by John Gartner

If you’re looking to tour the world of urban transportation without leaving your armchair, then Straphanger might be the book for you. The book describes how people get around in a dozen global cities, including Tokyo, Paris, Copenhagen, New York, and Philadelphia.

Written by travel writer Taras Grescoe, Straphanger (a term used to describe those who ride mass transit and trains), is a whirlwind tour of getting around by train, bus, subway, car and bike. The writer is upfront about his affinity for public transit as well as his general aversion to cars, and his rants about the negatives of automobiles are somewhat distracting from the narrative. Despite the author’s bias, the book does weigh the pros and cons of each form of transit, detailing how poorly implemented rail or bus lines can be just as wasteful and destructive as the development of ill-conceived freeways.

Grescoe is at his best when he focuses on the history of how transit has evolved (the digging of the New York Subway, the removal of street cars in Los Angeles) and the role politics has played in bringing each city to its current state. In addition to the history, the author draws conclusions about how their current transit systems will affect the future development of the cities – he’s bullish that Bogota, Portland and Philadelphia will do well, while the title of the chapter on Phoenix says it all: “Highway to Hell.”

Straphanger is loaded with take-your-breath-away factoids, such as the fact that in Tokyo, public transit hosts 43 million daily rides per day, or 2.5 times that of the ridership in the entire United States. Wow. Cyclists will be amazed to read about commuting by cargo bike in Copenhagen, a city with weather like London’s but more bike-to-workers than the entire US.

Grescoe’s travel writing skills are in full force throughout, as when reading you can imagine yourself being squeezed tight by strangers in the Tokyo subway, or changing radio stations as you sit in traffic in Phoenix. A nice complement to the paperback would have been at least a few photos to fill in the gaps in your mind’s eye when moving from page to page. I’m fortunate enough to have visited three-fourths of the places described in the book, and after reading Straphanger, I’m more motivated than ever to leave the car behind when I go to see the rest.

by John Gartner

“Fast” DC electric vehicle chargers that can charge up to 80 percent of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) in under 20 minutes are starting to sprout up in the U.S. Consumers are expected to be willing to pay up to the price of a movie ticket to wait minutes instead of hours to charge a vehicle.

While the convenience is nice for BEV drivers, fast charging has the potential to strain the grid or incur high “demand charges” for pulling power off the grid at peak times. If vehicle charging puts a business into the demand charge penalty zone during a peak time, the cost could be hundreds to thousands of dollars in a single day. Demand charge avoidance is necessary for operating DC fast charging stations, which can draw more than 50 kilowatts of power from the grid, or between 7 to 15 times as much power as “slow charging” a vehicle.

Ever since the first DC chargers were announced, the potential for using batteries to reduce the grid impact has been considered by several vendors. That potential is becoming reality as electric vehicle services company 350Green is deploying DC chargers in Chicago that will be supported by lithium ion batteries. 350Green will install 280 AC and fast DC chargers in the Chicago area as part of a smart grid hub that is being developed in the city in partnership with South Korea. Furthermore, the company has grand aspirations for tying batteries with vehicle charging across the country, and has expanded its business to include a battery assembly plant.

The project also includes equipment from Chicago-based lithium ion battery cell manufacturing company AllCell Technologies and the Illinois Institute of Technology, according to 350Green CEO Mariana Gerzanych. 350Green will open a battery plant in Chicago in August that is targeting grid energy storage applications beyond vehicle charging. Supporting EV charging is “just the tip of the iceberg” for creating services for the grid, according to Gerzanych. In addition to supporting fast DC charging, 350 Green is looking to use the battery systems to sell power back to the grid through ancillary services, and the company will sell battery packs to other grid services companies.

Gerzanych says the company is “cell and chemistry agnostic” in assembling its packs, which gives it flexibility in sourcing from multiple vendors. She expects to assemble 3 megawatts of batteries during the first year, with production starting in August. 350Green has been working on energy storage for 2 years, and other vendors are likely to offer battery systems optimized to support BEV charging soon.

