The big auto companies in the world do not want the electric car to fully succeed.
Don't let the fact that they are all coming out with their models of electric cars.
There is too much being lost for them to give up so easily.
If they went full blast electric they would lose:
1) The seeming complexity of the internal combustion engine.
2) The high cost of parts.
3) Cost of oil,gas,belts, exhaust system, etc.
4) lucrative repair system.
The electric car needs none of this.
The only way to fight this is by raising prices of batteries and the cars themselves.
Watch for their stealth tactics.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Cold Fusion
What ever happened to cold fusion? A few years ago it was all the rage. Now, we hear nothing about it. Where are these scientists that spent all that time perfecting it? Is this another case of money talking? How do we find out? Food for thought.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Hydrogen vs. Electric Vehicles
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Hydrogen: Fuel or Bomb?
By Erik Sofge
There is a lot of debate over what fuel will propel our automobiles into the next century and beyond. Even though hydrogen is a front-runner in this race, many experts are still worried that it will fall short of expectations.
Compared to upgrading the country's electric grids to handle more hybrids or electric vehicles, the prospect of building a comprehensive network of hydrogen fueling pumps is frightening.
In 2003 President George W. Bush announced a billion-dollar plan to help usher in a new era of zero-emission, fossil-fuel-free driving. One of the more popular solutions to the looming crises of rising oil prices and climate change at that time was the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. These cars would be run on compressed hydrogen gas, which would be converted by a series of onboard fuel cells into electricity to power electric motors. Instead of releasing harmful greenhouse gases into the air, the byproduct of this process is water (hot water, to be specific), an almost comical puff of steam.
As soon as the money was available, the U.S. Department of Energy began doling out grants to universities, federal funds flowed into the research and development labs at the Detroit Three, and energy firms lined up for millions in subsidies to create newer, cleaner methods of squeezing hydrogen from coal and other existing energy sources.
Five years later, at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, only one new hydrogen vehicle was unveiled — Honda's FC sport car concept, running on the same fuel-cell stack used by the company's existing FCX Clarity sedan. Meanwhile, a slew of new all-electric and hybrid-electric cars were on display, including an electric MINI Cooper and hybrid versions of previous models, such as the Ford Fusion. The electric vehicle, along with its less-ambitious hybrid electric-gas-powered cousin, has all but stolen hydrogen's thunder. So what happened?
Lack of InfrastructureJust last year, the Department of Energy began funding the development of plug-in hybrids. And despite billions in federal dollars, the only hydrogen car produced in significant numbers by a U.S. automaker is the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, which was distributed earlier this year to approximately 100 drivers in California, New York City and Washington, D.C., as part of a test program. The only commercially available new fuel-cell car on the road today is Honda's FCX Clarity, which is being leased to around 200 customers in Southern California. The catch: Applicants must live near one of three 24-hour hydrogen filling stations and be willing to pay for a 3-year, $600-per-month lease — roughly the same cost as leasing a new Porsche Cayman sports car or Mercedes-Benz E350 luxury sedan. The bigger catch: There are just 65 hydrogen refueling stations across the country, and little hope of major expansion in the near future.
"The technology is here; the car is ready," says Todd Mittleman, a spokesman for Honda. "Now, the infrastructure has to grow."
Compared with the more ambiguous goal of upgrading the country's electric grids to handle more hybrids or electric vehicles, the prospect of building a comprehensive network of hydrogen fueling pumps is daunting, to say the least. Hydrogen pipelines exist, but they tend to be relatively short, connecting oil refineries (the primary customer for hydrogen) with production plants that are either on-site or located nearby. And since the hydrogen is transported as compressed gas, existing oil and gas lines would have to be replaced, rather than retrofitted. In the short term, hydrogen could be shipped in trucks, which would raise the overall cost and carbon impact of the fuel.
Another hurdle — if the energy used to process the hydrogen comes from coal-fired plants or other emissions-producing sources, how do you build a hydrogen economy without an increase in airborne pollutants? After all, the clean-coal technology that many had hoped would clear the way for a hydrogen-powered future is still little more than a campaign promise (both John McCain and Barack Obama pledged to fund carbon-capture research).
Lack of Raw MaterialsMore bad news for hydrogen: the high price and potential scarcity of platinum, which is used as a catalyst in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. There are many different kinds of fuel cells, but with their relatively low operating temperatures (roughly 200 degrees Fahrenheit), PEM cells are the most compatible with vehicles.
