Posted by: "Felix Kramer" fkramer@calcars.org felixkramery
Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:25 pm (PST)
"Google.com and Google.org have just announced one of the most promising new initiatives to address the global climate crisis. I hope the grandchildren of today's adults will someday look back and say this was a turning point in commercializing the cleaner/cheaper energy solutions that saved our world."
-- Felix Kramer, Founder, CalCars.org
Google.com founded the Google Foundation in 2005, and then established Google.org, with 1% of the company's original equity and 1% of profits. Google.org, which can both invest and donate, is focusing initially on:
# Climate change
# Public health
# Global development
As CalCars-News readers know, Google.org's first project in Climate change is RechargeIT, launched in June 2006 to promote PHEVs and V2G technologies. The program included a PHEV fleet, grants to several organizations including CalCars and a $10M investment program: of 350 companies responding to the Request for Proposals, 40 are now in the second round. At the same time, the company launched initiatives for efficiency in computing operations, solar power and other measures to "green" its facilities.
Now both Google.com and Google.org take the next step -- and it's potentially of far greater significance. If we take as a given that we will increasingly electrify not only vehicles but everything that directly uses fossil fuels, at the same time as we improve efficiency throughout the global economy, the arrow points to cleaning the grid as the necessary corollary.
The next step is called "RE<C," meaning "Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal." This is the ultimate challenge. NYTimes columnist Tom Friedman and others have said that renewable energy won't succeed until it meets the "China price" -- that is, until it's cost-competitive with coal in China (and also in India and globally). Once this happens, it's no longer a question of moral appeals to "do the right thing," but instead to do what pays.
Getting to the point where renewable energy can win in the marketplace involves both business and political strategies. We know there's no level playing field in the marketplace. Over a century, the priorities, resources, incentives, loan guarantees, infrastructure support and straight-out subsidies have gone overwhelmingly to "big carbon" -- oil, natural gas and coal (along with massive support and insurance programs to fund nuclear power). The process of changing those priorities (and the research, development and demonstration programs of the Department of Energy (DOE) that follow them), continues in fits and starts.
Now we're seeing a second wave in which new technologies finally have the potential to challenge fossil fuels. That's what this RE<C Google.org Google.com being smart about how each of them fits together in this new program.
Of course, Google isn't the only player in this area: corporate and venture capital investment in CleanTech is expanding at a breakneck pace. Just as we think there's nothing better or plug-in cars than helping to encourage the start of the Great Automotive Race of the 21st Century, we're hoping that Google's new program will not only succeed on its own but will catalyze new waves of innovation globally.
Below we reprint on one convenient page four Google pages:
RE<C Website
FAQ
Press release
Jobs announcement
1. RE<C http://www.google.com/corporate/green/energy/index.html
Clean and affordable energy is a growing need for our company, so we’re excited about launching "RE<C", a strategic initiative whose mission is to develop electricity from renewable sources cheaper than electricity produced from coal. Initially, this project to create renewable energy cheaper than coal will focus on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, and enhanced geothermal systems but we’ll explore other potential breakthrough technologies too.
We’re busy assembling our own internal research and development group and hiring a team of engineers and energy experts tasked with building 1 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. (That’s enough electricity to power a city the size of San Francisco.) Google’s R&D effort will begin with a significant effort on solar thermal technology, and will also investigate enhanced geothermal systems and other areas.
Supporting Breakthrough Technologies
In conjunction with the RE<C Google.org will make strategic grants and investments in organizations working to produce renewable energy at a cost below that of coal-fired power plants.
Google.org is already working with two innovative corporations who are building potentially breakthrough technologies, and we look forward to collaborating with other members of the renewable energy field, including companies, R&D laboratories, and universities.
* eSolar Inc. specializes in solar thermal power. Solar thermal technology replaces the fuel in a traditional power plant with heat produced from solar energy, and has great potential to produce utility-scale power that is cheaper than coal.
* Makani Power Inc. is developing high-altitude wind energy extraction technologies aimed at harnessing the world’s most powerful wind resources. Capturing just a fraction of available high-energy wind would be sufficient to supply current global electricity needs.
Google's Green Commitment
This current initiative is just the next step in Google’s continuing commitment to a clean and green energy future. We have been working hard on energy efficiency and making our business environmentally sustainable.
Last spring we announced that we would be carbon neutral for 2007 and beyond, and we’re on track to meet this goal. We’ve taken concrete steps to reduce our carbon footprint and accelerate improvements in green technology. For example, through design improvements and the adoption of power-saving technologies, such as evaporative cooling, we have made great strides to bolster the efficiency of our data centers the facilities that store the computers that enable Google to deliver accurate search results at lightning speed. We’ve also reduced the carbon footprint of our building and office operations - for example, by replacing incandescent bulbs with higher-efficiency lighting, and maximizing the use of natural light. And earlier this year we flipped the switch at our Mountain View headquarters on one of the largest corporate solar panel installations in the United States.
In addition to “greening” our own business, we’re also cooperating with members of the tech community to improve efficiency on a broader scale. In 2007, we teamed with Intel and other industry partners to form the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, a group which advocates the design and adoption of less wasteful computing infrastructure. (In November 2007, CSCI achieved a new milestone when we signed on our very first public sector partners, the state governments of Minnesota and Kansas.)
Got questions? We’ve got answers.
For more details on Google’s continuing commitment to a clean energy future, please see our FAQs page.
And for broadcast-standard video and other multimedia files related to our announcement of RE<C, http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/index.html
FAQs
http://www.google.com/corporate/green/energy/faq.html
Why is Google so interested in renewable energy? In 2006, non-hydro renewable energy sources supplied less than 2% of the world’s energy consumption, in part because of the relatively high cost of production. Renewable energy isn’t as cost-competitive or widely available as fossil fuels, so Google (and most of the rest of the world) must rely on carbon-based power sources of electricity.
A number of organizations are working to bring down the price of renewable energy to be cost-competitive with coal. Google wants to apply our capital and engineering skills to join this important endeavor.
Why the goal of 1 gigawatt of energy? Is that how much power Google needs? This initiative is not just about creating clean, affordable electricity for Google - though we are keenly interested in making our business as environmentally sustainable as possible. If successful, this effort would likely provide a path to replacing a substantial portion of the world’s electricity needs with renewable energy sources. We want to do our part, but that won’t be enough alone to thwart climate change; we need a worldwide green electricity revolution to do that.
Why is Google focusing its R&D on solar thermal technology? Solar thermal systems convert heat from the sun into steam that powers electric generators. And solar thermal plants are efficient they naturally generate the most power during the peak electricity demand periods of the summer months. Google believes that solar thermal technology has strong potential to produce utility-scale power at low cost.
What has prompted your collaboration with eSolar? eSolar is working to develop solar thermal technology based on super-efficient design and a large enough scale to compete in the market with carbon-based electricity like coal. We believe that eSolar's approach has great potential to produce utility-scale power cheaper than coal. Read more about eSolar’s technology at http://www.esolar.com/.
What is high-altitude wind power all about? There is enough available wind energy to power the world's current energy needs. If we can tap into this vast energy source - particularly powerful high-altitude winds - we can power the globe.What made you decide to invest in Makani Power? Makani Power is led by an incredible team which includes MacArthur award winner Saul Griffith, PhD and Don Montague, the “father of kite surfing.” We are pleased with the progress they have made and look forward to ongoing collaboration. Read more about Makani Power at http://www.makanipower.com/.
What is “enhanced” geothermal technology? The heat stored deep beneath the surface of the earth is potentially a vast resource of widely available renewable energy. Tapping the earth's heat through the use of "Enhanced Geothermal Systems" (EGS) is historically under-funded and only a handful of projects exist. Google plans to accelerate the development and adoption of this promising technology.The earth's enormous resource of geologically stored heat is available anywhere. EGS uses advanced heat mining technology to extract energy from the earth's crust beyond the limitations of conventional geothermal systems. Since conventional geothermal systems require the pre-existing combination of high heat, steam or water, and permeable rock -- a combination limited in nature -- the potential for conventional geothermal energy to be a major portion of our energy mix is somewhat limited. EGS, however, overcomes the limitations of conventional geothermal systems by replicating the required conditions through geo-engineering. EGS would therefore unlock the much greater geothermal potential of heat stored in deep hot dry rocks.
