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John Batteen

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1050 on: June 03, 2016, 09:52:13 PM »
In terms of GHG emission reduction of transportation fuels in California ethanol is the biggest contributor, you can disagree all you want, but it doesn't change the facts.

Even if that's true the environmental destruction being wrought on the states growing all the corn isn't worth it.  I could find a way to make it look on paper like diverting all of the water in California and using it to irrigate the deserts and feed the nation is a great idea but if you're paying attention in California you know the truth.  It's the same in the Midwest but instead of vegetables we're growing fuel.

All those pesticides and herbicides and fertilizers are killing our bees, our safe groundwater, our fish, our rodents, pretty much every living thing that isn't corn or soybeans.  What good is a slightly less warmed climate if the earth itself is barren?  Go check out the Salton Sea, and imagine the Land of 10,000 Lakes similarly being turned into the Land of 10,000 Cesspools.  Corn ethanol is disgusting.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1051 on: June 03, 2016, 09:57:57 PM »
Norway reportedly agrees on banning new sales of gas-powered cars by 2025
Quote
Norway’s four main political parties have been talking about a possible ban on new gasoline-powered car sales (diesel or petrol) for a while now, but they were not able to come to an understanding until now, according to a new report.

The new report comes from Dagens Næringsliv (Paywall), an important newspaper in Norway, claiming that the four main political parties, both from the right and the left, have agreed on a new energy policy that will include a ban on new gasoline-powered car sales as soon as 2025 – making it one of the most aggressive timeline of its kind for such a policy.

India confirmed that it is evaluating a scheme for all its fleet to be electric by 2030 and the Dutch government is discussing the possibility to ban gas-powered car sales and only allow electric vehicle sales starting also by 2025, but the idea divides the parliament.
...
While representatives from the Democratic Party and the liberal Party have corroborated Dagens Næringsliv’s story, representatives from the two parties on the right have told the aftenposten.no that they have not yet agreed on the rule.

It looks like Norway is getting closer to its fossil fuel ban, but a little more work will be needed before the country can say goodbye to gas.
http://electrek.co/2016/06/03/norway-gasoline-powered-car-ban-2025/
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RoxTheGeologist

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1052 on: June 03, 2016, 10:30:51 PM »
Stipulated, for the moment, the fossil carbon displacement advantage for corn to ethanol.

Nevertheless, I submit that lifecycle analyses have attended to
 
1) horrible impacts of fertilized corn monoculture
2) carbon sequestration in appropriate soils if restored to prairie
3) equivalent investment in transmission for solar farms on favorable sites


Most farmer i know dont understand why not just burn the corn ? They understand all about road fuels, and they go " ... or just drive less"

i kinda agree with them.

sidd
   


There are better ways, corn ethanol is just a stop gap until we get better solutions (Cellulosic ethanol and electric cars have been very slow in their take up). Drive less, use self drive cars that can be very close together. Rail, Bikes etc. It just takes too much time to change the mindset. In some transportation uses liquid fuels are going to be around for a long time; Our aim has to be to have those have the least possible environmental impact, both in criteria emissions and in GHG pollutants.

RoxTheGeologist

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1053 on: June 03, 2016, 10:36:42 PM »
Norway reportedly agrees on banning new sales of gas-powered cars by 2025
Quote
Norway’s four main political parties have been talking about a possible ban on new gasoline-powered car sales (diesel or petrol) for a while now, but they were not able to come to an understanding until now, according to a new report.

The new report comes from Dagens Næringsliv (Paywall), an important newspaper in Norway, claiming that the four main political parties, both from the right and the left, have agreed on a new energy policy that will include a ban on new gasoline-powered car sales as soon as 2025 – making it one of the most aggressive timeline of its kind for such a policy.

India confirmed that it is evaluating a scheme for all its fleet to be electric by 2030 and the Dutch government is discussing the possibility to ban gas-powered car sales and only allow electric vehicle sales starting also by 2025, but the idea divides the parliament.
...
While representatives from the Democratic Party and the liberal Party have corroborated Dagens Næringsliv’s story, representatives from the two parties on the right have told the aftenposten.no that they have not yet agreed on the rule.

It looks like Norway is getting closer to its fossil fuel ban, but a little more work will be needed before the country can say goodbye to gas.
http://electrek.co/2016/06/03/norway-gasoline-powered-car-ban-2025/

I was at the Clean Energy ministerial Conference on Wednesday, and for the first time there seemed to be real urgency in the need to cut Carbon emissions. Whatever information has been released about climate change, either publicly or behind closed doors, seems to have scared the hell out of our governments.

magnamentis

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1054 on: June 03, 2016, 11:09:58 PM »
i wish there were more like that, drives me mad every day that the spaniards don't finally force solar panels on every rooftop in andalucia and and other 330 sunny day provinces. [anger]

there is either wind or sun here or both, it's a crime not to make use of this fact, would be enough to fuel each car and air-conditioning and the Norwegians who are left in the dark for 3 months a year and have their own oil can do it?

sidd

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1055 on: June 04, 2016, 07:56:12 AM »
Errata: I just realized i omitted the word "not" in the sentence

"Nevertheless, I submit that lifecycle analyses have attended to"

in my last post. it should read

"Nevertheless, I submit that lifecycle analyses have not attended to"

Rox the Geologist wrote:

" ...there seemed to be real urgency in the need to cut Carbon emissions. Whatever information has been released about climate change, either publicly or behind closed doors, seems to have scared the hell out of our governments."