Honda's Clarity, arguably the most efficient hydrogen vehicle on the road, uses a vertical stack of PEM cells. Hydrogen and oxygen flow into the cells, where a catalyst helps convert hydrogen ions into electricity. Currently, the best catalyst appears to be a thin coating of platinum. Honda President Takeo Fukui predicted that hydrogen cars could become commercially viable by 2018, if priced similarly to a new luxury car. For the technology to compete on a wider scale, researchers will have to find a new catalyst.
"There will be a platinum alternative," says Fritz Prinz, chairman of Stanford University's mechanical engineering department. "There are metal alternatives, some of which we're in the process of patenting now, and nonmetal alternatives. I would expect to see progress over the next five to 10 years." Another approach already showing results is platinum alloys, which incorporate less of the rare metal.
Can Hydrogen Become a Reality?Even so, Prinz believes that, despite all of their inherent challenges, hydrogen cars could become a reality due to raw necessity. "Hydrogen depends ultimately on what the larger energy infrastructure looks like. If it's solar, then storage will be big," Prinz says. Solar panels, like wind turbines, are intermittent power sources — their output spikes and plunges depending on the time of day and changing weather conditions.
Without an efficient way to store that energy, and then release it in measured, steady increments to meet the shifting hourly requirements of electric grids, solar-power providers risk either throwing away excess energy during low demand or coming up empty during peak hours.
While some experts believe that battery technology could eventually provide enough efficiency to store and release solar power, Prinz sees hydrogen as a more practical solution. "Solar can only become effective and feasible once you have a parallel of energy storage." The energy produced by photovoltaic panels could be used to extract hydrogen from another renewable resource: water. Strategic placement of solar farms could limit the length and number of hydrogen pipelines. This is a relationship that Honda is already exploring, with a demonstration home in Torrance, Calif., that uses rooftop solar panels to generate hydrogen, with a refueling station located in the garage.
Whether it's simply a marriage of convenience, or symbolic of the kind of cooperation many believe is necessary to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on oil, hydrogen's best hope for survival might be as the indispensable sidekick of another power source that's been stymied by the need for a long-term, large-scale infrastructure commitment. Still, the most optimistic estimates have hydrogen as a viable mainstream choice in a decade. Honda has no immediate plans to expand its pool of Clarity customers, and the FC Sport car it unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show is just a concept. Unless you're one of a few hundred early adopters, the hydrogen car is still miles down the road.
About The Author
Based out of the Boston area, Erik Sofge is frequent contributor to Popular Mechanics and Slate.com. He specializes in everything scientific and technical.
Hydrogen: Fuel or Bomb?
By Erik Sofge
There is a lot of debate over what fuel will propel our automobiles into the next century and beyond. Even though hydrogen is a front-runner in this race, many experts are still worried that it will fall short of expectations.
Compared to upgrading the country's electric grids to handle more hybrids or electric vehicles, the prospect of building a comprehensive network of hydrogen fueling pumps is frightening.
In 2003 President George W. Bush announced a billion-dollar plan to help usher in a new era of zero-emission, fossil-fuel-free driving. One of the more popular solutions to the looming crises of rising oil prices and climate change at that time was the hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. These cars would be run on compressed hydrogen gas, which would be converted by a series of onboard fuel cells into electricity to power electric motors. Instead of releasing harmful greenhouse gases into the air, the byproduct of this process is water (hot water, to be specific), an almost comical puff of steam.
As soon as the money was available, the U.S. Department of Energy began doling out grants to universities, federal funds flowed into the research and development labs at the Detroit Three, and energy firms lined up for millions in subsidies to create newer, cleaner methods of squeezing hydrogen from coal and other existing energy sources.
Five years later, at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, only one new hydrogen vehicle was unveiled — Honda's FC sport car concept, running on the same fuel-cell stack used by the company's existing FCX Clarity sedan. Meanwhile, a slew of new all-electric and hybrid-electric cars were on display, including an electric MINI Cooper and hybrid versions of previous models, such as the Ford Fusion. The electric vehicle, along with its less-ambitious hybrid electric-gas-powered cousin, has all but stolen hydrogen's thunder. So what happened?
