Trucking has become the most common mode for transporting goods across the land. However, all those trucks on the road burning diesel fuel can create a great deal of air pollution. Plus, higher gas prices cause increases in the prices of goods. Now is the time to consider the next era of trucking, the electric truck. At the moment, they cost about three times more than the internal combustion engine truck. However, a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) shows that a fleet of electric trucks can actually be more cost effective than the standard diesel fleet.

Researchers from MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics found that the operating costs of electric vehicles can be 9 to 12 percent less that standard diesel trucks. This is only when the delivery trucks are used daily in a big city.

According to co-author, Jarrod Goentzel, at this moment, an electric truck fleet is not for every company. “There has to be a good business case if there is going to be more adoption of electric vehicles. We think it’s already a viable economic model, and as battery costs continue to drop, the case will only get better.”

To conduct the study, the MIT researchers collected data from office supplier, Staples, and ISO New England, the nonprofit firm that operates New England’s power grid. They generated a model for a fleet of 250 delivery trucks. Three scenarios were examined, each with different truck engines: electric, hybrid gas-electric, and diesel engines.

According to the Staples data, their diesel engines average 10.14 miles per gallon. Hybrid gas-electric got 11.56 miles per gallon, and electric trucks average 0.8 kilowatt-hours per mile. The electric vehicles could be plugged in overnight to a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system. The truck batteries would then be used to produce reliable power for the grid overnight, for which they could be compensated by the local utility company.

With diesel costing $4 per gallon, the MIT team ran the numbers to see where they stood. For the diesel fleet, the costs are about 75 cents per mile. For an electric fleet enabled with V2G, the costs are about 68 cents per mile. This is because each electric truck can make roughly $900 to $1,400 per year by selling their excess power to the grid.

Staples currently has 68 electric delivery trucks in its fleet. These vehicles are relatively new so it is still too early to deliver a post-deployment conclusion according to Michael Payette, director of fleet equipment at Staples. Mr. Payette commented on the performance of the electric trucks, noting there were “no real surprises from a reliability perspective, but I was surprised by the drivers’ acceptance, to the point where they do not ever want to drive a diesel [truck] again.”

The MIT team believe that almost every deliver truck in an urban fleet is a viable candidate to be electric. This is only true for urban fleets because the electric motors simply don’t have enough range to operate on the interstates or in the countryside.

The MIT report was delivered at the January 2012 IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference in Washington, D.C.

Article by David A. Gabel, appearing courtesy Environmental News Network.

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U.S. researchers have designed a wireless charging system for electric vehicles they say could ultimately lead to all-electric highways capable of charging cars and trucks as they drive down the road.

The system, developed by a team at Stanford University, uses magnetic fields to transmit large electric currents between metal coils embedded a few feet apart under the surface of the road. Based on magnetic resonance coupling technology, the process involves one coil that is connected to an electric current, which generates a magnetic field that causes the second coil to resonate, triggering an invisible transfer of electrical energy.

The developers say there is a potential to eventually create a wireless network across highway systems, a step that would drastically increase the range of electric vehicles since they would theoretically never have to plug into a charging station. “You could actually have more energy stored in your battery at the end of your trip than you started with,” said Richard Sassoon, managing director of the Stanford Global Climate and Energy Project and co-author of the study published in the journal Applied Physics Letters.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

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General Motors, more commonly known as GM to the public, is an American multinational automotive corporation with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. In 2010, it was listed as the second largest automaker in the world, and for the first half of 2011, GM was actually listed as the first largest. GM is known for its numerous divisions and brands, including Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC. However, it is not just with automobile manufacturing that puts GM in the lead above all other automakers, but also its use of renewable energy. In 2008, GM made the commitment to ensure that half of its manufacturing plants are landfill-free. Aside from building hybrid and all electric vehicles for public consumption, GM has spearheaded a number of sustainability initiatives to make its actions much greener, paving the way for a much greener environment.

1 ) Greener Vehicles. GM is now building a number of fuel-efficient vehicles that fit the needs and lifestyle of their customers while, at the same time, being much better for the environment. Currently, 12 vehicles made by GM get a minimum of 30 miles per gallon on the highway, and GM is also the leading FlexFuel vehicle producer in the world. The engineers at GM are working tirelessly to develop advanced technologies for automobiles that will allow for improved fuel economy, a reduced dependence on the need for petroleum, and less carbon dioxide emissions.

