Recent Comments:
What A Waste! - coming to BBC on July 25th {Autoblog Green}
Jul 17th 2008 12:46PM BBC has an excellent idea in this, if they do it well.
The writer who can research and explain the powerful forces that stopped the EV1 and improved versions of same from coming to the market in reasonable time will have a best seller.
Today, I continue to drive a 4cyl 1987 Jeep wagoneer about town. It looks as good as any other vehicle so no shame in ownership. At about 300,000 kms, a new starter and a very tired engine it*s a gutless free local ride.
I should be able to buy a used but improved EV1 now thirteen years after the GM product became available.
Here in British Columbia Canada there seems nothing is possible in PEVehicles.
Hybrids are useless as during a gas shortage they go nowhere, just as any other gas or diesel guzzeler vehicle.
The only logical next vehicle choice is a PEV and nothing reasonable is available. This does not make sense in *Free* North America.
So this is what it*s like living in Communist Russia. = TG
Chicago lawmakers trying to get taxi fleet to clean up by 2014; cabbies not happy {Autoblog Green}
Jun 14th 2008 12:56AM I*m with Mike. USA and Canada used to be free countries! Besides, . . .
Heady handed, half-informed aldermen could cause an EV / Hybrid backlash!
Since cabs in the city need to be replaced every four years, and the proposed rules would mandate that each new cab meet those green parameters. The Windy City's entire fleet would be cleaned up by 2014 if the rule kicks in next year as hoped.
Currently, there are only 50 hybrid taxis in
Chicago.**
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/hybrid.taxis.aldermen.2.746761.html
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As you know, I am all for electric vehicles, so what*s wrong with this picture?
Plenty! Pushy aldermen get Chicago cabbies to go Hybrid, but if a gas boycott happens, [ Iran / US skirmish in Hormuz], Hybrid cabs can not move a block without gasoline.
Hybrids do save gas, but are dead in the driveway without gas. No gas? [remember 1973 or -77?]
That could cause an awful setback for the move to EVs. Chicago cabbies know how to make their outrage known. = TG
PS: Same page for 10 Smartest / dumbest dog breeds.
UPS places largest ever order for fleet of green trucks {Autoblog Green}
May 15th 2008 1:44AM UPS is great! Or rather the CEO and team at UPS is great!
Good reasons to switch your delivery orders to UPS. Good reasons to buy their stock.
Makes one wonder however. If Daimler is doing all these great things, why then is Bazillionair$$ Kirk Kerkorkian buying into Ford?
Ford just laid off a big team of skilled auto workers in Windsor Ontario Canada.
If Ford had PEV or similar plans to go along with the Escape, one would expect them to keep good workers...
Very confusing. = TG
Mascoma scores another $10m, this time from Marathon Oil {Autoblog Green}
May 8th 2008 1:21AM I*m not for any added petro-taxes, but no way can the price be lowered much in our *free enterprise* system.
Everyone gets their cut in the industry and things are booming.
Now Chavez does give it away in his own country for two reasons. First He took it over and Second, low petro prices keeps his economy from tanking out, and so keeps the people from revolting, so keeping him in power.
BTW. . Maz2 reminds us that. .
** Here are the facts. In the last five years, despite the nearly threefold growth of the corn ethanol industry (or actually because of it), the U.S. corn crop grew by 35 percent.
The production of distillers grain (a high-value animal feed made from the protein saved from the corn used for ethanol) quadrupled and the net corn food and feed product of the U.S. increased 26 percent....** [Volume lowers feed costs..eh?]TG
**Not only doesn't ethanol production take food from the world, but it has increased commodity prices and encouraged more production. We are looking at record crops of wheat, and if the weather holds, soybeans.**
chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped0506fuelmay06,0,481881.story
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Farmers burn gas and diesel every day in every way . . . foods gotta go up. = TG
$200 oil "Super Spike" within 6 months? {Autoblog Green}
May 7th 2008 4:46PM Tip: Magana is a big producer of all sorts of auto elements in a vast series of plants.
