RSSPower companies, GM, team in electric car research
By Tim Conneally | Published July 22, 2008, 3:15 PM
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has announced a collaboration with General Motors and 34 North American power companies to speed the integration of electric cars into the grid.
By 2010, there are expected to be a handful of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) available on the United States market, and for them to be properly deployed, a blueprint for an electric fuel infrastructure must be laid out.
This is what the EPRI, GM, and the power companies intend to develop. The collaboration seeks to smooth the transition of PHEVs into the market by setting up ground rules for charging vehicles, developing public policy, and educating the public on PHEVs as an alternative to petrolium-powered vehicles.
Concept vehicles like the Cheverolet Volt require only a 110-volt plug, the common household current, to charge its Lithium Ion battery. While it can run up to 40 miles at normal speed on a full charge, gas or ethanol are required to power the car on extended trips, where the battery is charged via the alternator like a traditional automobile.
The EPRI is a non-profit technology research group with members from over 90 percent of the domestic energy industry, and thus far the collaboration includes: Alabama Power, American Electric Power, Austin Energy, BC Hydro, CenterPoint Energy, Consolidated Edison of New York, Dominion, DTE Energy, Duke Energy, FirstEnergy Corp., Georgia Power, Great River Energy, Hydro-Québec, Manitoba Hydro, Nebraska Public Power District, New York Power Authority, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Progress Energy, Public Service Electric & Gas Co., Sacramento Municipal Util. Dist., San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison Co. and Southern Company.
To encourage adoption of these vehicles, some of the participating power companies have already devised incentive schemes whereby PHEV buyers will receive a rebate check, although not a big one considering the higher expected costs of such vehicles. Austin Energy is providing $1,000, while Burbank, California is expected to offer a per-mile discount on electricity. Austin and Burbank are both members of the grassroots group Plug-in Partners.
Its hard not to yell out abusive language when you see an article like this. These companies should be f***** up, honestly! The technology for full-electric, no hybrid crap is available. We can make electric cars that have top speeds of approx 130km/hr and can hold a single charge for 400km+. The infrastructure is already all there, where you see a power line you have power and they could always just have solar power fueling stations to compensate. Electric cars should already be on the road in mass numbers. It'll be 2020 and the same story will be rolling out, you can especially thank GM for that.
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|IDEA FOR A COMBO ELECTRIC MOTOR-GENERATOR FOR ELECTRIC CARS
I have an idea for a combo electric motor-generator that I might call a ‘C-unit’.
The idea is fairly simple in design and can be imagined without a diagram.
You would use a round flat shaped disc like a flying saucer or bicycle wheel
that could be made any size in circumference,
and would have magnets imbedded in the outside edge.
Placed ‘around’ the outside edge separate from the disc would be other magnets,
or they could be placed ‘above and below’ the outside edge of the disc.
Also the field coil would be around, or above and below, the outside edge of the disc.
These magnets would serve to propel the disc, and if the current flow is reversed
the motor would then become a generator
by using the momentum of the spinning disc to run until it slows down,
and then the current flow could be reversed to make it a motor again, etc.
The size weight and composition of the materials used would have to be figured out
but the flat shape would fit easily under the rear trunk area.
If this idea would work then it might be ideal for use in electric car.
I don’t have any expertise or money or means to build or test or patent anything
so I don’t know whether it would work or not.
I am submitting this idea in the hope that it could be used by someone.
I doubt that the car companies are interested in untested ideas like this.
If anyone has any comments or other ideas let me know at jrwalk@shol.com
JULY 26,2008
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|How is noting how many times a demo was downloaded any indication of how many sales a user-driven game will get?
By the own admissions of Microsoft, the largest grossing 360 Arcade game for a first 3 day period is $250,000 (Penny Arcade game) ... considering how much of that a developer will get, even with the percentage being good, this is being overhyped as to what someone could make on the service.
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|I also heard that the cars will have solar panels on the rooftops to suplement the charging?
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|The only problem I see with these electric cars is if everyone had one you'd get nothing but brownouts. During the most hottest part of the hottest days here in Las Vegas the power company comes out and says that we're close to the limit and if some people don't adjust their power usage they will have to have rolling blackouts.
I think this is where solar or wind power can come to into play.
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|I think this is where solar or wind power can come to into play.
Okay, but only until 8, and they can't go past the treeline.
//Need....more....coffee.....
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|We typically use less power at night when the majority of these would be charging in the garage. If you are charging in the parking lot while at work I'm sure they could work something out to power on/off the recharging facility based on the needs of the power company.
The best thing about electric cars is that power generation and delivery has so much potential for improvement. Whether you are a proponent of Nuclear, Solar, Wind, geothermal, or Hydro, there are good things to say about any of them (yes, I know, and bad). Plus, as demand increases so will production.
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|The wind stops blowing after 8?
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|Let me try and help you get that one without totally ruining it:
"Can Timmy come out to play?"
Note, I was dangerously low on caffeine at the time of that posting.
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