Lack of InfrastructureJust last year, the Department of Energy began funding the development of plug-in hybrids. And despite billions in federal dollars, the only hydrogen car produced in significant numbers by a U.S. automaker is the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, which was distributed earlier this year to approximately 100 drivers in California, New York City and Washington, D.C., as part of a test program. The only commercially available new fuel-cell car on the road today is Honda's FCX Clarity, which is being leased to around 200 customers in Southern California. The catch: Applicants must live near one of three 24-hour hydrogen filling stations and be willing to pay for a 3-year, $600-per-month lease — roughly the same cost as leasing a new Porsche Cayman sports car or Mercedes-Benz E350 luxury sedan. The bigger catch: There are just 65 hydrogen refueling stations across the country, and little hope of major expansion in the near future.
"The technology is here; the car is ready," says Todd Mittleman, a spokesman for Honda. "Now, the infrastructure has to grow."
Compared with the more ambiguous goal of upgrading the country's electric grids to handle more hybrids or electric vehicles, the prospect of building a comprehensive network of hydrogen fueling pumps is daunting, to say the least. Hydrogen pipelines exist, but they tend to be relatively short, connecting oil refineries (the primary customer for hydrogen) with production plants that are either on-site or located nearby. And since the hydrogen is transported as compressed gas, existing oil and gas lines would have to be replaced, rather than retrofitted. In the short term, hydrogen could be shipped in trucks, which would raise the overall cost and carbon impact of the fuel.
Another hurdle — if the energy used to process the hydrogen comes from coal-fired plants or other emissions-producing sources, how do you build a hydrogen economy without an increase in airborne pollutants? After all, the clean-coal technology that many had hoped would clear the way for a hydrogen-powered future is still little more than a campaign promise (both John McCain and Barack Obama pledged to fund carbon-capture research).
Lack of Raw MaterialsMore bad news for hydrogen: the high price and potential scarcity of platinum, which is used as a catalyst in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. There are many different kinds of fuel cells, but with their relatively low operating temperatures (roughly 200 degrees Fahrenheit), PEM cells are the most compatible with vehicles.
Honda's Clarity, arguably the most efficient hydrogen vehicle on the road, uses a vertical stack of PEM cells. Hydrogen and oxygen flow into the cells, where a catalyst helps convert hydrogen ions into electricity. Currently, the best catalyst appears to be a thin coating of platinum. Honda President Takeo Fukui predicted that hydrogen cars could become commercially viable by 2018, if priced similarly to a new luxury car. For the technology to compete on a wider scale, researchers will have to find a new catalyst.
"There will be a platinum alternative," says Fritz Prinz, chairman of Stanford University's mechanical engineering department. "There are metal alternatives, some of which we're in the process of patenting now, and nonmetal alternatives. I would expect to see progress over the next five to 10 years." Another approach already showing results is platinum alloys, which incorporate less of the rare metal.
Can Hydrogen Become a Reality?Even so, Prinz believes that, despite all of their inherent challenges, hydrogen cars could become a reality due to raw necessity. "Hydrogen depends ultimately on what the larger energy infrastructure looks like. If it's solar, then storage will be big," Prinz says. Solar panels, like wind turbines, are intermittent power sources — their output spikes and plunges depending on the time of day and changing weather conditions.
Without an efficient way to store that energy, and then release it in measured, steady increments to meet the shifting hourly requirements of electric grids, solar-power providers risk either throwing away excess energy during low demand or coming up empty during peak hours.
While some experts believe that battery technology could eventually provide enough efficiency to store and release solar power, Prinz sees hydrogen as a more practical solution. "Solar can only become effective and feasible once you have a parallel of energy storage." The energy produced by photovoltaic panels could be used to extract hydrogen from another renewable resource: water. Strategic placement of solar farms could limit the length and number of hydrogen pipelines. This is a relationship that Honda is already exploring, with a demonstration home in Torrance, Calif., that uses rooftop solar panels to generate hydrogen, with a refueling station located in the garage.
Whether it's simply a marriage of convenience, or symbolic of the kind of cooperation many believe is necessary to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on oil, hydrogen's best hope for survival might be as the indispensable sidekick of another power source that's been stymied by the need for a long-term, large-scale infrastructure commitment. Still, the most optimistic estimates have hydrogen as a viable mainstream choice in a decade. Honda has no immediate plans to expand its pool of Clarity customers, and the FC Sport car it unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show is just a concept. Unless you're one of a few hundred early adopters, the hydrogen car is still miles down the road.
