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[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
UK Government Soliciting Bids for £30M for Charging Points; New Office for Low Emission Vehicles
November 19, 2009
The UK Government is soliciting bids for £30 million (US$50 million) in funding to support the installation of plug-in vehicle charging points on streets, car parks and in commercial, retail and leisure facilities. This initiative—called Plugged-In Places—will support the development of between three and six electric car cities and regions across the UK which will act as trailblazers for electric car technology. The experiences of these locations will inform the future development of a national charging infrastructure.
Funding will be made available to consortia in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland made up of local authorities, businesses, electricity distributors and suppliers and other organizations like the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). The funds will be made available in two phases.
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Dutch Cabinet Approves Mileage Tax; In Effect in 2012 if Approved by Parliament
November 14, 2009
The Dutch Cabinet on Friday approved a new road tax bill that would eliminate the current motor vehicle tax and purchase tax and replace them with a charge per kilometer driven, starting in 2012 and increasing through 2018. The measure needs to be approved by the Dutch Parliament before becoming law.
The Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management cited research showing that the number of vehicle kilometers driven will decrease by about 15% under such a mechanism. The Ministry also suggested that motorists seeking alternatives such as public transport will increase by 6%, while traffic fatalities are expected to decrease by about 7%. Emissions of CO2 and particulate matter are expected to decrease by more than 10%.
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New Tool for Determining Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Hydrogen Infrastructure and Fuel Cell Vehicles
November 06, 2009
| GHG analysis for hydrogen from renewable sources (HR) and fossil sources (HF), compared to advanced gasoline ICE vehicles (Scenario G). The portion of GHG emissions associated with gasoline ICE vehicles is distinguished from those associated with HFCV. Credit: ACS, Stephens-Romero et al. Click to enlarge. |
Although studies widely agree that widespread deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the associated infrastructure would reduce air pollutant emissions from the transportation sector, the extent to which air quality in an urban airshed will be affected by these reductions is a more complex matter than simply quantifying emissions.
To address that, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new tool—spatially and temporally resolved energy and environment tool” (STREET)—to characterize the pollutant and GHG emissions associated with a comprehensive hydrogen supply infrastructure and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles at a high level of geographic and temporal resolution.
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MIT and National Research Foundation of Singapore Launch Project on New Models and Tools for Future Urban Transportation
November 03, 2009
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Research Foundation of Singapore launched a new project to develop new models and tools for the planning, design, and operation of future urban transportation. Aimed at making urban transportation systems more environmentally sustainable—first in Singapore, and ultimately on a global scale—these new models will be developed and deployed by nearly 60 researchers from four academic institutions.
The fourth Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre (SMART Centre), the new Future Urban Mobility IRG is focused on developing innovative mobility solutions that simultaneously tackle two opposing objectives:
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US Utilities Pledge to Ramp Up Efforts To Make Electricity a Crucial Transportation Fuel
October 21, 2009
Declaring an urgent imperative to prepare for the use of electricity as a crucial transportation fuel in the future, the US’ electric utilities collectively pledged to move forward aggressively to create the infrastructure to support the full-scale commercialization and deployment of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).
The pledge represents a culmination of efforts by Edison Electric Institute (EEI) member companies to survey the current state of electric transportation initiatives among utilities, evaluate how those initiatives fit in with the overall goal of advancing transportation electrification and determine what more is needed. There are five areas of focus:
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BMW, Daimler and VW Propose Global e-mobility Standardization on Vehicle2Grid Communication, Harmonization of Chargers
September 26, 2009
| BMW, Daimler and VW are proposing a global OSI-Layer based standardization of smart charge communication. This diagram shows requirements and technologies mapped against the OSI 7-layer reference model for interoperability. Source: Oestreicher/Preuschoff/Bogenberger. Click to enlarge. |
In a joint presentation at the California Air Resource Board ZEV Technology Symposium last week, BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen proposed global standardization for the e-mobility charging infrastructure, including one worldwide standard for smart charge communication, as well as a proposed pathway for harmonizing the two main standards for AC chargers and infrastructure.
