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Newsletters
"Plug In America News Reports
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
November 2006
GM Plug-in Series Hybrid?
LADWP Toyota Agreement Saves RAV4 EVs?
The Missed Opportunity of Prop 87
EV Book and Movie Stocking-Stuffers
by Marc Geller
GM Plug-in Series Hybrid?
In early November, an LA Times story heralding GM’s resurrection of the plug-in car was carried by newspapers worldwide. GM announced it will show some sort of plug-in car at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Speculation has focused on the possibility of a serial plug-in hybrid. GM made a prototype plug-in hybrid EV1 during the 90s.
Rumors had already begun about GM’s electric intentions. In September, Chairman Lutz said that his worst decision was killing the EV1. In July Saab (owned by GM) displayed a reputedly plug-in hybrid bio-diesel convertible in Stockholm, but only after gluing shut access to the plug mentioned in a quickly withdrawn press release. Sherry Boschert, San Francisco chapter President and author of the newly published Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America, captured the original press release. I’ll report on any GM announcements or rumors that come out of the LA Auto Show in early December in my next PIA report.
California’s Proposition 87 - What went wrong?
Proposition 87, the much ballyhooed California Initiative to levy a new oil extraction tax and use the revenue to support alternative fuels, went down to defeat in the recent election. One can’t overstate the impact of the $100 million oil-fueled campaign by opponents. “Higher gas prices. More foreign oil.” The refrain still rings in my ears. Oil companies made a smart investment to keep $4 billion for themselves.
But the Yes on 87 campaign squandered a great opportunity. The campaign spent $10s of millions in pursuit of the worthy goal of promoting alternatives to petroleum. Unfortunately the ads focused on promoting ethanol with a disconnected nod to solar and wind. The campaign, I would argue, that could have won, and would have educated even in losing, would have made clear the connection between popular renewables (solar and wind-generated electricity) and plug-in cars. If interest in the EAA PHEV project is any indication, current hybrid owners are ready to plug in. The moment was ripe to make the PV/EV connection big time.
Unfortunately for the campaign, doubts about biofuels have bubbled into the mainstream through publications such as Consumer Reports (The Ethanol Myth, October, 2006). Ethanol has always had the sniff of corporate scam, and the involvement of venture capitalists as major promoters of Prop 87 only tainted the initiative.
The effort failed after early polling had it ahead, and public understanding of the choices we face to reduce petroleum usage remains unchanged. An electorate inclined to support environmental issues voted down a tax on the most polluting and richest corporations in the world.
The public understandably remains confused about clean cars. Gov. Schwarzenegger was still touting last year’s fashion, hydrogen, in his ads. Democrats seemed to pivot to ethanol. Who Killed the Electric Car? suggested plug-in cars are still viable. Car companies tout new gasoline cars as nearly zero emissions but the air is still unhealthy where most people live.
The major environmental organizations only deepen the confusion. They continue to express a preference for no preference. Sprinkle one part hydrogen, one part ethanol, one part clean diesel, one part bio diesel, and one part gasoline-generated electricity into a mug of CAFE, stir and hope we end up with something better.
Prop 87 failed because political and environmental leadership has failed to heed the science and promote plug-in cars. The continued unwillingness of auto makers to create products to connect to the ubiquitous electric infrastructure is no excuse for keeping the public misinformed. Had the initiative’s promoters given equal billing to plug-ins and still lost, we would have gained considerable ground. If there is a next time, let’s hope they take our advice.
RAVs to Keep Rolling in LA
The efforts of LA EV activists to keep the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s fleet of RAV4 EVs on the road appears to have been a success. Nate Vandershaaf, who arrived at one meeting with a bank-certified offer to purchase all 74 RAVs for $1.85 million, caught the attention of the Board of Commissioners, as did a letter of support from Congresswoman Linda Sanchez. Doug Korthof, Linda Nicholes, and a stream of EAA and PIA members convinced one of the nation’s largest public power agencies to reconsider its decision to dump its electric cars. After open, public discussions at consecutive meetings of the Board, Commissioners overruled the staff recommendation to purchase Priuses rather than continue to lease the electric RAVs. In addition, LADWP currently is negotiating a lease purchase option on some of the fleet-leased RAV4 EVs. There’s a lesson here for us all. By inserting ourselves as EV activists in the public process we can achieve results. There are numerous municipalities with leased Toyota RAV4 EVs. Public pressure can convince lessees keep these clean cars in their communities and perhaps persuade Toyota to allow the cars to be purchased. Let us know if your city or town has RAV4 EVs ripe for saving.
Holiday EVangelism
Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America by San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association president Sherry Boschert has been published and is beginning to appear in bookstores. Sherry spoke before an enthusiastic crowd at the San Francisco Green Festival in November. She will be traveling to promote the book beginning in November. If your chapter can arrange an event with Sherry, you’ll have a very informative meeting. Orders and contact information at www.sherryboschert.com.
The DVD of Who Killed the Electric Car? is now available from the Plug In America website. Sherry Boschert’s book is also available from the website. www.pluginamerica.com/wktec.shtml.
October 2006
Evidence for Electrics Piles Up at ZEVTech
LADWP RAV4 EVs Win Reprieve
EV Book and Movie Stocking-Stuffers
by Marc Geller
ZEVTech
Plug In America and the Electric Auto Association were well represented and well received at the California Air Resources Board Zero Emission Vehicle Technical Review in Sacramento. This three day event was convened to present information to CARB staff as it considers options for the ZEV mandate in 2007.