About The Author
Based out of the Boston area, Erik Sofge is frequent contributor to Popular Mechanics and Slate.com. He specializes in everything scientific and technical.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wind And Solar Power
Renewables: Solar power sees light at end of tunnelSource: Copyright 2008, Financial TimesDate: September 15, 2008Byline: Fiona HarveyOriginal URL
Wind power has long been the big beast of the renewable energy jungle. The technology to generate electricity from wind has been established for more than two decades, and in the past five years has been refined and expanded towards much larger and more powerful turbines including ones that can be used at sea, and towards very small turbines that can be fixed to office buildings or houses.
Last year, the US led the world in wind power installations for the third consecutive year, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Global wind capacity increased by more than 20 gigawatts last year, of which more than 5GW was in the US. Spain and China each built about 3.5GW of new capacity, and the rate of expansion in all these big markets is increasing.
Wind, however, is running into some problems. The massive expansion of wind generation capacity has outstripped the ability of manufacturers to keep up, leading to big order backlogs – which, along with rising raw material costs, have raised turbine prices by more than half.
Solar energy is the other main renewable contender. Solar power has lagged behind wind, partly because it has relied on expensive technologies such as silicon-based electronics, partly because solar installations have tended to produce less energy.
But this too is changing – silicon is falling in price, some massive solar installations are under construction, and new forms of solar energy have dispensed with the need for silicon altogether.
Both technologies face a bright future, however, says Simon Wannop, of the renewable energy team at consultancy Ernst & Young: “Constantly evolving technology and the increasing importance of renewables in the eyes of policy-makers makes this a particularly mouth-watering industry for investors.” Old objections to sun and wind power – that they are expensive and intermittent compared with fossil fuels – are falling away, he says.
Wind power is now becoming “cost-competitive” with fossil fuel electricity generation, says James Dehlsen, chief executive of Clipper Windpower, a US wind power specialist listed on the Alternative Investment Market in London.
Ivan Brems, chief executive of Hansen Transmissions, which supplies gearboxes for turbines and is owned by Suzlon of India, one of the world’s biggest turbine makers, says developing countries are catching up fast. According to the consultancy BTM, the European wind market will more than double between 2008 and 2012. But the Chinese wind market will nearly triple, and the Indian market will increase seven-fold, albeit from a smaller base.
According to Mr Wannop, “Capacity shortages, in terms of bottlenecks in parts of the wind turbine supply chain, are likely to remain in place for at least four to five years and perhaps longer until a global player emerges from China.”
Wind companies have traditionally been closely allied to conventional electricity companies. But Mr Dehlsen suggests that transport companies are the new natural allies of wind generators.
He predicts a massive expansion in the world’s electric vehicle fleet, which he says will play to wind’s strengths. Most wind energy is generated at night, when electricity demand is lower – but electricity is hard to store in quantity.
If more people use electric cars, and charge them up at night, that would solve this problem as the vehicle fleet will effectively act as a massive collective battery.
He says: “This presents a growth opportunity for wind technology perhaps unparalleled by other energy technologies in the history of electric power generation.”
Solar power is also taking off fast, with the world’s capacity to manufacture photovoltaic cells ramping up rapidly. A consequence is that the price of photovoltaic cells is dropping.
This is good news as it means that they are more affordable, and solar electricity will soon be comparable in cost to fossil fuel generation. However, it also means that solar companies will find their profit margins falling.
Dean Cooper, analyst at Ambrian, says the global capacity for solar module production is set to increase “dramatically”, from 3GW last year to 15 to 20GW of production in 2010.
Much of the growth is coming from China. This increase will mean that supply will outstrip demand for solar for the first time in many years – by the end of next year, according to several forecasts.
Copyright 2008, Financial Times
Wind power has long been the big beast of the renewable energy jungle. The technology to generate electricity from wind has been established for more than two decades, and in the past five years has been refined and expanded towards much larger and more powerful turbines including ones that can be used at sea, and towards very small turbines that can be fixed to office buildings or houses.
Last year, the US led the world in wind power installations for the third consecutive year, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Global wind capacity increased by more than 20 gigawatts last year, of which more than 5GW was in the US. Spain and China each built about 3.5GW of new capacity, and the rate of expansion in all these big markets is increasing.
Wind, however, is running into some problems. The massive expansion of wind generation capacity has outstripped the ability of manufacturers to keep up, leading to big order backlogs – which, along with rising raw material costs, have raised turbine prices by more than half.
