Green Machines

Ten States Form Electric Car Charging Network

Electric car drivers in the Northeast won’t have to worry about running out of battery power. Ten states from Massachusetts to Maryland are joining forces to install electric car charging stations throughout the region. The network of states will also work to attract private investment in clean vehicle infrastructure. The goal of the Northeast Electric Vehicle Network is to increase energy independence by reducing the use of petroleum and turning to clean vehicles and fuels. About 30 percent of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions come from cars, trucks, planes and trains.

President Obama has called for one million plug-in electric cars on the road by 2015. That would total 200,000 cars, based on population, for the ten states in the electric vehicle network. The installation of chargers is being supported by a nearly $1 million dollar grant by the Department of Energy.

In other parts of the U.S., there is a growing effort to add electric car chargers to public and private locations. Stores and restaurants like Walgreens, McDonalds and Cracker Barrel are installing charging stations for customers at some of their locations. Shopping malls including the King of Prussia near Philadelphia and the Mall of America in Minnesota also offer car charging stations for electric vehicle drivers.

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Coffee-Powered Car Breaks Record

Image Credit: The Coffee Car

October 4, 2011

The price of gas and finite amount of resources are just a few reasons developers are looking for technology that will run a vehicle without relying on fossil fuels. A team of inventors in England has come up with a way to power a car with coffee grounds. The coffee car is a modified Rover SD1 that uses an onboard wood gas generator system which burns wood and coffee grounds at a high temperature. The result is a synthetic gas made up of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane capable of powering an engine.

The so-called “Coffee Car” just broke a record for the fastest speed traveled by a car using organic waste. The car was able to reach an average speed of 66.5 miles per hour and will now be in the Guinness Book of World Records. Last year the Coffee Car broke a record for the longest distance traveled using organic waste as fuel.

The Coffee Car team wanted to design a car that would run on waste products and came up with the concept of a coffee car after noticing the large amounts of used coffee grounds at local coffee shops.

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Boeing's New Eco-Friendly Jet Takes Off

Image Credit: Boeing

September 29, 2011

The newest and most efficient plane made by Boeing has just been delivered. The 787 Dreamliner landed in Tokyo marking the biggest innovation in commercial aviation since the Boeing 707 introduced the world to passenger jet travel more than 50 years ago. The 787 will use 20 percent less fuel and produce 20 percent fewer emissions than planes the same size. Boeing says the design of the aircraft also reduces waste and energy use. The airplane features large fuselage pieces rather than thousands of individual parts like aluminum sheets and thousands of fasteners.

The company says newer engine technology is the biggest factor in increasing the plane’s fuel efficiency. The 787 is also made up of lightweight carbon-fibre composites which also contributes to efficiency. Boeing says the 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-sized airplane capable of flying long range routes. The cabin of the Dreamliner also features roomier seats, more storage and manually dimmable windows. Bulbless LED lighting inside the aircraft will save energy while the 128 different color configurations ease the transition for passengers between day and night.

 

 

 

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Smart Refrigerator Saves Energy, Time and Money

Image Credit: LG

September 27, 2011

Up and coming smart home appliances are using the latest technology to help homeowners save energy and money. LG Electronics is launching a new refrigerator that will reduce water and energy use, saving time and money. The world’s first Smart Eco Door is a door-in-door system that makes the appliance less prone to energy loss. The door also has a series of smart functions that help customers manage their food and their entire kitchens. Homeowners can use the refrigerator’s LCD panel or their own smartphone to check what food is inside, where it’s located and when it will expire.

The refrigerator also provides a ‘Night Saving Mode’ that reduces energy consumption by up to four hours at a time and a customized mode that reduces energy use during periods pre-set by the customer. The refrigerator is also smart-grid ready which means once local utilities offer smart-grid energy rate time slots, the refrigerator will automatically re-adjust its temperature and function to take advantage of low energy rates. The smart refrigerator is taking center stage at LG’s European rollout.

LG also recently received the ‘Energy Star Most Efficient 2011′ designation from the Environmental Protection Agency. Two LG refrigerators, eight TVs and five clothes washers met the rigorous qualifications. EPA officials say the designation will help consumers save money and cut pollution by quickly pointing them to the most efficient appliances.

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Ford Unveils Concept for Electric Bike

Image Credit: Ford Motor Company

September 21, 2011

While automakers work on innovative and fuel efficient technologies for future cars, Ford is unveiling a new concept for an electric bicycle. The Ford E-Bike is designed to show how the company’s designs can translate to a bicycle. The concept bike targets a growing market for electric bicycles among commuters concerned about the environment and gas prices. Ford’s e-bike was recently unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and features a front-hub mounted motor and a lithium ion battery with a range of about 52 miles and a speed of up to 15 miles per hour. The e-bike is made of aluminum and carbon and weighs only 5 pounds.

The electric bike features cutting edge sensor technology from the world of Formula One which converts magnetic energy into kinetic energy. Sensors change shape when a magnetic field is applied and allow the wheel to detect when it is turning and apply power depending on how hard the biker pedals. The setup can even be tweaked by an app on an Android phone which fits on the bike dash. The app also shows users speed and distance as well as service reminders.

