2nd Green Revolution » Transportation

3 Honda Fit EVs Arrive in California

Eric Wilson — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:29:10 +0000

Three 2013 Honda Fit Electric Vehicles were delivered to different institutions across the state of California last month. Stanford University, Google, and the city of Torrance received the new cars as a test run for Honda’s electric vehicle. A few years back, the Honda Clarity debuted in Southern California, further cementing the state as a leader in transport electrification.

Honda unveiled the Fit EV last fall at the Los Angeles Auto Show. In the press release, the company states that the car will be available summer of 2012. Specifically, Honda will begin “leasing the Fit EV to customers in select California and Oregon markets next summer [2012], and will expand to six East Coast markets in early 2013. The Fit EV’s Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price² (MSRP) is $36,625 with an estimated lease priced at $399 a month.” Depending on market penetration, Honda “expects volume at this early stage of production to be approximately 1,100 Fit EV’s over the next three years.”

According to a more recent press release, “Honda delivered a 2013 Fit EV battery-electric vehicle to the city of Torrance . . . as one of the first major steps in the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program, a prelude to the retail market launch of the Fit EV with customers in California and Oregon this summer.”

Stanford and Google were also included in the “Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program.” Honda reports that “Each program participant will provide Honda with real-world feedback on the Fit EV. Individually, each participant will use the Fit EV to further initiatives such as research into human behavior and various usages like personal, fleet and car-sharing.” Google’s non-profit arm has built up a fleet of electric vehicles. Google’s efforts have led to “2,000 cars [being taken] off the road as a result of our shuttle program and electric vehicle charging stations, equivalent to 14,000,000 vehicle miles per year.”

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California Strengthens Vehicle Emission Standards

Chris DeArmond — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:57:40 +0000

Over the past couple of decades, California has earned a reputation for passing its own environmental standards that are often much more rigorous than those set by the federal government. Following this trend, California’s Air Resources Board (ARB) released a tougher vehicle emissions program for vehicle model years (MY) 2015 through 2025. The Advanced Clean Cars program, which was passed unanimously on January 27th, is designed to “encourage” the sale and development of environmentally advanced cars by mandating significant cuts in smog and carbon dioxide emissions.

According to ARB Chairman Mary Nichols, the new rules “will clean our air, fight climate change and provide cars that save consumers thousands of dollars at the pump.” Specifically, by proposing tougher smog standards starting with MY 2015, cars built in 2025 will emit 75 percent less smog-forming pollution compared to 2014. In the past, similar legislation (known as Low Emission Vehicle I) reduced smog by 75 percent between 1994 and 2003. Greenhouse gas emissions, for which regulations go into effect in 2017, are predicted to be 34 percent lower for MY 2025 vehicles than those made in 2016. Over the course of the regulations, it is estimated that greenhouse gases will be reduced by roughly 52 million tons, or the equivalent of taking 10 million cars off the road for one year.

The vital source of these emission reductions is the 1.4 million plug-in hybrid and zero-emission vehicles that will be on the road by 2025—if all goes according to plan. Essentially, manufacturers will be required “to offer for sale specific numbers of the very cleanest cars available.” ARB estimates that while the cost of new vehicles with high-efficiency technology would increase by an average of $1,900, the payback period would be between one and 3½ years. Over the course of a typical consumer’s ownership of such a vehicle (eight years), the owner would save an average of $4,000, which translates to about $6,000 over the lifetime of the car. Even if these estimates are correct, however, consumer demand will ultimately decide when (or if) the electric vehicle industry can thrive and sustain growth over the long term.

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Growing Up in LA

Eric Wilson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:05:12 +0000

A few weeks ago I was talking with another transplant from Los Angeles who also became interested in environmental sustainability. She asked what it was that got me interested in the topic. I told her that I never was big on going outside – not like I am now at least. I’ve hypothesized before on what led me down my current path. More than anything I’ve seen it as an intellectual issue. There is a finite amount of matter (“stuff”) on earth. Her question made me reconsider the role growing up in LA played. Having also lived here in Denver and ending up in the field of environmental education, I wondered whether the decision to work on environmental issues stems from living in LA during my (our) formative years.

