Clean Fleet Reporthybrid & electric cars smart charged with renewable energy
4 Gigawatts of Electric Energy Storage in California by 2020
By Tom Bartley (6/1/11). An analysis by Megawatt Storage Farms set the 2020 statewide need at 4,000 Megawatts of energy storage. This 4 GW didn’t take into account the projected extra 10% grid energy load caused by forecasted charging of electric cars. To put this in perspective, 4,000 MW is almost the SDG&E peak demand [...]
Electric Trucks, Hybrid Diesel Cars, Alt Fuel Vehicles
By Tom Bartley. The Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) EXPO, May 4-6, 2011, at the Long Beach Convention Center had 42 on display and 25 ride-n-drive alternative fuel vehicles running on natural gas, propane, biofuels, hydrogen, and electricity. This is the largest conference of its type in the US this year, taking over from the dropped [...]
Electric Car Public Charging Stations – Range Solution or Battle Ground?
By Tom Bartley (5/12/11). electric cars were meant to be charged at home during the off peak night time hours. Depending on a public charging station is going to be a real crap shoot. As the number of plugin cars increase, the EV drivers could grow to hate each other because of competition for a [...]
Low Cost Idle-off Alternative to Hybrid Truck
By Tom Bartley (52/11) Do you have work trucks idling for power take offs? You don’t want to pay the price for a full hybrid truck? Add-on battery conversions for new and older work vehicles are available for a fraction of full hybrid cost. 4+ hours of work can be done without fear of killing [...]
Toyota Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid with 400-Mile Range
By Tom Bartley (4/30/11) In 2012, Toyota will start selling an SUV with 100-mile electric range – the RAV4 EV. In 2015, Toyota will start selling an SUV with an electric drive and 400-mile range – the FCHV. Electrically driven cars could fast become part of our transportation landscape and hydrogen is still in the [...]
Toyota Prius Plug-in – Two Weeks of Test Driving
By Tom Bartley (3/24/11) My two weeks were up yesterday and I had to pass the car to the next Clean Fuels Coalition board member. I liked the experience and it saved me money. This dual fuel (electricity and gasoline) Prius is all about having a nice ride and being energy efficient. The car I [...]
A123 and Chrysler – Sprint or Marathon?
The equity markets love the public offering of A123 (AONE). On the first day after being introduced to the market at $16.5 per share, 3 points above the IPO offering, the stock traded over 41 million shares that day to a high of over 20. It is now hovering in the mid 20s and still [...]
The Plug-in Energy Diet
It’s not as simple as it first appears to know how much money it’ll take to feed a new plug-in. Traditional utility tiered rate pricing can penalize adding a plug-in vehicle to your electricity bill. New TOU pricing and smart metering is needed. Which is really more energy efficient, a plug-in or a car that just runs on gasoline?
Balqon Offers BEV Hostler
Balqon Corporation is now offering for sale a battery-electric tow tractor for moving semi trailers around port yards and distribution warehouse centers. Port of Los Angeles has about 600 of these type of vehicles, the Port of Long Beach about 400 and the Port of San Diego 15.
What Makes a Smart Grid Smart?
The answer is Intelligent Energy Transfer! It is smart to not waste energy and not waste money in power generation capacity, but it takes some intelligent technology and control to make it happen. Electricity energy storage is one of those key technologies to minimize transmission losses and enhance grid stability while adding more renewable wind and solar power.
Test Driving the New Nissan EV
Walking up to the new Nissan Electric Vehicle prototype car, my first surprise was getting into the right hand front seat. This car was only one of two in existence and driving in Japan is like the UK, on the left side of the road.
Clean Energy from Freight Trains and Gravity
It is common to see trains with four locomotives moving over 100 cars and 15 million pounds of weight. 15 million pounds moving downhill could be converted to clean renewable energy instead of heat lost in braking.