Solar energy is the other main renewable contender. Solar power has lagged behind wind, partly because it has relied on expensive technologies such as silicon-based electronics, partly because solar installations have tended to produce less energy.
But this too is changing – silicon is falling in price, some massive solar installations are under construction, and new forms of solar energy have dispensed with the need for silicon altogether.
Both technologies face a bright future, however, says Simon Wannop, of the renewable energy team at consultancy Ernst & Young: “Constantly evolving technology and the increasing importance of renewables in the eyes of policy-makers makes this a particularly mouth-watering industry for investors.” Old objections to sun and wind power – that they are expensive and intermittent compared with fossil fuels – are falling away, he says.
Wind power is now becoming “cost-competitive” with fossil fuel electricity generation, says James Dehlsen, chief executive of Clipper Windpower, a US wind power specialist listed on the Alternative Investment Market in London.
Ivan Brems, chief executive of Hansen Transmissions, which supplies gearboxes for turbines and is owned by Suzlon of India, one of the world’s biggest turbine makers, says developing countries are catching up fast. According to the consultancy BTM, the European wind market will more than double between 2008 and 2012. But the Chinese wind market will nearly triple, and the Indian market will increase seven-fold, albeit from a smaller base.
According to Mr Wannop, “Capacity shortages, in terms of bottlenecks in parts of the wind turbine supply chain, are likely to remain in place for at least four to five years and perhaps longer until a global player emerges from China.”
Wind companies have traditionally been closely allied to conventional electricity companies. But Mr Dehlsen suggests that transport companies are the new natural allies of wind generators.
He predicts a massive expansion in the world’s electric vehicle fleet, which he says will play to wind’s strengths. Most wind energy is generated at night, when electricity demand is lower – but electricity is hard to store in quantity.
If more people use electric cars, and charge them up at night, that would solve this problem as the vehicle fleet will effectively act as a massive collective battery.
He says: “This presents a growth opportunity for wind technology perhaps unparalleled by other energy technologies in the history of electric power generation.”
Solar power is also taking off fast, with the world’s capacity to manufacture photovoltaic cells ramping up rapidly. A consequence is that the price of photovoltaic cells is dropping.
This is good news as it means that they are more affordable, and solar electricity will soon be comparable in cost to fossil fuel generation. However, it also means that solar companies will find their profit margins falling.
Dean Cooper, analyst at Ambrian, says the global capacity for solar module production is set to increase “dramatically”, from 3GW last year to 15 to 20GW of production in 2010.
Much of the growth is coming from China. This increase will mean that supply will outstrip demand for solar for the first time in many years – by the end of next year, according to several forecasts.
Copyright 2008, Financial Times
Friday, January 16, 2009
Why Buy An Electric Car?
The electric car is coming.
Unlike most things in these days of economic turmoil, you can take that to the bank. But while many automakers have made some sort of commitment to offer some form of electric car, the major question is: Will we buy it?
Well, the promotion has begun. And here are 10 reasons why many pundits say that, Yes, we will be buying electric cars.
1. There is no engine. Think about the savings in gas and maintenance. And there are four electric motors that run the electric car so if one motor goes out, you still have the other three churning along. The now available space can be used by batteries that provide the vehicle with the longer range we all want. There is a new mini vehicle hybrid electric vehicle that has been said to have a range of 900 miles. Wow!2. Electric cars will be reliable. There is no doubt about that. And there is evidence of that already. There is an electric car that runs on solar power that has driven around the world. Double Wow!3. The electric car can actually save you money in the long run. They may be more expensive to buy initially, but you will no doubt save on the maintenance and fuel costs. 4. Solar roofs that can be used to provide energy to run the vehicles will provide free power from the sun. Solar panels have already been developed to achieve this and a Prius has been modified to include a solar roof which has been proven to extend its range and make driving even cheaper. 5. They are quiet. Walking on the streets of a large city could be almost a pleasure because it will be so quiet once the old gas engine cars make their way to the junkyard. 6. Samples like the Tesla Roadster already exist which show the benefits: 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds; doesn’t burn oil; travels 244 miles per charge; costs pennies per mile.7. No infrastructure. The cars can be filled up so to speak by just plugging them into an electrical socket. 8. Besides being able to put solar panels on the roof of the vehicle, transparent solar panels have already been invented that can be put on the windshield providing more capability to turn sun light into energy and thus more range. 9. Believe it or not, there are companies that are developing “Solar Paint” -- paint that can generate electricity. So with solar panels on the roof and windshield and solar energy also coming from the paint on the surface of the vehicle, there is no chance that the car will be without power. Wow! Wow! Wow!10. Finally, it will end once and for all our dependence on foreign oil -- wait, it will eliminate our need for any oil.
via AboutMyPlanet
Unlike most things in these days of economic turmoil, you can take that to the bank. But while many automakers have made some sort of commitment to offer some form of electric car, the major question is: Will we buy it?
