth in consumer interest in green cars—including hybrids, clean diesel, plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars. The market research firm expects as much as 10 percent of sales to come from vehicles with these fuel-efficient technologies by 2016. That would represent a four-fold increase in the sales numbers for green cars compared to 2010."

I vote for half full!

Second Life Batteries Could Help Support for EVs in a Big Way

2011-04-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

The future of plug-in electric vehicles will be dictated very much by the success ratio of their batteries. Some of the issues are:

Lifecycle of the battery technology -- how long with it really last -- 100,000 miles?
What will it cost to replace the battery? How much of the vehicle's cost is tied into its battery?
What will happen to that depleted battery? Will it become landfill and end up taking away the environmental benefits it produced in its under-the-hood days

The US Dept. of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, industry, and academia are teaming to give batteries from EVs a “second life.” NREL’s partner is an industry-academia team led by the California Center for Sustainable Energy. Possible secondary uses for lithium ion batteries include residential and commercial electric power management, power grid stabilization to help provide reliable electricity to users, and renewable energy system firming — which in this case involves using batteries to make power provided to the grid by variable resources such as wind and solar energy more useable.

No one, as of yet, has comprehensively studied the feasibility, durability, and value of these batteries for second-use applications. So, results from the study can be integrated into strategic planning for extending battery shelf life. Recycling is a big part of corporate sustainability programs -- this could be an important one.

EV Cup Replacing American Le Mans Series in Green Racing

2011-04-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

I was sad to see American Le Mans Series cancel its Race for the Green day at the Long Beach Grand Prix this month. They had the event two years in a row, and we did several great video interviews there. Following green racing is important, as is tracking road tests, military vehicles, motorbikes, planes, boats, big rigs, etc,, that are trying out green fuels and technology. These can be proving grounds for advanced transportation that will eventually spill over to passenger vehicles. Don’t be surprised to see managers from Ford, Mazda, Toyota, GM, Tesla, etc., at green racing events, taking notes.

Perhaps there is a replacement for American Le Mans Series green conference to fill the void? It could be EV Cup, an electric racing car series that culminates at the California Speedway on Dec. 17. There will be five races in Europe before that, and a series at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., on Nov. 26. I expect we’ll be at one of them

Starting in August this year, the EV Cup will hold with five races in Europe before finishing in the U.S., cumulating in a race at the California Speedway (in Fontana, Calif.) on December 17, 2011.

In addition to the California Speedway race, U.S. race fans will be able to see the race series at the iconic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey California on November 26, just after Thanksgiving, the second all-electric racing event due to happen there this year.

The race includes former competitors in American Le Mans Series as well as Formula One British champion Damon Hill and former BBC Top Gear Stig Ben Collins. Could be pretty good stuff – looking forward to it.

Chrysler Getting Rid of GEM Neighborhood Electric Cars

2011-04-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's not surprising to hear about Chrysler Group unleashing low-speed electric car maker GEM. It's lineup of bubble-shaped glorified golf-buggies is being sold to Polaris Industries, Inc., makers of everything from snowmobiles and off-road all-terrain vehicles through to motorcycles and its own neighborhood electric vehicles.

Last year, Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) was the focus of a harsh study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that didn't like what it was discovering after doing crash tests on GEM cars. IIHS made a very good point -- these vehicles are safe and reasonable in gated communities such as senior living facilities and work stations where the speed level is low and the risks of head on crashes are basically gone. But out on the road with cars going well over 35 mph, the neighborhood electric vehicles and their passengers are too vulnerable.

GEM has been around for quite a few years. I can remember going to the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute annual conference in 2007 and seeing the company's display and golf-cart type vehicles in the ride and drive. It's similar to the hydrogen industry bringing fuel cells to vehicles such as fork lifts -- there are a lot vehicles out there used for commercial apps, and they're a good place to test out new technology like battery-powered and fuel cell vehicles.

GM No Longer Villain in “Revenge of the Electric Car”

2011-04-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Carmaker executives featured prominently in “Revenge of the Electric Car” – GM’s Bob Lutz, Renault-Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn, and Tesla’s Elon Musk – walked the red carpet Friday at the film’s Tribeca Film Festival opening. General Motors should be especially happy with the movie. It comes out five years after “Who Killed the Electric Car,” which was very critical of the company for pulling the plug on the EV1; that car was to be the very first mass market electric vehicle following the crank-up cars from 100 years ago.

"Revenge of the Electric Car," directed by Chris Paine, traces the efforts of GM, Nissan Motor Co., and Tesla Motors to build and sell electric vehicles, starting back in 2008. GM and Tesla gave Paine extensive behind-the-scenes access – as long as footage would not be shown until 2011 – after GM's Volt was in production. Renault-Nissan restricted filmmaker access.

Lutz and GM have long-insisted that the decision to kill the $1 billion EV1 program was not because of conspiracy, but because the company couldn't profitably make EVs that were dependable. Ghosn takes a cautious approach in the film, telling staff to not talk too much about the Leaf, waking up competition. And it delves into Musk sorting through production delays and sifting through problems that had to be resolved before Tesla Motors stood a chance of succeeding.

I’m very much looking forward to the movie coming to theaters in LA, and have seen the original three times.

It's Not All About the Electric Car

2011-04-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

While battery-powered, along with alternative and renewable fuel, vehicles are a big part of cleaning up the emissions problem, cargo and people transport vehicles are a very big part of the solution. As has been mentioned here and in ADW Green, there's a lot going on in green transportation moving this forward -- commercial and government fleets, taxi services, executive and luxury transportation, heavy duty trucking, utility and service vehicles, airplanes, ships, mass transit buses, and motorcycles are all seeing testing and deployment of electric vehicles, hybrid technology, biofuels, natural gas, propane autogas, and fuel cell vehicles. Airports and harbor ports are good places to watch to see where a lot is being done in vehicle technology and fueling stations.

Within 10 to 15 years, the 17-mile 710 Freeway corridor will achieve zero emissions for freight transportation at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, said Bill Van Amburg, senior vice president of CALSTART. Amburg was one of the speakers this week on a panel put on by South Coast Air Quality Management District. Van Amburg sees this happening through dual-mode hybrids trucks, which would run on battery power in the ports and on a hybrid engine outside the port area.

The LA and Long Beach ports have had a fight on their hands moving toward their emissions targets. Long Beach settled a federal court lawsuit by the American Trucking Associations and the LA port is still tied up in litigation. It is moving forward, even if it ends up being less strict than the LA port authority had originally intended. And then there's the question of cargo ships and their fuel sources. Much more is to be done for cleaning the air in this, and other, rapidly growing ports.

Synthetic Bio-based Motor Oil for Earth Day -- Look for More of this Soon

2011-04-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

So how does bio-based synthetic motor oil, made from a blend of American grown base oils, sound to you? It could reduce our addiction to foreign, imported oil, and from petroleum. So you'd get to make a contribution to the US economy, reduce the power of OPEC nations and the cost of foreign oil imports, remove offshore oil spills, help out your pocketbook as oil prices skyrocket, and reduce noxious emissions into the atmosphere. Sounds pretty good to me!

In Celebration of Earth Day, Green Earth Technologies, Inc., a US manufacturer and marketer of "green" environmentally safer consumer packaged goods and products, has a campaign to "Change Your Oil, Change the World!", encouraging consumers to switch from their current petrochemical motor oil brand to G-OIL, the world's first and only American Petroleum Institute (API) Service SM Certified 5W-30 Bio-based Full Synthetic Motor Oil, grown and made in the USA. The company says the bio-based full synthetic motor oil provides superior performance and protection during the maximum oil change intervals recommended by vehicle manufacturers.

I think we're going to see a lot more synthetic motor oil and engine fuel in the next few years. As mentioned, oil prices are rising, government regulations toughening up, and a lot of consumers want freedom from oil addiction, improved pocketbook efficiency, and cleaner air.

Audi A3 Plug-in Hybrid Could Wed Clean Diesel and Battery Power

2011-04-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Audi could be in a very good position for attracting attention from green car shoppers. The company introduced an A3 plug-in at the Shanghai auto show this week. The version of the car being presented at the show is an A3 e-tron PHEV with a turbocharged, direct-injection 4-cylinder gas engine with a 20 kiloWatt electric motor and a rechargeable 12-kW-hour lithium-ion battery pack that can go 34 miles on battery before the gas engine kicks in. It will get up to 238 horsepower when gas and electric sources are operating in tandem.

So, what if Audi combined the award winning, high mileage turbocharged diesel engine A3 TDI with its plug-in hybrid technology? I would think the diesel engine range would be farther than the 34 miles the gasoline engine goes. The Edmunds article doesn't mention the diesel engine version. The A3 plug-in hybrid could be on the road by 2013. The gas-powered powered version of the new A3 is due to hit showrooms next year, and Audi also has shown an all-electric version of the present A3 sportwagon. But let's wait and see if clean diesel and plug-in are wedded someday.

Nissan Leaf Value of Zero Ad Spot Aimed at 3 Interest Groups

2011-04-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Nissan is showing a clever commercial called, "The Value of Zero," which rolls through images of zeroes including a frog's eye, a chalkboard numeral, a bald man's top of head, a pregnant woman's tummy. The benefits of zero, according to the ad spot are:

1. Zero dependency on foreign oil
2. Zero pollutants in the environment
3. Zero depletion of the ozone

Like other green vehicle and fuel marketing, this is attempting to reach three interest groups, which for many people cross over to varied beliefs and opinions:

1. Foreign oil -- could include George W. Bush, T. Boone Pickens, and millions of others with resentment towards the oil industry and OPEC.
2. Pollutants -- this is the classic concern about smog spewing from a car's tailpipe.
3. Depletion of the ozone -- addresses those concerned about climate change and global warming.

So, some people would agree with all three statements, some one out of three. A lot of people could care less about any of it, as long as they get gas in their car, money in their wallet, and food on the table. The Nissan ad is designed with a bit more sophistication, and is aimed at those with knowledge and opinions on the power and negative impact of traditional gas-powered vehicles and the oil needed to run them. Who would care enough to buy a Leaf.

"Suddenly zero starts adding up... Zero is worth everything," the ad says.

HELP!!! Your feedback needed on what should be covered as Automotive Digest Weekly Green goes daily

2011-04-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Before too long, Automotive Digest Weekly Green will become daily and called Green Automotive Digest Daily. We very much need to get reader feedback on what people want to know about green cars and fuels. So this is where you come into the picture…

How this works:
Read my concept (below) for daily newsletter subjects, and themes/topics that will be addressed. Keep in mind that breaking news stories will be covered every day – so it won’t just be about these topics each day.
Send me a reply email with your thoughts on the subject – jon@automotivedigest.com, or post a comment on this blog.

Here are some questions that might be useful for you to think about as you read the concept…

How much would this grab your attention?
Would everything be covered that you’d want to read about?
Is there anything missing that you want to read about?
Would this stand out and be distinctive from other news and information sources you’re accessing on green cars and fuels, or that you have some familiarity with?
Any other thoughts on the subject?

Having said that, here’s my concept for the format I’m thinking of about creating…

Monday: Green machines
Plug-in electric vehicles, hybrids, fuel cell vehicles, natural gas vehicles, propane conversions, flexible fuel vehicles, clean diesel engines, and fuel efficient gas engines. Plus, other green transportation modes – racing, motorcycles, jets, boats, big rigs, etc.

Tuesday: Clean energy and fuels
Battery technology, electricity plant power sources, renewables, biofuels, natural gas, propane autogas, hydrogen, and synthetic fuels.

Wednesday: Traffic gridlock solutions
Car sharing, mass transit, fleet management, vanpools, group transportation, bicycling, HOV lanes, telematics and navigation systems, vehicle safety, and intelligent vehicles and roads of the future.

Thursday: Smart cleantech
Charging stations, smart grids, connectivity, technology innovations, energy efficiency, hydrogen highways, green automaking and marketing, and corporate sustainability programs.

Friday: Best of this week
Reruns, highlights, and summaries of the editorial content from Monday through Thursday editions, covering all four daily categories and important news.

Themes and topics to cover:

Gasoline and diesel prices
Recovering from our oil addiction
Political battles and regulatory mandates
Environmentalist group action
Problems and uphill climbs faced by green vehicles and fuels
The latest in charging, connectivity, and smart apps
Green vehicle launches and makeovers
Significant happenings around the world
Advanced, innovative automotive technology
Renewable energy and fuel

“Other”
Your comments, suggested changes, viewpoints, questions, diatribes, insults, prophetic visions, shopping lists, etc. – whatever else you want to include with your feedback.

Rewards of taking this survey:

You will have a positive effect on a media source that some people read and take seriously, and that influences their decisions on green machines and fuels.
If there are a few things I need to know about this editorial structure concept, tell me, even if I don’t want to hear it. Especially if I don’t want to hear it.
I will only have good things to say about you!

So go for it! Thank you, in advance.

Jon LeSage

DOE Study Guide on Alternative Fuels to Know About

2011-04-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what categories of alternative fuels (something besides gasoline or diesel) are on the market, and which ones are in development? I do, and it's important to follow. Some of the race cars being tested around the world use these fuels and are testing out advanced alternative fuels and technologies. Solar race cars have been tested for years and could offer a renewable-energy powered car someday. As for now, the categories that are on the market and not just for test cars, according to Dept. of Energy, are:

Electricity
Ethanol
Biodiesel
Natural gas
Propane autogas
Hydrogen
Methanol

There isn't much methanol left, but it's still in use in small quantities. It was very big in the early 1990s, especially in fleet programs, but it eroded engines rapidly and wreaked havoc.

Here's the other categories of fuel currently under development, much of which came to be under the Energy Policy Act of 1992:

Biobutanol - an alcohol that can be produced through processing of domestically grown crops, such as corn and sugar beets, and other biomass.
Biogas - produced from the anaerobic digestion of organic matter such as animal manure, sewage, and municipal solid waste. After it is processed to required standards of purity, biogas becomes a renewable substitute for natural gas.
Biomass to Liquids (BTL) - a term describing processes for converting diverse biomass feedstocks into a range of liquid fuels.
Coal to Liquids (CTL) - processes for converting coal into liquid fuels.
Fischer-Tropsch Diesel - made by converting gaseous hydrocarbons, such as natural gas and gasified coal or biomass, into liquid fuel.
Gas to Liquids (GTL) - a process for converting natural gas into liquid fuels.
Hydrogenation-Derived Renewable Diesel (HDRD) - product of fats or vegetable oils—alone or blended with petroleum—that have been refined in an oil refinery.
P-Series - a blend of natural gas liquids (pentanes plus), ethanol, and the biomass-derived co-solvent methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF) that are formulated to be used in flexible fuel vehicles.
Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel - diesel fuel with lower sulfur content enacted nationwide in 2010.

There might be other categories to consider, especially in realm of biofuels. It might already be included in the DOE's BTL category, but there's always investment, research, and development being made in algae biofuel, cellulosic ethanol, and other advanced biofuels. Synthetic fuels are also being tested, too, which are scientifically redesigned versions of gasoline and diesel with lower emissions and better efficiency.

Going Gaga for Green Jobs

2011-04-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

As part of an environmental group in my hometown of Long Beach, Calif., I've become involved with networking with teachers and student groups to give educational presentations. I tell them "green cars and fuels," and other topics that can be presented by our group leadership. There's some interest on their part, but not really that much. Teachers are way busy with students, especially high school classes studying like mad for the state exams on english and math skills that teachers and students now have to devote nearly all their time to.

I recently got the idea of mentioning green jobs as the topic. I happen to be one of these people -- laid off a job two years ago and then going after green job opportunities, which led to being the editor of ADW Green and driving on the weekends for a green chauffeured transportation company. I will talk about it, and tell kids about the variety of training programs and job fairs available to them now. This can be connected to solar panel installations, recycling and waste management, tree planting and lawn composting, automotive service and maintenance, energy efficiency programs, and a variety of other opportunities.

So I called a principal at one of the local high schools, and mentioned topics we cover. When I said "green jobs," the response was, "When can you get here?" The school wanted me there for three days, and I had to say only two, and limited times on those days. I will be doing more of these presentations and writing a Frequently Asked Questions booklet on it, too. Clearly a hot topic.

My Take on the KBB Top 10 Green Cars List

2011-04-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

Kelley Blue Book just released its annual green car top 10 list, and here it is:

#1: 2011 Nissan Leaf | 99 mpg equivalent
#2: 2011 Chevy Volt | 93 mpg equivalent
#3: 2011 Toyota Prius | 50 mpg (51 city, 48 highway)
#4: 2011 Lexus CT 200h | 42 mpg (43 city, 40 highway)
#5: 2011 Honda Insight | 41 mpg (40 city/43 highway)
#6: 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid | 39 mpg (41 city/36 highway)
#7: 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDI | 34 mpg (30 city/42 highway)
#8: 2011 Hyundai Elantra | 33 mpg (29 city, 40 highway)
#9: 2012 Fiat 500 | 33 mpg (30 city/38 highway)
#10: 2012 Ford Focus | 31 mpg (28 city/38 highway)

My thoughts on the subject:
1. The mileage ratings come from the automakers and may not be exactly real world. The Leaf and Volt are the toughest ones to figure out with comparisons to EPA mileage ratings of conventional gasoline engine vehicles. The Volt rating is much higher than what the EPA gave it. Much of it has to do with the type of daily driving usage that goes into it. It's like Chevrolet execs saying Volt owners are typically driving 1,000 miles between charges. That would depend completely on your driving conditions; how many mile you drive per day, how often you charge the battery, and the climate and elevation conditions would be especially pertinent.