As you would expect, head honcho Frank Stronach in a Times Colonist business page story, declares,
** Wages threaten Auto Industry **
** car workers earn far more than average **
[ predictable and boring. ]
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The tip, my friends, consists of of one paragraph buried in the 1/3rd page item...
** Magna executives said the company is working on AN ELECTRIC CAR, with a view to bringing it to market within a year and a half. They said Magna will open a new product innovation and training centre in North America. **
==============================
Now that makes sense. The big three slow down due to *gas-guzzler* products so Frank applies all his car parts to his own EVs that should sell like hot cakes. Look Ma, no gas.
http://finance.aol.com/quotes/magna-international-inc/mga/nys
So far I see nothing EV on the Magna website though. = TG
Gas tax debate continues unabated, Hillary tries to defend herself {Autoblog Green}
May 5th 2008 2:34PM I agree with *85 Gripen and Andre.
** He advocates, instead of a gas tax holiday, other tax breaks of $1000 a year on people. **
A sudden mass income cut to Uncle Sam would only push recession ever more quickly. Economics is not Obama*s long suit.
Far better to pay industry for doing their best to free us from oil addiction. Big tax breaks on EVs, wind farms, solar, and battery packs will help and Uncle Sam feels no loss due to the small scale segment enterprise. = TG
NICE predicts electric car sales increase under new London mayor {Autoblog Green}
May 5th 2008 12:31AM More of a TIP than a comment..
The Bently Electric **8 ball** . .
http://methodatelier.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/bentleys-battery-operated-car/
= TG
VC firms bet on Th!nk {Autoblog Green}
Apr 21st 2008 6:36PM That PDF link was a bit long... here again, in tiny form..
http://tinyurl.com/4kdj44
=TG
VC firms bet on Th!nk {Autoblog Green}
Apr 21st 2008 6:29PM Delighted that think is coming to North America.
Wonder if the Canadian government will swamp it with red tape like they did the Galaxy. Their plant and all moved to Pakistan. BTW, Pakistan is asking for re-entry to the *Commonwealth*. Good!
Think has a power pack deal with A123 so that may be part of the deal. No point shipping batteries to and from Europe.
I read that Ener1 [one of your 12 batt-makers reviewd earlier], has a deal with Think also.
Anyhow . . This may be a REAL tip for you, investors?? Ever heard of RevoltTechnology?
http://www.revolttechnology.com/
Be sure to look over their few PDF pages.
This may not be the WHOLE truth, but impressive never the less. Is that graph REAL?
** Zn-air offers twice the energy per weight and three times the energy per volume. Check the 14 page Pdf/ graph.
www.revolttechnology.com/communication/revolt-presentations.php?code=93
Zinc air is not new
It did not work before. Why?
Rechargeability is the key
Zinc dendrite formation
Revolutionary breakthrough by ReVolt Technology
Microscopic localization of zinc
Humidity management
Bi-functional air-electrode
Highest energy density in class: potential of 2 times Li-Ion energy density, longer runtime (smart phone)
Competitive cost (Abundant Zn supply: 12 mio t/year, Li: 15.000 t/year)
Completely safe behaviour, self limiting reaction in cell, no flammable components
Environmentally benign, completely non toxic materials
Zn electrode
Covered by 2 patents
2 patents granted
3 patents pending
6-9 patents in filing process
More patents in the pipeline **
================ RevoltTechnology
= TG
Battery and ultracapacitor companies get their report cards {Autoblog Green}
Apr 14th 2008 1:14PM Was Mike aware of this? The Germans claim to have solved to lithium overheating problem by going more solid and no leaks too.
* * ISC says it has already created a prototype of a non-flammable lithium-ion battery and will be displaying it at a German trade show later this month. There is still research to be done, though, to further improve the technology's effectiveness. * *
http://tinyurl.com/5rn92u
TomsHardware.com
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Just another **breakthrough** ? = TG
