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EV - World -2003 |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.52 - 23. 12. 2003 ================================================================= FEATURED THIS WEEK A CHRISTMAS CAR - PART 1 With any luck, it will be only two more years before we might find environmentally-responsible vehicles like this trio of Th!nk city EVs under our Christmas trees... assuming Scrooge learns the lessons of his three Christmas spirits. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=128 NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES Diesel Soot Major Global Warming
Factor Toyota Plans Live Webcast Press Conference
From
NA Denver's Thifty Major Opts for Prius over
Lincoln Thumbs Up Scotland's Largest Offshore Wind
Farm
Ye Wind Energy Not Limited By Technical
Barriers Black Soot and Snow: A Warmer
Combination EPA Sets New Motorcycle Emissions
Standard Motorcycle Makers Told to Clean Up
Exhausts Rules Regulating Gasoline Mileage Face an
Overhaul Northhampton Discovers Little Electric
GEM Last Minute Christmas Present Can Save On
April
Ta US Marine Corps Unveils Hybrid Tactical
Vehicle Singapore Extends 'Green' Car
Rebates U.S. Automakers Turned Backs on
Us Station First to Offer B20 Biodiesel in
Maine Indian Biodiesel Experiment Hits Price
Snag EPA Issues New Rule for
Mercury Imprisoned by the Walls Built to Keep 'the
Others' Nothing Virtual About Global
Warming The War Will Go on for a Battered
Army Buyers Embrace the Toyota
Prius Energy Bill's 'Green' Car Tax
Credits Toyota Prius Road Test
Down-Under Environmental Impact of Exxon Valdez Oil
Spill
Las Impact of Global Warming on California
Marine
Envi Harbor Consortium's Mercury Letter to The
White
Ho Gas Hydrates Offer New Major Energy
Source Mercedes-Benz to Unveil Diesel-Hybrid at
NAIAS
200 Making Cheaper
Hydrogen Nissan Fuel Cell XTerra Wins Gov't
Approval SpaceShipOne Breaks Sound Barrier on Wright
Flight New Process Creates 'Pure'
Hydrogen Trio of Fuel Cell Buses Take to London
Streets BOC Commissions Latest US Hydrogen Plant in
Illino Indian Oil Companies To Build Hydrogen
Refueling
S Startech Ceramic Filtration System Create
Hydrogen Hydrogen Village Partnership
Announced Japanese Venture Develops Low-cost H2
Vehicle
Conv H2 Evangelist Hopes Schwarzenegger's Promise
Prope Salty Clue to Global
Warming Wind Beats Nuclear in Jobs, Electricity
Benefits, German Researchers Reduce PV Thickness,
Increase
Efficiency Earth 20 Percent Darker, Say
Experts Earth Warming at Faster Pace, Say Top
Science
Grou Battle Rages With Ecuador Indians Over
Jungle
Oil
EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
Hybrid Car Drivers Wanted Want to show off your brand new Toyota Prius or Honda Civic Hybrid AND make a political statement at the same time? Well if you live in the Los Angeles area, you'll get your chance on January 10, 2004 during the L.A. Auto Show. Global Exchange (http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/oil) is organizing a hybrid-electric car parade and rally to press automakers to get serious about ending America's addiction to oil. Jason Marks with Global Exchange wrote me, "The LA Auto Show is a premier event for the auto industry, a chance for the car makers to show off their new models and get the public excited about their products. But when it comes to improving fuel efficiency and breaking America's deadly addiction to oil, most major car companies have very little to boast about." "Drivers of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles know it doesn't have to be this way. Using proven technologies, hybrid vehicles get double the gas mileage of the average car on the road. As the growing number of hybrids on the road proves, breaking our oil addiction is not rocket science. The technologies for change exist; it's the will that's lacking. "On Saturday, January 10, environmentalists, human rights groups, and public transit advocates will hold a rally at the LA Auto Show to demand a doubling of average car fleet gas mileage and a doubling of the number of buses in LA." For more information, contact Jason Mark at Global Exchange, 415-558-9490 or Patricia Foulkrod at 310-980-7798.
Hull Wind Power Celebrates Milestone While the fight over the Cape Winds offshore wind farm continues, the big white wind turbine in Hull, Massachusetts quietly continues to generate pollution-free electric power for its community. It recently passed the three million kilowatts-generated mark and in honor of that event, local supporters are holding a small celebration on December 27th in Hull. I have been extended a personal invitation to attend the party and while I'd love to go, Hull is a bit far from the wind-swept plains of Nebraska. However, I am hoping that sometime in 2004 I can get back to the East Coast and work in a drive to Hull as part of that trip. In the meantime, congratulations to the citizens of Hull for their vision and faith.
Appropriate Technology Professorship Available Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina has an associate professorship position open in renewable energy and appropriate technology. The position focuses on the history and philosophy of appropriate technology, solar thermal technology, renewable electricity, green building, sustainable transportation, and water/waste management technologies. The tenure-track position will be available August 1, 2004. For more information, contact Dr. Dennis Scanlin, Coordinator, Appropriate Technology, scanlindm@appstate.edu or 828-262-6361.
Coming Up in January 2004 So what can you expect to read and hear when we launch on January 1st? Here's a list of articles and interviews that we either have already "in the can" or slated for publication in January.
Actor, Director Rob Reiner's EVS 20 address Toyota COO Jim Press' EVS 20 address A private guided tour of world's first fuel cell-powered Zoo complex Interview with Paul Skalny, US Army National Automotive Center, Detroit Interview with Dr. Douglas Carroll, University of Missouri at Rolla, Author of new solar car book Interview with Barbara Freese, Author of "Coal - A Human History" Plus other articles and interviews still in development
Holiday Wishes Finally, my family extends to all of you and yours our warmest wishes for a joyous new year, one that sees a world united in ending the causes of poverty and fear and hate. Only then can we truly say to one another, regardless of our philosophical, political or religious perspectives, "Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards All Men."
Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.50 - 9. 12. 2003 ==================================================================== FEATURED THIS WEEK
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY Elizabth Lowery was the third and final presenter at the September 23, 2003 press conference held in the Sebastani Theater on the city square in Sonoma, Calfornia. The un-air conditioned, single screen relic of a by-gone era was packed with automotive journalists from around the world. The message to them was clear, the auto industry has much to accomplish and precious little time to do. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=611 SIBLINGS OF LIBERTY Bill Moyers has been a presidential press secretary, and ordained minister, a newspaper publisher and television producer who has worked alternatively for CBS and PBS. His 'Now with Bill Moyers' offers one of the few progressive perspectives on American television today. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=610 APPROACHING OIL EMERGENCY? If Dale Allen Pfeiffer is correct, the world will soon face a choice between driving our cars or feeding our families. Modern agriculture is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to run the equipment, fertilize the crops and kill the pests. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=609
====================================================================
NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
Toyota's Fuel Sipper: New Look, More Zip, Same Pri -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-01 ZAP WorldCar Featured on Canadian Discovery Channe -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-02 Great Smoky Mountain Gateway Get's First Hybrid El -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-03 Hybrids Hit Truck Country -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-04 Natural Gas Station on the Road -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-05 New Ordinance Calls for End of Diesel Buses in San -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-06 WaveCrest Labs Open Detroit Office -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-07 School Electric Car Programs Changing After Deadly -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-08 Demand for 'Kyoto Tax' on Goods From US -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-09 Toyota Prius Hybrid Production Increased By 31 Per -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081203-10 Big Words and Big Oil Don't Mix -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news061203-01 Kyoto Protocol in Peril -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news061203-02 Backtracking on Mercury Emissions -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news051203-01 Bottom of the Barrel -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-08 Biofuel Fuels New Hampshire Debates -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news041203-01 Columbia Boosts Bio-Diesel USe -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news041203-02 MSU Researchers Search for Cheaper Ethanol -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news041203-03 EPA Move on Mercury Levels Criticized -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news041203-04 Air Pollution Cancer Fears Grow -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news041203-05 Car & Driver's 10 Best Include First Hybrid-electr -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-01 New Jersey Bill Would Require 10% ZEV and Hybrid C -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-02 New Jersey Senate Panel Gets Auto-Emissions Measur -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-03 The New 'Hot Wheels' -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-04 Prius: The New Age Winner -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-05 Edison Materials Get's $3 Mil. Fuel Cell Funds -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-06 Palcan and Shanghai Firm Sign Fuel Cell Joint-Vent -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-07 Will Segways Become Battle-Bots? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-09 China's Huge Thirst for Oil Set to Change World En -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-10 Top Scientists Conclude Human Activity Is Affectin -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-11 Ford to Source $1 Billion in Part from China in 20 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031203-12 Thermionic 'Engine' Promises Dramatic Carnot Effic -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021203-01 Hybrid Truck A Boot for 'Green' Engines -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021203-02 Efficiently Midsize: 2004 Toyota Prius Sedan -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021203-03 Buses Go Green at Hybrid Conversion Center -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021203-04 Japan Giants Aim to Be Big in Pickups -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021203-05 Toyota To Give Products More Japanese Flavor -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021203-06 Eight Mid-Size SUVs Get Highest Safety Rating -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021203-07 ==================================================================== EDITOR'S FINAL WORD A Little Mercury Never Hurt No One... So, any effort to control -- and better yet, reduce -- its release into our atmosphere and waterways is an important public health measure that deserves our support. But when the Bush Administration recently proposed a cap-and-trade system for mercury similar to the current trading system that controls sulfur dioxide emissions from US power plants, environmentalists cried foul. Okay, so environmentalists are always crying foul, especially under the pro-business, anti-regulation Bush regime. So what's the big deal? Well, turns out that according the CDC -- you know the folks down in Atlanta who track this sort of thing -- one in twelve women of child-bearing age in America have elevated levels of mercury in her blood. That's a whopping 4.9 million women whose future children are at risk of severe development problems. While the Administration's new proposal would lead to reduced mercury emissions, it will take twice and long and result in three times the amount of mercury released into the environment than allowed by the current Clean Air Act. Under a previous proposal from the then-EPA chief, Christie Whitman, utilities would have had to reduce mercury emissions from the current 48 tons to just 5 tons by 2007. The new plan would call for a reduction to 34 tons by 2007 and 15 tons by 2015. Why, asks Moveon.Org, does it take 10 years longer to achieve reductions that are three times less stringent? Hey, guys... it's called PROGRE$$. Pearl Harbor's Legacy I was in the middle of the redesign of EV World's web site Sunday afternoon, when I decided to take a break and turned on the television to CNN. It was then that I belatedly realized it was the 62 nd anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the tragic event that became the catalyst for America's entry into the Second World War. As I surfed a few other channels, I came upon a program on the History Channel about the attack. The program was just concluding and a pair of experts were answering the question that periodically resurfaces, did Franklin Roosevelt and his administration knowingly allow the attack to take place? Both experts categorically denied the allegation, as if to even contemplate the possibility that our government would permit such a tragedy to take place is to question an icon of American history, not to mention the trustworthiness of our leadership. Yet, doubts continue to linger and a new book only adds fuel to the fire. The book is entitled, "Day of Deceit." It's author, Robert Stinnett, is a veteran of the Pacific Theater who won ten battle stars and a Presidential Citation. A reporter and photographer for the Oakland Tribune, Stinnett resigned from the paper in 1986 to work on his book. He is a consultant on the Pacific War for the BBC and for Asahi and NHK Television in Japan. No less of a historian and political gadfly, Gore Vidal wrote the following about "Day of Deceit." "Many of us who are veterans of World War II's Pacific Theater of Operations have always suspected that the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was deliberately provoked. A half century later, Robert Stinnett has come up with most of the smoking guns. Day of Deceit shows that the famous 'surprise' attack was no surprise to our war-minded rulers, and that the three thousand American military men killed and wounded one Sunday morning in Hawaii were, to our rulers and their present avatars, a small price to pay for that 'global empire' over which we now so ineptly preside." Classic Gore Vidal! It should be remembered that the Second World War was not just a war over political ideologies; of democracy against tyranny, for in that war, the great democracies also allied themselves with one of history's most brutal oppressors, Joseph Stalin. It was very much a war over access to resources, especially petroleum. Both Germany and Japan were dependent, then as now, on imports, while the US had its own vast reserves and Britain controlled the oil of the Middle East. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was intended to strong arm Roosevelt into a negotiated settlement that would allow Japan unfettered access to Indonesian oil fields along with a political freehand in Asia. If Roosevelt did, indeed, have foreknowledge of and allowed the attack on Pearl Harbor, it would not only be a callous act of political "necessity," but it would set a dangerous precedence for future Administrations. Here's a URL to a more in depth review of the book: http://www.liberty-tree.org/ltn/dayofdeceit.html China's Oil Thirst 2003 will go down in the history books as the year China surpassed Japan as the world's number two oil consuming nation, after the United States. And its appetite is growing. The International Energy Agency predicts the PRC will import 4 million barrels a day by 2010 and by 2030 it could be importing as much as the US, assuming unlimited reserves of world oil, which geologists say don't exist. Given these trends, it's all too easy to envision future conflicts between nations desperate to secure access to the last proven reserves. In fact, George Monbiot this week postulated in The Guardian that the joint US-British invasion of Iraq was just the next act in a global drama to acquire geopolitical control over the vast oil fields of the Middle East and Caucasus. In this respect, this week's audio interview with Dale Allen Pfeiffer is very interesting because he discusses rumors of a Chinese plan to forcibly annex a disputed part of the Krygyzstan in order to aid the eventual construction of an oil pipeline from the Caucasus into China. Given the precedence of Pearl Harbor, it wouldn't be inconceivable to see a war someday between China and America, an event that will only be avoided if both nations -- and all others -- make a concerted effort to not only develop sustainable forms of mobility but to work cooperatively towards that end. EV World's Evolution I don't know if you've noticed or not, but more and more news sites on the Internet are restricting their access to either paid subscribers or are requiring visitors to register in order to gain access to their site. Let me assure you that when we launch the new EV World on January 1, 2004, you'll still be able to gain free access to an immense amount of information, so much so that I am tempted to say that the site will continue to be "free." But that wouldn't be entirely true. You won't need to register, but if you want access to what we are calling our "premium" content, you will need to pay an annual subscription. That subscription will enable you to read and listen to all future interviews, conference reports and feature articles, as well as archived material from the previous twelve months, which non-subscribers won't able to read. We've also rewritten our code to automatically remove all third-party advertising from the site if you are a subscriber. Finally, only subscribers will have the ability to do keyword searches of our article and news databases, the later of which contains well over 6,000 EV-relevant records dating from 2000 onward. It also now appears we''ll be able give all our subscribers the chance to win a very exciting set of prizes. Late last week, I confirmed with the manufacturer that they will provide EV World with a number of their state-of-the-art products as part of a drawing that will take place on Earth Day, 2004. We'll reveal who that manufacturer is when we launch the site on New Year's Day, but I can guarantee you, you won't be disappointed. So, there's a lot of exciting reasons why you should spend $29US and subscribe to EV World. But the most important is you'll be helping underwrite our efforts to help you explore our EV World even more. Frankly, we're only scratching the surface at present. There are many stories that simply go un- or under-reported. Take for example the US Post Office experiment in Southern California with Ford-engineered battery electric postal vehicles. Did you know that program was a failure? How about the demise of the Corbin Sparrow? What happen there and why? What about all those ambitious EV programs in Europe? What's become of them? These are all stories we're aware of and have wanted to pursue, but we simply haven't had either the time or resources to do so. Your financial support will insure that we can dig much deeper and cast an even wider net of inquiry than we can right now. Our goal is to sign up 4,000 subscribers in our first year. You can do the math. This kind of income will enable "us" (me) to devote "our" (my) full-time energies to this effort, which up to know has only paid its own bills, while I've had to work a full-time job elsewhere to make ends meet. Your support will enable "us" (me) to attend even more conferences on your behalf, make more visits to EV manufacturers both in the US and abroad, and maybe even attend the Tour de Sol for once! I am prepared to work even harder on your behalf, but I need to have you show you appreciate those efforts. In the end, we will all be winners. I will finally be doing what I've wanted to for the last six years and you'll get exclusive insight into the most talked about, promising new technologies of the century. I am hoping that's a deal you can't refuse. Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.49 2. 12. 2003 ================================================================== FEATURED THIS WEEK WHERE ARE WE HEADED? California is pinning the health and the wealth of the Golden State on the technological progress of cleaner internal combustion engines and fuel cell vehicles, rather than battery electric cars. Cutaway view of Honda FCX fuel cell automobile. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=608 THE HUMAN IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION Globalization is forcing Indian woman in rural areas to walk many miles for water. Others are being widowed when their husbands commit suicide because they can't pay back loans on Western seeds and fertilizers. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=607 ENERGY BILL OR CORPORATE WELFARE? Dave Horsey political cartoon satirizes recent GOP-inspired, multi-billion dollar energy bill that a bipartisan consensus considered little more than corporate welfare. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=606
================================================================== NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES Raser Technologies E-Motor Power Density Confirmed -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011203-01 Prius: Is This the 'Cleanest' Car in the World? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011203-02 The Greening of Suburbia -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011203-03 Drop-outs Patent Hydrogen Production Method -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news291103-01 Swiss Adverturer Plans Around-the-World Solar Flig -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news291103-02 Jordan to Build Two Wind Plants -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news291103-03 Uncertainty Rules at AM General -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news281103-01 Allegheny County Buys Six Hybrid-electric Buses -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news281103-02 A TaxingTime -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news281103-03 Auto Industry Changing Gears -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news281103-04 Energy Bill Benefits Big Corporations, Not Taxpaye -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news281103-05 Ford Posed to Return to Profitability -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news271103-01 UPS to Acquire More Fuel-Efficient Planes and Vehi -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news271103-02 GP Batteries and Clipsal Industries Announce Quart -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news271103-03 Keeping Lake Tahoe Pristine -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news271103-04 How Many SUV's Are Too Many? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261103-01 New Auto Safety Features Pose Threat to Rescue Wor -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261103-02 Point, Click and Drive -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261103-03 Carmakers and Carbon Constraints: Who Will Capital -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261103-04 Eco-Friendly Three-Wheeler Launched in India -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261103-05 Mercedes-Benz Prepping Hybrid-electric Concept SUV -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261103-06 Feds Adopt New Rear Crash Test for Cars -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261103-07 Drivers Hop on Hybrid Bandwagon -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news251103-01 Global Electric Plans to Launch 'R' Car -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news251103-02 ================================================================== EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
The Times They Are A Changin' @ EV World This month, EV World goes into semi-"hibernation." We are getting ready to roll out our new web site and more importantly, our new access policy on the sixth anniversary of the launch of EV World on January 1, 1998. Over the next several weeks during the month of December, we will be making the final changes, testing the code, and fixing the bugs, so don't expect a lot of new content on the site. There's only so much we can accomplish, but as I'll explain over the next four weeks, there are important reasons why we are making these changes. As you can probably guess, if I haven't made it explicit already, we are going to begin charging $29 annually to access what we call our "Premium" content. These will be articles,interviews, photos and audio files that take time, energy and money for us to produce. As I explained to people I met in Long Beach for EVS 20, my airfare to that event was $285. The hotel room was $148 a night (not including all those taxes they tack on top of the bill). The shuttle from John Wayne airport was $40 while the trip back to LAX was $20. Attending just one conference can put a serious dent in $1,000, not to mention time and wages lost taking time off from my full-time, outside job. For the last six years, we've given all this pricey content away for free and built a very loyal following in the process. Back in 1998, we had naively hoped to cash in on the Internet boom and eventually line up major car companies as advertiser wanting to reach our very targeted audience. But, the Internet bubble burst and the California ZEV mandate got effectively lobbied and litigated into meaningless mush. Still, we have soldiered on, working our day job and publishing EV World at night and on weekends for six years, most of the time without pay. So, I think you can appreciate why we've decided its time for a change. It's time to focus all of our time and energy on our EV World. As I mentioned last week, we are the industry leader on the Internet. No other EV-centric web site comes even close in terms of numbers of visitors and pages delivered. Last week, our readers downloaded over 350,000 pages of information. But more to the point, there is so much happening now in our EV World that we simply can't do justice to the industry in our present mode. I continually get email's from readers wanting me to write about this product, attend that conference, interview this person, perhaps not realizing that I simply can't just pick up the phone at work or hop on the next plane when I work a full-time job elsewhere. One reader wanted me to attend the unveiling of the MDI Air Car in Barcelona Spain, while another wanted me to visit the factory of a two-wheeled EV maker here in the US, all things I would love to do on your behalf. And, of course, there are the constant embarrassing reminders about spelling and punctuation errors and questions why I don't employ a proof-reader. Now you know why. The bottom line here is if you want us -- me -- to do a better job on your behalf covering our EV World, then you need to be willing to share a small piece of the burden. I fully realize that most of the 100,000+ people who rely on EV World every week, may not be willing or able to afford $29. And for them, there will still be lots of free content and resources available on the new site. Rest assured, we are NOT shutting off the site to non-subscribers, because our mission to help inform and promote dialog remains the same. But for those willing to help shoulder the load, we will offer exclusive access to our very best content. Next week, I'll tell you more about what our plans entail and how you'll benefit from becoming an EV World "Premium" subscriber.
What's Your Political Compass? An EV World reader sent me a link to a fascinating web site last week: Politicalcompass.Org. Originating out of the UK, the site has a relatively short, six-page questionnaire that analyzes where you are on a political "compass", actually a quadratic grid. The north-south axis represents the authoritarian-libertarian spectrum, while the east-west axis represents the economics-driven left vs right spectrum. After you've answered the fifty or so questions, the program places you on the grid. Quadrant one (upper left) is "authoritarian left." Quadrant two (upper right) is "authoritarian right." Quadrant three is the "libertarian left" while quadrant four is the "libertarian right." As you might expect, Tony Blair, Silvio Berlusconi, Ariel Sharon and George W. Bush are in the "Authoritarian right" sector, while Yassir Arafat, Saddam Hussein and Pope John Paul II are in the "Authoritarian left" Interestingly, Bush is the furthest right, while Hussein is the furthest left. Naturally, I took the test and as I am sure you might expect, I fell in the "Libertarian left" quadrant along with Jean Chretien, Nelson Mandela, Ghandi and The Dalai Lama, all pretty good company in my view. You might like to take a few minutes sometime and see where you fall on the "Political Compass." You might be surprised.
Deep Discount E-Bike Report My dear friend, Dr. Frank Jamerson dropped me a line today to let me know that he is offering special "Holiday" clearance pricing on his Electric Bikes Worldwide 2002 Report</em>. The report is 175 pages-long and includes 250 photos. The full color version originally sold for $495. He is getting ready to begin compiling the 2004 edition and wants to clear out the current report. Thefull-colorversionnowsellsfor$145.TheBWeditionis$99.Ifyou'dliketogettheworld'smostcomprehensivereportontheEVbikeandscootermarketatabargainprice,sendanemailtoFrankatELECBIKE@AOL.zl6.BesuretotellFrankyoureadthisonEVWorldUpdate,'causeIget a small commission on each sale. On SUVs and Open Refrigerator Doors Finally, James Cook wrote me about his new web page -- www.hotsuv.info -- on which he relates some interesting facts about the environmental impact of driving SUVs. I was familiar with a lot of them after having read Keith Bradsher's book, "High and Might." However, he features one set of facts I wasn't aware of, so I thought I'd share them with you. According to James, "driving a 13 mpg SUV instead of an average car for a year wastes more energy than... leaving your refrigerator door open for 6 years or leaving your bathroom light burning for 30 years or leaving your color television turned on for 28 years." Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.44 - 28. October 2003 ================================================================ FEATURED THIS WEEK
PRIUS PRELUDE Bart McEvoy explains to Jerry Prazan the features of the new 2004 Toyota Prius prior to Saturday morning test drive. The car arrived at the dealership 10 days earlier http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=590 THE SVO UNDERGROUND: CAZADOR DE ACEITE 1978 VW Rabbit. When equipped with a diesel engine, it can be converted to run on SVO -- straight vegetable oil, but there a catch. It requires a separate tank, taking up the car's precious cargo space. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=589 TWENTY MYTHS CHALLENGED - PART III Quartette of cooling towers at unidentified nuclear power plant. Hydrogen needs to be created from other energy sources,which can include fossil fuels like goal, nuclear power or renewables, but cost will always be a keep factor. Current costs are estimated at 10 cents-a-mile for natural gas-reformed hydrogen. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=588 POWER STRUGGLE 1902 Studebaker Electric car purchased by prolific inventor Thomas A. Edison, who helped usher in the modern electric age with the creation of direct current generators. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=587
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NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
US Automakers Slow to Take Hybrid Road -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news271003-01 OSU Students Help Design and Build World's Fastest -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news271003-02 New Toyota Hybrid Doesn't Skip on Comfort -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261003-01 Pressure Mounting to 'Green' Automotive Fleets -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261003-02 Fed's Publish New Fuel Economy Results -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261003-03 MIRA and MG Rover Develop Hybrid-electric Sports C -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261003-04 Ultra-Capacitor / Zinc-Air Hybrid Electric Bus to -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news261003-05 Green Scooters Clean Up the City -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news251003-01 The World's Fastest Electric Car -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-05 GM's Race to the Future -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news241003-01 Race to the Future - Part 2 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news241003-02 Race to the Future - Part 3 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news241003-03 Race to the Future - Part 4 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news241003-04 New Look at Satellite Data Supports Global Warming -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news241003-05 Climate Change and U.S. Agriculture: Benefits Dwin -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news241003-06 Dutch Team Breaks Own World Solar Challenge Record -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-01 Pricey Pumps Hinder Hydrogen Cars -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-02 UC Davis Showcase Greener, Cleaner Technology -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-03 The Electric Car Slide -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-04 Ohio Team Makes Run at EV Land-speed Record -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-06 Ohio Team Makes Run at Land-speed Record - Part 2 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-07 Ohio Team's Assault on Land-speed Record - Part 3 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-08 Ohio Team's Assault on EV Land-speed Record - Part -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-09 Hybrid Car Owners Invest in Their Beliefs -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-10 No Smog, No Smells at the Challenge -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-11 Leased and Abandoned: Revolt of the EV1 Drivers -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news221003-12 It's Hybrid Time. Where's Detroit? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news201003-08 Finish Line In Sight for World's Fastest Solar Car -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news211003-01 Hydrogen Cars Expected Soon -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news211003-02 GM Diesel-electric Buses Hit Seattle Streets in 20 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news211003-03 New Designs and Clean Cars of the Future Dominate -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news211003-04 Mazda Debuts RENESIS Hydrogen Rotary Engine -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news211003-05 Hyundai Heavy Opens US Research Center -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news211003-06
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EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
World's Fastest Electric Vehicles Records tumbled last week in America and Australia... and that's good news for electric vehicles. In the Land-Down-Under, the Nuna II solar-powered car raced from Darwin to Adelaide -- a distance of over 3000 km -- in a record 30 hours and 54 minutes, besting its own 2001 record by better than a hour and half. The estimated average speed over the course was 97 kph, again more than five kph faster than its earlier record. The secret of the Nuon Solar Team from Delft University is the Nuna II's improved aerodynamics, its use of space-age carbon fibers that helped cut its weight, and new triple-junction gallium-arsenide solar cells. The cells capture 20% more energy than those used by Nuna II's predecessor.
The second and third place finishers were the Aurora 101 from Melbourne, Australia and MIT's "Tesseract", respectively. Event organizers say that this year's 22 entrants are of a higher standard than previous events.
The Bonneville Bullet A hemisphere away, the OSU Buckeye Bullet raised the bar for the fastest EV in the world to 257 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats, besting the old record of 251.3 mph. The 30 feet-long streamliner is powered by a 500 hp electric motor and 12,000 nickel-metal hydride batteries!
The car actually reached an unofficial speed of 271 mph in one run, but mechanical problems prevented the required second, confirmation run. The car is the product of a collaboration between students of the Ohio State University's Center for Automotive Research-Intelligent Transportation, its faculty and private industry. Congratulations to both teams for jobs well done and advancing the cause of clean, sustainable, electric transportation.
Hybrid MG A long time ago, I once owned a delightful but decaying little MG Midget. I restored it and drove it for a year, losing money on the deal, but it was fun, regardless. So, I was pleased to see that the MG Rover Group and MIRA in the UK have developed a hybrid version of the MG TF. The payoff is improved performance without sacrificing tailpipe emissions. The car was developed for the Clean Racing Conference.