2. This is the first time the Toyota Prius hasn't made the number one spot in several years. It's kind of sad to see the icon of green cars drop down to number three.

3. There are no turbo-diesel engines like the Audi A3 TDI or Volkswagen Jetta TDI. These cars are known for excellent fuel mileage and high performance.

4. The Lexus CT 200 hybrid might make a splash in the luxury hybrid arena.

5. It's odd that the Fiat 500 made the list. It's new to the US market and there isn't much driver experience to tap into and cite as evidence that it's a good buy. The mileage is good, but there's several hybrid and conventional gas engine cars that do better and didn't make the list.

Nuclear Lessons Learned from Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Chernobyl

2011-04-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

As details come out on the Japanese nuclear power plant crisis, there's bound to be comparisons to three horrific incidents. Two of these being the atomic bomb attacks by the US in 1945 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the other being the nuclear power plant disaster in Chernobyl in 1986, that the Soviet government attempted to cover up.

This from Greenwire: "The collected medical histories from the survivors of the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki have never been more visible, as another radiation crisis has gripped Japan. With few exceptions, each invocation of the possible cancer risk -- or lack of risk -- poised by the failed reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has its origins in the lives of atomic bomb survivors."

This as a letter to the editor from attorney Raffaele Ferrante: "...nuclear power stations in general, when they stop working, require an infinite cooling of the radioactive materials, which, especially in the event of disasters, becomes very difficult to achieve, and which, for example, they are not managing to carry out in Japan. It is essentially an unequal struggle against heat. Heat which, if it sooner or later prevails against the emergency systems adopted to halt it, causes fusion, or, as at Chernobyl, explosion, but in the meantime -- until the final and perhaps unlikely cooling -- causes the release of radiation. A drama that cannot be resolved by covering the reactors with cement or anything else, because, at Chernobyl, it was possible precisely because the radioactive material had exploded, so all they covered was the debris of the explosion, which incidentally still continues to 'burn'. Here, however, this monstrous material, moreover in much greater quantities than Chernobyl, is still there, and should it explode or melt down, nothing would be able to contain it."

Perhaps the three damaged nuclear power plants in Japan -- Fukushima, Onagawa, and Higashidori -- have wreaked havoc on the population -- genetic mutation causing yet another wave of cancer for Japanese people. The Japanese government will have to do better than the Russians. Concealing damaging evidence makes it worse. Whatever must be done to resolve the crisis must be done. The future of nuclear power in Japan and in the western world, where it commonly serves as an electric power station energy source, must be examined carefully for public and environmental health and safety.

Honda Insight a Prius copycat but makes dollars and sense

2011-04-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

I've mistaken the Honda Insight hybrid for a Toyota Prius -- it looks very similar, is about the same size, and is a hybrid. It's only been on the market for about two years and has done fairly well in sales lately as gas prices rise, but it does look like a Prius copycat. Given that opinion, how do they compare?

The Insight offers a combined mpg of 41, and an MSRP of $19,800. The Prius goes 50 mpg and has an MSRP of $22,800. So $3,000 more for nine more miles per gallon. That means if you drive 15,000 miles per year, you would need 300 gallons to fuel the Prius that distance, and about 366 to power the Insight. If gas is $4 a gallon, that means you'd be paying $264 dollars per year more to gas up the Insight compared to the Prius. That would take 11 years for the prices to even out with manufacturer suggested retail prices.

Gas will be going up over $4 a gallon nationally, and has already done so in California. So that time span will probably be much shorter. There are other things to consider for long-term ownership of these cars -- maintenance and repairs, durability and reliability, how long the battery lasts and what it costs to replace it, etc. So the Insight seems to make dollars and sense. But, do you like it enough? If you're really into the Prius, it would be a tough choice.

You thought you had great mpg?

2011-04-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

GM says drivers of the Chevy Volt have been driving 1,000 miles between gas ups. Pretty good, huh? So the way this is supposed to work is that average drivers are going short distances in their commuter car -- 30-40 miles, and the Volt holds up on the charge. They charge up at work or more likely at home, and don't need to use the gas tank for much of anything at all. Perhaps the EPA window stickers are going to be thrown out the window?

Sugar Ethanol Could Be Good and Sweet for America

2011-04-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

Corn-based ethanol has its enemies and critics in the US and beyond, yet it remains the main source of biofuels being used here now in flex-fuel vehicles and for 10% of the gasoline in about three quarters of US retail gas stations. One country that has been producing and gassing up on more ethanol than the US is Brazil, which gets its ethanol from sugar cane. There are a few experts who say sugar could work well as an ethanol source in the US, but coming from sugar beets instead of sugar cane.

In North Dakota, agribusiness specialists formed the Green Vision Group to explore sugar beets as a feedstock for ethanol production. The group is planning to build a $20 million plant to demonstrate the viability of energy beets as an ethanol feedstock, according to The Detroit Bureau. Cole Gustafson, a professor at North Dakota State University, makes good points about the benefits of sugar cane ethanol. Gustafson is working with Green Vision on its plans for a processing center, and said sugar plants have an advantage over corn because they require one less processing step. Corn’s starches have to be converted to sugar before the conversion to alcohol. Sugar cane ethanol could possibly be more cost effective and environmentally safe than corn ethanol.

Biofuels Huge Opportunity for Oil Companies, But Challenges Abound

2011-04-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Oil companies face impingement upon their traditional sphere of influence and challenges to grow the alternative energy side of their businesses, according to Accenture, which recently tracked the race for leadership in alternative fuels and technology between the US and China. According to the report, "Biofuels is the area that makes most sense for oil companies, as it aligns most easily to existing infrastructure and knowledge. However, biofuels growth in China will be carefully managed by government departments to ensure no impact is seen on the availability of food, although we are not seeing the level of government involvement that is afforded to electric vehicles."

Major oil companies are continuing to make investments in biofuels, but there's not one clear winner. Cellulosic and algae biofuels get a lot of support and funding, but both have significant limitations for meeting federal targets in the US and in China. Corn ethanol still takes the driver's seat in the US. As for now, China is fueling most of its vehicles with diesel and it's yet to be seen what alternative fuels and technology will expand in the rapidly growing Chinese transportation market.

Overhearing conversations about electric cars

2011-04-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

At the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure USA conference in San Diego last week, panelists spoke about the latest in electric car charging station integration across the country. Attendees included utility execs, charging technology suppliers, Mercedes-Benz, T-Mobile, consultants, and analysts. Small attendance but very detailed and technical chats between insiders. Here are a few things I heard in video interviews and what others nearby were talking about...

1. Research and development folks are testing out very fast charging technology (5 minutes?) that combine supercapacitors with batteries.

2. The nuclear meltdown in Japan is raising hackles about nuclear power in Washington DC and other places, but it's not appearing to deflate electric car support at this time. Dirty coal is a bigger issue to handle for public support of electric vehicles.

3. Batteries are the real issue for electric cars -- how long will they last in the Nissan Leaf, what will be the cost and impact of replacement, and what happens to the battery systems when they're removed?

4. Telematics and connectivity will play a big role in the future of the EV infrastructure for fleet and retail owners.

Fleets Might Save the Day for Green Machines

2011-03-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

It's still too early to know if consumer retail car buyers are taking plug-in electric vehicles from early adopters to mass market numbers. Coverage shows that gas prices will have to rise even higher, and public information will have to spread widely before consumers buy a lot of them. If the neighbor/cousin/co-worker has good things to say about the Leaf, Volt, or other plug-in car, then people will be won over. Questions need to be answered: How much do you really save in lifecycle from purchase to remarketing? How safe and reliable are they? How does home charging work and what does it cost? How do you compare per mile expense of battery power versus gasoline? Are the environmental and oil reducing benefits worth me buying into it?

Fleet customers are very important. That should go without saying, but this time, the rules of the game are changing a bit. Fleets typically have ordered "jelly bean" cars that have been on the market for a while and the automakers need to unload them somewhere. Now, certain fleets have become early adopters for plug-in electric vehicles, as they are with hybrids, natural gas-, propane-, and ethanol-powered vehicles, and perhaps will be with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

President Obama just added weight to my fleet buyer argument. He just announced that the federal fleet will only be buying advanced technology vehicles (including hybrids and plug-ins) by 2015. We're talking about a 600,000 vehicle fleet -- very big. Obama has been getting criticized lately for dropping the ball on climate change and carbon emissions. I would say cheers to him for his strong support for green machines.

A Big Day for Green Car News in my Email Inbox

2011-03-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when media coverage was packed with significant stories about green machines, alternative and renewable energy, and other positive trends. (The Detroit Bureau continues to play a very important role in tracking these stories, and cheers to Environmental Leader.) So here are a few media highlights from my email inbox today:

The California assembly joined the senate yesterday in approving a mandate for 33% of the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020, up from 20%.

President Obama says the federal government will buy only hybrids, plug ins, and other advanced technology vehicles for its fleet of 600,000 units by 2015. Cutting oil imports and using more domestic oil and gas is part of the new bi-partisan plan.

Pike Research predicts that the volume of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle sales in US will reach 204,110 by 2015. In the U.S. and Canada, plug-in hybrids will represent 71% of all electric vehicle sales in 2015.

Last year, clean energy investment across the globe grew by 30%, to $243 billion last year, with China continuing to solidify its position as the world’s clean energy leader by investing a record $54.4 billion in 2010.

Eco-friendly auto shops are popping up nationwide, offering green tune-ups for the masses with gas-guzzling vehicles.

Tesla Motors has sued the popular BBC program, “Top Gear,” claiming it maliciously lied about the company’s 2-seat Roadster. The episode said a Tesla Roadster experienced several breakdowns while being tested.

Speaking at the Center for Automotive Research’s conference, Canadian auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers said that vehicles with new powertrain technologies, particularly hybrids have been somewhat successful. He said this could be the decade of the hybrid as the technology finds its way into more cars.

Algae Biofuels -- Success or Failure?

2011-03-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

According to Greenwire, algae biofuels are washing away, and photosynthesis is a better use of investment dollars. The publication says that while several startups launched into algae fuels over the past half decade, it's not growing... "Often ignorant of algae's biology, these companies stumbled into major physical and engineering hurdles that can derail most of their lofty goals, industry and government experts say."

The opposite is being claimed by market research firm Emerging Markets Online CEO Will Thurmond, who sees algae biofuels and a host of other advanced fuels, growing in global markets. Thurmond has done a lot of studies and speaking on the subject

So which one is true, which one more accurate? I recently heard that a well known author and advocate for biofuels just received $1 billion in investor funds for development of algae biofuels. As far as advanced biofuels go, it still seems to be the most valid and likely successful method as we move away from corn and sugar cane ethanol.

BP Covering Up Oil Spill, Nuclear Power Safety, Affordable 40s, OUCH Volvo

2011-03-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

BP Covering Up Oil Spill: BP is not admitting how much oil got spilled last year in the Gulf following the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The company refuses to admit a figure on the amount of oil leaded or CO2 emitted in the spill, which has been named the largest oil spill in US history. BP said that it left these numbers out because of "a lack of definitive figures." Not even a good guestimate?

Nuclear Power Safety: Nuclear experts will flesh out details of the crisis unfolding in Japan and its implications for nuclear safety in the United States for key Senate and House energy committees this week. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Executive Director of Operations Bill Borchardt will start the process speaking to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee about the status of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors on Japan's northeastern coast. The trick will be for nuclear experts to calm nerves and assert that the US nuclear energy structure is much safer.

Affordable 40s: The trick these days is buying a fuel efficient car to offset gas price spikes. Car shoppers have a lot of options now looking for 40 MPGers from just above $15,000 to slightly less than $20,000 for a 2011 Ford, Chevy, Hyundai, or Smart. This doesn't even include hybrids or plug-ins. The Hyundai Elantra will probably be the highest volume selling member of the 40-mpg club.

OUCH Volvo: Volvo's anticipated electric crossover, the C30 Electric, has been impressive to hear about. In the historic Volvo tradition, it's done well in crash testing and should prove to be safe and reliable. The problem is a lease price, $2,100 a month -- OUCH!!! That is expected to plunge when the next Volvo battery car debuts.

5 Points on Fuel Cell Vehicles, EVs Free from Coal and Nuclear

2011-03-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Did you know that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are actually very fast charging electric vehicles? Not plug-in vehicles, but fuel-cell powered.

There are five pieces of the puzzle about hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technologies that are good to understand: a tank that stores hydrogen; a fuel-cell stack that converts hydrogen and oxygen into heat and water, creating electricity; lithium-ion batteries that store the electricity; a power unit that controls the flow of electricity to the electric motors that propel the vehicle; and unlike a battery-powered vehicle that can take six, seven, eight or more hours to recharge, a hydrogen refill takes about 3.5 minutes.

Another interesting fact about electric vehicles: a new study by a nonprofit called the California Center for Sustainable Energy recently found that 40% of consumers who own the all-electric Nissan Leaf also have solar panels on their homes. That is a really something, especially considering the fact that some observers are very nervous about electric vehicles being charged by kilowatts coming from coal- or nuclear-powered electricity plants.

Greenwashing Can Mean a Black Eye

2011-03-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

A British survey found the UK public is highly skeptical of companies "greenwashing" -- promoting their green programs to reduce carbon emissions to sound good, but not necessarily taking action significantly or consistently. Just 7% of consumers take companies at their word on their actions to reduce climate impacts, according to a damning new report.

Businesses are risking a costly backlash due to customers’ perception of greenwashing, the UK's Carbon Trust said. Just over half of respondents said they are concerned that companies make one-time improvements to win publicity, before returning to business as usual.

The British survey is similar to what's been investigated in the US market, and which has been going on consistently in the past 10 years, especially the past 3-4 years. It's all in the realm of trends going on now -- corporate responsibility, ethics, accountability to the public and the environment, stricter government guidelines, etc.

For automakers, suppliers, and dealers, there are strides being taken forward by certain companies encompassing the manufacturing process and end products -- what goes into the car, and its fuel efficiency and emissions. From there, what about the assembly plants and corporate offices -- energy usage, recycling, conservation, etc. Some companies are putting a lot into this process -- Ford, Honda, GM, Toyota, and Tesla would probably be in the top five. It's still fairly new to the car business and scrutiny is being done in the process.

Europe's Nuclear Power Supporters for EVs Have Mess to Clean Up

2011-03-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

It turns out that coal-fired power plants being the primary source of power for electricity generators plants isn't the only environmental concerns for plug-in electric cars. As a story in Automotive News mentions, the disaster in Japan's nuclear power grid has been sending shock waves around the world, especially in Europe. Nuclear power is a primary source for electric plants in Europe -- for example, electric plants in France are dominated by nuclear power. Nuclear power was a big part of the success formula for powering electric cars in Europe'a future.

Plans to have a million EVs on European roads by 2020 heavily relied on nuclear-generated electricity. Nuclear power is necessary for making EVs carbon neutral, proponents have said in Europe, and coal or natural gas as sources for power plants can't provide that neutrality, they say.

Blended Gasoline a No No for Many Car and Machine Buffs

2011-03-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Some people are quite upset that ethanol makes up 10% of the gasoline at 70% of US gas stations. And the fact that the number will be going up to 15% eventually under EPA rules. These critics include motorcycle and vintage/classic car drivers, along with owners of boats, snowmobiles and garden tractors, who don't get the same kind of performance out of E10 as they do out of pure gasoline. Here's what the New York Times has to say about it:

"Restorers of vintage cars point to problems caused by the decay of older rubber components like seals, gaskets and flexible fuel lines, which can deteriorate when exposed to ethanol-blend fuels. Some replacement parts are available in modern materials that resist alcohol damage, but not all are."

The ethanol/biodiesel industry is doing well supplying gas stations with ethanol for gasoline blends. There's also pressure from the federal government to increase the volume of renewable fuel distributed in the country. It's the source of conflict for various interest groups, and the pressure will be increasing.

Confessions of a Green Car Chauffeur in Hollywood

2011-03-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

The next time you go through LAX and see guys in the baggage claim holding greeting signs and wearing black suits, white shirts, and ties… take a second look… one of them might be me. While the employer will remain anonymous for now, I figured it was time to mention how I’ve been spending my weekends for the past few months. (If you invite me to a party on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, don’t take it personally if I can’t make it. Now, if you’re invitation is much better than lost income, I will take your offer into consideration. Another option you have for spending time with me is hiring me as your chauffeur for your social gathering on the weekend. I’ll see that you get a discount and will only request a very reasonable tip.)

