2nd Green Revolution

The world's largest lithium reserves are under the salt flats in Uyuni, Bolivia.

There’s no shortage of discussion about what the United States should do to wean itself off of oil. Such heavy dependence on one main fuel source to power our transportation systems (and thus keeping our economy humming) means the U.S. is vulnerable to the unpredictable gyrations of oil and gas prices. Aside from those concerns, security risks and political considerations from having to deal with OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)  and many less than democratic countries are often the cause of much strife. Last but not least are the environmental concerns from relying on a petroleum based economy. Electrification of the transportation sector has been hailed as one of the solutions to our current oil dependence. By switching to electric vehicles, it is argued, we can avoid many of the problems mentioned above. The need for a reliable and renewable electricity source other than coal to charge those cars is one major concern. The batteries needed to power our electric vehicles is another. Those batteries need lithium, and lithium is not so equitably dispersed around the world.  Is there a chance that there will one day be protests against “Big Lithium” or some other mineral instead of big oil? Here are a few facts about lithium today, taken from work by the Electrification Coaltion: Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday’s post about the Chinese automaker BYD’s announcement at the Detroit auto show begs the question about the future of the automobile. What does the coming decade hold in store for the automobile? Share your thoughts by answering the following poll:

(polls)

- Eric Wilson

NPR mentioned on the air that the Toyota Prius’s plug-in version of their popular gasoline-electric hybrid will be available in 2011. The New York Times reported today that Japanese car company “planned a widespread release of its plug-in hybrid car in 2011.” According to the story, Toyota is planning an increased roll out due to the pressure the Chevy’s Volt has brought to bear on the industry. Toyota had anticipated moving toward an expanded gasoline-hybrid line, instead of the plug-in hybrid. Read the rest of this entry »

Fritz Henderson, GM’s Chief Executive, remarked at a news conference today that “Our Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicle will achieve unprecedented fuel economy. I’m confident that we will be in triple digits.”

Triple digits indeed, if it can be believed. According to Autoblog, Frank Weber, vehicle chief engineer for the Volt, said that the “[230mpg] number is based on combined electric only driving and charge sustaining mode with the engine running.” It is based on city driving. He declined to get specific about the proportions, but did say that the urban cycle would be predominantly EV only.

The Volt can go 40 miles without using any gas by running on its electric motor. The average American commutes less than 40 miles per day, so on many days using the Volt will result in no gasoline consumption. Fritz also remarked that in Detroit, the car’s battery could be recharged overnight for $.05 per kilowatt hour, or a total of 40 cents. (GM webcast link after the jump). Read the rest of this entry »

The U.S. Department of Energy announced yesterday that Ford Motor Company, Nissan Motors, and Tesla Motors will be getting the first three of many loans to be used for advanced technology automobiles. According to the press release, the “$8 billion in conditional loan commitments for the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies that will create thousands of green jobs while helping reduce the nation’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”

Of the $8 billion total, $5.9 billion will go to Ford Motor Company to “transform factories across Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio to produce 13 more fuel efficient models.” Nissan North America, Inc. will get $1.6 billion in order to retool their Smyrna, Tennessee factory to build advanced electric automobiles as well as to build an advanced battery manufacturing facility. $465 million will go to Tesla Motors to manufacture electric drive trains and electric vehicles in California. Tesla, the much hyped about all-electric car manufacturer backed by Silicon Valley investor Elon Musk, has been noted for producing all-electric vehicles that are high quality, fast, and responsive cars with good range. The problem is the sticker price. The Tesla Roadster sells for over $100,000. Their soon to be produced Model S Sedan will sell for around $50,000 after a $7,500 federal tax rebate, still leaving it out of reach for most Americans. The government loan may help Tesla ramp up to mass production, thereby significantly cutting prices even further. This is another step on the way to producing affordable all-electric cars that the public wants to buy. As Elon Musk writes in a recent blog post, he understands the need for affordable electric cars but realizes achieving it won’t be easy: Read the rest of this entry »

The third annual Meeting of the Minds summit on environmental issues was held in New York City for two days last week. The event bills itself as a “leadership summit [that] brings together 130+ policy-makers, opinion-shapers and thought-leaders from commercial, non-profit and public sector organizations.” The goal of the summit is to bring together all these groups for “2 days of intensive exchange for leaders creating more sustainable cities using smarter design tools, sounder environmental practices, and cleaner energy systems.”

This year, Toyota was once again the lead sponsor of the event and had two of its executives give presentations. It was clear that Toyota has some major doubts about the technology in current plug-in vehicles and is honest about the challenges in mass producing such vehicles. Toyota will soon begin leasing an initial 500 Prius-based hybrids at different locations around the world. According to the Wheels Blog: Read the rest of this entry »

On Monday, General Motors (GM) filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Several questions exist as to the future of the company and their various product lines. National Public Radio’s All Things Considered host Robert Siegel interviewed CEO Fritz Anderson about the company’s direction given the bankruptcy proceedings. Among the topics for discussion was the future of GM’s Chevy Volt, they plug-in electric hybrid which may be the salvation of the company going forward. Mr. Siegel mentions that some liken the Volt to the iPod, claiming that it will single-handedly turn the company around. Mr. Henderson disputes the notion that one product will be responsible for GM’s recovery.

In the interview, Mr. Henderson stated that the cost of the Chevy Volt remains undetermined. He acknowledges that it is a first generation vehicle and will subsequently bear the brunt of some of the associated research and development costs. Read the rest of this entry »

2nd Green Revolution recently wrote a post on the wildly eye-catching and super aerodynamic Aptera electric car. We also have an article on Jay Leno’s review of the Ford Fusion hybrid. Put them together and what do you get? Jay Leno reviewing the Aptera 2e on his website, Jay Leno’s Garage. Paul Wilbur, Aptera’s President, joins Leno in a video discussing the special design and some of the unique specifications of the three-wheeled, 100 mile per charge vehicle. The video mentions that up to 50% of a standard vehicle’s power is used to push air out of the way when it’s moving. Plus, there is all the energy needed to move the mass of a vehicle. The Aptera dissipates these energy demands with its incredibly sleek design and extremely light weight. A few other interesting tidbits from the video follow below:  Read the rest of this entry »

For the first time in 19 years, the U.S. government is increasing the Corporate Average Fuel Economy  known as the CAFE standard. According to NPR, the average fuel efficiency of American vehicles declined from 1990 to 2005, due to an increase in SUVs, which are not covered by CAFE standards. President Obama’s plan calls for a fuel efficiency of 35 miles per gallon by 2016 for cars and light trucks, roughly 20% higher than today’s requirements of 27.5 mpg.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration oversees the regulation. According to their website, the CAFE standard “is the sales weighted average fuel economy, expressed in miles per gallon (mpg), of a manufacturer’s fleet of passenger cars or light trucks. . . . Fuel economy is defined as the average mileage traveled by an automobile per gallon of gasoline (or equivalent amount of other fuel) consumed as measured . . . by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).” The site explains that CAFE originated as a result of

The “Energy Policy Conservation Act,” enacted into law by Congress in 1975, added Title V, “Improving Automotive Efficiency,” to the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act and established CAFE standards for passenger cars and light trucks. The Act was passed in response to the 1973-74 Arab oil embargo. The near-term goal was to double new car fuel economy by model year 1985.

In addition to increased fuel efficiency standards, American Public Radio’s Marketplace reports that President Obama will also call for the first national fuel emissions limits for cars and light trucks. Read the rest of this entry »