CYNTHIA'S TWIGS High Quality Bicycle Baskets at Reasonable Prices
There's nothing like changing everything - The year of the Volt continues. Green Car Journal has just named the all-new Chevrolet Volt its 2011 Green Car of the Year, the first electric car to ever win the award. The premier magazine on high fuel efficiency and alternative fuel vehicles says, "This has been a long time coming," noting that early electric cars showed promise, but lacked practicality. The Volt runs on electricity for an initial range of 35 miles on a single charge, before a gas generator seamlessly creates electricity for up to 340 additional miles on a full tank of gas.* Practical indeed.
Ford Focus Electric Car
Ford is producing some leading green vehicles including the Escape Hybrid, and the Fusion Hybrid, but the flagship of Ford's green offerings is their first all electric car the Focus Electric. This zero emission vehicle is a fully electric version of their popular small car.
The Focus Electric is an aerodynamic vehicle with low-rolling resistance tires. It is powered by a 100 kW electric motor coupled with a 23-kWh battery. The 100-kilowatt electric motor provides 123 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. It has a top speed is 84 mph (136km/h) and can be charged in just three hours from its 240-volt home-installed charging station (half the time of the Nissan Leaf). However, it can take up to 20 hours to charge using a standard 120-volt outlet.
Although the range of the vehicle remains to be seen, if the car does not provoke range anxiety, it will pose a serious challenge to the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf. The Focus Electric will be available to the public at the end of the 2011 in North America.
100% Electric Zero Emissions Vehicle
Nissan Unveils All-Electric Leaf Car
Nissan is taking the lead in pure electric cars in the United States. The Nissan Leaf is a medium-size all-electric hatchback that seats five adults and has a range of 100 miles.Nissan hasn't seemed anxious to lead the green car race. While other automakers worked to bring hybrid vehicles to the mainstream, Nissan has appeared to sit on the sidelines, content to offer only the Altima Hybrid, using a Toyota-built powertrain, in just a handful of states.
But Japan's third largest automaker, it seems, was simply biding its time.
The company may actually be the first major automaker to begin widespread sales of an all-electric car. The Nissan Leaf was unveiled to the press for the first time this weekend. The Los Angeles Times notes, "Depending on how you define your terms, the Leaf will be the first mass-market EV sold in the U.S. since the 1920s."
Autoblog reports, "Designed as a four-to-five seat, front-drive C-segment hatchback, Nissan says the Leaf is not just for use as a specialty urban runabout, but rather, it was designed as an everyday vehicle - a ‘real car' whose 160-kilometer+ (100 mile) range meets the needs of 70% of the world's motorists." The Leaf looks a bit like a Nissan Versa hatchback, with a shorter nose (electric motors take up less space than gasoline engines) and a roofline reminiscent of the Murano SUV.
Inside, Autoblog says, "The interior is at once handsome and spacious, with what appears to be plenty of room both front and rear for real-sized adults, and the cargo area is very deep, as it is unencumbered by a gas tank assembly (the batteries are mounted beneath the seats within the wheelbase)."
Edmunds Inside Line explains, "The five-seat, electric-blue Leaf hatchback is to be launched in select U.S. and Japanese markets next year to begin what Nissan hopes will become an era of global leadership for the company in a growing EV market." The car has, according to Nissan engineers, "a top speed of 90 mph, a range of 100 miles per charge with a 30-minute recharge where quick-charging stations are available (6 hours with a 220-volt current) and seat cushion-compressing acceleration that will launch it from zero to 30 mph faster than an Infiniti G37, thanks to 207 pound-feet of torque from its 80 kilowatt (107 horsepower) electric motor."
Some media outlets are referring to the Leaf as a 2010 model, others a 2011, since its precise launch date is uncertain. As for final pricing, The L.A. Times notes, "Nissan officials have quietly hinted at a price less than $30,000 retail (that's before any tax credits), the goal being to make the EV a no-cost option. That would be the LEAF's greatest trick." A government tax rebate of up to $7,500 for electric vehicles, signed into law last year, will probably apply to the Leaf, theoretically knocking its price down into the mid-$20,000 range.
Nissan LEAF ™the new car.™ 100% electric, no-gas.*as low as $25,280 net value, after tax savings MSRP $32,780, with federal tax savings.
Public TransportationWhen you're stuck in a jam, eyes fixed on the road When the gas stations increase their prices to gold When you realize just how much your car can pollute You'll start using mass transit to make your commute! In 2008, a U.S. Commuting Statistical Analysis showed that there were over 128 million U.S. commuters, 75% of whom drive to work themselves. Less than 5% of all commuters used public transportation last year, a surprisingly low amount when you consider all the benefits. By carpooling, using buses, subways or trains, you can save money, shorten your commute, decrease your blood pressure due to road rage, increase your leisure time and of course, lessen your impact on the environment.