Another surprise I’m going to announce right now: Chauffeuring can work pretty well in a Toyota Prius. I have yet to hear one person complain about getting into a Prius instead of a Town Car. The backseat is roomier than the original Priuses (now called Prii – see below) that you can still see driving by. And it’s a bigger car overall. I’ve been assigned a 2008 Prius with nearly 100,000 miles on it. I did get to test drive a 2010 Prius at an event last year. The 2010’s dashboard technology fills more space and is more graphically impressive, but it’s basically the same car in size and standard features.

Lately there’s been a lot of coverage of the upcoming Prius family – plans include the seven passenger Prius V and compact Prius C Concept – but don't say Prius, say Prii. Toyota got public feedback on how to pluralize the famous brand name now that there's going to be more versions of them on the road. Results were announced at the Chicago Auto Show, and voting was kicked off January 10th at the Detroit Auto Show. It went so well that Dictionary.com added the new word to its Prius listing. So it is now official.

When you talk to Prius drivers (me being one of them), they do have good things to say. There are a few criticisms too, including:

The rear window could be better. Most of it is covered by a tinted layer to reduce glare, but it also makes rear view vision less clear.
The car is low to the ground and balanced, but it is slightly clunky and noisy going over speed bumps and the like.
The instrument panel is readable, but some of the data gets old. Is the Prius really getting 99.9 miles per gallon right now, and does that really mean anything?
It's nice but not luxurious – the feel of a commuter car.

I would add a few good points to this review:

It's safe, reliable, and dependable.
The interior is roomier and spacier than the first generation version, and a good one to pack luggage and drive somebody home from the airport.
The only problem I've seen on a 2008 model with about 100,000 odometer miles is the air conditioning touch screen control panel went wacky recently and had to be replaced.
The base price is about $23,000 these days. When people complain about hybrids costing $5K to $10K more than non-hybrid counterparts, it's hard to criticize the Prius for its price point.
The mileage is very good – usually around 50 mpg combined. That needle doesn't go over to Empty for quite a while, and you're probably only filling up about 10 gallons. As gas prices spike up consistently, my love affair with the Prius deepens.

As for chauffeuring, I don’t see this being my long-term career. I need the money now, and it’s good to be driving a green car and gaining real world experience about it. I also have driven a CNG-powered Town Car. Remember the story about the angry neighbor stopping by and telling me about his CNG Ford Contours that he couldn’t get repaired? I haven’t seen him since then. Perhaps he and his wife and dog did leave the country in rage over Ford and the EPA.

You do have to gas up the CNG version more often than a regular Town Car (it goes about 75% of the distance of a gasoline version before the tank runs out), and the Clean Energy natural gas stations can be few and far between. And there’s a bad thing that can happen – you run out of natural gas, and you have to be towed and sometimes have a service technician check out the valve before filling up the tank. Either way, you get towed before you can fill up again. You can’t walk to a gas station and fill up a plastic gas tank at the pump to take back to your car, when you’re working with natural gas. The CNG vehicle does have great emissions ratings and an HOV car pool sticker. Natural gas is a better buy than gasoline – especially as gas prices hike – and you do get used to driving it and gassing up regularly as part of your schedule. You can also get a more efficient, longer range natural gas vehicle, many of them LNG and some CNG, depending on the quality of the aftermarket supplier. The match between engine/drivetrain and natural gas as its power source can work well for certain makes and models like the Honda Civic GX and a few of the Ford and GM natural gas conversion light trucks.

There was also the opportunity I had to drive a Lexus RX450h hybrid. I drove a celebrity to an awards show back in October (yes, LA has awards shows that basically go from September until the Oscars in late February). When I drove him and his assistant onto the lot with a “Talent” sign on the dashboard, we were directed to a roped-off spot where media asked questions and flashed cameras. I felt like I was in a movie. Regardless of that, the RX450h was a treat to drive – very smooth, and plenty of power as needed. It’s a very comfortable and luxurious ride with great stuff to see on the dashboard control panel, almost too good as to be distracting. Getting better mileage than non-hybrid luxury SUVs is also a good thing.

I do have a lot of respect for chauffeurs. They have to get up damn early and wait in the dark for someone to come out of the house with their baggage. They get used to showing up early and waiting for someone who’s late, sometimes having to call in to dispatch and let them know. And always be 15 minutes early to the spot, never get lost, meet client requests at all times, and be at a high level of customer service. The tips can be good, and you do get to meet some, well, interesting people:

Five Categories of Hollywood Backseaters

Talent – Celebrities, usually actors who are referred to as “talent” by the entertainment industry, and where it’s possible you’ll access an event with that word on a dashboard sign to let the studio know you’ve got one in the back seat. One thing I’ve listened to while driving Hollywood celebrities is conversations they’re having where they tell a spouse, friend, or agent about the unsatisfying and frustrating meetings they’ve just had, where people aren’t being upfront about offering the work and what it will pay. Sometimes this involves bad words, such as, “They are totally f%8#cking me over!” Another interesting listen involved a guy who used to be in a famous pop group and had his own TV variety show a few years ago. His complaint was about his Twitter account – where somebody selling a lot of vitamins and supplements tried to sound like they were his buddy posting helpful suggestions about what and where to buy good stuff for their health. He had to out them in a few of his tweets before it stopped. Another crumb of interesting celebrity gossip: some of them take fake names to protect themselves from the paparazzi and annoying fans. One client uses a character name from an Ayn Rand novel.

Friendly, Fun & Creative – You can have some really cool conversations with Hollywoodites. Sometimes they’re screen writers, production crew, marketing/communications people, or have absolutely nothing to do with entertainment biz, live in LA, and want to be chauffeured. They do ask good questions and have their own opinions about green cars. They actually speak to you as if you’re a real human being, not just a machine driving a machine.

Distant & Detached – Usually nicely dressed, business like, packed with the latest smart technology that they live off oc. You can drive these people more than once, and they don’t remember you from before. This fact applies not just to Hollywoodites. I hear that chauffeurs know this cross country, cross industry. Business people living off their phone, sending emails, or spacing out in thought.

Total Jerks – These people, usually men but sometimes women, seem to get a charge out of being total jerks and love that they’re known for spewing out rants and attacks as part of their image. Fortunately they’re rare. They might go to a club, or get picked up from a business meeting, and have plenty to say about their enemies in this world and how they’ve got them all figured out, and will one up them. Their assistants tell them they understand what they’re saying and agree completely, though I don’t think of any of us in the car believe it.

Tightly Wound – These people are nonstop balls of nervous energy, usually obsessively compulsively attached to communicating with people and controlling as much in this universe as possible. One passenger called her friend and left a long voice mail, then texted her, then called her roommate and asked that she be told about the call and not being able to get through. She ended her trip giving me stark and sullen driving directions, seemingly not liking that I didn’t know her neighborhood like the back of my hand. Another passenger incessantly called a lot of people she knew, mostly leaving them long messages, unable to sit in that backseat with the quiet.

As a chauffeur, you have to pretend you’re invisible at these moments, blending into the dashboard. It’s nice to be treated like an equal human being, but that doesn’t happen all the time. So you focus on being of service, getting them there safely and on time, making sure they have all they need, carry their luggage, etc.

Most importantly, if they don’t tip you, let it go. They may think it’s covered in the corporate account, or be distracted, or don’t believe in tipping, or think they’ve already paid enough, or were not impressed with the service level, or annoyed with you for not being perfect about the driving route. I’ve been given verbal tips on earning cash tips from other drivers, and that’s cool. In the end, I work on letting it go. Tips are great but I strive to deliver a high level of service and get them there safely and on time. The tip is their choice.

Oddly enough, I do get a charge out of leaving for a trip on time. It might be 4:30 in the morning, and I’ve got my suit on, I’ve got the gas card and Nextel radio, and the car is clean and gassed up with a bottle of water and snack in a spotless back seat. I know where I’m going and have left on time. I radio the dispatcher and say, “I’m in route,” and the dispatcher says, “10-4.” Then I breathe deeply and feel I am right where I’m supposed to be in that very moment.

There’s also some very interesting conversations I get to have with other chauffeurs while waiting for clients to make it through the terminal. Like me, some of them have other career tracks they’re on and this work is extra. I do get to spend some time around veteran drivers who work a lot of hours and don’t care for it that much, but this what they do. And then there is that rare breed who love what they do, and have a lot of gifts to share on how to keep that car looking great, how to get out of traffic jams, and essentially read the client’s mind, meeting their needs ahead of time. These chauffeurs get great trips and are requested later by high-level Hollywood execs.

They don’t want to drive a Prius, though. They want to get a client in an SUV or Town Car, where the trips can be longer and the cash flow more plentiful. Sometimes they get “as directed” trips where the client tells you where to go and when to drop them off. I had one of these passengers on a Friday night. I waited about three hours for her to get out of a night club, and it went pretty late into the evening. I fell asleep probably four times until my phone woke me up and she said she was ready to go. The following Friday morning, I looked at my online checking account and saw how much I’d made that weekend. She was forgiven, and I held no grudge.

These long waits do give me more time with my heartthrob, the Prius. I spend a lot of hours in that driver’s seat, or walking around the car, stopping and waiting for a passenger, checking out the curves and lines. I’m used to the subtle sputtering noises and stammers the Prius makes as its motor kicks in, and the regenerative braking does its job. The Prius has its own personality that you get used to after a while, and start to get fond of. I’ve known a few people who are just plain addicted to the Prius and have owned two or three of them. They are true believers and will shop for different versions of the Prii models that are soon to come out.

The first couple of times I drove it, the car was a little awkward for me – having to step on the brake and hit the start button without a key. When stopping the engine, hitting the park button before hitting the power button again. Soon it became automatic, and I came to appreciate the back-up camera, fending off danger to small children and tiny animals.

Okay, that’s enough about the Prius and chauffeur gig. I do wonder if the next woman I get involved with will get tired of my attachment to the Prius, perhaps jealous, and will get wild ideas about doing the Prius in. Hmmm… could be a movie script I pitch to a client.

--Jon LeSage

Panic Attack Over Nuclear Disaster in America

2011-03-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

For those paranoid about nuclear plant radiation ruining their lives, join the club...

Greenwire posted this: "It's long been a vexing issue in the scientific community, spurred in large part by public panic over nuclear power, waste and radiation: Why the terror? Compared to notorious killers like driving, smoking or drinking, nuclear risks -- though objectively carrying little danger in their modern deployments -- stir the deepest fears in Americans, a terror that is surfacing again as engineers strive to contain the crisis at Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi power station."

My thoughts on the subject:

1. Some of this comes from baby boomers who were given "duck and cover" instructions by teachers years ago, when H-bomb tests were taking place and paranoia about Russian atomic bomb attacks was being felt. There were also a bunch of popular horror movies about the byproducts of this new technology -- giant ants and roaches destroying towns, families fleeing to live up in the mountains, etc.

2. Problems at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant stirred up fear and protest in the late 1970s -- see the Jane Fonda movie, "The China Syndrome," to get a good look at it. There were also a lot of No Nukes concerts led by Jackson Browne that were stirring up activists.

3. The Russian debacle at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, where the government attempted to control the situation and the fact that a lot of people died immediately or from cancer soon after.

4. Nuclear power makes up 20% of our energy sources for electric power plants in America. It might be cleaner than coal, but it's still producing a lot of our energy, sometimes close to where we live.

5. Other countries (like France) use a lot of nuclear power for electricity -- this is widespread throughout the world.

6. As electric vehicles and renewable energy have become important issues in US and international politics, the source of power is a hot issue. Look for a lot of debate and commentary.

Nuclear Power in Your Plug-in Electric Vehicle

2011-03-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

As more comes out on the Japanese disaster impacting its nuclear power plants, the actual safety and reliability of nuclear energy in this country is being explored and debated. The Dept. of Energy says that 103 nuclear units supply about 20% of the electricity produced in the US – second only to coal as a fuel source. Proponents of plug-in electric vehicles advocate renewable energy as the growing source of electric power plant energy, replacing dirty coal and potentially dangerous nuclear; natural gas would be much more acceptable to them, along with solar, wind, and other renewables. Some would say nuclear power is a renewable, and is much safer in the US. You can expect to hear a lot more about it.

Who Resurrected the Electric Car?

2011-03-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

It’s been four years since “Who Killed the Electric Car?” was launched, and now its sequel is finally coming out. The premiere of “Revenge of the Electric Car” will take place as part of the opening weekend of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, and the festival opens April 20 and runs through May 1. The movie explores what happened in the years following the launch and death of GM’s EV1 and a few other electric cars. Today, the race is on for domination in the brand new car segment. The movie follows four lead characters and their efforts to win the race: Tesla’s Elon Musk, Renault Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn, GM’s Bob Lutz, and an independent car converter.

Cars Crave Clean, According to Exxon Mobil

2011-03-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

While gassing up at an Exxon Mobil station near my house, I've noticed they've been promoting a new website with the slogans "Engines Adore Clean," and "Cars Crave Clean." When you go the site, you're offered a tour to take, a journey through your car. It tells you, "Exxon and Mobil have engineered gasoline on the molecular level to help clean up intake valves so it can perform at its best." When you click for the next screen, you're taken through an epic, beautiful view of gasoline flowing downstream with a very spiffy music soundtrack backing it up.

Then you go to a screen with three choices for the tour -- Fuel Injector, Intake Valves, and Combustion Chamber. You find out how its gasoline provides benefits to vital engine parts. So if you click through Fuel Injector, you learn how about, in a few milleseconds, dirty air can enter the picture and create a mess that Exxon Mobil's fuel can clean up for you.

My thoughts on the marketing campaign:

1. Prominent use of the word "clean," which is now the word to use to improve image for environmental impact, oil spills, advanced technology, space age progress, etc.

2. It taps into our love of cars and engines -- "Cars Crave Clean".... "Engines Adore Clean" As if your car is like having a dog or cat -- you're crazy about them and want to take good care of them.

3. Oil companies are taking on marketing promotions that are pretty new for them in this age of social media and online marketing. Like many companies out there. I would say their motivation is driven by the Gulf oil spill, the spiking cost of gasoline, and resentment toward oil companies for various reasons.

The Japan Syndrome Shakes Up Nuclear Power Fears

2011-03-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

The death toll has been growing in post-earthquake-and-Tsunami Japan. Right along with the devastating natural disaster, fear over nuclear power plants have stirred panic. More than a half-million people in Japan have been displaced by growing radiation fears and the massive swath of destruction. Japanese officials ordered people near the Fukushima nuclear power plant complex to stay indoors after a hydrogen blast Monday in the containment building of one of its six reactors, similar to one that occurred Saturday in a separate reactor, according to LA Times. Cabinet secretary Yukio Edano, speaking in a live TV broadcast, said it was believed that the reactor remained intact and "we think that the possibility of a massive radiation emission is low." But the apparently intensifying nuclear crisis sent a wave of fear and anxiety through the quake-battered country, as powerful aftershocks from Friday's temblor continued to rattle cities and towns.

There is a connection between hydrogen and nuclear power. When you attend the hydrogen conference, the Idaho National Laboratory plays a part in the industry alliance and there is connection between the technologies. Nuclear power is much safer than it used to be -- but it really wasn't long ago that the movie "The China Syndrome" (starring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas) and No Nukes concerts with Jackson Browne and other activists brought a lot of attention to the dangers of nuclear power. The Chernobyl disaster in Russia in 1986 also heightened the fear over the safety and sanity of nuclear power. A good chunk of electricity in the US is created through nuclear-powered plants, and this is common around the world. It is a cleaner technology than fossil fuels, but the safety factors are always there. Think Hindenburg disaster for hydrogen and Chernobyl for nuclear -- and now the crisis in Japan -- and you're reminded of the panic these technologies can cause.

Ford Converts More of its Michigan Plant to Solar Power

2011-03-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

Automakers are building sustainability into their manufacturing process, especially GM and Ford. Following last year's power sourcing from solar panels, Ford Motor Co. has done more at its Michigan assembly plant, one of the state's largest solar power generation systems. The system is the result of collaboration between Ford, DTE Energy, Xtreme Power, the city of Wayne, and the state of Michigan -- and has been covered by Environmental Leader. DTE Energy installed the 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic panel system at Michigan Assembly.

The public/private partnerships must work effectively for these projects to go anywhere. Perhaps there will be a thriving renewable energy industry with cash flow streaming from venture capitalists and stockholders. For now, it takes government agencies and funding, NPOs, and corporations to make it work. The Michigan Assembly project is funded by a $3 million investment from DTE Energy’s SolarCurrents program, a $2 million grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission in support of the state’s smart-grid initiative, and approximately $800,000 worth of in-kind contributions from Ford.

Electric Cars Inspiring Espionage and Bad Behavior

2011-03-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Chinese carmaker BYD is getting in trouble for possibly stealing patent right information for its product plans. A report published on Internet whistle-blowing site WikiLeaks show, the battery firm turned electric vehicle manufacturer backed by multi billionaire Warren Buffet could be guilty of these transgressions and more. According to Reuters, which was given access to the leaked documents through a third party, the US government was sent diplomatic cables detailing BYD’s lack of respect for International patent law.