As has been remarked, nothing clears the mind like the prospect of being hanged shortly. I recall an episode from "Yes, Prime Minister" which went " ...  the Financial Times is read by people who own the country ..."

Now I see that the staid Financial Times has instructed fossil fuel to go gentle into that good night.  Many many governments and pension funds and private loot funds and drug money and corporate stashes are looking to disinvest. So sad. Especially when the Sauds are trying to flog an oil IPO. So, so sad.

But i fear that all that money will pour into the next bubble. 

sidd

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1056 on: June 04, 2016, 04:03:13 PM »
I was at the Clean Energy ministerial Conference on Wednesday, and for the first time there seemed to be real urgency in the need to cut Carbon emissions. Whatever information has been released about climate change, either publicly or behind closed doors, seems to have scared the hell out of our governments.

Cool!   8)

Quote
The United States hosted the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7) in San Francisco, California, on June 1–2, 2016. Energy ministers and other high-level delegates from 23 countries and the European Union announced new commitments to expand clean energy deployment and cut global carbon emissions while driving economic growth.
http://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/Events/CEM7
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1057 on: June 04, 2016, 04:20:14 PM »
 But the Pony Express only lasted 19 months....
http://ponyexpress.org/history/


Furrer+Frey proposes tractor swapping for long-haul trucks
Quote
While short-haul applications such as local delivery trucks, port drayage trucks and city buses are perfect candidates for electrification, long-haul trucking will likely prove more of a challenge, because of battery-electric vehicles’ limited range.

Now Furrer+Frey, a Swiss firm that provides a wide range of rail transport products and services, has proposed a simple, low-tech solution: tractor swapping.
...
Under the proposed tractor swapping model, a tractor-trailer with a low charge pulls into a station where a fully charged tractor is waiting. The driver switches tractors and departs with a full pack, leaving the first tractor to recharge.
https://chargedevs.com/newswire/furrerfrey-proposes-tractor-swapping-for-long-haul-trucks/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1058 on: June 04, 2016, 10:38:37 PM »
This Is How Little Government Support Tesla Motors Actually Receives
The electric-car maker receives virtually no direct support from state or federal governments.
Quote
Over the past four quarters, Tesla has generated a total of $118 million from ZEV credit sales, or about 2.8% of total GAAP revenue.
http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/04/this-is-how-little-government-support-tesla-motors.aspx
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1059 on: June 07, 2016, 12:30:56 AM »
IEA: There are now more than one million electric cars on the world’s roads
Quote
In 2015, the number of electric cars on the road globally passed the one million threshold for the first time.

The rapid growth of the industry means that it is now the only technology sector on track to meet the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2C scenario.

This is the conclusion of the IEA’s Energy Technology Perspectives 2016 report, which it released on Wednesday. This is the latest edition of their annual progress review of the technologies that will determine the rate of global emissions, including renewables, nuclear, CCS and coal.
http://www.carbonbrief.org/iea-there-are-now-more-than-one-million-electric-cars-on-the-worlds-roads
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1060 on: June 07, 2016, 09:40:20 PM »
Mercedes to unveil its first dedicated all-electric vehicle at the Paris Motor Show [in September]
http://electrek.co/2016/06/07/mercedes-unveil-first-dedicated-all-electric-vehicle-paris-motor-show/
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RoxTheGeologist

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« Reply #1061 on: June 07, 2016, 10:44:04 PM »

It's about time Mercedes got with the plot. They used to run 100% biodiesel in their diesel engines, now it's not advised to put in more than 5%. 

Note that diesel engines do not have zero tailpipe emissions, but at B100 they can generate significantly less GHG emissions than electric drive. That is, if you are not using 1st generation biodiesel.

sidd

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1062 on: June 08, 2016, 06:05:01 AM »
heeheehee. Peanut oil as i recall.

Lot of times, neighbors on 1963 Massey-Ferguson combine or 1957 International  Harvester tractor will pull up and say, can you fill me up ? Those guys don't even need biodiesel. They can decant straight veg oil outta the seed press into the engine. (They shut down and start up on straight diesel, tho). They figure, if they needed, they could run their whole operation on the oil from soy on one third of their land.

They be old and crazy tho. And their kids are all leavin for gay Paree.

sidd

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1063 on: June 09, 2016, 03:29:39 AM »
Los Angeles is using energy savings from LED streetlights to charge electric vehicles.
https://www.wired.com/2016/06/las-using-energy-savings-led-streetlights-charge-electric-vehicles/
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timallard

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1064 on: June 09, 2016, 04:02:37 PM »
heeheehee. Peanut oil as i recall.

Lot of times, neighbors on 1963 Massey-Ferguson combine or 1957 International  Harvester tractor will pull up and say, can you fill me up ? Those guys don't even need biodiesel. They can decant straight veg oil outta the seed press into the engine. (They shut down and start up on straight diesel, tho). They figure, if they needed, they could run their whole operation on the oil from soy on one third of their land.

They be old and crazy tho. And their kids are all leavin for gay Paree.

sidd

>> From the late 60's people have used cooking oil and most biodiesel you can buy is from that commercially so it's not a sustainable process it's part of a food-crop supply-chain using petrol-ag to grow

Consider your local sewage treatment plant uses chemicals to clean the water enough to let it go into a waterway and algae photo-bioreactors can grow 24x7, insulated, aeration & power piped in to have biodiesel from algae at high-volume.