Vehicle communications. Currently, there are two primary and parallel standardization efforts for vehicle to grid communications: a joint ISO/IEC working group and an EPRI/SAE effort. These could result, said Werner Preuschoff from Daimler, in two sets of standards, one ISO/IEC standard, and one SAE standard. “So which to implement, both of them? That’s a lot of effort.”
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Commerce Secretary Releases Draft Smart Grid Interoperability Plan; Plug-in Vehicle Standards One of the Priorities
September 24, 2009
US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke released the draft of an accelerated plan for Smart Grid interoperability. Produced by the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the approximately 90-page document identifies about 80 initial interoperability standards and 14 priority action plans that address the most important gaps in the initial standard set.
The Smart Grid will employ real-time, two-way digital information and communication technologies in the operation of the nation’s electricity grid. Standards will support interoperability of all the various pieces of the system, ranging from large utility companies down to individual homes, electronic devices and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).
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US House Passes $2.85B Bill for Advanced Technology Vehicle R&D from 2010-2014
September 17, 2009
The US House yesterday passed by a vote of 312-114 a bill that would authorize additional appropriations totalling $2.85 billion over the 2010-2014 period for the US Department of Energy (DOE) to support a broad range of research activities for advanced technology vehicles.
H.R. 3246, the “Advanced Vehicle Technology Act of 2009” covers research on light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, as well as infrastructure and pilot programs. Ultimately targeting the development of technologies and practices that improve the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions of vehicles produced in the US, the bill also aims to “ensure a proper balance and diversity of Federal investment in vehicle technologies”, while strengthening “partnerships between Federal and State governmental agencies and the private and academic sectors.”
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Better Place Debuts EV Services Platform and Partners at Frankfurt Motor Show
September 16, 2009
| A screenshot of Better Place’s in-car EV services software, code-named AutOS, introduced at Frankfurt. Click to enlarge. |
Better Place introduced its electric vehicle (EV) services platform at the Frankfurt Motor Show, in conjunction with Renault’s unveiling of the Fluence ZE Concept with Quickdrop (switchable) battery system and an expanded agreement with Renault, committing both companies to a volume of at least 100,000 electric cars in Israel and Denmark by 2016. (Earlier post.)
Better Place announced it is working with Continental of Germany, Flextronics, Intel, Microsoft, and TÜV Rheinland on different aspects of its EV services platform and infrastructure: Flextronics for charge points; Continental, Microsoft and Intel for the in-car computing platform AutOS; and TÜV Rheinland for safety certification.
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Renault Unveils Four Concept EVs and Quickdrop Battery Switch System; Commits to 100,000 EVs with Better Place
September 15, 2009
| Aerial view of the four ZE Concepts: Twizy, Kangoo, Zoe, and Fluence. Click to enlarge. |
At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault unveiled four Lithium-ion battery electric concept vehicles that provide a preview of Renault’s range of production electric vehicles to be released from 2011 on: Twizy ZE Concept (city car); Zoe ZE Concept (compact car); Fluence ZE Concept (5 passenger sedan); and Kangoo ZE Concept (electric van).
In addition to standard charge and quick charge option, Renault also highlighted the exclusive “Quickdrop” system for battery switching at an exchange station such as that being developed by Better Place. Renault and Better Place also announced an expansion of their current agreement by committing to a volume of at least 100,000 electric cars in Israel and Denmark by 2016.
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ETI Launches £11M Nationwide Plug-in Vehicle Plan to Accelerate Market Growth in UK
September 11, 2009
The UK’s Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) launched a Joined-Cities Plan designed to make it easier for drivers to charge plug-in vehicles in a number of major UK cities by deploying a cost-effective and compatible network of recharging points. (Earlier post.)
The £11-million (US$18-million) plan has been created to help support the roll-out of a single national network that will ultimately enable plug-in vehicles to be easily used and recharged anywhere, including the home.
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Germany Launches H2 Mobility Initiative to Expand Infrastructure for Refueling Hydrogen Vehicles
September 10, 2009
Daimler AG and leading energy companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Berlin, with the participation of the German Minister of Transport, Wolfgang Tiefensee, to evaluate and expand the setup of a hydrogen infrastructure in Germany to support the series production of fuel cell electric vehicles. In addition to Daimler, partners in the “H2 Mobility” initiative include EnBW, Linde, OMV, Shell, Total, Vattenfall and the NOW GmbH (National Organization Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology). The project is open for other interested partners.
