Green Commentaries Around the Web

Filed under: EV/Plug-in

One of the biggest concerns about widespread deployment of plug-in vehicles is the effect it will have on electricity generation and distribution capacity. Here in the United States, most officials from utilities have been pretty upbeat and emphasize that there is plenty of capacity for charging vehicles as long as it is mostly done during off-peak hours.

The chief executive of Toronto Hydro, Anthony Haines, however, said recently that the grid can easily fail. Specifically, he told the Toronto Star, “If you connect about 10 percent of the homes on any given street with an electric car, the electricity system fails.”

To combat this possibility, Toronto Hydro, Hydro One and the Ontario Power Authority have kicked in $7 million for the new Centre for Urban Energy at Ryerson University in Toronto. The new center will look at what it will take to bolster the grid and produce more power locally in urban areas where most of the plug-in vehicles will be used. Most of the current capacity is outside of the urban areas and there are bottlenecks in the grid to get it to where it is needed.

Current estimates are that around five percent of the vehicles in the province of Ontario will be electrified by the end of the decade. This gives the utilities time to make changes – but not that much.

[Source: Toronto Star]

Toronto hydro chief: Electric car upswing would crash grid originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

United Parcel Service (UPS), along with Electric Vehicles International (EVI), have begun conducting a 90-day trial program which will test the capabilities of EVI’s battery-powered walk-in delivery van, the EVI-WI. During the past year, UPS and EVI collaborated on the development of an electric vehicle (EV) that will meet the demands of the parcel delivery industry and came up with the EVI-WI. Built on a Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation glider and equipped with a Utilimaster body, the EVI-WI bears a striking exterior resemblance to UPS’s standard brown delivery vans, minus the Pullman-inspired hue.

But this is not your typical delivery van. The EVI-WI features a 99 kWh lithium-ion battery pack produced by Valence and wedges a 150 kW (continuous), 200 kW (peak) electric motor into the spacious chassis. Average range is expected to be 90 miles per charge and the van tops out at a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour.

The 90-day demonstration program will be split into three distinct 30-day phases. The EVI-WI will begin testing in Sacramento, followed by a stint in San Francisco and will conclude its demonstration program in Reno.

[Source: United Parcel Service]

Continue reading UPS kicks off 90-day demo program using EVI’s electric walk-in delivery van

UPS kicks off 90-day demo program using EVI’s electric walk-in delivery van originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Biodiesel, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

67-year-old H. Max Speight, a disbarred Tennessee attorney, has been sentenced by a federal court and will serve a 26-month sentence for defrauding a federal biofuels subsidy program. Though his sentence may be considered harsh, Speight’s partner, William Tacker II, was convicted and sentenced to five years behind bars, plus a mandatory repayment of funds, which he collected by filing fraudulent claims with the federal government.

The crime: both Speight and Tacker were partners at Biodiesel of Mississippi Inc., a company that refined soybeans to produce biodiesel. The company declared bankruptcy in 2006 and Speight and Tacker parted ways. Last year, the duo was indicted on ten counts of filing false statements to weasel $2.88 million out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Information contained within the falsified statements is not available to the public, but we assume that the charges somehow tie in with the company obtaining money from the government’s subsidy program even though it did not qualify to receive it.

Speight plead guilty and agreed to testify against Tacker, thus his reduced 26-month sentence. But Tacker did not plead guilty and maintains that Speight took all of the money and ran. Tacker has hired new attorneys to appeal his case, but the outlook is dim as Speight’s previous testimony and federal records should keep Tacker behind bars.

[Source: Associated Press | Image: dok1 - C.C. License 2.0]

Tennessee attorney gets 26-month sentence for defrauding biofuels subsidy program originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Green Daily

When Nissan announced that it would be the first major auto manufacturer to sell (not lease, EV1 fans) a mass-market electric vehicle (EV) in the U.S., executives there knew that potential rewards were high – and so was the pressure to get it right. Speculation has been running high for years about who would be first to market: Mitsubishi with the i-MiEV, General Motors with the Chevrolet Volt (Okay, it’s a serial hybrid, but close enough), or perhaps a product from a dark horse like BYD or Coda.

As Leaf reservation holders begin placing their final purchase orders with dealers this week, a number of big questions loom for Nissan and its chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, who has seemingly bet the farm on its success.

Let’s begin with the premise that, as a mass-market car, the Leaf has to offend no one even as it proceeds down the road less traveled. It must embrace future technology but feel as familiar as an old pair of blue jeans. It must capture the hearts and minds of early adopters who are either fanatically pro-EV and/or have the financial means to buy cars several classes above the Leaf, while having the staying power to be a viable mainstream car for years to come at a modest price point.

If the ordering process has shades of Tesla and Smart associated with it, the car itself is in many ways the anti-Tesla or the anti-Smart. To succeed as a mass market car, it can’t be all novelty and no follow through like Smart’s diminutive Fortwo, and it can’t comfortably languish in the rarified air of a halo car like Tesla’s Roadster, a placeholder for some mainstream offering still years away. In short, it has to be all things, to all people, right from the get-go. But is that even possible? (this post continues after the jump)

Continue reading David Vespremi: A lot is hanging on the Leaf

David Vespremi: A lot is hanging on the Leaf originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We have two discussion groups (ok, so we have more than two) that help folks trying to go off-grid. One is aimed at helping you design and install your own solar power system, the other is aimed at learning to conserve, and live in a off grid friendly manner (energy conservation, cooking, gardening, and more). Check them out, and see if they are helpful to you. You’ll find a few thousand friendly folks with similar interests.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/DIYSolar/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simplyoffgrid/

A few others you might find helpful are the Low Voltage DC (off grid) group and the DIY Generator group.