London Bridge and Satellite Data Reconsidered One of the oft-cited shortcomings of the global warming theory is the alleged lack of evidence from years of satellite surveillance for atmospheric warming. Only recently, a reader pointed out this discrepancy to me, suggesting that EV World's position on global warming is untenable. Now while I will be the first to admit that current climate models have their shortcomings, the evidence of global climate change at an accelerated pace would appear to be fairly obvious to everyone, especially if you lost a loved one in France this summer because of the heat wave or your home just burned down in San Diego because you've had no rain since June. My position on global warming is that while there is natural variability in the earth's climate, mankind's prolific burning to carbon-based fuels over the last 150 years, is accelerating that change. This is pretty much the consensus of more than a thousand scientists and until they all agree that this isn't the case, EV World will continue to accept that view, even if there are still aspects of the problem we don't yet understand. As for the satellite data question, this particularly contentious issue appears to have been resolved... in favor of global warming, it appears. The Remote Sensing Group in Santa Rosa, California undertook a re-examination of the data. This time they took into consideration solar heating of the satellite sensors and drifts in orbital positions, which has never been done before. What they discovered was a measurable arming trend in the atmosphere between 5 and 7 miles high of .16 degrees F per decade, just as the climate models predicted. "It's undeniable that the agreement with both global climate models and surface data is better for the new analysis than for the old one," says Tom Wigley with the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Oh yes... and London Bridge? It seems that one of the other pieces of "evidence" for natural climate variability as opposed to anthropomorphically-derived global warming is the "little ice age" in Northern Europe five hundred years ago. The argument goes this way. Back in Shakespeare's time, temperatures in England were colder than they are now and we are only just now emerging from this cooling period, which occurred long before fossil fuels began to be used so extensively, proving coal and oil aren't to blame for climate change. While this sounds reasonable enough on the face of it, the evidence is far less convincing. It seems that the presumed cold spell in England was based on historical anecdotes about the River Thames freezing over in the winter, which it hasn't done for centuries. It turns out that the Thames froze over because the natural tidal flow of the river was disrupted by London Bridge, whose piers were so closely set together the water upstream of it slowed to the point it would freeze. When the bridge fell during the Great London Fire in 1666, a new bridge -- with wider spans -- was built in its place and the river ceased to freeze over. Sort of adds a sense of immediacy to that old nursery rhyme about London Bridge falling down, doesn't it? Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.43 – 22. October 2003 ================================================================ FEATURED THIS WEEK TWENTY MYTHS CHALLENGED - PART II Honda's solar-powered hydrogen refueling station points towards a potential means of making renewable hydrogen http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=586 REAL SOLAR CARS? Student illustration of vehicle with integrated solar panels on hood, roof and 'wing' extending off the rear roof line. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=585 THE SVO UNDERGROUND 1969 Mercedes Benz 300SD diesel engine. Rudolf Diesel's original 1890's engines were designed to run on vegetable oils including hemp seed oil and peanut oil. He mysteriously disappeared during a night crossing of the English Channel in 1913. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=584 ================================================================ NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES China Looks to Ethanol to Clean Up Olympic Air -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news181003-01 Denmark's Powerful Energy Lessons for the Future -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news181003-02 2003 World Solar Challenge Set To Roll -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news171003-01 Queen's Solar Team Vehicle Set for Challenge -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news171003-02 'Suitcase Man' Has Adelaide in His Sights -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news171003-03 Asahi Glass Develops New High Energy Ultracapacito -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news171003-04 Technology,Quality and Value Make Toyota Prius A G -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news171003-05 Anuvu Fuel Cell-Powered Water Taxi Makes Appearanc -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news171003-06 Half Full, Or Half Empty? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news151003-03 NHTSA Study: Lighter Cars Unsafe -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-01 Sport Utility Vehicle Safety Questioned -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-02 Futuristic Eco Cars To Grab Tokyo Auto Show Limeli -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-03 Sri Lanka Develops Solar-Assisted EV -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-04 Anuvu CUV Takes Third Place in 2003 Michelin Chall -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-05 Toyota to Present 'Ecology and Emotion' Advanced C -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-06 Honda Seeks Tax Relief In Malayasia for Hybrid Car -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-07 Who Wants a Hybrid SUV? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-08 Prius EPA Fuel Economy Affirmed -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-09 Toyota Plans Lots More Hybrid Models -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-10 Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Can Cut National Fuel Consu -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-11 Smog Persists Despite Decades of On Again, Off-Aga -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news161003-12 Conan the Green -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news151003-01 Automakers Oppose Cutting SUV Tax Deduction -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news151003-02 New York Discovers Share Car Rentals -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news141003-01 Two California Cities Lead in Alternative Fuel Fle -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news141003-02 Compressed Air Drives Prospective Hybrid -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news141003-03 New Toyota Prius has Space and Pace -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news141003-04 Self-Park Car a Sure Hit -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news141003-05 Electrathon Car Program Gaining in Popularity in I -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news141003-06
================================================================ EDITOR'S FINAL WORD The Fun Cars of the Tokyo Auto Show Usually, there are few auto shows anywhere in the world that convey more of a sense exuberance, fun and whimsy than the annual Tokyo Motor Show. And I suspect this year is no different, but from the early reports coming out of Tokyo it appears that carmakers have an increasingly clearer sense of where they see the automotive road to the future is heading, and the world is fuel cells and hybrids. So, I thought our readers would enjoying seeing three of the vehicles that made their first debut at this year's Motor Show. Jeep Treo Fuel Cell Concept Vehicle
You can usually count on the Japanese to field some really radical car designs at the Tokyo Motor Show. But this year that honor appears to belong to the folks from DaimlerChrysler's Jeep division. This three passenger recreational vehicle is powered by a fuel cell. It seems to be designed for Generation "Z" -- that's the generation that follows the Gen Xers and the Gen Yers. Notice the wings at the rear of the cabin. These double as turn signals and attachment points for the front forks of a pair of mountain bikes.
Honda IMA S Hybrid Concept Sports Car
The IMA S's Honda Insight heritage seems pretty obvious, so it wouldn't come as a surprise that we may someday see some of these design cues make their appearance in a redesigned Insight. But it the meantime, those of us who drive the world's most efficient gasoline vehicle can dream and hope that Honda does more than just tease us. Toyota Fine N Fuel Cell Concept Sedan
The Fine N is the same size at a Toyota Corolla on the outside, but has far more interior room because the fuel cell stack is housed under the cabin floorboard, freeing up space inside the passenger cabin. But I would like to know where the hydrogen storage tanks are housed. Anyone at Toyota care to clarify this for us? Why Not PV-Power? This week 22 solar powered cars are racing from Darwin to Adelaide in the World Solar Challenge, the event that could be considered the catalyst for the birth of our EV World. It was the performance of Aerovironment's SunRaycer that captured GM's imagination and ultimately led to the creation of the EV1. Powered only by sunlight, the exotic cars that race more than 3000 km across the great Australian outback prove its possible build EVs that are completely zero emission in every sense of the phrase. But until now, its been generally assumed that you couldn't really power a "real" car with photovoltaic cells. That's an assumption that Steve Letendre and his colleagues decided to challenge in their white paper, which we feature this week on the EV World website. I am glad someone finally took a serious look at this question because I am always being asked by readers why can't it be done? Well, the answer appears to be that it can be done, though with obvious limitations. Be sure to check out their findings. Michael Moore's At It Again Ever since film maker and social critic Michael Moore challenged GM in "Roger and Me" the Flint, Michigan native has never shirked from asking the un-askable questions and tackling topics few are fearless -- or dumb enough -- to take on. His new book, "Hey Dude, Where's My Country" is no exception. He recently sat down with Democracynow.Org's Amy Goodman to talk about his book and forthcoming, but as-yet unnamed documentary that challenges aspects of the official version of events surrounding the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Incidentally, something like 20 percent of Germans believe that elements within the US government actually orchestrated 9/11. That's a sobering state-of-affairs, only compounded by the White House's efforts to stymie Congressional investigations into the tragedy. I know there are going to be readers of EV World who will find what Moore has to say offensive, but he asks questions that many of us want answered, including the four courageous widows of men killed in the collapse of the WTC. While he hasn't yet reached any conclusions, he does reveal some disturbing and not-widely-known facts about events immediately before and after 9/11 that don't shed a very flattering light on the current occupants of the White House . I also know that some readers will question why I include this type of material on a site ostensibly about clean transportation technology, but as I explained to one upset reader last week who took issue with my link to the interview with Tariq Ali, EV World isn't just about machinery, it's also about people; it says so on every page on the web site. And since people also means politics, we find topics like the invasion of Iraq and the destruction of the Taliban fair game, especially since a strong case can be made that Iraq's oil and a natural gas pipeline through Afghanistan both played pivotal, if understated roles in why America and Britain went to war. So, if you're easily offended by Michael Moore's slant on the world -- and I am sure there are people who are -- then by all means, bypass this interview. But if you've had your doubts about the official accounts of 9/11, you'll find this link valuable. As they say on Fox TV, we report.... you decide! Business Week Speaks It's Mind, Detroit Finally, today a reader forwarded me an editorial by the staff at Business Week that will appear in next week's issue. With my apologies to Business Week, I wanted to share it with our readers in case you don't subscribe to the magazine. The editorial is provocatively entitled, "It's Hybrid Time. Where's Detroit? "The U.S. needs to cut its dependence on Mideast oil. There is hybrid-engine technology that can help do just that. And there are consumers who want to buy cars powered by those engines. But the only carmakers willing to manufacture them are Japanese: Toyota and Honda. Ford has delayed the launch of its first hybrid-powered vehicle, the Escape SUV, until 2004, while Toyota is about to sell its next-generation hybrid, the new Prius sedan. It's time for Detroit to get on the stick. "The Big Three should stop spinning dreams of hydrogen-powered autos and embrace the hybrid gas-and-electric engine that can save fuel now. Detroit is correct in saying that hybrids don't yet make money: The technology adds about $3,000 to the price of every car. But greater volume will lower that cost, and there are clear signs that consumers want such cars. The Prius, which goes on sale in November, is already sold out at many dealerships. The sedan is the same size and price as a midsize Toyota Camry and gets about twice the mileage, 55 miles per gallon. J.D. Power and Associates Inc. believes demand could produce hybrid sales of 500,000 vehicles in five years. "Washington could compress that time line. To expand volume and drop the cost, the government could order hybrids for its own huge fleet of cars and trucks. The military could develop hybrids for its Humvees and armored vehicles. Washington already offers a $2,000 tax deduction to purchasers of hybrid cars. Turning that deduction into a tax credit would encourage corporate fleet owners to buy hybrids. Consumers would get a bigger tax break, too. Hybrid engines would allow Detroit to sell the big SUVs and vans that many Americans prefer while still increasing mileage. The proposed energy bill before Congress is mostly devoid of measures to conserve energy and raise mileage. By promoting hybrids, the legislation could do both." All I can say is "Amen." Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.42 - 15. October, 2003 ================================================================ FEATURED THIS WEEK
HYDROGEN HEROICS Tai Robinson's hydrogen fuel-powered Toyota Tacomo 4X4 can run on variety of fuels including ethanol. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=583 RENAULT ELECTRIC KANGOO CAN DO Five-passenger Kangoo comes in an EV-only and RE version with a small gasoline engine range extender. It is available only in Europe. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=582 TWENTY MYTHS CHALLENGED Young lady inspects GM Hy-Wire hydrogen fuel-cell concept vehicle on display in Sonoma, CA town square during 2003 Michelin Challenge Bibendum. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=581
NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
Korea's Gets Tomorrow's Car on the Road -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news121003-01 Carmaker Showcases Eco-friendly Technology -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news121003-02 In Line For a Prius -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news121003-03 County Proposes Special Tax Rate for Hybrid-electr -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news121003-04 Investors Flee Fuel-cell Firms -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news121003-05 Earth Charter Seeks to Provide Bluepring for Susta -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news121003-06 'No Petrol' Research May Fuel Revolution -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-01 Biorefineries Promote Till Rather Than Drill -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-02 Time for These Scientists to 'Get Real' -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-03 Honda Unveils Sub-Freezing Fuel Cell EV -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-04 Green Engines Get Final Tune Up for 2003 Solar Cha -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-05 National Hydrogen Tour Starts in Denver -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-06 Toyota and Honda Pursue Fuel Cell Research -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-07 Quantum To Prototype Build Military Fuel Cell ATV -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-08 States Take Lead on Global Warming -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-09 Briggs Strattan Clean Air Villian of the Month -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-10 The Luxury All-Terrain Boondoggle -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news101003-11 New Technology from "Black World" -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news091003-01 Ford to Offer PZEV Focus to All 50 States -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news091003-02 UW Hybrid Truck Leaves Others In Dust -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news091003-03 Fuji Heavy unveils powerful hybrid engine -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081003-01 Diamond Lanes Are Forever -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081003-02 2004 Honda Insight Gets Interior Enhancements -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081003-03 Hummer Taints GM's Green Credentials -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081003-04 Thai Engineers to Work on Toyota's Advanced Hybrid -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081003-05 IRS Certifies 2004 Prius for Tax Deduction -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081003-06 Rising Gasoline Prices Drive Interest in Hybrids -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081003-07 Russia Considers Shift to Euro for Oil Sales, Gov' -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news081003-08 Biomimetic Technology Promises Cheaper Fuel Cells -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news071003-01 Honda Begins Experiments With Hydrogen Home Energy -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news071003-02 Austin, Texas Transit Tests Hybrid Buses -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news071003-03
================================================================ EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
Palast the Prophet Remember last week when the outcome of California's recall was still in doubt? Remember when I mentioned Greg Palast's revelations about a May 2001 meeting between Ken Lay and Arnold Schwarzenegger? That meeting took place one month after Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamanta filed a class action law suit against the power pirates who had just robbed the state of billions of dollars. According to Palast, the objective of that meeting was to come up with a strategy to short-circuit the State's lawsuit, including a recall campaign. Palast warned that if Schwarzenegger won, he would see to it that the power pirates would get a cents-on-the-dollar slap on the wrist and they could keep their $9 billion in booty. Well, guess what the San Francisco Chronicle reported late last week? Yep. Arnold plans to reintroduce utility deregulation, pushed by the very same people who forced it on the state back when Pete Wilson was governor. Oh, did I mention that Wilson was one of Arnold's campaign advisors? According to Mike Florio with The Utility Reform Network, the last round of deregulation cost the state an estimated $50 billion! And the lawsuit? Rumor has it that the "Terminator" plans to terminate it too! Boy, am I glad I live in a public utility state where power-hungry cyborgs don't yet control the governor's mansion! PZEVs for the People Ford announced last week that it will be offering his Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) Ford Focus to its customers in all 50 states, and not just in California and the Northeast. That's some good news, because it had been assumed that they would be limited to the Golden State because it's unique low-sulfur gasoline is part of the reason why these cars are so clean, generating only a fraction of the pollution of non-PZEV models.
