Saturday, April 19, 2008

100 MPG - CalCars and the beauty of high-mileage ideas

By Jay Inslee and Bracken Hendricks Special to the Apollo News Service

To see the future of the American automobile, take a spin down to Corte Madera, California, and introduce yourself to the CalCars boys.

This group of rebels met one sunny day in April 2004 in the garage of a typical condominium ten miles north of the Golden Gate, determined to roll out a car that could be “fueled” by plugging it into a wall at night with a standard extension cord and run on gas when needed. It was a Toyota Prius when they started and a symbol of an American revolution in automobiles when they finished.

The group was led by Felix Kramer, an entrepreneur who had an idea as big as his mustache. In 2003, after selling his Internet start-up, he cast about for his next adventure and landed on an audacious quest: to revolutionize the auto industry.

He knew that gas-powered, internal combustion cars were destroying the atmosphere and deepening our addiction to oil, and that things had to change. He stumbled on the work of Andy Frank at the University of California at Davis and Bob Graham at the Electric Power Research Institute. They are brilliant inventors who had radically re-thought how to power a car and created a blueprint for the first hybrid you could charge on the grid. Kramer decided to build a mass market for this change.

“Our whole auto configuration was decided by just a very few people, a handful of big auto company execs and the government. They had fouled up,” he said. “It was time to expand the number of Americans who had a hand in this future. So I decided to build a large group of folks who would demand the production of a clean, efficient car. To do that, I knew we had to first build such a car. So that’s exactly what we did.”

A multi-talented group of innovators answered Kramer's Internet call. They met in a garage owned by one of the new members of the team. Then they put the Internet to work to generate “open source” ideas they could incorporate into the design. Two years and a thousand feet of wire later they had converted a 2004 Prius into a car capable of driving on nothing but electricity from the garage wall jack for its first twenty-five miles each day. Kramer's plug-in may be the first car ever built “over the Internet.”

Secret SwitchIt was not an easy project. They succeeded only after discovering a secret switch that had literally been hidden in the American version of the Prius hybrid, which allowed the car to run in an all-electric mode, never relying on the gasoline engine. That discovery triggered Felix’s revelation that if he could boost the battery capacity, he could create a hybrid with monstrous mileage. So they went to work with a collection of tools, $700 worth of old nickel hydride batteries, and a growing collection of car enthusiasts who hovered around the garage at all hours.

When they finally drove their number out of the driveway and down the street in September 2004, Kramer felt justifiable pride. “All kinds of people want this kind of car: people like generals who care about security; environmentalists who care about the planet; and municipalities who care about cost.

“But it seems the last people in the world to ‘get it’ are the big car companies,” Kramer added. “Now that our CalCars cars are on the road, and these cars are being built in various places around the country, our vision is going to force changes. That is now happening.”

Plug-in, Second GenerationIt sure is. Kramer now has been tooling around California for 15,000 happy miles in his second-generation plug-in. It uses lithium ion batteries, gets a hundred miles per gallon of gas, and costs one cent a mile to run. Compare that to nine cents a mile to fuel a typical car with just gas. It is a miser of a car.

Kramer owns the first plug-in hybrid ever commercially sold in America. Plug-in hybrids are not yet rolling off assembly lines, but custom conversions like Kramer’s — built by EnergyCS, a small start-up in California that is beginning to make plug-in conversions available to the public — are being sought by an ever-growing market. Many more will follow.

Kramer takes joy in the car’s simplicity. He plugs a 19-inch cord in the rear bumper into a standard extension cord in his garage at night. Tooling around town, he is in all-electric mode for the first twenty-five quiet miles, covering the majority of his commutes gasoline free. He delights when he goes into forums of energy experts and shows them the little cord he uses.

“This is all the infrastructure we need to remake our car world,” he says. “We don’t have to build huge infrastructure for hydrogen. We can just ship clean electricity over the wires.”

What’s more, Kramer can smile as he drives, because with every mile he is saving CO2 emissions. He says, “When the car is in all-electric mode, it is putting out 60 percent less CO2 than a normal gas car, even taking into consideration all the CO2 coming out of the stacks of the plants that generate the electricity. Even if we never improve our electrical grid a bit, and even if people drive way more than the batteries can hold, some studies have shown this car can reduce CO2 by 36 percent. This is the best thing on the global warming front going.”

As an added bonus, Kramer’s wonder car has an attribute no mortal and few machines can claim—it gets better with age. “The electrical grid feeding my car is going to get cleaner over time,” he explains. “Instead of burning coal that releases carbon, we will be relying more and more on wind power, solar power, and geothermal. So the fuel—electricity—driving my car is going to get cleaner every year. How many cars do you know that get better the longer they are on the road?”

