EV Digest 6659
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Re: "bulging" case a visual sign of a bad floodie? - Not really
by Lawrence Harris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) Re: EV APU (genset) emissions & FE
by Lee Hart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) Re: Zener reg question
by Lee Hart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) Re: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR MAXIMUM RANGE. Re: EVLN(Tofu maker Toya
pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
by "Michael Perry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
5) Re: EV APU (genset) emissions & FE
by "John O'Connor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
6) Re: EV APU (genset) emissions & FE
by "David Roden (Akron OH USA)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
7) The Costs of Racing EVs
by John Wayland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
8) RE: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR MAXIMUM RANGE. Re: EVLN(Tofu maker Toya
pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
by "childreypa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
9) EVLN(SF Bay Area Car-pool-lane Sticker Thefts)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
10) RE: EV APU (genset) emissions & FE
by "childreypa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
11) EVLN(UK milesautomotive nEV 60mi range, no reverse)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
12) EVLN(Actor Larry Hagman Drives An Electric Vehicle)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
13) EVLN(USSC rule state's emissions laws Yes, automakers argue No)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
14) EVLN(Jp: 2015 EVs should cost slightly more than a minicar)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
15) EVLN(UK family singled out for wanting to drive Electric)
by bruce parmenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
16) RE: EV APU (genset) emissions & FE
by "David Roden (Akron OH USA)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
--- Begin Message ---
Yes that is my understanding too, that as the battery ages the plates
corrode and expand, this is a normal part of the aging process and does
not mean the battery is bad. Deep discharges and excessive overcharging
speed up this process and in some cases also cause shorts to develop.
Nothing directly to do with failed valves. If the valves ever open you
are charging the battery too hard and the venting causes irreplaceable
loss of water - again leading to another different failure mode.
The example of a EV bike dealer complaining the valves don't open and
implying the bulging batteries have been killed due to this needs to do
some homework and probably needs to find a better battery charger to
sell their clients. Cheap chargers over charge the batteries, cause
corrosion, bulging, shorts and if the valves open dry out the
electrolyte and kill the battery before it's time. Uneducated riders
over discharge their batteries causing sulfation, loss of plate area and
kill the battery before it's time. Put the two together and you have a
very dissatisfied customer!
All lead acid batteries eventually fail due to one or both of plate
corrosion, sulfation and loss of water. These lead to loss of active
material or active surface area and ether the battery looses so much
capacity it is useless for it's intended purpose or develops an internal
short and can no longer hold a charge. Careful charging and with non
sealed batteries watering will give you the maximum life but there comes
a time when you have too look the batteries in the eye and say 'you have
been a good and true friend but it's time to move on to the next phase
in the great cycle of life' :-) and look for the nearest recycling depot.
There has been much discussion of various magic formula to slow down or
reverse some of these processes but no one in all the years I have
watched this group has ever shown any demonstrative proof that anything
but TLC can extend the life of a lead acid battery and nothing has ever
been demonstrated that can revive a dead battery to a point that it
could be returned to useful service in and EV. There has been lots of
talk but never any rigorous data.
I would encourage Robert to discuss his 'no cost batteries for EV' in a
detailed posting but I truly believe that he is just picking the OK
batteries from a pile of suspect ones, charging them individually and
then doing the re-use part of the three R's and hence slightly reducing
the number of batteries that need to be purchased over time. The
trouble is the cost of keeping an mismatched odd ball pack of batteries
in line is costly in either electronics or manual labor or both.
Lawrence Harris
robert mat wrote:
Also, on VRLAs (sealed) on ebikes, my guess is that the valves aren't
releasing. Very cheap build, and mfg cheated by not putting in valves, imho,
like on the Raylight ebikes. Raylight vendor told me 100% of his batteries
bulged at the end of battery life.
David Roden <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I think this results from positive grid corrosion - typically a symptom of
chronic overcharging.
David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
From: Michaela Merz
> I tend to agree with you John. I personally think it is simply
> _poor_ that after all those years, we still don't have access to
> reasonably priced DC technology that offers regen.
What does "reasonably priced" mean? A 300 watt PC clone power supply costs $30
-- that's 10 cents a watt. A Curtis 1221C 48kw controller (120v 400a) costs
$1400 -- that's 3 cents a watt, or 1/3rd the price.
