November 29th, 2012

EVCO Presents Cheque to Canada Science and Technology Museum

In September, EVCO acted as a matchmaker between Sun Country Highways and the Canada Science and Technology Museum to install a high-capacity Level 2 charging station (EVSE = Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment). EVCO also agreed to help fund the installation, and today I presented the cheque to the museum on behalf of EVCO.

Also present at the event today were 2 Tesla Roadster electric cars, and one Tesla Model S.

July 16, 2012

High School Students Electric Go-Kart Project

Per the YouTube blurb: "The electric go kart was a University of Hawaii at Manoa Mechanical Engineering and NanoTechnology Lab project for prospective high school students. Lab space provided by the engineering department, parts provided by Pacific Mechanical Technology LLC

July 9, 2012

Firefly Electric Boat

There's a lot to like about this little e-boat. It's solar charged. It carries a reasonable battery pack. It matches the dock. It's affordable, a DIY project, and wood is a renewable resource and good workable, construction material. Even the solar panel that doubles as a roof to provide shade is homemade. I'm especially fond of the 2-motor approach, doing away with the need for a rudder, although I might have still gone with a couple of trolling motors myself.

June 29, 2012

Five Forgotten Electric Cars

June 28, 2012

Is Hydrogen's Future as a Transport Fuel on the Water?

I have long had a weak spot in my heart for the canal barge, especially since electric versions started appearing in the 1970s and 1980s in Europe and the UK. Quiet, reliable electric drive seems such a natural combination with the calm, sedate travel associated with canal barges.

Apparently, this less demanding application is now attracting the attention of hydrogen fuel cell proponents.

June 27, 2012

Renault Announces Battery-Optional Fluence Z.E. for Australia

Now that electric cars are on sale in most developed countries from major automakers, we seem to be getting past the consumer perception that they don't work, they're all glorified golf cars, they don't go fast enough, they don't go far enough, they're weird-looking, and now they want to haggle on price. The lament, new, limited production EVs cost more than a 10-year-old gasoline beater. The message they don't absorb (yet) is that the price premium for a new EV is frequently the large-capacity, advanced battery inside it. Most drivers don't think about their transportation energy costs beyond the next fill-up. Therefore, it is difficult to get them to understand that the $10,000 battery purchase premium should be compared to the total gasoline bill they will be paying over the next decade, likely in the order of $30,000 (e.g., 20,000 km x 10 years @ 10 km/litre x $1.50 per litre).

So Renault, along with Better Place, are planning to sell the Fluence ZE electric car using the gasoline consumption business model. Buy the car without the battery to get the sticker price down, then pay a monthly lease that mimics the practice of buying gasoline on your credit card and paying that bill once a month.

June 26, 2012

Colorado passes law allowing companies to install EV chargers and resell electricity

If other jurisdictions enact similar legislation, it will be a game-changer for the installation of charging stations. Currently, in Ontario, no one may sell electricity on a retail basis unless you are an approved local distribution company (LDC) like Hydro Ottawa or a mandated provincial agency like Hydro One.

June 22, 2012

Colorado passes law allowing companies to install EV chargers and resell electricity

U.S. Secretary Steven Chu spoke at the government’s “EV-Everywhere Grand Challenge Kick-Off” conference in Michigan. The program is part of the DOE’s “Clean Energy Grand Challenges” created earlier in 2012. Chu was quoted as saying, “Realistically, we think a plug-in hybrid at 340-50 miles, or a car at double the (Nissan) Leaf range can satisfy a lot of needs. And there, we think, the price point of $25,000 is a very real price that we can maybe achieve in a decade.”

June 15, 2012

The National Post Misunderstands Marcelo

While I continue to be impressed by the sheer personal energy and resolve of Marcelo da Luz, it seems the National Post does not share my respect. I gather the article author has not met Marcelo, or had the privilege of spending time with him. Marcelo wrote the following to me on Thursday, and I thought I should share it.

Ola Darryl and JP, There was this article on the National post yesterday, I thought you would like to read and share this article with EVCO and DEVA members.

