How Clean and Green are Electric Vehicles? It All Depends…

All electric vehicles (EVs) cause carbon emissions, unless all of the electric generation used to charge the batteries comes from non-fossil based sources such as wind, solar, hydro etc. For the foreseeable future we expect utilities to have an evolving resource portfolio. Maybe we’ll see 20 – 30 percent non-fossil generation mix by 2050. Who knows? But, even if we accelerate the widespread building of nuclear power plants, we’re going to have fossil (mostly coal) generation for a long time.

The eco-friendliness of EVs all depends on how and when the batteries are charged. The usual electric vehicle charging paradigm has the batteries being charged overnight at home or in a company’s fleet garage. In fact, a number of utilities are offering special rates for charging EVs on off-peak hours. That makes sense from a system cost standpoint, using the least expensive base-load generation.

But those incentives may encourage maximizing total EV-related carbon emissions, particularly in areas with growing solar and wind resource penetration. That’s because little or no solar generation is available during the proposed early-evening or night charging period. Also, in some areas, (such as the Altamont Pass wind farm in Northern California), higher wind speeds often coincide with peak load hours (due to hot inland convection currents pulling in the off-coast cooler air).

There’s another disadvantage to having the EV batteries connected to the system only on off-peak hours: the utility is prevented from taking advantage of EV battery storage for system support during periods of high system demand - a very attractive idea that’s been tossed around for years.

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Nissan to take orders for its Leaf electric car starting today

The automaker has been accepting reservations for a refundable fee of $99, and already has 18,000 pre-orders, according to John Schilling, Nissan spokesman – with a goal of reaching 20,000 by December. More than half of the reservations are from people in the five states where the Leaf will have its initial rollout.

The rollout will be staggered. The first vehicles will go to drivers in Arizona, Tennessee, California, Washington and Oregon, then in January to Texas and Hawaii. The car maker expects the Leaf to be available everywhere in the U.S. by the end of 2011.

Officially, Nissan declined to comment on the date orders will start, saying only that it “will happen soon,” but it’s being reported that a Washington dealership has posted on Mynissanleaf.com that tomorrow’s the big day.

Dealers are reportedly being instructed on how to convert those reservations into orders, with buyers able to choose options for their vehicles, one of which is a $700 fast-charge option that can recharge your car to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes.

The car is certainly in high demand: car rental heavyweight Hertz plans to offer the Leaf in the U.S. and Europe. The Leaf also has cool features like iPhone integration that will allow owners to check the car’s charging status remotely and adjust the temperature of the car before they hop in.

And with the Chevrolet Volt and Coda sedan set to be released by the end of the year, this may well be The Year of Electric Cars. The Leaf being the first of its kind has already taken some dings from other electric-vehicle makers, notably Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who called Nissan’s battery technology comparatively “primitive.” And it’s not clear where the payoff is for consumers: Mitsubishi, which is releasing its own electric car at the end of 2011 – the miEV, told the BBC that electric cars could be more expensive to own than regular gas-based cars due to rapid depreciation and the high cost of replacing the battery once it dies.

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Vehicles may get letter grades for fuel efficiency

Vehicles would get an "A+" to "D" grade, and the median grade would be a "B-." No vehicle would get a failing grade. To get an "A," a vehicle would have to average at least 59 miles per gallon; to avoid a "D" a vehicle would have to average at least 14 mpg.

Fully electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf, would get an "A+," while a plug-in hybrid would get an "A." Many hybrids like the Ford Fusion hybrid and Toyota Prius would get an "A-." The Ferrari 612 would be one of those gas-hungry high-performance vehicles that would get a "D."

No van would rate higher than a "C+" and most SUVs would get a "C+ or lower. Some versions of the Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan, Cadillac CTS, Lexus 570 and GMC Sierra 15 would all get a "C-."

The move could dissuade some consumers from buying the biggest, most polluting vehicles on the roads. The new design also will provide consumers with an estimate of the expected fuel cost savings over five years, compared to an average gasoline-powered vehicle of the same model year.

The second proposed label would retain the label's focus on miles per gallon and annual fuel costs, while updating the overall design and adding the required new comparison information on fuel economy and emissions.



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61st Mahindra Great Escape concludes successfully in Chikmagalur

The 61st edition of the Mahindra Great Escape, one of India’s most loved off-roading adventures, concluded successfully in Chikmagalur with over 70 vehicles from the Mahindra stable manoeuvring the challenging route. Mahindra customers from Chikmagalur and its neighbouring areas, including Bangalore and Mangalore, participated in the rally. The Chikmagalur event received an overwhelming response from offroading enthusiasts, leaving everyone asking for more.