My research was in Phoenix, AZ, visiting the labs that developed the aviation biodiesel algae that flew commercially along with ASU's libraries & local treatment plant managers where volume was 10-million gal/day in effluent, about 1/2 by weight in dissolved solids, aka algae food, & is worth about 3-million gal/day in biodiesel.

This process will remove CO2 and emit oxygen BEFORE you burn it is the diff to fossil fuels, this will create a much slower migration process of excess greenhouse gases at the local level. Know that pre-WW2 algae biodiesel was researched by the War Department and 50%-oil species had been hybridized, about 50-years prior to GMOs so they are not needed for this.

Biodiesel is refined to not dissolve seals in engines, it'll run any engine, for the picky algae-to-crude is $7.50/gal so bio-gasoline is possible, the oil barons have to keep their refineries working, eh?

The oil barons have kept this industry away from the public with the gas-station game, biodiesel-from-algae growers are small operators so can't afford that except for a dozen large-scale bio-reactor style, most large-scale use raceway ponds so can't grow in high-latitudes.

My focus was purifying the water, algae do a better job than floccing chemicals cleaning water so make tertiary treatment cheaper than what N Lake Tahoe's plant has been doing since the late 70's, then add in a revenue stream from the biodiesel and the treatment plant becomes the biofuel supply for the town.
-tom

sidd

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1065 on: June 09, 2016, 06:53:38 PM »

" ... people have used cooking oil and most biodiesel you can buy is from that commercially ... "

This is incorrect. Most biodiesel today is produced from fresh vegetable oil.

" ... it'll run any engine ... "

No. Manufacturers are up to B20 right now, trying for B30 but have no plans to go to B100. I have run B100 in summer in a Navistar 6.3L engine, for a couple years with no apparent ill effects, but i voided the warranty doing so. Larger engines are more expensive, and none of the longhaul or shorthaul trucking companies i know will run anything except manufacturer recommended fuel blends in them.

Your mileage may vary.

timallard

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1066 on: June 09, 2016, 08:04:11 PM »

" ... people have used cooking oil and most biodiesel you can buy is from that commercially ... "

This is incorrect. Most biodiesel today is produced from fresh vegetable oil.

" ... it'll run any engine ... "

No. Manufacturers are up to B20 right now, trying for B30 but have no plans to go to B100. I have run B100 in summer in a Navistar 6.3L engine, for a couple years with no apparent ill effects, but i voided the warranty doing so. Larger engines are more expensive, and none of the longhaul or shorthaul trucking companies i know will run anything except manufacturer recommended fuel blends in them.

Your mileage may vary.
Sir, I have no qualm with your statements except to say United is flying 70-30, Boeing has flight tested 50-50 and where it's going is a small airline flying 100% algae biodiesel, not cooking oil.

Do what you like with your investments once there's a level playing field the economics will take over and food-crop oil won't be subsidized by chemical-ag, energy & automaking companies using the well-worn backdoor deals.

Consider this, your feedstock at a treatment plant arrives with water at 7,000-gallons/minute, 3000-lbs of algae food with it.

Consider that all the expenses of food-crop growing must compete, again, once the veil of corruption money-games is gone.

With a bro that has run on free cooking oil since the 70's and friends that run biodiesel in a variety of engines, if you want to do it you can no problem.

Let DARPA & others work out the aviation & specialty fuels, someone already has an answer, yet, is that like a better carburetor? http://www.treehugger.com/aviation/worlds-first-flight-powered-by-100-algae-biofuels-completed.html

Just sayin', some older block engines run better, biodiesel is self-lubricating it's plastics and seals that matter and there are ways to convert those and why engines can't "just run it" changing plugs & timing; biodiesel holds 10% more energy per gallon a bonus, ymmv.

-tom

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1067 on: June 09, 2016, 10:06:12 PM »
Tesla is now selling a software-limited Model S for $66,000 (before incentives).
Quote
You see the 60kWh Tesla Model S you buy on Tesla’s website or from a retail location isn’t any different than a standard Model S 75kWh that you could buy yesterday – from a hardware perspective. Tesla simply will sell you the car at a $8500 discount and software lock 20% of the battery power on the car.
...
The good news:

100% of 60kWh day to day: People with 75kWh with access to only 60kWh battery packs can charge their cars every day to full without hurting their batteries. Tesla recommends that on a day to day basis Model S only fill your batteries to about 90% full. This prolongs the life of the battery and is something that every Tesla owner does. On the rare long trip you can fill to 100% but the car will warn you every time that you are hurting your battery. But if you have an extra 20% of battery idle like these new 60kWh configs, you can fill it to 100% every day. That’s 210 miles vs. the under 180 that a normal S 60 driver has and 30 more miles of real world usage every day.
http://electrek.co/2016/06/09/tesla-60kwh-pricing-option-software-revolution-exclusive-details/
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sidd

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1068 on: June 10, 2016, 01:14:10 AM »
Re: " ... biodiesel holds 10% more energy per gallon ..."

This is not correct, 10% less for FAME B100.

Re: algal lipid to bioD : Algal lipids are hi sulfur, the only economical way to remove sulfur that i know of is to blend dewatered (dewatering is also not so easy) algal lipids into fossil petro refinery feedstock in a refinery equipped with a desulfurization unit. I can dewater (with some difficulty)  and make FAME but i  know no way to easily or economically desulfurize at less than fossil refinery scale.

