Category: Electric Vehicles (Page 1 of 2)

2015: A Year of Global Transformation

I think we all can agree that the time for change is here, now, and ripe! Next year, as the clock turns to 2016, may we look back on 2015 and realize we were able to take advantage of the freedom to play in the peaceful transformation of our world, and we indeed chose to take action and use our highest capabilities to imagine a better way forward.

Ready, set, CHARGE! Back when Electric Vehicle public chargers were just coming out in California, World Team Now helped the City of Malibu lead the EV charge. Screen the premiere of the edited footage of our “CHARGE”:

Jumping into the future we wish to look back and label 2015, as a year of “global transformation” –where our media platform; “World Team” became a tool to give all people the freedom and ability to play in the peaceful transformation of our world.  World Team Now’s mission, vision and goals were better fulfilled. Beyond the division of language and culture all people began to see the possibility of our World Team project.

In 2015 we teamed up to support our partner organizations and campaigns, in the environmental movement focusing on #Action2015, and honoring the clock’s time here on earth sounding, TckTckTck, the science behind 350.org made sense, and through Avaaz, our voices sung in harmony reaching more people, as we all teamed up for stewardship of our planet. A year everybody embraced change— to live in better balance with our resources.

2015 was a year world leaders reached an agreement to take action with global policy, better serving our environment with respect for nature, and humanity. Pope Francis’s Environmental Encyclical connecting faith and science helped  to move all people to better understanding and into climate action.

2015 events built the foundation for change in our structures; with actual buildings in “Getting to Zero”- National Forum, and uniting the nations in, Paris France at UNFCCC’s COP21 for climate action, resulting in global policy, that did justice to our planet’s situation.

Projects like Planet Solar, and the all solar airplane; Solar Impulse 2 succeeded in the around their world flight; and these projects also inspired many about the possibilities of renewable energy, like solar in 2015.  The 10 Island Challenge, moved vulnerable island nations as examples of being powerfully responsible flexible and adaptive.  All of this inspired us to take responsibility and really consider the triple bottom line— people and planet, along with profit.

2015 was a year we made a different choice as to what industries received subsidies, cut industries and projects that didn’t serve the collective stewardship of all people and for our world’s sustainability. Instead we chose to prioritized our collective resources for renewable energy. We were indeed “happy” inside ourselves, and our outer world reflected this happiness within ALL.

We imagined a better path forward in 2015, took action, and it became our reality. Are you willing to imagine, act, and team-up to make this possibility real?

May we all charge forward to live with love and stewardship for all species and our planet! We can imagine better possibilities of ways to live! Let’s team up for change in 2015 and realize our dreams!

As we look back at the year prior, and imagine the possibilities for the year 2015, we can let it inform us now.  We wish you a wonderful year that is prosperous, healthy, and where love lives present.

BMW i, Malibu (Solar Carport Demo)

Solar carport charging BMW i8 PHEV sports car with World Team Now’s Founder Suzanne Maxx

BMW chose Malibu to be their backdrop venue to showcase the BMW i series replete with solar carport, charging hardware and software for their press day’s ride and drive; see full photo story through album here. I happened upon the festivities yesterday at Nikita Restaurant’s parking lot and met up with lead BMW team members. The new BMW i8 PHEV sports cars and the all-electric BMW i3 are vehicles being marketed with the big picture in mind of climate action with support for the gestalt of a completely green conscientious lifestyle.

Representatives from BMW Corporate: Wieland Bruch, Corporate Communications Manager BMWGroup Nadine Alice Carl, Product Management Automobiles and Aftersales Project e-Mobility

BMW manufactured with a supply chain consideration of a “cradle to cradle” intent to reduce carbon emissions, and ideally, optimize the choice to source “the charge” from all renewable energy.


Simultaneously creating carport shade and electricity from the solar glass roof supported by a steel frame, DesignWorks’ savvy approach to BMW’s solar carport uses sustainable bamboo-sourced carbon fiber, and the placement of SolarWatts’ high yielding solar panels in a grid with space between the panels allowing some light to shine through, while the rest of the light is captured by the solar panels.

BMW has put a lot of thought to handle many of the obstacles like range anxiety in the all-electric vehicle, which comes with options such as a trade-in for other BMW’s on long trips and a charging infrastructure tapping into all charger locations, with software that organizes and allows for a universal payment scheme through BMW.

