In the race to save the environment, one of the most important things is reducing greenhouse gas emissions to lessen the global carbon footprint. One of the biggest ways to achieve this is to look for alternative options when it comes to transportation. Cars are required to get from one place to another, so the question is how to make them more environmentally friendly? Over the last few years, numerous research and development teams have worked side-by-side with car companies to develop electric vehicles to reduce carbon footprints. Now numerous countries around the world are setting up electric car initiatives to make them more accessible and widely available for use by the general public.

1) Germany’s Electric Car Initiative. The German government, in 2010, made a major push to increase electric mobility. The German Chancellor met with a number of officials within the government, science industry, and the energy and automobile energy to learn how to streamline current electric mobility efforts in the country. Because Germany was the first to build cars in the twentieth century, they feel the importance to be the leading nation in the electric car initiative. The government is funding $700 million into electric mobility test initiatives, including plans for the development of a charging station infrastructure. Daimler, one of the top automotive companies in Germany is not only creating hybrid cars, but also hydrogen fuel cells.

2)The Electric Vehicles Initiative. The Electric Vehicles Initiative, created in Summer 2010, is a government-led forum for international cooperation on developing and deploying electric and other advanced vehicles. Countries participating agree to collect and share data, coordinate RD&D efforts, and create pilot city programs to promote electric vehicle demonstrations and disseminate information regarding vehicle technology development and electric vehicle deployment targets.

Thirteen countries accounting for more than 80% of the world’s vehicle production are now members of this initiative, which also includes the International Energy Agency. In Shanghai in late April, national partners joined with 16 cities to launch the Pilot Cities Initiative under EVI.

3) United States – China Electric Vehicles Initiative. In 2009, the Chinese and American governments agreed at the Electric Vehicles Forum to increase and work upon the shared interest in amplifying the use of electric vehicles to eventually eliminate oil dependence as well as an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions while, at the same time, promoting feasible economic growth. The joint Electric Vehicle Initiative includes within a joint development standard, a number of demonstration projects in a variety of cities in both the United States and China, technical road mapping, and projects to disseminate information to the general public.

4) Taiwan Electric Car Initiative. 2009 saw the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs make an announcement about the beginning of an electric car industry research consortium. While the country currently provides subsidies for those purchasing electric motorcycles, the government is set to create new policies to promote the purchase of electric cars in the near future. Because of Taiwan’s large electronics and information technology sectors, when mixed with the automobile industry, Taiwan could prove to be a leader in the electric car market.

5) United Kingdom Electric Car Initiative. Not to be outdone, the United Kingdom has come up with its own Electric Car Initiative. The United Kingdom-based initiative seeks to make electric cars not only more attractive but more affordable to drivers by providing incentives up to £5000 toward the purchase of plug-in or electric hybrid vehicles. The government also included another £20 million to go towards the creation of a network of charging stations and the establishment of “electric car cities” around the country. The cities selected will service as a focal point for low-carbon and electric car demonstration projects. Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon said “The scale of incentives we’re announcing today will mean that an electric car is a real option for motorists as well as helping to make the UK a world leader in low carbon transport.”

6) Israeli Electric Car initiative. In Israel, California-based Better Place, has made one of their homes, supplying lithium-ion batteries for Renault-Nissan cars. Better Place will also be providing the necessary infrastructure for electric cars, including 500,000 charging stations and 200 batter-exchange centers. For its part, the Israeli government has decreases taxes on the purchase of electric cars in an effort to encourage citizens to make the switch. Because of Israel’s small size, with major urban centers a maximum of 150 kilometers apart, Israel is the perfect location for electric vehicles than countries with longer commutes.

7) Belfast Electric Vehicles Initiative. Belfast, Ireland, has come up with their own Electric Vehicles Initiative. The objectives of this plan are to look at a number of pilot studies of other electric car initiatives and see how they were carried out and the funding required. Then the initiative would organize the data to see what works and what doesn’t work and how to overcome obstructions for the use of electric vehicles in Belfast.

8 ) Australia Clean Driving Initiative. Clean Driving is a Canberra Region-based initiative to assist those looking for a transportation solution that has zero emissions, those wanting an electric vehicle, and of course, those looking to assist in creating a sustainable future. Clean Driving promotes the benefits of using electric vehicles, both in the wallet and for the environment. The objective is to promote education on sustainable options for transportation.