350Green shopped the battery plant to several states and cities, according to Gerzanych. Chicago won because the city provided incentives that eliminated the higher cost of operating within the city limits. 350Green recently installed its first DC charger in California (pictured above) using equipment from Efacec.

by Christopher DeMorro

With a resurgence in interest in alternative fuel technology, engineers and researchers the world over are working to break or make new records in all sorts fields, including solar powered aviation. Ahead of an attempt to circumnavigate the entire world, the Solar Impulse team is launching its solar-powered plane on an intercontinental flight from Spain to Morocco. This is one world record that might require an asterisk.

Not that it makes the idea of solar-powered airplanes any less cool. Though of comparable size to many jumbo jets in the air today, the Solar Impulse is powered solely by the sun. 12,000 solar panels dot its body, the result of more than 10 years and $100 million of resarch and development. All of that effort has culminated in an effort to make an intercontinental flight from Spain to Morocco of more than 1,500 miles that launched yesterday.

The flight from Madrid, Spain to Rabat, Morocco, will take approximately two days, due to the slow-moving nature of the Solar Impulse. The team has even set up a live-feed that includes air speed and batter life gauges so you can track the Solar Impulse’s progress. Power comes from four 10 horsepower electric motors that can take the Impulse to a height of 12,000 feet. But don’t pack your bags and buy a ticket yet; the Impulse is not designed to carry passengers, but rather a message about the future of air travel.

That is all well and good, but we can’t exactly on hopeful words. Will solar powered technology ever make headway in the aviation world? This writer thinks it is an inevitability…as a source of backup or alternative power, or perhaps as part of a hybrid setup ala the Volare. A whole passenger plane flying on solar panels? Probably not in our lifetime folks.

Reprinted with permission from Gas 2.0

by Breath on the Wind

The phoenix and a dragon is a common motif on Chinese pottery, often used as wedding gifts. Aptera (a wingless bird) is an electric car company that ceased operations in December after many setbacks, but its ideas and assets have taken flight again, purchased by the Jonway Group, a Chinese company. This might be considered an auspicious omen.

The Car

For those who took notice of EV developments in the last several years, Aptera made a name for itself by promoting the idea of a light vehicle that would nevertheless be crash-worthy due to its internal structure and airbags. Its light weight combined with its extreme aerodynamic shape would mean that it would only need a small engine and would be highly efficient.

The unusual vehicle sported 3 wheels, and, accordingly, would be registered as a motorcycle, but the driver would not need a helmet or a special license. Several configurations were considered, including a conventional engine, a hybrid, and a battery electric vehicle. The innovation received recognition in the last Star Trek movie, where it made a brief appearance appropriately cast as a futuristic vehicle.

The soon-to-be-obsolete Aptera Motors website proclaims: “We have gone to great lengths to find visionaries, innovators and disruptors.” Being surrounded by innovation can make us blind to how others view our work, competition, and a sound business model. We can become so convinced of our divine place in the world that it is hard to get the rose out of the glasses. As Aptera entered the X prize competition that concluded last year, it seemed a forgone conclusion that it should win. But there were other 3-wheeled vehicles that seemed designed just for the competition, including a sport model known at the Alias by Zap motors. The competition was supposed to be promoting fuel-efficient vehicles that were destined for production. The Aptera, from media coverage, seemed close to this goal but did not prevail. A door swinging open during one part of the competition probably did not help. Jim Motavalli, a frequent writer on electric vehicles, feels that the company was just trying to do too much — ”…all at once — launch a new car company, employ revolutionary composite materials, build a better battery, introduce a radical body design, and create public awareness.”

It had previously been denied a government loan, primarily on the basis that its product was a 3-wheeled vehicle and not a 4-wheeled vehicle. When a lobbying effort changed the wording on the loan program, the company reapplied, but was not able to secure the requested loan amounts or sufficient funding to accept the loan. Aptera sounded like another Tesla, only waiting for production to begin to fill its waiting list of anticipating customers, but Tesla has paid great attention to its business model. Without alternative financing, Aptera decided to cease operations.

