Recent Comments:
Toyota unhappy with current PHEV legislation {Autoblog Green}
Sep 17th 2008 2:26PM Amen to that!
Guess we won't be seeing UEV at AltCar this year; Spyder up on eBay {Autoblog Green}
Sep 17th 2008 1:56PM Yah, that and their website is down. Bummer. They seemed like nice people, of the couple of times I called a couple years ago.
Firefly's Oasis Group 31 batteries getting some EV fans excited {Autoblog Green}
Sep 16th 2008 9:18PM Look more closely...the OASIS batteries are rated for 100Ah at C/10 compared to C/20 like every other PbA battery. Comparing apples to apples, that means the OASIS is more like 190Ah @ 70 lbs. at the C/20 rate. Hence, roughly double the capacity.
GM confirms plans to sell ER-EVs in Europe in 2011, 50 Volt prototypes this fall {Autoblog Green}
Sep 11th 2008 12:12PM So what do you think IS the future? Personally, I think series hybrids (RE-EV or whatever) like the Volt are the immediate future, with fast-charging, effciently designed (e.g. Aptera,) >400-mile range EVs as the ultimate future (for ground transport, at least.)
I can't ever see hydrogen as being in the future at all. Unless someone finds a hydrogen spring somewhere. ;)
Production Chevy Volt photos leak out! {Autoblog Green}
Sep 11th 2008 7:47AM Wow. Can we get past the superficial aspects? Please?!
This car is indeed about the drivetrain. American drivers are going to have to get used to a paradigm shift in car design if they want to have any hope of better efficiency.
Aptera, anyone?
http://www.aptera.com/
EPA sets tough new emissions standards for lawn, boat engines {Autoblog Green}
Sep 5th 2008 6:53PM Good! It's about time.
Perhaps people will more likely consider electric mowers too now. (I just wish they'd offer 240V versions for faster blade speed and/or higher amp versions for more torque.)
For the record, I have an 18" corded mulching electric mower for the past 10 years and it still works great. All of the benefits of electric cars apply to it. No maintenance (except blade sharpening of course,) much less noise, no smell, light weight, no gas/oil, and no stalling!
New Ford EcoBoost 3.5L V6 engine smiles for the camera {Autoblog Green}
Aug 28th 2008 8:04AM I think he may be referring to the nimbleness of smaller cars. (Try a slalom in a Tahoe vs. a Smart and you'll see what I mean.) Since they tend to be lighter too, power per pound can be noticeably higher with smaller cars. That and good handling make for very fun driving.
Luxury Electric announces full size electric car trans-continental trip at DNC {Autoblog Green}
Aug 28th 2008 7:47AM Well, with that range, I'm sure they're using LiIon batteries. (They look like they might be the Valence brand.) Since they did the conversion awhile ago, they were even more expensive then.
Intel updates the potential of wireless electric charging {Autoblog Green}
Aug 22nd 2008 10:51PM Easy there, guys.
From the source article: "Most importantly, the electricity was transmitted without zapping anything or anyone that got between the sending and receiving units."
"It turns out the human body is not affected by magnetic fields; it is affected by elective [I think they mean electric] fields. So what we are doing is transmitting energy using the magnetic field not the electric field."
While it's not clear to me how they're doing this (other than the air-core transformer idea,) they're focused on _safe_ wireless power delivery. Just delivering power wirelessly is not new. Making it safe to do is the key and that's what they're working on.
Cali. Senate approves bill to make hybrids noisier {Autoblog Green}
Aug 22nd 2008 9:58AM I completely agree. This ticks me off. I am looking forward to silent drive-through lines and much quieter city streets!
Never mind the waste of taxpayer money these committees will be.
On the bright side, you know just as soon as such a car is released, people will find a way to disable the noisemaker. If this law is passed, it will probably surpass prohibition as the most disregarded law!
