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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
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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 "Ahno |
