Clean Fleet Reporthybrid & electric cars smart charged with renewable energy
Nissan Tennessee Plant Capacity = 150,000 Electric Cars per Year
Nissan’s Tennessee assembly plant will have the capacity to build 150,000 Nissan LEAF electric cars per year, and 200,000 lithium-ion battery packs per year. Plant productin starts in 2012. Nissan is serious about being the first to put 10,000 electric cars on the U.S. highways, then continuing to build electric car market share leadership. The lithium packs could also be used in future Nissan hybrids. DOE Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the $1.4 billion loan agreement with Nissan North America.
100 Vehicle-to-Grid Electric Cars
100 Electric Cars will use V2G in 2010 – advancing smart grid charging and storage. The University of Delaware has signed the first license for its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology with AutoPort. The licensing agreement launches the first large-scale demonstration of the UD-developed V2G technology, which enables electric car owners to plug in their vehicles and send electricity back to electrical utilities. The system is designed to generate cash for the driver, while strengthening the nation’s power supply and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Electric Car Solar Charging Stations by TVA and EPRI
The smart grid charging of electric cars with renewable energy advances. The Tennessee Valley Authority, the Electric Power Research Institute and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Friday announced that they will deploy solar charging stations for electric vehicles across the state of Tennessee as part of one of the largest electric transportation projects in U.S. history. The solar-assisted stations will complement the standard home, commercial, public and fast-charging infrastructure needed to support the Nissan LEAF and more electric vehicles.
Toyota and GM Fight for Plug-in Market
At the LA Auto Show, GM’s Bob Lutz highlighted big plans for the Chevy Volt. Toyota, owning 70 percent of the U.S. hybrid market, displayed the Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) along with a growing family of Toyota and Lexus hybrids. The Volt will have triple the electric range of the PHV. Toyota is the only car maker to have sold over one million hybrid cars in the United States. Health competition is a win for enthusiasts of plug-in vehicles.
Ford Electric Car for 2011
My test drive of the new Ford electric car for 2011 demonstrated that Ford is building a BEV that millions will want. The Ford Focus EV prototype provided a quiet and smooth drive for a prototype. A common platform is planned for compact vehicles ranging from engine drives, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric. By 2020, these vehicles could represent up to 25 percent of Ford’s production – that’s up to 2 million cars annually with electric drive systems and advanced battery packs.
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 [...]
$2.4 Billion Accelerates 48 EV and Charging Projects
President Obama announced 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects that will receive $2.4 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects, selected through a highly competitive process by the Department of Energy, will accelerate the development of U.S. manufacturing capacity for batteries and electric drive components as well as the deployment of electric drive vehicles, helping to establish American leadership in creating the next generation of advanced vehicles.
President Obama Announces $2.4 Billion for EVs and Battery Development
President Barack Obama announced the availability of $2.4 billion in funding to put American ingenuity and America’s manufacturers to work producing next generation Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and the advanced battery components that will make these vehicles run.
FedEx’s Absolutely, Positively, Cleaner Fleet
With oil topping $100 per barrel, FedEx is also investing in hybrid, alt-fuel, and electric vehicles. FedEx hybrids have accumulated more than 1,000,000 miles in revenue service.100 diesel hybrids are in service globally, primarily in the U.S; 75 more hybrids will be added in 2008. The hybrids are an excellent investment with a 42% improvement in fuel economy.
Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles
Several early models of passenger vehicles have enough energy stored in advanced batteries to power several homes for hours. Hybrid electric buses and heavy trucks could power many homes or a school or a hospital in an emergency. Recent announcements demonstrate that electric utilities and some auto makers want to make V2G a reality. The Smart Grid Consortium, established in December 2007 by Xcel Energy, will select a community of approximately 100,000 residents to become a Smart Grid City using V2G. The Renault-Nissan Alliance and Project Better Place have signed a MOU to create a mass-market for electric vehicles in Israel.