An article in USA today points out that while PZEV Focuses sold outside of California won't be quite as clean as those in the state, they will still offer significantly reduced emissions. The PZEV model will cost about $115 more than the standard emission Focus. Prius II Get's $2000 Tax Break From Uncle Sam Okay, so it's not $100,000! That tidy tax deduction is reserved for lawyers and realtors and doctors and dentists who can afford to write off their next monster gas-guzzling luxury SUV under the Bush Administration's "economic stimulus" program -- well, at least it's stimulating sales of these behemoths, at taxpayer expense, I might add. While environmentally-unconscious consumers, who are addicted to power, heated leather seats and the smell of 40 gallons of gasoline in the morning, get to write off all of the purchase price of a Hummer or a Landcruiser or an Expedition -- all trucks in drag and only slightly smaller than the Titantic -- we mere mortals down here in steerage get to enjoy a far more reasonable, if less dramatic $2,000 write-off when we buy a gas-sipping, stick-it-to-the-terrorists, planet-saving hybrid electric car... but that's only until the end of this year. Next year you get to deduct even less. So, my fellow citizens and absentee voters, on the bright side, the IRS now has officially recognized the new Toyota Prius as qualifying for its bounteous $2,000 tax largess. Wave the red, white and blue, Sammy... and pass me another boondoggle! MSN Reader's Poll Surprise Here's a bit more encouraging piece of news, as well as a very pleasant surprise. MSN is asking its readers -- certainly a less biased audience than frequents EV World, I suspect -- if they would be interested in purchasing a "hybrid fuel car." Now, I assume they meant a gasoline electric hybrid like the Civic or Prius rather than a car that runs on some sort of "hybrid" fuel. Whatever they meant, at the time I answered the survey -- Yes, naturally -- 1,708 others people had responded before me. A whopping 82% also answered Yes, while 18% voted No. I found this level of interest gratifying. It means our message is starting to register with people. This may account for why Toyota has its hands full meeting new orders for its Prius II, which at last count is back ordered by about 20,000 vehicles. And all of you thinking about selling your current Prius so you can buy a new one, we will be offering a classified ads section on the new EV World web site that will launch January 1, 2004 as we begin our seventh year of publishing. Foreign Language EV World Finally, I recently got a spam email -- among a gazillion others -- from a company offering dirt cheap translation services in eight languages including: German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. I would love to be able to offer our web site in other languages, but only if the translations are reasonably accurate. I'd like to ask the help of our international audience to let me know if this service offers an acceptable translation of your language. My instincts tell me that like Altavista's Babelfish translator, which I already link to, this service does a simple word replacement, rather than an actual translation. While this gives you the gist of what is being said, it's still a far cry from translation into one's native language. If you could confirm this for me, I would very much appreciate it. The company's URL is http://top-site.net/update.htm?d=evworld.com&v=1136&e=i&p=t">http://top-site.net/update.htm?d=evworld.com&v=1136&e=i&p=t</a Send your replies to me at editor@evworld.com. And until next week.... hasta la vista, baby! Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.41 – 7. October 2003 ==================================================================== FEATURED THIS WEEK
BOSTON VOICES SPEAK OUT ON THE ENVIRONMENT While debate still rages on the Cape Winds wind farm off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the community of Hull installed their own wind turbine, which has been highly successful and well received. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=579 MADAME COURREGES' ELECTRIC BUBBLE Coqueline Courreges' two or four passenger electric car has a top speed of 110km/h [70mph] and a range of 170km [105 mi]. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=578
=================================================================
NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
The Real Patriot Act -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news051003-01 Ford's New Focus Wagon Earns CAL PZEV Rating -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news061003-01 California Adopts First Low-Rolling Resistence Tir -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news061003-02 Fuel Cell Cars Will Make Hybrids Obsolete, GM Says -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news061003-03 Malta EV Importer Co-Sponsors Local Football Team -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news061003-04 Automakers Hyping Hybrids -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news061003-05 'Right' Manufacturing: Revolution in the Making -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news051003-02 World's Largest Electric Drive Exposition Announce -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news051003-03 Davis Seeks to Give Hybrids HOV Lane Access in Cal -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news041003-01 Hip Hybrid Car Good for Air & Budget -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news031003-01 Dutch Bus Goes With Electric Motorized Hubs -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021003-01 Delaware Energy Task Force Recommends Greater Use -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021003-02 Hybrids Can Be Cheap to Build, Says Toyota -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021003-03 Oil Gas Supplies Running Out Faster Than Expected, -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news021003-04 HEVs Catch On With Cape Codders -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-01 How Do Hybrid Cars Work? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-02 Hybrid technology Gaining Speed within Missoula Go -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-03 Chevron El Segundo Refinery to Test 'Green Kid' Hy -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-04 Driven To Buy -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-05 Ford Preparing Fleet of Hydrogen Fueled Vehicles -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-06 Reva Plans to Add Electric Mini Buses and Taxis -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-07 NuAge and Hero of India Negotiate EV Joint Venture -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-08 The Real Price of Gas -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news011003-09 Segway Transporter Recalled for Software Fix -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news300903-01 Eaton Displays New Hybrid Drive Technologies at Mi -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news300903-02 Toyota Expands Its Real-World Testing of Fuel Cell -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news300903-03
EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
The Real Power Game in California? By the time you read this, the governorship of California may well have already been decided. Last minute polls suggest the "Gropenator" -- as some of his opponents have taken to calling the Austrian-born muscleman-actor-cum-politician -- may be assuming the reigns of power, along with the huge budget deficit made possible in large measure by former Governor Pete Wilson in collusion with senior energy company executives including the fallen-from-grace-but-unprosecuted head of Enron, Kenneth Lay.
You'll recall that last week, I mentioned Schwarzenegger's ties to Ken Lay. Turns out that Arnold's name appears on a list of high-level power-brokers that were invited to take part of a private meeting organized by Ken Lay in Beverly Hills back in May, 2001. Investigative journalist <a href="http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16902">Greg Palast claims to be in possession of 34 pages of internal Enron memos related to the purpose of the meeting.
The BBC reporter charges, "Schwarzenegger knowingly joined the hush-hush encounter as part of a campaign to sabotage a Davis-Bustamante plan to make Enron and other power pirates then ravaging California pay back the $9 billion in illicit profits they carried off."
Coincidentally, the consumer advocacy group Consumerwatchdog.org just released a 59-page report entitled "<a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/utilities/rp/rp002193.pdf">HOAX - How Deregulation Let the Power Industry Steal $71 Billion From California" that concludes, "deregulation itself -- the elimination of state controls over electricity rates by 1996 legislation sponsored by energy companies, utilities, large electricity users and other special interests -- enabled these companies to manipulate supplies, manufacture artificial shortages, inflate their stocks and thus reap windfall profits."
The price tag of this "hoax" is estimated by the group to be $71 billion or more than $2,000 for every man, woman and child in the state.
Palast concludes -- rightly or wrongly -- that should Schwarzenegger be elected, he will see to it that the energy companies who participated in the meeting with him are given a slap on the wrist and walk off with the $9 billion in ill-gotten profits at the expense of the citizens of California.
Mister Schwarzenegger's attitude towards women over the years is reprehensible enough, but that he may countenance the fiscal rape of California should he be elected, would be unforgivable. But, hey... he's for doing away with the state's car tax!
Hybrids and California HOVs While "Ahnold" is crushing Oldsmobiles and brandishing brooms, the current (as of this writing) governor of California has agreed to let hybrid car owners drive their vehicles in the state's HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes during rush hour. Talk about an incentive! Of course, it may come too late for Gray Davis to salvage his political career, but it will make life a bit easier for the 20,000 Prius, Insight and Civic Hybrid owners in the state.
It was very encouraging to see so many Priuses -- and even the occasional Insight -- on California freeways when we were in the state two weeks ago for the Michelin Challenge Bibendum. It seemed they were everywhere. Pretty soon, we'd seen so many that they almost became commonplace. I even saw a Toyota RAV4 EV on the road from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz!
Of course, we've got a few hybrids here in Omaha now too. Sunday we visited our local arboretum with friends and as we were pulling into the parking lot, a Toyota Prius was pulling out. And the week before flying out to San Francisco, I actually got passed by another Honda Insight!
GM's End Game Of course, not everyone thinks hybrids have much of a future, especially the folks at GM. Larry Burns -- GM's head of research -- was quoted recently in Japan as saying that fuel cells are the real "end game." He sees hybrids as a technological dead end that will be eclipsed by fuel cell-powered vehicles. And given the performance of the Hy-Wire fuel cell concept vehicle in Sonoma two weeks ago, he could be right.
It was exciting to finally see the car in operation, instead of sitting in a static display. At least I know that it isn't a "pusher" -- a concept vehicle that has to be pushed by hand onto the stage. It runs and I have video to prove it. But for a billion dollars -- which is how much GM is purported to have invested in fuel cell research to date -- it had better go.
The real hurdles now are cost. The cost of the stack, the cost of the hydrogen storage system, the cost of the drive system, and the cost of manufacturing and distributing the hydrogen.
After that comes the job of educating and convincing millions of consumers to begin using a completely unfamiliar fuel with totally different handling characteristics and safety concerns. So, Dr. Burns could well be right, that hydrogen will doom hybrids, but I am guessing that the window for cars like the Prius and Civic Hybrid, and yes even GM's much-anticipated hybrids, will be a lot larger and longer than GM's crystal ball suggests.
Afterall... we're still bombing people with fifty year-old B-52s and refueling them with similarly-aged KC-135s.
Tom Friedman's Real Patriot Act If New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has his way, the next administration to occupy the White House -- hopefully by unassailable popular mandate and not by a narrow Supreme Court decision -- will immediately ask Congress to impose a $1 a gallon tax on gasoline. The tax would be phased in gradually and rebates would be provided low-income families, farmers and truck drivers to help blunt the blow.
The idea is to not only encourage greater conservation but also to raise $110 billion annually to fund a "Manhattan" project to dramatically reduce US oil imports and to help fund the reconstruction of Iraq, a political fiasco that Americans are growing increasingly restless over. Friedman sees his "Real Patriot Act" as a way to undercut OPEC in general and the Saudi clergy who fund radical Islam, in particular.
He writes in his column that the Bush Administration will never consider such a proposal . A major reason is that the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/michaelmoore/story/0,13947,1056922,00.html"> Bush family's ties to the Saudis and Bin Ladens go back more than 30 years, according to Michael Moore's new book, "Hey Dude, Where's My Country?". So it will be up to the next President to consider such a radical, but desperately needed measure. As for who that next President will be is anyone's guess, but I've heard there are rumblings in the Republican party that "Dubya" could, in fact, lose the White House in 2004 unless his Administration can extricate the US from Iraq before November 2004, as well as stimulate the economy and create millions of new jobs. There are even some pundits who are speculating that my state's Republican senator, Chuck Hagel -- who may have a major voting machine scandal lurking in his closet -- may be positioning himself for a serious run at the nomination in case GW is forced do a Lyndon Johnson and bow out of the race next year. That seems highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened politically. Remember Richard -- I am no crook -- Nixon? In short, it will be an interesting next twelve hours, not to mention twelve months. Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.40 – 30. October 2003 =================================================================
PRIUS: THE NEXT GENERATION http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=577 SIX FUELS OVER SAN DIEGO http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=576 THE BEVS OF BIBENDUM http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=575
================================================================ NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
Japanese University Developing World's Fastest Ele -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290903-01 Thai Architect Hits on Blueprint for Sustainable L -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290903-02 Miami Police Warn of NEV and Scooter Risks -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290903-03 Dealers Push SUV-sized Tax Write-off -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290903-04 Corporate Com Firm Selected By EV Technology Manuf -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290903-05 Cars of the Future, Closer, Cleaner Than Expected -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290903-06 Tax Law Creates SUV-sized Write-Off -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news280903-01 Western Governors Tackle Global Warming -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news240903-01 Ford Delays Escape Hybrid Debut Again -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news230903-01 Purolator Orders 2,000 HEV Chassis from Azure Dyna -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news230903-02 What Will Beat Prius' Efficiency? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news230903-03 PZEV: Driving Up Air Quality -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news230903-04 Schwarzenegger Says He Will Push Fuel Cell Cars -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news230903-05 Duracell Bets on Micro Fuel Cells -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news230903-06 New Fuel Center Offers Full Menu of Alternatives -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news230903-07
EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
SFO's Unromantic Smog Last week my wife and I mixed business with pleasure. We attended the 2003 Michelin Challenge Bibendum held in and around the San Francisco Bay area, including the town of Sonoma and the City-by-the-Bay, itself. We took a day before the start of the Challenge to drive down to Monterey where we had a great dinner, spent the night in an ocean-side motel and walked along the beach the next morning at sunrise. Talk about romantic... But that's not the point of this rant. It was on the drive back up the 101 south of San Jose that I first glimpsed a brown haze on the distant horizon. San Francisco may be famous for its fog, but this was definitely smog, dirty and ugly. I have always associated smog with Los Angeles, but never with San Francisco, yet there it was. I couldn't help but wonder if the other drivers sharing the road with me noticed it and what they thought about it. It was that smog, after all, that was a principle driving factor behind the event we were heading towards that afternoon. One indication of their attitude came that morning as I sipped coffee and watched dolphins and seals and otters cavort less than a hundred yards off shore in Monterey Bay. An older gentlemen and his wife were down from Sacramento for a week to help clear up his allergies. She asked where I was from and I said Nebraska. She asked what our air was like and I replied that Lincoln, located about 45 miles southwest of my home, has the second cleanest air in the US for a city its size. She remarked that she hoped that no Californians would take their dirty cars and move there. I assured the lady that I wasn't too concerned about that happening. I teasingly explained to her that the reason we have such extremes of weather here on banks of the Platte River is to keep out the "riff raff." She chuckled and I resumed sipping my coffee, thinking about how easy it is to fall in love with this state, something 30 million have already done, bringing their dirty cars and trucks with them, unfortunately.