Why geothermal? EGS has the potential to provide baseload power cheaper than coal, could conceivably be deployed almost anywhere, and is essentially limitless in supply. Most importantly, EGS has a relatively small footprint and virtually no greenhouse gas emissions. EGS development has been limited mostly by the lack of research interest and commercialization funding - not technology. According to a recent report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) while further advances are needed, none of the known technical and economic barriers limiting widespread development of EGS are considered to be insurmountable. For more information, please see http://geothermal.inel.gov/publications/future_of_geothermal_energy.pdf
PRESS RELEASE
Google's Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/20071127_green.html
--Felix Kramer fkramer@calcars.org
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.org
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Fisker Releases Early Photo of Plug-In Hybrid
Source: Automobile
[Oct 29, 2007]
SYNOPSIS: Fisker expects the sedan to have a range of about 50 miles on battery-only power with a combined gasoline range of 620 miles.
Fisker's next car is shaping up quite quickly. The announcement that the brand's next vehicle would be a hybrid showed a new direction, but what will the car look like? What will it be powered by? And what sort of car will it be? These details are now in the open.
The new car is described as being the height of a Porsche 911, but with the interior volume to seat four adults and enough trunk space to house their luggage. From the preliminary sketches the car has a side profile that's quite sleek and also beautiful. It bears a certain resemblance to the Aston Martin Rapide Concept, which could be explained since Henrik Fisker himself worked on various influential Aston Martins including the DB9 and the V8 Vantage.
READ COMPLETE ARTICLE >>
[Oct 29, 2007]
SYNOPSIS: Fisker expects the sedan to have a range of about 50 miles on battery-only power with a combined gasoline range of 620 miles.
Fisker's next car is shaping up quite quickly. The announcement that the brand's next vehicle would be a hybrid showed a new direction, but what will the car look like? What will it be powered by? And what sort of car will it be? These details are now in the open.
The new car is described as being the height of a Porsche 911, but with the interior volume to seat four adults and enough trunk space to house their luggage. From the preliminary sketches the car has a side profile that's quite sleek and also beautiful. It bears a certain resemblance to the Aston Martin Rapide Concept, which could be explained since Henrik Fisker himself worked on various influential Aston Martins including the DB9 and the V8 Vantage.
READ COMPLETE ARTICLE >>
Schwarzenegger/GreenCarAward/CA Policy on Plug-Ins
Posted by: "Felix Kramer" mailto:fkramer@calcars.org?Subject=
Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:54 pm (PST)
Another long posting with multiple followups from the LA Auto Show*
Governor Schwarzenegger talks about, sees and hears about PHEVs for the first time*
Green Car Journal/Green Car Award and PHEVs*
LA Times Op Ed summarizes California's challenge and opportunityIn our November 10 CalCars-News analysis/report, "California Leaps Ahead: PHEV Center: 100-Household Test; Early Driver Report; Air Resources Board Evolution" http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/874.html , we said, "We're still hoping the Governor will realize he can achieve his goals sooner and better with plugs than with hydrogen." That evolution continues as last Thursday at the LA Auto Show was the first time (to our knowledge) that the Governor saw a PHEV and talked about them. We start with what the Governor heard and said, then go on to the Awards and to new resources in understanding the situation in California.On Thursday, the Governor showed up in front of hundreds of journalists and photographers, speaking in front of a half-dozen "green cars" ranging from diesel and fuel cells to hybrid SUVs, and, most notably from our perspective, two PHEVs: the Chevy Volt concept "extended range electric vehicle" and one of four plug-in Priuses converted by Toyota and now in California. See our photos of him with the Volt and the Prius at http://www.calcars.%20org/photos-%20leaders.html
OUR EXCERPTS AND COMMENTS
GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER: Before hearing each automaker explain what they were showing, the Governor's remarks included, "This is exactly the kind of innovation we need. Thanks, GM, for bringing its electric car, the Volt. Thank you, Toyota, for bringing its Prius plug-in hybrid.
"GENERAL MOTORS: He heard Al Weverstad, GM's Executive Director, Environment and Safety Policy, explain that the company had made "considerable progress in making the Volt a production reality" since unveiling it last January. Weverstat promised "triple-digit fuel economy beyond its 40-mile range," and told the Governor that "some families may never burn a gallon of gasoline in that car for the lifetime of the vehicle. He concluded, "For transportation, electricity offers a variety of benefits beginning with the ability to use a variety of fuel sources, including many that are renewable. So whether your concern is energy security, global climate or natural disasters, the high price of gasoline, the volatile price of oil, the effect of unpredictability on Wall Street, all of these lead to a diverse energy source for our vehicles.
"TOYOTA: We include more lengthy excerpts from Toyota's representative, VP of Communications Irv Miller, who has blogged frequently at Toyota's Open Road on PHEVs, including some exchanges with CalCars and with V2G advocates. He explained to the media and the Governor:"The plug-in Prius you see behind you is just one of several technologies Toyota is working on. It is similar to the two vehicles we delivered last Friday to the University of California at Irvine and UC at Berkeley. We are active in the development stage of this technology. We are in pursuit of what we call the ultimate eco-car. We have three goals. The first is to reduce air-polluting emissions, the second is reducing CO2 emissions, and third, using diverse forms of energy. We believe with larger battery packs than the current Prius, our plug-ins are able to run in full-electric mode more often and at higher speeds. Toyota is aggressively developing battery technology IN-HOUSE. And we will continue to push our R&D efforts in advance of all possible solutions to reduce greenhouse gases and emissions impacts of the automobile. But we can't do it alone. That's why just last week we announced a Clean Mobility Partnership that builds on our long history of working with the Universities of California, and partnering with them in their research and development. …..Under a grant from the California Air Resources Board, enabled I might add by AB1811 legislation, thank you Governor for that, and with the support of the Bay Area and the South Coast Air Quality Management Districts, the Universities will help us and California better understand what it takes to take these vehicles into operations, rather than just having them on the drawing board.There's a tremendous promise of fuel cell vehicles and plug-in vehicles and other advanced technology. But there are still many questions that have to be answered and challenges that have to be resolved before Toyota WILL bring these vehicles to market. UC Berkeley will primarily focus on the customer experience. UC Irvine will focus on some of the technical challenges as well as determining the emissions benefits of plug-in technology. Developing alternative fuels and high-efficiency low-emissions vehicles will require the cooperation and coordination of many partners. So I'll take this opportunity to thank our partners again, the Governor, the ARB, legislature for helping to develop this. It's breakthrough technology and we're there to push the envelope.
GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER: I'm very excited to see actually first-hand how those beautiful cars. And they have shown us now that they don't have to change the size of the cars or anything else. They look great, they look sexy, they are fantastic looking, all those cars, but the technology inside is changing so this is what is so terrific. Thank you very much for being here today and I'll be back.
