Monday, March 21, 2011

Google Maps adds locations of electric vehicle charging stations

Electric vehicles are the future of personal transportation. That can’t be denied. The problem is, it’s hard to make EVs the present. For one thing, a lot of the benefits to owning an electric vehicle when it comes to emissions are obviated by the fact that much of the United States still depends upon coal-based electricity. Leaving aside that fact, though, there’s a more practical problem with replacing your old gas guzzler with an electric vehicle: while gas stations are pretty much ubiquitous across the country, electric vehicle charging stations are not. In fact, not only are they pretty dang rare, but it’s almost impossible to know where the nearest charging station is to you, even if there is one in the area.

Well, until now. Google has just rolled out a nifty new Google Maps feature that will help you find electric vehicle charging stations in your area, before your car runs out of juice.

Here’s how it works. If you want to find the closest electric vehicle charging stations to where you are or where you will be, just search Google Maps by preceding your search term with “EV charging stations near.” For example, if you were near Times Square in New York City, you’d search for “EV Charging stations near Times Square, New York.”

Of course, there’s a catch, and that’s information: not all of the charging stations in the country are listed yet. As the service becomes used more, though, owners of EV charging stations will hopefully start reporting themselves to Google, and Google also says that the US DOE NREL is working to make data on public charging stations moree available, and Google will mirror that database accordingly.

Most of us, we probably won’t use this, but this is just another small step towards more widescale EV acceptance.

Read more at Google


View the original article here

Investment in Electric Vehicle Technology Is the Fastest and Most Sustainable Road to Lower Gas Prices

MOORESVILLE, NC--(Marketwire - March 17, 2011) - Li-ion Motors (OTCBB: LMCO) (FRANKFURT: LL9L) -- According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States and Canada use 2/3 of oil consumption for transportation, far more than for heat and power.?Gas consumption accounts for almost 45 percent of all oil use.

More than crude oil barrel price, demand is what drives high gas prices at the pump. So the best way to keep gas prices in check would be investment in proven alternative transportation technology such as Li-ion Motors' (OTCBB: LMCO) (FRANKFURT: LL9L) lithium-ion battery powered electric cars, small trucks and motorcycles.

"Investment in a company like Li-ion Motors and the increased use of electric vehicles by government, business and individuals will help control prices across the board," says Li-ion Motors CEO Stacey Fling. "By decreasing demand at the pump through putting more cars like our Wave II, Inizio and gas-to-electric conversions on the road, prices will drop and this will have a positive domino effect on every other business that is slave to oil for production or shipping.

"That's real economic stimulus."

Increase in demand is impacted by many factors, most recently by increases in car ownership and production needs in China, India and other emerging markets. Japan, which is already a major consumer of oil, will only see that grow drastically, primarily for power generation, as their nuclear system was compromised by the recent natural disasters.

The Los Angeles Times reported that, "Many analysts are predicting a sharp rise in energy prices, particularly on the West Coast, as refiners scramble to replace more than 1 million barrels a day in refined fuels production lost because of Japan's earthquake and tsunami.

"West Coast refineries are the most likely supply source for the Japanese, experts say, which could reduce the amount of gasoline and diesel fuel available for U.S. drivers and businesses, possibly boosting prices that were already rising in response to higher oil costs."

"It's the butterfly effect," says Fling, "and some butterflies are bigger than others."

Gasoline accounts for about 2/3 of the total oil used for transportation in the United States with the rest comprised of diesel fuel which is used primarily for trucks, buses, railroads, and a few passenger auto engines, jet and other aviation fuel, and residual fuel oil, which is used for tankers and other large ships.

"The math is simple and sound," says Fling. "By actively engaging in a proven oil-free alternative, we can keep America on the road and decrease domestic demand for oil at the same time with our proven electric vehicles. Our Wave II won the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize averaging 187 miles per gallon equivalent. The cost for that is about $3. Even the best hybrids out there can barely do 25% of that."

Not only would this help control demand and provide lower costs for planes, trains and ships as well as all the gas-powered vehicles still out there but it would also help keep costs down on oil used for other products.

Expanded drilling is just a short-term Band-Aid still dependent on oil and subject to the whims of the marketplace and not a long-term solution such as electric drive transportation.

"The frantic calls for the government to open up offshore drilling in order to bring down oil costs are more grandstanding than helpful," says Fling, "especially when real solutions like investment in proven electric vehicle technology can have immediate effect."