What About Detroit?Can Detroit deliver anything comparable?

We asked Tom and Ray Magliozzi, better known as Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, stars of the nationally syndicated radio talk show Car Talk. Their opinions are not exactly nuanced: “For thirty years now the companies have put everything they had into more power instead of more efficiency.”

Ray, who has a degree from MIT—as does Tom—and now runs Ray’s Garage in Cambridge, Massachusetts, elaborates: “The technology has been incredible, but it’s all about power. If the companies had put into efficiency what they have put into power, we would be driving cars getting sixty miles per gallon now. They have done fuel injection and computer-controlled engines but have not put those gains into efficiency. Any high schooler could have done better if they had wanted to.”

Indeed, Detroit cannot lead the way into the future by tinkering at the margins of its old business model. Nor can it get away with disingenuous promises of cleaner cars and ad campaigns that show gas-guzzling SUVs bringing us closer to nature. It will have to adopt the same spirit of innovation as Felix Kramer and his plug-in crew.

With General Motors now poised to release the plug-in hybrid electric Volt, it just might be that the revolution Kramer sought to provoke is starting to take hold. Only time will tell if the big three are ready to get serious about radical new designs that break our addiction to oil. But the technology is fast approaching that can help US auto companies make the leap beyond the small efficiency gains that have dominated recent fights, and finally launch us into a future of clean and efficient energy.

A National Security BenefitWhen plug-in technology is combined with a flex-fuel engine that can burn gas or biofuels, it can actually get vastly higher mileage per gallon of gas. Even without using biofuels, it reduces our dependence on foreign fuel, because 97 percent of the electricity it consumes is produced from domestic energy sources. Kramer’s car is virtually free of Saudi Arabian influence.

Excitement for hybrids is not confined to the road. Utilities salivate over the prospect of turning the storage capacity of plug-in batteries into an adjunct to the electrical grid. Power plants may soon be able to feed their juice into our car batteries at night when demand is lowest, using base electric load more efficiently and storing energy in our cars while they are parked for use during the day. In this way, our cars may one day serve to level out electrical supply and demand on the grid as we slumber.

Roger Duncan, vice president of Austin Energy, a Texas utility, is working to make plug-ins a regular feature of the grid. He has organized a massive national grassroots initiative called Plug-In Partners, which has demonstrated the demand for these cars with pledges from literally hundreds of cities, businesses, and non-profits from Chicago to Phoenix, from California Edison to the U.S. PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups). Chicago is retrofitting 850 plug-in hybrids, and New York State is converting the 600 hybrids in its fleet to plug-ins.2 Several companies are already converting hybrids for commercial sale using the ideas of these pioneers.

A garage gave birth to Hewlett-Packard and the electronic age, not to mention rock and roll and the modern entertainment industry. A garage may also have given birth to the future of personal transportation and the age of the plug-in car.

10 comments:

Keith said...

That's some great news!
Can't wait to see what the big car companies do with it.

Anonymous said...

Jewelry sequence by [B][URL=http://www.salethomassabo.com/thomas-sabo-charms.html]Thomas Sabo Charms[/URL][/B] arrive from Germany, sticking towards the outstanding concepts of pattern to produce little, fashionable silver products for every person. Silver offered by [B]Thomas Sabo[/B] him includes bracelet that are colorful, exquisite design and style rings, bold and stylish pendants, and various other selection of silver. Not just this, [B][URL=http://www.salethomassabo.com]Thomas Sabo[/URL][/B] yet another sequence with classic style is full of type which can suit any occasion. It tends to make use of appealing way within the create up lines to interpret lovely type to [B]Thomas Sabo onlineshop[/B] create a mark within the hearts of rather a few youthful girls.

Other kinds of charms presented are loved versions [B][URL=http://www.salethomassabo.com]Thomas Sabo[/URL][/B] and almost continuous sequence of symbol and cross charms. In [B]Thomas Sabo onlineshop[/B] of loved kinds charms you are bound to locate something for any infant, to [B][URL=http://www.salethomassabo.com/thomas-sabo-halsschmuck.html]Thomas Sabo Schmuck[/URL][/B] of products of infant that are an indication of fatherhood and motherhood.

The kid's club is an additional special collection of charms. This [B]Thomas Sabo schmuck[/B] is meant for young kids and teenager. Youngsters have the option to create their [B][URL=http://www.salethomassabo.com/thomas-sabo-halsschmuck.html]Thomas Sabo Schmuck[/URL][/B] person fashion also. Exclusive necklaces and bracelets have been designed to fit smaller children.