OUR COMMENTS: GM's representatives now routinely include the same points PHEV advocates make, including, in their own way, our fundamental message, that compared to gasoline, "electricity is cleaner, cheaper and domestic." For our take on the Volt, see our posting to CalCars-News, "The Chevrolet Volt: GM's EREV a Work In Progress"TOYOTA* Of course it's great that Toyota is now showing its own PHEVs, even though it minimizes their potential and has resumed the lapsed strategy of pairng them with fuel cell solutions, perhaps to convey the message that both are distant options.* The multi-year single-vehicle university research projects are minimal in comparison to those beginning at UC Davis, among utilities and national labs, at Google and elsewhere. And somehow all the thanks make it sound like Toyota is an impoverished company that would not have begun this research program without a few million dollars from the State of California's new Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentive Program. At the same time, perhaps we can conclude that were the state to allocate significant funds (for instance form the $120M/year forthcoming from AB118), it could have a big impact on what carmakers build?* We included a few words in all caps because Miller emphasized them:- "IN-HOUSE battery development: " This may be about insider controversies. In addition to charges and countercharges about "who's dissing who," GM's Bob Lutz was quoted in LA saying that Toyota would not make its batteries available to other companies. Since it appears that GM is actually using more advanced nano-phosphate lithium batteries (compared to the Toyota-Panasonic lithium cobalt batteries that Toyota has decided are not ready for use in hybrids) maybe Lutz or Miller know something we don't.- "WILL bring these cars to market:" Toyota wants to have it both ways, reassuring us that its research program means it's on the way to commercialization, but it's not racing to be first.GOVERNOR: It's not clear how much he heard the presentations, and of course as a muscle-car guy, his focus is on greening the big cars, but we do know that word is starting to reach him that his enthusiasm for the Hydrogen Highway will not result in anything meaningful for the forseeable future.GREEN CAR AWARD AT THE LA AUTO SHOWThe cover story for the Fall 2007 Green Car Journal http://www.greencar.com/ , widely read in the industry for 16 years, is "Electric Drive! Why We Want To Plug In." The reasons are on the page: *pennies per mile *no more oil *zero emissions. The photo shows the Volvo Concept Recharge PHEV.Inside are four pages on the benefits and potential of PHEVs, focusing on the Volvo, four pages on the GM Opel Flextreme, an editorial proposing battery leasing, and a preview of Venture Vehicles' three-wheel highway-speed series PHEV. There are also short articles on the Toyota Prius Plug-In, the Mitsubishi iMiEV EV, and Brammo's electric motorcycle. This magazine has been covering PHEVs with ever-increasing attention in recent years.Last week, publisher Ron Cogan also announced the third Annual Green Car Award at the LA Auto Show. Since the awards can go only to vehicles drivers can buy, none of these cars were eligible -- because of the simple fact that there are no production PHEVs or EVs. That meant the contestants lagged far behind the cars we are working to bring to market.In that context, it may have been unfortunate that the conversion project we participated in outside the LA Auto Show, where we received a "GreenEST Car of the Year Award" from the co-sponsors -- see photo at http://www.calcars.org/photos-groups.html -- might have been seen as a criticism of the Green Car Awards. That was not our intention. Ron Cogan, before giving out his awards, took a few minutes to give his thoughts about the Awards and the "challenge." We appreciate the way he expressed his gracious support for plug-in cars, and his full statement (below) is worth thinking about.
TEXT FOR RON COGAN'S 2008 GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR PRESENTATION: November 15, 2008, Los Angeles Auto ShowGood morning.We're here today to recognize the achievements that have been made in "green" cars that bring higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions to our highways. These milestones are noteworthy, and the mission more important than ever because fuel efficiency no longer represents just an abstract concept that we may, or may not, embrace. It is now our reality.Today's high fuel prices make fuel efficiency everyone's business. While fuel economy has appealed to a select group of buyers for years, it has represented but a small blip on the radar for most new car buyers. This has changed dramatically. High gas prices are prompting a major shift in the way that drivers look at their cars and their operating costs. It's hard to escape this when gas prices are over $3.00 per gallon and a fill-up for many costs $50 to $70, or more.We should take a moment to share how we define what makes a "green" car, and how these cars fit within the context of Green Car Journal's "Green Car of the Year" program.Some would say that a vehicle like a 100 mpg plug-in hybrid or a full-function battery electric car should rightfully be at the top of our list. Others would point to one of the more popular high-fuel economy hybrids that's been on the market for a number of years. From our perspective, these are important cars. But they are not nominees for Green Car of the Year at this time.We look for vehicles that move the bar forward in real-time and will be widely offered for sale to the general public by January 1st of the award year. Since Green Car Journal began focusing on this field in 1992, we've learned many times over that some of the most amazing technologies invented, and the vehicles that seek to commercialize them, never quite make it to commercial sales. To recommend such a vehicle by prematurely declaring it the "Green Car of the Year" would be irresponsible. If everyday consumers can't buy it, then its chances of making a quantifiable and real-time difference in emissions and overall fuel efficiency is nil.Green Car of the Year focuses on real products, available in real time. As much as we believe in the potential of vehicles like plug-in hybrids, no readily-available plug-ins are available to the mass market at this time. This could change in the next few years if battery challenges are overcome. It's a worthy goal and should be pursued with all possible speed.Plug-in conversions available now are primarily focused on fleets, and for good reason. While plug-in activists are quick to point out these vehicles' benefits, there's rarely a word said about their additional cost of $10,000 or more than conventional hybrids. That's no small challenge in a competitive automotive market where dollars really do count.Green Car of the Year will clearly consider plug-ins if, and when, they move beyond demonstrations and fleets and become a consumer product. The same holds true for battery electric vehicles.In our evaluations, we look for continuing progress. Choosing a vehicle that raised the bar in environmental performance some model years back but has not achieved new milestones is not our goal. These vehicles are readily available and already present a high fuel efficiency option for buyers.What we do look for in the Green Car of the Year is a vehicle that brings new or important innovations to consumers now and moves the bar forward in meaningful, synergistic ways. Vehicles that incorporate environmentally positive technologies that are likely to make their way to additional models and platforms are especially important.This brings us to our 2008 Green Car of the Year. Our nominees include the first-ever hybrid sedans for three automakers - the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Saturn Aura Hybrid, and the Nissan Altima Hybrid. Two nominees are hybrid SUVs, also representing firsts for Mazda and Chevrolet.Weighing the merits of these vehicles this year was a jury comprised of four Green Car Journal editors and a larger number of invited outside jurors. They include Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Jonathan Lash, president of World Resources Institute; and two individuals well-known in the automotive community, Carroll Shelby and Jay Leno.When looking at the implications each nominee held for the market, it became clear to a majority of our jurors that one stood out as offering an approach that was truly revolutionary. One that would have both short-and long-term impact not only on the automotive market, but the world in which we live because of the diverse ways in which this vehicle is used.To be revolutionary requires rethinking some fundamental assumptions. For instance, that SUVs must by nature be inefficient and anything but "green." That larger vehicles designed for maximum utility must sacrifice environmental ethic. That providing the features most sought-after by large families and those seeking the ability to tow heavy loads cannot be attained without sacrificing environmental sensitivity.Our 2008 Green Car of the Year represents this revolutionary thinking. It provides maximum functionality with an ability to seat eight passengers, carry 60 cubic feet of cargo, and tow up to 6200 pounds. Importantly, it achieves the same EPA estimated 21 mpg city fuel economy as a much smaller four-cylinder sedan. That, in our considered opinion, represents an achievement worth celebrating.Green Car Journal is proud to award its 2008 Green Car of the Year honor to Chevrolet's 2008 Tahoe Hybrid.
CALIFORNIA REGULATIONS AND PLUG-IN CARS: The November 10 CalCars-News item we cited at the beginning of this posting included considerable discussion of the Air Resources Board's history and its current reconsideration. The realization that energy independence and global warming will not be affected by what happens with hydrogen fuel cell cars for two or three decades continues to sink in. (The latest: at the Auto Show, US News and World Report's Rick Newman asked GM's Bob Lutz (in an online interview accompanying an excellent print magazine story), "So of all the different technologies GM is working on, how would you prioritize them? Lutz: Electric. Advanced hybrid. Plug-in hybrid. Advanced clean diesels. And far out, there's hydrogen."