Darryl, I left a comment and placed a plug to your book.

[Web page removed by the National Post: http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/06/14/68913]

Stay beautiful,

Marcelo da Luz
The Power of One, solar car project
Ph. (416) 465 9459
E-Mail: mdaluz@xof1.com
Website: www.xof1.com

"inspired by the sun, motivated by the environment"

June 14, 2012

BionX Hits the Water

June 13, 2012

Electric Vehicle History Presentation Video

June 12, 2012

New Soneil Charger for 48-volt e-bike & scooter market

It's been a while coming, but now that I have seen it, I think I wanted it even earlier. Soneil has introduced a new charger in a proven package - the 4807SR. An intelligent charger in a compact, light package, it delivers up to 3 amps into a 48-volt lead-acid pack. Should work well with any pack from 12 to 40 amp-hour capacity.

June 11, 2012

Naysayer U-Turn on Hybrids

While the all-electric models are stealing the headlines at auto shows in the past year, the hybrids are proliferating, maturing, increasing in electric capability and sprouting charging ports. While GM charged in from the skunk works with their Volt plug-in hybrid car, Toyota has been slowly ramping up the electric capabilities in the Prius and Camry lines until they finally had to produce the Prius PHV - the Toyota hybrid with a plug.

Over the years, I had come to the conclusion that AJAC members (Automotive Journalists Association of Canada) would continue to shower all EVs and hybrids with their withering disdain until all the gassers had passed into the dinosaur status which provides their go-juice.

However, now that hybrids come in a variety of flavours from many auto manufacturers, and provide both superior performance or superior fuel economy - often in the same package, even one AJAC type has noted that the green premium for hybrid-lite vehicles is diminishing to possibly acceptable levels in this article titled [dead link: http://thechronicleherald.ca/wheelsnews/103510-the-day-the-excuses-died] The Day the Excuses Died.

If you want to know what consumers are really buying - watch the television car and truck ads and their never-ending purchase incentives. The thing to note is which vehicles don't qualify for the 0-interest financing, or add-on chrome packages or employee-pricing promotions or cash-back incentives. Those would be the hybrids, plug-in hybrids and real electric cars - because those are selling as fast as the manufacturers can produce them - without those manufacturer or dealer incentives.

June 8, 2012

There is a new bike gang in Vanier

The local EMC weekly paper ran an article in yesterday's edition titled [Webpage has been removed: http://www.emcottawasouth.ca/20120607/news/Electric+riders+in+Ottawa%27s+east+end] Electric riders in Ottawa's east end

From the article:
William Leisham, owner of Scooteretti, which sells e-bikes, said he would like to participate in a larger discussion with the city about the need to educate drivers and cyclists and e-bikers to learn to share the road.
"There needs to be education on both sides of the issue," Leisham said.
"And we need to work with the city to make this happen."

June 7, 2012

Honda to Deliver a Real EV? (2013 Fit)

Hmmm, this sounds like a story we've heard before. An EV available only via lease (not for actual sale), in limited quantities, and only in California. Yup, sounds a lot like the CARB ZEV mandate of the late 1990s.

June 6, 2012

Tesla S To Start Deliveries June 22nd, Top Model Already Sold Out

I spoke with a few people at the Rideau Centre last month when the Tesla S prototype was on display there. Unlike so many other people I encounter, these people were not repeating the same old mantra - electric cars cost too much. Instead, they could appreciate the value of a high-end, 7-passenger car that will never, ever stop at a gas pump.

It is a pleasure to see two Tesla news items today that put the boots to the naysayers again.

1) The [site suspended for ToS violation: http://elonmusktesla.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/first-2012-tesla-model-s-signature-delivered-to-earliest-depositor-steve-jurvetson/] Tesla Model S will start deliveries later this month - ahead of schedule. In fact, one has already been delivered. (Time for the naysayers to change headlines.)

2) The [dead site: http://autogreenmag.com/2012/06/06/tesla-sells-out-top-of-the-line-model-s-signature-series/] top of the line version (Signature) is already sold out.