Anonymous said...

[B][URL=http://www.thomassabosale.de]Thomas Sabo[/URL][/B] [B]Thomas Sabo schmuck[/B] [U]Thomas Sabo onlineshop[/U] [B]masai[/B] [U]swiss masai[/U] [B][URL=http://www.mbtschuheoutlet.de]mbt[/URL][/B]

[B]Thomas Sabo charms[/B] [B][URL=http://www.thomassabosale.de]Thomas Sabo schmuck[/URL][/B] [U]Thomas Sabo schmuck[/U] abercrombie [B]masai[/B] [B][URL=http://www.mbtschuheoutlet.de]mtb masai[/URL][/B] [U]masai schuhe[/U] fivefingers [B]Thomas Sabo schmuck[/B] [B][URL=http://www.salethomassabo.com]Thomas Sabo charms[/URL][/B] [U]Thomas Sabo[/U] masai [B]vibram five fingers kso[/B] [B][URL=http://www.vibramfivefingersshop.de]vibram fivefingers[/URL][/B] [U]vibram five fingers classic[/U] Thomas Sabo charms [B]abercrombie and fitch[/B] [B][URL=http://www.abercrombieonsale.de]abercrombie and fitch[/URL][/B] [U]abercrombie and fitch[/U]

[B]abercormbie & fitch[/B] [U]abercormbie & fitch[/U] [B][URL=http://www.abercrombieonsale.de]abercormbie fitch[/URL][/B] [B][URL=http://www.mbtschuheoutlet.de]mtb schuhe masai[/URL][/B] [B]masai footwear[/B] [U]masai footwear[/U] [B][URL=http://www.thomassabosale.de]Thomas Sabo charms[/URL][/B] [B]Thomas Sabo[/B] [U]Thomas Sabo[/U] [B]mtb masai[/B] [U]mbt[/U] [B][URL=http://www.mbtschuheoutlet.de]mbt[/URL][/B]

Anonymous said...

Tiffany's is one of the most well known [U]tiffany jewellery uk[/U] brand names and design houses in the jewelry [B]tiffany earrings[/B] business. The quality of service, customer satisfaction and the fine designs offered by [U][B]tiffany pendants[/U][/B] the company are one of the best in their times. The company is primarily [B][URL=http://www.tiffanysfree.com]tiffany co[/URL][/B] famous for its superb quality and artisanship.

However, as this amount of beauty and quality comes at [B]tiffany[/B] a price, there are many jewelry lovers who are just not able to pay [U][B]tiffany rings[/U][/B] the high price and look for suitable replicas instead. This is the [U][B]tiffany company jewelry[/U][/B] reason there are special [U]tiffany uk][/U] designers that now offer beautifully made Replica Tiffany Jewelry and that too, at a much [B][URL=http://www.tiffanysfree.com]tiffany sets[/URL][/B] lower price.

The Tiffany's is one [B]cheap tiffany and co jewelry[/B] of those brands that actually [B]fake tiffany jewelry[/B] mark the onset of a classic style and design on its own. Some of the designs of this [B]tiffany engagement rings[/B] brand name have become so common and popular, that they [B]authentic tiffany jewelry monthly promotion[/B] are bound to be copied by artisans all over. These replicas are created either by [U][B]tiffany pendants[/U][/B] using a mass production technique or by an individual jewelry designer who is striving to [U]tiffany uk][/U] make a name for his services and capitalize on the original designs. These [U]authentic tiffany jewelry[/U] kinds of procedures have made the replica business [B]pandora bracelets[/B] a very lucrative one, with scores of skilled designers [U]tiffany rings][/U] paying close attention to these designs and producing them effortlessly [U][B]tiffany jewelry store[/U][/B] with same style and appeal.


There are also other ways that help you spot the fake pieces. For instance, one of the methods [B]tiffany bracelets[/B] is to see whether the dealer has several sizes in one piece or if the fake [U]tiffany earrings][/U] platinum is excessively bright. It is always helpful to have prior [U]pandora bangles[/U]knowledge of the important aspects of the replica Tiffany's jewelry [U][B]pandora bracelet[/U][/B] to help you avoid such situations.

Anonymous said...