http://www.usnews.%20com/articles/%20business/%20economy/2007/%2011/16/qa-%20gms-bob-lutz-%20on-the-volt-%20and-more.%20html
We end this posting with an excellent Op-Ed in the LA Times by Sherry Boschert, author of "Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America" and Founder of the San Francisco Chapter of the Electric Auto Association. Her focus here is on PHEVs and EVs; as the former begin glimpse a slightly more level playing field in state policies, electric vehicles continue to be seen as not arriving soon (though four automakers say they are expecting to produce them in the next few years). This doesns't make sense if the strategy is to displace imported fossil fuels with electricity!Bring back the electric carThe state should reverse its mistake of putting its clean-air hopes in hydrogen instead of battery-powered autos.By Sherry Boschert November 19, 2007 Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.%20com/news/%20opinion/la-%20oe-boschert19nov%2019,0,4608381.%20story
Californians are being taken for a ride by state clean-air regulators, who are bringing the rest of the country along. Decisions made by the California Air Resources Board early next year will determine whether we get the option of driving zero-emission, non-polluting cars soon, or whether we'll see smoggy business as usual from the car companies for another decade.Many consumers would love to drive cars that reduce greenhouse gases and our addiction to oil, but the automakers resist. Fortunately, the Air Resources Board has the power to compel them to make the clean cars society needs. Progress through regulation is nothing new: It took laws to get seatbelts, airbags and catalytic converters. It took laws to get average mileage standards up from 12 mpg to 27 mpg. It will take regulations to get clean cars.The air board's first attempt to compel clean cars -- the zero-emission- vehicle mandate of 1990 -- put thousands of gas-free electric cars in the hands of consumers, who loved them. In 2001, however, the board started giving car companies partial credit toward meeting the mandate if they sold hybrids and other gasoline-dependent cars. Bad move. Automakers sued, asserting that because the 2001 standards included gas-burning cars, they were, in essence, fuel-efficiency standards. And only the federal government can set those.At the same time, automakers were making inflated promises to build zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles -- if they could just have a few years more. So the board gutted the zero-emission- vehicle mandate in 2003 and essentially turned it into a hydrogen research program. General Motors dangled claims that hydrogen fuel cell cars would be competitive in showrooms by 2004. Daimler-Chrysler predicted that it would sell 100,000 fuel cell cars by 2006.But since 2003, automakers have produced fewer than 200 hydrogen fuel cell cars, each costing about $1 million, with a fuel cell lifespan of two to four years and many technological challenges left to overcome.A few major automakers are trotting out their hydrogen hardware this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, claiming they'll lease small numbers of them to handpicked drivers in the next few years. In a deja vu to 2003, automakers are hyping the promise of hydrogen just as the air board is again revising the zero-emission- vehicle mandate. Behind the scenes, car companies have convinced the board's staff that they can't meet the goal of producing 25,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles after 2012, so the staff is suggesting that the board ease that requirement.There are signs, however, that the bloom may be fading from the hydrogen rose. This month, one of the biggest fuel cell companies, Ballard Power Systems, bailed out after pouring millions of dollars into fuel cell vehicles. A Toyota official predicted that fuel cell cars won't be mass commercialized until after 2030.That's not soon enough to avoid global warming, thousands of deaths from air pollution and wars over oil.Meanwhile, the battery electric cars produced until 2003 have shown that they can do the job. Some have passed 100,000 miles on the odometer, and the batteries are still going strong. A few hybrid owners have added batteries and converted their cars to plug-in hybrids that drive mostly on electricity but retain a gas engine for long-distance trips. Building a network of fast-charging stations would cost a fraction of the tab for building hydrogen fueling stations.The persistent bias in favor of hydrogen among state regulators defies logic -- and yet it could once again distract from fair treatment of more-realistic electric cars. Examples:* On Thursday, the air board adopted a state alternative fuels plan that suggests using plug-in hybrids and biofuels would be cleaner than scenarios that rely on hydrogen fuel cell cars. But the plan largely ignores battery electric vehicles. That's foolish, especially in light of a study done for the state Energy Commission that found that electric cars -- which use the existing power grid -- reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 68% compared with conventional cars. Hydrogen fuel cell cars -- for which there is no infrastructure -- would achieve only a 54% reduction.* State-funded studies starting soon at UC Berkeley and UC Irvine will compare plug-in hybrids with conventional hybrids and with hydrogen fuel cell cars -- but not with battery electric cars. That makes no sense, especially because right now several major automakers are expressing interest in resuming production of electric cars. The air board should provide state-owned electric cars for the studies, if necessary, for complete comparisons.* The board's current zero-emission- vehicle regulations favor hydrogen by granting one fuel cell vehicle the same amount of credits as 10 electric vehicles in meeting state goals; the proposed regulations for 2008 give three fuel cell cars the same credits as four electric vehicles. Narrowing that credit gap isn't enough. The board should insist on one-to-one technological neutrality and not push back the deadlines just because hydrogen cars aren't ready. Treat hydrogen and electric vehicles equally, and let the market decide.There's no time to waste. Only California can pass clean-air laws that are stricter than federal standards. But many other states adopt California's requirements, so what the board does has national implications for our health, for the environment and for national security. A slower drive away from gasoline is a ride we don't want to take.
Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:54 pm (PST)
Another long posting with multiple followups from the LA Auto Show*
Governor Schwarzenegger talks about, sees and hears about PHEVs for the first time*
Green Car Journal/Green Car Award and PHEVs*
LA Times Op Ed summarizes California's challenge and opportunityIn our November 10 CalCars-News analysis/report, "California Leaps Ahead: PHEV Center: 100-Household Test; Early Driver Report; Air Resources Board Evolution" http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/874.html , we said, "We're still hoping the Governor will realize he can achieve his goals sooner and better with plugs than with hydrogen." That evolution continues as last Thursday at the LA Auto Show was the first time (to our knowledge) that the Governor saw a PHEV and talked about them. We start with what the Governor heard and said, then go on to the Awards and to new resources in understanding the situation in California.On Thursday, the Governor showed up in front of hundreds of journalists and photographers, speaking in front of a half-dozen "green cars" ranging from diesel and fuel cells to hybrid SUVs, and, most notably from our perspective, two PHEVs: the Chevy Volt concept "extended range electric vehicle" and one of four plug-in Priuses converted by Toyota and now in California. See our photos of him with the Volt and the Prius at http://www.calcars.%20org/photos-%20leaders.html
OUR EXCERPTS AND COMMENTS
GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER: Before hearing each automaker explain what they were showing, the Governor's remarks included, "This is exactly the kind of innovation we need. Thanks, GM, for bringing its electric car, the Volt. Thank you, Toyota, for bringing its Prius plug-in hybrid.
"GENERAL MOTORS: He heard Al Weverstad, GM's Executive Director, Environment and Safety Policy, explain that the company had made "considerable progress in making the Volt a production reality" since unveiling it last January. Weverstat promised "triple-digit fuel economy beyond its 40-mile range," and told the Governor that "some families may never burn a gallon of gasoline in that car for the lifetime of the vehicle. He concluded, "For transportation, electricity offers a variety of benefits beginning with the ability to use a variety of fuel sources, including many that are renewable. So whether your concern is energy security, global climate or natural disasters, the high price of gasoline, the volatile price of oil, the effect of unpredictability on Wall Street, all of these lead to a diverse energy source for our vehicles.
"TOYOTA: We include more lengthy excerpts from Toyota's representative, VP of Communications Irv Miller, who has blogged frequently at Toyota's Open Road on PHEVs, including some exchanges with CalCars and with V2G advocates. He explained to the media and the Governor:"The plug-in Prius you see behind you is just one of several technologies Toyota is working on. It is similar to the two vehicles we delivered last Friday to the University of California at Irvine and UC at Berkeley. We are active in the development stage of this technology. We are in pursuit of what we call the ultimate eco-car. We have three goals. The first is to reduce air-polluting emissions, the second is reducing CO2 emissions, and third, using diverse forms of energy. We believe with larger battery packs than the current Prius, our plug-ins are able to run in full-electric mode more often and at higher speeds. Toyota is aggressively developing battery technology IN-HOUSE. And we will continue to push our R&D efforts in advance of all possible solutions to reduce greenhouse gases and emissions impacts of the automobile. But we can't do it alone. That's why just last week we announced a Clean Mobility Partnership that builds on our long history of working with the Universities of California, and partnering with them in their research and development. …..Under a grant from the California Air Resources Board, enabled I might add by AB1811 legislation, thank you Governor for that, and with the support of the Bay Area and the South Coast Air Quality Management Districts, the Universities will help us and California better understand what it takes to take these vehicles into operations, rather than just having them on the drawing board.There's a tremendous promise of fuel cell vehicles and plug-in vehicles and other advanced technology. But there are still many questions that have to be answered and challenges that have to be resolved before Toyota WILL bring these vehicles to market. UC Berkeley will primarily focus on the customer experience. UC Irvine will focus on some of the technical challenges as well as determining the emissions benefits of plug-in technology. Developing alternative fuels and high-efficiency low-emissions vehicles will require the cooperation and coordination of many partners. So I'll take this opportunity to thank our partners again, the Governor, the ARB, legislature for helping to develop this. It's breakthrough technology and we're there to push the envelope.
GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER: I'm very excited to see actually first-hand how those beautiful cars. And they have shown us now that they don't have to change the size of the cars or anything else. They look great, they look sexy, they are fantastic looking, all those cars, but the technology inside is changing so this is what is so terrific. Thank you very much for being here today and I'll be back.
OUR COMMENTS: GM's representatives now routinely include the same points PHEV advocates make, including, in their own way, our fundamental message, that compared to gasoline, "electricity is cleaner, cheaper and domestic." For our take on the Volt, see our posting to CalCars-News, "The Chevrolet Volt: GM's EREV a Work In Progress"TOYOTA* Of course it's great that Toyota is now showing its own PHEVs, even though it minimizes their potential and has resumed the lapsed strategy of pairng them with fuel cell solutions, perhaps to convey the message that both are distant options.* The multi-year single-vehicle university research projects are minimal in comparison to those beginning at UC Davis, among utilities and national labs, at Google and elsewhere. And somehow all the thanks make it sound like Toyota is an impoverished company that would not have begun this research program without a few million dollars from the State of California's new Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentive Program. At the same time, perhaps we can conclude that were the state to allocate significant funds (for instance form the $120M/year forthcoming from AB118), it could have a big impact on what carmakers build?* We included a few words in all caps because Miller emphasized them:- "IN-HOUSE battery development: " This may be about insider controversies. In addition to charges and countercharges about "who's dissing who," GM's Bob Lutz was quoted in LA saying that Toyota would not make its batteries available to other companies. Since it appears that GM is actually using more advanced nano-phosphate lithium batteries (compared to the Toyota-Panasonic lithium cobalt batteries that Toyota has decided are not ready for use in hybrids) maybe Lutz or Miller know something we don't.- "WILL bring these cars to market:" Toyota wants to have it both ways, reassuring us that its research program means it's on the way to commercialization, but it's not racing to be first.GOVERNOR: It's not clear how much he heard the presentations, and of course as a muscle-car guy, his focus is on greening the big cars, but we do know that word is starting to reach him that his enthusiasm for the Hydrogen Highway will not result in anything meaningful for the forseeable future.GREEN CAR AWARD AT THE LA AUTO SHOWThe cover story for the Fall 2007 Green Car Journal http://www.greencar.com/ , widely read in the industry for 16 years, is "Electric Drive! Why We Want To Plug In." The reasons are on the page: *pennies per mile *no more oil *zero emissions. The photo shows the Volvo Concept Recharge PHEV.Inside are four pages on the benefits and potential of PHEVs, focusing on the Volvo, four pages on the GM Opel Flextreme, an editorial proposing battery leasing, and a preview of Venture Vehicles' three-wheel highway-speed series PHEV. There are also short articles on the Toyota Prius Plug-In, the Mitsubishi iMiEV EV, and Brammo's electric motorcycle. This magazine has been covering PHEVs with ever-increasing attention in recent years.Last week, publisher Ron Cogan also announced the third Annual Green Car Award at the LA Auto Show. Since the awards can go only to vehicles drivers can buy, none of these cars were eligible -- because of the simple fact that there are no production PHEVs or EVs. That meant the contestants lagged far behind the cars we are working to bring to market.In that context, it may have been unfortunate that the conversion project we participated in outside the LA Auto Show, where we received a "GreenEST Car of the Year Award" from the co-sponsors -- see photo at http://www.calcars.org/photos-groups.html -- might have been seen as a criticism of the Green Car Awards. That was not our intention. Ron Cogan, before giving out his awards, took a few minutes to give his thoughts about the Awards and the "challenge." We appreciate the way he expressed his gracious support for plug-in cars, and his full statement (below) is worth thinking about.
TEXT FOR RON COGAN'S 2008 GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR PRESENTATION: November 15, 2008, Los Angeles Auto ShowGood morning.We're here today to recognize the achievements that have been made in "green" cars that bring higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions to our highways. These milestones are noteworthy, and the mission more important than ever because fuel efficiency no longer represents just an abstract concept that we may, or may not, embrace. It is now our reality.Today's high fuel prices make fuel efficiency everyone's business. While fuel economy has appealed to a select group of buyers for years, it has represented but a small blip on the radar for most new car buyers. This has changed dramatically. High gas prices are prompting a major shift in the way that drivers look at their cars and their operating costs. It's hard to escape this when gas prices are over $3.00 per gallon and a fill-up for many costs $50 to $70, or more.We should take a moment to share how we define what makes a "green" car, and how these cars fit within the context of Green Car Journal's "Green Car of the Year" program.Some would say that a vehicle like a 100 mpg plug-in hybrid or a full-function battery electric car should rightfully be at the top of our list. Others would point to one of the more popular high-fuel economy hybrids that's been on the market for a number of years. From our perspective, these are important cars. But they are not nominees for Green Car of the Year at this time.We look for vehicles that move the bar forward in real-time and will be widely offered for sale to the general public by January 1st of the award year. Since Green Car Journal began focusing on this field in 1992, we've learned many times over that some of the most amazing technologies invented, and the vehicles that seek to commercialize them, never quite make it to commercial sales. To recommend such a vehicle by prematurely declaring it the "Green Car of the Year" would be irresponsible. If everyday consumers can't buy it, then its chances of making a quantifiable and real-time difference in emissions and overall fuel efficiency is nil.Green Car of the Year focuses on real products, available in real time. As much as we believe in the potential of vehicles like plug-in hybrids, no readily-available plug-ins are available to the mass market at this time. This could change in the next few years if battery challenges are overcome. It's a worthy goal and should be pursued with all possible speed.Plug-in conversions available now are primarily focused on fleets, and for good reason. While plug-in activists are quick to point out these vehicles' benefits, there's rarely a word said about their additional cost of $10,000 or more than conventional hybrids. That's no small challenge in a competitive automotive market where dollars really do count.Green Car of the Year will clearly consider plug-ins if, and when, they move beyond demonstrations and fleets and become a consumer product. The same holds true for battery electric vehicles.In our evaluations, we look for continuing progress. Choosing a vehicle that raised the bar in environmental performance some model years back but has not achieved new milestones is not our goal. These vehicles are readily available and already present a high fuel efficiency option for buyers.What we do look for in the Green Car of the Year is a vehicle that brings new or important innovations to consumers now and moves the bar forward in meaningful, synergistic ways. Vehicles that incorporate environmentally positive technologies that are likely to make their way to additional models and platforms are especially important.This brings us to our 2008 Green Car of the Year. Our nominees include the first-ever hybrid sedans for three automakers - the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Saturn Aura Hybrid, and the Nissan Altima Hybrid. Two nominees are hybrid SUVs, also representing firsts for Mazda and Chevrolet.Weighing the merits of these vehicles this year was a jury comprised of four Green Car Journal editors and a larger number of invited outside jurors. They include Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Jonathan Lash, president of World Resources Institute; and two individuals well-known in the automotive community, Carroll Shelby and Jay Leno.When looking at the implications each nominee held for the market, it became clear to a majority of our jurors that one stood out as offering an approach that was truly revolutionary. One that would have both short-and long-term impact not only on the automotive market, but the world in which we live because of the diverse ways in which this vehicle is used.To be revolutionary requires rethinking some fundamental assumptions. For instance, that SUVs must by nature be inefficient and anything but "green." That larger vehicles designed for maximum utility must sacrifice environmental ethic. That providing the features most sought-after by large families and those seeking the ability to tow heavy loads cannot be attained without sacrificing environmental sensitivity.Our 2008 Green Car of the Year represents this revolutionary thinking. It provides maximum functionality with an ability to seat eight passengers, carry 60 cubic feet of cargo, and tow up to 6200 pounds. Importantly, it achieves the same EPA estimated 21 mpg city fuel economy as a much smaller four-cylinder sedan. That, in our considered opinion, represents an achievement worth celebrating.Green Car Journal is proud to award its 2008 Green Car of the Year honor to Chevrolet's 2008 Tahoe Hybrid.