About Li-ion Motors Corp.: ?(OTCBB: LMCO) (FRANKFURT: LL9L), headquartered in Mooresville, NC with corporate offices in Las Vegas, NV, is a leading developer and manufacturer of electric powered automobiles including the WAVE II and the Inizio.

Previously known as Hybrid Technologies, the company has more than ten years' experience and expertise in the conversion of internal combustion cars to all electric for both individual and corporate customers as well as government agencies such as NASA.

The company won the Progressive Automotive X Prize in 2010 for its WAVE II, which came with a $2.5 million (USD) award. During the X Prize competition, the WAVE II whose electric motor is powered by lithium-ion batteries governed by a proprietary battery management system (BMS) was certified by the Argonne National Laboratory at 202.5 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent).

The Inizio is the world's first 100% electric supercar, capable of 170 mph and acceleration from 0-60 mph in up to 3.4 seconds. Both vehicles are moving into production for consumer sales in 2011.

Along with the production of original vehicles, the company licenses its proprietary BMS and technology to automobile manufacturers seeking to advance their electric vehicle offerings.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT:
This press release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on the Company's current expectations as to future events. However, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release might not occur, and actual results could differ.


View the original article here

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Research and Markets: Electric Vehicle Traction Batteries 2011-2021

Press Release Source: Research and Markets On Wednesday March 16, 2011, 6:12 pm EDT

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/642519/electric_vehicle_t) has announced the addition of the "Electric Vehicle Traction Batteries 2011-2021" report to their offering.

This comprehensive report has detailed assessments and forecasts for all the sectors using and likely to use traction batteries. There are chapters on heavy industrial, light industrial/commercial, mobility for the disabled, two wheel and allied, pure electric cars, hybrid cars, golf cars, military, marine and other. The profusion of pictures, diagrams and tables pulls the subject together to give an independent view of the future ten years. Unit sales, unit prices and total market value are forecast for each sector for 2011-2021. The replacement market is quantified and ten year technology trends by sector are in there too, with a view on winning and losing technologies and companies. This is the essential reference book for those who are anywhere in the hybrid and pure electric vehicle value chain. Those making materials, cells, battery sets or vehicles, researchers, legislators and market analysts will find it invaluable.

The whole picture With vehicle traction batteries it is important to look at the whole picture and this report does it for the first time. The rapidly growing market for traction batteries will exceed $55 billion in only ten years. However that spans battery sets up to $500,000 each with great sophistication needed for military, marine and solar aircraft use. Huge numbers of low cost batteries are being used for e-bikes but even here several new technologies are appearing. The largest replacement market is for e-bikes today and the value market for replacement batteries will not be dominated by cars when these batteries last the life of the car - something likely to happen within ten years. The trends are therefore complex and that is why IDTechEx has analysed them with great care. Vehicle manufacturers are often employing new battery technology first in their forklifts or e-bikes, not cars, yet there is huge progress with car batteries as well - indeed oversupply is probable in this sector at some stage. The mix is changing too. The second largest volume of electric vehicles being made in 2010 is mobility aids for the disabled but in ten years time it will be hybrid cars. The market for car traction batteries will be larger than the others but there will only be room for six or so winners in car batteries and other suppliers and users will need to dominate their own niches to achieve enduring growth and profits. Strategy must be decided now. In this report, researched in 2010 and frequently updated, we analyse the successes, the needs, the statistics and the market potential for traction batteries for all the major applications. This has never been done before. It is important to look at the whole picture because traction battery manufacturers typically sell horizontally across many applications and electric vehicle manufacturers increasingly make versions for many applications - heavy industrial, on road, leisure and so on. Indeed, the smarter putative suppliers will choose the sectors that best leverage their strengths rather than join the herd and be obliterated by corporations of up to $100 billion in size enjoying prodigious government support.

Stay Updated with Free IDTechEx Research

In addition, all report purchases include one hour free consulting with a report author from IDTechEx, by email or telephone. This needs to be used within three months of purchasing the report.

Key Topics Covered:

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

2. INTRODUCTION

3. PROGRESS WITH NEW GENERATION LITHIUM TRACTION BATTERIES

4. HEAVY INDUSTRIAL EVS

5. LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL EVS

6. MOBILITY FOR THE DISABLED

7. TWO WHEELED EVS AND ALLIED VEHICLES

8. GOLF EVS

9. CARS

10. PURE ELECTRIC CARS

11. HYBRID CARS

12. MILITARY

13. MARINE

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/642519/electric_vehicle_t


View the original article here

First Nissan Leaf, An All-Electric Vehicle, Arrives March 12

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

ChargePoint Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles Now Available - Go Shopping!

