Chevy electric car

GM: CEO touts Chevy electric car as a viable competitor despite hefty price tagBy Daniel PyeE-mail DanLockport Union-Sun & Journal
General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson Tuesday unveiled details about the Chevrolet Volt — an electric car the company hopes will position it as a leader once again.The sales pitch is compelling on its surface. Using a new formula specifically created for this type of electric/gasoline vehicle, GM estimates the Volt will get the equivalent of 230 miles per gallon. Lithium ion batteries, charged overnight, power the car for up to 40 miles. After that, a small gasoline-powered engine provides the power.But the Environmental Protection Agency, which evaluates the miles-per-gallon ratings for vehicles, hasn’t tested a Volt and thus couldn’t confirm GM’s estimates. And while representatives of the company explained that the equation they used spreads the mileage over the cost of fuel per mile driven after combining electric- and gasoline-powered miles, they didn’t make that equation available for review.Regardless, mileage half as good as what GM is touting would be a major improvement over even the most economical cars on the market. Toyota’s Prius gas-electric hybrid, the most efficient car now sold in the U.S., gets 48 mpg. But with a late 2010 estimate for the Volt landing in showrooms, a rumored $40,000 price tag could stop prospective buyers in their tracks.Henderson acknowledged that problem as a valid concern for the product’s success, but worked to offset it in his overview. A $7,500 tax credit will come along with the vehicle, and he said a selling price hasn’t actually been decided at this stage of development. And even though the new technology comes at a price, Henderson is confident the eye-catching fuel economy will make up for much of the related costs the consumer will be asked to bear upfront.“Having a car that gets triple-digit fuel economy we believe can and will be a game-changer for us,” Henderson said.While the company does have a lead, GM isn’t the only one in the plug-and-drive game. Chrysler Group, Ford Motor Co. and Daimler AG are all developing plug-ins and electric cars, and Toyota Motor Corp. is working on a plug-in version of its gas-electric hybrid system. Nissan Motor Co. announced last month that it would begin selling an electric vehicle in Japan and the U.S. next year. All of these vehicles will likely come at a higher cost, and whether they will sell in areas surrounding Buffalo — the third poorest city in the nation — remains to be seen.The list of concerns over the cars doesn’t end with the price, either. For commuters with a garage that contains a readily-available power outlet, they could be a viable option. For apartment residents or those whose homes offer only on-street parking, finding a way to plug the car in at night is a much trickier proposition.Henderson said he has discussed the issue with a handful of entrepreneurs interested in developing a new type of fueling station, where people can fill up with gas, diesel, ethanol, hydrogen and other types of fuel all in one location. While that idea could support the development of hydrogen fuel cell and ethanol-powered vehicles, the hours required to charge the electric car would make taking it to a filling station for electricity impossible.“If you’re going to park on the street, I don’t know what to do actually,” Henderson admitted. “It’s a problem that we and others have to fix.”Other concerns about the battery’s performance in extreme temperatures also surfaced during the question and answer session. Frank Weber, the executive handling the Volt, said the company is running tests in various climates and that while the fuel economy estimates may vary due to temperature, the car won’t be rendered inoperable even in very cold temperatures.“There is no temperature when the vehicle is not running,” Weber said.Only about 40 of the cars exist right now, but GM is hoping to have the Volt available in showrooms by the fourth quarter of 2010. Once they’re available to the public, emphasis must shift from producing the car to marketing it. GM is already working on that, pushing a viral marketing campaign with the phrase “What is 230?” that generated a confused buzz in a public that finally received an answer to the question Tuesday. The public will now have more than a year to mull the notion. Other innovations, like a partnership with eBay that will let customers negotiate for and purchase vehicles securely from home, are aimed at appealing to a new generation of car buyers. And even though the company has a fairly loyal customer base, GM’s continued survival will depend heavily on its ability to appeal to consumers outside that group. While he is optimistic that brand names like Chevrolet and Cadillac haven’t received the same tarnish that the GM name now bears, Henderson has no illusions that building more efficient cars is the end of the battle since overseas manufactures have a giant head start in the marketing of fuel economy.“We not only need to do it, we need to convince people that we have it,” Henderson said.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Volt electric car price out of reach for many

Who will be the Henry Ford of Electric cars?

Who will produce an electric car that we all can afford?