The hardware and software connected to the charger allow for intelligent communication with one’s home as soon as the vehicle is plugged in to charge.  Programs to support these initiatives showcase the BMW’s service package 360° ELECTRIC electrically integrated concept and BMW’s various opportunities that came from partnerships with Schneider Electric and the Mobility House MyGekko provides the home automation platform that makes it all seamless. This integration supports what World Team Now refers to this as, “consciousness of energy usage systemically”— which is more than just the vehicle sales. BMW’s programs include i Wallbox Charging, maintenance, and other services, with the customizable intelligence to potentially turn on lights and other electrical devices, as soon as the vehicle plugs in the charge at your home or office.

There are many pluses, beside the vehicles themselves in the BMW i series, that could take advantage of the vehicle to grid connection with battery energy storage where the battery could be a back up for home/office energy. Ideally, based on time of day and peak load, you might have the option to charge entirely from solar or a mix with the energy (ideally renewable) coming from the grid.  In CA there is the option to arbitrage energy and sell energy back to the grid from the vehicle’s storage during peak hours, gaining the charge off-peak, and saving money by making energy from sunshine.

 

 
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The LA Auto Show 2013- Driving Our “Eco” Future

By Suzanne Maxx

Innovation, technology, and “ECO” are the themes driving the LA Auto Show,  now open to the public through December 1st.

Ford C-Max Energi

Ford C-Max Energi-a leading PHEV

Both “eco”nomy and “eco”logy continue to be in focus and more traditional brands are moving into the alternative “ECO” drive space. Leaders and original “first movers” like; Tesla, Nissan, Toyota, and Mitsubishi, have carved out this market in the USA and continue to build on their innovative brands, by not just improving their staple vehicles, but adding more.  Their competition grows from Porsche, GM (again), BMW, Mercedes, Ford, Fiat, Honda and more OEMs- all with alternative, “ECO” vehicles using a wide spectrum of energy options (see AltExpo blog).

The area where there is the most “play” (besides the literal gaming vehicle the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo to be experienced on a PlayStation) is in the growth of the plugin hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid technology in the SUV, sports and luxury markets from traditional OEMs.  U.S. sales of plugin electric vehicles were up 147 percent between August 2012 and August 2013.  The advantage of the PHEV is the flexibility and freedom that comes with the option to choose your source of energy – both a personal and collective freedom is found driving a PHEV.

Suzanne Maxx with the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

Suzanne Maxx with the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

There is the option to be spontaneous to drive a long distance (without range anxiety), and also the option to plugin and charge from renewable energy which has the “ECO” advantage.  There are many new PHEVs in this transition period with infrastructure still ramping up. PHEVs allow traditional fossil fuel or electricity from a renewable energy source. The PHEV choices now include new sporty SUVs that are PHEVs; most designed with an onboard generator, or dual engines.

Porsche, was actually the first with the hybrid automobile, the Lohner-Porsche Mixte Hybrid from 1900(!), and with a variety of hybrid and PHEVs now; the 918 Spyder a mid-engined sports plug-in hybrid , the Cayenne luxury crossover, the Panamera S E-Hybrid luxury four-door sedan and the Macan compact crossover SUV— making its world debut at the LA Auto show.

Porsche 918 Spyder

Porsche 918 Spyder

With the new Panamera PHEV, you can either stop and plug in after your initial all electric 22 miles, or allow it to charge when driving with innovative ways to recoup energy, and not just from regenerative braking – it generates energy by simply driving this fast vehicle.

 

Nissan’s Pathfinder, arguably the best SUV ever made, is now a PHEV.  With mileage of 25/28 this PHEV improves on the old Pathfinder’s MPGs. (Okay, I’m slightly Nissan biased here, as what I have witnessed with this vehicle is  sustainable over time in the realm of maintaining working order, doing its job, and lasting over decades with minimal repair.) The new Pathfinder Hybrid is powered by a supercharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine combined with a 15-kilowatt electric motor for a total output of 250 hp.

Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid

Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid

The Pathfinder is likely to lead the sporty “ECO” PHEV, SUV market. The older traditional OEMs are moving at a pace that might help the larger population adapt, with many people being more comfortable with gradual change. However Nissan has lead this “ECO” “Shift” driving down a path with vehicles for the early innovative adopters with the all-electric, Leaf. Now Nissan’s trustworthy staple SUV as a PHEV, the Pathfinder crossover looks to be a win for Nissan.  The vehicles are now made in the USA, with the new Tennessee plant ramping up production to meet the rapid demand of “ECO” vehicles, that many people are call for, and this supports our “eco”nomy. It is respectable for an OEM to manufacture in the country sold, and Nissan is a leader in this regard.