Re: Using B100 in large road/offroad engines.

the 6.3L Navistar was the biggest engine i ever ran on B100, and that in summer. If you are lucky to have an older engine as my neighbors do, you can run pretty much anything in it. But no large road/offroad/stationary diesel powerplant user I know will use out of manufacturer spec fuel unless you cover the warranty. Some of those engines cost eye watering amounts of money, from five to seven zeroes in US$. B20 is the most that Cummins and Detroit offer, and New Holland was pushing higher with Penn State couple years ago. Dunno about Case, Caterpillar has some B20, so does IH. But B20 is the limit at this point if you want to stay in spec.

RoxTheGeologist

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1069 on: June 10, 2016, 03:31:22 AM »

Renewable diesel can be made by co-processing in a refinery or by a hydro-treating and isomerisation process such as Neste uses. Algal oil may or may not be triglyceride that is suitable for transesterification. As Sidd says, it often has high sulphur that has to be removed using (rather nasty) HF; don't do that at home kids.

Anyway, the chances of commercial scale liquid biofuel production using algal oil are distant; biodigest effluent and make RNG. The process and equipment are simple and work really well, you produce a gas that can be cleaned up and put into a pipeline or you can turn it into power locally and fuel electric cars. You can even use it to heat your plant like Biodico: Algal oil really is dead in the water (excuse the pun).


Biodiesel does not invalidate a warranty up to B20. It is actually illegal to claim that a spec fuel invalidates your warranty. If you use a fuel that isn't suitable for use it's at your own risk and you may have to replace the parts that break but IT DOES NOT invalidate any other part of your warranty. If you ever find yourself in that situation it is also extremely difficult to prove that you are at fault.

Anything over B20 is not a fuel according to ASTM, and as there is no specification for it then there is nothing to work towards. It's unlikely that any OEM will make an engine for anything above B20 until that is in place. I'm currently working on this :)


sidd

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1070 on: June 10, 2016, 06:50:37 AM »
"Anything over B20 is not a fuel according to ASTM, and as there is no specification for it then there is nothing to work towards. It's unlikely that any OEM will make an engine for anything above B20 until that is in place. I'm currently working on this."

More power to you. Personally i doubt that biodiesel can or should make a big dent in current diesel/heat consumption, I would rather efficiency, insulation and electrification do most of the work.

oren

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1071 on: June 10, 2016, 01:20:06 PM »
IEA: There are now more than one million electric cars on the world’s roads
Quote
In 2015, the number of electric cars on the road globally passed the one million threshold for the first time.

The rapid growth of the industry means that it is now the only technology sector on track to meet the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2C scenario.

This is the conclusion of the IEA’s Energy Technology Perspectives 2016 report, which it released on Wednesday. This is the latest edition of their annual progress review of the technologies that will determine the rate of global emissions, including renewables, nuclear, CCS and coal.
http://www.carbonbrief.org/iea-there-are-now-more-than-one-million-electric-cars-on-the-worlds-roads

Out of about 1.2 billion vehicles globally.

Paddy

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1072 on: June 10, 2016, 05:52:55 PM »
Quote
Out of about 1.2 billion vehicles globally.

Still, it's a start.

timallard

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« Reply #1073 on: June 10, 2016, 08:54:19 PM »
Quote
Out of about 1.2 billion vehicles globally.

Still, it's a start.

>> Yeah, why we have to fuel them all w/o fossil and for economics using sewage effluent to grow algae for biodiesel purifies the water at the same time, nothing will beat it more efficiency the wastewater feedstock comes at you at 10M-gal/day half in weight dissolved solids, aka algae food.

Oh no we gotta' do something else ... that makes energy barons more cash.
-tom

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1074 on: June 11, 2016, 03:02:38 AM »
About that article in #1060 above....

PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Mercedes-Benz to unveil ‘dangerously fast’ EV
Quote
Reports in media this week including motoring.com.au that the Paris show car will be an SUV have been debunked by sources within Mercedes-Benz.

The move by Benz is typical of the German manufacturers, who are all making a belated but increasingly rapid response to the US start-up Tesla, which has energised the EV market with the Model S that has been on-sale since 2012. It launched the Model X SUV this year and has already collected 400,000 [sic] deposits for the Model 3 due in late 2017.

Audi will launch the e-tron quattro SUV in 2018, while Porsche intends to build a production version of the beautiful Mission E concept first shown at the Frankfurt auto show last year, by 2020.

Globally, most manufacturers are now committed to EV programs, while the move away from the internal combustion engine is also attracting new players to the game including Apple, Google and Faraday.

But Schenk played down the battle with Tesla or any other manufacturer, portraying Benz’s move to EV as a mandatory outcome of ever-toughening emissions limits and increasing customer interest.

“It’s not a battle or something with whom else is out there,” he insisted. “It’s just we are convinced we have to go more electric and we do it in a way we can imagine we can do it within our portfolio and we can do it for every solution.

“The goal for Mercedes … is to provide EV to our group of customers we have today, maybe get some customers more if we go for an exciting solution.

“The goal we have is we show them we have an idea how vehicles can be transformed to electric and the intent is we can do it in any platform the customers might accept.
http://www.motoring.com.au/paris-motor-show-mercedes-benz-to-unveil-dangerously-fast-ev-102721/

Car companies are starting to sound like: "No, we're not competing with Tesla.  We're just going electric, that's all."
 ;)   :)
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oren

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1075 on: June 11, 2016, 01:28:25 PM »
Quote
Out of about 1.2 billion vehicles globally.