We are all waiting.


Links to more volt electric car articles ....

http://www.lockportjournal.com/local/local_story_224005013.html

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General Motors President and CEO Fritz Henderson announces the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve a city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon based on development testing using a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling of plug-in electric vehicles. The announcement was made at a press conference Tuesday, August 11, 2009 in Warren, Michigan. UPI/Steve Fecht/GM Enlarge


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DETROIT, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- The Chevrolet Volt electric car may earn a fuel-efficiency rating of 230 miles per gallon for city driving, U.S. automaker General Motors Co. said Tuesday.
GM has been working with the Environmental Protection Agency for several years on how to rate the mileage of the Volt, which runs on electricity, but includes a gas-powered engine that generates extra electricity for trips longer than 40 miles, CNNMoney.com reported.
Essentially, the Volt will drive the first 40 miles on an electric charge alone. After that, the gas-powered motor kicks in.
Longer trips would change the equation. A 300-mile trip would reduce fuel efficiency to 62.5 miles per gallon.
Nevertheless, GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson called the Volt a potential "game-changer for us."
GM is currently producing 10 Volts a month, but plans to have the car reach showrooms in late 2010.

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VOLT CAR GETS 230 MPG

The news keeps getting better...

Link to articles on volt car ....


http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2009/08/11/Volt-electric-car-may-earn-230-mpg-rating/UPI-80451250012782/


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Buying Made In USA Helps Conserve Energy

Buying Made In USA Helps Conserve Energy


Here's some links to websites promoting buying Made In USA:


Read more (in new window) at: http://americanmade1.blogspot.com/


Read more (in new window) at: www.buyamericanmart.com/


Read more (in new window) at: www.buyamerican.com/


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http://www.usaalternativeenergynow.blogspot.com/

Bloomberg Oil Prices 30 July 2009


Energy Prices
PETROLEUM ($/bbl)

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME
Nymex Crude Future
66.95 3.60 5.68 15:38

Dated Brent Spot
68.79 3.46 5.29 16:08

WTI Cushing Spot
66.24 2.89 4.56 12:07

PETROLEUM (¢/gal)

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME
Nymex Heating Oil Future
176.80 9.67 5.79 15:37

Nymex RBOB Gasoline Future
199.80 14.30 7.71 15:37

NATURAL GAS ($/MMBtu)

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME
Nymex Henry Hub Future
3.74 .19 5.33 15:38

Henry Hub Spot
3.41 -.08 -2.29 07/29

New York City Gate Spot
3.77 -.10 -2.58 07/29

ELECTRICITY ($/megawatt hour)

PRICE* CHANGE % CHANGE TIME
Mid-Columbia, firm on-peak, spot
41.07 -6.41 -13.50 07/29

Palo Verde, firm on-peak, spot
38.91 -3.58 -8.43 07/29

BLOOMBERG, FIRM ON-PEAK, DAY AHEAD SPOT/ERCOT HOUSTON
37.86 -12.33 -24.57 13:24

*Commodity futures and energy prices are in U.S. dollars.



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PSE&G plan takes solar energy public

