Is rogue plugging into a 120 volt outlet a “theft”? The news this week is full of shock over a man arrested for “stealing” 5 cents worth of electricity from his school. As electric car owners we might be looking for any opportunity to plug in and charge, and an…
Even if the Keystone XL pipeline is blocked, that might not block the shipment of Alberta Tar Sands Oil to refineries. The “Carbon Bomb” that Bill McKibbon wants us to be afraid of is set of with every shipment of Tar Sands oil to a refinery, so that the oil…
Prof. James Hansen and a group of scientists released a paper today claiming we need to go nuclear to prevent climate change. Generally speaking I’m against nuclear power, and point at the Fukushima disaster as proof of my fear of that technology. But.. the scientists behind the paper make an…
Google provides an amazing amount of charging infrastructure for their employees What kind of charging infrastructure do employees need at their workplace? Most electric car driving employees will require access to a charger during the work day. In some cases it will be a matter of convenience, but depending on…
The Volkswagen e-UP Volkswagen is reiterating at the LA Auto Show their goal to become a leader in e-mobility by 2018 by offering a full range of technologically refined, reliable, and affordable cars with alternative powertrains. That this comes just a few days after Audi, a member of the VW…
What can automakers do to improve highway safety? The other day I wrote about the coming age of autonomous vehicles and how they might both reduce traffic congestion and reduce traffic accidents. Today, Toyota has announced some in-car-gizmos meant to increase Driver Awareness, and therefore reduce traffic accidents. Having been…
Could Nissan be getting ready to offer multiple battery pack capacity options on the Nissan Leaf? According to a report on PlugInCars.com, that’s exactly the case, though it’s not clear WHEN this will occur. Reportedly, Pierre Loing, Nissan’s Vice President of Product and Advanced Planning and Strategy, said that Nissan…
Palo Alto took a step closer on Tuesday to requiring that new housing include a 50 amp circuit for electric car charging outlets. The City Council Policy and Services Committee unanimously recommended that the City Council adopt the proposal. However, Palo Alto Online slams the move saying “a new law…
By now we were supposed to have flying cars, right? Maybe that will never happen but one prediction of the future is beginning to become true – self-driving cars. When fully implemented self-driving cars MIGHT be a big positive win for green transportation. Today, Ford announced a big step towards…
With oil companies racking up record profits it may seem absurd to suggest their days are numbered, and that investors should sell their oil company stocks by 2020. But that’s a suggestion in an article posted today on the MarketWatch website. That article in turn references no less an institution…
Road & Track Magazine has named the Fiat 500e the “Best Electric Car of 2013.” Which begs the question of why is Fiat making such a good electric car, but building it in such limited quantities? “It is deeply satisfying that Road & Track editors are so taken with the…
In part what will drive electric vehicle adoption is the fact that electricity is a cheaper fuel than gasoline – so long as electricity rates stay about what they are today. But the price premium for today’s electric vehicles over equivalent gasoline powered vehicles make it hard to recognize the…
Should Ethanol or Fossil Oil be the fuel driving America’s cars and trucks? To me that’s a nonsensical question because the answer is “electricity” and the question doesn’t even ask about that fuel. However, a report on NPR’s All Things Considered yesterday talked about “Two large industries — agriculture and…
Audi A3 e-tron electric car Audi has had on-again-off-again plans for electric vehicles. They also, like parent company Volkswagen, really like turbo-charged diesel (TDI) engines. Both Audi and VW claim that TDI diesel engines produce dramatically less emissions than regular diesel. Given that traditional Diesel engines produce the larger particulate…
Yesterday another Tesla Model S fire occurred on the heels of Tesla Motors’ Q3 2013 financial results which had disappointed Wall Street who sent the stock down 14% on Wednesday. News of the Model S fire came too late in the day to affect the stock on Wednesday, so it’s…