Schwartzenegger, Hydrogen and the Free Market Naturally, when a reader alerted me to Arnold Schwartzenegger's environmental position paper, I decided to have a look, discovering that he is proposing to build hydrogen refueling stations every twenty miles along the major interstates and freeways that crisscross the state. Clearly an ambitious plan. So is his initiative to control traffic congestion with "free market" pricing mechanisms, presumably by charging people to use the state's freeway system based on the time of day. I am not sure how such a system would work other than placing some sort of tracking device in every vehicle. Many motorists in California already use the Fastrack system to scoot through the toll gates around the Bay. My guess would be that Schwartzenegger's proposed system would be a more sophisticated version of this. But I have to tell you, it also smacks a bit too much like Big Brother to me.
California Divided Two things I quickly learned during my week in California is that there are a lot of Toyota Priuses on the road of Northern California and that the state is deeply divided over the issue of the recall. We met as many people opposed to the recall as those supporting it, though most are united in their dislike of Gray Davis. So, what happens October 7th is anybody's guess. I've watched two of the three debates -- missing the one with Schwartzenegger -- so I have a fairly good idea of the views of the major candidates. If I were voting based on what I know at this point, I'd have a hard time making up my mind, though I would be very reluctant to vote for the "Terminator" because he has a lot skeletons in his closet and there are too many tentacles wrapped around his neck that lead back to Karl Rove and Ken Lay. Besides any guy that drives a Hummer, in my book, needs his head examined!
Enjoying Sonoma Under A Velvet Night Sky One thing that won't change October 7th is the mystique of Sonoma and the adjoining Napa Valley. My wife and I loved our week there, splurging on wines, touring the back roads and enjoying dinner literally under the stars. Toyota had invited us out the opening night of the Challenge, but we never found out which restaurant, so after some wine tasting in the Old Sonoma Mission, we wandered down an alley off the town square and eventually sat down for a Tandoori dinner at the Himalayan Inn run by a restaurateur from Nepal. Right in the middle of the main course, the lights went out... not just in our little alleyway bistro but in the entire eastern half of Sonoma. Since we had decided to eat outside, our only light came from the sparkling canopy of stars high above and glittering Mars in the Southeast. Cygnius hung resplendently overhead, while off over my right shoulder Cassiopeia slowly climbed towards the zenith. It was incredible. Eventually the owner scrounged up some candles and flashlights, but in the meantime, I relished the velvet night sky, mused on how dependent we've become on electricity and how nice it is to sometimes be able to turn it all off, if only briefly over dinner on a tranquil California night.
Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.38 – 23. Sept. 2003 TZERO REDUX The tZero with trailer-mounted electric power generator that gives the car range comparable to any conventional vehicle. New batteries virtually eliminate the need for the trailer except on very long trips. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=571
CLEAN COMMUTING NEW YORK-STYLE Th!nk city battery electric car on display in New York City's Grand Central Station at kick-off of the NYPA's Clean Commute Program involving 100 of these Norwegian-built EVs. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=570 =================================================================
NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
Hybrid Vehicles Face Slow Ride to Success -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news150903-01 Toyota To Expand Line Of Hybrid Cars -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news150903-04 Fueling the Car with What You Believe In -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news150903-05 Estes Park Promotes Use of Alternative Fuels -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news150903-06 Family Pumped About Offering Biodiesel -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news150903-07 Energy Towers Touted as Future Source of Electrici -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news150903-08 New German Renewables Act -- Make or Break Alterna -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news150903-09 Baked Alaska on the Menu? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130903-01 Toyota Chairman Tones Down Competitive Talk -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news120903-01 Toronto Abandons CNG Buses for Diesel -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news120903-01 EMA Holds Raffle to Win New Toyota Prius -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news120903-02 Global Climate Prediction Experiment Starts Friday -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news120903-03 Ozone Hole Largest on Record For Time of Year -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news120903-04 Cheney Energy Task Force Endorsed War for Oil -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news120903-06 Two Small Cars Hit of Frankfurt Auto Show -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110903-01 Toyota Plans National Ad Campaign for Prius -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110903-02 Gearing Up for a Move to the 'Hydrogen Economy' -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110903-03 Stuart Energy Opens First Hydrogen Refueling Stati -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110903-04 Management Change at Th!nk Nordic Announced -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news100903-01 155mm Howitzer Uses Diesel Hybrid-electric Drive -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news100903-02 NuPow'r Get's $4 Million in Private Placement Fund -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news100903-03 EVT Unveils Equinox Electric Scooter -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news100903-04 Europe Moving Forward on Hydrogen Platform -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news100903-05 Hydrogen: A Fuel of Innovation -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news100903-06 |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.39 – 16. Sept. 2003 ============================================================== FEATURED THIS WEEK
VIRTUOUS BORON Borax crystals. Refined into pure boron, it can be cleanly burned with pure oxygen in a ceramic turbine engine . The exhaust is hot oxygen and recyclable glass ingots of boron oxide. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=574 UPGRADING JETCAR VERSION 2.5 German designed and built JetCar looks like a fighter but acts like a sailplane, sipping 2.1L/100 km of diesel fuel. Too bad it can't fly! http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=573 ONE-ON-ONE WITH MATT SIMMONS Empty natural gas storage tanks? This summer, America came dangerously close to not storing enough natural gas for the winter heating season, and the problem isn't going to get any better. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=572 WESLEY CLARK RIDES A NEW WAVE Wesley Clark is the former head of NATO. Since his retirement he has worked in investment banking, investigating promising new technologies. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=520
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NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
The tZero and the Times -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200903-01 Religious Leaders Urge Oregon to Use Fuel-Efficien -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200903-02 Malta Retailer Promoting "Leave Car At Home" Campa -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200903-03 AC Propulsion Enters Two EVs in Challenge Bibendum -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200903-04 Orders for New Toyota Prius Exceed Expectations -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news190903-01 Honda Life Minicar Orders Brisk -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news190903-02 AVS Closes Its Doors -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news190903-03 ZAP Buys Las Vegas EV Rental Firm -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180903-01 ZAP to Offer Unlimited Mileage Warranty -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180903-02 Malta Aims to Become More Environmentally Minded -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180903-03 France Pushes 'Clean Cars' Program -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180903-04 Connecticut Urged to Adopt California Emissions St -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180903-05 Hybrid SUVs and Cars Take Part in Challenge Bibend -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180903-06 Hybrid Technology and Expanding Opportunity at Toy -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170903-01 WVa. Couple See Green Power as Way to Care for Cre -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170903-02 Italian Firm Buys Enova Drive -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170903-03 Guardian SUV Projected to Get 39 MPG -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170903-04
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EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
Car-Free in Europe 22 September 2003 will be Car-Free Day. Some 1,500 cities in Europe will be encouraging their citizens to leave their automobiles at home. The annual event is not limited to Europe. A search of Google for "car-free day" turns up pages of news stories from all around the globe about communities from Canada to Bangkok to Taipei planning car-free events.
I've been especially intrigued by the island of Malta's efforts to not only promote "Car-Free Day," but to also take the initiative to introduce more efficient transportation on the island, which is situated in the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and North Africa. Even a few island retailers like The Body Shop are urging their customers to "Leave the Car at Home" on Monday, a position that conflicts with Malta's Association of General Retailers and Traders, who object because it will cost them business that day, they say.
Leaving the family car at home one day out of the year, or banning motor vehicles from congested urban centers one weekend a month as they do in some Italian cities, is a well-intentioned gesture, but a small one in the grand scheme of global oil consumption. Still it is an important one, if only to emphasis how overly dependent on petroleum and automobiles we have allowed ourselves to become.
And lest we Americans think Car-Free Days are strictly an "Old Europe" thing, I did find a reference to an American Car-Free day that coincides with Earth Day here in the USA. It's not gotten the kind of support and press the 22 September event has in Europe and elsewhere around the globe, but it is a start. Maybe the organizers here in America should rethink its association with Earth Day and join the Europeans in the September date, instead.
I'd like to hear from EV World Update readers in Europe as to what impact -- if any -- the day has on your communities. Send your comments and observations to: editor@evworld.com.
AVS Shuts Its Doors Electric and hybrid bus developer AVS of Chattanooga, Tennessee has decided to finally close its doors. The company's CFO Kevin Dew, told a local news channel, "We are out of time and out of money." Only six employees remain with the company, which had once employed more than a 100. AVS developed some of the first modern electric shuttle and transit buses in North America. They had also tried to interest fleet owners in hybrid-electric vehicle technology, as demonstrated by a large over-the-road hybrid-electric truck the company had on display last year in Florida at the annual EVAA conference. There are other companies now building similar buses, including GM's Allison division, which hopes to eventually sell thousands of its diesel hybrid-electric transit buses. I suspect a combination of factors, including competition from larger, more well-funded players, ultimately cast a long shadow over the firm's prospects.
Political Awakening The telephone call I got Friday night has nothing to do with EVs and everything to do with them, depending on your perspective. My daughter called me on her cellphone from Iowa City. She and a fellow Microbiology graduate student had just attended General Wesley Clark's speech on the campus of the University of Iowa, where my daughter is studying for her PhD.
She wanted to let me know that she's decided to take a more active interest in politics and since she knew I liked Wes Clark, she wanted to go and hear him speak. I think she came away impressed, but like many of us, not sure what her party affiliation should be. She's fed up with the Republican party and loathes the thought of re-registering as a Democrat. I understand the frustration. That's why I voted for the Green Party last time out. In a strongly Republican state like Nebraska, my vote didn't tip the balance of the 2000 election, where it might have in Florida.
Regardless, what I found so encouraging about my daughter's phone call was the fact that she is wanting to take a more serious interest in representative government and learning what the candidates stand for months before the campaign even begins. Of course, living in Iowa, which like New Hampshire attracts presidential candidates like bees to honey, also helps. But in my view, her political awakening is a real breakthrough that I hope will be repeated millions of times all across America. It's what American democracy is all about.
On The Road in California Finally, I am writing this Update on Saturday afternoon, because tomorrow my wife and I fly to San Francisco to begin a week of working vacation -- which is usually the only kind I take, it seems -- covering the 2003 Michelin Challenge Bibendum. We plan to first drive down to Monterey for the day to spend a few hours by the Pacific Ocean in one of our favorite spots on Earth. Monday we head to Napa Valley to see the wine country. Tuesday through Thursday is the Challenge Bibendum. Friday we have a day to ourselves, which I plan to spend in and around Santa Rosa and hopefully see a working "free energy" generator. Saturday we fly home.
I'll try to keep up with my email -- swamped as it is anymore with viruses and Viagra -- and post news stories to the site, but new content will probably be a bit sparse this week. But I trust I will come back with some great stories, interviews and photos.
Stay plugged into EV WORLD
Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.37 9.9.2003 ========================================================== FEATURED THIS WEEK
HYDROGEN: FAIR & BALANCED - PART 2 For more than 20 years Amory Lovins has spoken out on the critical importance of energy efficiency. He developed the concept for the HyperCar, a super-efficient sport utility vehicle that runs on hydrogen http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=569
OBESE AMERICA AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT Hundreds of bicycles outside Amsterdam train station demonstrates the effectiveness of country's program to encourage the Dutch to use bicycles more. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=568
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NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
Hybrid Cars Mixed In Myths -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news080903-01 Honda Offering Insight Sales Incentive -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news080903-02 ZENN EV Plays Part in Woody Harrelson Documentary -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news080903-03 New Toyota Prius Only the Beginning -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news080903-04 Reving Up, In India, But Without Pollution -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news080903-05 Republicans Reject Democratic Bid to Narrow Energy -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news070903-01 Outbreak - The Climate Connection -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news070903-02 What Price Drilling? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news070903-03 New Hybrid Technology Puts Toyota in Fast Lane -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news070903-04 States to Sue EPA Over Carbon Dioxide Decision -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news060903-01 BAE Systems Completes Hybrid-diesel Truck Test -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-01 'Green Goat' Locomotive Has a 'Green Kid' -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-02 King County, Washington to Hybrid-Electric Transit -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-03 UQM Showcases Two Hybrid Electric Vehicles -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-04 She Gets a Charge At Wheel of Hybrid -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-05 Toyota Aims to Boost Prius Sales by 75% -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-06 Unusual Coalition Joins Forces to Tackle Energy Fu -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-07 New Flyer's Invero Offers State-of-the-Art BRT Sys -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-08 German-developed Sensor Improves Biodiesel Efficie -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-09 Palcan Completes Renewable Energy Fuel Cell Joint -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-10 Borax May Put Hydrogen In Your Tank -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-11 America's Infrastructure Crumbling -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-12 Provision Threatens California Efforts to Cut Smog -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050903-13 Russia Could Become Renewable Energy Super-power -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030903-01 US Air Force to Test UQM-driven Electric Pickups -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030903-02 Scientists Sound New Climate Change Warning -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030903-03 Pollution Looms in China Says Canadian Environment -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030903-04 Aiming for the Moon -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030903-05 House's Pro-Auto Budget is a Big, Fat Mistake -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030903-06 A Grizzly's-Eye View of a Refuge That Oil Drillers -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030903-07 Soaked At the Pumps -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030903-08 Backwards on Energy -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news020903-01 Canadian Motorists Tired of Gas Pump 'Games' -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news020903-02 Gasoline Alternative Shop Opens in San Diego -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news020903-03 Products Out of Coconut ? More Than You Can Count -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news020903-04 Small Thoughts on the Global Grid -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news020903-05 Researchers Measure Atmospheric Isotope Buildup -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news020903-06 Toyota Prius Offers 'Self-Parking' Option -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news020903-07
EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
Toyota On a Roll I'll bet its pretty hard not to gloat these days at Toyota. They have just come off a record sales quarter that has left their inventory at record lows here in the United States. They are making record profits and their new 2004 Toyota Prius is the talk of the town. The rave reviews the car is getting has to have the troops in Torrance giddy with delight. If you've missed the headlines, they go something like this: "Toyota Prius Leaves Competition Panting in the Dust" and "New Toyota Light Years Ahead of Detroit." These aren't exact quotes, of course, but they seem to capture their spirit. To further reinforce the Japanese automaker's advanced technology dominance, the company plans to sell 35,000 Priuses a year in North America, an aggressive 75% increase in previous Prius sales. The competition is clearly heating up with Honda now offering, according to one report, incentives to help move its two-seat hybrid-electric Insight, still the world's most efficient production gasoline-electric car... but maybe not for long...