The rally was flagged off at 10:00 am from The Gateway Hotel, K.M. Road, Opposite Pavitravana
Jyothinagar Post, Chikmagalur. Iconic Mahindra SUVs such as the Scorpio, Bolero, Getaway, Legend, Major and Classic negotiated an arduous route of over 70 km. The convoy of vehicles negotiated rocky terrain, slush, canals and streams, passing through Vasant Cool Estate, Karemane, the paddy fields and forests of Hukkunda, Kodal and Aladagudde before returning to the hotel.

“We are delighted to be in Chikmagalur, for the 61st edition of the Mahindra Great Escape. The scenic yet challenging route was an off roader’s delight and gave Mahindra customers an idea of the tough and enduring nature of Mahindra vehicles. The adrenaline rush was palpable and the atmosphere was charged. Real time tweets and updates on various social networking sites by participants further added to the overall excitement of the rally. We plan to return with yet another fun-filled edition of the Great Escape, shortly,” said Mr. Vivek Nayer, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

This edition of the Mahindra Great Escape was conducted in association with JK Tyres, Bosch and Servo Lubricants. The Mahindra Great Escape route was chalked out by the Mahindra team, while the ‘With You Hamesha’ service team ensured that participants could enjoy the rally unhindered.

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Your Car Would Have to Get 70 MPG to Be as Clean as an Electric Car, Study Finds

Are electric cars less catastrophic for our future climate than gasoline cars? Well, duh. But, here’s another study carefully poring over the evidence and showing it to be the case. At least for Europe.

A team of Empa scientists made a detailed life cycle assessment of the current state of the art lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used in electric vehicles, and published it in the scientific journal “Environmental Science & Technology.”
Comparing not just the energy sources of gasoline-powered versus electric-powered cars, but also comparing an exhaustively detailed full life-cycle analysis of every step to make a battery versus a combustion engine: what did the researchers find?
The EV is the cleaner way to go. This is contrary to widely spread beliefs – based on the earlier lead-acid and nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries – that batteries are dirty to manufacture. Also, the common misconception that running electric cars on coal power would be worse for the environment than running gasoline cars on gasoline.
Researchers at Empa’s “Technology and Society Laboratory” calculated the ecological footprints of electric cars fitted with Li-ion batteries, taking into account all possible relevant factors, from those associated with the production of individual parts all the way through to the scrapping of the vehicle and the disposal of the remains, including the operation of the vehicle during its lifetime.

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Auto in India

India is one of the few markets that saw growing passenger car sales during the recession of the past two years. In fact, in 2009-10, it recorded its highest volumes ever. A new KPMG report, The Indian Auto Industry: Evolving Dynamics, projects that the twin phenomena of low car penetration and rising incomes, when combined with increasing affordability of cars, will continue to drive India’s auto demand upwards. While quite a few new vehicles launched in the Indian market have been developed locally, vehicle affordability remains a significant concern. Although the price of an average motorcycle in India (about $900) is comparable to the average per capita income, the price of passenger cars have a long way to go. Although the entry level car (Nano) is priced at around $2,500, the passenger cars market could grow multi-fold if there is a breakthrough of another price level in the years to come.

In recent times, electric two-wheelers have ridden on the back of customer demand for vehicles with lower running costs, as well as some incentives to users in the form of little or no duties on electric vehicles (and parts) in areas such as New Delhi.

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America based Fuel cells developer NEAH Power signs letter of intent with Bangalore based Eko Vehicles, to explore acquisition or merger plans

US based fuel cells developer; NEAH Power reported Friday that it had signed a letter of intent with Indian firm, Eko Vehicles, for a possible merger or acquisition. The Bangalore based Eko Vehicles is a manufacturer of two-wheeled electric vehicles and its agreement with the US based firm will see the two firms explore potential acquisition or merger plans.

The plan will see NEAH Power gain access to the Indian markets from which it is hopeful of increased demand for its fuel cells for a wide range of purposes, from military and industrial applications in India and Asia at large. The US firm is a manufacturer of fuel cells for the military and portable electronic gadgets. The letter of intent, according to NEAH Power, may as well result in its acquisition of the Bangalore based firm.

However, no details were given over the investment transaction. Even so, NEAH Power reiterated that if the merger or acquisition is successful, the resultant entity will be in a position to offer more prospects for growth and expansion of the firm’s product lines and global business. It is also understood that the two firms are as well carrying out due diligence studies in a bid to establish the viability and structure of the entity to be formed.

Chris D’Couto, president and chief executive officer, NEAH Power, said the firm plans to take the synergistic partnership between the two firms to new levels. He reiterated that, other than the fuel cells for electric wheelers, NEAH Power is hopeful of an increase in demand for its fuel cells in India with a presence.

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China to Invest Billions in Electric and Hybrid Cars

The Chinese government, determined to become a world leader in green technology, says it plans to invest billions of dollars over the next few years to develop electric and hybrid vehicles.