The H2 Mobility launch comes one day after leading automakers signed a Letter of Understanding regarding the commercialization and series production of fuel cell electric vehicles from 2015 onward. Noting the importance of a hydrogen infrastructure with sufficient density, the automakers—Daimler, Ford, GM/Opel, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Renault Nissan Alliance, and Toyota—in that LoU strongly supported building up a hydrogen infrastructure in Europe, with Germany as regional starting point, among other global starting points. (Earlier post.)
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DOE Selects High-Tonnage Biomass Feedstock Projects for up to $21M in Funding
August 31, 2009
The US Department of Energy will award up to $21 million to five projects that will develop supply systems to handle and deliver high-tonnage biomass feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels production. The selection of the projects is in response to a funding opportunity announcement issued by DOE back in March.(Earlier post.)
The chosen awards were selected as the best projects to stimulate the design and demonstration of a comprehensive system to handle the harvesting, collection, preprocessing, transport, and storage of sufficient volumes of sustainably produced feedstocks. Feedstocks or combinations of feedstocks that were considered include: agricultural residues, energy crops (e.g., switchgrass, miscanthus, energycane, sorghum, poplar, willow), forest resources (e.g., forest thinnings, wood chips, wood wastes, small diameter trees), and urban wood wastes.
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California Energy Commission Awards eTec $8M in Support of Transportation Electrification Project; Almost $7M to Other Plug-in Infrastructure and Vehicle Projects
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, an estimated $8 million to support the deployment of charge infrastructure and electric vehicles (EVs) in the San Diego region that is part of eTec’s project awarded $99.8 million in Recovery Act funds from the Department of Energy. (Earlier post.)
As eTec’s proposed project to the US Department of Energy is anticipated to deploy up to 2,550 charging stations in the San Diego area, the additional funding from the California Energy Commission will allow for a substantial increase in the amount of charge infrastructure deployed in the region, according to Don Karner, president, eTec.
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Better Place to Conduct Pilot Project in Tokyo for Electric Taxis with Switchable Batteries; Research Partnership with University of Melbourne
August 26, 2009
Better Place has received an award from the Japanese government to conduct a pilot project in Tokyo for the world’s first electric taxis with switchable batteries. Better Place will partner with Tokyo’s largest taxi operator, Nihon Kotsu, in the project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry’s Natural Resources and Energy Agency.
The project, which follows on the company’s successful battery switch demonstration earlier this year in Yokohama (earlier post), is slated to begin in January 2010.
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NIST Awards EnerNex Contract Worth Up to $8.5M to Sustain Fast Track Development of Smart Grid Standards
August 22, 2009
The US Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded EnerNex Corporation a contract to help NIST sustain the accelerated development of the hundreds of compatible standards that will be required to build a secure, interoperable smart electric power grid. EnerNex is an electric power engineering and consulting firm specializing in the development and application of new electric power technologies.
The contract will run for up to two years if all options are exercised with an estimated cost of about $8.5 million. NIST is obligating a portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds allocated to NIST through the Department of Energy to the contract.
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US State Department Issues Permit for Alberta Clipper Pipeline for Oil Sands Crude Delivery to US
August 21, 2009
| The Alberta Clipper pipeline (red). Click to enlarge. |
The US State Department has issued a Presidential Permit to Enbridge Energy, Limited Partnership to enable construction of the Alberta Clipper pipeline for the transport of crude oil from the Canadian oil sands to US refineries. (Earlier post.)
The 1,000-mile/1,607-km pipeline will run from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada, to Superior, Wisconsin. Construction in the United States will consist of two components that would have independent utility: the Alberta Clipper Pipeline itself and the Southern Lights Diluent Pipeline. The 36-inch Alberta Clipper Pipeline will carry up to 450,000 barrels of oil sands crude per day—with ultimate capacity of up to 800,000 bpd available—from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Canada to refineries in the US.