Still, it's a start.

I'm not saying the electric car is not a good thing. It's a good long-term solution to transportation without fossil fuels, when coupled with solar and wind. It's just not what's gonna save us from the climate monster, based on probable timelines, unless government dictation is involved and soon. And that's sad.

ghoti

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1076 on: June 11, 2016, 04:14:08 PM »
Another demonstration that perception of the need for gas power runs counter to reality. Electric Quads with same range with electric power versus gas but much more powerful. Surprise in this case is they use fancy lead-acid batteries not Li ion...

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timallard

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1077 on: June 13, 2016, 03:31:45 PM »
To fuel the 1.2-billion vehicles, consider growing algae from sewage effluent locally at treatment plants. It takes photo-bioreactors to keep up and supplies a high volume of fuel more than burned per-person daily for all transportation in the USA.

An example of one treatment plant in Phoenix, AZ, takes in 10-million gallons of effluent, about 21,000-tons of algae food per day with water to grow it in and can produce 3-million gallons of biodiesel.

Don't tell, pre-WW2 algae research had 50% oil species that's a 1/2 century before GMOs, keep it secret please.

P.S. My photo-bioreactors are made for home-ranch-farm scale use, don't tell please they might catch on.
-tom

RoxTheGeologist

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1078 on: June 13, 2016, 03:53:19 PM »
To fuel the 1.2-billion vehicles, consider growing algae from sewage effluent locally at treatment plants. It takes photo-bioreactors to keep up and supplies a high volume of fuel more than burned per-person daily for all transportation in the USA.

An example of one treatment plant in Phoenix, AZ, takes in 10-million gallons of effluent, about 21,000-tons of algae food per day with water to grow it in and can produce 3-million gallons of biodiesel.

Don't tell, pre-WW2 algae research had 50% oil species that's a 1/2 century before GMOs, keep it secret please.

P.S. My photo-bioreactors are made for home-ranch-farm scale use, don't tell please they might catch on.

This isn't going to happen. See the recent NREL report on how much it costs to make fuel from Algea. http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2016/21641. Notice also that it can only make 1.26 m gallons of fuel a day if all the mass were converted. That's using both lipid extraction and fermentation. You only lose $8.4m per day making fuel according to the report. If you can't get the economics to work, it's not going to happen.

Biodigest the biomass and convert it to natural gas. It's really cheap and efficient. Our local treatment plant does this. It makes enough gas to be self-sufficient in energy.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1079 on: June 13, 2016, 07:44:40 PM »
Still just a concept; to be revealed December 2016.  But the huge amount of interest can only help!

Nikola Motor claims it received over 7,000 pre-orders worth over $2.3 billion for its electric truck
Quote
Last month, we reported on a new Salt Lake City-based startup, Nikola Motor, unveiling the design of its first product; an electric truck with a natural gas range extender called ‘Nikola One’. The company attracted a lot of attention for having a name reminiscent of Tesla Motors – both inspired by the physicist Nikola Tesla – but it also unveiled serious ambitions to revolutionize the trucking industry.

The ‘Nikola One’ will be equipped with a massive 320 kWh battery pack and the company hopes that it will be able to travel up to 1,200 miles with the natural gas range extender. Now the company announced that it received over 7,000 pre-orders with deposits for its electric truck since the unveiling of the concept last month. CEO Trevor Milton says that the pre-orders are worth over $2.3 billion.
http://electrek.co/2016/06/13/nikola-motor-pre-orders-worth-2-billion-electric-truck/

The previous article is here:  http://electrek.co/2016/05/12/nikola-motor-electric-truck-concept/
(Posted as comment #998 on May 12)
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1080 on: June 14, 2016, 04:42:05 PM »
Official announcement about Daimler's electric car plans -- they are all over the place -- looks like they have no idea what will eventually be successful.

Daimler lays out its ‘electric mobility’ plan: all-electric, plug-ins, F-Cells and more
Quote
This week, Daimler announced its plan to transition to greener technologies over the next few years. The company laid out release schedules for several new hybrids, plug-in hybrids, fuel cell vehicles, and all-electric vehicles across all its brands.
http://electrek.co/2016/06/14/daimler-electric-mobility-plan/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1081 on: June 15, 2016, 03:29:01 PM »
Here are Peugeot and Volvo's recently announced plans:

Peugeot Citroën to produce 4 EVs, 7 PHEVs by 2021
https://chargedevs.com/newswire/peugeot-citroen-to-produce-4-evs-7-phevs-by-2021/

Volvo is Pushing Down the Pedal on Battery-Powered Cars
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/volvo-pushing-down-pedal-battery-powered-cars-n591336
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1082 on: June 15, 2016, 03:35:17 PM »
Power plants are no longer America’s biggest climate problem. Transportation is.
Quote
A new energy era is upon us: For the first time since 1979, America’s cars, trucks, and airplanes emit more carbon dioxide than its power plants do. The chart below comes from Sam Ori, executive director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago:

...The story here is that the United States has made remarkable progress in greening its electricity sector since 2005. Whenever you see exciting headlines about renewable energy growth or the plunge in US emissions, those articles are usually talking about electricity.