The good old traditional USA Ford is becoming a serious new contender. As predicted at the AltCar Expo earlier this year, Ford has taken the lead in sales in plugin hybrids in October with 2,179 Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi vehicles sold. This fall, Ford launched one of the first dealership training programs for better public adoption of EVs – (it may be working), a lead all OEMs could follow for better sales and to benefit the public.

The amount of vehicles that Ford is offering in diverse classes moves it fast forward (see our blog on the LA Auto Show 2012 which features Ford/Lincoln’s series of hybrids and PHEVs).

It isn’t just that the Ford’s C-MAX series with C-Max Energi and Fusion models are becoming rapidly popular by the mainstream consumer – they also drive well, and are affordable– plus they are demonstrating leading “ECO” values, not just with the vehicles themselves, but with their company’s new approach to “Teaming Up” for “ECO”.

Ford  is "Teaming Up" with Coca Cola to use Coca Cola's PlantBottle Technology for bio-based fabricused in the Fusion  Energi

Ford is “Teaming Up” with Coca Cola to use Coca Cola’s PlantBottle Technology for bio-based fabric used in the Fusion Energi

It is inspiring is to see large corporations “Teaming Up” to go a deeper shade of green like global icons Ford and Coca-Cola. Most people think of these corporations’ brands around good ole’ America virtues, with traditional staple products made in the USA. It’s surprising to think of Ford leading alternative vehicles like the C-MAX Fusion Energi, and Coca-Cola with not just its Odwalla brand of juice successfully produced by Coca-Cola for the masses, transported in electric refrigerated trucks, but also their R&D with “ECO” plastics and fabric. They are “Teaming Up” with Coca-Cola’s innovative PlantBottle bio-based  fabric made up of 30% plant-derived material and 100% recyclable bottles to be used in the production of Ford’s Fusion Energi.    But both companies have other surprising commonalities besides their willingness to grow and change – which is not an easy task for corporations of this size.  They both are demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship for the sustainability of our planet. Both have bold corporate sustainability programs with emission targets, funds designated, climate action plans, and partner programs for stewardship for our future.

The 2nd Generation PlantBottle Technology will be 100% plant based.   Teaming-up for “green” the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance was created with Ford; World Wildlife Fund, The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, H.J. Heinz Company, Nestle, Nike, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. The synergy of these type of efforts could benefit these companies, and potentially us all.

The United Nations UNFCCC now ending in Warsaw began to see the light of this possibility with victories with countries starting to “Team Up” for change with REDD+ and with “Losses and Damages” on climate change (will blog on COP19 next).

Chevy is getting up there too with the PHEV Volt and the all-electric Spark.  The Spark may catch fire, in a good way, by spreading through Hertz’s leading programs that allow all people to rent many of the leading hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs.  This is a great way to really test out these new vehicles with the Altima, Leaf, Volt, C-MAX, and now the Spark in their arsenal of vehicles available to rent.  Hertz too is “Teaming Up” with other brands to better promote.

Audi A3 e-tron- photo by Volkswagon of America

Audi A3 e-tron- photo by Volkswagon of America

Volkswagen had half of the new all electric vehicles debuting at the LA Auto show with eGolf, and their luxury division’s Audi, rolled out the Audi A3 e-tron. The two other EV debuts were BMW’s i3 and Cadillac’s ELR– both claiming to rival Tesla. Tesla, Honda, and Toyota continue to have power stances in their respective vehicles and classes.   This was the first year Tesla joined the LA Auto Show for Press Days, and they had the Model S at the Ride and Drive.   Tesla’s strong leadership into new territory inspires innovation – radically changing the transportation game. Tesla’s EVs are so far ahead of the rest of the traditional OEM’s with their vehicle offerings including the original roadster, and now the Model S.  Tesla is now taking orders for its all electric Model X SUV.

Tesla Model X crossover SUV. Orders for it are being taken now. © NRMA New Cars / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0 / GFDL

Tesla Model X crossover SUV. Orders for it are being taken now. © NRMA New Cars / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0 / GFDL

Tesla’s lead is complimented now by other OEMs trying to compare their brands and vehicles to Tesla.  Tesla’s been the game changer, as I attested to in this test drive of the Model S  year ago. Both the Cadillac ELR and the BMW claim to present rivalry. In all ways, Tesla is outside the box with their standard for innovation, technology and being all electric with its own built EV infrastructure for charging along freeways to handle distance. Tesla also markets electric power train components, including lithium-ion battery packs, to other automakers, including Daimler and Toyota.  Their entrepreneurial independent lead has changed the auto industry, raising the bar for what a vehicle could be – they welcome others as Tesla’s Elan Musk wants EVs to dominate.  Tesla focuses on pure battery electric propulsion technology, even for larger vehicle segments and real-world ranges greater than 200 miles. The “ECO” advantage is not just about saving money – it also gives our planet cleaner air, creates more freedom,  with better security, by being more energy independent.  Elon Musk is indeed a pioneer for the planet – he was acknowledged with the 2010 Automotive Executive of the Year Innovator Award for hastening the development of electric vehicles throughout the global automotive industry.