Presenters included automakers; battery, hydrogen and fuel cell companies; electric utilities; and energy and emissions analysts. What seems indisputable after three days is that hydrogen and fuel cells remain far from ready for prime time.
Chelsea Sexton and Paul Scott presented for Plug In America, making the case that plug-in cars are reliable and ready. Ron Freund revealed the results of the RAV4 EV Driver Survey, and Tim Hastrup gave a portrait of one family’s decade with electric cars.
Toyota made clear they want out from under the requirement to start producing FCVs in large numbers. Dave Hermance said producing more than 30 FCVs per generation is a waste of money and resources. Because he also dusted off Toyota’s disingenuous presentation about the effort made to sell RAV4 EVs from the infamous ZEV Meeting in 2003, he seems to be suggesting Toyota wants to take neither path offered by CARB to meet true Zero Emission Vehicle requirements.
Honda’s Ben Knight said the Japanese carmaker will enter the market with its FCV in 2015, long after current project managers are gone. GM announced its intention to “place” 100 FCVs with fleets and consumers over the next few years. They forsee no market until well into the next decade. Ford didn’t even show up.
Lithium batteries and the possibilities of Vehicle-to-Grid technology provided the real buzz at ZEVTech. Utilities were well-represented with presentations touting the benefits grid-connected cars offer in reduced emissions, lower cost and load leveling.
Check out these presentations, and many others, at the CARB website: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/symposium/presentations/presentations.htm
Saving RAVs
In Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power, one of the nation’s largest public power agencies, is reconsidering its decision to return its fleet of RAV4 EVs. As was the case with the unsuccessful attempt to save Pasadena’s Nissan HyperMinis, resident EV advocates have joined with DWP staff supportive of the electric vehicles to bring the issue to the attention of the Board. The return of the EV fleet is on hold for the moment.
Holiday EVangelism
November will see the publication of “Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America” by San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association president Sherry Boschert. She will be traveling to promote the book beginning in November. If your chapter can arrange an event with Sherry, you’ll have a very informative meeting. Advance orders and contact information at www.sherryboschert.com.
The DVD of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” will also become available in November, in time for holiday gift-giving.
Plug In America and the EAA will have be making both products available shortly. Check our websites, www.pluginamerica.com and www.eaaev.org, for details.
September 2006
Who Killed the Electric Car?
It's NOT DEAD YET reply Tesla and Pasadena.
by Marc Geller
Since my last report, the success of the film “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
set the stage for the dramatic unveiling of the Tesla Motors Roadster in
Santa Monica on July 19th.
By mid August, the film had grossed over $1 million in its theatrical
release, thanks in no small part to the great promotional efforts by members
of the EAA. From Oregon to Florida, our membership continues to promote the
film and promote the idea of electric cars at screenings. In numerous
cities, members have been out with their cars and literature to answer the
many questions audience members have after viewing the film. The result has
been not only greater visibility for our cause but also increased membership
for both the EAA and Plug In America. (If you want to participate in your
area, PIA literature is available from marc@pluginamerica.com.) The movie is
entering its seventh week at some theaters, and is opening in more venues
every week.
Riding this wave of publicity, with movie reviews across the nation asking
the question “Who Killed the Electric Car?,” Tesla Motors provided one
convincing answer in the business pages. “Not Dead Yet” indeed. While priced
dearly at $100,000 for the first 100 vehicles, the car’s specs are so
impressive and the company so well capitalized that it received prominent
coverage across the nation, including the front page of the San Francisco
Chronicle. You can read all the details in Earl Cox’s report on page one.
The countdown to delivery begins.
Certainly, events in the world have conspired to drive attention to the film
and the Tesla. Oil prices peaked once again at over $75 a barrel. The
shutdown by BP of its Prudhoe Bay drilling operation and the Alaska pipeline
due to years of neglect threatened to reduce our domestic supply of
gasoline. The war between Israel and Hizbollah has brought massive petroleum
spills to Beirut’s beaches as a result of the bombing of an oil-burning
electricity generation plant.
And then on August 8, amid all this bad news, a ray of sunshine. On that
day, employees of the City of Pasadena acted decisively to protect their
electric Nissan HyperMinis from being taken to the crusher by Nissan car
carrier trucks. Working with Southern California members of Plug In America,
they used other electric vehicles to physically block Nissan from being able
to take the cars. This virtual municipal revolt against the car companies'
confiscation of electric cars has revived the campaign to stop the crushing.
The Pasadena Star News covered the story as it developed, culminating in a
strong editorial supporting the city’s efforts to keep the non-polluting
cars on the road. The Mayor of Pasadena expressed his support for the city
employees who prevented the Nissan car carriers from leaving with the
electric cars Pasadena would like to purchase.
Plug In America is working to support the efforts of Pasadena. We need your
help to spread this effort nationwide. Call Nissan at (800) NISSAN-1 or
(800-647-7261)
and tell them to let Pasadena buy their electric HyperMinis. Make sure your
municipal fleets with electric cars do everything in their power to keep
their cars! If you find out what’s up with EVs in local fleets, let us know.
And in our next report we’ll let you know about progress made to save the
Pasadena HyperMinis.