June 5, 2012

Canadian Government Recycles - ecoTechnology for Vehicles (again)

How many times can you repackage the same old non-news and flog it out to the media and public? Well, in the case of Transport Canada and its excuse for a clean-air vehicle program, apparently it's always at least one more time.

When a government is steam-rolling objections and evidence, giving billions to the tar sands in subsidies and environmental exemptions and has already announced it will gut its own review process to ensure the bitument pipelines are plunked down through the Rockies on an aggressive timeline, somehow [dead link: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/981977/government-of-canada-to-test-clean-vehicle-technologies]

For those of you that thought this was too much emphasis on climate change by this government, I'm sure you will take some solace in knowing that the program won't actually take any real initiatives on the alleged objectives, but instead will "focus on aligning Canadian regulations with those in the United States and with international standards".

June 4, 2012

Quebec Premier Unveils the 2013-2020 Climate Change Action Plan

June 1, 2012

California Pulls the Plug on Hydrogen Highway Filling Stations

Seems the Schwarzenegger Hydrogen Highway legacy has hit another speed bump. The multi-million dollar process for awarding taxpayer money to multi-national mega-corporations - shockingly (not!) - got skewed so that local companies got squeezed out.

May 31, 2012

Will Electric Cars Ever Sell in Volume?

In my discussions with consumers and electrical utilities, once we get past the "how fast, how far, how much?", and "won't they crash the grid?" questions, and "they cost too much" issue, we usually get to the "will they succeed in the market place?" question (which usually means, can I get parts and service and charging away from home, and do we need to upgrade the last mile distribution infrastructure?).

The reality is that most people really don't know much about the cars and trucks they drive. It is a small proportion of people who do their own maintenance. Many people I speak with that drive a car or truck daily don't even know they should be checking tire pressure at least monthly. So it is no wonder that a lot of people don't know that even a handful of electric and plug-in hybrid cars are actually available for sale. It takes time for this information to permeate into the showrooms, let alone into the public mind-space. More time to dispel myths and actually get people to understand what the new 'thing' is and does. Then, there is the turnover of the privately-owned on-road fleet - roughly 20 years from manufacture to retirement from service. The automatic transmission became widely available for about 60 years now, and there are still a lot of manual transmissions sold.

For something really new to actually get a real foothold within a decade of introduction is almost unheard of in the automotive world. That's why it is so remarkable to see this news item. After just 12 years since the original introduction of the Mark 1 Prius to the North American automarket in very limited quantities, in the first quarter of 2012, the [dead link: http://focus2move.com/item/80-worlds-best-selling-car-q1-2012-toyota-prius-is-number-one] highest-selling car in the world is the Toyota Prius hybrid! Ahead of the perennial past winner - the Corolla.

With Toyota expanding the Prius line to include a plug-in hybrid this year, and other major manufactures expanding their hybrid and plug-in hybrid offerings, and introducing all-electric cars, it seems pretty clear to me that electric cars will indeed sell in volume in the years to come.

May 30, 2012

Why Electric Cars Should Not Have Noisemakers (Again)

I was enjoying that vague place between sleep and wakefulness this morning, knowing that my alarm was not set as I was treating myself to a bit of sleep-in after several hectic weeks of EVents and work commitments. There was a gentle, but variable cool breeze coming in through the window, combined with the half-light of early morning with the sun low in the sky and barely filtering past leaves on the trees in the yard. Unfortunately, a bit before 6 a.m., the tranquility was destroyed by the roar of a neighbour starting their poorly muffled motorcycle, followed by about ten minutes of the torturous sound that can only be produced by a gasoline engine with the idle set incorrectly.

Today, that is why I would like to see my neighbours driving electric vehicles.

Back in the 1980s, when I was commuting with my second electric car, my typical work day began early. That vehicle was equipped with a reversing alarm (noisemaker) as a safety device. My neighbours asked me to disable it, so their morning sleep would not be interrupted. I complied. However, it looks like the U.S. oil lobby will succeed in denying that opportunity to the neighbours of future EV owners in the U.S. and Canada.

