Our role in creating clean transport

When we see the latest concept electric vehicles under development, it is hard to believe that the electric car as an idea is in fact not new. In 1832, the Scottish inventor Robert Anderson invented the first crude electric carriage powered by non-rechargeable primary cells.

Eighty years later, Henry Ford introduced the mass-manufactured Model T, a vehicle developed in response to the demand to travel farther distances and the advent of the combustion engine powered by then cheap, newly discovered Texas crude, a development that would undermine the advancement of the electric vehicle as a viable commercial product; until now.

It would be a great understatement to say that the world has changed dramatically since the early days of the automobile. Yet much of the current mindset in the halls of power, both in government and industry, remains locked in a paradigm that has lost its relevance today. What started as embryonic industry oil today has become the most profitable and powerful commodity and lobby the world has ever seen. While the development of the oil industry has yielded tremendous advancements in so many areas of technology, our resulting dependence has brought with it an array of catastrophic impact.

Everything is connected : Most of the attention for or against clean energy solutions, such as the electric vehicle, centres on the debate around global warming as a real and present danger to the future of our planet and its people. Less talked about, but perhaps even more immediate in terms of threat, is the chokehold that our dependence on foreign oil has on our ability to make free and intelligent choices on how we manage both our political and economic future.

Both global warming and the need to break our addiction to a commodity approaching scarcity are converging. People are waking up after decades of denial. There is now scientific agreement on the gravity of problems we have created. The will to affect change is here. We know what must be done. We have the technology and know-how to apply it. Amidst all this change, both in circumstances and in the availability of relevant technologies, execution remains elusive. Something is missing. Our prosperity has led us to forget what the ancients always knew: Everything is connected. Such is the evidence of how we came to face the problems we are confronting today.

Now, the solution to our dilemma is no different - everything is connected. As I speak with the representatives of all the critical components required to transform our transportation system from an outdated, polluting system based on an addiction to a finite commodity controlled by the few to a near-zero carbon system based on cheap electricity, the silos of self-interest and limited thinking still exist.

The Plug-in Singapore 2009 conference will bring together all the critical voices needed to build an electric vehicle future not only for Singapore and the Asia Pacific but the entire planet. Plug-in Singapore 2009 is about an entire ecosystem of what is required to affect real change through the creation of an economically viable infrastructure that supports clean technology transportation, reduces the demand for a price-unpredictable and finite commodity (oil), and improves the quality of life for all.

So where do we stand today? Electric vehicles are rapidly coming on line, thanks in large part to the auto companies who are responding to grassroots efforts for alternatives to gas-powered vehicles and genuine concerns about the price of oil and the long-term viability of the combustion engine.

However, widespread adoption and the transformation we require depend on the creation of supporting infrastructure.

Success rests on creative policy and the political will to make it happen. If the auto companies want to sell electric vehicles then they will also need to advocate for the creation of electric vehicle infrastructure for the consumers of these vehicles. In order to deploy an electric vehicle-charging infrastructure, the power companies must work with policymakers to develop micro grids specifically designed for this purpose. All of this requires unprecedented levels of partnership and cooperation, and commitment fuelled by clear understanding of the critical nature of a common goal to working together to create a sustainable existence that recognises that everything and all of us are connected.

With this support, policies will be put into place, consumers will be considered, electric vehicles will sell and reach critical mass and satisfy the needs of our planet and our people. We must always keep on top of the mind the big picture.

Let us remind ourselves of what is at stake: The combustion engine is responsible for 10% of the total carbon output worldwide every year. Of particular concern is that this number is growing fast every year. In order for petrol-powered vehicles to reach cost parity with current electric vehicles, oil must drop to below US$10 per barrel. The reality is we are hostage to Opec which controls the world price for this finite commodity with prices that have fluctuated between just under US$40 and US$150 per barrel in just the last five months of 2008. Independence from the oligarchy of oil would reduce global conflict, create greater political transparency, stimulate new industry and free up resources to invest in new technologies.