2 ) Energy Efficiency. At GM, there is the need to reduce emissions as well as dependence on petroleum by becoming more energy efficient. Between the years 2005 and 2010, GM has been able to reduce use of energy by more than 30 percent. GM has also been able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent. Currently, seven facilities house 30 megawatts of solar energy, with plans to double that amount by 2015. GM is also the second largest industrial users of landfill gas throughout the United States. In facilities, for example, GM utilizes energy efficient lighting, energy efficient HVAC systems, shutting down equipment, and technologies to track hourly energy consumption. The Lansing Delta Township Assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan has received LEED Gold Certification from the United States Green Building Council for all its ways of reducing energy.

3 ) Waste Reduction. Out of all the global automakers, GM reuses and recycles the most waste coming from manufacturing facilities. In 2010, GM recycled or reused approximately 92 percent of all worldwide waste, which translates into around 2.5 million tons. Half of all global manufacturing facilities are just about waste free. Employees are always looking of ways to reduce scrap as well as design products. This allowed them to cut total waste from all global operations by 43 percent from 2000 to 2010.

4 ) Resource Preservation. At GM, the goal is to help in the preservation of natural resources as well as enhance the natural habitats that surround all facilities. For instance, between the years 2005 and 2010, Toyota was able to reduce water consumption at all global facilities by 35 percent. GM also has more certifications from the Wildlife Habitat Council than any other manufacturer from North America. GM also has 15 different habitat programs going on around the world to aid in ensuring that species of plants and animals around the areas of manufacturing facilities are properly cared for and not put into danger.

5 ) Goal of Zero Landfill Waste. GM has the goal to kick landfill to the curb, and by that, GM means not sending any of the waste to landfills. GM remains committed to reducing the total amount of waste created in all facilities. As previously mention, half of all manufacturing plants are landfill-free. At these facilities, 97 percent of all waste that has been generated by daily manufacturing operations is reused or recycled, while the remaining three percent is converted straight to energy. While it is impossible to not generate certain kinds of waste, including paint sludge or scrap metal, GM is finding new and innovative ways to repurpose it so it will not end up at a landfill.

6 ) 30 HM Plants meet the Environmental Protection Agency Energy – Reduction Challenge. In December of 2011, GM had listed that they were able to cut the energy intensity at 30 North American manufacturing plants by 25 percent, equivalent of the carbon dioxide emissions created by 97,000 homes in the United States. Therefore, they were able to meet the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Challenge for Industry. These facilities were able to avoid the production of more than 775,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide passes and saved over $50 million in energy costs.

7 ) Lansing Plant Receives Energy Star Certification from the Environmental Protection Agency. In December of 2011, the Lansing, Michigan GM plant was the very first in the United States to get an Energy Star certification for its superior level of energy efficiency. This facility builds the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and the Buick Enclave. The vice president for Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs, Mike Robinson, said, “Certifications like this demonstrate our commitment to improving energy efficiency practices beyond our vehicles.”

8 ) GM’s First United States Landfill-Free Assembly Plant Located in Fort Wayne. The Fort Wayne GM Assembly Plant, which is responsible for building GMC Sierras and Chevrolet Silverados is the very first assembly plant to recycle, reuse, or convert to energy all the waste that was created by daily operations. Jon Bradburm, the GM Manager for waste-reduction efforts said, “Assembly plants are challenged with a large amount of waste streams and byproducts, from varying types of plastics and metals to expendable packaging and containers. Fort Wayne has succeeded in finding sustainable options for these materials while working with other GM lpants and suppliers to improve its impact from an overall systems perspective.”

9 ) EcoCAR Challenge. The EcoCAR Challenge was created in a partnership between GM and the United States Department of Energy. This competition challenges 16 different universities in North America and asks them to find a way to reduce the overall environmental impact of vehicles by decreasing its fuel consumption and emissions while still retaining the performance of the vehicle, as well as consumer appeal and safety. Students design and integrate their technologies into a vehicle donated by GM.

10 ) GM Installs the Biggest Rooftop Solar Panels in the World. In 2008 the largest rooftop solar power station began construction in Spain. It is made up of 85,000 lightweight panels that cover approximately two million square feet. It belongs to the GM car factory in Zaragoza, Spain. GM unveiled the €50 million project with hopes install solar panels at an additional 11 plants throughout the European Continent.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com.

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In the 19th century, Texas became well known for its longhorns and the Alamo. The 20th century saw the oil boom, the Cowboys, and an infamous Dallas afternoon in November, 1963. In the 21st century, the state is becoming defined by its surprisingly progressive stand on energy through its wind farms and embracing of electric vehicles.