So far, [dead link: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/05/28/uproar-about-quiet.html] Ford is not imposing this penalty on the owners of their 2011 Focus Electrics and their neighbours. However, it may be a short-lived victory for those of us that like to turn down the volume on the urban and suburban soundscape. Pity. In years to come, I think our descendants will see this as one of those 'what were they thinking?' moments.

May 29, 2012

Marcelo da Luz at May EVCO Meeting

Last night, many had the opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal look at the Xof1 Project solar car at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. This was followed by an engaging and inspiring presentation by the man behind the building of the car, and for the past month, in front of it - pulling it from Toronto to Ottawa.

It was an honour for EVCO to serve as the unofficial end for Marcelo's Pull for the Environment, which reached its official end at Parliament Hill at mid-day.
I was pleased to provide support vehicle services for Marcelo for a couple of days; like the cool kids say, 'been there, done that, got the T-shirt'.

Some of the recent media coverage:

May 28, 2012

Tenth Annual Solar Cup Solar Electric Boat School Competition

Sun, water, boats, students, competition and good clean power - sounds like fun! (Shhhhh - don't tell them it's educational.)

[Link has bit-rotted: http://www.mwdh2o.com/mwdh2o/pages/education/solar_cup/solar_cup_01.html] Solar Cup website

[dead link: http://www.lacanadaonline.com/news/tn-vsl-0527-solar-tech-floats-their-boat,0,921279.story] La Cañada High's solar boat deemed 'Hottest Looking'

[dead link: http://temecula.patch.com/articles/anaheim-beats-temecula-in-solar-cup] Anaheim Beats Temecula in Solar Cup

[dead link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/starting-friday-may-18-student-teams-from-39-southland-high-schools-to-harness-the-sun-at-metropolitans-solar-cuptm-2012-05-16] Starting Friday (May 18), Student Teams from 39 Southland High Schools to Harness the Sun at Metropolitan's Solar Cup(TM)

May 26, 2012

Ottawa Schools Solar Sprints

The sun truly smiled down upon the Ottawa School Solar Sprints, 2012 edition. Roughly 30 teams from 3 schools (sadly one school with 9 more teams was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict) put their sun-powered creations through their paces. Clearly, last minute adjustments were being made to try to squeeze out some small advantage that could mean the difference between coming first and defeat on the miniature head-to-head drag-racing format. The heat of competition clearly took its toll on some of the racers, who occasionally left power switches in the off position at the start line, or failed to hook up the guidewires properly, or just cast a shadow over the solar panel of their vehicles, starving them of the needed photons.

May 24, 2012

Hold the Presses! Globe & Mail Positive on EVs??

I had to read it twice to believe it! The Globe and Mail quoted General Motors public relations material about the Volt at length, and even acknowledged there are people out there misrepresenting 'facts' about EVs that cast them in a poor light.

Truly a seismic shift in reporting on EVs in Canada. [dead link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/driving-it-home/electric-cars-exploding-thats-pure-fiction/article2440344/] The article quotes GM in saying that Volts have now travelled over 40 million electric miles, saving over 2 million gallons of gasoline. Not bad for a relatively small fleet that is still new to the market.

May 23, 2012

May 22, 2012

EcoCars in Gumball 2012 Rally

Sometimes you just do an activity to show the flag where it isn't expected. I figure the request from Karta Healey to bring EVs out to the various stops for the 2012 Gumball 3000 Rally falls into that category. Given there are some performance EVs with long range capabilities and some plug-in hybrids available now from OEMs, along with hi-pro machines from enthusiasts, why not [dead link: http://www.gumball3000.com/blog/eco-blast-2] invite the eco-fleet to come out and play?

Besides, this year the first stop is in Canada, so if you are near Toronto this coming Friday (May 25th), why not [dead link:http://www.gumball3000.com/blog/1st-stop-toronto] come down and see the spectacle (and bring your EV or PHEV)?