Bad news on the international electric car front intensifies. The plot thickens in France as Renault continues to unravel the potential espionage mystery that led to the company firing three of its executives in January.

Addicted to the Prius

2011-03-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

The number of Toyota hybrids sold over the past decade or so has officially passed the three-million mark, hitting 3.03 million back on February 28th, says Autoblog Green. Most of these are the Prius, and that pioneer green car has been joined by the Camry hybrid and a few Lexus models. What's most interesting is the speed at which Toyota is selling hybrids now: The first million took nine years, 10 months; the second million, two years and three months; the third million? 18 months.

When you talk to Prius drivers, they do have good things to say, me being one of them. There are a few criticisms too, including:

The rear window could be better. Most of it is covered by a tinted layer to reduce glare, but it also makes rear view vision less than clear.
The car is low to the ground and balanced, but it is a bit clunky and noisy going over speed bumps and the like.
The instrument panel is readable, but some of the data gets old. Is the Prius really getting 99.9 miles per gallon right now, and what does that really mean?
It's nice but not luxurious -- basic commuter car.

I would add a few good points to this:

It's safe, reliable, and dependable.
The interior is roomier and spacier than the first generation version, and a good one to pack luggage and drive somebody home from the airport.
The only problem I've seen on a 2006 model with about 100,000 odometer miles is the air conditioning touch screen control panel went wacky and had to be replaced.
The mileage is very good -- usually around 50 mpg combined, but that needle doesn't go down to zero for quite a while and you're only filling up about 10 gallons. As gas prices spike up consistently, the love affair with the Prius deepens.
The base price is about $23,000 these days. When people complain about hybrids costing $5K to $10K more than non-hybrid counterparts, it's hard to criticize the Prius for its price point.

And the verdict is? Call me a Prius addict.

Fuel Saving Tips as Annoying and Necessary as Dentist Appointments

2011-03-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

Taking on those healthy habits for saving fuel and lowering your gas bills is kind of like what they recommend to you during dentist office visits. You need to do a few things regularly or you'll regret it later. As gas prices go up nearly each and every day, the stress level increases when pump prices are viewed. So, here are a few from TrueCar.com...

Drive Smoother: Aggressive driving has an impact on how much fuel you consume. When driving, pushing the gas pedal hard or slamming the brakes will lower your average fuel economy. Aggressive driving can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and five percent around town.

Slow Down: Most vehicles get the most amount of fuel efficiency when driving between 45 and 55 miles per hour. The Department of Energy (DOE) figures that for every five miles you drive going in excess of 60 mph, you could lose somewhere between seven to 23 percent of fuel efficiency.

Reduce Idling: Turn off your engine if you're waiting for more than 20 seconds. Idling wastes more gas than turning off your engine and restarting it.

Use Premium Fuel Only When Needed: Regular unleaded fuel won't hurt most vehicles even if premium unleaded fuel is required.

Shop for Gas: Web sites like GasBuddy.com and certain GPS devices can help you search for the lowest gas price and save you the hassle of burning more fuel while looking for cheaper gas.

Purchase a Fuel-Efficient Car: Buying a new car that is more fuel efficient, such as a hybrid or diesel vehicle, makes good financial sense as gas prices continue to rise.

My Resentment for, and Addiction to, Automotive News

2011-03-07T09:19:00.000-08:00

Automotive News is a unique info source for car biz coverage. I resent that my paid subscription is running out and I have to decide whether to come up with more or lose my access. In the meantime, here are four stories from the weekly issue that really stood out:

Fisker Automotive Inc. plans to use its recently acquired, former GM, plant in Delaware in part to build vehicles for other automakers. Fisker plans to use only one-third of an installed 300,000 units of capacity at the plant in Wilmington, Del., for its vehicles, which will be built there in late 2012.

The Chevrolet Volt turned in a lackluster performance for efficiency in its first series of cold-weather road tests, according to Consumer Reports. Fun to drive, ride is good, but doesn’t make financial sense, according to the magazine’s auto test center director. The Volt fell short of its maximum range potential under battery power. People seeking value and fuel efficiency are better off with hybrids like the Prius and Ford Fusion.

Toyota aims to slash the cost of hydrogen fuel cell technology before it starts selling its fuel cell sedan in 2015. The company plans to tackle costs several ways, including using less platinum in the fuel stack, fewer components, and simplifying the design.

Rolls-Royce, of all companies, has built an electric vehicle. The Phantom EE, unveiled at the Geneva auto show, is a concept. And the company is quick to say that it's nowhere near production. It will have the largest battery pack ever fitted to a passenger car, the company said.

Automotive Digest a Cool Car Town to Visit

2011-03-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

In case you were ever wondering how Green Machine Digest and ADW Green got started, it's good to know a little bit about the parent organization, Automotive Digest. It was started up by Publisher Chuck Parker in 1998. At the time, he saw the future of media, that it was all going online, and decided to start up a new brand covering the auto industry. His concept was that people are getting inundated with information content from several sources, and the internet promised to change the rules of the game. The idea was to give readers a content hub to scan through every day with tight news summaries, executive interviews, statistical charts, resources and links, and eventually videos and social media. Sort of "one stop shopping" for all things automotive, of interest to leaders in the field.

In October 2009, AD started up Automotive Digest Weekly Green during a time when groundbreaking news and developments were coming out Detroit, Washington, California, and across the globe on a daily basis. It's siblings include Dealer Digest Daily, Dealer Management Weekly, and Fleet Management Weekly. ADW Green is trying things on a bit differently, with this blog and its Twitter page. Covering green machines is a good place to do it -- a brand new industry with technology innovations and product launches that would have been unbelievable not long ago. And it's in the Automotive Digest family, a good place to be for resources, team talent and support, and a respected brand name to fly under.

Plug-in Hybrids Better than Gasoline Versions

2011-03-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

So plug-in hybrid vehicles, aka extended range, are very appealing to a lot of people. There aren't too many on the market, the Chevy Volt being the symbol, and many are in the works. Here's why people are looking forward to it:

1. Much of the time you're on battery power, freeing you up from OPEC-controlled, smog spitting, ridiculously expensive, gasoline.

2. When the battery runs out, the gas engine kicks in, reducing your range anxiety and giving you a lot more miles to cover before charging up your battery again.

So what if there were a way to move beyond battery and gasoline in a PHEV? Wouldn't that be the coolest thing? Here's a few thoughts on that subject...

1. The Algeus is being driven around by "Fuel" director/star Josh Tickell, a big believer in biofuels and freedom from oil. It's a Toyota Prius converted aftermarket into a plug-in hybrid version, and its gas engine has been taken over by algae biofuel. Very cool! The problem is there's only one of them out there now, and algae biofuel has some big stumbling blocks to surmount before making it to your nearest gas station.

2. Peugeot finally took the wraps off the look-awaited 3008 Hybrid4, the first diesel-electric vehicle in the world. This model will be available in a limited edition of 300 units, which will be ready to hit the market in the fall. According to the Detroit News, the 3008 Hybrid4 is equipped with a 163 horsepower 2.0-liter HDi diesel engine driving the front wheels. Not a plug-in hybrid vehicle - a regular hybrid running on diesel instead of gasoline, but a step in the right direction.

Ok, this is very cool but only 300 of them are coming out. And how many come to the US from Europe? Probably zero to a couple, as it's most likely launched in France. The good news here is that diesel is much cleaner these days because of government restrictions on what's sold (ultra-low sulfur), and diesel engine technology is way more efficient and cleaner than it used to be. So a diesel hybrid will probably be better than a gas engine hybrid - more miles per gallon and a bit cleaner. The downside is that diesel is a bit more expensive than gasoline, but if it's more fuel efficient, that could balance it out.

And what about any other fuel combinations? Natural gas or propane and plug-in hybrid? Flexible fuel version of a plug-in hybrid marrying ethanol and battery power? And what about this hydrogen hybrid I've heard about?

All of this new vehicle technology is exciting, even though it can stir up fears stemming from 1950s sci-fi/horror flicks where scientists screw up and accidentally produce humongous ants, turtles, rats, etc., that eat us alive. It's good that there are strict safety requirements on vehicle these days (thank you, Ralph Nader), and that Society of Automotive Engineers and Underwriters Laboratories are extremely cautious and addicted to testing before they endorse new technology and vehicles.

6 Good Green Car Stories, 3 of them from Geneva

2011-03-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

1. Mass-market automakers like Toyota, Fiat, and Ford say green technologies on display at the Geneva Motor Show will help them weather the impact of skyrocketing fuel prices.

2. Google has invested in a startup called Transphorm, whose power-conversion efficiency technology could some day help create more efficient electric cars.

3. Electric motorcycle king Zero Motorcycles now has the Zero XU, the fifth in its product line.With instant torque from zero rpm, no shifting, a low weight, a low seat height and a removable power pack, the bike could be ideal for those who live in the city.

4. Volvo Cars is presenting the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid, the new V60 Plug-in Hybrid, at the Geneva Motor Show.

5. There will be a European debut of a Honda EV concept and plug-in hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show.

6. A new air-conditioning refrigerant can now be used by automakers in new cars and light trucks to help meet federal standards for greenhouse gas emissions. The chemical, HFO-1234yf, has a global-warming potential that is 99.7 percent less than the current chemical, HFC-134a, used in most car air conditioners, the EPA said.

Hyundai Hybrid Ad Snipes at Prius, Other Moments in Oscar Awards

2011-02-28T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hyundai did most of the automotive advertising during the Academy Awards last night as it becomes more aggressive and big spending in the US market for its Hyundai and Kia products. It seems to be working for them. One commercial stood out promoting the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The voice over said, "It's not the first hybrid, but it might be yours." So, there are actually other hybrids on the market besides the Prius and you might like the Sonata Hybrid even more, the ad suggests.

Overall, the Oscars were a bit lackluster even with their amusing young co-hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco. "The King's Speech" winning all the major awards took some of the wind out of the sales of the Oscars appealing to younger demographics. Hathaway and Franco could banter and be cute together, but it was still the Oscars, for better or worse.

As for other green moments, two stood out. "Let's Pollute" was nominated for best animated short movie, and "Gasland" for best documentary. "Let's Pollute" offers a satire on old educational student movies instructing people how to be better polluters for a better blighted tomorrow. "Gasland" showed an image of a man nearly burning himself to death turning on his kitchen stove, living right near a shale field where "fracking" is being done for natural gas. Natural gas vehicles are part of a tough climate now with pressure on natural gas safety as fracking grows by leaps and bounds each year.

Plug-in Cruise Ships, Toyota's Own Charger, EV Building Codes, EVs Get Rooted

2011-02-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

Ships go Plug-in: The Port of Los Angeles has installed electric accessory power to supply three separate cruise lines. The port says it is the first worldwide to provide Alternative Maritime Power to three cruise lines. In the last few weeks, ships from Disney Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line have all used AMP Mobile technology, specifically designed for the port’s World Cruise Center. The system allows cruise ships at berth to plug into either 6.6 kilovolts (kV) or 11 kV electrical power distribution systems, instead of running their diesel engines.

Toyota's Very Own EV Charger: Toyota has announced that it will launch its own home electric car charger. While Toyota’s charger will work with non-Toyota cars, this definitely seems like a way for Toyota to sell its chargers to people buying the plug-in Prius. The Japanese manufacturer is hoping to sell 50,000 plug-in Prii (the now official plural of Prius) starting in 2012.

Cleaning Up Building Codes: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory yesterday published case studies of four locations that have crafted plans to encourage drivers to go electric. Rather than financial or technical hurdles, the biggest priority of these cities is updating the permitting process around home and public charging stations. Although it's not necessary, most plug-in electric-car owners are expected to have a dedicated charge port installed at their homes, which will work at 240 volts and cut charge time roughly in half. One of the concerns automakers and potential buyers have is long delays in getting these chargers installed since building codes don't always explicitly address them.One of the concerns automakers and potential buyers have is long delays in getting these chargers installed since building codes don't always explicitly address them.

Green Machines Getting Rooted: The Electric Drive Transportation Association describes itself as "the preeminent trade association representing battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell electric drive vehicles." Not just plug-in electric vehicles, which encompasses pure electric and plug-in hybrid. Hybrid electric vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles are included in the membership, which is very good to hear about. All of these routes are important to green machines taking root in the auto industry.

Econation Takes Chauffeured Transportation Award

2011-02-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

Econation, a Los Angeles-based chauffeured transportation company, is the very first green transportation provider to win one of LCT Magazine's influential Operator of the Year awards. The company's fleet is entirely green - hybrids and alternative fuels - and serves sustainability officers and entertainment industry executives who wish to have this option. Congratulations Econation. Read more here.

Tweeting about Green Machines

2011-02-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

Tweeting has grown in leaps and bounds in recent months, catching up with Facebook in the universe of social media. Twitter has grown so popular that, of all people, Denis Leary (infamous comedian/character/star of "Rescue Me") has a bestselling book taken from his daily tweets, called Suck on This Year: LYFAO @ 140 Characters or Less. Further evidence of Twitter taking over social media for now: will.i.am, one of the two Black Eyed Peas famous lead singers, tweeted during half time at the Super Bowl while he and his band entertained 111 million TV viewers.

Automotive Digest Weekly Green now tweets daily @AutoGreenDig. We invite you to follow, and invite us to do the same. Just like with the Green Machine Digest blog, there's enough happening in green cars and fuels every day to spend time sifting through the news and gossip, and posting social media comments. ADW Green will remain a weekly newsletter for now, and the blogging and tweeting keep it live and fun.

Correct Name for Growing Prius Family

2011-02-22T08:42:00.001-08:00

When you're talking about the growing Prius family -- plans include 7 passenger Prius V and compact Prius C Concept -- don't say Prius, say Prii. Toyota got public feedback on how to pluralize the famous brand name now that there's going to be one version of it. And coming up with this could help the brand marketing as buzz abounds over the new word.

Results were announced at the Chicago Auto Show, and voting was kicked off January 10th at the Detroit Auto Show. It went so well that Dictionary.com added the new word to its Prius listing. So it is now official.

Best and Worst Deals for Pickups at the Gas Pump

2011-02-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

Pickup truck owners tend to be polar opposites to Prius lovers and those drooling over getting their hands on a Leaf or Volt. Truckers love the space, elevation, and utility. You can help your buddy move, throw your handyman belt and tools in the back, let your dogs wag their tongues and look over the sides, tow stuff, and have fun offroad. Now that gas prices are going back up, the fun wares off a bit if you're concerned about pocketbook.

Edmunds addressed the issue with a chart showing cheapest and most expensive monthly gas bills for pickups on the market. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid did the best at $184 per month. The Ford F-150 was the best non-hybrid pickup with monthly fuel costs at $203, and slightly higher if going on E85. A tank of ethanol doesn't take a truck as many miles as a tank of gas -- maybe 75% the distance. The emissions are better but the cost is higher. Most expensive -- Ford F-150 SVT Raptor -- $324 per month -- much higher than its non-SVT Raptor F-150 sibling.

A few thoughts on green fleet management

2011-02-21T15:34:00.000-08:00

From Green Car Congress: "The Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program will provide vouchers on a first-come, first-served basis to help California fleets purchase fuel-efficient hybrid medium- and heavy-duty vehicles... The program is part of the Air Quality Improvement Program established in 2007 to provide funding for advanced technology vehicles and equipment."

Here are a few thoughts:

1. Fleets are very smart to tap into incentive programs. The funding would probably not be there if federal, state, and regional funding weren't sought out, and something this comes from nonprofits and education institutions. Or a collaboration of public/private funding.

2. Air quality management is a very good thing, whether you believe in global warming or climate change, and whether greenhouse gas emissions should be the baseline or something else like nitrogen oxide, air quality will get the public's attention, and that of decision makers.

3. Hybrid technology has an edge over other green vehicle technologies and has been worming its way from the Prius to several fleet applications. Expect more of this to happen.

Surprises Galore from Annual ACEEE Green Book Ratings

2011-02-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

The American Council for Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has been publishing its Green Book ratings for year, so I looked forward to reading their rankings of green cars. The organization uses SAE standards and takes a wide range of pointers into consideration beyond mileage ratings. Surprisingly, the natural gas-powered Honda Civic GX narrowly beat out the Nissan Leaf for No. 1. Even more surprising , the Chevy Volt hit No. 12 on the list, after sweeping a few awards recently like Green Car of the Year from Green Car Journal. A large factor in the rating is the car's weight, and the Volt is a heavy car, sort of a muscle car PEV. They also factored in a ratio of the car typically running 64% of time on electricity and 36% on gasoline, and the gas part of the trip doesn't get great fuel economy.