Here's how:
• Trains: Commuting by train instead of by car cuts CO2 emissions per passenger by about 75%, not to mention the average train can travel almost two times as fast as your coupe!
• Buses: Not only do buses reduce the amount of traffic and vehicle pollution by each taking an average of 60 cars off the road, but buses are also over 170 times safer than cars according to the National Safety Council.
• RideShare Programs: If every commuter car carried an extra passenger, eliminating half the automobiles on the road, the U.S. would save eight billion gallons of gas each year and cut CO2 emissions from cars by 50%. Sharing the cost of gas and reducing traffic on the road isn't bad either! Contact your employer to see if you have any RideShare programs through work or ask your friends.
5 REASONS YOUR NEXT CAR WILL BE ELECTRIC
Electric cars connected to smart grids have become inevitable. Get used to the idea of plugging in before hitting the road.
FAST TIMES AHEAD: Does the Fisker Karma look slow?
Take a look at that gas-guzzler in the driveway. Are you ready to wave goodbye in favor of something cleaner, greener and plugged in? There’s no turning back: We’re going to electrify the world’s auto fleet, and soon. I know, I know — besides hybrids, there aren’t a lot of green cars on your radar right now. Today, 100 percent zero-emission battery-powered cars are scarce on the ground — there's a motley assemblage of 3,000 of them registered. You can buy a Tesla Roadster if you have a spare $109,000 lying around. Wheego will sell you a Whip, which is a battery-powered “neighborhood” car that can be used locally on roads with speed limits below 35 mph. And there are a few highway-worthy cars on the international market, including the Indian-made Reva, the Chinese-made BYD E6 and the Norwegian Think City.
But despite all this, your next car (or maybe the one after that) will be electric: a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery car. That’s where the auto industry is going, where the world is going. By this time next year, the picture will be dramatically different, with a host of consumer choices, from the sexy Fisker Karma and the versatile Volt to the ultra-cool Coda.
Gas cars won’t disappear overnight, but they will do a slow fade. And here’s five reasons why:
1. Feeling the heat. The imperatives of climate change mean we’ll have to stop burning fossil fuels, especially coal and oil. The Copenhagen talks did not produce a binding agreement, but trust me on this — one is coming. The successor to the Kyoto talks will be much tougher, and we won’t make the numbers without putting millions of zero-emission cars on the road. 2. Oil peaking. We may or may not have already reached global oil peak — the point where oil demand exceeds oil supply. The worldwide recession suppressed demand and gave us something of a breather, but the numbers on oil demand (especially from China and India) in the next decade are completely unsustainable, and everybody knows it.
3. The smart grid. We’re just starting to optimize our antiquated electric system, but the way forward is clear. Utilities are partnering with automakers to enable the easy charging of millions of EVs at night without adding new plants. Off-peak electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel the daily commutes of 73 percent percent of all cars, light trucks, SUVs and vans on the road today if they were plug-in hybrids, recent study by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found. What’s more, solar car charging is becoming a reality, and that means a 100 percent zero-emissions loop — the answer to any critic who says that EVs get all their power from dirty coal plants. Even today, with 52 percent of U.S. electricity generated by coal-fired power plants, Plug-in America reports that EVs reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and most other pollutants compared with conventional gas or hybrid vehicles. 4. The better mousetrap. EVs, on the road starting next year, will be better than gas cars in every way. Forget the idea that they’re slow, or that you won’t be able to get where you’re going. I’ve driven every EV, and all of them were exciting on the road. Every carmaker is building one, and they know it will be a very competitive market demanding excellence in engineering. BMW tells me that the consumers test-driving its Mini E plug-in quickly got over their “range anxiety.”
5. Plugging in. You’ll have a charging station at home, at work and at play. Starbucks and McDonald’s will have them, and so will the big-box store down the street. Car charging will become ubiquitous — offering you $3 and $4 electrical fill-ups. Some retailers will even offer 15-minute fast charging free to get you in the door.
For all these reasons and more, your next car will have a plug. And it will be fine, trust me on this.