Karta wrote:

I want to extend our invitation to all local EV owners to display their cars at each check point and join us long the route:

We will be doing a profile of each car and its driver and ideally interview you for the film. Owners and their guests can take part in whichever or all aspects, including the glamorous parties hosted each night. As long as your batteries are charged for the next day!

And of course, if they really want to get involved, they can fill a slot in the actual relay between New York and Los Angeles. Quite the logistics, timing is everything, so please get in touch as soon as possible.

Pass this around, and have any and all email me with a photo of their beloved Tesla and we will be sure to get you involved in every way possible.

May 18, 2012

IEA Study of Early Adopter EV Cities

May 17, 2012

Busting the EV Mythology

May 16, 2012

Joel's Christmas Train

This is one of those heart-warming stories that just happens to have an EV in the middle of it - unsung, simply chugging away (thanks to the electronic sound effects) getting the job done, reliably, day after day.

May 15, 2012

Ford Delivers a Winner - the Focus Electric

Thanks to Ford Canada, today I had the distinct pleasure of taking one of their Focus Electric cars out for a quick spin on city streets. The acceleration was smooth and authoritative, the handling crisp and responsive and the drive was quiet. I drove with the windows down just to check this out. When others have used an existing body style, the quiet one expects from an electric drive train is often lost in translation. Based on my experience today, Ford gets it, and got it right in this car. This is not an EV that will evoke images of golf cars or wedge-nose EVs of the past; this is a car you will see in your everyday life, that happens to be electric.

By the end of the test drive, I knew this was an EV I wanted to have my wife get into and take for a real test drive, because I want to drive this electric car.

By the time John Bardwell finished talking about how the Ford Focus Electric fits into the Ford vehicle line and philosophy, I didn't just want the car, I wanted a job at Ford finding ways to put thousands of these cars into the hands of Canadian drivers.

Ford - nice job!

[dead link: http://metronews.ca/news/ottawa/225385/new-ford-focus-electric-is-half-gadget-half-car/] Metro Ottawa's coverage of the event today

Addendum: Funny story. Years after this 2012 post, and the Ford Focus Electric is firmly entrenched as a unicorn in EV history, my son bought a used one, and as of 2024 it's been his daily driver for years.

May 13, 2012

Tesla Model S

Just to add to the EV fever in Ottawa in recent days, Tesla Motors has put a Model S prototype on display in a major local shopping centre. On Sunday, (Mother's Day) my wife and I finally managed to find time to go have a look.

One look and a minute in the driver's seat was about all it took for my wife to fall in love with this car. What's not to love? It is sleek, well-finished and appointed and this sedan can seat up to seven, although the sticker price may give some pause. While the Model S may not make the economy car segment, for those paying hundreds of dollars a month for gasoline, it might well be worth a studied analysis of full life costs for your vehicle.

May 12, 2012

2012 Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO) EV Expo

The big day has arrived, with the sun shining bright, and nary a cloud on the horizon. A 180-degree turn from the weather we endured in 2011. Mother Nature's smile upon us brought out the smiles amongst our exhibitors and attendees.

While the fine weather may have enticed some of our potential audience away to other fair-weather activities on a Saturday, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the questions and apparent level of knowledge about electric vehicles within the visitors to the event. We're no longer getting the 'is that really an electric car?' question, but rather the 'how can this work for me?' question - a huge advance in understanding within the public.

EVCO members and others brought out their vehicles and projects. I snapped a few photos, and a tiny sample is shown below.

Side view of the EVCO electric conversion demonstration trailer

Under the hood of the EVCO electric conversion demonstration trailer

The Dymon Storage Tesla Roadster 2.5 electric sports car. I took the picture from this angle because unless you get to see the car sitting still at our event, this may be the only angle from which you will recognize it - briefly. It's not like you will hear it coming up behind you!

Same idea, only this time in red. (There are also orange and green Tesla Roadsters in the Ottawa area).

We were pleased to welcome some of our local ENGOs to the event this year, such as Ecology Ottawa. However, even the dedicated volunteers for these organizations found much of interest to see at the show, so occasionally the booths looked vacant. Never fear, once they saw someone nearby, they hastened back.