The Company

Now the innovation that was Aptera has been purchased by the Chinese in the form of the Jonway group.

This is the same company which is a major investor in Zap, which at almost 20 years old is, by today’s standards, an “old” electric car company. It primarily manufactured 3-wheeled vehicles used commercially and in industry around the world, but with the aid of the Jonway group expanded its offing. Presently, Zap vehicles are manufactured in China and assembled in Santa Rosa, California. There is a plan to do the same with the new Aptera vehicles scheduled to be available for purchase in early 2013. A new website for Aptera USA is reportedly being prepared and pre-ordering should be available by the end of June, but as of this writing, there seems to be no new live website. The now close connection between Zap and Aptera is further suggested in the proposed original name change to “Zaptera, USA,” according to the North Bay business Journal.

This story is almost a repeat of what happened to an innovative electric motorcycle called the Vectrix, which also closed its doors to be later purchased by a Chinese company, Gold Peak Industries. We can wish these Chinese companies well and be grateful that the American innovations will not disappear from the world. At the same time, we might wonder if we can still call it simply a lack of leadership where Congress fails to promote alternatives to oil and watches year after year as we become increasingly indebted to China because of foreign payments for oil. What is China doing with its growing prosperity? Congress continues to watch as American companies like Solyndra fail due to Chinese imports (and then spend more taxpayer money trying to cast blame elsewhere) and it watches again as the innovations that could help relieve our debt, from companies like Aptera and Vectrix, are purchased with oil dollars. Perhaps we should ignore the brief spot where the Aptera appears in Star Trek and instead take a lesson from the now canceled show Firefly, which follows a future rag-tag spaceship crew that can’t afford much but in which everyone speaks Chinese. At what point is it more than a lack of leadership?

Reprinted with permission from Cleantechnica

by Vivian Nelson Melle

Eco-vacations are all the rage with trips to the rain forest or stays on organic farms increasing in popularity. Sometimes the only get away is a road trip to a nearby state or town. The most eco-friendly vacation is one spent at home, but not everyone can enjoy a “staycation” and most can’t afford those extravagant ”greencations”. So if you need to hit the road and enjoy some down town this summer, there are some tricks to help make your road trip more eco-sound.

When you must drive, here are some ways to drive efficiently.

Drive Efficiently by Driving the Speed Limit

The posted speed limits aren’t just a suggestion, they’re the law. Furthermore, driving the speed limit is good for the earth. Driving above 70 miles per hour uses up to 25 percent more fuel. Lead foot got you down? Use the cruise control if your vehicle has this option or make it a point to check your speed more often. Saving bank at the pump more than makes this simple task worth while. Of course not paying a speeding tickets also sweetens the deal.

{car photo via bradleygee on Flickr}

Think About Aerodynamics

You can increase CO2 emissions up to 20 percent by adding more items to the outside of your car and by leaving the windows open at higher speeds. This aerodynamic drag is caused because air is no longer flowing fluently around the car. If you’re bringing bikes, you might want to consider rentals where you’re vacationing. Biking is becoming popular enough that many vacation hot spots offer inexpensive rentals.

Drop the Weight for More Efficiency

Think about the “family truckster” in the movie Vacation, that’s exactly what you should avoid. If you have belongings piled in the trunk and on top of the car than you definitely need to pare it down. You might start with each person’s gear. Make sure you bring the basics and the least amount of clothing. Most hotels have washers and rental until should as well. Toiletries are staples at hotels or you can buy bath essentials when you get to town. When possible, use multi-purpose toiletries. Try a two-in-one shampoo/conditioner and maybe try it as a body wash as well. Think cautiously about what goes in the vehicle. Do you really need it? Will it be used enough to call for its weight on the drive?

Keep on Moving

Stop and go traffic is pure death for eco-driving. Highway driving offers the least harmful effects on CO2 footprints so try to drive during off peak hours. If you’re cruising into Los Angeles at 5:00, be ready for disturbing amounts of stopping.If you can time your trip right though, you might be able to slide in before or after the traffic poses a problem. Also, don’t tailgate. Not only is this practice unsafe, it causes more braking. If you stay far enough behind you might be able to cruise a while longer before having to brake.