Well, the promotion has begun. And here are 10 reasons why many pundits say that, Yes, we will be buying electric cars.
1. There is no engine. Think about the savings in gas and maintenance. And there are four electric motors that run the electric car so if one motor goes out, you still have the other three churning along. The now available space can be used by batteries that provide the vehicle with the longer range we all want. There is a new mini vehicle hybrid electric vehicle that has been said to have a range of 900 miles. Wow!2. Electric cars will be reliable. There is no doubt about that. And there is evidence of that already. There is an electric car that runs on solar power that has driven around the world. Double Wow!3. The electric car can actually save you money in the long run. They may be more expensive to buy initially, but you will no doubt save on the maintenance and fuel costs. 4. Solar roofs that can be used to provide energy to run the vehicles will provide free power from the sun. Solar panels have already been developed to achieve this and a Prius has been modified to include a solar roof which has been proven to extend its range and make driving even cheaper. 5. They are quiet. Walking on the streets of a large city could be almost a pleasure because it will be so quiet once the old gas engine cars make their way to the junkyard. 6. Samples like the Tesla Roadster already exist which show the benefits: 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds; doesn’t burn oil; travels 244 miles per charge; costs pennies per mile.7. No infrastructure. The cars can be filled up so to speak by just plugging them into an electrical socket. 8. Besides being able to put solar panels on the roof of the vehicle, transparent solar panels have already been invented that can be put on the windshield providing more capability to turn sun light into energy and thus more range. 9. Believe it or not, there are companies that are developing “Solar Paint” -- paint that can generate electricity. So with solar panels on the roof and windshield and solar energy also coming from the paint on the surface of the vehicle, there is no chance that the car will be without power. Wow! Wow! Wow!10. Finally, it will end once and for all our dependence on foreign oil -- wait, it will eliminate our need for any oil.
via AboutMyPlanet
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Mileage Tax Instead Of GasolineTax?
US states look at taxing mileage instead of gas Sunday, January 04, 2009 United States of America USA Portland (Oregon): Oregon is among a growing number of US states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles. The idea first emerged nearly 10 years ago as Oregon lawmakers worried that fuel-efficient cars such as gas-electric hybrids could pose a threat to road upkeep, which is paid for largely with gasoline taxes. “I’m glad we’re taking a look at it before the potholes get so big that we can’t even get out of them,” said Leroy Younglove, a Portland driver who participated in a recent pilot programme. The proposal is not without critics, including drivers who are concerned about privacy and others who fear the tax could eliminate the financial incentive for buying efficient vehicles. But Oregon is ahead of the nation in exploring the concept, even though it will probably be years before any mileage tax is adopted. Congress is talking about it, too. A congressional commission has envisioned a system similar to the prototype Oregon tested in 2006-2007. The National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing is considering calling for higher gas taxes to keep highways, bridges and transit programmes in good shape. But over the long term, commission members say, the nation should consider taxing mileage rather than gasoline as drivers use more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles. Governor Ted Kulongoski has included development money for the tax in his budget proposal, and interest is growing in a number of other states. Governors in Idaho and Rhode Island have considered systems that would require drivers to report their mileage when they register vehicles. In North Carolina last month, a panel suggested charging motorists a quartercent for every mile as a substitute for the gas tax. James Whitty, the Oregon Department of Transportation employee in charge of the state’s effort, said he’s also heard talk of mileage tax proposals in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Colorado and Minnesota. “There is kind of a coalition that’s naturally forming around this,” he said. AP
Worried that hybrid cars could threaten road upkeep, which is paid for with gas taxes, US states are mulling taxing mileage
Worried that hybrid cars could threaten road upkeep, which is paid for with gas taxes, US states are mulling taxing mileage
Europe Is Not Run By Their Big Corpoations!!