It could be cheaper if built with Mexican labor rates and Chinese quality parts
-- but would you still want it? And before this can happen, the market has to
grow enough so there are enough customers to buy thousands of them -- not
dozens.
--
"Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the one who is
doing it." -- Chinese proverb
--
Lee A. Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
From: MIKE WILLMON
> Just wondering what tolerance folks are using on their Zeners.
> 1% or 5%?
I bought bags of 100 zeners, and found that even though they were specified at
5%, they were actually accurate to 1%. That could easily be the "luck of the
draw". However, I'm using two per regulator -- if I got unlucky and they were
scattered throughout that 5% range, I could match pairs of them for the same
total voltage.
> Would a 10% differential between two +/- 5% Zeners on batteries
> with the same SOC, be enough to cause variances in the observable
> light coming from the lamps?
Yes; easily. Light bulbs have a large brightness-to-voltage variation, and the
human eye is very sensitive to brightness variations.
The simplest way to test your regulators is to connect them all to one battery;
they should all light up the same brightness when the battery goes into
overcharge.
--
"Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the one who is
doing it." -- Chinese proverb
--
Lee A. Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Better yet (for modern cars) there are a couple companies that make MPG
gauges. These tap into the onboard computer's inside port and read off all
the settings. The one I'm looking at has 4 readouts, which you can set for
which ever readings you want. Among these are MPH and MPG settings. (It
takes the MPH reading and the injector readings to calculate current MPG...
similar to the readouts in hybrids.) http://www.scanguage.com/
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paschke, Stephen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 10:53 AM
Subject: RE: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR MAXIMUM RANGE. Re: EVLN(Tofu maker Toya
pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
> There is a gauge for ICE's. It is a vacuum gauge or at least based on
vacuum. I remember my cousins 79 chevy Malibu having one.
>
> > Stephen Paschke
> > DAR, ERISA, Plan Review, and IPI/ICTMS support,
> >TIAA-CREF Denver
> > Senior Consultant
> > Keane, Inc.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of robert mat
> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 9:43 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR MAXIMUM RANGE. Re: EVLN(Tofu maker Toya
pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
>
> This post could be better titled, perhaps as: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR
MAXIMUM RANGE.
>
> If you've been watching an ammeter carefully, you can see how its possible
to reduce amps by ~80% at little cost in speed, by coasting, once the EV has
gone up to speed (assuming no regen brakes. My motor is an Advanced 9 inch.)
>
> Its a sobering lesson for gasoline drivers: Seems that driving in the
"normal" way is burning up gasoline needlessly. Is there a way to have an
ammeter-like gauge for gasoline cars?
>
> Rob Matthies
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Different John but I've read the same thing with regard to hybrids
(not just heavy hybrids) but chalked it up to lazy reporting and or
marketing fluff.
On Apr 11, 2007, at 4:42 PM, Phil Marino wrote:
From: john fisher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: EV APU (genset) emissions & FE
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:29:29 -0700
and yet its my impression that the new hybrid trucks get most or
all of their increased efficiency from regen.
John - can you tell why you have this impression?
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
My apologies for the double post in this thread. My first post got stuck in
the
intestines of the SJSU server and I thought I must not have sent it. The
resend dislodged the original post and they both issued forth from the ... uh
... the ... uh ... oh, never mind. ;-)
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Hello to All,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
We would love to have a team of professional videographers and
photographers swarming over the track for every run down the strip.
The reality is that we operate on a shoestring budget. We do the best
we can with the resources available to us.
Ditto! Pretty much most of the WZ video stuff is done by helpful
volunteers, or God forbid, myself with a video cam (mine are the videos
where everything goes blurry and or you can see my feet instead of the
car). The only great video we have, is when someone like SBS Dateline
shows up, or we get lucky as we did at Woodburn in '05 when we had three
EV friends with video cams, one getting the arcy-sparky burnout, another
capturing the launch, and another at the far end showing the car
approaching then passing at 104 mph...it's probably our best WZ drag
racing video.
