electric

Eight years ago today, the Chevy Volt concept was the subject of my first story to go really huge

This entry was posted in electric GPCP Hybrid Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)

Eight years ago today, the Chevy Volt concept was the subject of my first story to go really huge

Back then, Digg.com was still relevant and this was my first story to hit the top of the front page thanks in part to links from sites like DailyKos. As an engineer and a tech geek, I was hugely excited by what +Chevrolet was proposing with the E-Flex powertrain and thought this car had so much potential. Over the next four years I went on to write hundreds more articles on the development of the Volt and many other green vehicles that I compiled into an e-book.
http://www.amazon.com/Recharging-Car-Sam-Abuelsamid-ebook/dp/B005GY0SZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420627913&sr=8-1&keywords=recharging+the+car

This morning I'm heading out get an early look at the second-generation Volt before it gets a full public reveal next week at the Detroit Auto Show. Hopefully some of that original unrealized potential from eight years ago will come to fruition this time. ?

Detroit Auto Show: It’s here. GM’s plug-in hybrid is the Chevy Volt Concept

September 2008 Update: To see the production version of the Volt, click here.

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Eight years ago today, the Chevy Volt concept was the subject of my first story to… 1

This entry was posted in electric gpblg Hybrid on by (updated 3426 days ago)
Eight years ago today, the Chevy Volt concept was the subject of my first story to go really huge

Back then, Digg.com was still relevant and this was my first story to hit the top of the front page thanks in part to links from sites like DailyKos. As an engineer and a tech geek, I was hugely excited by what +Chevrolet was proposing with the E-Flex powertrain and thought this car had so much potential. Over the next four years I went on to write hundreds more articles on the development of the Volt and many other green vehicles that I compiled into an e-book.
http://www.amazon.com/Recharging-Car-Sam-Abuelsamid-ebook/dp/B005GY0SZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420627913&sr=8-1&keywords=recharging+the+car

This morning I'm heading out get an early look at the second-generation Volt before it gets a full public reveal next week at the Detroit Auto Show. Hopefully some of that original unrealized potential from eight years ago will come to fruition this time. ?

Detroit Auto Show: It’s here. GM’s plug-in hybrid is the Chevy Volt Concept
September 2008 Update: To see the production version of the Volt, click here.

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The Prius is a great fuel-efficient car, but save the $6,000 on the plug

This entry was posted in electric GPCP Hybrid Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)

The Prius is a great fuel-efficient car, but save the $6,000 on the plug

The +TOYOTA Prius is as good as ever for efficiency minded, but the non-plug version is the one to buy. If you really want zero emissions driving, buy a BEV like the Nissan Leaf or at least a longer-range PHEV like the +Ford Motor Company Fusion Energi or +Chevrolet Volt.?

2014 Prius PHV – Skip the Plug on This One | Sam’s Thoughts

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2014 Prius PHV – Skip the Plug on This One

This entry was posted in cars electric Hybrid reviews technology Toyota and tagged 2014 toyota prius phv car review car reviews phev plug-in hybrid prius on by (updated 3179 days ago)

prius phv 07

Back in 2006 when I first started writing professionally about cars, plug-in cars were just starting to make a comeback to the marketplace with the reveal of the Tesla Roadster. At the time, a number of fans of the second-generation Toyota Prius wanted in on the action and started adding bigger battery packs to turn them into plug-in hybrids. A combination of wanting to grease that squeaky wheel and plug-in vehicle mandates from the state of California eventually led Toyota to produce a plug-in variant of the third-gen Prius and I recently got to spend a week driving one.

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A San Francisco-based writer for Wired discovers that today's electric cars are not a silver bullet

This entry was posted in cars electric GPCP Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)

A San Francisco-based writer for Wired discovers that today's electric cars are not a silver bullet

If you can't afford a $100,000 Tesla Model S (and let's face it the vast majority of us cannot) you probably really shouldn't even consider an EV unless you have a dedicated place to plug it in daily.

https://sam.abuelsamid.com/2014/10/08/2014-nissan-leaf-review-its-remarkably-normal/#1

In his article Alex Davies even mentions the people that carry the charging cord with them and plug in surreptitiously to accessible 110-volt outlets when they can't find a 220-volt charger.  This isn't really practical most of the time because the charge rate at 110 is slow that a Nissan Leaf will take 30 hours to fully charge.  For many people an EV is a great option, but it's definitely not for everyone. ?