PSE&G plan takes solar energy public

Posted on Thu, Jul. 30, 2009
PSE&G plan takes solar energy public
By Andrew Maykuth
Inquirer Staff Writer
For millions of New Jersey residents, solar power is coming soon to their neighborhoods - even to the utility poles in their backyards.
In a move both bold and expensive, state regulators yesterday approved a plan for Public Service Electric & Gas Co., the state's largest utility, to install solar panels on 200,000 utility poles in its service territory.
The project will make New Jersey the nation's second-most solar-fueled state, according to the state Board of Public Utilities, trailing only California.
PSE&G will spend $515 million to install 80 megawatts of solar power through the end of 2013, doubling the state's solar capacity. Half the new production will be derived from individual solar modules mounted on about a quarter of PSE&G's 900,000 utility poles.
The other 40 megawatts of production will be generated by centralized solar arrays, including one at PSE&G's Cox's Corner Switching Station in Evesham Township, Burlington County.
The 80-megawatt PSE&G project amounts to a tenth of the nation's current total grid-connected photovoltaic capacity, according to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
"We think it's a good program to get solar started in the state," said Stefanie Brand, director of the N.J. Division of Rate Counsel, the state's consumer advocate. Her office supported PSE&G's proposal, which she said had a "very minor impact" on rates - adding about 10 cents per month for a residential customer in the first year, a 0.13 percent increase.
But the PSE&G project still amounts to only about 4.4 percent of the ambitious goal the state has set for power generated from renewable energy sources by 2020.
Unlike most solar projects, which supply individual customers with electricity, the PSE&G plan has attracted attention because its panels will feed directly into the electrical grid. PSE&G is calling the project "Solar 4 All" to drive home the point that all customers will benefit from solar, not just those who can afford to mount the heavily subsidized panels on their rooftops.
"This will give impetus for other projects to move forward," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, which also supported the plan.
The environmental group says the project reinforces its argument that clean energy can benefit the local economy.
A New Jersey company, Petra Solar Inc., of South Plainfield, will provide the utility-pole modules under a $200 million contract, its first large commercial project. The three-year-old company plans to add 100 employees, more than tripling its current workforce, said Shihab Kuran, Petra's chief executive officer.
Ralph Izzo, chief executive of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., the regulated utility's parent, said the solar project would also demonstrate the effectiveness of distributed-power schemes that use electricity generated from multiple sources inside the existing distribution system, reducing the dependence on distant power generators that require expensive transmission systems.
"One of the things I think will be essential for renewables in the future is that we can demonstrate that they make economic sense being built where there are people to use the electricity," he said.
"This fantasy that some people still subscribe to, that we can build all renewable sources of energy in these places where the wind and sun are abundant . . . is just not economically efficient."
PSE&G said the utility expected to receive federal tax credits and income from selling state renewable-energy credits, which will reduce the cost of the project. The total cost of the panels is about $6.44 for each watt produced, expensive by conventional power standards, but less than solar projects in the past.
In Camden and in Secaucus yesterday, PSE&G work crews installed several of the utility-pole solar systems.
Individually, the panels are unimpressive: Each one measures about 21/2 by 5 feet and produces about 200 watts. The output of 200,000 panels is 40 megawatts, enough to power 40,000 homes.
Petra's technology combines a conventional crystalline silicon photovoltaic panel with a microinverter, which converts the direct-current electricity produced by the solar panels into alternating current that is distributed on the grid.
Each unit also incorporates wireless "smart-grid" communications devices so that the utility can monitor the output remotely.
Kuran, Petra's chief executive, said that each unit was designed to be installed and wired into the grid in less than 30 minutes.
"The reduction in costs comes from the simplicity in installation and design," he said. The units will be assembled at Petra's New Jersey factory and delivered, ready for installation by PSE&G crews. The hardware is about 10 percent more expensive than conventional rooftop systems, he said, but the total installed cost is about 10 percent to 20 percent less than rooftop models.
Kuran said the company would buy its photovoltaic cells from several vendors. Petra's chief supplier is Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd., one of the world's largest producers of solar panels. Suntech and Petra announced an alliance last month to produce the utility-grade systems.
Suntech is a Chinese state-owned company whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. It announced in May that it was scouting U.S. locations to open manufacturing facilities to produce solar panels, and Suntech's promise to open domestic manufacturing facilities was a critical reason Petra agreed to the alliance, Kuran said.
If successful, the PSE&G contract is likely to generate more business for the closely held Petra.
Petra is in talks with other utilities about installing its proprietary technology, said David Lincoln, managing director of Element Partners L.L.C., a Radnor clean-technology private-equity firm that provided Petra with an initial investment of $14 million in 2007. He is on Petra's board of directors.
"This is really a major breakthrough, getting consumer validation of the technology," Lincoln said.