I am looking forward to seeing what our young high school guys mix up as
the final video from their class video project that was based around
last month's Sunday afternoon drag races...4 cameras on that day,
interviews, a mic on the track announcer, and music mixed in, too. Hope
they got the fireball on tape! This was certainly a symbiotic
relationship...the high school guys were hoping to find a cool 'subject'
for their class video assignment, and I was hoping for video coverage a
cut about the amateur stuff that is the norm. They got to video a unique
electric drag car (that they can now boast to their peers is the 'one'
from Car and Driver), and I got what looks like near professional grade
camera work from four pumped-up guys with higher end video cams spending
weeks on editing....sweet!
Somewhere out there in cyber space, 'Pixel' has great video of my
show-down with a green Ford Torino GT with massive fat wrinkle wall
slicks. It was captured on professional video and includes outrageous
side-by-side burnouts, lots of V8 noise and snort, excited race fans
cheering, and a great grudge match run down the track...WZ the winner,
of course! I've never seen this video, but I hope it surfaces some day.
For example, each member of the pit crew (with access to the track)
at this AHDRA event cost me $90 out of my own pocket. We all pay our
own travel and food expenses. The KillaCycle team members pay for
everything but the batteries out of their own pockets.
Pretty much the same at the Plasma Boy racing camp, too. Yes, we are
fortunate to get battery pack sponsorship, and yes, we get other
substantial price breaks for other parts for the car, but like Bill
says, there are costs that come out of our pockets as well...far more
than most realize! Tim pays for his race entry fees, track membership
fees, and often refuses to be reimbursed (by me) for fuel costs as we
use his Dodge diesel pickup occasionally as a tow rig. I of course, pay
for all the car's modification costs, show costs, and other things that
include promo. The recent Portland Roadster show was a very important
EVent I decided we needed to be part of...nearly $1000 out of my pocket,
though that did include a substantial setup fee to get T-shirts made.
Our trip last year across the USA to Illinois and back, even with most
of our fuel costs covered by the group that invited us, still cost Tim
and I some serious dollars. Even weekend trips to car shows in Seattle,
after meals and fuel costs, run hundreds of dollars. The most recent
mods to the car, even with sponsorship help in the form of deep
discounts and some freebies, are still costing me over $1000.
We are ordinary folks with ordinary paychecks working full-time jobs while
doing all this in our "spare" time with our "spare" money. We are
doing the best that we can.
Again, Ditto! I'm just a blue collar (actually, the uniforms are green)
forklift mechanic who just wrote the final check to PSU for his
daughter's collage tuition (she's about to graduate with honors). It's
hard to squeeze out the extra dollars to pay to go racing, to fix broken
stuff, and to buy something the car needs to go 1/10 second quicker.
When I hear comments like "Only rich guys can race and set
records"...well, I just have to laugh.
From Dennis:
I think a lot of folks here think we are
sponsored to race our fast EVs, but in reality we do pay out of our own pockets 99% of
the time.
Dennis, I know exactly what you mean!
See Ya.....John Wayland
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
BMW's have an gauge like that under the speedo. Even the old 80s cars do
and my 96 even does. Its pretty neat. You can see the needle plummet
when you floor it :)
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Michael Perry
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 9:38 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR MAXIMUM RANGE. Re: EVLN(Tofu maker
Toya pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
Better yet (for modern cars) there are a couple companies that make MPG
gauges. These tap into the onboard computer's inside port and read off
all
the settings. The one I'm looking at has 4 readouts, which you can set
for
which ever readings you want. Among these are MPH and MPG settings. (It
takes the MPH reading and the injector readings to calculate current
MPG...
similar to the readouts in hybrids.) http://www.scanguage.com/
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paschke, Stephen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 10:53 AM
Subject: RE: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR MAXIMUM RANGE. Re: EVLN(Tofu maker
Toya
pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
> There is a gauge for ICE's. It is a vacuum gauge or at least based on
vacuum. I remember my cousins 79 chevy Malibu having one.
>
> > Stephen Paschke
> > DAR, ERISA, Plan Review, and IPI/ICTMS support,
> >TIAA-CREF Denver
> > Senior Consultant
> > Keane, Inc.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On
Behalf Of robert mat
> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 9:43 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR MAXIMUM RANGE. Re: EVLN(Tofu maker
Toya
pulses & glides his hybrid to nenpimania)
>
> This post could be better titled, perhaps as: HOW TO DRIVE AN EV FOR
MAXIMUM RANGE.