©2010 Green-Trust.Org. All Rights Reserved.

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Related posts:

1. Living off grid, simply!
2. How do I go off grid with solar and wind?
3. My favorite RE discussion groups

Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy

Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its proposals for new fuel economy labels and the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has responded with a thumbs down. Specifically, NADA is unhappy with the proposed letter grades that would indicate where the labeled vehicle stands relative to its direct competitors. NADA is concerned that the new grades would confuse consumers, especially when comparing different fuel types. This is a dubious argument.

Since the proposed grades would give a rating that is relative to similar vehicles, it shouldn’t really matter what the fuel type is. If a compact sedan with a gasoline engine gets a C compared to a similar vehicle with electric drive that gets an A, that seems perfectly reasonable.

NADA does stand on more solid ground when it complains about comparisons between new cars with grades and used cars without them. However, that argument is limited as well, since the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act that mandated higher CAFE standards also requires new labels to retain MPG ratings. The comparable MPG ratings exist on the new labels but are now de-emphasized. There also doesn’t seem to be any mention of the QR codes on the labels that allow consumers to scan the data with a smart-phone and do instant comparisons.

[Source: Detroit News]

Dealers flunk the EPA: NADA not happy with proposed fuel economy letter grades originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Green Daily, Fisker

Back in early August, Fisker of Orange County unveiled the Karma in spectacular fashion. Well, at least that’s what the dealership wanted us to believe. The event that actually took place in early August is what we’d call a public appearance, but Fisker of Orange County treated the situation as though we had never laid eyes on the oft-delayed, yet-to-be-driven, much-hyped plug-in hybrid.

Now, we’ve been tipped about another Fisker bash and this time, Rickenbaugh Cadillac-Volvo of Denver, CO, is calling it a Karma launch party. Launch? To the best of our knowledge, Fisker is months away (well, maybe) from launching anything, but we don’t want to spoil Rickenbaugh’s party with that bit of info. Or do we?

Hit the jump to watch the Rickenbaugh clan as they attempt, but fail, to accurately describe the attributes that make the Fisker Karma a sparkling addition to their lineup of vehicles. In Rickenbaugh’s defense, they may have mistaken the Karma hybrid for that pure electric roadster that does compete with the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin. Hat tip to Roy!

[Source: You Tube]

Continue reading Video: Denver dealership hosts Fisker Karma “launch” party

Video: Denver dealership hosts Fisker Karma “launch” party originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy

For those Americans who are still employed and have to drive to work every day, the continuing low pump prices for gasoline have been a boon. The current national average of $2.68 a gallon for regular is equivalent to an inflation-adjusted $1.01 per gallon in 1980. While that’s certainly good for household budgets in a struggling economy, it doesn’t provide much incentive to buy fuel efficient vehicles at a price premium. With the new Chevrolet Cruze starting at over $16,000 and the soon-to-launch new Ford Focus likely to cost at least that much, high-mpg cars could face a tough road in the market unless fuel prices rise soon.

Similarly, the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and next year’s Focus Electric will no doubt appeal to the early adopters, but each of those vehicles needs to find a broad mainstream audience if they are to succeed. Even with tax incentives, each of those vehicles will command a significant price premium. Unless gas prices start to go back up toward $4 a gallon, the huge investments the auto companies made in those vehicles will be very hard to recoup. Of course, the chances of Congress raising fuel taxes any time in the foreseeable future are virtually nonexistent. Sigh.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Low gas prices pose a problem for efficient vehicles coming to market originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We are so enamored with our new 12vdc LED lights, that we are offering a free LED Module and Fixture (see http://www.green-trust.org/products/) with every DIY solar ebook sale for the month of September. The surface mount fixtures are easy to install, and contain one 2.5 watt LED Module, equivalent to a 15w 921 wedge bulb. We have installed 7 of these in our full time RV. Tell your friends of this great giveaway!

Our LED project was made possible by the good folks at http://www.advancedledlights.com/.

©2010 Green-Trust.Org. All Rights Reserved.

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Related posts:

1. High Tech LED Grow Lights
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3. LED Lighting Upgrade

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Green Daily

Amid escalating concerns over Lance Armstrong’s possible violation of cycling’s anti-doping policy, Nissan is saying it will stick with the seven-time Tour De France champion as the Leaf’s official spokesperson. Speaking with Ad Age, Nissan’s new marketing boss, Jon Brancheau, admitted that although Armstrong has received a significant amount of negative press, Nissan will support the cyclist while continuing to keep an eye on things. Ad Age prodded Brancheau with this question:

Nissan has made a pretty big bet on Lance Armstrong — he was featured in the first Leaf commercial, is displayed prominently on your website and you even sponsor one of his cycling teams. Now, there’s a ton of scrutiny around him with regards to doping claims. Does that worry you?

To which Brancheau responded:

This is something we’ll continue to monitor, but the claims are all unsubstantiated up to this point. He’s iconic, and he’s almost the epitome of innovation when you think about athleticism. We’re well connected with [Lance] and we continue to support him and the team. He’s backing down to some degree from cycling in future years but we expect him to be actively engaged in a lot of different athletic events, especially marathons and things of that nature. So we’re staying the course and continue to support him.

Let’s hope that Lance survives this sticky situation, but if he’s dropped by Nissan, we’ll gladly step in for him and take delivery of the first Leaf. Hit the jump to watch Nissan’s Leaf commercial featuring Lance Armstrong.

[Source: Nissan-Leaf, Ad Age]

Continue reading Nissan sticks with Lance Armstrong as Leaf’s spokesperson despite escalated doping concerns [w/video]

Nissan sticks with Lance Armstrong as Leaf’s spokesperson despite escalated doping concerns [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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