Who Killed the Electric Car Is No Mystery To EV World
Omaha, Ne (ContentDesk) June 26, 2006 -- When California filmmaker Chris Paine debuts his Sony-released documentary this week, movie goers will be plunged into the dark heart of a technological murder mystery, Who Killed the Electric Car?
The suspects are legion, from carmakers to oil companies to an apathetic public.
But who killed the electric car isn't a mystery for Bill Moore, the founder and publisher of EV World (www.evworld.com), an online, Web weekly that has been tracking the life, death... and anticipated "resurrection"... of the modern electric car or "EV"."It was a two-page advertisement
for an electric bicycle -- I don't even remember the brand -- in Business Week magazine the summer of 1997 that alerted me to the advent of the California Zero Emission mandate then set to take effect January 1998, the same month I launched EV World. The ZEV mandate, as it was known, required
ten percent of all cars sold in the state by the largest car companies be zero emission vehicles, and that meant at the time they had to be battery electric...
tens of thousands of them," Moore explains.
The ZEV mandate was signed into California law in the early 1990s in an effort to combat the state's serious air pollution problems, much of it originating from mobile sources, including the state's millions of passenger cars and trucks.
While critics pointed out that zero emission didn't really mean zero emission since the electricity to run the cars came from power plants in and out of state, proponents countered that California's mix of power sources, which include hydroelectric and natural-gas
generation, is among the cleanest in the nation.
Besides, they added, it would be easier to clean up the emissions of a handful of power plants than literally millions of cars and trucks.As recounted in "Who Killed the Electric Car?", opponents of the mandate, including carmakers and their local dealers, vigorously lobbied the state to first compromise on the regulation and then to largely abandon it in favor of the promise of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, a move later supported by the Bush Administration in the president's 2003 State of the Union address.While there are still several hundred electric cars -- mainly battery electric versions of Toyota's RAV4 sport utility vehicle -- in consumer and fleet operator hands, most of the estimated 4-5,000 electric cars that once operated in California, as well as smaller numbers in Arizona, Florida and Georgia, have since been recalled and destroyed, ironically just as gasoline prices hover in the $3 a gallon range in the U.S.
Contrary to the films title,
Moore believes EVs are far from dead.
"To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of the death of the electric car have been greatly exaggerated.
Not only have Subaru and Mitsubishi both formally announced they are working on battery-powered cars that should hit the market in Japan sometime around 2010, but I am hearing rumors that Nissan is working on one, as well.
In fact, it appears there is a race afoot between fuel cell technology and lithium ion batteries to see which can reach the market first with an affordable, durable, reliable power source. At the moment, it's not entirely clear who the winner is likely to be," Moore noted.Moore notes that the electric cars of the 90's has given birth to a host of promising, fuel saving, environmentally-cleaner electric-drive vehicles, including electric bikes, motor scooters, hybrid cars and buses, even an innovative solar and wind-powered hybrid ferry that will ply the waters of San Francisco Bay carrying tourists to Alcatraz Island. Perhaps the most promising new innovation Moore sees on the immediate horizon is the plug-in hybrid, an evolved version of the standard gasoline-electric hybrid with a 10-30 mile electric-only driving range.
It utilizes electric grid power stored in larger, more powerful batteries to help reduce gasoline usage.
Early prototypes are getting better than 100 mpg."The plug-in hybrid is, in reality, an electric car with an internal combustion engine as back-up power. Some commuters could, conceivably, drive to and from work all week-long and never use a drop of gasoline. Instead, they could be recharging their cars overnight using American-generated electric power at roughly the equivalent of 50 cents a gallon.
That's the kind of fuel savings that can help put an end to our collective 'oil addiction.'"Moore sees a bright future for electric-drive technology and vehicles, be they hybrids, plug-ins, fuel cell or battery-powered.
"There is a growing awareness of the geopolitical, economic and environmental costs of our oil dependence. At some point, some believe fairly soon, world oil production will peak and that will drive energy prices ever higher, even without on-going political tensions in the oil-rich Middle East. We are simply going to have to find cleaner, more efficient ways to power our vehicles and electric-drive is the way... though I wouldn't mind seeing a greater use of bicycles, scooters and public transit," he added.Just for the record, Moore -- who turns 59 this September -- drives an early model Honda Insight that gets 55+ mpg around town, though he added that he also tries to run most of his close-in errands using an electric-assist bicycle.Alexa.com ranks EVWorld.Com in the top 76,000 web sites on the Internet; it's not Google, but Alexa.com gives the site four stars, its highest rating..