NRG Energy and its EV Services division have been leading the drive to bring clean power and transportation to Texas. The company now controls 450 megawatts of wind power in the state, and has executed the most aggressive rollout of EV infrastructure in the country.

These two developments are closely linked, according to Arun Banskota, the president of NRG EV Services, with whom I spoke at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. NRG is investing $25 million in public EV charging equipment in Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Banskota said. That’s a hefty investment in a speculative market, especially for a publicly-traded company. Despite the area’s reputation as an oil town rich in land yachts, NRG is installing 50 “Freedom Stations” in Houston and 75 in DFW. Each of the charging stations has at least one DC fast charger and one Level 2 charging station, and they cost more than $100,000 per location.

The strategy appears to be working. According to Banskota, 80 percent of Nissan Leaf owners in the two regions have signed up for the EVGO program, a subscription service that enables charging at home or around town. NRG customers can specify only clean energy when they sign up.

Banskota said the company’s wind farms produce an abundance of power at night, when demand is low, which can result in spilling the excess power or negative pricing. Enter the EVs, which can charge at night and enable NRG to generate more revenue from its wind farms. Tying wind to EV charging in Texas mirrors similar endeavors in The Netherlands and Denmark, but is unique in the United States.

Texas is one of four states (along with Hawaii, California and Virginia) that currently do not regulate EV charging services, and NRG is likely to offer a similar service in one of the other states during 2012. NRG is looking to integrate EV charging into home energy management applications so that all of a home’s energy can be managed through a single application. The company also plans to introduce vehicle to grid (V2G) technology in several states. The company acquired V2G technology from the University of Delaware, but does not expect there to be much demand for using vehicles to provide power to the grid for three to five years.

Article by John Gartner, appearing courtesy the Matter Network.

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California regulators are expected to pass new rules today requiring that 15 percent of all new cars sold by 2025 be powered by electricity, hydrogen, or other reduced-emission sources.

The new rules proposed by the California Air Resources Board would also require a 75-percent reduction in smog-creating emissions from new cars, SUVS, pickups and minivans, and a 50-percent reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 2025.

According to the board, the initiative would put about 1.4 million low-emission vehicles on California roads by 2025, compared with current levels of about 10,000. They predict the new rules will add about $1,900 to the price of a new car, but will save about $5,900 in fuel costs during the life of the vehicle.

“This is a really large step. It’s transformational,” Tom Cackette, chief deputy director of the board, told the San Jose Mercury News. “Ten years from now the market is going to look quite a bit different.” The new standards will be introduced in 2018 and gradually strengthened over the next seven years.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

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Nissan Motors Ltd., commonly known as just Nissan, is a multinational automobile manufacturer located in Japan. Like all other global automobile manufacturers, Nissan Motors has quickly realized the importance of environmental stewardship and environmental sustainability. Knowing that automobiles are the primary cause for much of the carbon dioxide emissions, Nissan Motors is now taking necessary steps in reducing their carbon footprint, both with the automobiles the automobile manufacturer produces as well as within all its offices and manufacturing factories. Below is a list of just ten of the sustainability initiatives Nissan Motors is involved in.

1 ) Nissan Green Program. The Nissan Green Program is Nissan Motor’s way of creating a more sustainable mobile society by addressing environmental challenges and finding routes around them, mainly being a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, minimizing emissions to preserve the water, soil, and atmosphere, and resource recycling to promote reducing, reusing, and recycling. The overall objective is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions wherever Nissan Motors has corporate endeavors, including offices, shops, and factories.

2 ) Nissan Green Shops. Nissan Green Shop Activities includes a large variety of environmental efforts that take place at Nissan Motor dealerships throughout the globe, including reducing waste, recycling, and energy saving endeavors. The program was introduced in April of 2000 as an environmental management system for all car dealerships. According to the website, “Dealerships that have been certified in Nissan Green Shop have appointed environmental staff and directors to be in charge of environmental activities, and established a system of responsibility for these activities. Working within this system, the environmental staff and directors (1) ensure that end-of-life vehicles and waste are disposed of properly, (2) manage environmental facilities, and (3) conduct public relations and other activities to inform customers of Nissan’s environmental efforts.”