Roaming in your electric car, fuel cell funding sputters out

2011-02-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

Roam when you want to, roam around the world: According to All Cars Electric, it appears the cell phone roaming concept may be heading towards the world of electric cars, and specifically electric car charging with a new service known as e-clearing.net emerging in Europe. The brainchild of Nokia Siemens and a German public utility group called Smartlab, e-clearing.net will authenticate your data across a charging infrastructure, regardless of whom owns the different infrastructres across a country. It can use data such as your EV charging contract ID, an RFID card number, a PIN or a telephone number. This will take away a lot of the limitations of available charging stations for travelers.

Fuel cell funding dwindles: The Obama administration has proposed to stop funding research on hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. This is not the first time that the US government has proposed cuts into fuel-cell research funds. With this move, the hydrogen fuel-cell market will be lost to strategic competitors in Germany and Japan, according to members of the industrial community.

$290 billion green market: National Marketing Institute says that 83% of consumers representing four generations — Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen Ys, and Gen Zs – are some shade of green. Each in their own way, these generations are quickly transforming what used to be a fringe market to a bona fide $290 billion industry ranging from organic foods to hybrid cars, ecotourism to green home furnishings. It seems like this market took its presence to the next level starting about 10 years ago -- publications like GreenBiz started coming out, as did the Toyota Prius and Honda hybrids, a series of meetings and conferences, and natural food products and retail channels including farmer's markets.

Tesla expects a very good year: According to Automotive News coverage, Tesla Motors Inc. said its revenue this year may rise as much as 50% because of higher demand for its rechargeable vehicles and battery packs. The company released annual results today for the first time since its initial public offering in June, posting revenue of $116.7 million in 2010. Tesla’s forecast for this year exceeded the $152 million average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Tesla is seeking to become the leader in battery-powered cars, aided by supply agreements with Toyota and Daimler. Along with development costs related to the Model S, the company is also readying a former Toyota joint-venture factory in Fremont, Calif., that is to begin making the $57,400 Model S next year. “Until the Model S is available, and sold, in large quantities, there is no real channel of revenue for Tesla,” said Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends at TrueCar.com in Santa Monica, Calif.

Anti-Gore Movie, Pro Clean and Green

2011-02-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

Anti-Gore: A new movie is coming out soon called Carbon Nation, and is positioning itself as an anti-Al Gore climate change movie. The premise is that you don’t have to believe in the science of climate change to watch the movie and want to support clean power and greener transportation, which may be more viable as clean energy and green transportation take root. Perhaps "global warming" and "climate change" are not going to be user-friendly terms to use anymore. The United Nations might have to change its conference name.

Automakers Get Feisty: According to Automotive News... "Auto companies are resurgent financially and attracting support from powerful Republicans in Congress, placing them on firmer ground to challenge moves toward even stricter U.S. fuel-efficiency standards. While the industry touts cleaner burning engines and is more serious about batteries for hybrids and electric plug-ins, car companies are seeking to slow or ease any requirement to nearly double efficiency by 2025 to 60 miles per gallon." Two years ago, automakers were more sweetly reasonable about the goals set by the Obama administration, and which also became more pressing in the European Union. Now, things are changing.

Obama Budget Bummer: The administration's proposed budget will raise the hackles of some in the green/alternative fuels and energy arena. Ironically or not, one of those groups just had its annual convention this week -- National Hydrogen Association, which now goes by the name of Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association. The Obama administration proposed cutting research for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and ending a clean-diesel grant program, while promoting the market for electric cars.

Jets Joining Green Flyers Club, 1 Million EV Club, Fuel Economy Numbers

2011-02-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

B-B-B-B-Bennie and the Green Jets... Jet airlines and fuel suppliers have pressure to go clean and green and that will probably increase as private/small jets grow in volume on a daily basis. BioJet International Ltd. has received a whopping $1.2 billion of financial backing from Equity Partners Fund SPC. The massive amount of capital will allow BioJet, an international supplier of renewable aviation fuels, to fund its biofuel development and launch projects aimed at expanding the use of renewable feedstocks.

Not Joining the 1 Million EV Club: Center for Automotive Research has estimated the national distribution patterns of electric-drive vehicles across the U.S. over the next four years and concluded that 469,000 EVs should be on American roads in 2015. That figure does not include the number of electric-drive vehicles sold before 2012. So, CAR doesn't think President Obama's State of the Union vision that a million electric cars will be on the road by 2015.

Figuring Out Fuel Economy Numbers: And what about new window stickers and EPA mileage ratings on all the brand new green machines coming to dealer lots? According to Denise McCluggage at The Detroit Bureau, "these figures are best considered an index, numbers to be compared with those on the sticker on other cars. You can infer from them a general idea how each vehicle might do in your hands. And under your right foot. And with your traffic and your hills and your climate and your altitude. And attitude."

Kiplinger's car rankings, Leaf buyer rate, Ford educational video, Volt and OnStar

2011-02-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

Green cars did well in Kiplinger's annual rankings (most recent one in 65 years) "One thing we saw a lot of this year, the vehicles that were green … hybrids, diesels, did well in the rankings," said Jessica L. Anderson, an associate editor at Kiplinger's. Kiplinger's tested nearly 1,300 vehicles beginning in October.

Only about 40% of the people who plunked down a $99 deposit to reserve a space in the Leaf queue are actually following up and placing orders with their local Nissan dealers. Not bad - industry watchers says that a 40% fulfillment rate is about right when there is no penalty for canceling a reservation - but it means Nissan likely will build and sell fewer than 10,000 Leafs in the first wave of U.S. sales.

Ford Motor Co. released a three-minute educational video highlighting the company's family of electric-drive vehicles and explaining the differences between hybrid, plug-in-hybrid and battery-electric automobiles. The video does a good job of explaining the differences between Ford's Focus Electric 5-door hatchback, C-Max Hybrid compact MPV, Fusion Hybrid gasoline-electric 4-door sedan, Transit Connect Electric van, and C-Max Energi Plug-in Hybrid 5-passenger compact MPV

Future versions of the Chevy Volt will be outfitted with the new OnStar feature that allows drivers the ability to continually manage their energy usage. Available to owners that opt in is access to current time of use rates that get downloaded into the vehicle's computer. This lets the driver make an informed, possibly money saving, decision when scheduling the Volt's charging time.

Electric Car Insurance Might Be Higher, Lowenthal Changes Jobs

2011-02-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Green car news for the day...

Electric cars are not yet fully known by the insurance industry, causing some potential headaches for first time owners and hiking the price of premiums up above those increases already determined by driver age, location, occupation and miles driven per year, according to AllCarsElectric. A couple of the factors... while electric cars may not have as many components forming the drivetrain and fuel system as gasoline cars, the costs to replace electric drive trains, batteries and motors are more expensive right now. And while many investment firms and institutions have tried to come up with a realistic model for electric car depreciation, no-one can agree on it.

Coulomb Technologies has named longtime digital networking executive Pasquale "Pat" Romano as its new chief executive and president, replacing co-founder Richard Lowenthal. Lowenthal, who helped start the California-based company in 2007, is transitioning into the post of chief technical officer and head of Coulomb's government affairs office as the company makes a transition of its own from entrepreneurial start-up into the growth and marketing development stages.

The new Honda EV Concept electric vehicle will be displayed in Geneva, alongside a platform for mid-size plug-in hybrid vehicles. The concepts will be shown as part of Honda's "Road to Zero Emissions", illustrating the current technology of hybrids alongside the near-future technology of plug-in vehicles and the ultimate goal of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, like Honda's FCX Clarity.

Automotive News reports that production of the first 500 Wheego Whip LiFes is finally underway and the company expects to have them ready for retail sales on March 30th. The company claims 24 dealers have shown interest in selling the LiFe and the automaker's two additional models – a battery-powered pickup truck and a four-door electric crossover – which Wheego's president insists will debut by the end of the year.

Green and clean reportage: News and random thoughts

2011-02-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

According to ExxonMobil, engines adore clean. If 10% of cars on US roads were hybrids, reduced greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to taking five million cars off the roads. And if every car on the road had properly inflated tires, over 700 million gallons of gas would be saved every year. You can also view a version of the story on this website. And if you're just thinking about gasoline, ExxonMobil says it offers quality fuels you can trust. "Engines adore clean" is another oil company marketing campaign in the post-Gulf oil spill environment.

Speaking of green and clean ad campaigns, Chevrolet ran one during the Super Bowl with the slogan, "Chevy Runs Deep." It offers the following pitch: "What do we call eliminating 8 million metric tons of carbon from the air? We call it a start." Chevrolet says buyers will be part of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and tree-planting projects in local communities across America.

Hyundai is opting for transparent CAFE standard reporting. The company says it reached 34.7 mpg in January for its vehicle fleet available in the US, which is close to meeting the federal requirement of 35.5 mpg by the 2016 model year.

AllCarsElectric has new details on Tesla's Model X, scheduled to be launched in 2014. The vehicle is being designed as a sporty crossover about the same size as a compact SUV. Thanks to efficient packaging of its electric drivetrain and batteries, however, the smallish soft-roader is expected to have the interior space of a full-size passenger van.

Green Police a Risky Way to Work and Live

2011-02-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

According to Greenwire... "Yousef Abuteir's wanted poster stands out among the 16 on U.S. EPA's Web page for environmental fugitives -- and not just because it's the most recent addition to the two-year-old list. After a rundown of aliases, a physical description and a brief explanation of how he conspired to dodge federal excise taxes in a diesel fuel scam, there is a line written in bold letters. It reads: 'Abuteir is known to carry a weapon at all times.' The warning serves as a reminder of the risks faced each day by the approximately 200 special agents who work in EPA's Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training (OCEFT). But a more profound testament to the danger EPA's law enforcement officers face is located at the agency's headquarters office in Washington, D.C. That is where OCEFT keeps a plaque that honors the agents who have died while on active duty."

I don't have a paid subscription so I couldn't read the rest, though sometimes their stories also run in NY Times. It does remind me of a commercial for the Audi A3 that ran last year during the Super Bowl where the song "Dream Police" became "Green Police." It depicts an Orwellian future where police bust people for littering and doing other bad things to the environment. Drivers of the Green Car of the Year award winning, fuel efficient A3 would be pardoned by the law. I did see Cheap Trick playing their version of the song recently on "Conan," backed by a symphony. I always digged their music, and seeing them live in 1979/80 stands out vividly in my memory.

Natural Gas Providers Face "Fracking" Big Problem

2011-02-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

Natural gas vehicles are facing a wall to climb -- increased scrutiny from regulators, more neighborhoods being directly exposed to natural gas exploration, and questions arising about the fuel’s global climate benefits, according to New York Times coverage. All that said, it certainly has its advocates -- fleet managers in love with their NGVs, technology suppliers proud of their latest offerings, T. Boone Pickens, Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute, and certain environmentalists who see natural gas a bridge away from gasoline/diesel toward renewables and biofuels.

Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center who has fought for tighter regulation of natural gas drillers, said: “If natural gas is a bridge fuel, how long and wide is that bridge? Right now, the propaganda suggests a wide, long bridge where natural gas is imported, exported, used for transportation fleets, electricity generation, and other purposes for nearly a 100 years.”

There's also a new movie out on the subject. A while back, a filmmaker named Josh Fox was asked to lease his land for “fracking,” or drilling for natural gas. The experience led him to traveling cross country and making an Academy Award nominated movie called "Gasland," about the growing natural gas drilling boom in the US, and the environmental and safety pressures connected with it. One incident covered in the movie shows a Pennsylvania town close to drilling fields where residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. A lot is going on behind the scenes as this country becomes known as Gasland, according to the filmmaker.

Launching Think City in America Has Been a Very Tough Prospect, Indeed

2011-02-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

Think has had a tough time getting started in the US market, and it's not getting any easier. The latest development has been a recall of the long-awaited City electric car by NHTSA. Reflecting Think's low production rate, only 39 vehicles are involved in the pair of safety recalls. Sixteen cars may have a driver's-side seat belt installed on the passenger side, meaning it's missing a tensioner needed to retain a child seat properly if one is installed.

According to coverage, another 23 Think City models may have inadequate defroster systems that fail to clear the inside of the windshield adequately, which could impede the driver's vision in cold or humid weather. The defroster is powered by a separate liquid heating circuit that may not function properly. So, getting electric cars to the mass market may take longer than anticipated.http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1054577_even-electric-cars-get-recalled-2011-think-city-safety-notices

What’s Likely to Happen the Day After Tomorrow?

2011-01-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I watched a movie on DVD – “The Day After Tomorrow,” released in 2004 and starring Dennis Quaid as a government scientist who sees that the earth is heading fast toward eco-catastrophe, and Jake Gyllenhaal as his college student son stuck in a New York city library with friends, as the city freezes over. The premise of the story is that global warming is upon us, but it’s going to happen through abrupt climate change where the world’s northern hemisphere at first freezes over and enters a new ice age.

As the blizzard wipes out the northern hemisphere, Americans have to beg for access to Mexico and ironically go south of the border. The president freezes to death and a conservative vice president takes over, goes on TV at the end of the movie, and admits he should have been supportive of natural resources and could be partially to blame for this nightmare occurring. Scientist Quaid gives a presentation earlier in the movie about global warming happening, but that it will also trigger a new ice age where people will freeze to death if outdoors. He takes on the cause of going to New York City and saving his son, making up for abandoning him earlier.

So the movie boils down to two things – a 1970s style disaster epic in the family of “Earthquake,” and “The Poseidon Adventure,” and it becomes a father/son bonding flick. Throw in the cute girlfriend that Jake wins over in the library, and you get the idea.

I don’t think it was really about public education on global warming, and what needs to be done about it. It is very interesting that the movie came out in 2004, two years ahead of “An Inconvenient Truth,” with Al Gore, which is given credit for raising awareness of global warming and environmental catastrophe and helping the sustainability, clean tech, and green car sectors move forward. So obviously, the topic was hot enough (or cold enough) to allow for funding and distribution of a global warming survival flick seven years ago.

On the subject, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change had a few things to say about the movie and didn't think it was a realistic forecast. They had this to say...

If “The Day After Tomorrow” is fiction, what is the truth about global warming?
The truth is that global warming is happening and that it is already too late to avoid some of the effects. Even under the most optimistic circumstances, atmospheric scientists expect global climate change to result in increased flooding and droughts, more severe storms, and a loss of plant and animal species. These events will occur, even if climate change is gradual.

What can be done about global climate change?
There is no single cause of global climate change and there is no single answer. Most experts believe that technology will provide the solutions. Technologies that reduce emissions (energy efficiency, hydrogen fuels, carbon storage, nuclear energy, and renewable energy) and technologies that remove carbon from the atmosphere may all play a role. Government policies that encourage businesses to develop and use these and other technologies are also very important. Many states and businesses have already found they can reduce emissions while saving money.

Does Jimmy Klein Really Exist?

2011-01-27T14:55:00.000-08:00

Just posted a TV news video on Jimmy Klein in ADW Green. The odd thing is that I can't find anything more about this guy, and whether his water-fueled converted car really did get taken up in Washington DC and by an interested automaker. One story says that his name is actually Denny Klein, and perhaps they're correct. A blog entry says that he died.

So which one is accurate? If you know, let me know. But watch the video in ADW Green - it's good stuff in the American tradition of inventors of light bulbs and all sorts of cool stuff.

Clean Instead of Green

2011-01-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

During his State of the Union speech, President Obama made statements about clean energy technology that he believes should be enhanced to free our dependence on oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He wants to see an end to tax breaks for oil and gas, and have those funds go instead to renewable energy. Research and incentives should go to biofuels, and will help put a million electric vehicles on American roads by 2015. Obama would also like to see Congress pass a mandate that would require 80% of the country's electricity to come from clean energy sources by 2035 - this would include renewables (such as solar and wind), nuclear, clean coal, and natural gas.

I do see the word "clean" being used a lot these days, even more so than "green." Here's my thoughts on the subject of why it's becoming a popular word (so popular it's being used in company names, government policies, and marketing materials).

1. Clean sounds better than green. Green can be directly connected to environmental activism and causes, and some people just don't want to go there. As Kermit the frog and Ray Charles would say, it ain't easy being green.

2. Cleaning up messes is a good thing. As things changed drastically over the past 100 years, America became a bit of a cesspool right along with many positive changes. If you think about the public information TV commercial from the early 1970s where the Native American chief cries after seeing all the piled up trash, thick smog, and filthy lakes and rivers, you'll see recognition of the troubling dilemma of creating the most powerful economy in the world and its dirty byproducts. So cleaning up messes is a good thing, whether they come from coal powered energy plants or smog spewing cars.

3. Clean is high tech. Most of the time, I see references to "clean" tied to the words "tech" or "technology." I think that's one of the factors that gets a lot of people excited about "clean" (and somewhat to "green"). It does require a lot of advanced technology innovations to make energy efficient and clean, to develop biofuels that work well without causing layers of problems, and producing effective, workable, long-range electric vehicles. It's very similar to the American dream that was realized when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969.

Mazda, Fisker & Coda EV Updates

2011-01-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

Mazda Motor said that it is developing an electric vehicle with plans to begin leasing in Japan in spring 2012.