There are now enough OEM’s with alternative models to give hope to the concept of a more secure, healthy planet independent of fossil fuel, and the many negative repercussions of continuing to choose this source of energy for our future.  We at WTN still stand firm with Elon Musk and others – that electric charging to a renewable energy source is the ideal way to go.  But the hydrogen fuel cells like the Hyundai’s (with the Tucson hydrogen fuel cell crossover, unveiled at the LA Auto Show), bio-diesel, and natural gas are some of the other energy modalities considered “ECO” that WTN chooses not to focus on.  These energies each have side effects or repercussions that may not be in our best interest long run, considering the whole cradle to cradle cycle of “ECO” with our energy and our planet’s resources, but still probably better than fossil fuel. For example the Hydrogen Bubble we predict will burst with the combustion aspect of hydrogen, as well as the fact it is a highly energy intensive process to produce hydrogen from electrolysis of water or the dirty alternative from fossil fuels, and,  natural gas is still a fossil fuel, and has water and air quality issues when it is sourced from shale gas with sloppy production practices – the debate around hydraulic “fracking”, and bio diesel has environmental impacts as it still burns fuel, which produces CO-2.

“Teaming Up” to “green” isn’t just a World Team Now concept.  Companies are just coming together to brand around the environment they are also co-branding around innovate technology, for the health of both products, people and our planet.  Mercedes-Benz and Google are “Teaming Up” on hardware –  the automaker is developing an in-car integration for Google Glass. Innovative technology is used not to just better direct drivers, but to also prevent accidents and aide people with automated self-driving vehicles. Technology that allows vehicles to communicate with other vehicles is being developed. People buying EVs or PHEVs represent a growing eco-consciousness.  Ford Energi LifestyleTechnology can help bring the world to a place where we are better stewards of the earth and now days this means connected technology. Aware of this, the organizers of the LA Auto Show created the Connected Car Expo. It was a one-day conference and three-day expo on connecting the car to its greater environment – the driver, other autos, and the home or office for enhanced safety, comfort, entertainment, and most importantly realizing the full ecological value of EVs and PHEVs. The connectedness to the greater surroundings means collaboration with other manufactures and interests so headlines like “Ford Teams Up to Save Energy with MyEnergi Lifestyle” appear. This teaming is with unlikely companies such as Eaton, SunPower and Whirlpool, Infineon, and Nest Labs.

The Public Days’ Ride and Drive grew with many vehicles this year to test out what is green and innovative. Some the Technology demo-ed;

  • Adaptive-cruise control
  • Automatic park-assist
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Front-crash mitigation
  • Radar-based object detection systems

Ford has branded their take on this as the MyEnergi Lifestyle. The Ford solution to off peak charging – value charging – is available on all Ford plug-in vehicles with the MyFord Mobile app.

Ford's Green Wall at the 2013 LA Auto Show

Ford’s Green Wall at the 2013 LA Auto Show

More innovation competed at the LA Auto show with the fast pitch competition for innovators with concepts to take to the connected auto market. The FASTPITCH Competition winner, Estify, was announced by Robert Herjavac of ABC’s “Shark Tank”. Estify won with a platform to streamline collision repair. With innovative and green technology,  “Biomimicry & Mobility 2025 – Nature’s Answer to Human Challenges” was another of the many interesting events> Contests and awards such as; “ Innovation Car of the Year”(There was a tie for the winner by two light weight vehicles) and “Green Car of the Year”– the Honda Accord.

At the LA Auto Show, together the innovation, technology, “Teaming Up” for “ECO” make this event that not only drives the transportation section but is indeed inspiring change for all – reaching an expected 900,000 thousand people who plan to actually attend.

The Puma–  the antithesis of   “ECO. It only gets up to 14 miles per gallon.

The Puma– the antithesis of “ECO. It only gets up to 14 miles per gallon.