9) London Becomes International Electric Car Capital. London is quickly earning the title of International Electric Car Capital. Because of their large carbon footprint, London is introducing 100,000 electric cars, along with 25,000 charging stations in an effort to decrease their problems with carbon emissions. Though similar initiatives are occurring all over the world, this has so far been the largest. To further increase the city’s standing, a number of incentives have been provided for those who make the switch to electric vehicles. If this is implemented properly, it will address growing concerns over London’s low air quality, considered to be the worst throughout the European continent.

10) Canada Electric Car Initiative. Canada will admit that they have been slow onto the electric car initiative scene. The Canadian government has not only been slow, but slightly reluctant to promote the utilization of electric cars. The province of British Columbia was the first to start introducing the use of electric car use, especially within the city of Vancouver. The Vancouver Electric Car Association has been instrumental in increasing the use of electric vehicles to reduce carbon footprints. Now the rest of the country is following and the Council is beginning to make new laws, including amending bylaws to allow for low speed electric cars on city streets without getting in trouble.

Article by Shawn Lesser & Ben Taube.
Shawn Lesser is 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

Ben Taube currently serves as the Executive Director of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) which is a nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta, GA with a mission to deploy energy efficiency across 11 southeast States. The organization is comprised of public and private interests. Ben also serves as the Chair of the Global Cleantech Cluster Association. Mr. Taube has a Bachelors Degree from the University of Memphis and a Masters in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Denver.

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For those familiar with big cities, they are well aware of the ever present taxi sluggishly moving through the streets and making frequent stops. Obviously they generate plenty of gas emissions. Better Place, a leading electric vehicles service provider with the support of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is planning on bringing a switchable battery, electric taxi program to the San Francisco Bay Area.

San Francisco became in 2005 one of the first cities to introduce hybrid vehicles for taxi service, with a fleet of 15 Ford Escape Hybrids. The original Escape Hybrids were retired after 300,000 miles per vehicle.

Meanwhile, two electric taxi prototypes have recently debuted in London. They are vehicles from Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, two of Europe’s largest producers of taxi cabs. There is a third demonstration project in Tokyo, a city that has some 60,000 taxis — more than London, Paris, and New York combined.

In 2000 North America’s first hybrid taxi was put into service in Vancouver, British Columbia, operating a 2001 Toyota Prius, which traveled over 206,000 miles before being retired.

Several major cities in the world are adding hybrid taxis to their taxicab fleets, led by San Francisco where hybrid represent almost 50% of its taxicab fleet as of March 2010, and New York City where hybrids taxis represent around 28% of the total fleet by mid 2010. Unlike conventional gasoline cars, hybrids get better fuel economy, do well at slow speeds or idling, and have cleaner emissions.

In August 2008 Boston mandated that all its 1,825 taxi fleet must be converted to hybrids by 2015. As of March 2009 about 10% of the taxicab fleet were already hybrids as owner voluntarily began using hybrids.

Denver and Seattle introduced their first hybrid taxis in 2007, as did Arlington; Virginia now has a fleet of 85 environmentally friendly hybrid cabs. Chicago is following New York City’s lead by proposing a mandate for Chicago’s entire fleet of 6,700 taxicabs to become hybrid by January 2014.

In October 2009, a fleet of 26 Toyota Prius began operating in Phoenix, Arizona, becoming the country’s second all-hybrid taxicab fleet after Arlington, Virginia.

Better Place, which plans to introduce its battery switching technology in Israel and Denmark in late 2011, is demonstrating the world’s first switchable battery electric taxi in Tokyo as well as its plans for San Francisco. For the Tokyo electric taxi project, Better Place and Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo’s largest taxi operator, are operating three switchable battery electric taxis.

These major cities are leading the trend towards low or no emission taxis by using environmental policies as its goal.

For further information: http://www.matternetwork.com/2010/11/san-francisco-see-electric-taxis.cfm or http://www.greencar.com/articles/electric-taxi-cabs-gaining-traction-multiple-continents.php

Article by Andy Soos, appearing courtesy ENN.

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As the electric vehicle market expands, the biggest names in automobile manufacturing are drawn towards adapting some of their latest models to the plug instead of gasoline. While Japan has had little issue with creating entire lines of hybrid and electric vehicles, some of Europe’s biggest names have been taking their time. For example, Audi, Mercedes Benz, and Volkswagen have announced a variety of electric, hydrogen, and hybrid vehicles in the last couple of years though few are near a major release. BMW seems to be taking an even steadier approach, preferring to keep most of the electric concepts just that: concepts. However, no long content with merely making concepts, BMW’s electric department is preparing to unleash their own special brand of electric vehicles on the market and they are hoping to do it as soon as possible.