Air Up Those Tires

Fuel Economy reports improvements in gas mileage of up to 3.3 percent with properly inflated tires. Also, start with tires in good condition. This not only increases safety, it helps promotes better gas mileage and lower CO2 emissions. It extends the life of the tire giving a little more relief to Mother Earth before she accepts another used tire.

{tire photo via Rosa Say on Flickr}

Reprinted with permission from Green Living Ideas

We often see trucks barrelling down highways, but Siemens has a different vision.

It sees trucks attached to overhead electric trolley-like wires traveling peacefully down an "eHighway" in a separate lane.

"When most people think of vehicle emissions, they assume cars do most of the damage, but it's actually commercial trucks that are largely to blame," says Daryl Dulaney, CEO, Siemens Infrastructure & Cities, United States. "Freight transportation on U.S. roadways is expected to double by 2050, while global oil resources continue to deplete. And by 2030, carbon dioxide emissions are forecasted to jump 30 percent due to freight transport alone."

Besides the benefits of reduced fossil fuel use and emissions, and reduced pollutant load in residential and agricultural areas, the system is easy to integrate into existing highways and infrastructures. Trucks will also be much quieter.

The only downside is cost - Siemens estimates the system will cost $5 million to $7 million per mile to build.

Siemens has developed the supporting technology necessary to make the eHighway a reality - infrastructure, software, hardware and drives.

Essentially, what's needed is a hybrid-diesel electric freight truck with built-in technology and software to connect to overhead electrified wires.

When trucks detect and attach to overhead wires they automatically go into electric mode, and when they detach they automatically switch back to diesel. Pretty cool.

Siemens will apply its ELFA hybrid drive system which enables vehicles to switch between an internal combustion engine and electricity. Even when the trucks are in hybrid diesel mode they consume 30 percent less fuel.

Siemens says as the technology becomes more widely adopted, every truck equipped with an electric drive system will be able to use the eHighway: diesel electric, pure battery, fuel cell range extended or natural gas.

Based on a pilot project in Germany, trucks can make the switch at speeds of up to 90 kilometers/hour.

Pilot eHighway Planned

Pilot ehighway projects are in the planning stages from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach traveling inland along I-710.

There are severe air pollution and related health problems in the vicinity because of the more than 10,000 trucks that serve the two ports, in addition to trains, ships and heavy equipment.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) can't meet federal air quality standards without moving to zero- and near-zero-emission trucks and cars.

"The ports have made tremendous improvements, but goods-movement-related air pollution remains our largest source of air pollution in Southern California," Barry Wallerstein, AQMD executive officer told the LA Times. "We're hopeful we'll get the eHighway off the ground in the next 12 months. He's working on getting grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to build it.

AQMD is also running pilots of zero-emission electric and fuel cell trucks at the Port of LA.

Another idea is a Green Marine Highway, where the freight from trucks would be moved to fuel-efficient ships on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.

Earlier this month, the Port of LA approved an Environmental Ship Index program that goes into effect July 1. It rewards ocean carriers for bringing their newest, most efficient vessels to the Port.

Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness.com

by Scott Shepard

Almost every big automaker fell short of their first-year sales targets for electric vehicles (EVs), and even though total EV sales in 2011 beat hybrid sales in 2000 (the vehicle’s first year on most markets) by a hefty margin, EVs took a beating from media outlets. Bad press or not, EV sales will continue to remain a mere fraction of overall vehicle sales until OEMs figure out how to sell EVs at a drastically lower price. One possible approach currently being tested by French automakers could prove, if successful, to be an industry standard, at least until the cost of EV batteries falls by half.

The reason why an EV’s price has to come down is made clear by a recent New York Times piece that examines the return on investment of an EV against a similar energy efficient vehicle. For instance, the $31,767 (after tax credits) Volt payback period is estimated at 26.6 years compared to the $19,925 Chevy Cruze Eco. For this reason the EV market is highly dependent upon a small group of “affluent green” consumers rather than a broader customer base.