Sneak Peek at CSS Hybrid Toyota will be unveiling its CSS hybrid-electric concept car, which stands for "compact sports and specialty." Powered by Toyota's state-of-the-art Hybrid Synergy Drive system, the 2+2, mid-engine sports car uses its gasoline engine to drive the rear wheels and an electric motor to drive the front, somewhat similar to an approach experimented with by DaimlerChrysler before it dropped the ball... I mean idea. The CSS introduces the Toyota Space Touch system, which uses holographic projections to control everything from the air conditioner to your email. Man, what's next? Virtual car payments? Don't I wish!
GM's Hybrid Efforts Nowhere nearly as sexy as the CSS is GM's plan to roll out something like 11,000 diesel hybrid-electric buses over the next few years. GM contends that concentrating first on big polluters like transit buses makes more environmental sense because its 11,000 new, cleaner buses is the equivalent of putting 500,000 Priuses on the road. This, of course, assumes that those buses are carrying more than just a handful of passengers. But,hey... every bit helps! The company is also sticking by its plans to build one million hybrid vehicles annually by 2010. That's only a little over six years away, so one would hope that GM seriously puts the pedal to the metal on this promise, because right now, Toyota and Honda are eating Detroit's lunch!
How About Fixing Our Infrastructure First? $87 Billion! That's the White House's current estimate on what it will take to continue the "War on Terrorism" in Iraq and Afghanistan. This doesn't include the $79 Billion Congress has already allocated, and we're apparently not even talking about the cost of reconstruction in either country. Who wants to lay odds that this is just the "down payment" and that Mister Bush and company will be back asking for more, much more, next year? Meanwhile, this past week the American Society of Civil Engineers issued its report card on the state of the United States' own infrastructure and the news was grim. In 2001 the Society gave America's transportation, water and energy systems a D-plus rating, and now contends that little has improved in the two years since, largely because of an ailing economy, a jobless recovery and redirected spending priorities on the never-ending war on terror and tax cuts.
Here's the bad news. Three out of four school buildings are listed by the report as "inadequate." The price tab to repair old schools and build new ones? $127 billion. Investment in our aging energy infrastructure is down to $2 billion annually in 2000 from $5 billion in 1975. 61% of the nation's roads are considered in poor or mediocre condition, as are 51% of our bridges. This is partly the reason daily commute times have grown by 18 minutes on average between 1977 and 2000... that and the glut of lane-hogging SUVs cluttering our streets and roads. While the Bush Administration has proposed to spend $275 billion over the next six years on road, bridges and mass transit, I have to wonder how we will pay for the "War on Terror", rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, repair our own aging facilities and give everyone tax cuts. If you've figured it out, please let me know. And did you hear the latest? Those 2 million lost jobs since 2001 are now gone for good according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Biodiesel Brouhaha! Just as I was composing this week's Update, I got an email from a colleague dealing with an ongoing biodiesel brouhaha. Apparently back about two years ago, a reporter filed an erroneous story about B100 biodiesel fuel being 40 times more carcinogenic than conventional diesel fuel. This got picked up by Reuters and subsequently by Volvo UK and the information used in advertising seen around the world. It turns out the whole thing was a HUGE misunderstanding between the original researcher and the reporter, neither of whom spoke the other's language and had to use English as the intermediary, which neither apparently spoke all that well. To quote the email that originated with Terry de Winne.. "The facts of the matter are quite clear-cut. Tailpipe emissions from B100 (100%) biodiesel are non-carcinogenic, as verified by the exhaustive US Environment Protection Agency Tier 1 series of tests. "The greatest increase in tailpipe emissions of oxides of nitrogen measured during research at the US University of Missouri was 4% (not 40%!), which may be reduced to a negative figure by retarding the injection timing of the engine by up to three degrees (engines differ, but follow the same rule). The performance of the engine is not adversely affected by this, due to the higher cetane number of biodiesel and the resultant increase in reactivity of the fuel."
Greening the Blues with Biodiesel Whew! I am glad to hear that because my good friend Alex Major is organizing the "Greening the Blues" biodiesel demonstration program in cooperation with the <a href="http://www.JourneytoClarksdale.com">Journey to Clarksdale Mississippi Delta Blues concert next month. He's looking to power the ten day concert series entirely with Mississippi-grown soy diesel. From what Alex tells me, it sounds like it's going to be a cool time in the Ole South come late October!
Meanwhile, up in Yankee land...
NYPA Looking for a Few Good EV Engineers Actually, the New York Power Authority is looking for just one Electric Transportation System Engineer. If you're interested in applying, here's the link to the job description page: <a href="http://www.nypa.gov/employment/Job3056.htm">http://www.nypa.gov/employment/Job3056.htm</a>.
Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.30 - 23. July 2003 ================================================================= THE HYDROGEN EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES Experimental robotic liquid-hydrogen refueling station in Germany refuels hydrogen powered BMW Mini. Even at super-cooled densities, hydrogen has only a fraction of the caloric energy of gasoline. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=551 IS HYDROGEN SUSTAINABLE? he hydrogen economy faces profound hurdles, most of them due to the physical laws of nature and not political will. Illustration envisions renewable hydrogen energy system. http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=550 ================================================================ NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
Honda Expects of Add More Hybrids -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news210703-02 Second Generation Hybrid Cars Unveiled -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news210703-03 Hemp Car Completes 13,000 Mile Journal Promoting B -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news210703-04 London Gets £1m Pollution-free Buses -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news210703-05 Southern Taiwan University Develops 155 cc Mini-ca -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180703-01 Fuel Efficiency Worsens in Ford SUVs -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180703-02 Who Needs An Environment, Anyway? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180703-03 Hydrogen Cars Hold Expensive Surprises -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180703-04 Fuel Cell Cars Not Needed, Say Experts -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180703-05 Power of 1 Solar Car Dream of Toronto Man -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170703-01 Solar Cars Swing Through Missouri -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170703-02 Blessing or curse? The paradox of oil -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170703-03 MENA Countries Increase Renewable Energy Investmen -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170703-06 Pakistan Forms Alternative Energy Development Boar -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170703-07 Mars Rovers Use AF-Developed Lithion-ion Batteries -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170703-08 Hydrogen-fueled Cars Called in Question -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170703-09 Ford Buys Westport Hydrogen Engine Technology -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160703-01 Honda Leases FCX to Iwatani International -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160703-02 GM Gives Up on On-board Hydrogen Reformers -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160703-03 Toyota to Add Hybrids in U.S. -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160703-04 ================================================================ EDITOR'S FINAL WORD Hydrogen Warfare? I find it utterly amazing that the subject of hydrogen has gone from the pristine, coveted jewel of handful of visionary academicians to the equivalent of a dirty, battered soccer ball in something less than six months time. You can see this in a number of stories we've run on this topic the last few weeks. It seems the polarity of views on the subject of hydrogen as a "fuel" (it's really an energy carrier, which is a HUGE difference, it turns out) and the much-ballyhooed "Hydrogen Economy" is about as stark as you can make it, as are the proponents and opponents. Hydrogen advocates include the Bush Administration, car companies, oil companies, fuel cell makers (duh!) and half of the environmental community. On the opposing "team" are an even stranger mix of right-wing think tanks like the Cato Institute, academicians from Berkeley, MIT, the Sierra Club, the British government, and the other half of the environmental lobby. On which side of the debate is EV World? For now I'd say I fall in the latter camp, with some caveats. While great strides have been made and will continue to be made in developing affordable, reliable fuel cells; perfecting storage techniques; and coming up with truly renewable ways to make hydrogen -- like Dr. Van Oorteghem's work on hydrogen-producing bacteria -- practical applications of these technologies are decades away. And we don't have decades to wait for those solutions, not when we have alternatives available today. You readers in Europe can buy modern, efficient diesel-powered cars that perform as well as their gasoline counterparts and get vastly superior fuel economy. And you can "fuel" them with vegetable seed oils, which have zero net CO2 input into the atmosphere and only slightly higher NOx emissions (2% over using straight diesel fuel according to the EPA). Combine those diesel engines with new hybrid technology -- as was originally envisioned in the PNGV hybrid program of the Clinton years -- and you've got a car today that has virtually the same well-to-wheel efficiency of fuel cell vehicle. Certainly, hydrogen has its appeal, but until all the pieces of the puzzle fit -- affordable fuel cells, suitable storage technologies, and renewable hydrogen production -- it will continue to remain more dream than reality.
Energy Task Force's Iraqi Oil Map This past week Judicial Watch announced that in complying with a federal court ruling on a Freedom of Information Act request, the US Commerce Department had turned over thousands of documents related to the 2001 Cheney Energy Task Force. Among those documents were maps of Middle Eastern oil fields, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The maps included the locations of the fields and pipelines. Also in the documents were a list of "suitors" for oil from the fields.
Here's the link to the maps: http://www.judicialwatch.org/071703.c_.shtml
It would be all too tempting to read into this an oil agenda on the part of the administration's 'war on terror', which I won't do. But somewhat surprisingly, Paul Sperry, the Washington bureau chief for the conservative WorldNetDaily.Com web site apparently does in his forthcoming book entitled, Crude Politics: How Bush's Oil Cronies Hijacked the War on Terrorism</em>. Here's what the publisher's blurb on the book states, "[Crude Politics] makes the unsettling case that the Bush administration, though engaged in an unavoidable and moral war on terror, also tried simultaneously to secure future energy production in the terrorists' home turf and ended up compromising America's national security interests." I would have expected this from the anti-war, anti-Bush left, but hardly from the conservative right. Paul Sperry is the reporter Bill Clinton banned from the White House in 1999 for asking tough questions about the "Chinagate" scandal. As for those maps, here's Judicial Watch's take on them. CBS MarketWatch quotes Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton as saying, "that while it was likely inevitable that anti-war groups would seize on the documents, which were dated March 2001, to argue that oil was a top priority as the administration prepared for war, it wasn't his group's intention to 'ride the crest of current controversies surrounding the war.'" "We didn't release these documents," he said. "[The administration] released these documents at this time period. We got them in the mail last week. They should have been given to us two years ago." Ford Makes It Official: "We Can't Do It" If you have bad news to report, do it on a Friday. That's what Ford appears to have done when it quietly announced that it couldn't meet its promise of increasing SUV fuel efficiency by 25% by 2005. The best the company has been able to do is a modest 5.2% improvement in 2003 over its baseline 2000 performance. That might seem okay, but it turns out to be worse than the carmaker's 2002 SUV fleet economy, which was 8.4% better than 2000, or 21.7 mpg. Beside the fuel economy issue -- which only marginally seems to bother American car buyers right now -- Ford has larger issues to be concerned about, in particular the over US$6 billion it has lost in the last two years. According to USA Today, the cash crunch at Ford has had a serious impact on investments in new fuel efficiency technology. It certainly contributed to the fire sale of the Th!nk electric car program. So, it would appear that Ford is going to have to change their motto -- at least temporarily-- from "Quality is Job One" to "Surviving Is Job One."
Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.29: date: 16.7.2003 ================================================================ NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES Some Straight Talk About Hydrogen... Finally! -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130703-01 The Rebith of General Motors -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130703-02 New Alloy Stories Triple Amount of Hydrogen -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130703-03 Hong Kong Businessman to Launch Experimental Hydro -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130703-04 Hydrogen Economy Needs Nukes? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130703-05 Solar Car Race Sets Off on Route 66 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130703-06 Boeing Takes Fuel Cell to the Air -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130703-10 Honda Eyes Tie-Ups to Develop Fuel Cell EVs -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110703-01 Honda to Lease First FCX to Private Sector in Japa -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110703-02 US Navy to Study Hybrid-electric Small Boat System -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110703-03 Green Car Trialed in Norwich, England -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110703-04 Oscillations May Have Doomed Helios Flying Wing -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110703-05 'Electric' Cars Take Radical Step -- On Gas -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news100703-04 Revolutionary Tungsten Photonic Crystal Could Prov -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-01 Local Interest in Hybrids Small, But Growing -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-02 GM and FedEx Launch Fuel Cell Project in Japan -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-03 Report Challenges Fuel Cell Integrity -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-04 California Fuel Cell Partnership Extened to '07 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-05 California Considering Ban on State Purchase of SU -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-06 Hy-Wire's Act Has Its Ups and Its Downs -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-07 Moab, Utah Becomes First Blue Sky Community -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-08 EPRI Develops Low-Cost GridGateway -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090703-09
EDITOR'S FINAL WORD Gary Gallon Tribute I have the sad duty to report the passing of one of Canada's most influential environmental activists. Gary Gallon died last week after a long fight with cancer. I never had the opportunity to meet Gary personally, only by email, but he graciously allowed me to reprint parts of his twice-monthly Gallon Environmental Newsletter. Gary was born in 1945 in the United States. He fled to Canada during the Vietnam War to avoid the draft. Settling in Vancouver, he made a living writing a newsletter about mining stocks on the Vancouver Stock Exchange. He would turn to his real passion -- the environment -- in the evenings and helped found Greenpeace in the 1970's. In a surprise move, Ontario's Liberal environmental minister (1985-1990), Jim Bradley hired Gary to work for him. While working for the minister, Gary would be instrumental in implementing the province's recycling program. Toronto's Globe and Mail quotes Gary as saying
his experience in the government gave him less room to rail, but
more room to get things done.
Colleague Recovering From Leukemia Another colleague, however, is winning his personal battle with Leukemia. Ron DeFatta -- the former director of Total EV -- is recovering after a six month-long struggle that involved numerous hospitalizations and I believe three bone-marrow transplants. He is now home again and his condition is, as he puts it, "prayerfully hopeful." He's well enough to start making a few telephone sales calls for EV World, so don't be surprised if you hear from him.
On Ron's behalf, thank you all for your heartfelt concern and earnest prayers.