>
> If you've been watching an ammeter carefully, you can see how its
possible
to reduce amps by ~80% at little cost in speed, by coasting, once the EV
has
gone up to speed (assuming no regen brakes. My motor is an Advanced 9
inch.)
>
> Its a sobering lesson for gasoline drivers: Seems that driving in the
"normal" way is burning up gasoline needlessly. Is there a way to have
an
ammeter-like gauge for gasoline cars?
>
> Rob Matthies
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(SF Bay Area Car-pool-lane Sticker Thefts)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.nbc11.com/news/11621739/detail.html
Thieves Target Bay Area Hybrid Vehicle Stickers April 11, 2007
[Video:
http://www.nbc11.com/videofiles/11649770/playlist.asx
Bay Area Thieves Target Hybrid Stickers]
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Thieves have been peeling off with the
limited-edition car pool lane stickers the state awarded to
drivers of hybrid fuel vehicles.
The Department of Motor Vehicles estimated two to three dozen
drivers a month have requested replacement stickers since the DMV
stopped giving them out in January, driving up the value of the
yellow stickers.
"We knew it was only a matter of time," said California Highway
Patrol Officer Mike Wright.
Drivers suspect sticker snatchers are selling the coveted tags,
which are valid through January 2011. The state capped the number
of hybrids with special Clean Air Vehicle driving privileges at
85,000.
In February, someone who was sent a set of stickers by mistake
put them up for sale on eBay for $10,000, although apparently the
auction item was removed after there were no bidders.
Tanya Cecchin, 39, of San Jose, narrowly escaped a $360 ticket
last month when a police officer pulled her over for driving in a
car pool lane before she noticed that three of her Toyota Prius'
four decals were gone.
"I was kind of patronizing to the cop," Cecchin said. "I thought,
`You poor fool, didn't you see my stickers?"'
She was able to talk her way out of the citation by flashing a
car pool lane registration card she had in the hybrid.
The HOV-lane perk is one of several privileges governments have
offered to owners of cars capable of running on both electricity
and gasoline. Some California cities waive parking meter fees for
hybrids sporting the stickers. Both the Internal Revenue Service
and several states offer income tax credits to drivers of the
fuel-efficient cars.
Mike Miller, a DMV spokesman, said those hoping to hawk or buy
pilfered permits should not get their hopes up. The stickers are
treated with a chemical that makes them blister, crack and
display the word "void" once they are removed.
"I doubt someone would be able to get them off intact," Miller
said.
Several states offer incentives to hybrid vehicle drivers. New
Jersey and Utah allow hybrids in the HOV-lanes and many states,
including California, give hybrid vehicle owners tax breaks and
rebates. Texas gives new hybrid owners a $100 pre-paid parking
card good for any one of the Austin's 3,700 parking meters.
Copyright 2007 by NBC11.com. The Associated Press contributed to
this report. All rights reserved.
===
http://origin.mercurynews.com/news/ci_5642461?nclick_check=1
For thieves, carpool stickers add to hybrid car appeal
The Associated Press Article Launched: 04/11/2007 11:09:16 AM PDT
SAN JOSE, Calif.- Thieves have been peeling off with the
limited-edition car pool lane stickers the state awarded to
drivers of hybrid fuel vehicles.
[...]
Copyright 2007 San Jose Mercury News
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
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. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
===== Undo Petroleum Everywhere
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--- Begin Message ---
I would love to continue this train of thought off-list with anyone who
wants to but Im afraid I may be infringing on list rules with ICE talk
:) This is a key component of my conversion so I would rather the theory
be disproved now rather then later. Thanks a lot. But BTW, if series
hybrid is so bad, how does the Volt plan on pulling it off? Thank,
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of David Roden (Akron OH USA)
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 3:54 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: EV APU (genset) emissions & FE
On 10 Apr 2007 at 11:58, childreypa wrote:
> However, what if you were to run a generator using a
> driver designed with efficiency and greenness in mind. Say a 1.0L Geo
> metro engine. Running at constant rpm, powering an efficient
generator,
> I hypothesize that it would be possible to get just as good gpm as the
> metro and still have the all electric capability provided the ICE was
> mounted in the vehicle.