Transformation to an electric vehicle world is the next imperative step in our technological and human development. It is our collective responsibility to take innovative steps together.

Plug-in Singapore 2009 is dedicated to move clean transportation into reality. The Singapore event is a major step for South-east Asia. It represents the first-ever conference that will host delegates and representatives from the three major legs of the stool that will make this vision a reality: industry (auto makers, component makers, power providers); the policy sector (government bodies such as Energy Market Authority, Land Transport Authority, Ministry of Trade and Industry, standards bodies and foreign governments); and consumers, whom all of you and your children represent.

Let us remember, clean transportation is not merely an attractive preference. Clean transportation is an absolute necessity. Clean transportation is not a hypothetical possibility. It is, if we are to survive, an absolute inevitability, an inevitability that requires all of us to take an active role in its creation. It is precisely challenges such as this that the human spirit and the highest angels of our nature were designed to conquer. Such herculean tasks keep us humble while also offering opportunities to demonstrate our greatness. Now is the time. We each have a role to play. Let us unconditionally commit to creating a future we all know in our hearts must become reality.

Source : TheBusinessTimes, by Marc Pomerleau (CEO of Cleantech Agency), October 28th, 2009

Lessons From Detroit PHEVs Conference

Advocates have been saying it for a while, but now all sides of the debate-including automakers, utilities, venture capitalists, and policymakers-are saying it too: electric-powered automobiles are the real deal, and we're on the cusp of the biggest transformation in automotive history since the invention of the internal combustion engine.

This may come as no shock to readers of Gas 2.0, but the complexity and number of major players involved in making this happen is not easily grasped. This is why the conference, called The Business of Plugging In, brought a diverse, all-star cast of speakers to Detroit. A few of them are featured in next month's Inc. Magazine, which does a fantastic job of describing what's being called the 'Electric Car Ecosystem.' It looks something like this: Electric cars must be built (by automakers and new venture-backed start-ups), supported by a supply chain of new components (like batteries and new types of electric motors) as well as new manufacturing capabilities, which are all being made possible by major grants (from state and Federal government).

The cars will be fueled by electricity (provided by utilities) in a fashion that must not overwhelm the power grid (and aggravate consumers and utility companies), and will ideally be sourced from new low-carbon power (like wind and solar) in a way that intelligently connects the car to the grid and the web.
Concern over charging infrastructure for electric cars should not be seen as an impediment to their immediate adoption. While there are major considerations for the long-term, things are 'good enough to get started'. Most of these cars will sit long enough to charge by a simple 110V plug-something that at least the 53 million garage owners in the US have access to. That's not a niche market, that's huge.

Studies have shown that the US can handle tens of millions of electric cars charging during off-peak nightime hours with our current infrastructure. We don't need fancy Smart Grid features to make this happen, since it's easy to do this (now) with timers that only allow charging during certain times.

However, adding a 220V plug (like the one powering your dryer) for an electric car is like adding a few new homes to the grid. Plugging in 5 or 6 cars at 220V during summertime peak load would (as of today) cause local blackouts.

Adding a 220V plug to your home may require additional cost. While most homes are wired for this (for the dryer), you still have to make a plug accessible to the car, and this has to be professionally and safely wired (this is called Level 2 charging). Worst case scenario is an added $1,000 cost impediment to the consumer (and the time for installation).

It's almost taken for granted that there will be many early adopters who rapidly snatch up initial plug-in hybrids offered by the major automakers. Richard Curtin of the Institute of Social Research at University of Michigan, noted that his research found a $10,000 premium barrier for car buyers. That is, the closer the price increase over comparable models gets to $10k, the less buyers can justify it, and over $10K the market evaporates. Curtin also found that average consumers are incredibly bad and incorporating future operating costs into their economic analysis, and instead consider only up-front costs. He also found that 'Attitude toward the environment' was the #1 factor in predicting willingness to buy a plug-in hybrid.