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GM’s Approach to Integrating Smart Plug-ins to the Smart Grid Leverages Emerging Standards and OnStar
August 19, 2009
| GM is embracing the use of communications standards that operate with optional data transports to enable smart charging and integration with the emerging smart grid. EVSE=Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment. PLC=Power Line Communications. Source: GM. Click to enlarge. |
While the ultimate vision of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) operating as smart nodes in the smart grid offers compelling benefits for both end users and utilities, achieving that vision will require coordinated development and a staged, evolutionary implementation involving both the utility and automotive industries, according to George Bellino, GM manager of strategic programs, in a presentation at the Plug-in 2009 conference in Long Beach, California last week.
Among the basic requirements for successfully implementing smart vehicle/smart grid combination are specific, standardized requirements and solutions for vehicle-to-utility communications, and compatible methods to bridge the many gaps in the charging and communications infrastructure until North American and global standards are in place.
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Ford Testing Intelligent System for Plug-in Vehicle to Grid Communication to Manage Charging
August 18, 2009
| The Ford PHEV charge settings user interface. Click to enlarge. |
Ford Motor Company has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that communicates directly with the electric grid. The new technology, which builds on Ford technologies such as SYNC, SmartGauge with EcoGuide and Ford Work Solutions—allows the vehicle operator to program when to recharge the vehicle, for how long and at what utility rate.
All 21 of Ford’s fleet of plug-in hybrid Escapes eventually will be equipped with the vehicle-to-grid communications technology. The first of the specially equipped plug-in hybrids has been delivered to American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio. Ford’s other utility partners’ vehicles will also be equipped with the communications technology.
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Ford’s View on Electrification Enablers; Looking for Battery Commonization
August 15, 2009
| Ford’s view of the different enablers for successful vehicle electrification. Click to enlarge. |
Noting that “once you plug the vehicle into the wall, success becomes a team sport”, Mike Tinskey, manager of Ford’s sustainability activities focused on electric vehicles and infrastructure, outlined what Ford sees as enablers for electrification (“controllable success factors”), during a presentation at the Plug-in 2009 conference in Long Beach this past week.
Prior to his current position, Tinskey led Ford’s product planning and product management activities for hybrids and for developing and implementing the electric vehicle strategy announced last January (earlier post). During his talk, he suggested that migrating to some battery commonality would be a huge win for the industry simply because it would support a more rapid achievement of the higher production volumes required to bring prices down.
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SDG&E to Test Mobile Smart Charging Device for Plug-ins
August 12, 2009
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) will test and evaluate a mobile smart charging device for plug-in electric vehicles developed by Juice Technologies LLC. SDG&E and Juice Technologies presented a prototype of the Juice Technologies Plug Smart intelligent charging device at the Plug-In 2009 Conference in Long Beach, CA.
The device is being developed to provide customers with a convenient, cost-effective method to charge their vehicle during off-peak hours to take advantage of reduced electric rates. Together with technologies being developed by SDG&E, the Juice Technologies Plug Smart intelligent charger could allow customers to charge their vehicle anywhere in SDG&E’s service territory and charge the usage to their SDG&E account.
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DOE Award Supports Largest Single Deployment of EVs and Infrastructure Yet; Up to 5,000 Nissan LEAF EVs in 5 Regions
August 05, 2009
One of the projects receiving support in the massive $2.4-billion award for advanced battery and electric drive projects from the US Department of Energy (DOE) (earlier post) will result in the largest deployment of an electric vehicle and supporting charging infrastructure yet undertaken.
Lead grant applicant Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, received a $99.8 million award, which will be matched by regional project participants for a combined value of approximately $199.6 million, for installation of approximately 2,500 charging stations in each of five markets: Tennessee, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and the Phoenix/Tucson region. The project will also deploy up to 1,000 Nissan LEAF EVs (earlier post) in each market, for a total EV deployment of up to 5,000 units.
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Brookhaven Lab Direct Magnetic Measurements Question Assumptions About High-Tc Superconductors
August 03, 2009
| A single crystal of BSCCO showing the typical size achieved by the Brookhaven team. Source: BNL. Click to enlarge. |
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) have grown crystals of a high-temperature (high-Tc) superconductor material that are large enough to directly measure the material’s magnetic properties. These measurements, published online on 2 August by Nature Physics, cast considerable doubt on some assumptions commonly made in trying to understand the role magnetism plays in these materials’ ability to carry current with no resistance. Such materials promise more-efficient, lower-cost energy transmission if they can be made to operate under real-world conditions.
