Governor Jerry Brown joined with the California Public Utilities Commission to announce a $120 million dollar settlement with NRG Energy Inc. that will fund the construction of a statewide network of charging stations for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including at least 200 public fast-charging stations and another 10,000 plug-in units at 1,000 locations across the state.

The Executive Order issued by the Governor sets the following targets:

• By 2015, all major cities in California will have adequate infrastructure and be “zero-emission vehicle ready”;

• By 2020, the state will have established adequate infrastructure to support 1 million zero-emission vehicles in California;

• By 2025, there will be 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road in California; and

• By 2050, virtually all personal transportation in the State will be based on zero-emission vehicles, and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector will be reduced by 80 percent below 1990 levels.

AB32, the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, calls for a 30 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The goal of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 was set by an executive order signed by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Last year, Governor Brown signed SB X1-2, which directed the California Air Resources Board to adopt regulations setting a 33 percent renewable energy target.

Home Solar Power Discounts – One Block Off the Grid

My transformation from oil importer to electron exporter is almost complete. In 2011, we replaced a 13mpg Sequoia with a 26mpg Lexus hybrid, and replaced a 16mpg Mercedes with a 50mpg Prius, that has further been replaced by an all electric Nissan Leaf in 2012. Now both the Ranger and Leaf suck amps rather than oil, and the two hybrids merely sip fuel. Our gasoline bill dropped from $5K in 2010 to $3K in 2011. We expect our gasoline bill to be just $1500 in 2012, since only the Lexus will be burning gas. Know anyone interested in a 2010 Prius V that has been babied since birth? 50mpg average!

We added solar panels in 2009 that dropped our electric bill substantially by reducing net electricity usage from Tier 5 to Tier 2. Adding timers, shifting usage to non-peak hours, and replacing the old pool pump with a variable speed pump, reduced our PG&E bill from $2500 in 2010 to $1600 in 2011 (36% further reduction).

After driving nearly 2,000 miles in the Leaf, I’ve been able to compare electricity and gasoline costs. My electric bill increased only $40. In comparison, the same 2,000 miles driven at today’s gas prices would cost $150 in the Prius, or $576 in the Sequoia. WOW!

The clear winner for me was the Leaf. Very roomy inside, lots of power.

In contrast, the door height was too short on the Volt for easy ingress/egress (I’m 6’3”). I won’t even think of getting in the back seat as the roofline swoops down. The Volt’s batteries were only 400 pounds, but the Volt felt heavy and drove sluggishly. To be fair, the Volt ran out of battery just as I was starting my test drive. The range extended mode performance may not be as peppy compared to full battery mode.
The range extender on the Volt was surprisingly quiet. I didn’t know it was on until the Chevy rep pointed it out. Kudos to GM engineers.

The 4th quarter of every year is traditionally the Auto Show season. I hope either the San Francisco or San Jose Auto Shows include an opportunity to drive these vehicles. After all, these cars are totally emission-free, producing no exhaust noise, particulates, or toxic fumes to prevent indoor driving. The Moscone Center Annex is certainly large enough for an indoor track. San Jose’s Convention Center parking lot can be used for outdoor test drives. I am not predicting, just suggesting Auto Show organizers consider this possibility.

October 1, 2010 – Santa Monica, CA Alt Car Expo 2010 Contributor to AutoBlogGreen Article

I had a chance to test drive the Chevy Equinox fuel cell, Chevy Volt, Mercedes B-class fuel cell, Nissan Leaf, and a Mini-E (Electric).

I test drove the Leaf, Volt, most of the fuel cell vehicles, and wasn’t disappointed by any. The Volt’s main battery died just as my test drive began. The range extender was much quieter than I thought – barely noticeable. The Leaf burned rubber accelerating, but the Volt was sluggish which I attribute to range extended mode. With the exception of the Monotracer, if there is a dashboard picture, I drove it.

BTW, Chevy only had one Volt for test drives, and cut the waiting list off at 60. I was #53 signing up at 10:30 a.m. By 4 p.m., most sign-ups were no-shows. If you were still there, you were allowed to drive the Volt.

Nissan was much better organized with at least 8 cars active on the test loop. Nissan’s spokesman said they are traveling with 10 cars. I saw another Leaf behind the Auditorium that was quick charging (30 min to 80 percent charge, DC). The quick charger was a biodiesel-fueled genset charging a battery pack that dumped charged directly DC to DC to the on-board pack. The car I drove had 63 miles on the trip odometer, with 31 miles charge remaining. The AC had been on all day as it was 93 and humid in LA on Friday.

July 27, 1010 – San Jose, California Plug In 2010

Only a few vehicles on display. You can look, but can’t touch. Chevy and Nissan wouldn’t even pop the hoods on the Volt or Leaf, respectively.

The biggest takeaway is that I counted seventeen (yes 17) different charging infrastructure companies most with only minor variations on the same theme. Notably absent was Better Place. I predict major consolidation in this market.