Jewelry is women's best friend. It is surely a [B][URL=http://www.tiffanysfree.com]tiffany necklaces[/URL][/B] long lasting gift to your loved ones and enhances ones beauty [U]3tiffany & co jewellery[/U] with its attention getting charm. So, while buying such beautiful jewelry for [B]authentic tiffany jewelry monthly promotion[/B] your precious ones, you need to make [B]best website to buy discounted tiffany jewelry[/B] sure that you get them from trust worthy places. Pandora bracelets, Links of London, Tiffany jewelry [U][B]discount tiffany jewelry[/U][/B] offer you top edge designs and high quality jewelry at affordable prices. They are known for their [U][B]knockoff tiffany jewelry[/U][/B] elegant yet bright designs that could match any occasion. Jewelry these brands offer has a specific [B][URL=http://www.etiffanystore.com]tiffany charms[/URL][/B] meaning that expresses many feelings.

Silver bangles and bracelets of Tiffany jewelry [B][URL=http://www.etiffanystore.com]tiffany engagement rings[/URL][/B] are known for their delicate knots and symbols which express unity and harmony. Their heart shaped lockets which express love make [U][B]tiffany jewelry store[/U][/B] their partner feels that they are precious [B]buyers of tiffany jewelry sets[/B] and wonderful.

These jewelries are quite famous [B]tiffany jewellery uk[/B] among couples who say that these unique and simple [U]tiffany company jewelry[/U] designs of Tiffany jewelry are long-lasting and incomparable. Some [U][B]buyers of tiffany jewelry sets[/U][/B] designs in Tiffany's jewelry date back to decades ago, which make them [B][URL=http://www.tiffanysfree.com]tiffany co[/URL][/B] a perfect gift as a heirloom, so that it could be passed from one generation to another, this explains the timeless beauty [U]tiffany jewellery uk[/U] of the jewelry and still be in fashion even after many generations

Pandora bracelets are exquisite and its [U][B]replica tiffany jewelry[/U][/B] lovely charm casts a spell on every one who sees it. It is irresistible to stop thinking about [B]authentic tiffany jewelry[/B] the wonderful piece of art once you have seen it. Jewelry of the line of Pandora bracelets are designed with [U]best website to buy discounted tiffany jewelry[/U] great care keeping in mind of tastes of millions of people, not to mention about [U][B]best website to buy discounted tiffany jewelry[/U][/B] the current fashion too. They would make a perfect choice for [U]authentic tiffany jewelry[/U] all those modern women to whom [U][B]discount tiffany jewelry[/U][/B] fashion is everything.

Anonymous said...

Tiffany's jewelry is world famous company and if [B][URL=http://www.etiffanystore.com]tiffany[/URL][/B] you cannot afford the actual jewelry there are a lot of Tiffany inspired jewelry to choose from. While Tiffany's [B]tiffany[/B] has produced some more affordable pieces like key chains and money clips [U]pandora jewelry[/U] for those wanting the elegant pieces without the price tag there are other options. Tiffany produces bracelets, rings, earrings [U][B]tiffany[/U][/B] and necklaces.

Besides the traditional Tiffany's style, the jewelry [B]tiffany earrings[/B] comes in the traditional blue box and you can even find Tiffany inspired jewelry that [B][URL=http://www.pandoraforyou.com]pandora jewelry[/URL][/B] reproduces the Tiffany style down to the box. Tiffany jewelry is traditionally sterling [U][B]tiffany[/U][/B] silver as the Tiffany Company has produced a special blend of silver that is very strong [U]pandora necklaces[/U] and will last.

It is not a direct replica but it is inspired from the Tiffany style so [B][URL=http://www.etiffanystore.com]tiffany pendants[/URL][/B] many of the pieces are very similar to Tiffany. Some companies [U][B]pandora jewelry[/U][/B] may even produce direct replicas. The main difference between real Tiffany's jewelry [U]tiffany bracelets[/U] and the inspired version jewelry is the price tag. They are just as beautiful [U][B]tiffany[/U][/B] and classic as the real ones but at much more affordable prices. If you aspire for [B]tiffany earrings[/B] a piece of Tiffany's then you should investigate Tiffany inspired jewelry.


Tiffany also offers men's jewelry and you can find Tiffany's inspired jewelry [B]tiffany bracelets[/B] from their men's line. There is a huge array of cufflinks available with two tone cufflinks, woven cufflinks and love knot [U][B]tiffany jewelry[/U][/B] cufflinks to name but a few. Other men's [U][B]pandora[/U][/B] jewelry include pendants, chains, heavy mesh rings, eternal cross pendants, dice key chains, golf [U]tiffany pendants[/U] club money clip, sterling silver dollar sign money [U]tiffany engagement rings[/U] clips and dog tag pendants.

Anonymous said...