EV1 Memorial Next week, there will be another memorial of sorts. Chris Paine and other EV1 drivers, supporters and celebrities will be holding a "funeral" service for the spunky little electric car. They will be gathering at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, 90038 at 11 AM. Here is what Chris sent out via email:
Ten Ways to Keep Your EV1 9) You sue because you thought this would be a standard lease where you would be able to BUY the vehicle at the end of the lease period. 8) Tell GM that you represent the "Museum of Technology That Almost Made It" and ask that they donate the car to you. 7) ET borrowed it to go "home" and has not returned. 6) You get a note from your friend at a junk yard that says the car was "totaled". 5) You show a note from your psychiatrist that says you have become addicted to quiet vehicles and that the EV1 is your therapy. Otherwise, you may go postal. Wear an NRA support shirt and remove your arsenal when turning the vehicle in. Don't forget the onion for producing your tears. 4) You say you have a note and pictures from a GM's executive's significant other. The one he is NOT married to. 3) You inadvertently auctioned it off to the local orphanage (but they are letting you keep it in your driveway). 2) You turn in an Insight with EV1 markings. Remember to get the color right. 1) You take an extended vacation to parts unknown.
Stay plugged into EV WORLD Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.28 - 8. Juli 2003
NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES
Putting More Energy into Alternative Power -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news070703-03 UK Farm Leader Calls for IMove to Greener Fuels -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news070703-04 Fuel Economy Spells Win at Pepsi 400 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news070703-05 Solar Is Hot in California -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news070703-06 Britain's Looming Energy Crisis -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050703-01 More Hype Than Hydrogen? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050703-02 Microbe Fuel Cell Packs More Power Than Expected -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050703-03 Fuel Cells Need Less Precious Metals -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news050703-04 Pasadena Approves Hybrid Bus Purchase -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news040703-03 NASCAR Sees Possible Future Fuel Cell Races -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news040703-04 Yamaha Fuel Cell Motorbike on the Way --
http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030703-01
Zinc-Air Battery Powers Unmanned-Aerial Drone -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030703-03 Th!nk Nordic Can't Meet Demand for Electric Car -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news030703-05 Toyota Holds Price of New Prius to $19,995.00 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news020703-07 Fading Hopes for Solar-Powered Car -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news010703-03
EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
High-speed Rail Day Dreams Over the July 4th weekend here in the USA, my wife, daughter and I , along with three friends from Bosnia, drove down to Kansas City, where the wives shopped in the city's famous Country Club Plaza (amazingly, they didn't buy a thing) while the rest of us were guests of IRL Infinity Pro driver, Paul Dana at the Kansas Speedway. My friend Mirko once worked for the national railroad of the former Yugoslavia until the civil war wreaked havoc on Sarajevo, destroying his home, separating his family and forcing them to immigrate 18 months ago, his daughters to Canada, he and his wife to America. So, after the race -- which I'll write more about next week -- I wanted to show him and his wife Kansas City's restored Union Station, at one time the third largest train station in America. As we strolled the cavernous marble waiting room with its half-ton, six-and-a-half-foot clock, we talked about railroads in Europe versus those in America. I told him about how at one time fifty years ago, we could have taken the train from Omaha to Kansas City and back, something I wish we still had since I wouldn't have to drive the 200 trip myself. Some of the old track is still visible from I-29. Sure it's convenient to travel on your own schedule, but frankly, I would have been more than happy to have tailored our schedule to meet the train's, especially if it were a high-speed train like the one Canada is hoping to build from Quebec City to Windsor, Ontario. That train is expected to cut the 4.5 hour trip to just 3 hours. Over coffee and truffles in Union Station, I mused about how enjoyable it would be to travel to Kansas City without dueling lumbering 18-wheelers and dodging bullying SUVs. At 200 mph, it would only take an hour to make the trip from downtown Omaha to the center of Kansas City, instead of the nearly 3 hours it takes now. These are the kinds of routes we should be looking at right now, trips under 500 miles that will take you from city center to city center in roughly the same time you could fly it, given all the aggravations of air travel today and on a fraction of the energy used by jets. With encouraging endorsements by people like Congressman Zack Wamp, we can hope that someday more of America will be linked by high-speed rail and that some of these grand old stations will again find themselves teeming with rested travellers instead of gawking tourists.
Troubled Trains But not all is well in the world of high-speed train travel. Germany announced they would be cancelling an ambitious MagLev (short for magnetic levitation) rail project in northern Germany, though the news reports failed to give the reason. But that announcement was enough to cause China to immediately cancel its own Beijing-to-Shanghai MagLev train project. Germany still plans to fund its MagLev project in Munich and the Shanghai MagLev continues to carry passengers between the airport and city center. Someday, I hope to travel on one of these lines, but until I do, I'll just keep daydreaming about that Omaha to Kansas City line, or Omaha to Chicago or Denver or Minneapolis or.....
Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.27
-
2.7.2003 PURE POWER PLAY SHEC Lab's mobile solar
concentrator demonstrator shows the awesome power of focused
sunlight, multiplying the power of the sun by 5,000 times.
NEW
CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO Congressman Zach Wamp was recently honored
by the Energy Efficiency Forum with its Congressional Leadership
Award. Photo courtesy of Energy Efficiency Forum and Johnson
Controls.
NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES Hydrogen Vehicles Will Be Available Within 20 Year -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290603-01 Owner Gets A Charge Out of His Electric Car -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290603-02 City and TV Station Use GEM Electric Cars -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news290603-03 PSA/Peugeot-Citroen Expect Fuel Cell Car Boom By 2 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-07 Survey: Cars of the Future -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news270603-02 Pitting Fuel Economy Against Safety -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news280603-01 A Cheaper Way To Make Hydrogen -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news270603-01 Any Alternative Fuel For Dream of the Open Road? -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news270603-04 Helios Solar Aircraft Lost Off Hawaii -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news270603-05 High-Definition Videographer Uses Solar-powered Bo -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news270603-06 NZ Plans to Turn Sheep in Biodiesel -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news270603-07 Green Power to the City! -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news270603-08 Jeri Unser To Drive EV Racer in Pike's Peak Climb -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-01 Reva Plans Electric Opponent for Zen, Santro -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-03 NY Sheriff Uses NEVs for Patrol Duty -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-04 Honda FCX Is A Plug for Progress -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-05 The New Green Cars -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-06 White House Statement on USA/EU Hydrogen Joint Ven -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-08 Freedom Fuel: A Conservative Questions Hydrogen Ec -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-09 Wind Power Set to Become World's Leading Energy So -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-10 Hyundai and UTC to Develop Freeze-capable Fuel Cel -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news260603-11 Sailing Around the World on Wind, Solar and Soy Be -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news250603-06 DOE Awards Hybrid-electric Truck Contract to Eaton -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news240603-01 Research Continues on Environmental Effects of Hyd -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news240603-02 Reva Set To Roll-out EV Mini-Bus in India -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news240603-03 Red Car Electric Trolly System Revived in San Pedr -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news240603-04 Solar Race To Run Route 66 This July -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news240603-05 Clean Fuel Fails to Clear "Road Blocks" -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news240603-06 EDITOR'S FINAL WORD
TIME
FOR OIL APPELLATION? The duo's latest effort is to get the government to require that all gasoline and diesel fuel sold in America be labeled as to its country of origin. I pointed out to Stan that this might be a bit hard since oil comes from many countries and ends up getting blended. However, if oil were labeled similar to wine by its region (appellation) and by the percentage of "varietals" found in the it, then such an approach would make sense. Instead of buying regular unleaded or super-duper unleaded, which contains oil from god-only-knows-where, you could buy by region. "All-American Gasoline" would be expensive but made from 100% US crude; and the money stays here. "Good Guy's Gasoline" could include a blend of Canadian and Mexican crude. " Monroe Doctrine Unleaded" could be blends of crude from North and South America...and so on. "Double Trouble Oil" would be the cut-rate stuff from the Middle East where most of the money goes to spoiled oil sheiks and some of it is siphoned off to various terrorist groups. The oil companies could then provide bumper stickers to all the proud, patriotic American drivers who use only "All-American" in the gas tanks of their SUVs. Of course, if Stan really wanted to make a difference, he'd come up with something as creative as the Oil Dip Stick character to promote EVs. How about, "Shock to the Terrorists!" or "Osama, Plug THIS Where the Sun Don't Shine!"
PLUG-IN HYBRIDS INITIATIVE Speaking of plugging things in.... Felix Kramer of CalCars.Org is launching what he calls a "Super-Early Adopters" program that would let participants test drive a series of plug-in hybrid vehicles that will be developed over the course of the next several years. He writes, "We're looking for people who care about technology, cars and the environment, and who could afford to spend far more than anyone would normally pay for a car in order to own one of the first drivable prototypes -- and, of course, help bring a new vehicle type into existence." He estimates that each vehicle (one of a succession of prototype conversions of an existing vehicle type, with modifications between each iteration), will cost buyers about $150,000. He reports that a number of Bay Area entrepreneurs are seriously considering participating. To learn more, visit the CalCars.Org web site: http://www.calcars.org/prototypebuyers.html
TH!NK
DEVELOPMENTS The article quotes Th!nk Nordic's head of marketing, Kathinka von der Lippe, as saying demand for the car is still high and that they are returning used cars into the marketplace. She did say, however, that the new vehicle will have to undergo extensive testing, so there is no firm target date for beginning mass production. The article noted that the current range of the car is 130 km, but that with the new ZEBRA battery, the range is significantly further.
THINK GLOB ALLY, MAKE HYDROGEN LOCALLY The Folkcenter in Denmark has achieved what has to be a first. They have created one of the first wind-to-hydrogen-to-vehicle systems in the world. Their 75kW wind turbine provides power for a 20kW electrolyzer to make hydrogen from water. The hydrogen is then used to run a Ford Focus converted for EU30,000 to run on hydrogen. What is intriguing about this concept -- and SHEC Lab's solar concentrator -- is the premise that hydrogen need not be made on industrial levels. In fact, it probably makes vastly more sense to make it at the residential level which eliminates the need for transporting it long distances. I can envision individual homes, apartment blocks, neighborhoods and villages with a system of wind turbines and solar concentrators dedicated to producing hydrogen on a small scale along with hydrogen made from waste by common bacteria. Of course, the efficiencies would need to be looked at because I suspect that recharging community EVs with wind-generated electricity would make more sense than electrolyzing hydrogen, but any excess power from the turbine could be used to make H2, especially at night or on stormy days when the solar concentrator would be idle. It's exciting to think about, but it also means we'll have to adjust our lives to the cycles of the planet, which might not be such a bad thing when you stop and think about it. It'd be sort of like being on vacation year-round. Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.26 – 25. Juni 2003 ==================================================================== NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES Mitsubishi Introduces Inverter for Hybrid-electric -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200603-01 NJ Clean Car Bill Sparks Controversy -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200603-02 EV Makers Try to Ignite a Spark with Drivers -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200603-03 'Bubble' Blimp Uses Hybrid-electric Engine -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200603-04 Changing Climate, Changing Choices -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200603-05 San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Plan Okay'd -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200603-06 Judge Rules Times Up for Atlanta Air Pollution -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200603-07 Automakers Push for Tax Breaks on Fuel Cell Cars -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news200603-08 Hybrid Hopes High at Toyota -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news190603-01 Palcan Unveils Hydrogen Fuel Cell Scooter -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news190603-03 Hope Triumphs Over Reason When it Comes to Fuel Ce -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news190603-05 German Fuel Cell Market Quantified -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news190603-07 Here Comes the 'Green' Eco-Trekker -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180603-01 Tidal Turbine to be Tested in UK -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180603-02 Iceland Aiming for 2040 Hydrogen Independence -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news180603-03 Toyota Plans to Double Hybrid Line-Up in 2006 -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news170603-02 ==================================================================== EDITOR'S FINAL WORD Environmentalist Caught Between Convictions and Nuke Plants It seems increasingly that environmentalists are coming to the realization that it's either going to take a LOT of wind farms and solar arrays to make up the energy that will have to be replaced when we cross the half-way point in oil depletion -- which may be happening right now, depending on whose numbers you want to believe -- or more nuclear power plants. In Switzerland, for example, there is serious environmental opposition to building more wind farms -- just as there is in the Cape Cod communities. The only other choice, some argue, is nuclear power, like what the French are doing. French nuclear power plants generate 70% of the nation's electricity and power their remarkable high-speed rail services. It is also the country where the Air Car is finally nearing production -- but more on that in a moment. So, the question that has to be asked is do we find ways to seriously downgrade our energy needs by getting dramatically more efficient, or do we continue our profligate ways and embark on a crash building program of hundreds of new nuclear power plants? I am sure I'll get email for readers of EV World Update who'll argue that nuclear is the way to go. It has a far smaller foot print than wind farms and is far more reliable. Besides, relatively speaking, the waste generated by a nuclear plant is a fraction of the waste created by burning coal. The problem is that tiny amount of waste is a potentially serious hazard that remains so for hundreds and thousands of years. And we've still not begun to place the 77,000 tons we already have in safe storage. The people of Nevada are fighting tooth and nail to prevent Yucca Mountain from becoming America's permanent storage site. And there are serious questions about the science used to select this site and even bigger concerns about the storage containers. And this doesn't even address the issue of terrorism and how vulnerable nuclear plants are to attack by a determined and ruthless foe. Did I mention that Los Alamos Labs recently admitted they've misplaced some of their plutonium? Bottom line? We've got some VERY hard choices to make and they need to be made right now! So, why isn't anyone talking about it? Why aren't we having important national debates on our energy future, especially with a serious natural gas crisis looming? Part of the reason is the current occupants of the White House are seriously distracted, not to mention Congress and the media. Oil Peak Conference Reveals What Bush Administration Knows Matthew Simmons revealed last month in Paris at the second annual Association for the Study of Peak Oil conference that the Bush Administration is fully aware of the question of oil and gas depletion. In a question following Simmon's presentation, which is reprinted on EV World this week, Steve Andrews asks, " Given your message now and given that you've had a half hour in the Oval Office with president Bush, why is there such a disconnect between the apparent policy of the administration and the harsh reality of the message you just gave this audience? Simmons responded, " I think that there are people within the Bush Administration including the President and Vice President... I think it was unbelievably discouraging to see what occurred after the Bush Energy Plan was introduced .... And then after 9/11, the administration got totally distracted in dealing with all the events that they've been dealing with since then. I will tell you that there is a growing genuine concern in Washington about what is happening with natural gas today." Now remember, Simmons is one of the privileged few who was a part of the Cheney National Energy Plan team. But that's not the only problem the White House is having to deal with.