3 ) Nissan LEAF Wins 2011-2012 JAHFA Car of the Year Award. In December of 2011, Nissan Motors won the 2011 – 2012 Japan Automotive Hall of Fall (JAHFA) Car of the Year and Car Design of the Year awards for their 100 percent electric car, the Nissan LEAF. It won car of the year because of, “The courage that Nissan displayed in developing a mass-market electric vehicle ahead of the rest of the world’s automakers; it is an attractive, competitive product that has been recognized globally; [and] it has an EV-IT system that enhances the usability of the vehicle.” It won for car design of the year because, “It expresses thoughtful styling as a pioneer EV sedan; it reduces wind noise through its aerodynamic form; [and] the car’s interior design expresses the feeling of a new era.”

4 ) Nissan Starts Japan Sales for a New Quick Charger for Electric Vehicles. On November 30, 2011 Nissan Motors made the announcement that it was starting sales for its brand new quick charger throughout Japan. The newly developed unit has the same high performance as the current charger but is half the size. It has the same safety features and complies with CHAdeMO protocol. It is compatible with all Nissan electric vehicles and electric vehicles that were manufactured by other automakers. Not only is it a lot smaller, but it is also a lot easier to install.

5 ) Nissan Delivers 100 Percent Electric LEAF to Wuhan. In November of 2011, Nissan Motor and the Wuhan Municipal Government are going ahead with a new pilot program that would promote zero emission mobility. With this, Wuhan accepted the delivery from Nissan of 15 Nissan LEAFs, with ten more of these units to be delivered sometime in 2012. In this pilot program, Nissan is working alongside the city on a number of joint activities that are aimed at the contribution of the establishment of a city that is environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Another focus is to aid in the planning for a complete rollout of electric vehicles into the Chinese market.

6 ) Nissan and Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport Launch Test for Road Guidance. In December of 2011, Nissan Motor and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport began a large-scale demonstration test for the new Traffic Information System Model Project. The demonstration will start the end of January of 2012 and will “verify the effects of traffic dispersion by dynamic route guidance with IT devices.” In the test, 12,000 individuals are going to be given IT devices to provide eco-drive support and dynamic route guidance. Users in the trial can expect to see reduced fuel consumption and travel time as well as a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

7 ) Activities at Plants. At all Nissan Motor production plants, a number of systems are thoroughly implemented to control substances that can have a negative environmental impact. Activities are undertaken to reduce the total amount of the harmful substances used as well as emitted during production operations. Other activities at the plant include introducing equipment that is energy saving and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and controlling all standards and systems to manage all air pollutants and participate in a number of activities to reduce the substances that are emitted at production plants.

8 ) Activities in Products. Nissan Motor believes that the company can contribute to a sustainable mobile society by improving these aspects. Therefore, Nissan looks to offer vehicles that are not only attractive, but also have a reduced environmental impact. Nissan is undertaking a lot of aggressive efforts to improve overall fuel efficiency and aid in the development of vehicles that only use clean energies. Nissan is also in the development process of clean vehicles, including EVs and FCEVs that do not emit carbon dioxide emissions or even exhaust when operated.

9 ) Nissan Green Program 2016. The Nissan Green Program 2016 was created to help the company achieve its environmental philosophy of “Symbiosis of People, Vehicles, and Nature.” This program promotes activities “not only in development and manufacturing departments associated with the production of automobiles, but also in sales, service, and all other departments company-wide. In specific terms, this program ensures that environmental action plans are formulated, the targets and aims relating to business activities and associated indirectly with the environment are set for mid-term, long-term, and yearly periods, and that every possible effort is made to achieve sustainable development.”Activities include the penetration of zero-emission vehicles, wider application of fuel efficient vehicles, corporate carbon footprint minimization, and natural resource usage minimization.

10 ) Increased Biofuel Use. Nissan takes use of biofuels seriously. In North America, Nissan Motor markets flexible-fuel vehicles – cars that can handle ethanol-based mixtures and not present any kind of problem. In another example, in April of 1008, Nissan Motor started taking part in the Tokachi E10 Trials, which looks to increase the utilization of E10 fuel, which is a biofuels.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com.

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The United States has implemented a variety of policies in the effort to cut back gasoline use. For example, the Obama Administration has invested federal dollars into GM’s electric vehicles. The EPA has introduced new fuel economy standards which are to be implemented over time, gradually becoming stricter. The government has also promoted the expansion of biofuels in automobile fuel. However, a new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has shown that these policies are not only cost-effective, but do not sufficiently curb fuel usage. What is to be done to reduce fuel use and greenhouse gases from vehicle emissions?