EnviroCentre's BikeMobile promoting Bike to Work month (OK, enough ENGO booth shots, but note the motorcycle-mimic e-bike in the background - top right).

This 3-wheeler electric provides a measure of protection from the elements, while remaining true to its bicycle roots.

This Go One 3-wheeler enclosed bike has been modified to include an electric drive system with advanced lithium batteries, making it a human-electric hybrid.

Electric Mobility Canada (EMC) brought a Prius V hybrid vehicle from Mississauga.

Ricardo came by and found a source of electrons, proving that 'charging stations' are all around us, if you take the time to look for them. It was nice of Ricardo to drop by ...

as it gave us our Nissan Leaf 1-2 punch. Ricardo and Darren have the first 2 Nissan Leafs sold in Canada. Ottawa is definitely EV country.

Speaking of multiples of vehicles, we were pleased to have the City of Ottawa bring out their Volt for our show ...

where it joined the Volt used by Hydro Ottawa, and a privately owned Volt (black).

We had a nice selection of converted cars as well, including Sparky, sporting lithium batteries for the first time.

Also showing off lithium in a bright red wrapper, this conversion of a VW New Beetle.

Just to show that the fun is not just for Beetles, this Jetta conversion also sports a lithium battery pack.

Another recent local conversion is this Ford Fiesta.

This Solectria Force is an EV Expo veteran, and still going strong as a daily driver.

As in years past, since EVCO worked to make electric-assist bicycles legal in Ontario (2006 and 2009), we reaped the harvest of that work with numerous e-bikes on display.

I know this photo gallery isn't complete, and apologies to those I have left out.

More images available at dead link: http://evco.ca/site/node/450] the EVCO website] (courtesy of Peter Chaloner).

May 11, 2012

Electric Cars on the Sparks Street Pedestrian Mall

EV enthusiasts, buckle your seatbelts, because you are in for some kind of virtual EV ride this week. Time to get your EV Grin on!

On behalf of EVCO, I helped the Ontario Electrical League round up a bunch of electric vehicles for their trade show day at the Marriott Hotel.

Rob stands beside his electric steed, Miss Anne, making the point that with an e-bike, one can arrive at work fresh and without breaking a sweat.

A peak under the hood of Blair's VW Jetta, now using LiFePO4 batteries.

Hydro Ottawa Limited's Chevrolet Volt dressed in a fetching green, with EVCO member Bob in his personal EV.

Darren's 2011 Nissan Leaf (second delivered in Canada) showing what's under the hood.

The City of Ottawa's Chevrolet Volt, which is being tested in multiple municipal government roles, with a view to expanding their electric fleet.

Dymon's Tesla Roadster 2.5 all-electric sports car would turn heads, even if it wasn't bright yellow.

Eaton brought out their Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car to showcase their charging station.

Lorne models Schneider's Level 2 charging station (aka EVSE=Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) and their Nissan Leaf.

Stay tuned - tomorrow, the annual EVCO EV Expo!

May 10, 2012

Ontario Electrical League EV Display

If you happen to be somewhere near downtown Ottawa on Friday afternoon (May 11th), come down to the Sparks Street Mall by the Marriott Hotel (near Kent Street) and check out some electric vehicles.

EVCO and local EV owners are showing some electric cars. OEL includes a lot of electrical contractors among its members - the people who will be installing charging stations. Looking forward to plugging EVs and making some connections.

May 9, 2012

Toyota Disappoints

2012 EVCO EV Expo

Chrysler Still Behind and Losing Ground

Mitsubishi Free Half-Hour Charge Station in Ontario

While Mitsubishi has given competitors a head-start into the Canadian market, it looks like they're going to make up for lost time. This week they unveiled a DC fast charger at their Mississauga location, where they [dead link: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/958417/under-30-minute-charger-debuts-for-mitsubishi-i-miev] will provide i-MiEV operators with a FREE fast charge - up to 80% (bulk charge phase) in 30 minutes. Given the low cost of the actual electricity, and the high costs associated with collecting fees for small value transactions, let us hope that others will emulate this model. After all, we will all benefit from cleaner air and water and less noise as all-electric vehicles are used in our urban environments.