CALIFORNIA REGULATIONS AND PLUG-IN CARS: The November 10 CalCars-News item we cited at the beginning of this posting included considerable discussion of the Air Resources Board's history and its current reconsideration. The realization that energy independence and global warming will not be affected by what happens with hydrogen fuel cell cars for two or three decades continues to sink in. (The latest: at the Auto Show, US News and World Report's Rick Newman asked GM's Bob Lutz (in an online interview accompanying an excellent print magazine story), "So of all the different technologies GM is working on, how would you prioritize them? Lutz: Electric. Advanced hybrid. Plug-in hybrid. Advanced clean diesels. And far out, there's hydrogen."
http://www.usnews.%20com/articles/%20business/%20economy/2007/%2011/16/qa-%20gms-bob-lutz-%20on-the-volt-%20and-more.%20html
We end this posting with an excellent Op-Ed in the LA Times by Sherry Boschert, author of "Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America" and Founder of the San Francisco Chapter of the Electric Auto Association. Her focus here is on PHEVs and EVs; as the former begin glimpse a slightly more level playing field in state policies, electric vehicles continue to be seen as not arriving soon (though four automakers say they are expecting to produce them in the next few years). This doesns't make sense if the strategy is to displace imported fossil fuels with electricity!Bring back the electric carThe state should reverse its mistake of putting its clean-air hopes in hydrogen instead of battery-powered autos.By Sherry Boschert November 19, 2007 Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.%20com/news/%20opinion/la-%20oe-boschert19nov%2019,0,4608381.%20story
Californians are being taken for a ride by state clean-air regulators, who are bringing the rest of the country along. Decisions made by the California Air Resources Board early next year will determine whether we get the option of driving zero-emission, non-polluting cars soon, or whether we'll see smoggy business as usual from the car companies for another decade.Many consumers would love to drive cars that reduce greenhouse gases and our addiction to oil, but the automakers resist. Fortunately, the Air Resources Board has the power to compel them to make the clean cars society needs. Progress through regulation is nothing new: It took laws to get seatbelts, airbags and catalytic converters. It took laws to get average mileage standards up from 12 mpg to 27 mpg. It will take regulations to get clean cars.The air board's first attempt to compel clean cars -- the zero-emission- vehicle mandate of 1990 -- put thousands of gas-free electric cars in the hands of consumers, who loved them. In 2001, however, the board started giving car companies partial credit toward meeting the mandate if they sold hybrids and other gasoline-dependent cars. Bad move. Automakers sued, asserting that because the 2001 standards included gas-burning cars, they were, in essence, fuel-efficiency standards. And only the federal government can set those.At the same time, automakers were making inflated promises to build zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicles -- if they could just have a few years more. So the board gutted the zero-emission- vehicle mandate in 2003 and essentially turned it into a hydrogen research program. General Motors dangled claims that hydrogen fuel cell cars would be competitive in showrooms by 2004. Daimler-Chrysler predicted that it would sell 100,000 fuel cell cars by 2006.But since 2003, automakers have produced fewer than 200 hydrogen fuel cell cars, each costing about $1 million, with a fuel cell lifespan of two to four years and many technological challenges left to overcome.A few major automakers are trotting out their hydrogen hardware this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, claiming they'll lease small numbers of them to handpicked drivers in the next few years. In a deja vu to 2003, automakers are hyping the promise of hydrogen just as the air board is again revising the zero-emission- vehicle mandate. Behind the scenes, car companies have convinced the board's staff that they can't meet the goal of producing 25,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles after 2012, so the staff is suggesting that the board ease that requirement.There are signs, however, that the bloom may be fading from the hydrogen rose. This month, one of the biggest fuel cell companies, Ballard Power Systems, bailed out after pouring millions of dollars into fuel cell vehicles. A Toyota official predicted that fuel cell cars won't be mass commercialized until after 2030.That's not soon enough to avoid global warming, thousands of deaths from air pollution and wars over oil.Meanwhile, the battery electric cars produced until 2003 have shown that they can do the job. Some have passed 100,000 miles on the odometer, and the batteries are still going strong. A few hybrid owners have added batteries and converted their cars to plug-in hybrids that drive mostly on electricity but retain a gas engine for long-distance trips. Building a network of fast-charging stations would cost a fraction of the tab for building hydrogen fueling stations.The persistent bias in favor of hydrogen among state regulators defies logic -- and yet it could once again distract from fair treatment of more-realistic electric cars. Examples:* On Thursday, the air board adopted a state alternative fuels plan that suggests using plug-in hybrids and biofuels would be cleaner than scenarios that rely on hydrogen fuel cell cars. But the plan largely ignores battery electric vehicles. That's foolish, especially in light of a study done for the state Energy Commission that found that electric cars -- which use the existing power grid -- reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 68% compared with conventional cars. Hydrogen fuel cell cars -- for which there is no infrastructure -- would achieve only a 54% reduction.* State-funded studies starting soon at UC Berkeley and UC Irvine will compare plug-in hybrids with conventional hybrids and with hydrogen fuel cell cars -- but not with battery electric cars. That makes no sense, especially because right now several major automakers are expressing interest in resuming production of electric cars. The air board should provide state-owned electric cars for the studies, if necessary, for complete comparisons.* The board's current zero-emission- vehicle regulations favor hydrogen by granting one fuel cell vehicle the same amount of credits as 10 electric vehicles in meeting state goals; the proposed regulations for 2008 give three fuel cell cars the same credits as four electric vehicles. Narrowing that credit gap isn't enough. The board should insist on one-to-one technological neutrality and not push back the deadlines just because hydrogen cars aren't ready. Treat hydrogen and electric vehicles equally, and let the market decide.There's no time to waste. Only California can pass clean-air laws that are stricter than federal standards. But many other states adopt California's requirements, so what the board does has national implications for our health, for the environment and for national security. A slower drive away from gasoline is a ride we don't want to take.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
PHEV Veteran Knows Best!!!
Andy Frank's Patents Now Available for Licensing
Posted by: "Felix Kramer" mailto:fkramer@calcars.org?Subject=felixkramery
Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:41 pm (PST)
Dr. Andy Frank is the inventor of the modern PHEV. He's been working on hybrids and PHEVs since 1971 (see http://www.team-fate.net/ http://www.calcars.org/history.html and Sherry Boschert's book, Plug-In Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America at http://www.calcars.org/books.html . He's a Key Advisor to CalCars.orgWhile remaining a Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of California at Davis, he has founded and serves as Chief Technology Officer of a company, Efficient Drivetrains Inc. http://efficientdrivetrains.com/ . EDI has just secured the rights to license the dozens of hybrid- and PHEV-related patents Frank has obtained over these decades.
The way we see it, because he's been at it so long, Andy has encountered and developed solutions to problems that others who haven't gotten started don't even know exist! Of course carmakers can develop PHEVs on their own -- we've often heard that they already have prototypes in their workshops and labs. We expect that some carmakers willing to go beyond "not-invented- here" assumptions will benefit from at least reviewing EDI's intellectual property -- which includes a mechanical continuously variable transmission (CVT) that's more efficient than electronic CVTs, and could be used in non-hybrid vehicles as well.The announcement by the UC Davis licensing office is at http://www-pubcomm.%20ucdavis.edu/%20search/news_%20detail.lasso?