A Ford spokesperson says the e-bike market is growing tremendously with about 30 million bikes sold worldwide last year. Axel Wilke says “We see E-Bikes as an important element of urban electric mobility. More and more people are using E‑Bikes for short distance commuting and they are becoming comfortable with the concept of electric mobility.”

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On-Road Charging Could Provide Unlimited EV Driving

August 29, 2011

Even as the number of electric vehicle charging stations grow across the U.S., there is concern among potential buyers about the limited distance electric cars can travel. A newly discovered technology could ease those fears and provide unlimited EV driving potential. Japanese researchers are developing a system that is based on railway infrastructure in which individual cars pass through overhead wires.

Instead of coming into contact with the wires, the new technology would convert energy from overhead power lines into radio frequencies and transmit them to a metal track embedded under the surface of the road. The electric car would pick up the voltage between the metal and steel belt inside its tires.

Researchers at Toyohashi University of Technology have tested the feasibility of the design in low-power experiments. They say if the energy transfer can be increased to tens of kilowatts on highways, it may be possible in the future to drive with a small battery and without concern of the battery running out power.

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Charge Your Phone With a Power Walk

August 25, 2011

Every time you take a step you lose about 20 watts of power as heat. Researchers have now come up with a way to harness the heat from walking and turn it into energy. They say that converted energy could eventually be used to power electronics like smartphones, laptops or GPS units. Engineers at the University of Wisconsin call the invention a ‘footwear embedded energy harvester’.

The harvester that fits on the bottom of a shoe is based on a scientific principle called electrowetting. The UW researchers use reverse electrowetting to turn the motion of thousands of micro-droplets into an electrical current. The harvester would essentially be acting as an intermediate transceiver, to serve as a middle man between a mobile device and wireless network.

Researchers say the technology has a positive environmental impact by reducing the need for batteries. It would also benefit developing countries where charging electronics is difficult and expensive. The technology is not yet available but the UW scientists have created a company called InStep NanoPower to commercialize the energy harvesting technology.

 

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Ford Offers Solar Roof to Electric Car Buyers

August 24, 2011

It’s the ultimate in green living, driving an electric car that is charged by a solar powered station. That’s the idea behind a partnership between Ford and solar panel maker SunPower. Ford is offering a rooftop solar option to customers who buy the upcoming Ford Focus electric vehicle. The Drive Green for Life provides electric car owners enough renewable energy production to offset the energy used for charging.

The SunPower solar system offered with the Ford Focus is a 2.5 kilowatt rooftop system which can provide enough electricity to fuel an electric car that travels about 1,000 miles per month. The system includes eleven panels that measure four feet by two feet. The solar power package is being offered for 10,000 dollars, after a federal tax credit. A system that size normally costs about 18,000 dollars. The high efficiency panels generate about 50 percent more electricity than conventional panels and take up less space on a rooftop.

Customers who buy the rooftop solar system also get a residential monitoring system which includes the ability to track the performance of their solar panels on the web or through an iPhone application. The 2012 Ford Focus electric will go on sale first in California and New York sometime this fall. Ford plans to launch 5 other electric or hybrid -electric models in 2012 in North America.

 

 

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Cadillac Announces Plans for Electric Car

Photo Credit: General Motors

August 22, 2011

It could be the first car that can be labeled luxury and eco-friendly. General Motors announced plans to build an extended range, plug-in electric car called the Cadillac ELR. The car will be powered by a lithium-ion battery, an electric drive unit and a four-cylinder engine, similar to the Chevrolet Volt.

GM says the ELR will run primarily on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the battery’s engine is low, the ELR switches to extended-range mode using a back-up gas engine that enables driving for hundreds of additional miles.

The ELR is still being developed and GM is not saying when the car will be sold or give details on the price. The Cadillac electric will be built in the same plant as the Chevrolet Volt in Detroit. About 16, 000 Volts were produced this year and GM plans to build 60,000 in 2012. Nearly 3,000 Chevy Volts have been sold so far this year. The all-electric Nissan Leaf outsold the Volt last month giving Nissan a nearly 2,000 car edge in total sales.

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Need A Car Charge? More Public EV Stations On The Way

August 10, 2011

It’s a common worry among potential electric car customers, where do I find a car charge? That concern is being addressed in many communities where private retailers and public properties are installing electric vehicle chargers. Maryland is the latest state to support green drivers. Governor Martin O’ Malley unveiled the state’s first solar-powered charging station in Bethesda. The sun-tracking charging station with six solar panels harnesses power from the sun and can charge two electric vehicles at one time. The Washington Post reports the latest installation means there are at least half a dozen other electric charging stations in Montgomery County.

The city of Austin, Texas just announced plans for a network of 103 electric-vehicle car charging stations that will be up and running next month. The stations are funded by the federal government in hopes of stimulating the electric vehicle market. The Statesman reports the charging stations are part of a broader initiative to reduce the city’s reliance on fuels that emit greenhouse gases.

The southern New Jersey town of Avalon says it’s the first in the state to offer a public charging station for electric vehicles. The shore town says it wants to be ready especially for vacationers who may drive electric cars. The charging station will be open 24 hours a day and charges $3.75 per hour for a typical two-hour charging. The station will use smart cards or credit cards to activate the service and drivers are notified by email or text when the charging is complete.

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