Trying to find an innovative and lucrative [B][URL=http://www.tiffanysfree.com]tiffany london[/URL][/B] business? A business on sterling silver jewelries may just be the one you are [U][B]tiffany[/U][/B] looking for. It's never that too difficult to find reasonably priced Tiffany wholesale jewelry to get you [U][B]pandora jewelry[/U][/B] started on your way to being financially independent. The Internet is actually a good place [B]pandora bracelets[/B] to start. You virtually spend nothing to find the supplier you are seeking. No need to be technically knowledgeable to find [U]tiffany jewellery][/U] your valuable information, a simple understanding of how to operate the computer and use a reliable search [B]tiffany bracelets[/B] engine is all you need.

Once you find your tiffany wholesale supplier, your quest [U][B]pandora[/U][/B] doesn't end there. You need to understand jewelry selling basics and selecting the styles that are most appropriate [B]tiffany necklaces[/B] for your niche market as well as having the eye for designs that will [U]tiffany co][/U] most likely sell. You must also learn the tricks of finding out which jewelry pieces are [B]pandora bangles[/B] of superior quality. There are an abundant source of suppliers for Tiffany wholesale jewelry, you just need [B][URL=http://www.pandoraforyou.com]pandora bangles[/URL][/B] to have that discriminating taste in ensuring you get to the best source. In this business, if you start with low quality [U]tiffany pendants][/U] pieces, your business will suffer.

The key to a profitable and lucrative business is to build a [U][B]pandora bracelet[/U][/B] large customer base. In order for you to get customers to comeback you must be [B][URL=http://www.tiffanysfree.com]tiffany co[/URL][/B] able to please them with the quality of your items as well as the attractiveness of your designs. Always find unique [U][B]tiffany charms[/U][/B] and stylish designs, you wouldn't want to sell everybody else is selling. If your pieces are just ok and plain you may have difficulty [U][B]tiffany & co[/U][/B] keeping faithful customers. Aside from having quality merchandise you [U][B]pandora jewellery[/U][/B] also should be pricing them reasonably, not too expensive but not too cheap. Always make [B]tiffany[/B] your customers feel special in finding the best priced jewelries they [U][B]tiffany jewellery[/U][/B] can find.

A good plan is definitely in order, plunging head on [U]tiffany earrings][/U] into a business is like committing financial suicide. If you [B]pandora bracelets[/B] want your business to workout you need to sit down and make [U][B]tiffany jewellery[/U][/B] a list of what you need to do to achieve your main goal [U]tiffany uk][/U] of being the vendor of choice. A supplier of good quality Tiffany wholesale jewelries [U]tiffany jewellery][/U] should top the list, after all you shouldn't start any business if your [U][B]pandora jewelry[/U][/B] merchandise is not good at all.

Anonymous said...

[url=http://www.freewebs.com/trazodone-buy]desyrel 100 mg
[/url]

Anonymous said...

|
Creating an on-line pet store FemanFs you [url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]Louis Vuitton Outlet[/url]
have a website registereF within your very own Fomain iFentiFy, which can amount to less when compareF [url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]Louis Vuitton Outlet/[/url]
constructing or renting proFessional space[url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]louis vuitton knolckoffs[/url]
Your web site will now serve as the pet shop itselF2. Persevere. Coaches that has a promoting Frame oF minF embrace worries as a part oF Faily liFe anF portion oF busines[url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]louis vuitton knolckoffs[/url]
Primary investigate is exploration perFormeF by main person on the inFormation. SeconFary stuFy is collecteF elsewhere anF utilizeF by you (purchaseF, leaseF, anF so on.). Most little corporations perForm both equally oF such varieties oF market exploration customer surveys For key inFo anF by exploring Free or having to pay service Fees For seconFary inFo.
Just one oF my beloveF Fatabases is ReFerence Usa. It's listings oF in excess oF 12 million U.S. Firms, one hunFreF twenty million Families, anF 650,000 Foctors anF Fentist[url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]louis vuitton knolckoffs[/url]
IF you might have useF time anF cash Fown the Frain waiting For "worF oF mouth" [url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]louis vuitton knolckoffs[/url]
kick in, or multiple hrs on networking meetings, you coulF possibly want [url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]Louis Vuitton Outlet/[/url]
investigate this variety one particular way [url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]louis vuitton knolckoffs[/url]
publicize your proviFer. Novices welcome. AnF, aFter you stuFy the talents, it is possible to Felegate everything [url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]Louis Vuitton Outlet[/url]
your oFFice assistant..

Anonymous said...

Birkin Bags[url=http://www.likehandbagsforsale.com]2013 Hermes Bags[/url] on Hermes Handbags[url=http://www.hotbirkinbags.com]Kelly Hermes Handbags[/url] baggage