The vehicle, based on Mazda's Demio subcompact, is expected to have a driving range of 124 miles and will be leased mainly to local government bodies and fleet customers.

Fisker Automotive says production of the Karma extended-range plug-in hybrid will begin in March. Fisker previously set and abandoned several other production start goals over the past year, so this is good news.

Production should ramp up in the summer months and the company aims to have all initial deposit holders into their cars by the end of the 2011 model year. The Karma will have a base price of $95,900 - up from the previously announced $87,900.

Coda Automotive has hired Philip Murtagh, former chairman of GM's Chinese operation, as its new chief executive. Acting CEO and co-chairman Mac Heller will remain as Coda's chairman and company founder and co-chairman Miles Rubin moves into the new post of chairman emeritus.

Coda, which builds its batteries and assembles its car in China before merging the two at a facility in the US, can only benefit from its new chief executive's experience.

Honda Extends Carbon Reduction to All Suppliers

2011-01-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

In a move similar to what Ford Motor Co. did not long ago, Honda is changing its supply chain structure to further reduce its carbon footprint. It's not brand new for the Japanese automaker, but it expands the guidelines outside that country and to all of its supply chain partners.

According to coverage, the manufacturer’s old guidelines, written in 2001, called for managing the CO2 footprint of its production processes, managing the use of chemical substances, and introducing environmental management meeting the ISO14001 standard. Now Honda has added to that list the improvement of product fuel efficiency and managing greenhouse gas emissions in all areas of corporate activities. The company is expanding its environmental purchasing guidelines to cover all its suppliers around the world.

“With the new guidelines, Honda will strive to better track and reduce the environmental footprint of Honda products throughout the supply chain beyond primary suppliers,” the company said.

Along with Ford's supply chain decision, announcements are being made regularly by automakers in Europe and Asia about greening supply chain logistics, and GM and Chrysler are catching up. Not necessarily with suppliers, but something the process is expanding beyond building and marketing plug-in, hybrid, and alternative fuel vehicles to include how the cars are constructed and what goes into them.

Science Guys Debate Whether There is Hope Now for Electric Cars

2011-01-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple letters to the editor from two sources – one an engineer with years of experience in the aerospace and satellite sector, and another with years spent in the world of biochemistry. Their opinions (especially those of the anonymous engineer) at first activated a dark, ominous, inner voice that told me such things as, “We’re all doomed!” However, it is important to explore all of these issues and concerns, especially from people with the capability of gauging and examining the technical/scientific side of the journey, which does not include me. I can learn more and translate such concepts into everyday language, but that does not make it easy. So thanks to Anonymous Engineer and Khanh Nguyen for contributing.

Electric cars are not green unless they are charged with local solar or wind sourced electrons. It is true they do not spew CO2 locally, but it is being spewed at the electric plant – polluting a lower income person's air who has to live by a power plant, rather than the rich person who can afford an electric car in the hilly suburbs.

To exacerbate the carbon, when transmitting the power over power lines... there is loss (it’s a physics thing), so you actually need to burn more fuel in a power plant to power an electric car than the car itself would burn.

If an electric car driver plugs his car into his house plug and does not have solar panels on his roof, he is 90% likely to being dark brown, rather than green.

As of two years ago, it took more energy (from what source?) to manufacture a solar cell than it can produce in its life. Not to mention the toxic waste residual to the manufacturing process.

Which means for now solar energy is not green.

Solar energy can be converted to electricity without solar cells. The large reflector plant built by ARCO in the ‘80s out near Dagget is an example we need to be motivated to do that type of plant, and spend more on research.

Someone should bother to develop a solar cell that puts out more power than it takes to manufacture.

There is stuff to do... we may not be able to get everyone renewable, but I don't want people buying a Volt when it is a fallacy.

Anonymous Engineer

And a second letter to the editor…

Are the electric cars even carbon and energy neutral? That is, if combustion efficiencies and carbon emissions are better controlled in a large electricity generating plant than on individual combustion engines, and if transmission loss is minimized to the point where the overall result would be neutral - lots of technological advances here. Of course, neutrality is only a break-even point; the idea is to lessen impacts on the planet. What would be the answers to these queries? I see a mutually beneficial study for an environmental group and the oil industry here.

Khanh Nguyen, Biochemist

The Latest in Random Thoughts on Electric Vehicles

2011-01-18T17:03:00.000-08:00

Electric cars are a big part of the Detroit auto show this year, as they were at LA Auto Show. Plugs, cords and charging units meant to replenish batteries of plug-in vehicles are prominent among displays at the Cobo Center. Big topics for journalists during press preview days last week: recharge times and crash safety of electric vehicles…

Small EV companies are now at a critical juncture where the central question is not whether their technology works but whether they can become real car companies. The huge challenge is in the complexities of purchasing, manufacturing, safety standards, warranty costs, marketing and establishing a retail network to handle sales, parts and service. The ability to master this stuff – the business part of the car business, as opposed to the car part – will be the big test for small companies. According to Automotive News’ Dave Guilford...

Renault last week suspended three executives and accused a foreign private company of industrial espionage in an official filing that set the wheels in motion for a judicial investigation, according to Automotive News. Renault did not name any alleged foreign perps in the case that could involve stealing the French carmaker's electric vehicle technology. This makes me wonder if these shenanigans will affect the US market and its partner company Nissan. Renault and Nissan are sharing technology – it could affect the Leaf electric car.

Generation Y Car Buyers

2011-01-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

I participated in a media interview today, answering questions about young people aged 19 to 35 and their likelihood of buying less cars. I mentioned the Deloitte study that just came out during the Detroit auto show about Gen Y, ages 19 to 31, making up 40% of car shoppers with utmost concerns about tech toys like connectivity and apps in their cars, and that they're also concerned about good customer service from dealers.

Gen Yers will probably buy less cars than baby boomer parents/grandparents, and they do have some concerns about air pollution, traffic, and cost of ownership. For now, they're less excited about cars than boomers, but that could change after the recession lifts. They will most likely be interested in fuel efficient, high performance, cool, tech gadgeted machines that offer manageable monthly payments. Some will be hot for the Tesla Roadster and other race cars, but most will be concerned about affording their future. And as gas prices go up again, this offers another angle for marketing green cars.

Henry Ford’s Ghost Behind the Wheel

2011-01-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

Ford Motor Co. is now doing what great grandfather Henry Ford did with the Model T – reshaping the auto industry, according to great grandson Bill Ford, executive chairman at Ford. Ford unveiled three new hybrid and electric vehicles at the Detroit auto show as part of its plan to provide more choices for fuel efficient transportation than any other manufacturer, as well as a seven-passenger small minivan called the Ford C-Max, according to Detroit Free Press.

The Ford executive team has been making bold statements about the company being ever bolder than any carmaker on the planet as the industry digs out of its post-Great Depression, Jr. era and faces steep fuel economy and emissions standards. Here’s a taste of what Ford is bragging about and displaying at the North American International Auto Show:

Ford C-Max Hybrid And C-Max Energi

Ford will build two five-passenger hybrid versions of its C-Max compact minivan: a conventional hybrid and a plug-in hybrid called the Energi. Both will feature a gasoline engine, electric motor and lithium-ion batteries and are expected to go on sale in 2012.

Ford Focus Electric - Electric Compact Hatchback

The Focus Electric is Ford’s first battery-powered car for consumers. Ford says its electric Focus will cover up to 100 miles on a full charge — and recharge in about half the time of the Nissan Leaf.

Ford C-Max - Compact Seven-Seat Minivan

The Ford C-Max is a compact, seven-seat minivan. It is about the size of the 1984 Plymouth Voyager that gave birth to the minivan craze. Ford’s new C-Max minivan aims to offer young parents a well-equipped, fuel-efficient family hauler for around $25,000.

2012 Ford Focus And Focus ST -- Compact Sedan And Hatchback

The sleek and technically advanced Focus will bring an unprecedented range of features to mainstream compact cars when it goes on sale this year. In addition to a sleek new look and European ride and handling, the Focus can count on an EPA rating of 40 m.p.g. on the highway, thanks to the 160-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine’s direct fuel-injection and variable valve timing.

Daimler Betting on E-Cell and F-Cell Expensive Cars

2011-01-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

According to the New York Times, Mercedes Benz is hedging its bets with expensive electric and a fuel cell cars. The SLS AMG E-Cell all-electric version of its $185,000 supercar is to go on sale in 2013.

This high-voltage coupe can produce 525 horsepower and 649 pound-feet of torque.

Also rolling onto the stage at the Mercedes press event was the F-Cell, a hydrogen fuel-cell version of the B-Class. This was on display at the LA Auto Show, too and began sales in the state to a limited market. Daimler wants to see how much interest there is, which would make it worth the investment to ramp up the volume.

It was very interesting to see how much Daimler and BMW have been focusing on green cars fairly recently. This comes a lot from strict regs in the EU and US. Whatever the cause, they've added it to their game plans.

Would You Buy a Fuel Cell Version of the Prius?

2011-01-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

According to industry coverage, Toyota is unveiling the Prius V, a wagon-type model larger than the current version, at the North American International Auto Show. This, plus a concept version of what the 4th version of the classic Prius might look like.

All of this, and the plug-in version of the Prius is now being tested at universities, government fleets, and other limited markets for awhile until all kinks are worked out and it's ready for mass market.

This makes me think of the mysterious Toyota fuel cell car that's supposed to come out in five years. Perhaps that will be a fuel cell edition of the Prius? That's what I would do if I were a decision maker at Toyota. The company is counting on the Prius brand being considered the greenest of the green cars, and will be offering several different versions of the Prius, as if it's becoming its very own brand almost separate and distinct from Toyota - similar to Toyota's Scion and Lexus brands.

ADW Green Changing Format Soon - Intermediary Between Green Car Sellers and Buyers

2011-01-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

With the dawning of the new year, ADW Green has been working on changes to its editorial structure, to be made in the next month or so. What you can expect to see is more focus on the issues, news, and concerns of those bringing green machines to the buying public – both retail and fleet. If you’re marketing and selling plug-in electric vehicles, hybrids, fuel cell vehicles, flexible fuel vehicles, natural gas and propane powered vehicles, clean diesel, and highly fuel efficient vehicles, questions come up that must be answered. Such as: How exactly does the $7,500 federal tax credit apply to me? Do I get a rebate check from the IRS? If the home charging station costs $2,500, is this amount included in my total purchase price and monthly payments? How many natural gas or ethanol/biodiesel filling stations can I expect to see in my neighborhood soon? A lot of questions to answer, and much for ADW Green to cover. Looking forward to it. And let me know if you have any questions, comments, or ideas to contribute - jon@automotivedigest.com.

Airplane Airpollution

2011-01-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

Australian airliner Qantas has a joint venture with a company called Solena that will convert commercial waste to biofuel to reduce the airliner's carbon footprint. A similar plant being built with British Airways in London, due to come on line in 2014, will convert up to 500,000 tons of waste a year into 73 million liters of green jet fuel, according to Wall Street Journal. The Qantas plant will use scraps and other household material such as grass and tree cuttings and agricultural and industrial waste as a feedstock for the fuel.

This is great, however there's a market trend that will factor into air traffic air pollution - and safety. Private jets are growing by leaps and bounds, some of them quite small and hard to notice. They're also producing more carbon emissions and can take away some of the benefits that the airline industry is gaining through its Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group. It's something to think about and watch for.

Climate Change Could Be Like Health Crisis

2010-12-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

For those of us living in Southern California and used to having sunny days and pleasant weather, the past week-and-a-half has sucked. It rained, and then it rained, and then it rained, seeming like it would never stop. The expected landslides and washouts happened with road closings, traffic accidents, and bouts of depression. It felt more like being in the Pacific Northwest than in El Lay. If you're watching national weather reports, this seems to be part of a bigger picture - weather cycles are out of the norm and causing severe consequences.

Al Gore might be right about greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and climate change. The main point of the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" was not really about hot weather being the norm (if you're confused by the term "global warming") - as the earth's climate warms and transforms, the usual weather cycles are thrown off kilter and Mother Nature is throwing tantrums - sometimes freezing cold and later hot as hell producing catastrophes. That started being more clear in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina, and since then, many hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, and snowstorms have been experienced. As ice caps melt and storms wash across the planet, flooding will become the biggest problem, and this wreaks much havoc. It ain't easy seeing your house float away.

Some would say that weather patterns are changing, but that's normal in the history of this planet, and there's nothing we can do about it. I would say, what if you're wrong? I would say, let's see what we can do about it. It reminds me of going through my own health crisis with encephalitis, and having people in my life dealing with cancer and other fatal conditions. We all had decisions to make about how much we were committed to getting well. That means making changes in nutrition, exercise, medical care, testing, and trying out alternative methods such as acupuncture, herbs, and yoga. If we're stewards on this planet being held accountable by Mother Nature, perhaps it would be most wise and responsible to do all we can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, embrace green machines and clean technology, and environmentally sound practices.

Top Green Car Happenings of 2010

2010-12-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

I did put together top story/trend coverage for 2010 in Automotive Digest Weekly Green, but did not rank the stories in order. So here's my ranking of the events this year:

1. Gulf oil spill - that went on for quite awhile and wreaked havoc, much like the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. It reinforced the freedom from oil addiction America needs to work on.

2. Delivery of Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt to first buyers, before the year ended. They did what they said they were going to do.

3. EPA strict standards for corporate average fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for light duty vehicles, and then later in the year for heavy duty vehicles. There's a lot to it, and vehicles will become more expensive, efficient, and clean. And smaller and lighter.

4. Governments around the world are offering incentives and mandating adoption of higher mileage and lower emissions vehicles. This has been happening in Europe and Asia. It was fairly surprising to see how much is happening in China.

5. Tesla Motors had a very big year - NUMMI plant, going public, and having companies like Toyota partner to use its EV drivetrain technology.

6. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles got a shot in the arm with announcements from Toyota, Hyundai, and Mercedes Benz on fuel cell cars coming to market.

7. Natural gas vehicles are growing in popularity with fleets and there may be more heavy trucks on the road using this fuel. T. Boone Pickens was able to convince Senate Majority Leader on a $5 billion bill to convert heavy-duty trucks and buses to run on natural gas. It will have to be reintroduced in the senate, but is likely to pass next year.

8. Automakers started going green - Ford especially, with its sustainability officer, building cars with more recycled materials, and winning a Nielsen award on green marketing at the LA Auto Show. General Motors has been doing a lot in arena, too, as have many other OEMs. Fisker Automotive has been tying this theme closely to its marketing campaign for the upcoming Karma.

9. Electric vehicle product announcements were stunning, and eventually numbing. The number of announcements of all-new cars, or electric versions of existing models, was enormous. Some of it is fairly far into the future, or at least a few model years from now. But it was way more than I originally anticipated.

10. Electric vehicle industry coalitions were plentiful and ambitious as well - GoEletricDrive.com from Electric Drive Transportation Association, California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative, and Electrification Coalition are all worth learning more about as charging stations make their way across the country, and need as much support as possible in doing so.

Number 11 would deal with Renewable Fuel Standards that came out this year and will have much impact on what happens next with biofuel - ethanol, biodiesel, and advanced biofuels (such as cellulosic and algae). Very much connected to this is the decision by the EPA to increase ethanol's level in gasoline sold across the country to E15 for 2007 model or later vehicles. There are lawsuits and debates going on for both of these issues, and they will be getting sorted out next year and beyond.

Home Installation Tax Credit a Head Scratcher

2010-12-21T16:19:00.000-08:00

Congress just decided to cut the tax credit for electric vehicle chargers from 50% to 30%, which goes from $2,000 to a maximum of $1,000. Home charging installations are costing people about $1,500 to $3,000. The tax cut means more comes out of pocket for the acquisition cost.

I still want to find out how this will be worked out with the car purchase. If I buy a Nissan Leaf for about $32,800 and need to invest $2,500 for a home charger to be bought and installed in my garage, how does that play out int the loan? Let's say the federal tax incentive brings the charger cost down to $1,500. I would imagine I still need to pay $2,500 and get the $1,000 back as a tax incentive. But might it be included in the purchase price, such as the loan would cover the car and the home installation, and would the tax incentive affect the deal?

Lots of questions I still need to get answered.

Car Sharing Cool Enough to Go Public

2010-12-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

Car sharing is popular in Europe, but not in America. It does tend to violate our "constitutional right" to own our very own car, and just jump behind the driver's seat and do whatever we want (though you can get more tickets for things like cell phone talking than you used to). My prediction is that more gridlocked traffic jams and pollution will make Americans sweetly reasonable about solutions to the problem -- and it will affect elections and consumer choices.

Zipcar is the closest thing we have in this country to a successful car sharing business. Others are getting in the act (i.e, car rental), but it's a still a long way off from reaching a significant level. It is becoming substantial enough to inspire an IPO for Zipcar, though.

According to Automotive News, Zipcar is moving forward with an initial public offering worth as much as $75 million. In June, the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to become publicly traded. Zipcar declined to comment on timing of the IPO. Since 2000, it has grown into a fleet of more than 8,000 cars in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, London, and Toronto. Today the company boasts 500,000 car-sharing members.