But power plants are only one-third of America’s CO2 emissions. Transportation, another third (and now the biggest source), remains tougher to address. In fact, since 2013, transport emissions have been creeping upward again.
http://www.vox.com/2016/6/13/11911798/emissions-electricity-versus-transportation
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TerryM

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1083 on: June 15, 2016, 11:19:11 PM »
Sig
I wonder if they are accounting for all the leaking methane when they calculate their power generation figures?
Terry

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1084 on: June 15, 2016, 11:56:31 PM »
Sig
I wonder if they are accounting for all the leaking methane when they calculate their power generation figures?
Terry

The report is 235 pages....  :o

But I did find these footnotes for the "Natural Gas Consumption by Sector" data:
Quote
d. Natural gas consumed in the operation of pipelines, primarily in compressors. Beginning in 2009, includes line loss, which is known volumes of natural gas that are the result of leaks, damage, accidents, migration, and/or blow down.

e. Natural gas used as fuel in the delivery of natural gas to consumers. Beginning in 2009, includes line loss, which is known volumes of natural gas that are the result of leaks, damage, accidents, migration, and/or blow down.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1085 on: June 16, 2016, 12:50:37 AM »

US government to rule on autonomous cars as soon as next month with potential road to commercialization
Quote
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is expected to release its federal guidelines for autonomous vehicles in July and the agency’s senior administrator, Dr. Mark Rosekind, said to expect something different from the regulators to reflect the disrupting aspect of self-driving technologies.

Rosekind made the comment during a panel at the TU-Automotive auto-tech conference in Novi (via readwrite):

“What is unusual is everybody expects regulation comes out and that’s what it is forever, and NHTSA’s job is react and enforce it. That will not work with this area. I think we’re going to have something different in July.”
http://electrek.co/2016/06/15/fed-rule-autonomous-cars-july-road-to-commercialization/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1086 on: June 16, 2016, 01:34:03 AM »
Yellow is the new green: get on board the new eLion electric school bus
Quote
The eLion features a modular battery design that allows customers to customize the range depending on their route distance, charging availability and desired price. Options range from 50 miles of range with 3 battery modules up to 100 miles of range with 5 modules.
https://chargedevs.com/newswire/yellow-is-the-new-green-get-on-board-the-new-elion-electric-school-bus/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1087 on: June 16, 2016, 12:43:11 PM »
Electric garbage truck with regenerative braking and a natural gas generator, from a large manufacturer.

Mack Unveils Self-Charging Garbage Truck with Help of Tesla Co-Founder
http://interestingengineering.com/mack-unveils-self-charging-garbage-truck-help-tesla-co-founder/
« Last Edit: June 16, 2016, 01:25:07 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1088 on: June 16, 2016, 03:15:07 PM »
Robert Scribbler on the Nikola One electric truck.

Al Gore’s Revenge — Internal Combustion Engines Stink and This Ridiculously Powerful Electric Turbine Truck Proves It
Quote
As of yesterday, Nikola Motors announced the performance specs and preorders for its new hybrid electric long-haul truck. It’s a ridiculously awesome design — one that boasts across the board superior performance when compared to internal combustion engine based trucks that are currently available. The company producing this amazing feat of electrical hybrid vehicle engineering calls its new vehicle the Nikola One. But we’re going to have some fun at the expense of climate change deniers and electric vehicle detractors both here and call this thing Al Gore’s Revenge.
...
Gore’s Revenge — Electric Engines Aren’t Just Cleaner, They’re Better

Nikola One is an 18 wheel long haul trucking rig. Powered by an electric turbine engine, its 320 kwh battery pack is capable of propelling the vehicle, without the aid of any additional tanked fuel source, more than 190 miles. Tanked fuel then lengthens the legs of the more efficient electrical turbine giving it an ultimate total systems range of 1,200 miles. By comparison, an ICE-powered standard truck typically boasts a range of just 500 miles. As a result, the combined fuel efficiency of this massive rig is between 10 and 15 miles per gallon. This is 2-3 times the fuel efficiency rating of standard long haul trucks and about the fuel efficiency average of a relatively long-legged 1990s SUV.

An electrical vehicle powered by a battery that is capable of recharging either through regenerative breaking or a wall socket, the Nikola One is already capable of achieving a zero emissions ride. But that’s if truckers are willing to stop every 190 miles for a recharge or to put net zero carbon biofuels into its ‘agnostic’ fuel tank. In all likelihood, most rigs will be refueled for some time by compressed natural gas stations on many long haul routes. A combination that implies about a 75 percent reduction in carbon emissions during driving. However, the ability to place 190 miles worth of all electric range on a long haul truck now, means that battery technology needs to only see prices fall by another 60 percent in order for ICE comparable ranges to be achieved by an all-electric truck with a weight similar to the Nikola One....