You can comment at Green Car Congress's report http://www.greencar%20congress.%20com/2007/%2011/uc-davis-%20licens.html
Below is EDI's announcement:
UC Davis licenses PHEV technologies to startup: EDIUC Davis just announced a patent licensing deal for its PHEV technologies with Silicon Valley startup - Efficient Drivetrains Inc (EDI). Several generations of award winning PHEVs have been developed at the University under the leadership of Professor Andy Frank, resulting in a broad patent portfolio that includes vehicle architectures, control and efficiency algorithms, and advanced continuously variable transmission (CVT) designs.With this deal, EDI has the rights to commercialize and embed the PHEV technologies covered by the University's patent portfolio. EDI is also free to develop its own proprietary technologies as part of its research and development efforts and new projects.Co-founded by CTO and Professor Frank, EDI is focused on offering its PHEV technologies to multiple vehicle designers and manufacturers in all geographies. The company has already signed its first customer deal and expects to close at least two others by the end of the year. EDI is also pursuing international opportunities through strategic partnerships and joint ventures."Plug-in hybrid technology offers a solution to the problem of shifting from transportation powered by oil to vehicles powered by electricity. The plug-in hybrid displaces more oil than any other technique, without a change in infrastructure, " Frank said."EDI was established to proliferate Frank's technology. The company plans to partner with auto designers and manufacturers so that they can rapidly introduce advanced plug-in hybrid technology into their vehicles. The company also plans to establish its own automotive research and development center in Davis," said Joerg Ferchau, the company's chief executive officer.CalCars Felix Kramer added, "I'm gratified to see the partnership between Davis and EDI because it makes the work that Professor Frank has done over the years to advance the technological development and vision for PHEVs available to the industry as a whole."Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, EDI is pursuing discussions with potential strategic and institutional investors for a Series A funding round expected to close sometime in Q1 to expand company operations.Frank has been working on developing fuel-efficient vehicles for more than 30 years. He advises a team of UC Davis students that has designed and built a series of award-winning vehicles to take part in the Futurecar, Futuretruck and ChallengeX competitions, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and leading companies in the auto industry. For further information contact: mailto:jferchau%40efficientdrivetrains.com 408-624-1231
EDI was founded in 2006 to commercialize Frank's technology. The company plans to partner with auto designers and manufacturers so that they can rapidly introduce advanced plug-in hybrid technology into their vehicles. The company also hopes to establish its own automotive research and development center in Davis, said Joerg Ferchau, the company's chief executive officer.Frank's designs for a "parallel" hybrid powertrain allow significant increases in fuel efficiency compared with hybrids currently on the market, Ferchau said. The licensing package also includes an "intelligent, " continuously variable transmission that automatically selects the right power ratio and eliminates gear shifting. Frank has been working on developing fuel-efficient vehicles for more than 30 years. He advises a team of UC Davis students that has designed and built a series of award-winning vehicles to take part in the Futurecar, Futuretruck and ChallengeX competitions, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and leading companies in the auto industry.About UC Davis InnovationAccessUC Davis InnovationAccess actively manages a patent portfolio of 841 inventions reflecting the diversity of the campus's research base, and seeks opportunities to commercialize these via licensing, with 485 currently active licensees. UC Davis has also seen an upsurge in startup companies emerging from campus research and technologies, with nearly 20 companies founded since 2005. The UC Davis InnovationAccess team is comprised of more than 20 professionals with PhDs, JDs, and MBAs with significant private-sector experience.
Media contact(s): Andy Fell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-4533, mailto:ahfell%40ucdavis.edu
Felix Kramer mailto:fkramer@calcars.%20org
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.%20org/
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
Posted by: "Felix Kramer" mailto:fkramer@calcars.org?Subject=felixkramery
Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:41 pm (PST)
Dr. Andy Frank is the inventor of the modern PHEV. He's been working on hybrids and PHEVs since 1971 (see http://www.team-fate.net/ http://www.calcars.org/history.html and Sherry Boschert's book, Plug-In Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America at http://www.calcars.org/books.html . He's a Key Advisor to CalCars.orgWhile remaining a Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of California at Davis, he has founded and serves as Chief Technology Officer of a company, Efficient Drivetrains Inc. http://efficientdrivetrains.com/ . EDI has just secured the rights to license the dozens of hybrid- and PHEV-related patents Frank has obtained over these decades.
The way we see it, because he's been at it so long, Andy has encountered and developed solutions to problems that others who haven't gotten started don't even know exist! Of course carmakers can develop PHEVs on their own -- we've often heard that they already have prototypes in their workshops and labs. We expect that some carmakers willing to go beyond "not-invented- here" assumptions will benefit from at least reviewing EDI's intellectual property -- which includes a mechanical continuously variable transmission (CVT) that's more efficient than electronic CVTs, and could be used in non-hybrid vehicles as well.The announcement by the UC Davis licensing office is at http://www-pubcomm.%20ucdavis.edu/%20search/news_%20detail.lasso?
You can comment at Green Car Congress's report http://www.greencar%20congress.%20com/2007/%2011/uc-davis-%20licens.html
Below is EDI's announcement:
UC Davis licenses PHEV technologies to startup: EDIUC Davis just announced a patent licensing deal for its PHEV technologies with Silicon Valley startup - Efficient Drivetrains Inc (EDI). Several generations of award winning PHEVs have been developed at the University under the leadership of Professor Andy Frank, resulting in a broad patent portfolio that includes vehicle architectures, control and efficiency algorithms, and advanced continuously variable transmission (CVT) designs.With this deal, EDI has the rights to commercialize and embed the PHEV technologies covered by the University's patent portfolio. EDI is also free to develop its own proprietary technologies as part of its research and development efforts and new projects.Co-founded by CTO and Professor Frank, EDI is focused on offering its PHEV technologies to multiple vehicle designers and manufacturers in all geographies. The company has already signed its first customer deal and expects to close at least two others by the end of the year. EDI is also pursuing international opportunities through strategic partnerships and joint ventures."Plug-in hybrid technology offers a solution to the problem of shifting from transportation powered by oil to vehicles powered by electricity. The plug-in hybrid displaces more oil than any other technique, without a change in infrastructure, " Frank said."EDI was established to proliferate Frank's technology. The company plans to partner with auto designers and manufacturers so that they can rapidly introduce advanced plug-in hybrid technology into their vehicles. The company also plans to establish its own automotive research and development center in Davis," said Joerg Ferchau, the company's chief executive officer.CalCars Felix Kramer added, "I'm gratified to see the partnership between Davis and EDI because it makes the work that Professor Frank has done over the years to advance the technological development and vision for PHEVs available to the industry as a whole."Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, EDI is pursuing discussions with potential strategic and institutional investors for a Series A funding round expected to close sometime in Q1 to expand company operations.Frank has been working on developing fuel-efficient vehicles for more than 30 years. He advises a team of UC Davis students that has designed and built a series of award-winning vehicles to take part in the Futurecar, Futuretruck and ChallengeX competitions, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and leading companies in the auto industry. For further information contact: mailto:jferchau%40efficientdrivetrains.com 408-624-1231
EDI was founded in 2006 to commercialize Frank's technology. The company plans to partner with auto designers and manufacturers so that they can rapidly introduce advanced plug-in hybrid technology into their vehicles. The company also hopes to establish its own automotive research and development center in Davis, said Joerg Ferchau, the company's chief executive officer.Frank's designs for a "parallel" hybrid powertrain allow significant increases in fuel efficiency compared with hybrids currently on the market, Ferchau said. The licensing package also includes an "intelligent, " continuously variable transmission that automatically selects the right power ratio and eliminates gear shifting. Frank has been working on developing fuel-efficient vehicles for more than 30 years. He advises a team of UC Davis students that has designed and built a series of award-winning vehicles to take part in the Futurecar, Futuretruck and ChallengeX competitions, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and leading companies in the auto industry.About UC Davis InnovationAccessUC Davis InnovationAccess actively manages a patent portfolio of 841 inventions reflecting the diversity of the campus's research base, and seeks opportunities to commercialize these via licensing, with 485 currently active licensees. UC Davis has also seen an upsurge in startup companies emerging from campus research and technologies, with nearly 20 companies founded since 2005. The UC Davis InnovationAccess team is comprised of more than 20 professionals with PhDs, JDs, and MBAs with significant private-sector experience.
Media contact(s): Andy Fell, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-4533, mailto:ahfell%40ucdavis.edu
Felix Kramer mailto:fkramer@calcars.%20org
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.%20org/
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
News from CalCars-Thank You Felix Kramer
LA Auto Show Summary + Today's Public Conversion
Posted by: "Felix Kramer" mailto:fkramer@calcars.org?Subject=felixkramery
Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:34 am (PST)
Posted by: "Felix Kramer" mailto:fkramer@calcars.org?Subject=felixkramery
Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:34 am (PST)
CalCars' Felix Kramer, Ron Gremban and Randy Reisinger have been at the the LA Auto Show, an increasingly important event for the industry. (Last year, it's where GM announced the Saturn Vue PHEV and hinted at the Volt.) We had a chance to meet some of the Volt team and hear their progress, and attend the media preview events. We hope to have more to say about that in a few days.