Will Valence’s European Bet Win It a Profit?
Written by Jennifer Kho
3 Comments
Posted January 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 pm in Automotive
Valence Technology has been working to bring phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries to large-format applications such as vehicles since 1989. In other words, it’s essentially been waiting for the electric-car market to take off for nearly two decades.
But the company thinks its waiting period is over. It says it has found a real – not potential – market for electric vehicles across the pond. And company officials are betting that Europe, not the U.S. or Asia, will be the ultimate winner in the race for the electric car.
Valence makes lithium-iron-phosphate and lithium-iron-magnesium-phosphate batteries for hybrid and electric commercial vehicles. It claims its batteries can fully charge and discharge more often than regular lithium-ion batteries, and also are less likely to catch fire (phosphate is a key ingredient in fire extinguishers).
Valence began to focus on Europe about two years ago, when it realized that automakers there already were launching electric delivery vans and hybrid buses, CEO Bob Kanode said. “We were looking for a market where we could sell and we found Europe, with its incredible designs and very strong government and public support,” he said. “[Europeans] are absolutely dedicated to alternative-energy solutions and view this [electric vehicles] as maybe their last opportunity to make a difference in the automotive sector.”
Among other customers, Valence this year signed sales deals with Smith Electric Vehicles, a UK maker of electric commercial vans and trucks; PVI, a French manufacturer of electric buses and other vehicles; and Oxygen SpA, an Italian company that makes an electric scooter called Cargoscooter. Companies such as Modec, a UK-based supplier of electric delivery vans, and Wrightbus, a UK Wright Group subsidiary that makes double-decker buses, also are testing Valence batteries. Through these relationships, Valence is building connections to large automakers, such as Renault, which is a PVI partner; Peugot, which is an Oxygen partner; Volvo, which is a Wrightbus partner; and Ford and Isuzu, which are Smith Electric partners.
The company has already grown large in size — it has the capacity to make 100 metric tons of cathode material per month and about $20 million worth of battery packs per quarter. Valence plans to eventually expand from commercial vehicles into consumer cars, and also is working with UK and Spanish utilities to bring backup batteries to the electrical grid, Kanode said.
Still, Valence’s success in Europe has yet to translate into a profit. The company in November posted a second-quarter net loss that grew 26.5 percent to $6.2 million, or 5 cents per share, from $4.9 million, or 4 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. At the same time revenue rose 3.5 percent to $5.8 million from $5.6 million in the same quarter in 2007.
And the company faces several challenges. For one thing, battery limitations mean that electric vehicles have shorter ranges than their gasoline counterparts, and that could limit the market. For example, most of Valence’s partners get ranges of more than 100 miles, Kanode said. Automakers such as GM and DaimlerChrylser have previously said they are aiming for alternative vehicles that can travel at least 300 miles before refueling, to be comparable to gasoline cars. Drivers are accustomed to being able to drive long distances on a single tank, and range could be even more of an issue with electric cars, which can take hours to recharge.
Electric car advocates argue that most drivers don’t need long ranges. After all, most European commuters travel less than 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) daily, or less than 19 miles each way, with 80 percent of German car owners driving 50 kilometers (about 31 miles) or less each day, according to GM. “We often give people that are testing us surprisingly more range than they want,” Kanode said. “It’s not a problem.”
Also, Valence is developing more efficient lithium-vanadium-phosphate and lithium-vanadium-phosphate-fluoride batteries, he said. Higher efficiency could increase the batteries’ runtime (and the vehicles’ range).
Meanwhile, the economy could slow the hybrid- and electric-vehicle market. In November, U.S. hybrid sales fell 50 percent from the same month last year. Earlier this month, Norwegian electric-car maker Think Global halted production, and in October, Menlo Park, Calif.-based Tesla Motors announced layoffs and the delay of its next model.
The uncertain economy could make it more difficult for Valence to raise more money to expand and also could hinder some of Valence’s customers from attracting funding to buy its batteries, Kanode said. “Nobody knows what this market is going to do,” he said.
Nonetheless, Valence expects support for electric vehicles will stay strong in Europe, regardless of the economy. “People view it as an absolute necessity to reduce dependence on foreign oil and everyone is very concerned about the environment and determined to reduce their footprint,” Kanode said. “We don’t see any slow-up at all. It’s a very different environment from the United States.”