But the superior performance specs don’t end at range, fuel efficiency, and reduced emissions. This vehicle boasts 2,000 horsepower (regular ICE trucks only have 500 horsepower), the ability to travel up hill at 65 miles per hour (ICEs really lag going up hill and can only do 20-40 mph on an incline) and to regenerate electricity from breaking while going downhill (ICEs regenerate nada). The Nikola One can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 30 seconds, or half the time it takes for a comparable ICE to make the mark. And the Nikola One saves weight — coming in at 2,000 pounds less than a typical ICE truck (one wonders what the all electric range would be if the 2,000 pound weight difference was instead used to add more batteries — possibly near 350 miles). In other words, the Nikola One is expected by be 10 percent leaner and a whole lot meaner than the fossil fuel combustion engine trucks that have dominated the roads for nearly a Century.
...
The technology that allows Nikola One to achieve these weight saving and performance results centers around an electrical turbine engine and lithium based battery pack. The electrical engine is in itself about twice as efficient as an ICE. The battery pack allows for 190 miles of additional electrical range per charge and for the recuperation of electrical energy from regenerative breaking and from the action of the electrical engine itself. The result is a total system that possesses more power, weighs less, and is overall 2-3 times as efficient as an internal combustion based design. Though this system does use a fuel thank (which can be filled with CNG, petroleum, diesel or biofuel) to extend the base electrical range, it represents a huge leap forward in the sustainability of long haul trucking. And looking at the base numbers for weight and electric battery potential, it would be surprising if we did not see a number of 350 to 500 mile all electric truck ranges start to emerge in the time period between now and 2020.
https://robertscribbler.com/2016/06/15/al-gores-revenge-internal-combustion-engines-stink-and-this-ridiculously-powerful-electric-turbine-truck-proves-it/
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Dundee

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1089 on: June 16, 2016, 03:29:09 PM »
In retirement, I spend more time as a bicyclist than as an analyst and in that realm this caught my eye -

http://english.kimnet.nl/latest-news/news/2015/10/26/fietsen-en-lopen-de-smeerolie-van-onze-mobiliteit

(You'll need to click around a bit to get a full scale - that is, readable, view of the graphic)

Urbanization is one of the most striking trends of the last fifty years. You only have to visit California to know the degree to which urban design can enforce dependence on the personal automobile - the Netherlands have clearly gone a different direction.

Bicycle (and walking) friendly urban design doesn't eliminate the need for powered transportation by any means, but it can markedly reduce what has historically been one of its more wasteful and polluting contexts.

Imagine if all first world urban areas could manage to make half their trips out of the home on foot or by bicycle.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1090 on: June 16, 2016, 07:39:41 PM »
VW announces new plan to build 2 to 3 million all-electric cars a year by 2025
Quote
Earlier this year – not long after the Dieselgate scandal – the Volkswagen Group announced a new direction for its lineup of vehicles with a plan to introduce 20 new electric vehicles through the group’s brands by the end of the decade.

Today, the automaker extended the timeline to 2025 and said that it will introduce “more than 30 new electric vehicles during the next 10 years”. Earlier this year, CEO Matthias Müller was talking about both all-electric and plug-in hybrids, but now he is making a statement to go all-electric and confirmed that the “more than 30 new models” will all be “purely battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs)”.

But maybe even more importantly, VW talked about volumes and said that the group is putting together a new manufacturing plan that will enable them to produce “2 to 3 million all-electric cars a year by 2025”.

In order to produce that many BEVs, the group will need a lot of batteries. The company is reportedly working on a plan for a ‘multi-billion euro battery factory’ – the same scale as Tesla’s Gigafactory – but the group didn’t directly address it during today’s announcement.
...
Aside from its new all-electric vehicle plans, VW also announced today a new strategy to develop new mobility solutions in ride-hailing/car-sharing and autonomous taxi service.
http://electrek.co/2016/06/16/vw-2-3-million-all-electric-cars-2025/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1091 on: June 16, 2016, 09:10:21 PM »
... <snip>
Imagine if all first world urban areas could manage to make half their trips out of the home on foot or by bicycle.

I believe urban planning, work-places and shops that make walking and biking more convenient (and an increasing availability of autonomous vehicles ;) ) will help reduce the need for individual car ownership and use in the years ahead.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1092 on: June 16, 2016, 10:03:25 PM »
"The vehicle has been authorized to start operating on public roads locally in DC starting today. The program will expand to Miami and Las Vegas later this year."

IBM’s Watson is now powering an all-electric self-driving vehicle by Local Motors
Quote
Local Motors, a Maryland-based electric car startup behind the world’s first 3D-printed cars, today introduced its latest vehicle, Olli, an all-electric self-driving shuttle with the special integration of advanced cognitive computing capabilities powered by IBM’s Watson.

You can simply get into the vehicle and say “Olli, can you take me downtown?” and the system will respond to the voice command and autonomously take you downtown or wherever you request.

Local Motors unveiled the vehicle during the Grand Opening of its facility in National Harbor, MD this morning. CEO and co-founder John B. Rogers, Jr. along with vehicle designer Edgar Sarmiento, made their entrance transported autonomously by Olli.
http://electrek.co/2016/06/16/ibm-watson-all-electric-self-driving-vehicle-local-motors/

More on Olli:
http://meetolli.auto/#firstPage
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mati

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1093 on: June 16, 2016, 10:10:25 PM »
... <snip>
Imagine if all first world urban areas could manage to make half their trips out of the home on foot or by bicycle.

I believe urban planning, work-places and shops that make walking and biking more convenient (and an increasing availability of autonomous vehicles ;) ) will help reduce the need for individual car ownership and use in the years ahead.

The problem is somewhat more difficult in northern climates like canada.  Bicycles will not work 1/2 the year, rather you would need to add tunnels/overheads throughoutt the city with bike lanes on them... Toronto has a start in building an underground connected city, but they have not thought about adding bicycle/personal electric transport lanes...  only much more improved mass transit will help as well in moving people in/out of the city core
and so it goes

Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1094 on: June 17, 2016, 12:33:29 AM »
The difficulties of trying to make a dirty ICE fleet cleaner.