Buying Used Electric Wheelchairs
Mounting health costs and cuts to government funding are making wheelchair users seek heaper alternatives like used electric wheelchairs. Secondhand electric wheelchairs are no doubt heaper than new ones but a lot of care should be taken when buying a used electric wheelchair.
Sources of used electric wheelchairs are primarily relatives, friends, and local support groups. Information about used electric wheelchairs is also available in advertisements on bulletin boards, newsletters, Web sites, at local hospitals and rehabilitation centers, or local disability organizations. Information for finding used wheelchairs can also be found in newspaper classifieds or in pawnshops.
It is wise to also solicit advice from a therapist or physician before buying a used electric wheelchair.
Private health insurance and state vocational rehabilitation centers sometimes cover the cost of used electric wheelchairs. The Technical Assistance Project (TAP), supported...
Buying Used Electric Wheelchairs
Electric generators > Buying Used Electric Wheelchairs
A Guide to Electric Wheelchairs
A wheelchair is a mobility device that enables a sick or a disabled person to move. It's basically a chair mounted on wheels, which can be propelled either manually or electrically. Wheelchairs propelled electronically are known as electric wheelchairs.Electric wheelchairs are powered by motors. They can be used indoors and outdoors and cost at least $1,500. Depending on the kind and extent of use, there are several kinds of wheelchairs available on the market.
Some features to consider when buying a wheelchair are the weight and size of the person using it, convenience of both indoor and outdoor use, the chair's weight capacity, power source, warranty and cost.Electric wheelchairs are generally used by people who have limited or no mobility due to many different ailments. Some people can be required to use a wheelchair because of old age, paralysis, weight, degenerating muscle diseases, broken or weak bones or other illnesses. Electric wheelchairs are easy to use because they...
A Guide to Electric Wheelchairs
Electric generators > A Guide to Electric Wheelchairs
Portable Generators
Portable generators are used in homes and in places where there is no power or the need for power is minimum. Portable generators are generally smaller and are designed to use for a few. A portable generator of 5KW has enough power to keep lights, refrigerators, computers and televisions running for 7 to 8 hours. Portable generators are normally powered by gasoline, diesel, propane or natural gas. They are the most popular of all portable generators.
Gasoline generators are relatively less expensive but require frequent maintenance and have a shorter life span. Gasoline has a short shelf life and cannot be stored for a long time unless treated with stabilizers.
Diesel generators, on the other hand, are fuel-efficient, consume less fuel per kilowatt of power produced, have longer life and require less maintenance. Diesel can be stored for longer periods of time. However, they are harder to start in cold weather and noisy. Portable generators powered by natural gas...
Electric generators > Portable Generators
Electric Wheelchair?s Independent Living
Disabled persons suddenly stop going out eventually after loosing their natural and usual way of living. They more likely to choose staying home and doing stuffs there than going out, exploring, having fun and meeting new friends. The glow that they had before suddenly stopped and they begin to be dependent on other people even though they are just about to do something. And study shows that because of being dependent, disabled persons became insecure, unconfident and almost hopeless. They somehow lose the freedom as a person to do things that they want.
But due to the advances of technology the things around us became a lot easier, convenient and better. Much more for those persons who became dependent others due to they do not have anything around them to use all by themselves. Thanks a lot to the invention of electric wheelchairs that made things a lot easier. Electric wheelchairs have been there for a number of years and have provided thousands of people with the mobility...
Electric Wheelchair?s Independent Living
Electric generators > Electric Wheelchair?s Independent Living
Emergency Generators
The disruption of power for substantial lengths of time can occur at any time due to hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, snowfall and other natural calamities. Having emergency backup power in such situations is not only essential for hospitals and commercial establishments but also in homes to run critical appliances like lights, refrigerators, heaters and medical equipment.
There are basically two types of generators that can be used in an emergency: portable and permanent standby generators. The main difference between the two is their output power and price.
In times of emergencies, portable generators provide the most economical way of supplying back up power. Appliances are directly plugged into the generator using the recommended extension cord or alternatively are connected to the home wiring system using a transfer switch.
