Good and Green Reasons to Consider an Electric Car This Year
A pair of environmentalists dismiss some of the common misconceptions that prevent the eco-conscious from buying electric cars.
Electric Vehicles
Tesla/NY Times Factual Dispute Reveals Different Truth
The dispute between the New York Times and Tesla over the failed test drive is unfortunate. Looking past it reveals some important truths about the electric vehicle ownership experience.
Vehicle-to-Grid: Utility Giant PG&E Gets Fast ROI from 190 Electric Trucks
At utility giant PG&E, 190 electric trucks are now used to keep things running. If a neighborhood has a power outage, a troubled truck rolls in. A technician is lifted high in the air to look at a transformer on a pole. Auxiliaries can be run for hours including test equipment into a communications. These plug-in trucks can be used twice as many hours per day as diesel trucks with legal noise restrictions. By switching from diesel to electric, PG&E pays for the electric trucks in 2.5 years according to Dave Meisel, Director Transportation for Services for PG&E.
California Plugs into Economic Growth
Research conducted by UC Berkeley economists and the California Electric Transportation Coalition shows that fueling California’s cars and trucks with electricity instead of oil would help grow the state’s economy, creating tens of thousands of new jobs.
Solar Charging Electric Vehicles at NREL Colorado
Sunlight dances on the roof of the world’s largest net zero building. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) headquarters in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, 1,325 people work in a building that generates as much energy as it is consumed. A vast parking structure is covered with solar power. The parking structure includes 36 electric vehicle charge stations that charge with solar energy.
Electricity Still a Buck-a-Gallon for Life
When you buy a car, you make a long-term commitment to purchasing the fuel required to make it go. Which would you rather choose: electricity, a reliably cheap, domestic fuel that gets cleaner every year you own the car, or gasoline, a notoriously unpredictable fuel made with foreign oil that will only get dirtier over time? See the latest price data comparing the two fuels.
Oregon’s Electric Car Charging Station Network
Oregon is taking the lead in the dream of driving your electric car from Mexico to Canada. A network of fast charging stations is already in place in Oregon along the U.S. Interstate 5 Freeway, which connects the southern boarder of California to the northern boarder of Washington. The West Coast Green Highway is a vision that is becoming a reality.
Ford C-MAX Hybrid Challenges Toyota Prius V
2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid can now be ordered at a starting price of $25,995, about $400 less than the popular Toyota Prius V. Both of these exciting crossover SUVs provide plenty of room for 5 passengers and the flexibility to drop the back seat and load more cargo than many traditional small SUVs. Since there will be no 2013 Ford Escape Hybrid, the C-MAX Hybrid will be the logical choice for many current Escape Hybrid drivers.The C-MAX Hybrid delivers 47 mpg compared to 42 mpg for the largest member of the Prius family.
Getting Off Oil Can Be Done – The Electric Industry Already Did
The electric industry is proof that we can get off oil. Before the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo, almost 20% of US electricity came from petroleum. Now, it’s less than 1%. The same industry will play a critical role in accelerating the deployment of electric cars.
First Electric SUV – Toyota RAV4 EV for $49,800
Toyota just announced the price and details for the first all-electric SUV to reach the market. Starting at $49,800 this exciting new electric SUV can be ordered with a 100-mile range thanks to its 41kW lithium battery pack. This SUV went from design to production in only two years, instead of a more common 4-years. The development speed is thanks to a collaboration between Toyota and Tesla which is 2 percent owned by Toyota.