The Brookhaven team studied the copper-oxide superconductor that has undergone the most extensive electronic analysis of any high-Tc material. Abbreviated as BSCCO, the material contains bismuth, strontium, and calcium in addition to copper and oxygen (Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ).
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USCAR Argues for Continued US Funding of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Research
July 30, 2009
| Projected hydrogen fuel cell system costs. Click to enlarge. |
The United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) recently published a whitepaper on the importance of continued research of hydrogen as a low-carbon transportation solution, in the context of the proposed cutting of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle research in the Department of Energy FY2010 budget. (Earlier post.) The whitepaper is available for download on the USCAR website.
A separate interim report by the National Research Council (NRC) assessing the strategy and structure of the Department of Energy’s FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership, also published in July, concluded that although the Obama Administration’s focus on nearer-term vehicle technologies to reduce petroleum fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is on the right track, there remains a need for continued investment in longer-term, higher-risk, higher-payoff vehicle technologies that could be “highly transformational ” with regard to those twin concerns. In addition to advanced batteries, such technologies include systems for hydrogen storage and hydrogen fuel cells, the review panel said. (Earlier post.)
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US DOE Awards More than $47M in Recovery Act Funding to Advance Smart Grid Development; New Smart Grid Report and Smart Grid Clearinghouse
July 21, 2009
The US Department of Energy delivered more than $47 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for eight projects to further smart grid demonstration projects in seven states. Energy Secretary Chu also announced $10.5 million in Recovery Act funding available for local governments to develop emergency preparedness plans for their electrical systems.
The $47 million in new Recovery Act awards will support existing projects that are advancing demonstration-scale smart grid technologies. This investment will add to the $17 million in funds the Department had awarded these projects in 2008 following a competitive award process.
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Proterra Fuel Cell Hybrid Bus in DoD Hydrogen Energy Cycle Pilot Project
July 11, 2009
Colorado-based Proterra LLC, a manufacturer of electric drive commercial transportation solutions (battery-electric and range-extended EVs) from city transit buses to class 4-8 trucks (earlier post), will provide a hydrogen fuel cell hybrid bus (earlier post) for use a US Department of Defense (DoD) pilot project designed to test an end-to-end clean hydrogen energy cycle.
Led by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), the pilot project will include all elements of a clean hydrogen energy cycle, including local hydrogen generation via waste water treatment digester gas cleanup and reformation; bulk hydrogen storage, transport and dispensing; and hydrogen load in the form of 19 fuel-cell powered electric forklifts and Proterra’s fuel cell powered bus.
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ECOtality Establishes Joint Venture to Manufacture and Distribute Electric Vehicle Charging Systems in China
July 06, 2009
ECOtality, Inc. has signed a letter of intent to enter into a joint venture with Shenzhen Goch Investment, Ltd. that will provide US$15 million to establish manufacturing and distribution operations for electric vehicle (EV) charging systems in China.
To support the Company’s anticipated expansion, ECOtality received a combined US$2.5 million direct investment from Shenzhen Goch and existing ECOtality institutional shareholders.
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Proposed US Transportation Reauthorization Plan Links Greenhouse Gas Reductions to Transportation Planning
June 21, 2009
Among the proposals in the new US highway and transportation funding reauthorization bill, outlined by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Ranking Member John L. Mica (R-Fla.) in a press conference last week, is the linkage of transportation planning with greenhouse gas emissions reductions. If enacted, this would transform the current transportation planning process in the US.
As described in a summary of the proposed bill published by the Committee, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the Department of Transportation (DOT), would establish national transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
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NIST Releases EPRI Report on Smart Grid Development; Priorities, Standards, Architecture
June 19, 2009
| Smart Grid electric transportation applications summary communications diagram. Click to enlarge. |
The US Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released for public review a report that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing technical standards and an architecture for a US Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is a planned nationwide network that will use 21st century information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources.
The nearly 300-page report, developed and delivered to NIST by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), is part of the first phase of NIST’s three-phase plan, announced in April, to expedite development of key standards for the Smart Grid. NIST will accept public comments on the report for 30 days after the publication of an upcoming notice in the Federal Register announcing the report’s availability.