According to a statement released by the German automotive company last week, BMW plans to invest nearly $550 million into electric cars that would be slated for release by 2013. A large portion of the funds are going into the expansion of their newest factory located in Leipzig, Germany, which will make the factory the first in Germany to mass produce battery powered electric vehicles. While the exact types of electric cars that will be built at the plant are unknown, BMW has announced that they will begin manufacturing their Megacity model at a nearby factory.

The BMW Megacity is one of BMW’s most publicized electric vehicle projects since concepts were released and rumors began to circulate some time ago. Now, with the projected release date of 2013 in mind, BMW has been more forthcoming with details about the car. The four door sedan is meant to be one of BMW’s more affordable electric cars with a potential price similar to that of the Nissan LEAF, though many believe the price tag will end up being a little higher. BMW has also said that they are planning on making it match, if not exceed, an electric equivalent of roughly thirty five miles per gallon.

Aside from their Megacity electric vehicle, BMW also has plans for several hybrid and electric sports cars. The Vision EfficientDynamics Concept car, BMW’s latest concept, is an all carbon fiber sports car that will marry a diesel engine with electric components. While the all electric range of the Vision concept is a mere thirty one miles, BMW has said that the total range is over 400 miles when using both diesel and electric power. The car is expected to have over 320 horsepower once it has been completed and BMW has said that will emit roughly 70% less carbon emissions than their M6 model, which has similar performance.

In the end, we will have to wait until 2013 to see if our wait for BMW’s electric vehicles will be worth it. If anything, BMW is excited about their jump into the market and they believe that their vehicles could end up being the future for electric vehicle drivers.

Article by Richard Cooke, appearing courtesy Justmeans.

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The Chinese auto industry will make development and production of electric and hybrid vehicles its top priority over the next five years, according to its latest Five-year Plan. By 2015, China aims to sell 1 million “new-energy” automobiles, according to a report in People’s Daily.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has already announced that the government will invest more than 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) over the next decade to make China the world leader in green car production.

Meanwhile, in the UK, where a government subsidy next year will shave £5,000 ($7,960) off the cost of new electric cars, a company predicts that the next generation of green cars could be charged wirelessly with the same technology that charges electric toothbrushes.

The company, HaloIPT, this week demonstrated how electric cars can be charged wirelessly by parking over a transmitter pad, and predicted that one day vehicles might be able to re-charge by using roads outfitted with electrical systems that charge cars as they travel.

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Mazda will introduce a subcompact gas-powered vehicle in Japan next year that gets 70.5 miles per gallon, a model automakers say shows that combustion-powered cars can deliver fuel efficiency similar to hybrid vehicles. With a more efficient engine and transmission, and a frame and suspension system produced with lighter, high-tensile steel, the new Demio (called the Mazda 2 outside of Japan) is 30 percent more fuel efficient than similar models now produced by Mazda.

Models produced for the U.S. market will have a lower fuel economy rating because of different manufacturing requirements, but the vehicle will still use the same amount of fuel as a Toyota Prius, without the added costs of an electric motor and accompanying battery. The Demio represents a new class of gas-powered vehicles that automakers say can cut fuel consumption globally even more quickly than hybrids or electric vehicles since changes to the engines tend to be less expensive and can be implemented rapidly. Ford recently announced innovations that will improve the fuel economy of its Focus model by 17 percent, to about 40 miles per gallon.

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Honda is now offering a $500 rebate to customers who purchased a Civic Hybrid between 2003-2007 but aren’t happy with the gas mileage they are getting. This offer, which must be used towards the purchase of a new Honda (alternatively you can take $100 cash) is the result of a lawsuit by musician and disgruntled Honda Civic Hybrid (HCH) owner John True. True said he was only able to achieve 32 miles per gallon on his vehicle.

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Converting hybrid vehicles — particularly the Prius and Ford Escape — into plug-in hybrids has become a profitable niche industry for a few specialty companies. But the net impact of this new mini-industry has been much greater by influencing consumer and industry opinions.

Promoting the technical feasibility of PHEVs has been a significant factor in the auto manufacturers’ decision to develop the dozens of plug-in and all-electric vehicles now scheduled for delivery in the next five years.

But the earliest and strongest voice promoting PHEVs isn’t happy with that limited success. Felix Kramer, the founder of CalCars.org, says that getting to a million electrified vehicles by 2015 won’t do nearly enough to address climate change and energy independence, and now he’s setting his sights on electrifying internal combustion engine vehicles. He’s clearly on to something.