Mr. Fisker, who will be selling a 'lifestyle vehicle', stated that there are those who want to 'project their responsibility to society and the future,' and these consumers don't really care about the premium. This is probably true-just try asking the average Prius owner sometime whether the investment in fuel economy paid off for them.

Source : Reuters, by James Pethokoukis, October 26th, 2009, reprinted with permission from Gas 2.0

Google makes campus a little greener

Perhaps still sore from the accusation that searching with Google could be harmful to the environment, the Web's monolithic curator is showing off some of its green efforts. Partly a celebration of the environmentally themed Blog Action Day 2009, Google patted itself on the back for everything from a well-known, WiFi-equipped Bay Area shuttle to employing the services of goats. Google summarized some of its efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle on its Official Google Blog. Leading with its free shuttle service that ferries employees from around the Bay Area, Google points out that the shuttle runs on B20 biodiesel. If employees opt to bike, walk, or otherwise self-power themselves to the Mountain View, CA campus, they will earn points that translate into a Google donation to a charity one specifies.

Green highlights around Google's campus include building rooftops that are covered with enough photovoltaic solar panels to produce 1.6 MW of electricity, as well as environmentally friendly building materials that are (increasingly) PVC- and formaldehyde-free materials. When it comes to taking care of the rest of the campus, Google swapped out lawn mowers for 200 goats, and seemed pleased with the experiment. The company also keeps a fleet of plug-in hybrid cars that employees can freely use to run daily errands, as well as bicycles for quickly getting around campus.

Last, but probably not least, Google composts organic material from its cafes, and uses only disposable, compostable plateware and cutlery. Google obviously isn't the only major consumer tech company making efforts to go green and making sure we know it. Microsoft details its own policies and provides research and guides for IT departments atMicrosoft.com/environment, and Apple attempted to reframe the green debate again last month by becoming one of the first companies to factor the green-ness of its products into its overall assessment. Google details similar product information in the form of data center energy consumption statistics and achievements at its own corporate Google's Green Initiatives. Since data centers are the building blocks of Google's primary products, Google touts things like two facilities that are currently powered by 100% recycled water, and next year it expects that number to rise to 80% of its entire data center water consumption.

Source : ArsTechnica, by David Cartier, October 19th, 2009

1st Pre-Fab charging station in San Diego

California has long led the way in terms of high-tech and greenenergy, so what better place than San Diego to demonstrate the first SunPod Plug-N-Go electric vehicle charging station? As the name suggests, the station is solar-powered and pre-fabricated, ready to use once it’s set up.

It’s the ultimate in charging station convenience — there’s no assembly required. All you need is an electrician to make a few connections, and you’re ready to go. SunPod is targeting companies and public sector entities that have, or will have, a fleet of plug-in electric or hybrid vehicles that will need a reliable, convenient place to re-charge. SunPod also feels using solar power is a much more responsible alternative to electricity from a coal-fueled power grid.

“It just didn’t make sense for us to power electric cars with electricity produced by burning coal and other carbon-based fuels and make a positive environmental difference. All you are doing is trading gasoline for coal, not a good idea,” says Don Jaeger, president and co-founder of SunPods. “The core idea behind SunPods is to make solar power simple and easy to use anywhere and to displace fossil based energy with non-carbon, clean renewable solar power.”

SunPods decided that, along with the green factor, convenience and ease of set-up would make their product more attractive. The Plug-N-Go station has two configurations. In one, the unit sends power to the grid for use as the consumer sees fit, possibly to off-set carbon-based grid power use. In the second configuration, the unit stores power to use to re-charge the batteries of electric vehicles directly, effectively serving as a buffer between the EV and the power grid.While solar power isn’t an option in, say, Michigan, it’s at least a choice in sunnier climates, like San Diego. Only time will tell how many consumers or companies will like the idea of using clean, renewable solar energy to fuel their electric vehicles, but it certainly seems like a fantastic idea.