Moving Beyond Early Adopters

2010-12-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

To go beyond early adopters sold on the environmental benefits of EVs, automakers will have to shift their marketing emphasis to dollars-and-cents pragmatism, experts say and Automotive News covers. Lower operating costs for both fuel and maintenance will be a key selling point. Speaking at the recent "Business of Plugging In" conference in Detroit, Consultant John Formisano, who retired this year as vice president for global vehicles at Federal Express, said EV makers have a good argument to make. Based on his experience running a fleet of EVs, Formisano estimates that long-term operating costs are around 70% less than for a vehicle with a conventional gasoline engine. That could help persuade consumers to shell out the higher purchase price for an EV.

Consumers looking for a good deal will be a big part of meeting ambitious goals automakers have for selling EVs. They will have to address the issue of consumers having charging stations installed in their garages for $1,500 to $3,000. They can get the federal incentive for a 50% cost reduction, but they still have to take into consideration the time and money involved in making this happen.

Questions About Toyota Technology

2010-12-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

According to Green Car Advisor: "Toyota appears to be making good on its promise, delivered at the Los Angeles Auto Show last month, to develop solid-state battery technology for electric-drive vehicles. Successful development of such batteries would be a big deal as they can store more energy - for longer range between charges - and cost much less to produce than the lithium-ion batteries now considered state-of-the-art.... Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. President and CEO Jim Lentz said at the L.A. Auto Show that, in addition to an accelerated roll-out schedule for more conventional hybrids and the Prius plug-in hybrid electric, the company was working on solid-state battery advancements. The technology's in its infancy, though, and commercial production is still considered to be years away."

I've always wondered why Toyota has been resisting lithium ion batteries and staying with nickel metal hydrides for so long. And this delves into more questions I have: Why no pure electric vehicles in the product pipleline except for the RAV4 with Tesla? Why is the Prius Plug-in taking so long to come to market, and why does it only go 12 miles on battery alone?

Toyota takes its time adapting toward new technology and away from the habits under the hood of the award winning Prius. I do think that when Toyota brings solid-state battery technology to the market, it will be well made. And it probably helps explain why Toyota made the deal with Tesla Motors to build the RAV4 electric version together using the Tesla technology instead of doing it on their own. Doing it their own way is the normal Toyota modus operandi, so things are changing.

Rental Fleets Big Part of Green Machine Future

2010-12-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

Two things to notice:

1. Want to see if you can live with an electric vehicle? Your first step may be to check the fleet at your local Hertz rental office, says The Detroit Bureau.. The nation’s largest daily rental company is charging into the emerging battery car market, and plans to add the new Smart Electric Drive model to its fleet, starting next week.

2. Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine selected Ryder as a recipient for its 2010 Green Supply Chain Award. Ryder was chosen as a provider of logistics solutions that is assisting its customers in achieving measurable sustainability goals.

Hertz goes neck-to-neck competing with Enterprise for the dominant global role in car rental. Ryder has fought it out with U-Haul for consumer truck rental, but has grown even more so in logistics transport. As mentioned before, fleets have become surprising early adopters for green machines and sustainability initiatives, and it keeps growing. Expect to see more announcements.

A Great Year for Lord Drayson, Green Racer

2010-12-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

For Paul Drayson, a recent Minister for Science and Innovation in the UK government, this has been a big year. Besides his day job, Lord Drayson has been a successful race car driver for many years. Drayson Racing's ambition to be the world's leading green technology racing team made big steps towards that goal in 2010. The cornerstone of the Le Mans Prototype One effort was the American Le Mans Series' (ALMS) nine-race calendar, but the team added the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) events in Europe and Asia as well.

Drayson Racing won its third Michelin Green X Challenge victory in the ALMS. Drayson and racer Jonny Cocker put in extra hours behind the wheel once the E85 bio-ethanol car was damaged the night before in a practice run and the third driver wasn't cleared by medical officials. Drayson Racing used an innovative flex-fueled, Lola Coupé with Judd V10 Power capable of running on both second-generation, cellulosic E85 bio-ethanol and E10. In doing so, the privately-held operation proved sustainable motoring can compete head-to-head with traditional automotive technologies and win. We were fortunate to interview Drayson at the Long Beach Grand Prix's Race for the Green conference earlier this year. There's a lot of green technology innovation being tested out in the American Le Mans Series, and Drayson Racing is doing what Lord Drayson said they would do.

Smog or Greenhouse Gas Debate - What Difference Does it Make?

2010-11-30T17:11:00.000-08:00

According to Greenwire... EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said that her 40-year-old agency is battling a new problem: Americans are taking a healthy environment for granted. When EPA was created in 1970, Cleveland's Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it caught fire. Pittsburgh and Los Angeles were choking on smog on a daily basis. And the widespread use of DDT and other toxic chemicals was killing off bald eagles -- the very symbol of the United States. The nation's rivers aren't burning anymore, Jackson said. The air is clean enough that many people don't notice it. Struggling species have rebounded. But because younger people have no memories of those days, they might not realize why the agency was created in the first place, she said.

This got me thinking and ended up as part of my Letter from the Editor...

In the recently released Kelley Blue Book survey study on consumer’s lack of interest in buying electric vehicles, one particular response caught my eye. For those interested in alternative vehicle technology, 83% cited reduction in pollution, and 83% checked reduction in vehicle emissions as primary reasons. So what’s the difference between the two? To me, a simple definition would be: pollution = smog from the tailpipe; vehicle emissions = greenhouse gas or CO2 emissions (global warming). There’s a difference between the two.

There’s always debate about whether global warming and climate change are for real, and whether humanity could do anything to positively affect climate patterns. Whether or not that question can be answered, I do believe that air pollution is the core reason for bringing advanced clean technology to the auto industry. I’m reminded of being eight years old and going to the LA Zoo on a grammar school field trip when the smog was so thick, my eyes watered and my throat grew sore and thick. Today, even though there are more vehicles on LA freeways, the air pollution has been dramatically reduced and air quality improved. I’m all for that happening around the world and look forward to seeing green machines become a valid option for car shoppers.

Automotive News Tracks Greenage in OEMs, Supplers, and Dealer Networks

2010-11-29T13:47:00.000-08:00

Automotive Digest is a good publication to read while covering the auto business, perhaps you can call it the car business bible. There are other pubs to follow, such as The Detroit Bureau, but AN goes more in depth with automaking and its supplier chain and dealer networks than anything else you can find. As for green machines, here's a few tidbits from the weekly edition:

In addition to electrifying half of its own fleet by 2015, General Electric plans to open two experience centers where fleet operators can learn about switching to electric vehicles. Deb Frodl, chief strategy officer at GE Capital Fleet Services, said educating fleet customers will help GE shape the future.

At the experience centers, potential customers of commercial fleet vehicles will be able to test-drive electric vehicles, use GE equipment and meet with representatives from automakers and battery manufacturers. The first center will open in Eden Prairie, Minn., near the headquarters of GE Capital Fleet Services, by the end of March 2011. The other will open soon after that in suburban Detroit as part of a new technology center that GE announced last year.

Entrepreneurs and established companies are using a range of resources to create a new industry: plug-in charging stations. They are selling the stations to go along with new plug-in EVs hitting the roads. Jim Blain, CEO of the suburban Detroit architectural firm James Blain & Associates Inc., saw opportunity last year when one of his tenants voiced an interest in buying a Chevrolet Volt. Blain created PEP Stations soon afterward to design a charging station ahead of the release of the plug-in hybrid Volt and electric Nissan Leaf sedans.

Shocking Solutions, another suburban Detroit company, signed a deal to distribute charging stations in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio manufactured by Coulomb Technologies Inc., of Campbell, Calif. Another company jumping into the EV market is SPX Corp., traditionally a supplier of special tools and diagnostic gear. Its SPX Service Solutions unit has struck a deal with GM to supply and install 220-volt chargers for the Volt. For $490 and a home installation fee of about $1,400, Volt owners can charge their car at home in four hours.

Wheego Electric Cars Inc. says it will begin selling its two-passenger LiFe across the United States in mid-December, although it doesn't have the EPA certification needed to begin. "We're confident that we'll have it in time," said Mike McQuary, CEO of the Atlanta startup. "The U.S. government is committed to encouraging EV use."

EPA emission certification is largely a formality since battery-powered vehicles have no emissions. But the agency's formal approval has kept other would-be U.S. automakers waiting in the past.

McQuary said Wheego has 22 dealers standing by. And he said Wheego will sell and deliver cars in any U.S. market that is not represented by a dealer once sales begin. McQuary said the company plans to offer a five-passenger car in the fourth quarter of 2011 and a compact pickup based on that car in early 2012.

Comparing Prius to Leaf and Volt Dollar for Dollar

2010-11-24T16:33:00.000-08:00

For years, the Toyota Prius has been topping the EPA mileage rating chart, most recently coming in at 50 mpg combined, with 51 in the city and 48 on the highway. (Perhaps this is true of the new 2010 Prius. My experience driving a 2006 Prius has seen a combined score more in the 47 to 48 range, which has involved much freeway driving.) Anyways, the Prius has been beaten by the Nissan Leaf getting an equivalent rating of 99 mpg. And the Chevy Volt was just announced -- 60 mpg "composite."

Here's the basic numbers on all three of these models:

Base MSRP Tax Incentive EPA Mileage Rating
2011 Nissan Leaf $32,780 $7,500 99

2011 Chevy Volt $41,000 $7,500 60

2010 Toyota Prius $21,400 0 50

So the dollar for dollar comparison looks like the Leaf competes most directly with the Prius, even though the incentive has expired on the Prius.

Stay Tuned for More Bad News on Oil Spill

2010-11-23T16:55:00.000-08:00

According to Climatewire:

The companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill made several risky decisions to save time -- and consequently money -- ahead of the disaster, according to a document that was pulled at the last minute from a presentation of the president's oil spill commission earlier this month. The document obtained by Greenwire shows BP PLC, Halliburton Co. and Transocean Ltd. made a series of 11 unnecessary decisions that may have increased the chances of disaster. The findings paint a harsher picture than statements made by the panel's chief counsel during a recent presentation that workers onshore and on the drilling rig didn't cut corners on safety to save money. And it may be a harbinger of stronger findings in the panel's final conclusions due out in January.

This is being investigated by an Obama administration task force panel, which reminds me of the recent auto industry task force overseeing the GM and Chrysler bankruptcy bailouts. The White House and Congress don't possess ultimate authority over the economy or any megacompany like BP, not nearly as much as they used to. There are other power forces lurking such as banks in China and other parts of Asia that have a lot of investment/ownership in our federal deficit.

Still, BP's Gulf spill and its aftermath is the Rubik's Cube for gaining some control over the world's largest industry, oil. Their competitors are being very cautious and have been launching marketing campaigns with references to being responsible for the planet and being more than just oil companies.

Corn a Good Business to Be In

2010-11-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

While following coverage of green regulatory decisions, two stood out:

1. Obama administration decision to put off E15 decision about adding 2001 to 2006 model year vehicles until later. E10 has been the standard across the country for years, and now that's moved up to 15% ethanol - E15 - on model year 2007 and newer vehicles. At first, the administration rejected anything older than 2007, but has recanted that move and is taking more time to decide. More vehicle tests need to be done, the EPA says.

2. California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a resolution saying recent research had spurred a downward revision in estimated greenhouse gas emissions caused by changing land uses to plant more corn. With new rules for transportation fuel emissions scheduled to come into effect in less than two months, California regulators moved to revise their treatment of corn ethanol from being worse than gasoline to better, according to Greenwire.

If you're growing, processing, transporting, and selling corn, you're in a really good business these days. Every time someone pumps gas into the car, more corn is sold and that volume will probably be increasing. And if CARB says that corn ethanol has its benefits, that will open more doors.

Corn ethanol is transitional - corn and sugar cane ethanol are widely used in the US and Brazil, but they have their downsides for impact on the environment and raising animosity with industry groups that believe ethanol is creating unstable market prices that raise hackles for shoppers, sometimes causing riots around the world. The evidence of corn ethanol wreaking havoc on stores and prices is iffy, but its negative impact on the environment is more accurate. Yet until really good stuff comes on the market in advanced biofuels, we're stuck with corn ethanol.

An Exhausting Day at LA Auto Show

2010-11-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

A fellow green car editor told me yesterday he was burned out after spending a day at the LA Auto Show. I asked him if it was about walking around the large complex nonstop, and for him it was about being overwhelmed by all the information. The LA Auto Show has become the leading auto show ever since moving from January to November - many launches with a lot of emphasis on green cars this year. The show was exciting and draining - there was so much going on it was hard to take it all in on one day. It would have been more like going to Disney World or Smithsonian Institute - it could have been done over several days.

Much to take in with all sorts of new car launches, the Green Car of the Year awards show, the ride and drive, and massive automaker displays. I got a kick out of Ford's exhibit area with the EcoBoost robots performing together. The Yokohama Tires ecowall was pretty cool to look at.

I had a great interview with Electric Drive Transportation Association and Southern California Edison about an educational website called GoElectricDrive.com, and had some suggestions for additional information they should add to educate consumers (and utilities, OEMs, dealers, tech suppliers, etc.) about electric vehicles and charging. They're taking it into consideration.

2 Stand Out Scenarios with CODA Sedan

2010-11-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

Things are stretching out even more for the CODA sedan - it will be rolling off manufacturing lines in Q2 2011, a year later than originally planned. If you're in a small start-up electric car company, I'm sure that CODA's backsliding would make you nervous. There are two aspects of the situation that stand out:

1. The price is fairly high - about $44,000 retail versus a bit under $33,000 for the Nissan Leaf and Wheego LiFE. Why would you paying $11,000 more for a brand new car from a brand new company when you have no idea what the resale value will be, quality and reliability, etc.

2. The production is dragged out and questionable. It's typical for a new car to take about three years from concept design to showroom floor traffic, and sometimes even longer - the Japanese makers have been known for keeping it tight and the Detroit 3 have dragged it out in past years. Still when the product launch is announced, then delayed, then delayed again, it ain't lookin' good.

Carbon Credits Could be Viable Lobbying Option in Washington

2010-11-16T17:59:00.000-08:00

An Electrification Coalition report says that public policies need to come out of Washington to boost fleet purchases of electric vehicles. Recommended public policies include tax credits for light-duty PHEVs and EVs deployed in fleets as well as for medium- and heavy-duty PHEVs and EVs, clean renewable energy bonds for infrastructure, guarantee of residual value for the first generation of lithium-ion batteries, and federal fleet electrification including the Postal Service.

What about carbon credits? The climate change policy is probably dead in Congress now that Republicans are taking the House majority and committee positions are changing. However, there are those who think carbon credits might be a way to make all of this work. Carbon credits are a component of national and international attempts to mitigate the growth in concentrations of greenhouse gases. Certainly this issue is much bigger than specific policies encouraging fleets to bring in more EVs, but it does speak to the larger arena of policies going through Washington affecting renewable energy and alternative technology, all part of making fleets greener. And perhaps the clean renewable energy bonds will incorporate carbon credits.

Who's Actually Going to Buy Electric Vehicles?

2010-11-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

According to a survey by leasing residual value tracker ALG, 55% of 2,200 people polled said they are unwilling to pay any more for an electric vehicle with a range of 100 miles than for a gasoline-powered vehicle. And even if they were interested in purchasing an EV, more than four in 10 respondents said they would be unwilling to pay to install a charging station where their vehicle would be stored.

In other recent coverage form Automotive News, columnist Dan Guilford wrote, "China's desire to leapfrog traditional automakers with electric vehicles is filling up the order book at A123 Systems. The Watertown, Mass., battery maker last week said it had won a contract from Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. to supply lithium ion batteries for a 2012-model EV. A123 already sells battery technology to SAIC for several vehicles. Jason Forcier, vice president of A123's automotive unit, says the company initially will build cells in Livonia, Mich., but will shift production in 2013 to a plant in China. The cells will be integrated into packs at a Chinese joint venture between A123 and SAIC. China expects its annual production of electric-drive vehicles to hit 1 million units by 2020, Forcier notes."

So my thoughts are - How accurate are the forecasts, and if they are, who will be buying? While JD Power and Associates say it will be less than other reports on the market claim it will be, we're still talking about millions of EVs being on the road.

Who will buy them? At first, you can expect to see three targeted, guaranteed audiences: 1. Early adopters, who will brag about being among the very first to drive a Nissan Leaf or another competitive electric model. 2. Greeniacs, or those with environmental concerns and activist tendencies, i.e., people who belong to Plug In America and can't wait for "Revenge of the Electric Car" to come out. 3. Fleets - such as General Electric and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which are buying a lot of EVs. Perhaps there should be another segment added: 4. Overseas markets - China, India, Japan, Korea, Great Britain, France, Germany, Brazil, etc. Overseas governments are passing mandates and incentives to get citizens behind the wheel of an EV.

