By John Addison (6/4/08). With oil prices rocketing past $130 per barrel, a growing number of vehicle makers are planning to offer electric vehicles by 2010. Zero gasoline will be used.
Over 40,000 electric vehicles (EV) are currently used in the United States. [...]
Farmers are planting corn and soybeans like crazy, turning food crops into ethanol and biodiesel. Scientists are squeezing oil out of algae while others are trying to coax hydrogen into a fuel that is easy to produce and safe to use. Still other developers are touting the battery-operated electric car, and one company is building a car that runs on compressed air.
Which system will survive? Or will we have a mixture of E85’s, biodiesel, electric, air and hydrogen fueled vehicles cramming our highways and straining the fuel delivery system infrastructure? Eventually, according to the age-old theory that the fittest shall survive, one method of moving us from point “A” to point “B” will emerge, and some folks are betting on the plug-in hybrid.
This year’s auto show was a clash of environmental responsibility with traditional automotive manufacturing.
Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of General Motors, told a group of us that we have two basic choices: use oil until the oil’s gone, or start working on alternatives now and avoid a drastic and potentially unpleasant switch.
While producers are still putting out large, gas-driven vehicles with relatively low fuel economy, the major players are inching toward alternatives and pursuing new technology as rapidly as they say they can. The green theme was so pervasive that some have dubbed 2008 the ‘green year for auto manufacturing’.
Looking for a sweet ride that can get you infinity miles per gallon? Check out the Eco-Chic Fisker Karma, a luxury sports sedan capable of 50 miles of emissions free-driving on one overnight charge.
This sexy-looking sports car, which I stumbled upon at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this week, uses the same kind of technology as the lusted-after Chevy Volt. Both cars use a purely electric drive train for the first 40-50 miles of driving, then switch to a small gasoline engine that recharges the lithium ion battery pack for longer drives. This means that if you drive less than 50 miles per day, you’ll only need to refill the tank once per year.
During the frenzy of PR announcements yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down with Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director for GM’s Chevy Volt. If you aren’t familiar with the Volt, here’s a short introduction: it’s a plug-in electric hybrid vehicle, capable of 40 mile trips before relying on a small internal-combustion generator to repower the battery system. For more background, see Jeff’s posts from last year (Will GM Revive the Electric Car? Part 1).
Here’s a summary of our 10 minute conversation (believe me, I had to be torn away from this interview):
What major issues are keeping the Volt from an earlier release date (I’ve been told 2010):
Posawatz: GM is relatively certain it will be the first auto manufacturer to produce a plug-in hybrid model (regardless of the actual release date), but we want it to be right. The two major factors holding back the Volt’s release are extensive testing requirements and lithium ion battery technology. The batteries aren’t cheap, and they’re produced out of country. They also require extensive testing both in and out of the car before things go into production. Basically, GM won’t release the Volt until it’s proven safe and the batteries work.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak may be the first mayor in the nation to drive a plug-in hybrid vehicle as his official city car.
Since he was first elected in 2002, Mayor Rybak’s official car has been a Toyota Prius. But the dramatically superior gas mileage of a plug-in hybrid vehicle prompted him to make the switch: he had his hybrid converted to a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, from which he expects to get
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Today was a big day for GM’s concept Chevrolet Volt. First, they announced an official partnership with A123Systems for the creation of the Volt’s batteries, then they told Reuters they had a firm production schedule that includes a 2010 sale date. If they stick to it, it will be the first plug-in electric hybrid from any major manufacturer. GM vice chairman of Global Product Development Bob Lutz announced that GM and A123Systems
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The author of today’s post, Sheryl Canter, is an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, or PHEVs, have been in the news a lot lately (and here on Green Options, too!). It’s an appealing idea - virtually no emissions, just plug in your car at night and go. Plus, the batteries that drive them could store electricity for homes and offices. When
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Plug-in hybrids seem like a fantastic technology that could make a serious impact in the amount of petroleum fuel needed for transportation. GM executives have been using the phrase "displacing petroleum" when talking about the long term strategy for powering vehicles in the future. Biofuels, rather than fossil fuels, are drawing a lot of attention, and hydrogen is being explored both as a combustion fuel and for use in fuel cells.
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Switchgrass: Image Credit: USDA
I'm not that much of an automobile enthusiast. Despite my proximity to the Motor City, I don't pay constant attention to the latest twitches in the auto industry. I take the bus to work, and drive a car only occasionally, usually for errands or to shuttle the kids someplace. But I attended the GM ChallengeX event on behalf of EcoGeek.org and Green Options, and
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