To me, LA is an odd juxtaposition of the environmentally conscious and the image conscious. Sometimes these overlap, usually in the instance where being “green” is fashionable. As I stepped into the parking garage at LAX on a recent visit to my parents’, I was momentarily taken back in time. The prime parking spaces were all charging spots, much like the mid-1990s. There in the first two rows I saw about a half dozen Nissan Leafs plugged in (or in some cases just parked in the spots, which are located closest to the passenger pick-up). Next to the line of Leafs was a Tesla Roadster. After I turned the corner, I saw another Tesla. Perhaps it was the second Tesla, which was not parked at a plug that made me think there was chance that electric transport could really take off.

A few days later, while traveling on the highway (the 101 if you must know), I was sandwiched between a Prius and a Ferrari. This epitomizes Los Angeles in my mind. Glitz and green. Here is where the Tesla Roadster really can find its niche, but I digress. It was the conversation with the LA transplant that got me wondering why we went in the direction we did (in terms of our career paths). Currently I’m of the mind that it’s a reaction. A reaction to the sprawl, the smog, and the car. Maybe more so than Detroit, the car is king in LA. Getting around without one is difficult, to put it mildly. The congestion – traffic and pollution – can also be stifling. While the smog is better now than when I was growing up, with the topography as it is, smog just settles in the valleys. I don’t much recall seeing the mountains as a kid. Living in the foothills of the Rockies, there are occasional hazy days, but I never forget that the mountains are there; that wasn’t the case growing up.

All in all, growing up in LA, where we collected cans for the 5 cent deposit to recycle them, led me down this path. I suppose I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s my McDonald’s moment.

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Obama Returns to Energy Theme in State of the Union

2nd Green Revolution — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:04:52 +0000

As he has done previously in talking about the state of America, President Obama had several things to say about energy in Tuesday night’s speech (transcript here). For one, due to a surge in domestic oil production, imports of foreign oil have fallen to the lowest levels in 16 years and “American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years.”

Though there wasn’t much new in terms of policy, Obama did lay out a bold goal for clean energy, saying that the U.S. can get 80% of its electricity from clean sources by 2035. This includes natural gas, of course, which is cleaner than coal but not a renewable energy source.

The idea of domestic energy and national security was mentioned a few times, a recurring theme recently. Obama specifically envisioned “A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world.” While biofuels were not mentioned by name, the president did acknowledge that with only 2% of the world’s oil reserves, “This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy.”

As is the tradition in presidential addresses, Obama cited working class individuals who were in the audience. In particular, he mentioned Bryan Ritterby, a formerly out-of-work furniture maker. Ritterby was hired at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan.

Obama also argued that the country needs to “double-down on a clean energy industry” by passing tax credits. Furthermore, he called for a clean energy standard to spur innovation. Calling out Congress, he directed the “administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes.”Fortunately, the president did not overlook the low-hanging fruit of efficiency and conservation. He proposed to “Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings.” Estimates from these improvements come in at $100 billion in savings on energy bills. This is in conjunction with “less pollution, more manufacturing, [and] more jobs for construction workers who need them.”

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Carpooling Grows Up

Eric Wilson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:24:54 +0000

When I was a kid, my mom and a bunch of other parents in and around the neighborhood arranged a carpool system whereby each parent would drive a group of kids to school one morning and pick all of us up one afternoon each week. I never really thought much of it other than it allowed parents to go to work on time most days of the week (for those that did work). In retrospect, it was a great way to not only save time, but money as well. The amount of traffic was reduced by up to four cars for each group that carpooled. Costs were also driven down, not just gasoline, but also wear and tear on the car. For those that don’t remember the halcyon days of their youth, children can take a toll on the car itself.

With the recent uptick in collaborative consumption, more and more companies that engage in this type of consumerism have come to our attention. One of those companies is Carpooling.com. With 3.5 million registered users in 2011, they help provide transportation to roughly 1 million people each month.

Founded by 3 German business students, carpooling.com is currently available in 9 countries on the European continent. For a fun infographic on the impact of carpooling, click here.

According to their mission, Carpooling.com “believes that being on the road can still be cheap, green and fun. By sharing a ride, people save gas and money, reduce auto emissions and meet new friends. Pollution, traffic, parking and road maintenance are reduced. People can share experiences and help each other: everyone benefits!” In order to make this mission a reality, their service is available through Facebook as well as applications for the iPhone and Android operating systems.

Carpooling.com has been endorsed by the United Nations Environment Progr am in addition to being nominated for a Smart Green Start-Up Award. In addition, the service has prevented 725,000 tons of C0₂ emissions and saved 375 million liters (nearly 100 million gallons) of gasoline. Carpoolers have reached an astonishing 5,000 cities in 45 countries.

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