Filed under: Chevrolet, GM, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

After taking a look at Tesla Motors and their lithium-ion battery powered Roadster with a rather “critical eye”, I decided we should take a look at General Motors and their Volt. On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be a great deal in common between the Volt and the Tesla Roadster; do any of the concerns we discussed regarding Tesla Motors carry over to the General? Well, yes and no. There are certainly concerns, but the only one which carries over directly relates to the batteries. This just happens to be a very big issue, perhaps the largest of them all. If you have spent any amount of time perusing the comments that we get whenever we mention the batteries being the biggest issue with the Volt, you know that some agree and many don’t agree with that sentiment. With vehicles such as GM’s own EV1 already proving to some extent that electric vehicles can be viable for certain consumers, where does GM come from in telling us that they can’t make the Volt yet? We’ll discuss that issue here, and a few others. So, strap in and read why Chevy might not succeed with their Volt.

Continue reading after the break.

The batteries… yes, that is a big problem, if you believe what General Motors has to say. I am not saying that I don’t believe them. But, here’s the rub. Whether you believe them or not, it still may be bad news. Think of it this way: If GM is right, then a major, perhaps THE major component, for the Volt is not yet ready. How, then, can they say they plan to produce it, possibly as early as 2010? Or, if you think that the battery issue is all smoke and mirrors, then you must think that GM is playing around with their consumers, and might be using the batteries as nothing more than an excuse. Either way, that leads to serious questions as to whether the vehicle will ever reach dealers lots and, ultimately, consumers hands.

Is there anything else to worry about? Of course! GM has already stated that they plan to use different sources of power as their “range extender”. Be it a standard internal combustion engine, using ethanol or gasoline, a diesel engine or a hydrogen fuel cell, that range extender will be adding a significant cost to the vehicle. There is no way around this fact, there are two power-plants in the design of the Chevy Volt. With American automakers already struggling to make a decent profit, how does GM expect to compete in the midsize vehicle class with a car that comes with a built-in disadvantage of costing more to build? Will they pass that cost onto the consumer, or will they end up selling them at a loss? Perhaps the price of the batteries, motor and associated electronics drops to the point that the end-cost is close to what consumers want to pay for the vehicle. That sounds to me like a big “if”; how about you? Additionally, the cost of the vehicle itself might be too high if they need to use exotic materials in its construction.

Will GM be around long enough, and have enough cash on hand to continue producing the Volt, even if it loses money in the process? Some have suggested that whatever amount of money GM needs to spend to get the Volt ready for the road is money well spent, because it will greatly bolster their green credentials. Is that true? Perhaps, but let’s take a closer look at that before agreeing. GM took a pretty big leap already with their aforementioned EV1. They built a completely new platform, using materials which cost them more than other vehicles the EV1’s size. Much of the vehicle was built using aluminum, and every part was scrutinized to ensure light weight and safety needs were met. Let’s just assume that they did not sell them at a profit, alright? I think that is pretty fair to assume. So, GM made an electric vehicle and put them in consumers hands already. They certainly made lots of news headlines when they did it too. Everybody knows about the GM EV1 by now, right? Sounds like good press in the making! Hold on a minute, not so fast! GM got quite the black eye at the end of the EV1 story, by not re-leasing them after a couple of lease cycles took place. This has sullied the reputation of the automaker in the minds of green car enthusiasts. Why did they refuse to sell them off, or re-lease them back out to the public? There are many possible reasons, some of which involve “big oil” playing a part. A different scenario is that they were getting old. GM did not have any desire to keep losing money on them. They were expensive to build and were expensive to maintain. No matter what the real reason, GM chose to crush them instead of gaining traction in the green world of alternative transportation choices. Does that tell you that GM probably is not going to invest a ton of money into another money-losing proposition with the Volt? Perhaps. Will they choose again to only lease the vehicles? Perhaps. Will they do much like they did with the EV1 and take them back after some time on the market? Again, perhaps they will. We do not know what they will do, or if they will even bring them to market at all. We do know, though, that making a “green” car such as the EV1 does not guarantee good publicity, and GM now knows that better than any other automaker.

Lastly, we strive to do the best job that we can to bring you all the latest news in the automotive sector that can be considered green. We usually don’t need to dig that deep to find it, either. There are many companies like Tesla and Phoenix Motorcars that are hoping to enter the same market as GM may with the Volt. The more choices out there, the better chance that GM will not want to enter the market without knowing that profits will be a “sure thing”. How many will they need to sell to present a strong business case? If Tesla succeeds in bringing their “Whitestar” vehicle to market, and follows that up with an even cheaper electric car; and if Phoenix succeeds in selling their all electric SUT and SUV; and Toyota continues to refine their Prius with lithium ion batteries; and Honda revives their hybrid-only model with the return of the Insight or another model… Get the point? There are others too. How many sales will there be for GM with the Volt? Remember too that they have also publicly said they plan on selling a fuel cell car by 2010 as well.