I think you'll have trouble achieving that goal, particularly if you
also want
comparable exhaust cleanliness.
Running an automotive ICE at a constant speed, and tuning it for that
speed,
made a big difference 30 or 40 years ago when ICEs were fitted with
fixed- jet
carburetors, and the sum of their adjustment for varying speeds and
loads
was vacuum and centrifugal ignition advance. In those days, series
hybrids
could actually produce improved mpg by leveling the load on the engine,
so it
could be optimized for that load.
Today ICEs have computers that listen to rather sophisticated sensors,
monitoring operating conditions. The computers control electronic fuel
injection, ignition timing, and even valve timing. They are very good
at
maximizing efficiency at varying speeds and loads.
In modern ICEs, there's little if anything to be gained by fixed-speed
operation. Any gain is likely to at least be offset by the losses in
energy
conversion to electricity. This makes it difficult for series hybrids
to beat the
original ICE, let alone a parallel hybrid.
Someone pointed out that AC Propulsion's Honda Civic conversion could
make 35 mpg on the highway with its genset trailer. That's pretty good
-
you'd expect no less from a smart engineer like Alan Cocconi. However,
a
Honda Civic VX ICE - same vintage as his conversion - can easily hit 50
mpg
on the highway (it's EPA rated at 56 mpg).
Furthermore, Cocconi's range extender trailer used a motorcycle engine.
One matter I've never seen discussed (I may have just missed it) is the
emissions profile of that APU in grams per mile. I'd be surprised (and
pleasantly so) if it were as clean as the Honda Civic ICE it replaced.
Emissions control hardware (or the lack thereof) aside, keep in mind the
problem of controlling emissions in an engine that's frequently shut
down and
restarted. Every restart means higher exhaust emissions until the
control
system again warms up and stabilizes. The quasi-hybrids from Toyota and
Honda would get even better mpg if they didn't have to program the
computers to watch out for this issue. Getting the catalytic converter
up to
temperature and keeping it there is a priority for these cars -
especially the
Toyota, which aims for PZEV classification. (I think they keep their
oxygen
sensors warm electrically, but I'm not 100% sure.)
Bottom line : if you want to maximize your transportation efficiency, at
least
in the dimension of fuel usage and per-mile energy efficiency, you
should
have two vehicles in your household - an EV for short trips, and an ICE
for
longer ones. (Actually, a bicycle or even an e-bike in the mix would
improve
the efficiency even more.) The next best strategy (perhaps more
practical for
some, especially singles) is a parallel hybrid. A series hybrid will be
much
further down the list.
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
EVLN(UK milesautomotive nEV 60mi range, no reverse)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.thereporteronline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18193889&BRD=2275&PAG=461&dept_id=495527&rfi=6
County testing electric car
By: MARGARET GIBBONS, For The Reporter 04/11/2007
That is what most struck Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman
Thomas J. Ellis as he tooled about the Norristown Farm Park in an
electric car recently.
"There's no motor so you didn't hear anything," said Ellis. "It
was like driving a golf cart."
Ellis and his fellow commissioners test drove a Miles ZX40S
[ http://milesautomotive.com ], a zero-emission electric car,
that the county parks and heritage services department will be
testing for the next three months.
The Great Britain Automotive Group of Willow Grove is lending the
county the four-seat white car at no charge for a three-month
tryout period, said Ellis.
The car, which reminds Ellis of the "smaller cars you see in
Europe," is powered by a battery that is charged by plugging it
into an electrical outlet.
The car has a run-time of about three hours and a range of about
60 miles, depending on the type of terrain upon which it
travels.
The only difficulty Ellis had in his test drive was that he
initially could not put the car in reverse. He subsequently
learned that, unlike a normal car, a driver simply has to push
the "reverse" button on the electric car.
The car can reach a speed of about 25 miles an hour.
"For our purposes, the most practical use would be to use it to
move people and things in our parks, historic sites and along our
trails," said Ellis.
"It's a lot cheaper than running a car on fossil fuel," said
Ellis, explaining that the only energy cost is the replacement of
the battery at an approximate cost of $1,800 every 30,000 to
40,000 miles.
The demo car that the county is using costs about $16,500, he
said.
"The only drawback is that the car is made in China," said Ellis.