Source : AllCarsElectric, by Jennifer Knightstep, October 15th, 2009

Electric cars a step closer

In California, an electric vehicle manufacturer (Tesla Motors) and a solar panel installation company (Solar City) have teamed up to create the world’s first electric car charging “corridor” meaning that electric cars can travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles using stations powered by solar panels.

At home using an ordinary electricity socket, an electric car could take more than 24 hours to recharge, but at these “fast charging stations” vehicles are fully charged in around three-and-a-half hours.

Says Peter Rive the project developer: “You can recharge the car in about the amount of time it would take you to eat lunch, watch a movie, and do a little bit of shopping. So what really excites us about this corridor is that it’s one of the first times you can actually contemplate taking the electric car on the freeway.”

The stations currently only work with Tesla cars, which cost around 60,000€ (U$ 90,000) each. But the company says they’ll eventually refit the stations to charge other better-priced electric cars too. Recharging is free for now, but there is no information about prices once charging stations are open to all electric vehicles.

Peter Rive says, “We see this very much like building a new form of railroad. The next step is to maybe linking San Francisco to Sacramento then maybe start doing the same thing on the East Coast and over a period of years, we will completely inter-connect all of the major cities in the country.”

The combination of solar energy and electric cars makes this an environmentally-friendly solution -and because it allows electric vehicles to use motorways, it is another step towards electric cars replacing the gas guzzlers that most of us still drive.

Source : EuroNews, October 7th, 2009

France launches 'battle of the electric car'

France launched the "battle of the electric car" Thursday as it unveiled plans to invest 1.5 billion euros (U$2.1 billion) on infrastructure for the two million electric and hybrid cars it wants on the road by 2020.

"No player can take the risk alone, but if all the actors take it at the same time, that works," said Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo. The aim is to "make the French energy and car industry a world leader," Borloo told reporters as he presented his government's strategy on helping reduce C02 emissions via eco-friendly cars. The project covers everything from industrial research, making batteries, producing clean cars and building a nation-wide network of battery-charging stations.

Of the total 1.5 billion euros (2.1 billion dollars) earmarked, 900 million euros could come from a state loan due to be launched next year, said Borloo. The money will be used mostly to build infrastructure but also to buy cars and on subsidies for both makers and buyers of clean vehicles.

Under the plan, a million battery-charging points will be built by 2015, 90% of them in private homes but also in car parks and at roadside sites. From 2012 all new apartment blocks with parking lots will have to include charging stations, and the network will grow to a total of four million points by 2020, the equivalent of two per vehicle.

One hundred million euros will also be made available for other electric carmakers such as Peugeot or Daimler's Smart division, officials said. Joint purchases by state authorities and major private companies will see orders for 100,000 electric vehicles by 2015, according to the plan. By 2030 the emissions-free vehicle sector in France is projected to be worth some 15 billion euros (21.8 billion dollars), representing 27% of the total market, according to the ecology ministry.

The two French automakers Renault and Peugeot-Citroen presented their solutions for tomorrow's cars - electric or hybrid - at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this month. Renault introduced four electric prototypes in Frankfurt that cover the range from small urban to commercial vehicles. Renault, which includes Nissan Motors, chief Carlos Ghosn says he has made Zero Emissions the group's top strategy in the ongoing battle against CO2 emissions. The firm believes that by 2020 electric cars will make up more than 10% of the market and hopes to present its electric cars by 2011 and have them ready for the market the following year.

Rival PSA Peugeot Citroen equally aims to impress the general public with its environment-friendly cars after new company head Varin, who took over in June, made them one of his priorities.

Electric vehicles were the star of the Frankfurt auto show but experts predict that cars will roll on a variety of power sources for quite a while.

Source : Agence France Presse (AFP), October 2nd, 2009