Did you read that whole thing? Kudos to you if you did! If you did take the time to read it, why not take one more minute and comment. What do you think? Will GM release the Volt or not? If they do, will you buy one, or will you wait and see how the rest of the market shakes out?

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Another municipality has discovered the potential of small-scale biodiesel production. Utah State University (USU), in conjunction with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), has decided to experiment with growing oil-seed crops in the grassy medians dividing I-15.

The unusual idea came from Dallas Hanks, a 44-year-old biologist who is working on his doctoral degree at USU. With an initial $50,000 boost fromUDOT , Hanks aims to prove the 2,500 miles of state-owned highway right-of-way could yield an annual average of 500,000 gallons of 100 percent biodiesel, also known as B100.”

Maintaining those ubiquitous, out-of-place strips of lawn comes at a surprising price – over a million dollars each year in mowing costs alone – and keeping that grass weed-free (as if that was really necessary) generally involves considerable herbicide applications. In the spirit of turning liabilities into assets, converting that sod into a renewable fuel source would have substantial benefits. USU and UDOT's researchers plan on starting out with a 1 mile test strip of various oil-seed crops, which will later be compared on a productivity basis to a flat, fertile farm plot.

Hanks, a former Utah Valley State College biology instructor, said he conservatively estimates planting swaths of safflower, camelina, canola and perennial flax will save about $1.6 million per year in mowing costs. UDOT officials said they wouldn't know the total taxpayer savings until the project's first-year experiment is finished.”

"It's really a great opportunity to show some leadership," said UDOT Executive Director John Njord.
By addressing efficiency, energy development and climate-change concerns, the project "has it all," said Laura Nelson, Huntsman's energy policy adviser."

State agencies in Utah recently began pushing for innovation and conservation under the Governor's order to increase energy efficiency 20% by 2015. If this experiment is successful, UDOT plans on using biodiesel produced from the freeway crops (or FREE-Diesel) in government vehicles.

For more information, see the Salt Lake Tribune.

 

My personal take:

This is about as cool as San Francisco's recent decision to start making biodiesel from the city's used restaurant oil. Depending on how much energy is used in the production of the crops, UDOT has the potential to reduced CO2 emissions by several million tons each year.

Has your city started producing its own biodiesel? If so, I'd be interested to hear and/or write about it.

Photo Credit

Imagine growing up, going to school, graduating, going to college for a couple years and then getting that magical phone call: "Son, it's time to change the light bulb." You rush home in flurry of excitement and anticipation as your parents show you how to change a light — something you yourself may not do until your own kids are in college. Those times are coming.

Well actually, they're here. But until prices coming down, most of us will simply rely on compact fluorescents to bridge the gap between changing a bulb one a year to once every couple decades. I spied a new entry into the LED fold over at MetaEfficient with a cool looking bulb called "The EcoLED". According to the stats, this long-lasting, efficient beast will last about 50,000 hours. In scale, that's about 11 years at 12 hours a day. Since I would never leave a light on for that long, you can expect this bulb to shine well into your midlife crisis.

The bulb mimics a 100-watt incandescent but only uses 10 watts of power. According to the site, that's good for $450 in savings and a reduction of more than 9,000lbs of CO2. You'll also want to use this bulb a little differently than the standard light,

"Remember: LED lights are directional (like a spotlight). This EcoLED light has a beam angle of 100 degrees, which is equivalent to a wide spotlight. It is not appropriate for use in lamps with lamp shades or other lighting applications where light needs to be emitted in all directions at once. (However, it can be aimed at a wall or ceiling to produce radiant ambient light that radiates through the entire room.)"

It should be noted that work is underway (especially by GE) to create LED lights that do in fact mimic the light radiance of incandescent and CFL bulbs. The color of LED lights (which is a brilliant, pure white light) is also different from the yellow glow of an incandescent. So far, that hasn't marred their label as "the bulb of the future".

You can pick up the EcoLED for $99 from BetterLifeGoods. While this may seem like ridiculous change for a light bulb, the experience of replacing it in the year 2027 will be simply priceless.

More info after the jump.

A little candle light can go a long way in creating a nice atmosphere for any occasion, but many candles are made with paraffin, a petroleum-based product. Brighten up your party with beeswax or vegetable oil based candles instead.

The main problem with paraffin and synthetic fragrances is the fact that they're made from oil (you know, that stuff we're addicted to.) It pollutes when burned, just like other fossil fuels. This candle soot can result in black marks on walls and ceilings, and can even be harmful to your health. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency found a random selection of petrol based candles contained twenty different chemicals, compounds and particulate matter.

The good news is there are a lot of alternatives to choose from. Beeswax and soy based candles abound in a variety of scented and unscented options.

Seattle-based Big Dipper Wax Works has a wide selection of hand-dipped beeswax candles in all shapes and sizes. Bluewick has decorativley (and responsibly) packaged, fragrant, soybased candles. Other candle makers include companies include Bluecorn Naturals and Vermont based Way Out Wax.

