Clean Fleet Articles

Clean Technology Venture Investment Increases 65 Percent in First Half of 2010

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The Cleantech GroupT and Deloitte released preliminary 2Q 2010 results for clean technology venture investments in North America, Europe, China and India, totaling $2.02 billion across 140 companies. Cleantech venture investment was up 43 percent from the same period a year ago. The number of deals recorded in 2Q10 was down from a record high of 192 in 1Q10, but still represents a strong quarter by historic standards. This completes 1H10, up 65 percent on 1H09.

4.7 Million Electric Car Charge Points by 2015

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Pike Research forecasts 4.7 million charge points for electric cars will be installed worldwide from 2010 to 2015. Pike forecasts that by 2015, more than 3.1 million EVs, including plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles, will be sold worldwide. Pike Research’s indicates that competition from infrastructure providers will intensify by the end of 2011. Leading the first 20,000 U.S. charge point installations are AeroVironment, Better Place, Coulomb Technologies, and ECOtality. GE, Panasonic, Samsung, and Siemens are moving into the space with hardware and network services.

Mitsubishi i Electric Car 2012 U.S. Model

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Fortunately, the new 2012 Mitsubishi i for the USA will have the steering wheel on the standard left side, because I am struggling with this test drive of the 2010 iMiEV Japanese version. Steering from the right-hand side is not so bad, but every time I use the “turn signal lever” the windshield wipers start flying. Mitsubishi is now taking orders for the 2012 U.S. version of the popular Mitsubishi electric city car starting at $29,125, over $5,000 less than the 2012 Nissan LEAF.

Zipcar Files IPO with Car Sharing Forecasted for $6 Billion

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By 2016, car sharing will be a $6 billion annual business according to forecasts by Frost & Sullivan. Zipcar’s IPO filing shows its market leadership with 400,000 members. An IPO would enable faster growth, other acquisitions, and debt repayment. The firm plans to expand into 100 major metropolitan areas in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, from its current 13 markets. The SEC filing shows that organic growth was only moderate in 2009 and that the firm is not yet making profits.

5,000 Free Electric Car Charging Stations from California to New York

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Coulomb Technologies Smart-Charging for Ford Family of Electric Vehicles accelerates plug-in charging in nine U.S. cities. Ford is promoting smart charging as it now takes orders for the Ford Transit Connect, next year for the 2011 Ford Focus EV, and in 2012 the Ford Plug-in Hybrid. Ford is partnering with Coulomb Technologies to provide nearly 5,000 free wall-mounted charging stations for some of the automaker’s first electric car and electric delivery van customers.

Tesla Partners with Toyota and Panasonic

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Tesla is the first to put 1,000 electric cars on the U.S. highways. Tesla skillfully partners with Toyota, Panasonic, and Daimler in lithium battery and drive system technology. The Roadster is battery-electric with a 240 mile range. The new Model S sedan will have up to a 300 mile range, far beyond the Nissan Leaf 100 mile range the Chevy Volt 40-mile electric range, and current ambitions of other electric car makers. Tesla will start delivering the Model S in 2012 from its new factory. Tesla Motors has purchased the former NUMMI factory in Fremont, California, that once employed over 4,000 workers in a Toyota-General Motors JV plant. Toyota agreed to purchase $50 million of Tesla’s common stock.

Car2Go Gives Car Sharing a Point-to-Point Solution

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Car Sharing has exploded in popularity in the U.S. with college students, one-car households, and with fleets. Until now, the car had to be returned to where it was picked-up. A new service – car2go – allows people in Austin, Texas to pick-up a car in one place and leave it in another, paying by the minute. The drop-offs are within a defined area. During a 6 month pilot in Austin, 3,000 early members enjoyed the convenience of going from the Capitol to city center or university, saving time, money, and parking hassles. The pilot fleet is 200 Smart fortwo vehicles located throughout the greater downtown Austin area, accessible on-demand.

Ford Focus Electric Challenges Nissan LEAF for Electric Car Leadership

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I enjoyed driving the new Ford Focus Electric. It felt just like driving a regular gasoline Focus 4-door sedan, except it was more quiet and accelerated faster due to the torque of the electric motor. The Ford Focus EV has a 23 kWh LG Chem Compact Power lithium-ion tri-metal battery with over 17 kWh available in the charge-discharge cycle. Ford is likely to match Nissan’s 100 range per electric charge. The Ford Focus Electric can now be ordered with a $39,200 starting price.

New Reports from National Research Council Give U.S. Climate Action Plan Roadmap

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New NRC report suggests a range of emissions from 170 to 200 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent for the period 2012 through 2050 as a reasonable goal for emission reduction in the United States, a goal that is roughly in line with the range of emission reduction targets proposed recently by the Obama administration and members of Congress. Even at the higher end of this range, meeting the target will require a major departure from “business-as-usual” emission trends. The report notes that with the exception of the recent economic downtown, domestic emissions have been rising for most of the past three decades.

2011 Ford Fiesta Gets Better Mileage than Most Hybrid Cars

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Ford’s all-new 2011 Fiesta with up to 40 mpg highway and 29 mpg city, delivers better fuel economy than most hybrids. The Ford Fiesta 40 mpg, achieved with Ford’s new six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission, is 5 mpg better than the Honda Fit and 4 mpg better than the Toyota Yaris. The Fiesta has been a hot seller in Europe and is likely to receive equal enthusiasm in the U.S.

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