Contact staff writer Andrew Maykuth at 215-854-2947 or http://www.philly.com/philly/business/technology/mailto:amaykuth@phillynews.com.
By Andrew Maykuth
Inquirer Staff Writer
For millions of New Jersey residents, solar power is coming soon to their neighborhoods - even to the utility poles in their backyards.
In a move both bold and expensive, state regulators yesterday approved a plan for Public Service Electric & Gas Co., the state's largest utility, to install solar panels on 200,000 utility poles in its service territory.
The project will make New Jersey the nation's second-most solar-fueled state, according to the state Board of Public Utilities, trailing only California.
PSE&G will spend $515 million to install 80 megawatts of solar power through the end of 2013, doubling the state's solar capacity. Half the new production will be derived from individual solar modules mounted on about a quarter of PSE&G's 900,000 utility poles.
The other 40 megawatts of production will be generated by centralized solar arrays, including one at PSE&G's Cox's Corner Switching Station in Evesham Township, Burlington County.
The 80-megawatt PSE&G project amounts to a tenth of the nation's current total grid-connected photovoltaic capacity, according to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
"We think it's a good program to get solar started in the state," said Stefanie Brand, director of the N.J. Division of Rate Counsel, the state's consumer advocate. Her office supported PSE&G's proposal, which she said had a "very minor impact" on rates - adding about 10 cents per month for a residential customer in the first year, a 0.13 percent increase.
But the PSE&G project still amounts to only about 4.4 percent of the ambitious goal the state has set for power generated from renewable energy sources by 2020.
Unlike most solar projects, which supply individual customers with electricity, the PSE&G plan has attracted attention because its panels will feed directly into the electrical grid. PSE&G is calling the project "Solar 4 All" to drive home the point that all customers will benefit from solar, not just those who can afford to mount the heavily subsidized panels on their rooftops.
"This will give impetus for other projects to move forward," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, which also supported the plan.
The environmental group says the project reinforces its argument that clean energy can benefit the local economy.
A New Jersey company, Petra Solar Inc., of South Plainfield, will provide the utility-pole modules under a $200 million contract, its first large commercial project. The three-year-old company plans to add 100 employees, more than tripling its current workforce, said Shihab Kuran, Petra's chief executive officer.
Ralph Izzo, chief executive of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., the regulated utility's parent, said the solar project would also demonstrate the effectiveness of distributed-power schemes that use electricity generated from multiple sources inside the existing distribution system, reducing the dependence on distant power generators that require expensive transmission systems.
"One of the things I think will be essential for renewables in the future is that we can demonstrate that they make economic sense being built where there are people to use the electricity," he said.
"This fantasy that some people still subscribe to, that we can build all renewable sources of energy in these places where the wind and sun are abundant . . . is just not economically efficient."
PSE&G said the utility expected to receive federal tax credits and income from selling state renewable-energy credits, which will reduce the cost of the project. The total cost of the panels is about $6.44 for each watt produced, expensive by conventional power standards, but less than solar projects in the past.
In Camden and in Secaucus yesterday, PSE&G work crews installed several of the utility-pole solar systems.
Individually, the panels are unimpressive: Each one measures about 21/2 by 5 feet and produces about 200 watts. The output of 200,000 panels is 40 megawatts, enough to power 40,000 homes.
Petra's technology combines a conventional crystalline silicon photovoltaic panel with a microinverter, which converts the direct-current electricity produced by the solar panels into alternating current that is distributed on the grid.
Each unit also incorporates wireless "smart-grid" communications devices so that the utility can monitor the output remotely.
Kuran, Petra's chief executive, said that each unit was designed to be installed and wired into the grid in less than 30 minutes.
"The reduction in costs comes from the simplicity in installation and design," he said. The units will be assembled at Petra's New Jersey factory and delivered, ready for installation by PSE&G crews. The hardware is about 10 percent more expensive than conventional rooftop systems, he said, but the total installed cost is about 10 percent to 20 percent less than rooftop models.
Kuran said the company would buy its photovoltaic cells from several vendors. Petra's chief supplier is Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd., one of the world's largest producers of solar panels. Suntech and Petra announced an alliance last month to produce the utility-grade systems.
Suntech is a Chinese state-owned company whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. It announced in May that it was scouting U.S. locations to open manufacturing facilities to produce solar panels, and Suntech's promise to open domestic manufacturing facilities was a critical reason Petra agreed to the alliance, Kuran said.
If successful, the PSE&G contract is likely to generate more business for the closely held Petra.
Petra is in talks with other utilities about installing its proprietary technology, said David Lincoln, managing director of Element Partners L.L.C., a Radnor clean-technology private-equity firm that provided Petra with an initial investment of $14 million in 2007. He is on Petra's board of directors.
"This is really a major breakthrough, getting consumer validation of the technology," Lincoln said.

Contact staff writer Andrew Maykuth at 215-854-2947 or amaykuth@phillynews.com.

Here is a link to video of news:

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/technology/52049577.html

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