I left with both a tear and laughter upon seeing the “Puma”, a vehicle that is the antithesis of our “ECO” – it gets an ideal 14 MPG (more realistically 7 MPG) and is priced at over a million dollars.

This vehicle, The Puma is named after the threatened species.  We are thankful vehicles like these are rare, and if they make all people laugh or cry they will help us all from becoming an endangered species.

The Puma

The Puma

But with more and more hybrids, PHEVs and ideally straight EVs, we could all benefit from being aware of “ECO” and choosing to be better stewards of our resources in our homes and with by we choose to drive.

 

 

© World Team Now (WTN) 2013. All rights reserved.

 

 

The 8th annual AltCar Expo

The BMW i3

The 8th annual AltCar Expo continued in Santa Monica, with marked change and growth.  The AltCar Expo is a great opportunity to ride and drive some of the latest alternative vehicles and understand ways you can do your part with Climate Change. World Team Now visited the Expo on Friday, during the “Fleet Day”, and Saturday for “Public Day”. There we so many inspirational highlights at this year’s event (see World Team Now’s photo album).

The AltCar Expo had the latest in various Alternative Technology Vehicles: Electric, Hydrogen, Propane, Natural Gas, Bio-Diesel, Hybrid but since World Team Now is focused on long term solutions that are sustainable “cradle to cradle” –we focus on electric, which can be charged by renewable energy source like; solar, wind or hydro. We love the concept of the solar boat.

Ford’s C-Maxx Energi and Fusion informational poster

Good old fashion American Ford and Chevy are now gaining strength in the market with electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles(PHEVs).   The C-Max Energi from Ford is a promising vehicle that may lead the market in PHEVs eventually, but we could not fully evaluate that from our one test drive experience.  What is evident is the number of options from each manufacturer who are all now entering either the hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles with products to choose from, like Chevy’s new “Spark”.  Nissan continues to surprise improving on their leading EV, here with Nissan’s souped-up Leaf, the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC.  20130921_141155 BMW’s i3 EV has range and is part of a new brand, BMW i, consisting of EVs and hybrids. Also, we were impressed by Genze (more than a scooter), Team Marine, the international flair of participation from the Netherlands constituency, and Lumos.

Lumos' solar carport

Lumos’ solar carport

Lumos has a kit solar carport that has game-changing opportunities to source your own energy and help address your utility’s high demand to supply electricity by being able to take advantage of what’s called arbitrage energy by selling back to the electrical grid.  V2G (vehicle to grid — see WTN’s IEEE article “Vehicle Electrification: Status and Issues” for more on this) with the option of a net-zero grid-tied building is one of the significant ways each individual can do their part to combat Climate Change and learn to better live in balance with our natural resources. EPA made a solid step in limiting emissions Friday of new coal plants to 1,100 pounds of carbon-dioxide per megawatt-hour of power produced.

Team Marine in “Volts Watson”

The heart of the inspiration was Santa Monica High School’s club Team Marine, there to unveil their newly transformed vehicle named Volts Watson – an old Volkswagen Beetle from 1971 that is now all-electric (see photo album). It was a heartwarming experience to see one of the children that I taught to skate, ocean swim and many other of his life’s first experiences, Matthew Zarken, be part of Team Marine. His brother Nicholas was a volunteer for World Team Now last year at AltExpo and wrote this about his experience.

The RAV4 continues

Please come be part of the Team — see Team Marine’s transformed car, World Team in action, and be inspired to take action — be part of  “Draw the Line” on Climate Change, as day of global action against the Keystone XL pipeline, and be for renewable action with your choice to choose your source of energy and what you drive. There were many opportunities to see the evolution of the electric vehicle from its beginning to now – the growth is remarkable. there was a new milestone with more than 10,000 EVs sold in August. “The 35 million EVs sold in 2012 will rise 3.6 times to nearly 129 million in 2022”, (worldwide and including e-bikes)  as cited in this report that demonstrates how the vehicle game is changing. Electrifying transportation, like with the solar boat demo-ed here

20130921_140836

At the solar boat from World Team Now: Jacinta Camacho Kaplan, Laura Fercano Demieri, Liana Foksheneanu, and Suzanne Maxx

or connecting directly to renewable energy source– is a sustainable way to go, especially as we improve energy storage capabilities. People are beginning to understand the connection between economics and the ecological.  There is greater weight placed in their choices and actions when thinking about the next generation to consider more carefully.  However public adoption and dealership education has just begun – both of these elements along with supportive policy will contribute to long term rollout of electric vehicles significantly.

 

 

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