General Motors with its Chevrolet Volt currently has the lead over Nissan, Ford, and others in delivering electric cars. The Volt is the first of many models in GM’s future. To advance its lithium batteries, GM Ventures invested $7 million in Envia Systems to provide GM’s battery engineering team with access to advanced lithium-ion cathode technology that delivers higher cell energy density and lower cost.
You can make a difference. The first chapters of Save Gas, Save the Planet will help you consider what you want in your next car. There are also many ways to reduce miles and improve fuel economy with your current car. Your actions and your words will influence more people than you expect. None of these are all-or-nothing ideas. Consider realistic improvements for yourself, your family, your friends, and your community.
In his new book, Cracking the Carbon Code, Terry Tamminen shows us how a sustainable future is being created. He gives us an inside look based on his strategic meetings with President Obama, governors of red and blue states, and even the formation of the next five year plan for China. Tamminen removes the mystery of Cracking the Carbon Code in one fascinating story after another as we follow the actions of corporate, government, and NGO leaders from California to China and from the United States to the UK.
People dance in the streets of Cairo. A dictator has fallen. For a few months, Constitutional rights are suspended, but a new election is promised. In recent weeks, a world dependent on oil has watched to see if a cascade of Mideast unrest would stop the flow of petroleum necessary for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Fortunately, as oil prices rise, lithium battery prices fall. Ford forecasts that by 2020, ten to 25 percent of its car sales will include lithium batteries and electric motors.
In January, the Honda Fit outsold the Prius in Japan. Prius had been the number one selling car in Japan for 20 months. Half of the Fits sold were the new Fit Hybrid, which delivers a stunning 71 miles per gallon (MPG). In 2012, both the Fit Hybrid and new Fit EV are expected to start selling in the U.S. Honda is wise to expand its popular Fit into a family that includes a larger wagon, a 71-mpg hybrid, and an exciting electric car with the potential to become the EV price leader.
GM Ventures has invested in Bright Automotive and two next generation biofuel corporations – Mascoma and Coskata. In one decade, transportation will be very different from today. With GM Ventures, General Motors is positioned to invest, integrate, and deliver to global customers better cars and services that include innovations in cleantech, infotainment, materials, autonomous driving, and new business models.
In 1990, the San Francisco Bay Area was home to 6 million people. By 2050, it will be home to 9 million yet the air will be cleaner and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be reduced. Electric car buying will accelerate with 2,750 chargers in Bay Area residences, as well as a fast charger program that that seeks to deploy 30 fast chargers for public use at key transportation corridor sites in the region.