The North American International Auto Show is going on now in Detroit. The Auto Show began on January 11 and will run through January 25. Automakers from around the world are debuting new lines of vehicles, many of which feature greater fuel economy.
Hybrids are not a new concept to the automotive industry, there are many models already using hybrid technology. It's the electric hybrids that are gaining market potential. Electric vehicles run primarily on electricity with fuel backup. Some prototypes suggest 70 - 120 mpg is possible and with 78%* of the population commuting less than 40 miles per day, this could be a viable solution for many urban dwellers. Just imagine the habit of coming home to plug in your vehicle to charge and never having to visit a gas pump again!
There are some automakers that are already on the forefront of this technology. Chevy will release it's Volt in 2010. Teslar Motors already has a waiting list for its sport-like looking electric vehicle.
The 2009 Detroit show just may be remembered as the event where green cars officially went mainstream.
*Source: US Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Omnibus Household Survey. For additional information, read how GM used this data in designing the Chevy Volt.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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8 comments:
but .... will running autos on coal-powered electricity pollute less than running them on gasoline or diesel?
second question - how much more generation capacity will we need to be able to recharge these vehicles at work - so they can get back home (where they will then presumely be recharged a night - using unused capacity)?
In other words - recharging during the day will require additional generation capacity - right?
Intelligent charging and other technologies (such as the introduction of "Smart Meters") can be used to help ensure that charging is performed off-peak, minimizing the amount of additional capacity.
Larry, you have made a very valid point: when PHEVs (plug-in hybrid vehicles) become mainstream, there will be a greater need for controlling the times the vehicles are charged. Many utilities and associations are working on this issue. Some of it is dependent on the deployment of Smart Meters, but also the scenario you bring up ... being able to charge at multiple locations. The Electric Power Research Institute has some great information on this topic:
http://mydocs.epri.com/docs/public/PHEV-ExecSum-vol2.pdf
Bob
Does Dominion have a plan in progress to put in place additional sources of renewable energy to meet the growning use of hybrid vehicles? I,e, renewables to fuel renewables.
Thanks,
Lyall
Hi Lyall.
Yes, Dominion does have a plan to continue to expand our investment in renewable energy. Renewable energy is an important part of Dominion's plan to meet the growing need for electricity whether it comes from homes or cars.
In Virginia, Dominion is committed to meeting the state's voluntary goal of 12 percent of electricity sales coming from renewable energy sources by 2022. In North Carolina, we will meet the mandatory goal of 12.5 percent from renewable energy sources by 2021. Dominion owns and operated nearly 413 MW of renewable energy, enough to power 100,000 homes.
Also, we just made it easier for our Virginia customers to voluntarily support Green Power on their own by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates. Check out our customer friendly Green Power Program at:
http://www.dom.com/customer/efficiency/vares_greenpower.jsp
Sorry, the full web address was cut off in my last comment:
dom.com/customer/efficiency/vares_greenpower.jsp
Thanks for the PHREV doc - co-authored by the NRDC.
I think it's important for people to realize that plug-in electric vehicles ARE fossil-fuel powered.
We need to be clear on the difference between "weaning" ourselves off of foreign oil and "weaning" ourself off of fossil fuels.
At the end of the day, we need to know - will some certainty - what the benefits are with respect to powering cars with coal and powering cars with oil.
Right now - coal has much promise - and very serious challenges if it is to become our fuel of choice for cars.
In a way - fueling cars with coal - probably means - more Western Va and Virginia mountaintops leveled - right?
Larry G,
You are on an interesting track with your comment noting some of the complexities of the plug-in hybrid vehicle issue, although the switch would not be a 100 percent trade of oil for coal. For example, Dominion generates more than half of its electricity from non-coal sources (nuclear, natural gas, hydro, wind and biomass).
Another potential challenge and benefit with plug-ins is managing when they are recharged. If everyone comes home from work and starts to recharge his/her plug-in at 5:30 or 6, that could be a problem. It would add more demand to the grid at what is usually a peak-use time – especially in the summer.
On the other hand, maybe it can be worked out that excess battery power actually flows into the grid at times of peak demand. Some people are looking into it. The recharging would be held off until late-night hours, when electricity demand is lowest and there is excess power already available.
Just like there are challenges with coal, there are challenges with plug-ins. Both offer great potential. We just need to keep working on a comprehensive solution.
Tom
I wonder if we could end up with plug-ins and brownouts or blackouts if we don't have smart meters and a smart grid to go along with them.
We have two problems.
The second one is what happens when folks get home and immediately plug in their car for charging...
... but we also have problem one -which is what happens when folks get to work - and their car needs recharging - and the grid does not have enough capacity to handle this new "peak" load?
Now.. I realize why the car companies want a dialog with the electricity companies!
This may take enough time to play itself out - that we'll evolve to whatever change needs to happen.
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