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Volvo Technology to Lead New York Commercial Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Development Program
June 11, 2009
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has selected Volvo Technology North America to lead the development and demonstration of an advanced Commercial Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (CVII) program. A contract awarding this program to Volvo Technology is being finalized by the state.
The program will demonstrate VII applications for commercial vehicles along key transportation corridors in the greater New York City region. Test corridors, utilizing 5.9 GHz dedicated short range communications (DSRC), include 13 miles of the New York State Thruway Authority’s I-87 Spring Valley Corridor and 42 miles of NYSDOT’s I-495 Long Island Expressway.
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Elektromotive Debuts Tool for Monitoring and Invoicing Electricity Drawn from Charging Stations; Three-Phase Fast Charge Prototype with Mennekes Coupler
May 15, 2009
| The Mennekes system. Click to enlarge. |
UK-based Elektromotive introduced EBConnect—a tool for monitoring and invoicing electricity drawn from vehicle charging stations—at EVS 24. EBConnect will be installed in all Elektrobay charging stations, of which there are already more than 160 across the UK.
The EBConnect software manages a two-way exchange of data via GSM and the internet to track electricity usage and invoice accordingly. The system allows the possibility of a number of payment methods including a ‘pay-and-go’ service, where the user adds credits to their personalized Elektrobay keyfob.
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Better Place Demonstrates Battery Switch Technology
May 13, 2009
| Demo vehicle moving into position for battery switch. Click image to see demonstration video. |
Better Place officially opened the Yokohama, Japan EV exhibit with the public debut of its automated battery switch system, designed to make long distance travel by EV convenient for customers.
Better Place selected the Nissan Dualis to demonstrate the battery switch technology. This crossover utility vehicle is not necessarily indicative as to any potential EV lineup by Nissan. The technology demonstration used specially-built 400V battery packs with standard lithium-ion cells from A123Systems. The cells were inserted into an enclosure built to fit this specific Nissan Dualis vehicle application.
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The Long View from SAE 2009 World Congress
April 29, 2009
by Bill Cooke
On 20 April, the opening day of the SAE 2009 World Congress, the AVL Technology Leadership Theater presented a forum on “Green Mobility—The Long View”. Organized by Shane Chang at Honda Research Institute USA Inc., the session counted among its panelists:
Professor John Heywood, Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Sloan Auto Laboratory at MIT. Dr. Heywood recently co-authored a study called “On The Road in 2035—Reducing Petroleum Consumption and GHG Emissions.”
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Renault-Nissan Alliances Forms EV Partnership in Phoenix Metro Area; Beginning of a Phoenix-Tucson EV Charging Corridor
April 16, 2009
Nissan and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), which represents the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan region, are forming a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network. ECOtality Inc. will participate in the partnership by initiating its EV Micro-Climate program in the Phoenix region to promote sensible policies, intelligent deployment of charge infrastructure, and strong public awareness to foster the successful consumer adoption of grid-connected electric vehicles.
In March, Nissan announced a similar partnership with ECOtality and the Pima Association of Governments, in the Tucson, Ariz., area, to promote a charging network infrastructure. (Earlier post.) ECOtality plans to link the Phoenix and Tucson Metro areas by implementing strategic fast-charge stations along Interstate 10 (I-10) to create the first implementation of an EV Corridor in North America. (Phoenix is about 116 miles (187 km) from Tucson via the 10.)
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GM: Putting 1M Plug-ins on the Road Will Require a “Plug-In Ecosystem”
April 02, 2009
In a conference call organized by GM, Tony Posawatz, Chevrolet Volt and Global Electric Vehicle Line Director; Mark Duvall, Director of Electric Transportation, EPRI; and Bob Hayden, Clean Transportation Advisor, Department of Environment, City and County of San Francisco described the nature and role of the “plug-in ecosystem” required to support one million and more plug-ins on the road in the US.
Posawatz (who wryly referred to having read “someplace” about the Chevy Volt having some challenges, earlier post) said that GM believes there are four pillars that make up a plug-in ecosystem and that must be in place to assure the Volt’s successful commercial launch:
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Nissan, Pima Association of Governments and ECOtality to Partner on EVs and EV Charging Infrastructure for Tucson Area
March 06, 2009
Nissan; the Pima Association of Governments (PAG), which represents the Tucson, Arizona region; and ECOtality are forming a partnership to promote the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the area.