For additional Electric Vehice news visit http://www.time4evs.com
Written by Jennifer Kho
3 Comments
Posted January 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 pm in Automotive
Valence Technology has been working to bring phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries to large-format applications such as vehicles since 1989. In other words, it’s essentially been waiting for the electric-car market to take off for nearly two decades.
But the company thinks its waiting period is over. It says it has found a real – not potential – market for electric vehicles across the pond. And company officials are betting that Europe, not the U.S. or Asia, will be the ultimate winner in the race for the electric car.
Valence makes lithium-iron-phosphate and lithium-iron-magnesium-phosphate batteries for hybrid and electric commercial vehicles. It claims its batteries can fully charge and discharge more often than regular lithium-ion batteries, and also are less likely to catch fire (phosphate is a key ingredient in fire extinguishers).
Valence began to focus on Europe about two years ago, when it realized that automakers there already were launching electric delivery vans and hybrid buses, CEO Bob Kanode said. “We were looking for a market where we could sell and we found Europe, with its incredible designs and very strong government and public support,” he said. “[Europeans] are absolutely dedicated to alternative-energy solutions and view this [electric vehicles] as maybe their last opportunity to make a difference in the automotive sector.”
Among other customers, Valence this year signed sales deals with Smith Electric Vehicles, a UK maker of electric commercial vans and trucks; PVI, a French manufacturer of electric buses and other vehicles; and Oxygen SpA, an Italian company that makes an electric scooter called Cargoscooter. Companies such as Modec, a UK-based supplier of electric delivery vans, and Wrightbus, a UK Wright Group subsidiary that makes double-decker buses, also are testing Valence batteries. Through these relationships, Valence is building connections to large automakers, such as Renault, which is a PVI partner; Peugot, which is an Oxygen partner; Volvo, which is a Wrightbus partner; and Ford and Isuzu, which are Smith Electric partners.
The company has already grown large in size — it has the capacity to make 100 metric tons of cathode material per month and about $20 million worth of battery packs per quarter. Valence plans to eventually expand from commercial vehicles into consumer cars, and also is working with UK and Spanish utilities to bring backup batteries to the electrical grid, Kanode said.
Still, Valence’s success in Europe has yet to translate into a profit. The company in November posted a second-quarter net loss that grew 26.5 percent to $6.2 million, or 5 cents per share, from $4.9 million, or 4 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. At the same time revenue rose 3.5 percent to $5.8 million from $5.6 million in the same quarter in 2007.
And the company faces several challenges. For one thing, battery limitations mean that electric vehicles have shorter ranges than their gasoline counterparts, and that could limit the market. For example, most of Valence’s partners get ranges of more than 100 miles, Kanode said. Automakers such as GM and DaimlerChrylser have previously said they are aiming for alternative vehicles that can travel at least 300 miles before refueling, to be comparable to gasoline cars. Drivers are accustomed to being able to drive long distances on a single tank, and range could be even more of an issue with electric cars, which can take hours to recharge.
Electric car advocates argue that most drivers don’t need long ranges. After all, most European commuters travel less than 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) daily, or less than 19 miles each way, with 80 percent of German car owners driving 50 kilometers (about 31 miles) or less each day, according to GM. “We often give people that are testing us surprisingly more range than they want,” Kanode said. “It’s not a problem.”
Also, Valence is developing more efficient lithium-vanadium-phosphate and lithium-vanadium-phosphate-fluoride batteries, he said. Higher efficiency could increase the batteries’ runtime (and the vehicles’ range).
Meanwhile, the economy could slow the hybrid- and electric-vehicle market. In November, U.S. hybrid sales fell 50 percent from the same month last year. Earlier this month, Norwegian electric-car maker Think Global halted production, and in October, Menlo Park, Calif.-based Tesla Motors announced layoffs and the delay of its next model.
The uncertain economy could make it more difficult for Valence to raise more money to expand and also could hinder some of Valence’s customers from attracting funding to buy its batteries, Kanode said. “Nobody knows what this market is going to do,” he said.
Nonetheless, Valence expects support for electric vehicles will stay strong in Europe, regardless of the economy. “People view it as an absolute necessity to reduce dependence on foreign oil and everyone is very concerned about the environment and determined to reduce their footprint,” Kanode said. “We don’t see any slow-up at all. It’s a very different environment from the United States.”
For additional Electric Vehice news visit http://www.time4evs.com
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