The Bellevue Collection today announced the installation of its ChargePointR networked electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in 15 locations in The Bellevue Collection parking garages. The ChargePoint stations are now installed and were unveiled at a “Plug In Ceremony” in the NE parking garage at Bellevue Square.

Bothell, WA (PRWEB) March 17, 2011

The Bellevue Collection today announced the installation of its ChargePointR networked electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in 15 locations in The Bellevue Collection parking garages. The ChargePoint stations are now installed and were unveiled at a “Plug In Ceremony” in the NE parking garage at Bellevue Square.

ChargeNorthwest's Jim Billmaier and Kemper Development Company's Glen Bachman hosted the announcement event. Additionally several electric vehicles including the Nissan LEAF and Tesla Roadsters were on display and used to demonstrate how the charge stations work.

The installation of these new ChargePoint stations is part of an overall program by The Bellevue Collection management toward greater environmental stewardship.

There are fifteen locations at The Bellevue Collection featuring the networked electric vehicle (EV) charging stations:
????5 ports in the West Garage on the 2nd level near sky bridge #2????4 ports in the Northeast Garage, 1st floor near Nordstrom????4 in the Lincoln Square Garage on the 1st level (P1)????2 ports in the Bellevue Place Garage on the 1st level (P1)

Our Other Green Efforts Include:
????A portion of the landscape is irrigated with reclaimed water????Extensive use of low evaporation drip irrigation????Shrubbery and tree cuttings are mulched and composted????Use of drought tolerant and native plantings

With Waste Stream management & Landfill Diversion:
????Cardboard recovery program????Trash recycling????Kitchen waste composting????Bulb recycling program????Paint disposal program????Styrofoam recovery system

Our Carpooling & Telecommuting;
????Park & ride program through Trans manage

Our use of Materials & resources includes:
????Low VOC paints????Biodegradable janitorial products????Recyclable paper products????And energy efficient lighting & appliances

“Bellevue Square has been a trend setting shopping destination for generations in our community,” said Freeman. “It’s only fitting that we would be the location of the first ChargePoint stations for shopping centers in the region to offer this to our customers. You can be charging while shopping or dining. What could be easier for our customers?”

The new installation at The Bellevue Collection is part of Coulomb’s $37 million ChargePoint America program. Coulomb’s ChargePoint America program will provide 4,600 free charging stations in nine regions in the United States: Austin, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando/Tampa, Sacramento, San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area, Redmond/Bellevue, Washington DC/Baltimore, Southern Michigan (including Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit). Installation of the ChargePoint charging stations is underway now in all nine regions. Businesses interested in free ChargePoint stations can visit http://www.chargepointamerica.com to apply.

Coulomb’s ChargePointR Network is open to all drivers of plug-in vehicles and all manufacturers of plug-in vehicle charging stations. ChargePoint Network’s unique features include:
????The ability for drivers to access stations via contactless credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, and Discover) ????24/7/365 telephone driver support via a toll free number on all charging stations ????Smart Grid ready with built in Utility Grade Capable Metering, Time of Use (TOU) pricing and Demand Response (DR) control ????Smart Phone applications to find unoccupied stations, navigate to them, and operate them????Low operating cost through remote monitoring, alerts, diagnosis, and control

“Charge Northwest is working closely with cities and businesses to make our community EV ready,” said Jim Billmaier founding partner of Charge Northwest and regional distributor of ChargePoint solutions. “The Bellevue Collection is demonstrating their leadership by installing and showcasing the first networked charging stations for their customers.”

About ChargePoint America
The $37 million ChargePoint America program is made possible by a $15M grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the Department of Energy. ChargePoint America will provide 4,600 public and home ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations by October 2011, adding to the existing ChargePoint Network. Coulomb will work together with its distribution and industry partners to evaluate the demand from the respective geographic regions and allocate charging stations based on this and other factors. The ChargePoint America project will collect data characterizing vehicle use and charging patterns, and Purdue University and Idaho National Labs will analyze the data. For more program information, visit http://www.chargepointamerica.com.

About The Bellevue Collection
Located in the heart of Bellevue, Washington, The Bellevue Collection includes Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place and Lincoln Square. With a distinctive collection of 250 of the finest shops, 23 sit-down restaurants, a 16-screen premier cinema, 700 luxury hotel rooms and 10,000 free retail parking spaces, all in one location. The Bellevue Collection is an experience unlike any other in the region. It is located on Bellevue Way between NE 4th and NE 10th Street in downtown Bellevue, just across Lake Washington from Seattle.