Of course this tip should include the obvious candle disclaimer: don't leave a burning flame unattended, and use caution if you're taking the flame outdoors, especially if it gets a little windy. (I line my backyard area with votives for summer gatherings.)

Amy says: Candles make great housewarming or thank you gifts, and they travel well. When presenting a soy or beeswax candle to my host I always make sure to explain the benefits of the paraffin alternative.

Here is an excerpt and link to my recent Earth Meanders piece:

The Earth is entering a new phase in its human caused decline. We are witnessing the advance edge of bioregional and continental scale ecological collapse — the final stage of environmental decline before global ecological collapse. For millennia human caused ecosystem loss and decline has destroyed plant communities and devastated landscapes, but generally the global matrix of terrestrial, oceanic, aquatic and atmospheric cycling of energy and nutrients continued relatively unabated. Until now, as the cumulative impact of poor land, water and ocean management, and a failing atmospheric system, is becoming widely evident. Humanity has become the dominant force of nature. We are witnessing the logical consequences of over-developing large regions and even continents without regards to ecology… we are witnessing the phenomena of environmental decline that is of unprecedented scale and intensity… As abrupt and run-away climate change, terrestrial ecosystem collapse, droughts, floods, lack of pollinators and a whole host of other environmental malignancies ripple through cosseted human civilizations; we are talking of widespread death and social disintegration… I believe we are talking of the end of being — either the complete loss of advanced life including humans, or humanity reverting to barbarity… As the magnitude of ecological dysfunction increases the only sufficient response is for conservation to think bigger and more ambitiously… We need to build the political movement to do what is necessary based upon global ecological science to save the Earth, ourselves, and species with who we share existence.

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Saturn

Battery supplier A123 Systems has unveiled two new batteries specifically optimized for automotive applications. One of the new cells is configured for high power applications in regular hybrid configurations while the other is biased toward higher energy capacity for plug-in hybrid vehicles. The latter cell is being used in the plug-in hybrid development program for the Saturn Vue.

The PHEV cell is designed to be discharged to a lower level than the power battery so that the plug-in hybrid can go farther on battery power alone. Both cells are designed to be more robust over the wider range of operating conditions that cars encounter in the real world while also lasting 150,000 miles and ten years.

[Source: A123Systems]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy

John Dingell has been in the House of Representatives for fifty-two years, seven years longer than Barak Obama has been alive. When the prospective Democratic presidential nominee came to Detroit recently and berated the domestic carmakers for not building more efficient cars, Dingell was not pleased.

Over the past half century Dingell has made a point of defending his home town industry at every turn. While it’s not totally unreasonable for a politician to promote policies that benefit business in their district, it’s time for Dingell to change his tune. I live in Dingell’s district and a lot of autoworkers have lost their jobs in the past decade. If the carmakers don’t start making some serious headway on fuel economy they will continue getting less and less competitive.

Instead of criticizing Obama, Dingell should be promoting policies to light a fire under the companies in his constituency. If the carmakers are forced to get more efficient, they will end up being in a more advantageous position in the market. Dingell should also be looking at ways to stimulate demand for more efficient cars.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Well, if you’re reading this, you probably are.

LOHAS stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. Representing an estimated 50 million American adults, the name LOHAS is now synonymous with the “Cultural Creatives” segment of the population originally identified in 1996 by sociologist, author, and market researcher Paul Ray, Ph.D. Ray, along with psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson, described the segment in their 2000 book, The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World.

So what’s so special about the LOHAS segment? Usually, market segments are identified using things like lifestyle, buying behavior, and demographics. But here’s where the LOHAS consumers diverge: they are distinguished solely by their values, as they care strongly about issues like the environment, social justice, sustainability, and health. Is this starting to sound familiar?

As the segment grows, more and more businesses have begun to take notice – the marketplace for LOHAS consumers is now valued at over $220 billion. This means that more products and services, meant to serve our needs, will be coming to the market. Good news for anyone tormented over having to buy a product that is no friend of the environment, due to the lack of an alternative.

I got to learn about and even sample some of these alternatives this week at the 11th annual LOHAS Forum, held in Marina del Rey, CA. Though some established brands, like Burt’s Bees, were in attendance in the exhibit hall, many were new to me. I especially liked Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate and VeeV, a spirit made from Brazil’s açai fruit and billed as “a better way to drink.” Count me in!

Of course, the Forum wasn’t all about food and drink. The program featured a variety of speakers and break-out sessions designed to educate and inform LOHAS companies. My favorite session, “Giving Sustainability More SIZZLE”, focused on the shift of the LOHAS segment from a small niche to the mainstream, and some of the keys to making that jump as a company. Not surprisingly, communicating with authenticity was at the top of the list. LOHAS consumers can see through greenwashing a mile away…even through a chocolate haze.

For those unable to attend the conference, session videos will be posted on the website: www.lohas.com