Renault has received orders for 100,000 of its Renault Fluence Z.E. electric car from Better Place. These electric vehicles are zero emission from battery to wheels, but each car does contribute to tons of CO2 emission over its lifetime. With a stunning 55 MW Trina Solar parking structure, Renault will cut CO2 emissions by 30,000 tons a year.
A General Motors executive recently told a small group that GM is working on 32 electric car derivatives all based on Voltec, the Chevrolet Volt’s electric drive system. Voltec is GM’s architecture and roadmap for a number of exciting vehicles future vehicles with electric drive systems. Volt demand is strong. In 2012, global production capacity is expected to be 60,000 vehicles with an estimated 45,000 to be delivered in the United States.
Prius v test drive, review, and detailed specifications of the new larger Prius that will shake-up the crossover SUV and wagon market when it goes on sale starting at $26,400, about $3,000 more than the classic Prius. The iconic Prius Liftback is not going away. Prii is now a family of four, with the Prius v being the largest. Prius v delivers 42 MPG, sailing past other SUVs, crossovers, and wagons.
I silently guided my Nissan LEAF into space 14 reserved for electric cars at the Oakland International Airport (OAK). Already plugged in to other spaces were Chevrolet Volts, Tesla Roadsters, a converted Prius plug-in hybrid, and a Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Supporting the 15 preferred parking spaces were eight Coulomb ChargePoint Dual Level 2/1 Charging Stations.
The cleanest solutions to global warming, air pollution and energy security are wind, water, and solar power (WWS). As Dr. Mark Jacobson walks me through the numbers of his, Dr. Mark Delucchi, and their teams’ multi-year study, the renewable energy solution stands out as the clear winner. Wind power has been doubling in capacity about every three years. It’s now over 200 GW; in 3 years it will be over 400 GW. 36 U.S. states generate enough wind power to replace one or more coal or nuclear power plants.
Thanks to Connect by Hertz Car Sharing, cars can be used by the hour for special trips, loading up during weekly shopping, or heading out of the city. Those hourly cars can also be electric such as the Nissan LEAF or Chevrolet Volt. Connect by Hertz is adding the LEAF to Manhattan’s Seward Park Co-op. In an effort to make electric cars a viable option for its residents, Seward Park has installed four Coulomb Technologies networked charging.
Shell announced the opening of a new demonstration hydrogen station in Torrance, California, the first in the US to have hydrogen delivered to the site directly from an existing underground pipeline. GM successfully piloted 100 Equinox fuel cell vehicles during its Project Driveway. Toyota is planning to test 100 new fuel cell SUVs as it prepares for 2015 commercialization. 200 of the new Mercedes-Benz B-Call F-CELL are being put into use.
Tom Hanks has supported improving the environment for years both with words and actions such as driving electric vehicles. “I still have a Toyota RAV4 EV and never spent a penny on gasoline for it,” he said. Happy with his Toyota EV, he added a second electric car. Many other people are experimenting with conversions to electric. The most notable are hybrid owners. Hundreds own electric vehicles in this university town. The city’s parks and recreation department saves money using EVs that displace expensive gasoline cars and trucks. The university is a major user of electric vehicles.
San Diego Gas and Electric may be the world’s first utility to smart charge 1,000 electric cars through a smart grid. This electric utility, which services 3.4 million people, has been installing an extensive electric vehicle charging infrastructure, expanding its electricity generation to 33 percent renewable, and implementing a smart grid. In many ways, the three initiatives support each other. Over 200 Nissan LEAFs and Chevrolet Volts are charging by using the utilities smart grid.
Tesla recent quarterly financial results show progress on several fronts. Over 1,650 customers are now driving the Tesla Roadster, the impressive electric car with a 240-mile range per charge. Customers have driven these 100-percent electric cars more than 11 million miles. The Model S Sedan is on track for completion and customer deliveries mid-2012. A much bigger market is expected for this premium sedan that starts at $57,400 and has an optional battery pack with that gives the car a 300-mile range. When Tesla begins delivery of the Model S, over 100,000 electric car customers will be driving their Nissan LEAF, Chevrolet Volt, Ford Focus Electric and other electric sedan competitors.