Not being a “car guy,” I’m unimpressed with concept cars that show the future of automotive design—especially as they suggest perpetuating of the basic paradigm that has been with us for 100 years: big, sleek, expensive compartments that run on …
Category: Electric Vehicles
Electric Vehicles
From Guest Blogger Jordan: Tesla Buys an Auto Parts Supplier Based in Michigan
Just a few days after unveiling the Powerwall home battery system, which promises to ensure independence from the power grid for homes and businesses, and possibly cause some radical changes in the energy market, Tesla Motors has announced that it …
From Guest Blogger Jordan: Tesla Buys an Auto Parts Supplier Based in Michigan Read More »
Locally Generated Energy…. And Automobile Design?
Distributed generation is a big deal when we contemplate the future of energy, as it provides so many benefits, e.g., no transmission costs and voltage drops, reduced reliance on coal, less bureaucracy, local jobs, facilitation of smart-grid technologies, and integration …
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The U.S. Has Aggressive Targets for Fuel Economy Improvements—But Are We on Track To Achieve Them?
I know many readers are interested in tracking the progress that the U.S. is making in achieving its 54.5 MPG target for 2020. Fortunately my friend and colleague Jon LeSage has devoted his life’s work to understanding how those measures …
From Guest Blogger Jordan: Study Shows 25% of Cars Are Responsible for 90% of Air Pollution
Motor vehicles are among the largest contributors to air pollution, by emitting some of the most common pollutants, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter. However, emissions released by vehicles have a significantly lower effect on air quality …
Electric Transportation, Solar PV, and the Environment
Here’s an article that takes us back to what I believe is an important discussion: how environmentally clean are electric vehicles? The basics: In the U.S. right now, EVs are a net negative environmentally, because an incremental load on the …
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From 2GreenEnergy Supporter Audrea Cook: Inductive Charging Is Coming To The Electric Vehicle World, But Don't Hold Your Breath
(Here is the first of what I hope to be many guest submissions from my colleague Audrea Cook. Here, she covers inductive charging, a topic of great importance to the migration toward electric transportation. Thanks, Audrea. – Craig) Inductive Charging …
From Guest Blogger Jordan: A New Start-Up Offers Gas Insurance for Those Fearing That Gas Might Go Up Again
Drivers were certainly very happy when gas prices fell well under $3 per gallon in late 2014, hitting a four-year low, but most auto industry observers, along with many car owners, were well aware that sooner or later, the time …
A Brief History of the Automobile in America
Readers looking for a quick history lesson about the introduction of the automobile to the American lifestyle in 1908 will enjoy this short and extremely informative video. Shown to the left is a 1921 Model T Ford; it’s extremely similar …
Tagged with: alternate fuel vehicles, ascendency of Big Oil, build-out of our highway system, car-sharing ride-sharing mass transit, eroding car ownership, History of the Automobile in America, introduction of the automobile to the American lifestyle, oil dependence and national security issues, redesigning our cities to promote walking and bicycling, ubiquity of car ownership
Car Ownership and Sustainability
There was a popular song here in the U.S. in the 1990s that began: “I believe that children are our future….” This has always struck me as nonsensical. The lyricist might have been thinking: OK, let’s get started with a …