The major culprit for the excessive price of the EV is the cost of the battery which can be over 35 percent of the vehicle’s cost. To be sure, some battery developers have announced technological breakthroughs that would halve that cost. But a breakthrough of that type will not be commercially available for five to ten years.

To shorten this delay, French OEMs Mia Electric and Renault are spearheading a business model that may prove attractive to more mainstream drivers. To reduce upfront costs, Mia and Renault have set up options where EV drivers can purchase the EV without buying the battery. Instead, EV owners will rent the battery at a cost of around $50 to $100 a month. Although the total costs over time are still significant, the business model allows for a more affordable initial purchase price and reduces the financial risk to EV owners, in that the battery is guaranteed for life.

Mia began production of its EV in June of 2011 and since then has sold over 1,000 of the cars at a little over €15,000 (after state incentives). The battery rents for €49/month. Four EVs from Renault, all with battery rental plans, have reached European markets with estimated prices from €7,000 for the small urban Twizy, to €21,000 for the larger Fluence Z.E. sedan. Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, may also adopt the business model when it releases its EV offerings next year.

The battery leasing model certainly presents an opportunity for OEMs to make initial prices more competitive with other fuel efficient vehicles. However no maker selling plug-in models in the United States has indicated it will start a leasing program here. In an interesting development, Nissan has indicated it may lease batteries, but also just in Europe, where its Leaf will compete against the ZOE, which is made by Nissan’s European partner Renault. The ZOE is set to sell at half the cost of the Leaf, thanks to the battery leasing program.

U.S. OEMs could be wary of bearing the financial and legal burdens inherent in leasing a technology with so many perceived unknowns, or perhaps the automakers assume the economics of owning a vehicle and leasing its fundamental power source are too confusing for consumers. (The familiar telecom model of buying a subsidized handset and paying a monthly service fee would indicate otherwise.) At any rate, if the European programs boost sales, you can be sure the model will make its way across the Atlantic.

by Guest Contributor

A report released on Monday by the Union of Concerned Scientists circulated by Reuters has confirmed that electric cars are cheaper to run than gas powered cars as well as being less polluting. The report shows that ’Drivers should feel confident that owning an electric vehicle is a good choice for reducing global warming pollution, cutting fuel costs, and slashing oil consumption,’ said Don Anair, a senior engineer on UCSs clean vehicles program.

UCS said the study is the first to analyze emissions from vehicles charged on a power grid of electricity made from fuels such as coal and natural gas. According to the report, owners of electric vehicles can save $750 to $1,200 a year based on 11,000 miles of driving, compared to drivers of a gasoline-powered vehicle that gets 27 miles per gallon at $3.50 per gallon. For every 50 cent rise in the price of a gallon of gasoline, an EV driver can save an extra $200 annually, the report said.

Car companies themselves are realising the global demand for electric cars that rely on less fossil fuels and although hybrid sales have remained strong, the market for electric only/battery operated cars is buzzing. Recent figures from China show a strong market for electric vehicles, however, three years ago, the Chinese government unveiled policies to propel sales of all-electric vehicles (ie, ones that can’t use petrol at all) to 500,000 by 2015 and 5m by 2020. But barely 8,000 electric cars were sold last year, almost all going to government fleets.

To quote an article this month’s Economist magazine: “Novel business models to deal with electric cars are emerging. Better Place, an Israeli firm that promotes swapping batteries rather than recharging them, has a tie-up with Chery, a Chinese car firm, and China Southern Power Grid. Hertz, a car-hire firm, and GE, an industrial giant that makes charging stations, have struck a deal with BYD to lease its electric cars to drivers in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing.”

And if we look at a recently released list of the top ten cities by numbers of electric cars, it’s obvious that the recent policy changes in Europe relating to carbon emissions have really encouraged innovation, as well as new economic thinking.

The demand for family cars, sports cars and business fleets hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down, so the automotive industry must learn to adapt if they’re to capture further gains in the market, along with urban sales.