Ford’s Crown Jewel, the F-150, Has a Big Problem
Quote
Ford Motor Co. executives spared no expense in overhauling the crown jewel of their empire, the F-150. They gave the truck a new aluminum body, smaller turbocharged engines and a lighter and stronger steel frame -- all with an eye to appease U.S. regulators demanding cleaner vehicles. The initiative took six years and cost Ford more than $1 billion.

The problem, though, is that some versions of the new F-150 still don’t meet the government’s 2016 emission and fuel-economy mandates. What’s more, the hurdles get higher from here: By 2025, the targets will be much more stringent. The stakes for Ford couldn’t be greater. Ford’s F-Series, America’s best-selling truck line, accounts for 31 percent of the company’s North American sales and half of its profit in the region, according to Barclays analyst Brian Johnson.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-16/ford-s-crown-jewel-the-f-150-has-a-big-problem-after-overhaul
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1095 on: June 18, 2016, 07:26:53 PM »
Interesting opinion piece on the potential problems/solutions the Tesla Supercharger network could have when large numbers of Tesla Model 3's are added to the picture.

http://www.teslarati.com/stop-worrying-tesla-supercharger-congestion-will-alright/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1096 on: June 19, 2016, 08:48:35 PM »
Looking ahead to when most cars are electric, and ICE aficionados only bring out the noisy monsters for special occasions.

Jay Leno compares Elon Musk to Thomas Edison and Henry Ford
Quote
Leno went on to compare Tesla CEO Elon Musk to great car legends such as Thomas Edison or Henry Ford for his ability to produce cars against all odds. Adding "people think he makes 2,500 cars a year. He builds 60,000+.... He sells more cars than Porsche. And yet any time one has the slightest problem, people say it is terrible."
...
During the interview, Leno equated the fate of cars of today with those of snowmobiles and recreational vehicles, "I think in the future everybody will drive an electric car because of traffic, and on the weekend you use your Ferrari or your Hemi Barracuda. It's kinetic artwork. It's artwork that moves and rolls and explodes and makes noise. That's the way I look at it."
http://www.teslaupdates.co/2016/06/jay-leno-compares-elon-musk-to-thomas.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1097 on: June 19, 2016, 10:25:05 PM »
Another well-to-wheels comparison of EVs vs ICE cars.  Article and infographics.
EVs require more emissions to manufacture, but their lifetime emissions today total less than ICE cars after about 19,000 miles -- and tomorrow, it will be even earlier..

Is Driving a Tesla Better for the Environment? It Depends…
Quote
According to a study done by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the average new gasoline vehicle generates the equivalent of 29 MPG of emissions over its lifetime. The study found that the average electric vehicle has emission equivalents in a range between 35 MPG to 135 MPG depending on the local power grid of the state it is driven in.

Electric cars driven in the Pacific Northwest states, as an example, have the emissions of an equivalent 94 MPG gas-powered car. This is miles better than a new Honda Fit (36 MPG) or even hybrids such as the Prius (50 MPG) or Honda Accord hybrid (47 MPG). This is because 52% of all power in the region comes from hydro.

In Colorado, about 70% of all electricity is coal-fired. This means that the electric car has the equivalent emissions of a gas-powered Honda Fit with 35 MPG.

In Florida, natural gas has replaced coal usage, and now accounts for two-thirds of all electricity generated. Powering an EV on Florida’s grid for an estimated 51 MPG equivalent is better than driving a hybrid such as a Prius (50 MPG) or a Honda Accord Hybrid (47 MPG).

THE FUTURE OF EMISSIONS

Today, the study by the Union of Concerned Scientists concludes that 66% of Americans definitely would generate less emissions by driving electric vehicles based on the compositions of their local power grids.

In the very near future, plugging in will be better in 100% of places in America. Here’s why:

Battery technology will continue to get better. More efficiency means lighter and better cars.
Coal is falling. It’s gone from 44% of all U.S. power generation in 2009 to 33% in 2015. It’s forecasted to fall to 22% by 2020.


Many states also have committed to specific targets for green energy as a portion of their energy mix. More renewables for the grid means less emissions.
http://www.visualcapitalist.com/is-driving-tesla-better-environment-depends/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1098 on: June 20, 2016, 03:14:42 AM »
European commission was warned of car emissions test cheating, five years before VW scandal
Documents seen by Guardian show that the commission’s in-house science service told it in 2010 that tests had uncovered what researchers suspected to be a ‘defeat device’
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/20/european-commission-warned-car-maker-suspected-cheating-five-years-vw-scandal
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Cars, cars and more cars. And trucks, and....
« Reply #1099 on: June 20, 2016, 08:55:12 PM »
Breathless in Paris as Clean-Air Battle Mounts in French Capital
Quote
Starting July 1, cars registered before October 1997 and motorcycles registered before June 1999 will be barred from the city’s streets on week days, effectively removing vehicles that contribute about 5 percent of polluting elements linked to cancers, heart disease and respiratory problems such as asthma.

Paris, among the European Union’s laggards on air-quality control, is introducing rules that’ll leave only zero-emission and petrol-fueled cars registered after January 2011 on its streets on weekdays by 2020. Hidalgo faces a two-pronged battle: while car owners are up in arms over her rules, the EU is pushing France to comply with pollution limits or face sanctions. Her task is made even more challenging by the fact that peers like London, which started its air-quality fight more than a decade ago in 2003, are still grappling with health-threatening levels.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-20/breathless-in-paris-as-clean-air-battle-mounts-in-french-capital
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