"I would prefer that it be manufactured in the United States and
maybe there are similar electric cars that are or will be. That
is something we will have to check."
Admittedly, Ellis said, the county is not in the forefront of
changing over to a "green" fleet whether it involves electric
cars or hybrid vehicles that use ethanol to fuel them.
"But I'm not sure that it is fair to say we are lagging behind,"
said Ellis. "We just don't want to do something because it sounds
good and then not have it really work out."
Also, he said, the county must always consider where there is a
real savings to taxpayers. In addition, the county is required by
law to put purchases out to bid, he said.
"Still, by demonstrating this technology, we are using our bully
pulpit by providing an example that private industry may follow,"
said Ellis.
The use of the car dovetails with the county's goal to help
reduce global warming by cutting down greenhouse gas emissions in
the county. About one-quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions
generated in the county are the result of fossil-fueled
transportation.
The county commissioners earlier in January created a citizens
task force charged with developing a plan to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions in the county. They gave the task force a deadline
of this summer to provide them with a completed action plan.
"Our citizens are concerned about the environment whether it is
the preservation of open space or global warming and want us to
take a leadership role in addressing these concerns," said
Ellis.
©Reporter online.com 2007
===
http://www.mpa.state.md.us/news/press/2007/NewElectricCarsfromChina.pdf
-
Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
' ____
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'@----- @'---(=
. http://geocities.com/brucedp/
. EV List Editor & AFV newswires
. (originator of the above ASCII art)
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EVLN(Actor Larry Hagman Drives An Electric Vehicle)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.ecorazzi.com/?p=2169
Larry Hagman Has A Solar Farm, Drives An Electric Vehicle
Filed under: green and famous, campaigns, transport
michael @ 12:19 pm
Anyone who has ever watched I Dream Of Jeannie or Dallas will
instantly recognize Larry Hagman. His career has spanned several
television shows and movies, but hes probably best recognized as
the bumbling astronaut or the ruthless oil baron, J.R. Ewing.
Anyways, Hagman is also quite the green celebrity. According to
his website, Larry has three gorgeous solar arrays on his
property in Ojai, drives a Toyota Prius Hybrid car and an
electric Dodge Gem, and uses alternative energy sources when ever
possible.
I never heard of the Dodge Gem, but apparently it gets about 35
miles per charge and plugs in to any standard outlet. We have no
idea if Hagmans property is off grid (well leave it to the
experts to figure that one out) but its safe to say the guy was
very ahead of his time with green energy. It also lends credence
to his values being genuine and not something representative of
the times.
One of the major projects being supported by Hagman presently is
Refunds for Good. As mentioned previously, the campaign directs
people on how to claim telephone tax refunds and then give that
money to various environmental causes. Hagman is especially vocal
about supporting the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF); which
brings renewable solar energy to developing countries. Hes been
working with the group for over 10 years now and sees Refunds for
Good as a great way to help out.
Hit their site for more information on how you can claim your
phone tax refund and contribute to some worthy green causes.
Additional celebrity support includes Ed Begley. Jr., The Daily
Shows Nate Corddry, and Martin Sheen.
WordPress, Ecorazzi Copyright 2006
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(USSC rule state's emissions laws Yes, automakers argue No)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_5632605?nclick_check=1
After emissions ruling, California should get in gear
By Steve Westly Article Launched: 04/10/2007 01:37:28 AM PDT
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling in
the fight against global warming. The ruling should empower
California and 13 other states to enforce their own standards for
autos, expanding on new programs targeting industrial emissions.
Amid all the excitement, the auto industry continues to lobby
against statewide emissions standards, citing concerns about
competitiveness and regulatory complexity. Despite their
objections, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a unique opportunity
to enforce California's Clean Cars Bill.
Now that statewide standards are imminent, the auto industry is
stalling. A longtime opponent of greenhouse gas regulations, the
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is now calling for a
"national, federal, economy-wide approach to addressing
greenhouse gases." A national program is a great goal, but we
can't let that stop us from acting in California - and acting
fast.
Back in 1971 the same groups said a statewide emissions program
wouldn't work, but they were wrong. That year California
unilaterally passed legislation mandating cleaner vehicles.