The government said a group of 16 big state-owned companies had already agreed to form an alliance to do research and development, and create standards for electric and hybrid vehicles.
The plan aims to put more than a million electric and hybrid vehicles on the road over the next few years in what is already the world’s biggest and fastest growing auto market.
The announcement, analysts say, is another example of how China seeks to marshal resources and tackle industries and new markets. The plan also underlines what China describes as its growing commitment to combating pollution and reducing carbon emissions.
According to some reports by state-run media, Beijing intends to invest nearly $15 billion in the venture, which if true would make it one of the world’s most ambitious attempts to develop more energy-efficient vehicles.
The bold plan was announced late Wednesday by one of China’s most powerful bodies: the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. Sasac, as it is known, operates under China’s cabinet, or State Council. From Beijing, it oversees about 125 of China’s biggest state-owned companies.


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GreenAngel's Rapid Electric Vehicles wins U.S. Army, Honeywell contract to power combat vehicle

Rapid Electric Vehicles (REV), a GreenAngel Energy Corp. investee company, won a contract for its bi-directional charging technology for micro-grids. Through a contract with Honeywell, REV will participate in the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development Engineering Center (TARDEC) Micro-Grid project at Wheeler Air Base, Hawaii. 

The project involves the design, building, and demonstration of a Micro-Grid with plug-in electric vehicles. It will help determine the technical readiness of Micro-Grids to accept power from various inputs while charging selected vehicles and provide output power to various applications in both alternating and direct current systems. 




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6 Chinese, American enterprises establish new-energy vehicle alliance

Only 10 days after the establishment of the electric vehicle alliance by China's central state-owned enterprises, the "Sustainable New-Energy International Alliance" was officially established by enterprises including IBM, U.S.-based Eaton's Electrical Group and Foton Motors on Aug. 28. This signifies that competition in the domestic new-energy vehicle sector will start to intensify.

The "Sustainable New-Energy International Alliance" currently has six members consisting of three American and three Chinese enterprises. Of them, IBM will specialize in developing a sustainable transportation network information system, integrating and managing an intelligent power grid and researching the sustainable transportation strategy and business mode.

Aecom will be responsible for the design and development of sustainable transportation infrastructure as well as project management. Eaton's will specialize in the business of the vehicle power system, charging stations connecting with the intelligent power grid, storage battery services and battery management.

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BYD backing away from worlds biggest car company dream

Late last year BYD announced it would be the world’s biggest car manufacturer by 2025, now it seems thatBYD are backing out of that goal in a bid to shore up meager sales in their home markets.

Two years ago, BYD Auto announced its ambition with certainty to become the No.1 automaker by sales in China in 2015 and 2025 over the world.
Under the pressure of a weakening auto market in China, the Warren Buffet-backed carmaker has become more and more low-key since August 4 when it slashed its full-year sales target in 2010 by 25 percent to 600,000 units.
The company’s Shenzhen-based spokesman Lin Mi told the Global Times Tuesday that they had been overconfident in the auto market this year and BYD’s ability to expand capacity. The BYD, whose founder says the name stands for Build Your Dreams, has decided to tap on the breaks to work more on its brand image.
Poor sales
In the past five years, BYD’s annual unit sales almost doubled every year, hitting in 2009 448,000 units, nearly tripling the sales over the previous year.

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Win with plug-in cars

Like most consumers, when I look to purchase a new gadget, I always ask: Is it worth the investment, can it stand up to my crazy schedule and lifestyle and will it actually improve my quality of life? Well, I've found something that is reliable, makes a positive impact on my life and will save me money - a plug-in electric car.

I've been driving a special plug-in hybrid Prius to work and all over the Bay Area. This Prius has an all-electric vehicle range of 13 miles and runs in normal hybrid mode beyond that. It's perfect because my commute to our San Jose headquarters is 13 miles, so I can go back and forth without using any gas. And though it's not a sports car, given its added battery weight, I've still been able to cruise across town averaging more than 70 miles per gallon, including some longer hauls to our office in Richmond. I charge it up fully at home in about three hours on a standard 110-volt outlet, and with my solar panels, it uses clean and economical power.

These cars will not only reduce our global warming pollution, they will also save owners thousands of dollars each year. Because the cost to charge an electric vehicle is comparable to 75 cents per gallon of gas, owners can save upwards of $2,000 each year or more, especially because gas prices are likely to climb. Also, federal tax credits ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 plus the state's $5,000 rebate on some cars really reduces the sticker price, making the cars considerably more affordable. Moreover, instead of continuing to pay high prices for oil and sending billions of dollars overseas to unfriendly countries, we can invest in our own economy and create jobs in leading-edge industries here at home.

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