So it will happen - millions will be sold in the next 10 years, along with millions of hybrids, flex fuel vehicles, NGVs, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Once the four core buyer segments are thoroughly reached, the issue will be how to elevate and expand the markets and increase the production chain effectively. Then the profits start rolling in. Long before that, OEMs are lined up to play this game, and there's multitudes of technology suppliers making much needed contributions.

Reducing Congestion & Smog Prior to Catastrophe

2010-11-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

As China and several other emerging nations have been experiencing, rapid population and economic growth translates into gridlocked traffic jams and heavy layers of air pollution, not to mention other damaging after effects. The 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing provided an obvious example of this trend, even after the Chinese government had previously spent months downsizing vehicle traffic before the Olympics to clear the air; it didn't help that much - the layers had already grown quite thick.

Reducing vehicle traffic and tailpipe emissions has been in the works for year in the European Union, North America, Japan, and other economic powerhouses, and is being taken on in China, India, and elsewhere. To make this happen, here's what I think needs to be adopted into a substantial, effective method to clear the air and roads:

1. Advanced vehicle technology - this of course speaks to fuel efficiency, clean fuels and technology, and onboard diagnostic technology. In the future, it will also transfer over to traffic control management and communications technology. Perhaps we will all own a "smart car" tied into public transportation organizations that manage traffic flow, road safety, and highway repair, such as Caltrans in the state of California. And tied into onboard technology that can take over driving the car. Perhaps we'll get in the car, voice activate the telematics and choose our location, then sit back and read or watch a movie, and/or make phone calls, as we're driven safely and efficiently. This would reduce traffic and collisions, increase fuel efficiency, reduce idle time, and relieve much of our stress. Unfortunately, we're years away from this goal, but technology advancements are moving forward in leaps and bounds. Every year you buy a car, there's something new and interesting - some of it merely for entertainment, but it is tied into the future of advanced vehicle technology.

2. Mass transit improvements - the US is behind other countries when it comes to mass transit, especially train systems. Some US cities are better than others, and support for this growth is slow and has hurdles to overcome in federal and state funding. As traffic gets worse and public transportation gets better, voters probably will become unwillingly supportive (i.e., sweetly reasonable) about mass transit solutions. In the transitional period, this can also be improved by buses - including public transportation and private transportation companies - integrating natural gas, hydrogen fuel cell, biofuels, and battery power into the fleet.

3. Architectural design and housing development - there are several leaders in the environmental/sustainability sector who believe urban centers need to redesign their landscape in order to survive and thrive as global population grows, buildings are built and expanded, and more vehicles clog roads across the world. A lot of architects believe cities need to be restructured with housing, workplaces, transportation centers, shopping, and services fused together into space-efficient and attractive models. A lot of people want to leave the burbs and live in stylish cities, and want access to good stuff all around them. This means less driving, land development, wastefulness, etc., at least in theory. It's a tough one to implement as the population continues to grow, developers keep building new tract housing, and consumers prefer to live farther away from traffic, mobs of people, scary neighborhoods, their annoying family, etc. Yet there will always be city lovers, or at least those who prefer living in a major metro area rather than miles and miles away - so building new, or remodeling existing, urban centers, is part of the strategic plan for some leaders.

4. Car sharing - is not yet popular in the US, but is growing in Europe. It's likely to expand in America, but does go against our sense of the "constitutional right" to own your own damn car, drive all by yourself, and get stuck in traffic while listening to your own stereo, talking on your own cell phone as loud as you want without getting a ticket, go wherever you want whenever you want, jump on the highway and go to Vegas baby Vegas, etc. That is a common, popular illusion in America, the land of the free. As traffic and smog get worse, people are becoming sort of sweetly reasonable about alternatives - taking your bike to the library, riding the bus to work, walking to the store with your wife, carpooling to work, etc. Car sharing fits into this mindset well - your neighborhood or apartment/condo building can do sort of a time share on a car - costing you much less than that second car you thought you needed to buy, but wouldn't use much anyways and get particularly resentful about when your annual car registration bill comes in the mail followed by your car insurance bill.

5. Green machines - this is an obvious one, or why would Green Machine Digest even exist, right? There will certainly need to be enough green machines to be on the road to make a difference in reducing tailpipe and CO2 emissions, but the projections do point to impressive possibilities and benefits. And there are jobs being created, business/investment opportunities, government taxes and fees, reduction of oil dependency, and positive vibes connected to it. And to repeat myself once again, these green machine benefits are occurring through growth in pure electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug in electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, biofuel powered vehicles (such as ethanol and biodiesel), and natural gas and propane powered vehicles.

I suppose substantial solutions to smog and traffic will need to fuse all five factors into a public/private partnership backed enough by voters and consumers. Here's to hoping for the best.

Why I'm Convinced Natural Gas Vehicles Are Here to Stay

2010-11-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

Ways you can tell natural gas vehicles are catching on…

•Fleet managers are becoming true believers. Natural gas vehicles are being brought into fleets all over North America in passenger cars, cargo vans, medium- and heavy-trucks, and specialty application vehicles.

Paul Condran, equipment maintenance manager for City of Culver City in California, and 2009 winner of the best green fleet award, had this to say about NGV benefits: “There are no limitations in range (if properly specified), fuel is abundant, and there are over 2,500 CNG – Compressed Natural Gas – stations throughout California and more in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and many, many other states. Natural Gas has been around for over 150 years. It’s safe, viable, cost effective, extremely clean (96% cleaner that gasoline or diesel) and 100% removes us from oil dependency. CNG is also very safe, in fact, the US, Canada and most of Europe have been heating our homes, drying our clothes, and using it to cook on for decades and decades.”

•Harry Reid and other U.S. senators are listening to oil-tycoon-turned-natural-gas-icon T. Boone Pickens’ advocacy for adopting the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Accountability Act. This bill would bring rebates between $10,000 and $64,000 for the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles, grants of up to $50,000 to install natural gas refueling stations, and other provisions benefiting the NGV industry. The word is, this bill could adopted by the end of this year or into next, as one of the alternatives to the gone by-by climate change bill.

•T. Boone Pickens is one of the owners of Clean Energy, a Seal Beach, Calif., based company that is laying out the fueling station infrastructure across the country, station by station. These usually involve contracts with municipalities, airports, transit authorizes, and public agencies to make sure accessible natural gas stations are available for commercial accounts. This will take a while to make its way cross country, but the company regularly has announcements on new contracts signed.

•There’s a $4,000 federal tax credit on alternative fuel vehicles through the end of this year (though that could be extended later on). CNG vehicles are the only “commercially available alternative fuel vehicles that qualify for the incentive,” according to EPA and DOT. That means flex-fuel vehicles are not eligible, even though there’s many of them on the road.

•Landi Renzo, an Italian company that started in 1953 and now has 33% of the alternative fuel global market, decided to set up shop in the US this year. While visiting them, I asked how this happened. Andrea Landi, president of Landi Renzo USA described how his grandfather started the company in 1954 when gasoline was hard to find in the postwar environment. It wasn’t until this year that the need for natural gas and propane powered vehicles, especially NGVs, grew enough to make it worthwhile to enter the U.S. market, and Torrance, California, made much sense to reach key fleet and OEM clients, Landi said. The company is working with clients such as OEMs to build advanced NGVs for use in fleet applications. Not long after the gas price spike in the US, the company started getting a lot of calls asking them to move to America.

•Global Industry Analysts, Inc. says the world will see 28.7 million units of natural gas vehicles on roads by the year 2015. Primary factors fingered to drive this growth include economic and promotional support extended by governments, volatility in oil prices, technology innovations that further the practicality of NGVs as an alternative fuel vehicle technology, and focus of the automotive industry on cleaner vehicle concepts.

Stay tuned for a few of my concerns about NGVs...

CODA Automotive Keeps Losing Top Players

2010-11-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

As CODA Automotive gets ready to launch its much anticipated electric sedan, it was quite surprising to hear about CEO Kevin Czinger resigning nearly a week ago. And he wasn't the first. Michael A. Jackson, Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing and Distribution, resigned his post at CODA right before the Czinger announcement. Something very similar happened with Kerri Martin, who if memory serves, held the marketing post that Jackson took over. She had unexpectedly left for a marketing/advertising firm.

According to coverage, Czinger will be replaced by CODA's board co-chairman, Steven Heller, on an interim basis, pending a search. Czinger and Heller are both former Goldman Sachs executives, which helped CODA raise money. We were able to interview Czinger last year during a day of test driving the upcoming CODA sedan, and learned much about the global supply chain relationships and joint ventures being created in China and throughout the US. Czinger was new to the auto industry, but could explain in great detail the organizational dynamics required for CODA to succeed. The transition has been in the works for a while, according to the company, and Czinger will continue to be a substantial investor.

As the company gets ready to take on the EV market, stability and credibility will be very important to restore.

Lawsuits Filed Over EPA's E15 Rule

2010-11-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

The American Petroleum Institute and nine food and farm groups have sued EPA over last month's ruling that E15 - a blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline - can be used in 2007 or newer cars, light trucks, and SUVs. The suits contend the EPA decision violates the Clean Air Act. The recent EPA waiver does not mandate the use of E15 in these vehicles, but rather it gives the green light for its use in them.

For years, ethanol has made up 10% of most gasoline sold in the US and has been used as a gasoline additive to increase combustion. The ethanol industry has been putting a lot of pressure on EPA to increase the level to 15%, but these groups were upset when the ruling said 2007 model year of newer vehicles.

Nobody's happy, and much to clean up.

Luxury Green Machines Hip, Slick & Cool

2010-11-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

According to Environmental Leader and Greenbang, Land Rover is investing more than $1.3 billion to develop environmental solutions, giving the automaker the leading position in terms of UK automotive “green” technologies. The automaker expects to deliver its first 2WD SUV, the Freelander 2 eD4, at the start of 2011, which also is considered to be the company’s most economical vehicle in terms of carbon emissions, according to the article. Land Rover also is partnering with ClimateCare to offset CO2 emissions from all of its manufacturing assembly operations.

Land Rover going in this directions points in a couple of directions - one being strict emissions rules in Europe and other markets Land Rover does business. Another is the brouhaha Tesla Motors is creating with the splash its making by partnering with major OEMs for its technology innovation, and the appeal of its $110,000 Roadster. The early adopters are the early buyers of products, and for green machines, the appeal appears to be the cutting edge technology, the ability to play first with a new toy, and the image it creates for the buyers. It's all good.

More Random Thoughts

2010-11-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

Facebook has launched a new “green” page as an environmental resource for individuals and organizations that details what the company is doing in the environmental space, along with providing environmental news from around the Web. At the same time, the company has joined the Alliance to Save Energy. The Alliance-Facebook partnership includes the donation to the Alliance of $500,000-worth of advertising on the Facebook platform, and other projects. My oh my, could this have anything to do with an effort to get Facebook to power its planned data center in Prineville, Oregon, with renewable energy instead of coal? In that move, Greenpeace gained support from 500,000 Facebook users under its “Unfriend Coal” campaign against Facebook.

Of all places, Detroit will host the 15th Annual Urban Wheel Awards during the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, and no Detroit manufacturers will be recognized. Instead, the winners will be:

Subaru: "Greenest Manufacturing Plant in America."
Honda: "Greenest Car Lineup."
Nissan: "Most Practical Zero Emissions Product" (for the Leaf).
Toyota: "Worldwide Leadership in Hybrid Technology."

Subaru? Wow, never have heard that name mentioned for any green accomplishments.

McKinsey and Company reports that Europe is ripe to bring in commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Car manufacturers mentioned as potential players in the growth process: BMW AG, Daimler AG, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, and Volkswagen. The report says that fuel cell electric vehicles is the best electric vehicle option for medium and larger cars and longer trips.

According to Sue Cischke, Ford's sustainability officer, Ford has launched a new website -- www.fordvehicles.com/technology/electric/ -- offering the basic information consumers need to understand electrified vehicle and technology choices. The site is part of Ford's efforts to educate consumers about the range of electrified vehicles and ultimately to help potential buyers determine which electrified option might best suit their specific driving habits and needs. Yes, educating consumers about what PHEV means, and the difference between hybrid and hydrogen, is a lot of work now.

According to a southern California paper, the city of Corona may offer $2,000 for buying a new green car and $1,000 for buying a used one. Buyers must live within the city, buy a compressed natural gas, electric or non-diesel hybrid vehicle, and purchase the car from the city's list of dealers and brokers in Corona. Aha, interesting... combining green with green - cleaner air and healthier city coffers and dealerships.

Volvo's Trucking Division Goes Green

2010-11-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

The Volvo Group will be the world's first vehicle manufacturer to join the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) Climate Savers Program. As a WWF partner, the Volvo Group's truck companies undertake to reduce the CO2-emissions from vehicles manufactured between 2009 and 2014 by 13 million tons.

That's an interesting announcement and probably has something to do with the EPA's heavy duty truck ruling, which the American Trucking Associations was preparing for long before it happened. I wouldn't think of a trucking OEM joining a climate savers program, but the incentives for doing so are there - standing out, looking good, and if you have any guilty concerns over what you're building and putting out there, this can take off some of the pressure. That's the whole idea behind carbon trading and cap and trade programs - make it all balance out somehow.

Largest Electric Vehicle Order in History

2010-11-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt said on Oct. 30 the company plans to order "tens of thousands" of electric vehicles in about a week which he described as the largest EV order in history. The initiative calls for about half of GE's 45,000-person sales force to drive electric vehicles. Immelt didn't reveal which automakers would be involved.

JD Power and Associates isn't convinced that sales of battery electric vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles, or hybrid electric vehicles will reach the high levels others have been proclaiming - only 7.3% of global new car sales in 2020. The real trend is yet to be seen as most of these new product launches are yet to happen. However, selling green machines may not be as big and bountiful as some would like it to be, and certain buyer categories will reign in importance. Early adopters and those with environmental concerns will be buying cars, and fleets will probably be a bigger segment than might have been expected. If GE is going to invest that much into EVs to drive sales reps, that says a lot. A sales force will have range anxiety since long car trips are normal for them. So if a company like GE is already committing to such a mass early adoption, you can expect to see other fleet buyers go that route.

Listening to Passionate Complainers

2010-11-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

After reading my Letter from the Editor last week mentioning a visit from an odd neighbor complaining that Ford and EPA didn't step forward to resolve problems with his CNG flex fuel sedans, lots of emails got sent back to me. There seems to be much interest in commentary on the public attitudes of people - politics, government, business, social issues, etc. Interestingly enough, you can't write or read anything about green machines without touching on some of it. It's about global politics and economics, energy and national security, environmental catastrophes, or global climate change humanity has no say over, and much more.

As for my angry neighbor's visit, here's what Mike Velemirovich, owner and general manager of Hillcrest Volkswagen in Halifax, Nova Scotia, had to say: "I've worked on the retail side of the business for 31-years and have met many passionate complainers. To dedicate one's life to complaining to the government about a specific piece of technology, be it intermittent wipers, ABS, or alternative fuel systems is..... well, it's just plain nutty."

"Just plain nutty" boils it all down to what occurred (thanks Mike). But I want to be a safe and reasonable neighbor, so physical descriptions of the neighbor or his dog will be constrained.

Sticker Price More Important than Range Anxiety

2010-11-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

Companies that want to sell electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids spend a lot of time talking about how they can diminish range anxiety with lots of numbers on miles driven per charge. Most likely, they're focusing on the wrong number, says Dave Guilford, enterprise editor at Automotive News. "As important as driving range may be, the key number in consumers' minds will be the one in the lower right corner of the price sticker," he wrote.

The price premiums for various forms of electric and hybrid vehicles are likely to turn off car shoppers, according to a new study by JD Power and Associates. Sellers of hybrid electric vehicles have known this for several years - Why is this hybrid $5,000 or $10,000 more than this comparable model sitting nearby in the dealer lot? What's in it for me? Questions like are common for dealers. Coming up with answers ahead of time will be critical for selling them.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

2010-10-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

While there's been lots of good news around green machines in the past couple of years, there are occasionally negatives and a few roadblocks. For the two items I read about today, these concerns have always been present...

J.D. Power found that people are interested in driving greener vehicles, but they don't want to pay extra to do so. These new technologies are more expensive to implement and will be until they reach mass market and economies of scale. Until then, they'll be more expensive than traditional engine counterparts. Other problems for widespread adoption of these green machines in the Power study: "stable oil prices" and the impact on gas prices, and worries about how to operate them.

TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company and part of Underwriters Laboratories’ global network, released a study claiming more than 95% of consumer products claiming to be “green” commit at least one greenwashing offense. The worst offenders are toys and baby care products, with 100% and 99.2%, respectively, guilty of some form of greenwashing.

So as automakers have found out for several years, for those interested in buying hybrids, plug ins, or alternative fuel vehicles, there will always be tire kicking concern over lifecycle costs that can tip the balance. And there's also a bit of skepticism about marketing claiming environmental sustainability and stewardship when that statement has not been verified.