Congress stalled, noting that California is just one state. But
because of California's market power, we forced the auto
industry's hand and it responded with the catalytic converter in
1975. Soon after the whole nation was using them.
Former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley's "Clean Cars Bill" has been
tied up in court for three years because of the Bush
administration's coziness with automakers. During that time, 13
other states have passed laws modeled on California's. With
Monday's ruling, California should win its case and a waiver to
set standards for tailpipe carbon emissions. With the nation
caravanning behind us, California should drive forward boldly -
not stop and ask the Bush administration for directions.
Detroit automakers argue that emissions standards will hurt
international competitiveness, but foreign makers are already
producing cleaner cars - and consumers love them. A confluence of
factors is driving the market to low-emission vehicles, and it's
not just global warming. It's gas prices and concerns about
international security, but somehow Detroit isn't getting the
message.
Just this week the Union of Concerned Scientists released its
annual report on the auto industry. As usual, Japanese automakers
top the charts as the cleanest, while American automakers are the
dirtiest. According to the report, DaimlerChrysler cars and
trucks emit 70 percent more smog and nearly 30 percent more
greenhouse gases than those made by Honda. Meanwhile, U.S.
automakers struggle to keep afloat while sales of the hybrid
Toyota Prius and the fuel-efficient Honda Civic continue to break
records.
New emissions standards in California could be the kick Detroit
needs to start making cleaner cars. More important, it could be
an exciting opportunity for economic growth in California. We're
positioned to lead a new boom in clean technologies that will not
only solve our environmental crisis, but also create thousands of
good-paying jobs.
Venture investment in clean technologies more than doubled last
year, and most of that growth was in the Silicon Valley. The same
people who led the dot-com boom that fueled California's growth
in the 1990s in the semiconductor, Internet and software
industries are leading a new boom in solar, electric cars and
alternative fuels. The X Prize Foundation has announced it's
offering a $10 million prize for a production-capable car that
exceeds 100 mpg. As someone who works at one of the world's
leading venture firms and sits on the board of a prominent
electric car company, I can tell you that California
entrepreneurs will meet that challenge sooner than you might
think.
With the high court's ruling, California won't just set the
standards; we'll build the technologies to help the world meet
them. Where Washington has failed, California must lead.
STEVE WESTLY is a past state controller and now serves on the
boards of the electric car company Tesla Motors and the
cellulosic fuel company Altra Biofuels. He wrote this article for
the Mercury News.
Copyright 2007 San Jose Mercury News
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(Jp: 2015 EVs should cost slightly more than a minicar)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.greenprices.com/eu/newsletter/GPBE_47_070411/Battery.asp
Europe News Contents Business Edition, nr 47
Japanese research to redefine car batteries 11 April 2007
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
organises a research project to improve both the power and the
energy contents of batteries for electric vehicles, according to
a report in Nikkei Weekly.
METI will set up teams of researchers from the automobile and
battery manufacturers together with university researchers. Their
first goal will be to reduce the retail price of high-capacity
lithium-ion batteries by 85%. Eventually, by 2030, the battery
prices should be reduced by 97.5%.
By 2015 an electric vehicle (EV) should be available that will
cost slightly more than a minicar, but the reduced power
consumption will make it a more advantageous choice after about
10 years of use.
The battery research branches out in batteries for Hybrid
Vehicles (high power, low energy content) and for Electric
Vehicles (lower power, high energy content). By 2030 METI targets
for an electric vehicle that drives 500 kilometres on a single
charge.
The main driver behind the research is the Japanese target of
reducing the transport sectors oil dependence by 20% by 2030.
Japan expects oil to get scarce due to the increased demand from
emerging markets.
More information:
Recommendations for the Future of Next-Generation Vehicle
Batteries (METI) as .pdf
[
http://www.meti.go.jp/english/information/downloadfiles/PressRelease/060828VehicleBatteries.pdf
]
Source: GP Newsdesk content provided by Ecofys B.V.
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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EVLN(UK family singled out for wanting to drive Electric)
[The Internet Electric Vehicle List News. For Public EV
informational purposes. Contact publication for reprint rights.]
