Friday, May 14, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

So, How Many Electric Cars Will There be in 2020? Analysts are All Over the Place

Posted: 14 May 2010 11:31 AM PDT

Short answer: anywhere from 2-10% of new car sales will be plug-ins by 2020, but it seems there is not a single analyst who can agree on that number without caveats. Real answer: nobody knows, but they like to make a lot of noise about it and project confidence that they do. I could do that. Maybe I should be an analyst? Seems they make a lot of money and they’re always in demand.

Anyway, Nissan says that number will be 10% and Tesla also thinks it will be in that range. Another analysis, done by Deloitte Consulting, was released today that says EVs will only be between 2% and 5% of the market by 2020.

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Charging an Electric Car at Home: How Many More Solar Panels do I Need?

Posted: 14 May 2010 11:00 AM PDT

For many, buying an electric car isn’t simply a means to an end, it is a whole statement on their lifestyle; it stems from a desire to simultaneously help the environment and increase energy security. But, one of the biggest worries I hear is that EVs only switch pollution from one source to another, given that 52% of our electricity in the U.S. comes from coal power.

Although there are plenty of studies that now show EVs are much cleaner than combustion cars even when ‘fueled’ from our current energy grid and there are plenty of other reasons to switch to EVs, wouldn’t it still be nice to provide all the power for that car from solar panels on your roof?

So, if you’re planning on putting solar panels on your house, and you imagine an electric car is in your future, how much bigger does your solar array need to be provide enough electricity for your spanking new EV to get from A to B every day?

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Nissan May Not be Talking, But Others are Spilling the Beans on the LEAF Battery Price

Posted: 14 May 2010 10:03 AM PDT

Last week it surfaced that the Nissan LEAF battery may cost an astoundingly low $375 per kilowatt hour to produce. Given that the battery is the single most expensive piece of equipment on electric cars, getting that cost down as quickly as possible will be key to selling them at reasonable prices.

In a Bloomberg report today, the LEAF’s battery maker, Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) — which is joint venture between Nissan and NEC — is saying that their targets are “a lot tougher.” Masahiko Otsuka, president of AESC, even went on to give specifics, saying that their target is lower than $370 per kWh for the entire battery pack.

Whether or not that price is what AESC can provide out of the starting gate is another question entirely.

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“Cell” Concept Electric Vehicle Part of Large Car Sharing Web

Posted: 14 May 2010 09:06 AM PDT

As I’ve said before, I love concept cars — even hopelessly impractical ones. This is because they serve as a test bed and a gauge for the consumers’ interest in certain technology. Chrysler learned the hard way people don’t want turbine cars, but the Camaro concept car worked out well for GM.

The Cell concept car is merely one artist’s attempt to predict the future of green travelling. With an airplane-like cockpit, high-tech goodies, and an electric powertrain, the three-wheeler is an exercise in being different.

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Climate Bill Promises More Money For Automakers, More Offshore Drilling

Posted: 14 May 2010 09:02 AM PDT

It took President Obama and a “super majority” Democratically-led Congress over a year to plan and pass healthcare legislation in this country. Some people still don’t quite know what is in that bill or what it will do, but already Washington D.C. has moved on to its next piece of legislation, the so-called American Power Act.

Among many other things, the bill proposed by Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman opens up vast tracts of ocean for oil exploration, pumps billions into mass transit, encourages heavy trucks to switch from diesel to natural gas, and provides for the creation of a carbon offset trading house. So, is this bill any good, and will it ever actually make it into law?

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EPA Most Wanted: Seeks Emissions Tester for Violating Clean Air Act

Posted: 14 May 2010 08:57 AM PDT

An auto emissions tester in Nevada, Joseph DeMatteo, is wanted by authorities for falsifying vehicle emissions test reports. He was part of a ring of ten alleged fakers, who were indicted by a grand jury for illegal activities during a period from November 2007 to May 2009.

Did you know the EPA had a “Most Wanted” list?

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