Wesley Clark Drops Political Bomb Shell EV World readers will recall that back in late April I interviewed General Wesley Clark about his new role as the chairman of Wavecrest Technologies [ a href="http://evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=520Wesley Clark Rides a New Wave/]. I asked him then if he was considering a run for the presidency in 2004. He tactfully evaded any committment. Now it appears that tactful evasion has changed to a "maybe." Even more provocative is a comment he made recently to Tim Russert, an American political talk show host. Clark alleges that on September 11, 2001, he received a call from the White House urging him to say the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were linked to Saddam Hussein. Clark replied that he would do so if there was proof. He said no proof was ever offered. Interestingly, few papers or television news shows carried Clark's remarks. Air Car Get's Closer To Production On a much lighter and hopeful note, I received today an email promotion from MDI -- the folks behind the Air Car --announcing that they are a step closer to getting cars into the marketplace with their first plant in France ready to begin production. Recently a group of investors from Columbia paid the necessary 10 million EURO licensing fee for the right to manufacture the car in parts of Central and South America. This cash infusion will help the company move forward. The email also explained that MDI's efforts have been hampered by a lack of investment capital the past two years. Apparently there have been plenty of offers to invest once the car is on the road, but few offers while its in development. However, that hasn't prevented Guy Nigre and his engineering team from refining the car and looking at other potential applications for their technology, one of which is an air-powered, articulated transit bus. The company has recently improved its web sites -- in English, Spanish and Portuguese -- and you'll find plenty of information about this novel and promising vehicle. Here are the URL's if you'd like to learn more.
www.motormdi.com (Português) www.motordeaire.com (Espanhol) www.theaircar.com (English) In the case of the Air Car, here's hoping it IS full of hot air! Stay plugged into EV WORLD, Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.25 - 18. June 2003 ==================================================================== NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES Biodiesel Powers Two Tour de Sol Winners -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160603-01 Segway Lobbies Hard for Sidewalk Rights -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160603-02 High Gas Prices Drive for Hybrid Cars -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160603-03 Syria Looks to Meet Energy Demands with Renewables -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160603-07 Harry Braun Responds to Hydrogen-Ozone Paper -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news160603-08 Australians Willing to Pay to Promote Renewables -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130603-01 Lead Batteries Fight Back in Hybrid Vehicle Battle -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news130603-06 Clean Cars' Seen As Key To State Air Quality -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news120603-01 Geneseo Approves Use of Electric Scooters on Sidew -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news120603-07 State of Mexico to Convert 120,000 Taxis to Propan -- http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news110603-04 ==================================================================== EDITOR'S FINAL WORD The Hydrogen Ozone Threat The hydrogen fuel cell conference in Vancouver was barely over when the negative reports started rolling in. It seems not everyone is buying the hydrogen 'hype', as they refer to it, especially if the hydrogen has to come from fossil fuels and nuclear power. Of course, the more optimistic view the use of natural gas and nuclear power-derived hydrogen as interim solutions – though interim solutions have a way of becoming more or less semi-permanent. On the optimist's side of the debate, there is Accenture superstar consultant Mary Toland. Business 2.0 features an article (linked above) on how she is almost single-handedly trying to jump-start the hydrogen economy among energy industry executives, most of whom find her fast-track approach a recipe for financial disaster. But you've got to give her credit for trying. On the pessimist's side of the ledger comes a report out of CalTech that postulates how escaping hydrogen gas might damage our fragile ozone layer. After finally passing a worldwide ban on ozone-destroying CFCs, the last thing we need is to assault the think blanket that protects us from ultra-violet rays with what we thought was a relatively benign technology. I am arranging to interview one of the co-authors of the CalTech report in the next week or so in hopes of better understanding this critical issue. Some Photo Ops Just Aren't What They're Cracked Up To Be I am sure the folks at Segway envisioned this event as the photo op – and quasi-endorsement – of a lifetime. There was G. W. Bush casually attired in shorts and T-shirt while on vacation at his father's vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine. A pretty young lady dutifully instructs the former Texas governor on the fine points of driving the Segway Transporter. So far so good. But when Mister Bush attempts to take control of what has to be one of the easiest vehicles in the world to drive, he literally falls off it head-first. All this is captured by the ever-present press photographer. You'll find the link to the photos on Yahoo above. Talk about an embarrassing moment... for Segway. Of course, those critics among us, including yours truly, might have suspected as much from GW. After all ( and here comes the political barb) you really don't "drive" a Segway, you "think" on a Segway, something many of us suspect the current White House occupant usually leaves to Karl Rove. And since they've not made a Segway-for-two.... Well, you get the point. Anyway, for all of you that I have just now infuriated with more anti-Republican bashing, feel free to use the UNSUBSCRIBE button at the bottom of this email to remove your name from this obviously way-too-progressive a mailing list... or you can hang in there a bit longer and read about some real Republicans, one from Nebraska and the other from Wisconsin. Happy 100 Ford Motor Company This past week Ford Motor Company celebrated its centennial, 100 years of motoring history that began with Henry Ford's vision of a car for the common man. Until Mister Ford came along, motorcars and motoring were pretty much the exclusive province of the wealthy elite. It took the man from Michigan to democratize motoring and in doing so, change the course of the nation and eventually the history of mankind. What may go unrecognized is that Henry Ford and his mentor Thomas Edison, who also cherished the notion of making life easier for the masses, were the product of the end of the first age of corporate corruption where the giant railroad and oil trusts abused both the political system and their workers. So, on the anniversary of Ford's 100th birthday, I thought I'd share with you some of Bill Moyer's remarks from a speech he gave last weekend at the Take Back America conference in Washington. In that remarkable speech, he compares the events of the late 1800s and early 1900s with the state of the nation today. The parallels are amazing and chilling. Here's just part of what he said. "The historian Clinton Rossiter describes [the late 1890s] as the period of "the great train robbery of American intellectual history." Conservatives – or better, pro-corporate apologists – hijacked the vocabulary of Jeffersonian liberalism and turned words like "progress", "opportunity", and "individualism" into tools for making the plunder of America sound like divine right. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was hijacked, too, so that conservative politicians, judges, and publicists promoted, as if it were, the natural order of things, the notion that progress resulted from the elimination of the weak and the "survival of the fittest." In reaction to this rose the Progressive movement on the Great Plains. Moyer continues later in his address... "In a few short years the progressive spirit made possible the election not only of reform mayors and governors but of national figures like Senator George Norris of Nebraska, Senator Robert M. LaFollette of Wisconsin, and even that hard-to-classify political genius, Theodore Roosevelt. All three of them Republicans. "Here is the simplest laundry-list of what was accomplished at state and Federal levels: Publicly regulated or owned transportation, sanitation and utilities systems. The partial restoration of competition in the marketplace through improved antitrust laws. Increased fairness in taxation. Expansion of the public education and juvenile justice systems. Safer workplaces and guarantees of compensation to workers injured on the job. Oversight of the purity of water, medicines and foods. Conservation of the national wilderness heritage against over development, and honest bidding on any public mining, lumbering and ranching. We take these for granted today – or we did until recently. All were provided not by the automatic workings of free enterprise but by implementing the idea in the Declaration of Independence that the people had a right to governments that best promoted their "safety and happiness." To read the entire speech click a href="http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16127" While Henry Ford would later be a staunch and sometimes violent adversary of labor unions, which were an outgrowth of continued corporate abuse, he did revolutionize factory worker wages and set the standard for better pay and improved working conditions. For that, perhaps more than the cars they produce, Ford has much to be proud of and much to live up to in its next 100 years. Happy Birthday, Mister Ford.
Enjoying Father's Day We're a little shy of new content this week on EV World because I decided to relax for once and enjoy the "Father's Day" weekend. I read about monolithic dome homes, worked on the desk I am building for my wife, mowed the lawn, watched a B2 Stealth (we live under the flight pattern of Offutt AFB), cooked steaks for my father and mother and took a couple of delightful naps under the big maple tree in my back yard. And I even found time to do my interview with Greg Watson on the Cape Winds wind farm controversy. I hope your weekend was as enjoyable and fruitful. Speaking of fruit... Honey, bring me some more ice cream and strawberries, please! Oh, the weekend's over? Nuts! Stay plugged into EV WORLD Bill Moore |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.16 - 16. April
2003 NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES ==================================================================== |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.15 - 9. April
2003 ==================================================================== ==================================================================== Stay plugged into EV WORLD |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.14
-2.4.2002 PASSION MAY SAVE CALIFORNIA'S EVS Major automaker fuel cell
prototypes lined up on Monterey Bay plaza at the start of the
2002 California Coast Fuel Cell Rally. Each of these cars is
estimated to cost more than a million dollars and figure
prominently in state's ZEV mandate.
MIKE BIANCHI'S RITE OF SPRING Mike Bianchi practices what he
preaches. He's driven a Solectria Force EV for seven and half
years... on the original lead acid battery back.
SWITCHING GEARS Nissan's fuel cell sedan. California's ARB is
proposing to let carmakers substitute 250 vehicles similar to
these for battery ZEVs.
==================================================================== ==================================================================== EDITOR'S FINAL WORD California Pauses to Reconsider EVs Those early reports seems more written by auto industry lobbyists than by serious newspaper reporters, who obviously misread the Board, the Chairman and the thousands of EV enthusiasts and supporters who either wrote letters or signed up to testify during the March 27th meeting. I cover what I think are the salient highlights of the meeting in "Passion May Save California's EVs' available on EV World this week. But its nearly impossible to convey all the points of view expressed during two days of testimony. Several presentations stood out, however. One was by a development psychologist who evaluates new aircraft cockpit layouts. Her testimony strongly suggested that CARB appeared all too ready to abandon the well-understood, if not entirely tested technology of battery electric cars for a completely unproven fuel cell pathway. From her professional perspective, this would be a terrible mistake. One of the last people to testify said two important numbers were missing from the proposal. The first number was the 1.8 million cars sold in California every year. The second was the $14 billion air pollution costs the state every year. He urged the Board to member these numbers when they decide on the fate of ZEVs. But one comment really struck me. One witness reminded the Board that they were the California Air Resources Board not the Carmaker Profit Protection Board. Toyota Readies Prius Redo The launch of the second generation Prius couldn't come at a better time. As remarkable as the first version was, it is starting to show its age. Interestingly, my daughter called today from college and mentioned that last week one of Auto Week's writers had panned the Prius in favor of the newer Honda Civic Hybrid. I've been told that the new Prius will be a real stunner, both in styling and performance and I put my request in more than a month ago to get a demo model to test drive for EV World's readers. Mary... are you listening? Advertising World Changes Well, Mary and I also share a common interest in California's wine industry. Both of us receive Wine Business Monthly and this month's issue has a very informative article in it that both Toyota and their ad agency might well bear in mind -- as should Honda and Ford. In the article entitled, "The Store is the New Marketing
Platform," Willard Bishop makes the following
observations: Advertising on network TV no longer works like it once
did. As one CARB witness pointed out, it's not slick magazine ads or television commercials that sold EVs, but word-of-mouth from active EV drivers who sold others on the concept. As she pointed out to the Board, you can't sell what you don't have to show. GM To Resume EV1 Production The company also announced that it plans to offer an electric
version of its 4 passenger Suzuki Gran Vitari in 2005. |
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EVWORLD UPDATE Version 3.7 - 11. Februar
2003 COMING EV REDEMPTION Dr. Michael Braungart (left) and William
McDonough formed MBDC to develop materials that are ecological
and economical, while promoting human equity.
VW'S WUNDERCAR II VW's 2 Liter concept car sports gullwing
doors, not unimpressive acceleration and amazing fuel economy of
2 liters per 100 km. Now when can I get one?
THE EURO EFFECT: THE REAL REASON FOR THE WAR IN IRAQ The
looming war with Iraq may, in fact, not be about oil, but about
the currency in which oil is traded. If so, a war may trigger a
cascade of events that could shake the world.
EV DIALOGUE ON CCTV INTERNATIONAL EV World's editor (left) and
Beijing Continental Battery's Zhao Shan (right) appearing on CCTV
International's 'Dialogue' produced and hosted by Yang Rui.
NEWS/PRESS RELEASE HEADLINES Little People Movers Tested --
http://www.evworld.com/databases/shownews.cfm?pageid=news090203-01
EDITOR'S FINAL WORD Water and the Hydrogen Economy How Much of An Impact? David Fox put this into context recently in an email. "The plan is to spend $1.2b over 5 years (an increase of $720mm over the current commitment). By comparison, in 2001 the major energy companies spent $50.2 billion on exploration and development. "So, the oil companies spend 200 times the Bush 5-year proposal. Or to put it another way, the Bush proposal is 0.5% (half of one percent!)...not even a whole one percent) of what the oil companies will likely spend (based on the 2001 number)." The Euro Effect However, after coming across W. Clark's essay, I am starting to take a slightly different view. Ultimately, it is still about the oil or more specifically, about the <em>currency</em> in which oil is traded. Up to this point, oil has been traded in dollars, which gives the US a huge advantage. Clark's view is that there is a little publicized shift taking place. Iraq, he claims, switched from dollars to Euros in November 2000 as the currency through which Iraqi oil is now purchased. This action, Clark states, sealed Saddam's fate, especially since other oil producers apparently are looking at a similar shift, including Iran. Clark's essay is long and well footnoted. I reprinted only a portion of it this week, with more to follow. But if you want to read the entire document, there's a link at the end of part one to the complete document. I hope you'll take the time to read it and offer your comments in the Reader's Comment section of the story. Good News, Bad News From Europe As for the good news, again thanks to Felix, VW has unveiled a really cool sports car that is projected to get the equivalent to 117 mpg and has a top speed of 180 kmh. The car uses the same turbo-diesel found in the 3 Liter Lupo. Auto.T-Online reports that the car may be available in two years. To which I reply, Wunderbar! Good News, Bad News From Tulsa Stay plugged into EV WORLD Bill Moore |