Kevin O’Connor is a freelance writer and web media analyst from Ireland and working in London. He has written on a wide range of issues in a number of print publications as well as online. When he isn’t working, he enjoys making the most of nature, as well as reading and world cinema.

by Christopher DeMorro

The recent French presidential elections saw the incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy, deposed in favor of his socialist competitor Francois Hollande. Among the many perks Hollande will soon enjoy is his choice of presidential limos. Hollande has named the Citroen DS5 diesel-hybrid as his preferred limo, a choice we can only applaud.

When Barack Obama became President of the United States, it was widely theorized that he would also rock a hybrid limousine. Alas, he instead with truck badged as a Cadillac, a heavily armored beast that tends to bottom out if not properly driven. Hollande’s choice of the DS5 diesel-hybrid is a much more practical and plebeian choice of vehicles. Then again, President Sarkozy was known for being driven around in his limo with the windows down as French photojournalists chased him down on motorcycles and scooters. There is obviously less of a concern for safety in France as far as the President is concerned.

The diesel-electric Citroen that will be Hollande’s “limo” utilizes a diesel engine and small motor to power the rear wheels. It can reportedly get between 24 and 34 mpg, depending on how it is driven, which is rather respectable for a small SUV. Diesel-hybrids are the best of both worlds, and hopefully U.S. automakers will catch on to the potential for excellent fuel economy out of such setups soon.

As for Hollande, we approve of his choice of limos. Now if only we could get Obama to ditch the Cadillac for a Volt limo, that would really piss off the conservatives.

Reprinted with permission from Gas 2.0

by Christopher DeMorro

File this next story under Half-Baked.

Yesterday, Toyota finally announced the crucial details for its RAV4 EV joint project with Tesla Motors first announced almost two years ago. And what does Toyota have to show for two years, and $100 million (at least) of investment? A $49,800 all-electric SUV with 100 miles of range. Toyota expects to sell just 2,600 of these in the next three years.

I wonder why?

There is no doubt in my mind that Toyota is better than this. Toyota is THE leader hybrid car technology and sales. Over a decade after the Prius debuted, there is still no other gasoline car that comes even close to that kind of fuel efficiency. With the Prius C and Prius V, Toyota has widened the fuel economy gap to a canyon. I may not like Toyota, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to cars.

So what gives with the RAV4 EV? It seems so…quaint. 100 miles of range, for $50,000? It seems far-fetched that Tesla and Toyota couldn’t do better, especially given the fact that for the same price (after tax credits), you can get a Tesla Model X with 230 miles of range. Sounds to me like Toyota just needed Tesla to do the heavy lifting, and Tesla was more than happy to produce an inferior product to its own offering.

In other words, this is not a serious attempt at selling an electric RAV4. This is, as many are already calling it, a “compliance car”, designed and built to meet California’s zero-emissions vehicle regulations. The RAV4 will go on sale in select markets, all of them in California, later on in the summer.

After the $7,500 tax credit, the price will come down to $42,300, which is still a bitter pill to swallow (just ask GM). For that kind of scrilla, why not just get a fully-loaded version of Toyota’s own Prius V?

It saddens me to see Toyota cheapen itself with such a half-baked effort. Obviously, real-world performance matters, and a consistent 100 miles of range would be enough mileage for 95 percent of real-world trips. Also, 0-60 mph in “Sport” mode takes just 7.0 seconds. Even in “Normal”, the sprint from 0-60 is an average 8.6 seconds. From a 240V charging station, the RAV4 EV will take about six hours to fully charge. The drag co-efficient of .30 gives it the lowest drag of any SUV in the world…and lower than many cars too. So in fairness to Toyota, it sounds like they really have created an electric vehicle with performance more on par with its gas counterpart. That is worth something…but is it worth the cost in range?

The really disappointing thing to me is that Toyota’s freshman effort at an all-electric RAV4 offered similar performance, at least in terms of mileage. People tend to focus on critical numbers like range. 100 miles in an SUV means a lot more reliance on remote charging stations for family trips

Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe Toyota just wasn’t ambitious enough. What say you readers?

Reprinted with permission from Gas 2.0