# # #

Cheryl Engstrom

425-417-1395
Email Information


View the original article here

Frost & Sullivan to Provide Industry Leaders With Key Plug-In Electric Vehicle Market Insights

 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - March 17, 2011) - ?Frost & Sullivan's Veerender Kaul is set to speak at this year's Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure USA 2011 Conference & Exhibition March 31-April 1. Kaul aims to explore the consumer attitude and perceptions about electric vehicles and their electric vehicle purchase interest and preferences.


By 2020, huge shifts in urbanization and society are expected, which will collectively impact personal mobility.?Electric vehicles (EV) are expected to be in the forefront of these changes with ground-breaking products, innovative business models and new customer experiences. The move from a fossil-fuel based personal transportation system to an electric system, however, presents enormous challenges. The high price of EVs, limited driving range of battery EVs (typically 100 miles) and the lack of a public charging network are major impediments to the adoption of EVs.


The high investment needs for developing electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure, amidst uncertainty about the acceptance of these vehicles, poses enormous risk. For a successful EV program, it is important to understand the vehicle-purchase and vehicle-usage criteria of consumers and fleet customers and align product and service offerings to them. Veerender Kaul's presentation will analyze the following key issues:

What is the level of awareness and interest in purchasing electric vehicles? What are the motivations for purchasing an electric vehicle? What are the vehicle usage and performance characteristics of interested customers? Who are the potential early adopters of electric vehicles? What are the electric vehicle feature preferences?

"On one hand, the unique driving attributed to an EV makes it difficult to position it as a primary vehicle and on the other hand its high price makes its positioning as a secondary vehicle difficult.?Innovative business models that package transportation services with EVs to overcome its driving limitations and derive secondary revenue streams to reduce the cost burden on EV owners are crucial to positioning an EV as a primary vehicle and enhancing its value proposition," notes Veerender Kaul, Frost & Sullivan's Automotive & Transportation Research Director.


The Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure USA 2011 conference in San Diego, CA on March 31-April 1 will showcase 20+ senior level speakers across 15+ dedicated business focused sessions to discuss the most innovative & commercial charging solutions, consumer behavior data, utility case studies, connectivity & payment strategies and much more in order to work out the a win-win situation for stakeholders. All attendees need to pre-register for the event. For the full speaker lineup, agenda and more details please visit: http://www.evupdate.com/electricvehicleusa/index.shtml


EV update is a sister brand of Telematics Update. Telematics Update provides a weekly e-newsletter, interviews and business information for senior executives with an interest in infotainment, telematics and location based services, commercial vehicle telematics and vehicle safety markets. Telematics Update has organized leading business conferences in Europe, the USA and Asia-Pacific since 2000.


About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.


View the original article here

Electric vehicle charging station grant funds available for Tacoma business owners

 Electric vehicle charging station grant funds available for Tacoma business owners

Mar 16 2011


In response to the growing electric vehicle market, Federal stimulus grant funds are available to local business owners to install public customer charging stations. The Puget Sound area is one of a handful of regions that can take advantage of this opportunity. Businesses have until September 2011 to pursue the available grant funds to help the Puget Sound area plug-in to a new era of transportation innovation and reduce the fossil fuel costs and emissions. The benefits to becoming a charging station host include free charging stations; up to $2,500 for installation (through EV Project only); free maintenance coverage through December 2012; ownership of charging station transfers to site host at the end of the project; and recoup electricity costs, or even generate revenue by passing on charging fees to your EV customers. Requirements of charging station hosts include allow rapid installation of the charger; allow the general public to use the charger; provide adequate public signage; keep the charger in good operating order; cannot sell or move the charger once it is installed; and allow anonymous data to be provided for analysis. If interested, business owners need to call for a free estimate. To schedule your free assessment and estimate, or for more information, contact: Jim Blaisdell with Chargepoint America Project, ChargeNorthwest at (253) 265-0919 or Dan O'Shea with the EV Project, Ecotality at (206) 920-1477.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - -


For related Tacoma Daily Index coverage, read the following:


Electric vehicles will join City Hall's fleet (02/02/11) -- http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1918586&more=0


City Council to vote on $2.6M electric fleet vehicle contract (01/21/11) -- http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1912338&more=0


A 'green highway' through Tacoma? (12/04/10) -- http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1710390&more=0


I-5 'electric highway' receives federal funding boost (06/29/10) -- http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1797199&more=0



View the original article here