LA EVENT:
Today we will be providing the technical services to enable a mid-day public conversion of a Prius right in front of the Auto Show, in a Freedom From Oil event organized by Rainforest Action Network and Global Exchange, co-sponsored by Plug In America and CalCars. Working with Plug-In Conversions of Poway, CA that supplies the Nilar nickel-metal hydride batteries and Plug-In Supply of Petaluma that built the battery box, we hope the messsage will be that while most carmakers say PHEVs are a long way off, they, like us, could start getting PHEVs on the road much sooner, with today's batteries of all chemistries, using line extensions of today's vehicles. See the press release at http://ran.org/media_center/news_article/?uid=2439 and the news report at the end of this posting.
Here's a roundup of other developments:
FORD:
CEO Alan Mulally was the keynote speaker at the Motor Press Guild (MPG!) opening event. In addition to steps to improve business efficiency, he emphasized goals of improved fuel economy and lower emissions. The "cornerstone" is TGDI: smaller-displacement turbo-charged direct injection engines that can save 20% of fuel. With Mulally coming from Boeing, a focus on lightweighting of cars and improved aerodynamics is not surprising. PHEVs featured a little more in his speech than in his "Blueprint for Sustainabililty. " He mentioned the plan to work with Southern California Edison, emphasizing that it would be research to develop a broad "systems solution" that includes use of off-peak electricity. He said that this approach had "a real chance of making a substantial improvement on a system-wide basis to sustainability. " And he said that batteries were a key "enabling technology" that had to be improved. ("Enablers" seemed to be the buzzword of the Auto Show.)
VOLKSWAGEN:
VW showed its "Space Up! Blue" van that echoes the company's vans of other generations. It's a boxy, highly-styled 65-mile range series PHEV with a photovoltaic roof that contributes a symbolic amount of power and a high-temperature hydrogen fuel cell range extender. Ulrich Hackenberg, Head of Technical Development, made no commitment to production of anything except a diesel version of the vehicle.
VOLVO:
The Ford subsidiary showed its Recharge flex-fuel series 60-mile PHEV. First shown in Frankfurt, it's based on the Volvo C30. Science Officer Ichiro Sugioka seems optimistic that the lightweight motors from British company PML Flightlink will solve the "unsprung mass" problems traditionally associated with in-wheel electric motors.
GM:
Bob Lutz explained the company's intention to make Chevy the "world fuel economy leader" and said that powering cars with electricity was "nothing less than a transformation. ..as big a shift as the transition from horse and buggy to gasoline cars.
TOYOTA:
The company's focus was on its large trucks and its fuel-cell vehicle that travelled across Canada accompanied by two large hydrogen tanker trucks. As you can see in the AP story below, the company is increasingly becoming the target of environmental criticism -- here's how the Wall Street Journal's Mike Spector described it, not specifically for Toyota: The delicate minuet of marketing and lobbying shows how car makers are bowing toward pressure for earth-friendly, fuel-efficient autos while at the same time tiptoeing around the fact that fuel-thirsty trucks and sport-utility vehicles are big sellers. http://online.%20wsj.com/article/%20SB11950052708179%202239.html?
HONDA:
Continued its focus on fuel cell development, announcing the public availability of fuel cell cars for lease in Southern California for $600/month for three years. Among its first three customers is Terry Tamminen, former California EPA Secretary, who continues to promote hydrogen globally.
LOS ANGELES:
Toyota Motor Corp. is usually the darling of the Los Angeles Auto Show, but testy relations with environmentalists and questions about quality are making the show a headache for the automaker this year.It does not help that Toyota chose to introduce a full-size sport utility vehicle at the show, and the redesigned Sequoia does not have a hybrid option like full-size SUVs from General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC that are debuting across the show floor. The Los Angeles show opens to the public Friday after two days of media previews. After the Sequoia was introduced Wednesday, an environmental activist with a video camera approached Toyota's general manager for U.S. sales, Bob Carter, and asked why the company will not withdraw from a lawsuit against California, which has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish tougher fuel economy rules. Carter refused to answer and knocked the camera out of Brent Olson's hands. Olson, of San Francisco-based Rainforest Action Network, was eventually led away by two policemen. A handful of protesters also picketed Toyota outside the show and planned further protests Thursday. After the spat, Carter said Toyota and environmentalists have more in common than not, and that Toyota supports tougher fuel economy standards but does not want them decided at the state level. "We believe it's best applied at the federal level," he said. "We're a full-line manufacturer and we want to meet consumer needs."He added that despite the rise in fuel prices, many U.S. buyers simply need the utility and space of a full-size SUV. The Sequoia has a new 5.7-liter, V8 engine that is more powerful — at 381 horsepower — and more fuel efficient than the old engine. It also has improved aerodynamics to save fuel, and the company plans to introduce an ethanol-capable version in the fall of 2008. Pricing was not announced for the new Sequoia, which goes on sale in December. Fuel economy numbers have not been released, but Carter said they will improve by about 12 percent over the old model, or 2 to 3 miles per gallon. The current Sequoia gets around 15 miles per gallon in the city, compared to 21 miles per gallon for the new hybrids from Chrysler and GM, including the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and Chevrolet Silverado pickup.Carter said Toyota plans to offer hybrid versions of every vehicle in its lineup and is also studying combinations such as hybrid diesels. But it hasn't managed to develop a system that works well in large trucks like GM and Chrysler did in their consortium with Daimler and BMW."We're not there yet. There's no technology to meet all our customers' needs," he said.Toyota's sterling reputation has taken a beating in recent months because of quality problems and environmentalists' anger. Toyota also was stung this fall by the departures of some key executives, including its North American chief, Jim Press, who left to become vice chairman of Chrysler LLC, and its U.S. manager of Lexus, Jim Farley, who went to Ford Motor Co.Last month, Consumer Reports said Toyota "is showing cracks in its armor" and will no longer get automatic recommendations from the magazine when it releases new or redesigned vehicles. It also removed several Toyota vehicles from its recommended list because of quality issues.Toyota recalled 766,000 vehicles in the United States last year, down from 2.2 million in 2005 but still up significantly from the 210,000 vehicles it recalled in 2003.Also last month, the Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups sent thousands of e-mails and faxes to Toyota urging it to support a Senate energy bill that would set a 35-mile-per- gallon average fuel economy standard by 2020. Toyota backs a more modest approach on so-called CAFE standards that would require 32 to 35 mpg by 2022.The company's most recent embarrassment came earlier this week, when it pulled an ad that called Fresno a "low-budget tourist stop" after U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein wrote to complain. The inland California city has the reputation of being a high-crime and boring — particularly in comparison to other cities in the state.Still, Toyota has a lot in its favor. Toyota still has 17 of the 39 most reliable vehicles on Consumer Reports' influential list, far more than any other automaker.Toyota last week reported a hefty $4 billion (€2.72 billion) profit in its fiscal second quarter, the same day that GM reported a record $39 billion (€26.53 billion) quarterly loss because of accounting changes. Toyota also is hot on the heels of GM to become the world's largest carmaker. Toyota sold 7.05 million vehicles in the first nine months of this year, just 10,000 less than GM.
- -- -- --Felix Kramer mailto:fkramer%40calcars.org Founder California Cars Initiativehttp://www.calcars.org/http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
Monday, November 19, 2007
Is your company green...enough?
Is your company Green, or talking about it?
Your company may not have a lot of "Go Green" initiatives today, but chances are, in the very near future this topic will be discussed in many conference rooms of many companies across the US & the planet. Companies large and small can do their part to be a more-friendly user of natural resources. Afterall, no one expects any company to be able to effectively have a zero-carbon footprint. All businesses use some kind of resources. Limiting what you use, is the answer.
All companies could, at least:
- Limit wasted paper at copy/fax machines;
- Use recycled copier/printer paper;
- Recycle everything your municipality will take, just like most of us do at home.
- Install motion sensors on light switches in restrooms and closets;
- Install compact florescent bulbs;
- Turn off computers, monitors, copiers, & printers after business hours.
I would like to add the amounts of money a company could save by implementing some of these practices, but you get the idea. Maybe in a future post I will pull together some numbers to drive the point even further.
Larger companies could:
- Allow employees who live further away to telecommute a few days per week;
- Buy hybrid vehicles for employees, such as the Toyota Prius, or other alternative fuel vehicle.
- Use video conferencing occassionally instead of air travel.
What else could you, and I, and our employers do to lessen the impact we have on our environment?
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