The panel discussion on public night (July 27) was extremely well attended, filling the auditorium to standing room only. Chelsea Sexton and Jessie Deeter of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and Bill Nye “The Science Guy” held an animated panel discussion. There were a few die-hard electric car drivers, many more enthusiasts, and a lot of curious people in the audience.

Q&A ranged from “where and when can I drive an electric car today?” to why don’t we rebuild cities as metropolitan transit hubs? Where? Find an EV conversion, or one of the few remaining RAV4 or Ranger EVs. When? soon enough with Chevy and Nissan delivering first orders in the 4th quarter of 2010. Rebuild? Not feasible or financially practical, so lets focus on reducing waste rather than starting over.

Just attended the Plug In 2010 conference on Monday and Tuesday. GM announced pricing and options for the Chevy Volt. Nissan announced Leaf options and lease payments.

Below are my favorite Electric Vehicle Web sites:

I have never written a product review in my life, let alone post it on the internet, but after using the Worx WG780 Cordless Lawn Mower, I felt compelled to tell others about it.

I bought a corded lawn mower a few years ago that couldn’t cut through short dry grass on a sunny day, so I returned it. BTW, I replaced several extension cords after my first experience. It was quite “shocking”, if you know what I mean.

My current gas mower coughs, sputters, and stalls while cutting through spring grass. I can’t get through 1/3 of the lawn before it quits altogether. I service it every year, but this year’s quote was more than I paid for the mower in the first place. After 7 years, I decided it was time to try something new.

I researched all the electric lawn mowers on Home Depot’s website (Lowe’s doesn’t have a store nearby) and almost convinced myself that today’s lawn mowers were just like the old ones – gutless. All the other electrics (corded and cordless) were rated 1 or 2 on a scale of 5. Only the Worx cordless was rated 5 of 5. Enough said.

I brought my printout to Home Depot, asked for the product by name, model, and SKU, but the Customer Service desk said they didn’t have any Worx mowers in their store, and none of the other stores had any in stock either. I finally found the buyer for the mower section who remembered one from inventory they just did last week. We found the mower stacked in a mixed pallet a couple of aisles over. It took a half hour to get a forklift, bring it down, and break the pallet.

I am so glad I waited. No, ECSTATIC. If I were Home Depot, I would put this mower front and center in front of the Homelite and Black & Decker mowers. This cordless mower is stronger than any corded mower I have ever used.

Frankly, I was surprised the battery was full when I opened the box. You know how you have to charge cordless and cellular phones overnight before using them? Not this time.

The Worx cordless lawn mower was fully charged right out of the box and carved effortlessly right through spring grass that was just as tall as the mower itself. My wife and kids thought I spent the whole day weed whacking the tall growth. I took pictures and video while mowing because I was dumbstruck by how well this mower worked.

We have several lawn sections on a lot of 2/3 acre. In comparison, my gas mower uses 1/2-2/3 tank to mow the lawn. I just cut down the deepest spring growth my yard has seen in years. I thought this thing would have been dead at the end. The battery indicator showed only 1/3 of the battery pack was used.

BRAVO Worx. I would be happy to sing your praises to anyone that will listen. If you are considering a new lawn mower, don’t waste your time. Get this Worx WG780. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Tinkering with cars is my favorite hobby – I can’t remember every car but I bought, fixed up, and sold but there were at least 50 sedans, convertibles, coupes, roadsters, and even a few diesels since college. My biggest regret is passing on Mae West’s pink Mercedes Benz 1950′s 300D 4 door convertible with a Pontiac motor in the early 70′s. It didn’t look too bad with some cosmetic help, but the outer skin and interior were pretty well shot. I also regret giving up my prized 1973 BMW 3.0 CS and my 1974 Jaguar XKE V-12 with 6-pack Webers. These cars made the down payment on a house that lost tons of money. In retrospect, I would have done better keeping the cars.

Ranger EV "Alternativ"

I found this 1999 Ford Ranger EV with just 3,223 kilometers (2,000 miles). The lead acid battery pack was DOA. It turns out a previous owner crossed some wires that torched the contactor box, high and low voltage wiring harnesses, and even the charging system.

My interest in electric propulsion motivated my team to make a bid to purchase the Saturn Motors Division from General Motors. Our plan included returning to plastic body panels to reduce weight, and replace gas motors with all electric drivetrains once batteries are more affordable. In the interim, we partnered with a company that developed a highly efficient hybrid drivetrain. A pre-production prototype crossover SUV ran 40 miles in all-electric mode, and maintained 40 mpg while in range-extended mode. How many SUVs on the road today achieve 40mpg??? For that matter, how many economy cars sold in the US achieve 40mpg average? The number of models can be counted on one hand, and none are manufactured in the US. More details on the Saturn acquisition offer can be found here.