--- {EVangel}
http://www.muswellhilljournal24.co.uk/content/haringey/muswellhilljournal/news/story.aspx?brand=MHJOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsmhj&itemid=WeED11%20Apr%202007%2010%3A48%3A06%3A590
Council puts brakes on family's electric dreams
[EMAIL PROTECTED] 11 April 2007
[Picture: Tony Gay
http://www.muswellhilljournal24.co.uk/london24/assets/images/dynamicFeed/smithc31211042007.P01.jpg
MARTIN BAILEY has had his efforts to park an electric G-Wiz car
on his drive blocked by Haringey Council]
A FAMILY has claimed Haringey Council is stopping them from
"going green" because their plans to buy an electric car have
been thwarted by red tape.
Carol and Martin Bailey, of Muswell Hill Road, Muswell Hill,
converted their front drive into a car parking space so they
could buy a G-Wiz electric car and have it charged up easily from
a power point inside.
[image - ELECTRIC G-WIZ cars are exempt from parking and
congestion charges]
They spent thousands of pounds on blocking over their garden to
make the parking space - but were then told by Haringey Council
they could not have permission to lower the kerb to make the
space accessible.
Son Joseph Bailey, 26, a company director, said: "The council is
preventing people from doing their bit to go green.
"We wanted to get a G-Wiz but were told we couldn't run cables
across the pavement to charge it up.
"People all over the borough are getting permission to lower
their kerbs. We, somehow, are not."
The family has claimed that a Haringey Council planner told them
to go ahead with the building work, and then apply to have the
pavement lowered, although this could not be confirmed by a
council spokesman.
The family are angry that they have not been allowed to do the
work that many of their neighbours have - and have wasted a lot
of money on the scheme.
Haringey Council has said the family cannot use their front
garden as a parking space because the required entrance point
would be too close to a bus stop.
But the family feel the local authority is not fairly enforcing
the rules. They have now received a letter from the council which
features a photograph taken by the council of their builder's car
parked in the drive.
The letter warned that, if the family continued to park cars
there, it would place a bollard over the entrance to stop it.
Mr Bailey added: "I can't believe someone from the council is
lurking around taking photographs of our house like this."
Councillor Brian Haley, executive member for environment and
conservation, said: "Our new proposals for grading residential
parking charges according to vehicles' carbon emissions are aimed
at encouraging people to purchase vehicles such as the G-Wiz.
However, as part of our drive to become the greenest borough in
London, we also want to prevent people, where possible, from
paving over their front gardens to create parking spaces. We have
recently introduced tougher measures on crossovers - where we
drop the kerb to allow residents to park off the road - to try to
put a halt to this loss of green space in roads across Haringey.
"Clearly we don't want to encourage residents to apply for
crossovers - which have a negative impact on the environment - in
order that they can benefit the environment by using electric
vehicles.
"We would encourage anyone who is considering purchasing an
electric vehicle but who doesn't have a driveway to contact us so
that we can advise on the best individual solution for them."
The practice of lowering kerbs has come under criticism from some
groups, who believe that the work causes damage to the
environment by replacing greenery with concrete.
©2007 Archant Regional Limited www.archant.co.uk All rights
reserved.
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Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter
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On 11 Apr 2007 at 17:05, Dale Ulan wrote:
> Or why don't we have reasonably priced AC technology?
Ah, but reasonable to whom?
Suppose you're the designer who had just put many thousands of person-
hours and a pile of dead, twisted silicon into designing that AC drive. You
know you'll be lucky to sell more than a few hundred during its design
lifetime. You're a small company and can't afford to sell it at a loss. What
do you do?
In this situation, a $10,000 price per copy might very well seem reasonable to
you. How else could you ever recoup your costs with such low volume?
The reason that hobbyists can buy DC road EV drives cheaply is that many
of the "name brand" components, such as ADC motors and Curtis
controllers, are leveraged from mass-produced drives for forklifts and golf
cars. Their designs are already pretty well amortized.
Other DC drive components are built by EV hobbyists in their basements and
garages. It's a labor of love in many ways. Their overhead is low. They have
few employees and don't pay them much. They don't pay >themselves<
much. They may not have shop rent. They probably don't have a big startup
debt to service. They're apt to have little or no insurance coverage; with
their
low sales numbers they're gambling that they'll never get hit with a product
liability suit.
When (if) AC drives become common in forklifts and golf cars, I expect that
they'll get cheaper for EV hobbyists.
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