The generators come with an electric start or a pull start and loaded with many other features including the GFCI receptacles.
Electric generators > Emergency Generators
A Guide to Electric Wheelchairs
A wheelchair is a mobility device that enables a sick or a disabled person to move. It's basically a chair mounted on wheels, which can be propelled either manually or electrically. Wheelchairs propelled electronically are known as electric wheelchairs.Electric wheelchairs are powered by motors. They can be used indoors and outdoors and cost at least $1,500. Depending on the kind and extent of use, there are several kinds of wheelchairs available on the market.
Some features to consider when buying a wheelchair are the weight and size of the person using it, convenience of both indoor and outdoor use, the chair's weight capacity, power source, warranty and cost.Electric wheelchairs are generally used by people who have limited or no mobility due to many different ailments. Some people can be required to use a wheelchair because of old age, paralysis, weight, degenerating muscle diseases, broken or weak bones or other illnesses. Electric wheelchairs are easy to use because they...
A Guide to Electric Wheelchairs
Electric generators > A Guide to Electric Wheelchairs
A Guide to Fruit Baskets
There is almost no occasion, event or holiday gift that can't be properly addressed by sending some kind of fruit basket. From humble beginnings as a device fruit growers used to expand their business beyond supermarkets, fruit baskets have become one of the most popular categories of gifts in the country. No longer is this merely a device for fruit growers to send out more of their freshly grown produce at retail prices.
Nowadays, many of the items advertised, sold and shipped...
Electric generators > A Guide to Fruit Baskets
Attorneys Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. Earns Financial Stability Rating? of A, Exceptional
COLUMBUS, Ohio (ContentDesk) September 6, 2005 -- Attorneys Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., located in Colorado, has earned a Financial Stability Rating? (FSR) of A, Exceptional, from Demotech, Inc. This level of FSR is applicable to insurers possessing exceptional ability to maintain liquidity of invested assets, acceptable levels of financial leverage, and reasonable loss reserves.FSRs summarize Demotech's opinion as to the financial stability of an insurer regardless of general economic conditions...
Who Killed the Electric Car Is No Mystery To EV World financial planning
Electric generators > Attorneys Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. Earns Financial Stability Rating? of A, Exceptional
Allen Tire to Offer Branick Nitrogen in all Locations March 27, 2006
FARGO, ND (ContentDesk) March 29, 2006 - Branick Industries, a leader in Nitrogen Tire Inflation Systems in the US and Canada, is pleased to announce that Allen Tire of Lakewood, CA has added Branick nitrogen systems to all of their 20 locations in Southern California. Were very excited that one of the premier tire dealers in California has chosen our nitrogen solution for their customers, said Gil Schoener, President of Branick Industries. Nitrogen inflated tires improve a vehicles performance,...
Who Killed the Electric Car Is No Mystery To EV World Allen Tire to Offer Branick Nitrogen in all Locations March 27, 2006 Electric generators tires
Electric generators > Allen Tire to Offer Branick Nitrogen in all Locations March 27, 2006
TravelSale.Biz Launches Online Cruise and Travel Agency Directory
TravelSale.Biz (http://www.TravelSale.Biz) launches its Online Cruise and Travel Agency Directory. It is a comprehensive Directory that aims to include every Cruise and Travel Agency Company in North America. Businesses, Sports Teams, Organizations and People in general will find it a valuable resource to locate any Cruise and Travel Agency Company in North America. In addition, Cruise and Travel Agency companies will find it to be a valuable...
TravelSale.Biz Launches Online Cruise and Travel Agency Directory cruise
Electric generators > TravelSale.Biz Launches Online Cruise and Travel Agency Directory
Minnesota Golf Fitness Expert Stresses Balance in 2006 Golf Season
(ContentDesk) May 18, 2006 -- David Wieber, Minnesota golf fitness expert and physical therapist for Body Balance for Performance, has stressed paying attention to a golfers balance when preparing for the 2006 golf season.According to Wieber, not all golf fitness programs study a golfers balance. "Strength and flexibility are not the only factors a golfer should have assessed. Balance is an important component...
Minnesota Golf Fitness Expert Stresses Balance in 2006 Golf Season Who Killed the Electric Car Is No Mystery To EV World potty training Electric generators
Electric generators > Minnesota Golf Fitness Expert Stresses Balance in 2006 Golf Season