Implementing a gasoline tax, by all measures, would be the most cost-effective way to reduce fuel use. Nothing influences a driver more than the effects on their wallet at the pump. In fact, the researchers found that a moderate tax could elicit the same reduction as all currently implemented policies at a sixth of the cost. Unfortunately, a new gas tax is highly unlikely to be adopted in the United States. It is simply politically unfeasible.

The MIT researchers found that implementing multiple policies to curb fuel use is not cost effective. They found that as the costs of the policies add up, the benefits do not. To come to this conclusion, they created a macroeconomic model which included information on advanced fuels and vehicles, ownership characteristics in different regions, and consumer investment in vehicle and fuel prices. It is an economic model in which advancements in technology is a major component.

The results show that the most politically possible solutions are also the most costly. This creates a great challenge for policy makers who must address this imbalance. It cannot be solved instantly, but instead must be a gradual process. MIT researcher, Valerie Karplus, explains:

“We need to find ways to get past the age-old debate, starting with what is possible today but with an eye to what might be possible tomorrow as today’s policies change underlying incentives. Right now, economists push for the most cost-effective measures, and the policy community responds that such measures are politically impossible.”

“Policies that are politically feasible now can be designed to maximize their cost-effectiveness, and every policy should include clear timelines for revisiting its impacts and for assessing the feasibility of moving to more cost-effective policies over time. That will help us achieve our critical energy security and climate goals.”

The study has been published in the Autumn 2011 edition of the journal, Energy Futures.

Article by David A. Gabel, appearing courtesy Environmental News Network.

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I’ve been lucky enough to derive so much pleasure from business travel – and to conduct so much business during personal trips — that I long ago ceased to try to separate the two.

Case in point: this trip back East for Christmas, where I carved out an hour and a half to meet with the CEO of Momentum Dynamics, less than an hour’s drive from my people’s homes in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Momentum Dynamics offer break-through technology in inductive (versus conductive) charging. For those scratching their heads here, we find this concept implemented in today’s electric toothbrushes, which are charged miraculously by merely replacing the brush – sans metal contacts — back into its base unit. Unbeknownst to the user, it sits there next to a modulating magnetic field that induces an electric current to flow into a conductive circuit within the toothbrush, recharging the battery.

Without doubt, inductive charging offers some advantages – especially relevant to certain applications of electric vehicles. Take the taxicab as a perfect example. At first blush, we might conclude that taxis are not particularly good candidates for electrification, since they travel a huge range over a period of, say, 8 or 10 consecutive hours. But now realize that most taxis queue up regularly at predictable places, like airports. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, without physically plugging in, a taxi could recharge as it waited for its next passenger to emerge from baggage claim?

EVWorld editor Bill Moore believes that inductive charging will eventually win the day, and, with all the issues of safety and convenience, I have to agree that he’s right. Those wishing to follow the matter should look at SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) standard J2954. Perhaps the first thing to notice is that the standard is still evolving, meaning that many decisions remain to be made. Yet all the big players in electric transportation seem to be making this is huge priority, so don’t be surprised to see inductive charging in your automotive future.

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Electric vehicles offer a green transportation alternative. There have been great advances in the sector after the launch of popular models such as Nissan’s LEAF, which recently won the car the of year award at the Tokyo Motor Show.

However, electric car battery technology is one aspect of e-mobility that inspires caution in potential drivers. This is known as ‘range anxiety’, that is, the fear that the battery will not go far enough and perhaps leave the driver stranded.

But some companies are working on improving EV battery performance, including IBM. energyNOW! (via Energy Collective) recently uncovered the company’s research into nanotechnology to make EVs more powerful. IBM is hoping to come up with a battery that is ten times more powerful than current lithium-ion ones, which have a range of around 75 miles on a single charge.

IBM has a fantastic track record in meaningful innovation, so it’s great news that it’s working on EVs. Watch the video below and find out more about IBM’s plans for electric vehicle batteries.

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Nissan’s electric car LEAF has been named Car of the Year at the ongoing Tokyo Motor Show, which runs until Sunday, December 11th.

The model has been successful thanks to its efficient lithium-ion batteries and high performance motor. It also features an on-board IT system that can be accesses by remote control via mobile phones.

Nissan has sold more than 20,000 units of the LEAF, which makes it the most popular electric car model. Nissan LEAF was also won the 2012 RJC Car of the Year award, presented by the Automotive Researchers’ & Journalists’ Conference of Japan. It also won the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame’s 2011-2012 Car of the Year and the 2011 European Car of the Year and the 2011 World Car awards.

“All these accolades show that zero-emission vehicles can clearly be competitive alternatives to conventional ones,” said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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