Nissan will introduce EVs in the United States in 2010 and will mass market EVs globally two years later. In conjunction with the anticipated 2010 launch of Nissan’s zero-emission electric vehicle, ECOtality will initiate its EV Micro-Climate program in the Tucson region to promote sensible policies, intelligent deployment of charge infrastructure, and strong public awareness to encourage consumer adoption of grid-connected electric vehicles.
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Nissan Motor and City of Yokohama Embark on Zero-Emission Mobility Project
March 04, 2009
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and the city of Yokohama will jointly embark on Yokohama Mobility “Project ZERO”, a 5-year project aimed at achieving zero-emission mobility. Confirmation of the Project follows a joint study, which was completed in November 2008.
The Project uses a total-management approach to address the issue of zero-emission mobility. It adopts a zoning system that designates the city’s central district as a “Zero Carbon” zone, which extends into the “Low Carbon” periphery areas. In 2009, the Yokohama Mobility Project Zero has the following scope:
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EPA Study Finds Residential Construction Trends in US Metropolitan Regions Showing Substantial Shift, But Falling Short of Reshaping Sprawl
February 27, 2009
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| Central city share of residential construction. Click to enlarge. |
A new report from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that the distribution of residential construction has significantly changed over time in many regions. In more than half of the largest metropolitan areas, urban core communities have significantly increased their share of new residential building permits.
For the report, Dr. John Thomas of the EPA examined residential building permits in the 50 largest metropolitan regions to clarify 1) if there has been a shift toward redevelopment; and 2) in which regions the shift has been most significant. Thomas found that the central city has more than doubled its share in 15 regions, and the increases has been particularly dramatic over the past 5 years.
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Renault-Nissan Alliance and Electromotive to Collaborate on Charging Infrastructure
The Renault-Nissan Alliance and UK company Elektromotive, a provider of electric vehicle recharging stations, are collaborating in the Partnership for Zero-Emission-Mobility, with the aim of accelerating the installation of charging networks for plug-in vehicles in cities.
Elektromotive and EDF Energy and have been working in partnership since 2007 to develop an electric vehicle recharging infrastructure; the Renault-Nissan Alliance is also collaborating with EDF on electric vehicle infrastructure. (Earlier post.)
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Congressionally-created Commission Recommends Mileage Tax Instead of Fuel Tax for Transportation Infrastructure Financing
February 26, 2009
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| Average annual capital needs and gap estimates, all levels of government, 2008-35 (in 2008 dollars). Click to enlarge. |
A bi-partisan Congressionally-created commission has recommended a shift from motor fuel taxes to direct fees charged to transportation infrastructure users—i.e., a federal mileage fee—as a way to reform financing of the US transportation infrastructure.
The recommendation is part of the final report issued by the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission, “Paying Our Way: A New Framework for Transportation Finance”. The commissioners noted that “while no first draft of a major reform is perfect”, they were unanimously offering the report as a road map for the transition to a new funding and finance framework.
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RMI Launches Project Get Ready to Help Communities Prepare for Plug-ins
February 25, 2009
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) launched Project Get Ready, an initiative that emerged from its Smart Garage Summit in October 2008 and that is intended to help communities prepare for plug-in vehicles including full battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and converted hybrid or internal combustion vehicles.
In addition to launching the project website, RMI provided a list of actions that communities must take “to be truly ready for the plug-in transition.“ For participating communities, RMI is suggesting a stretch target of 2% of registered vehicles by 2015.
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GM Working with Communities to Develop Roadmap For Plug-in Infrastructure
February 03, 2009
General Motors is working with communities such as San Francisco to develop a plan of action to establish the supporting technical and policy infrastructure required for broad commercialization of plug-in electric vehicles such as the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. GM described its approach at the Washington Auto Show.
Challenges that need to be addressed include consumer incentives to make this early technology more affordable; public and workplace charging infrastructure; consumer-friendly electricity rates and renewable electricity options; government and corporate vehicle purchases; supportive permitting and codes for vehicle charging; and other incentives such as high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lane access.