Written by: Jim Motavalli, Environmental Writer & Speaker
The Essential Hybrid Car Handbook: A Buyer's Guide ELECTRIC VEHICLES
1) First electric vehicle was invented back in the 1830’s by Robert Anderson of Scotland
2) In 1899 a world speed record of 68 MPH was set with an electric racing car
3) In 1899 and 1900 electric cars outsold all other types in America (i.e., gas or steam)
4) There were 53,000+ EV’s on the road as of 2008
Why go 100% Electric?
Electric Vehicles, or EVs, are 97% cleaner than gas-powered cars. This includes the emissions from the electric power plant. EVs fill a perfect niche in the urban commute car market, where the range is short and the need for non-polluting cars is the greatest. EVs require less maintenance than gas powered cars. EVs are quiet, minimizing sound pollution. EVs will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil.According to the Department of Energy, emissions from the 190 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads — mostly hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide — account for about 50 percent of all air pollution and more than 80 percent of urban air pollution.
What is biodiesel?
Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel) engines with no modifications. In fact diesel engines run better and last longer with biodiesel. And it can easily be made from a common waste product -- used cooking oil. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.
• Biodiesel fuel burns up to 75% cleaner than conventional diesel fuel made from fossil fuels
• Biodiesel substantially reduces unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter in exhaust fumes
• Sulphur dioxide emissions are eliminated (biodiesel contains no sulphur)
• Biodiesel is plant-based and adds no CO2 to the atmosphere
• The ozone-forming potential of biodiesel emissions is nearly 50% less than conventional diesel fuel
• Nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions may increase or decrease but can be reduced to well below conventional diesel fuel levels by adjusting engine timing
• Biodiesel exhaust is not offensive and doesn't cause eye irritation (it smells like French fries!)
• Biodiesel is environmentally friendly: it is renewable, "more biodegradable than sugar and less toxic than table salt" (US National Biodiesel Board)
• Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine
• Fuel economy is the same as conventional diesel fuel
• Biodiesel is a much better lubricant than conventional diesel fuel and extends engine life -- a German truck won an entry in the Guinness Book of Records by traveling more than 1.25 million km (780,000 miles) on biodiesel with its original engine
• Biodiesel has a high cetane rating, which improves engine performance: 20% biodiesel added to conventional diesel fuel improves the cetane rating 3 points, making it a Premium fuel
• Biodiesel can be mixed with ordinary diesel fuel in any proportion -- even a small amount of biodiesel means cleaner emissions and better engine lubrication: 1% biodiesel will increase lubricity by 65%
• Biodiesel can be produced from any fat or vegetable oil, including waste cooking oil.
Summary:
• The overall ozone (smog) forming potential of biodiesel is almost 50% less than diesel fuel.
• Sulfur emissions are eliminated.
• Substantial reductions of unburned hydrocarbons (-93%), carbon monoxide (-50%), and particulate matter (-30%).
• Biodiesel NOx emissions can be efficiently eliminated as a concern.
• Substantial reductions of cancer-causing PAH (-80%) and nitrited PAH compounds (-90%). Diesel emissions and cancer According to a U.S. Department of Energy study completed at the University of California at Davis, the use of pure biodiesel instead of petroleum-based diesel fuel could offer a 93.6% reduction in cancer risks from exhaust emissions exposure. Greenhouse effect Using vegetable oils or animal fats as fuel for motor vehicles is in effect running them on solar energy. All biofuels, including ethanol, are derived from the conversion of sunlight to energy (carbohydrates) that takes place in the green leaves of plants. Official Biodiesel is recognized by both the US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy as an alternative fuel, and qualifies for mandated programs under the Clean Air Act Amendments and the Environmental Protection Act of 1992 (EPAct). In California, biodiesel has been approved for use in remediation of petroleum oil spills.
So Who Killed the Electric Car?
Plot Summary: It was among the fastest, most efficient production cars ever built. It ran on electricity, produced no emissions and catapulted American technology to the forefront of the automotive industry. The lucky few who drove it never wanted to give it up. So why did General Motors crush its fleet of EV1 electric vehicles in the Arizona desert?
It is true that only about 800 electric vehicles were leased between 1996, when they first came on the market, and 2003, when they were unceremoniously yanked off again. But a lot of that had to do with the near-total absence of advertising. As Dave Freeman, a power-grid administrator, says in the film: "We never saw a TV ad with an electric car scampering up a hill with a good-looking man or woman draped around it. That's the way they sell cars."
A former GM employee and EV activist named Chelsea Sexton found evidence that GM, contrary to its rhetoric about lack of demand, was sitting on a waiting-list of 4,000 interested customers. GM responded that really only about 50 of those 4,000 people were genuinely interested. The plot thickens.
Watch NOW Interview with Chris Paine and learn more about the film
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