CalCar’s new “Big Fix” initiative wants to electrify some of the biggest emitters and gas-wasters — pickup trucks, SUVs and vans (PSVs). When used in delivery routes that are often well under 40 miles per day, they spend much of their time starting, stopping, and idling, and get among the worst MPG ratings around. Converting one of these vehicles to a PHEV or EV will reduce fuel consumption and emissions to a much greater degree than trading in a Sebring for a Prius.

SPVs, most notably the Ford F-150, have been among the top sellers for more than a decade, creating an inventory of millions of vehicles that could be converted. They also have much more space for battery packs, which makes for a simpler conversion than a compact car. Former Intel CEO Andy Grove and electric vehicle guru Andy Frank are fully on board, lending their considerable credibility to the idea.

The Japanese postal service has already begun converting its fleet of vehicles to EVs, and the U.S. Postal Service wants to do the same with more than 140,000 of its delivery vehicles. The cash-starved agency could save millions per year if the federal government decides to provide assistance, which would be more sustainable than a bailout.

The biggest impediments are the cost and potential resistance from the auto industry. The battery cost can be upwards of $20,000, making for a slow payback period if gasoline stays around $3 a gallon. The economics will improve over time, especially if conversion kits are produced in volume and battery manufacturing ramps up as the technology evolves.

But the harder sell will be convincing the auto industry that keeping vehicles on the road instead of buying new vehicles is a good thing, and that they should be a part of that business. Upgrading existing SPVs could be a multi-billion dollar business, extending the life of vehicles and preserving the energy cost sunk into building them. While Ford, GM and Chrylsler are best-suited to engineer conversions, this mass rethinking of the company would be an even bigger shift than the current change to becoming manufacturers of PHEVs and EVs.

Convincing fleet operators to convert will likely be easier than the consumers, legislators and car companies needed to make it happen. It’s not impossible, but it will take an extensive and well-orchestrated effort.

Appearing courtesy of Matter Network.

[photo credit: Flickr]

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In recent years a greater emphasis on MPG during car shopping has emerged. Between fluctuating gasoline prices, a broader selection of hybrid vehicles, and the promise of plug-ins and battery electric vehicles, and mandated increases in CAFE standards, fuel economy is becoming an important vehicle characteristic for many consumers.

Makers of ICEs are looking to accentuate the efficiency of many of their “traditional” models to meet federal requirements and better compete with hybrid vehicles. This includes the addition of a turbocharger, which enables manufacturers to use smaller engines while increasing fuel economy by up to 20 percent. Turbochargers reduce emissions as they burn exhaust gas as fuel, and also provide additional power for acceleration.

Honeywell, which makes turbocharger equipment, put out a study claiming that 80 percent of consumers who understood a turbocharger’s impact on fuel economy would be interested in buying a turbocharged vehicle.

Honeywell’s press release adds “According to the Department of Transportation, nine out of the ten most popular vehicles purchased in the recent ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program were equipped with smaller and more fuel-efficient versions of conventional technology engines.”

This overall trend towards the importance of fuel economy when designing vehicles is significant not only for its immediate impact on emissions, but also because it forces everyone — both hybrid and conventional automakers — to continue to up the ante. Hopefully the 35.5 mpg requirement for vehicle fleets by 2016 will be a floor upon which automakers will seek to distinguish themselves.

“Fuel economy as a feature” has a growing audience that auto manufacturers (such as with the Ford Focus) are tapping into. This affinity for higher MPG ratings — and therefore the desire to buy hybrids — is similar to the desire for other vehicle features, such as the imposing size of the Hummer, the power to do 160 mph, or the roar of the Harley. It does not have to be grounded in economics or reality, it just has to be something people want.

Over the years much analysis has been written about how hybrids don’t make economic sense because the added cost may not be offset by fuel savings. Just like turbochargers, the economics don’t have to add up to a fast payback, and that will carry over to plug-in hybrids as well. For some middle aged couple with kids off to college, the hybrid plate is just as important as the Porsche, Jaguar or Maserati name is for another type of consumer.

For those who believe in the importance of reducing emissions, oil imports and trips to the gas station, diesel vehicles should have equal mindshare even though they have been eschewed by American buyers. As an example of luxury meets diesel turbocharging, there’s the new BlueEFFICIENCY Diesel SUVs from Mercedes. Europe has always been way ahead of the U.S. in embracing diesels, but that may slowly be changing.

Appearing courtesy of Matter Network.

[photo credit: Flickr]

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