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Eden Energy Sells Off HyRadix and Other Assets; Hythane Remains a Core Focus
January 22, 2009
Australia-based Eden Energy has sold all the shares in its two US subsidiary companies: Eden Cryogenics LLC, which has two operating businesses (Eden Cryogenics and Cryogenic Technical Services which manufacture cryogenic equipment and supply cryogenic design services) and Eden Hydrogen Inc which operates the business known as HyRadix which manufactures hydrogen reformers.
Eden acquired US-based HyRadix, a company specializing in on-site autothermal reforming systems for the production of hydrogen from methane or LPG, in 2007. (Earlier post.)
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Better Place Enters Electric Car Network Partnership with Ontario
January 15, 2009
Better Place has entered a partnership with the government of Ontario to help bring an electric car network to the province and create a model for the adoption of electric cars in Canada. Ontario is one of North America’s largest car producing regions.
Better Place will establish its Canadian head office in Ontario, and build an electric vehicle demonstration and education center in Toronto to lay the groundwork to help get electric vehicles running on Ontario roads. The province has committed to conducting a comprehensive study which will look at ways to speed up the introduction and adoption of electric vehicles. The study is scheduled for release in May 2009. At the same time, Better Place will be developing an electric car charging network plan and timeline.
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Better Place Joins Japan Ministry of Environment EV Project; First Demo of Battery Exchange Mechanism
December 09, 2008
Better Place is joining Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., maker of Subaru automobiles, and other Japanese carmakers in the first Ministry of Environment sponsored electric-vehicle (EV) project in Japan. Better Place, the only foreign company participating, was invited by the Japanese Ministry of Environment to build a battery exchange station for EVs and showcase the technology.
The government’s project supports the move to sustainable transportation and includes various electric-car models and EV infrastructure in multiple cities to demonstrate feasibility. The EV project is scheduled to begin in January 2009 and last three to six months, encompassing municipalities in Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka, and Hyogo prefectures.
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Better Place Unveils Design and Deployment of Charging Spot and Electric Parking Lots in Israel
December 08, 2008
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| A Better Place EV prototype and the charging spot. Click to enlarge. |
Better Place Israel introduced its first “plugged-in” parking lots as well as the charging spot design that will be used in Better Place deployments around the world. Better Place Israel CEO Moshe Kaplinsky unveiled the charging spot at the Cinema City parking lot in Pi-Glilot. (Earlier post.)
The company has begun deployment of its recharging network pilot in Israel with several municipalities including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Kefar Sava, Holon, and Jerusalem, and it plans to continue to deploy the network in public places in these cities.
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Renault-Nissan Alliance Adds Oregon and Monaco to Growing Roster of EV Partners
November 21, 2008
The Renault-Nissan Alliance has added two more partners for the development and promotion of a charging infrastructure to support electric vehicles: the US state of Oregon, and the Principality of Monaco. Since July this year, the Alliance has announced partnerships with Portugal, the City of Yokohama in Japan, the US state of Tennessee, and French utility giant EDF. In addition, the Alliance is also partnering with Better Place.
Oregon. Nissan chairman and Renault SA co-chairman Carlos Ghosn announced the Oregon partnership during his opening address at the Los Angeles Auto Show. (Earlier post.) Nissan will introduce ZEVs in the United States in 2010 and will mass market ZEVs globally two years later.
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SF Bay Area Mayors Announce Coordinated Policies to Accelerate Establishment of EV Infrastructure; Better Place to Enter US Market in California
November 20, 2008
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| Better Place introduced a second EV prototype to work with its infrastructure: the Better Place Rogue, based on the Nissan Rogue crossover SUV. Click to enlarge. |
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums announced a nine-point policy plan to establish a pervasive infrastructure to transform the SF Bay Area into the “Electric Vehicle (EV) Capital of the US”. In conjunction with the news, Better Place announced that it would enter the US market with California as its first state, beginning in the Bay Area.
Commercial availability of electric cars is targeted to begin in 2012, and Better Place estimates its network investment in the Bay Area will total $1 billion when the system is fully deployed. The three Mayors said they welcomed Better Place’s announcement and anticipate many other EV companies will focus on the Bay Area as a top-priority market.