A Two-Day Battle to Charge My Car Convinced Me We’re Not Ready for EVs | WIRED

Until the public infrastructure improves, people who can’t plug in overnight are in for a very serious headache.

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There is no question that hybrid electric powertrains are more efficient than traditional internal combustion

This entry was posted in cars electric GPCP Hybrid Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)

There is no question that hybrid electric powertrains are more efficient than traditional internal combustion

However, if you still end up paying nearly $200,000 more over the life of the vehicle even after factoring in fuel savings, it becomes really hard to make a case for hybrid buses. Ann Arbor has been aggressive about acquiring hybrid buses over the past seven years with 52 of the 80 buses in the current fleet sporting motors and batteries. 

Unfortunately, most transit agencies struggle to cover costs from fares and as the AAATA prepares to expand services next year, it is rethinking whether to go hybrid or conventional diesel due to the expense. ?

Hybrid bus dilemma: AAATA not sure environmental benefits justify extra cost

The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority is known in part for its large fleet of hybrid buses, which burn through less fuel, generate fewer emissions and make slightly less noise than conventional diesel buses. But despite promises of a cleaner…

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2014 Nissan Leaf Review – It’s Remarkably Normal

This entry was posted in cars electric environment Nissan reviews technology and tagged 2014 nissan leaf battery bev car reviews charging electric car electric vehicle EV leaf lithium ion nissan review on by (updated 3179 days ago)
2014 Nissan Leaf SV

2014 Nissan Leaf SV

Somehow in the eight years since I started writing about cars I’ve driven lots of electric vehicles but have never managed to spend an extended period with one until now. Having now spent a week with a 2014 Nissan Leaf SV, I can say that it’s a very good car regardless of how its propelled. That doesn’t mean it’s the best car for everyone in search of a compact hatchback, but for those whose lifestyles overlap with the limitations of today’s battery technology it’s a great choice.

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Some very practical suggestions for making electric vehicles more appealing

This entry was posted in cars electric GPCP Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)

Some very practical suggestions for making electric vehicles more appealing?

Ten practical tips to fix the modern electric vehicle | Autocar

Electric cars will never take off if they’re not made to be easier to use, and more practical for everyday motoring. Here’s how that can happen

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Formula E sounds like an interesting premise but two car swaps per 1 hour race? An electric sports car series would make more sense

This entry was posted in cars electric GPCP Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)

Formula E sounds like an interesting premise but two car swaps per 1 hour race? An electric sports car series would make more sense

Having the drivers come in and change cars twice per hour as a means of dealing with the fact that current battery technology has terrible energy density doesn't seem like a great solution. 

However, swapping the batteries is also less than ideal.  In addition to the obvious cost considerations, there is a significant safety reason behind why Project Better Place and +Tesla Motors have both proposed completely automated battery swap systems. Handling large high-voltage batteries is cumbersome and dangerous.  

Perhaps a better solution for Formula E would have been to incorporate a larger battery and something akin to Tesla's high-power supercharger system.  Better still, don't do open-wheel cars where the size of the battery pack is so inherently limited by packaging constraints. Do a full-body sports car.  

How about something like a modern battery-powered Can-Am series? 

Create a car the size of a +McLaren M20 or +Porsche 917-30 with sufficient battery to run a 45 minute sprint race.  Then do two or even three heats in the course of a day with time to recharge between heats. That could make for some interesting racing.?

Formula E Does Its Batteries Wrong

Here’s how Formula E deals with short battery life, and here’s why it’s wrong.

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Fortunately for electric vehicles, most automakers are choosing to stick to standards…

This entry was posted in cars electric Uncategorized on by (updated 3426 days ago)
Fortunately for electric vehicles, most automakers are choosing to stick to standards for charging connectors

This is the new fast charging standard for EVs
Just in time for the debut of the Chevrolet Spark EV and the BMW i3, BMW and GM have finished testing the new SAE-standard fast charge connector for electric vehicles.

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