April 25, 2012

ANSI Releases Standardization Roadmap Regarding Plug-in EVs

Yet Another Gas-Out Farce

It must be that time of year again. As the summer driving season approaches and the oil majors use that as an excuse to gouge us again (note recent price-fixing convictions in Canada), the usual response in the form of e-mail spam has been hitting my inbox with unfortunate regularity. (If you think this is off-topic for an EV blog, bear with me and read on.)

Here's the content from the one I have seen a few times recently. Sorry, it's long, but it sets the scene for my response that follows.

"Subject: FW: Gas War starts!
GAS WAR STARTS MAY 1st 2012
THIS IS NOT THE 'DON'T BUY' GAS FOR ONE DAY, BUT IT WILL SHOW YOU HOW WE CAN GET GAS BACK DOWN TO $1.00 PER LITRE.
This was sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Haliburton. If you are tired of the gas prices going up AND they will continue to rise this summer, take time to read this please.
Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea. This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May! It's worth your consideration. Join the resistance!!!!
I hear we are going to hit close to $ 1.50 a litre by this summer and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down?
We need to take some intelligent, united action. The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas ...
It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them. BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can Really work. Please read on and join with us!
By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $.99 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $1.28 at SUNOCO and ESSO for regular unleaded in Hamilton and Ottawa and climbing every week.
Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $.87 to .99, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..not sellers.
With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.
The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves.
How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas.
But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.
Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), SUNOCO(PETRO CANADA) and ESSO.
If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.
But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of SUNOCO(PETRO CANADA ) and ESSO gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!
I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at least ten more a (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000)... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers .
If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!
If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!
Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all!
How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!
Acting together we can make a difference.
If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from SUNOCO(PETRO CANADA)/ESSO UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $.99 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK.
REMEMBER – STARTING MAY 1st NO GAS FROM ESSO / PETROCAN / SUNOCO!
(why wait till then, get into the habit by starting now)

Sorry about the length of that, I hope you're still with me for my response.

Econogics Response to "Gas War Starts"

If it makes you feel better, go ahead and boycott a gas station chain. Just understand that it will have no effect on the major oil companies whatsoever.

If this is really the thinking of Coca-Cola and Halliburton (an oil industry support company - consider the source) executives on how to reduce consumer prices for gasoline in Canada, that is sad.

Why This Won't Work

Imperial Oil (Esso) and Suncor/Sunoco/PetroCanada make most of their revenue from refining oil into consumer products (gasoline, propane, diesel fuel, heating oil, kerosene, etc.), and not from retail sales. They control the wholesale price charged to retailers (research 'crack spread'). Yes, they still have some corporate retail outlets, but for the most part they have franchised those out, so it is some small, local business owner that is going to get damaged by this action. We're not dealing with idiots at the major oil companies - they knew enough to insulate themselves from this type of action. Unless you are going to go to the trouble of figuring out which "PetroCanada", "Sunoco" and "Esso" gas stations are corporate and which are franchised in order to make your boycott effort hit home. That's way too much effort for the typical North American consumer.

Now, consider where the small independents you might buy from instead get their product. From Imperial Oil and Suncor/PetroCanada. Seriously, have you ever seen a Canadian Tire oil refinery? So buying from these retailers still puts the same money in the pockets of the big oil companies you thought you were targetting.

So long as you continue to buy the gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, etc., you're just playing their game and you can't win.

Doing Something That Will Work

Or, people could do something that actually would reduce their expenditures on gasoline.

Discounts for Insuring EVs?

A hot-button topic for many of those that built or converted their own EVs in the past was obtaining insurance. Based on some recent correspondence, it still can be, and there have been reports of folks in Canada being told their existing insurance company would not insure their new EVs produced by major manufacturers. To be clear, in 30-plus years of driving EVs in Canada, I have never personally experienced this. In fact, my current insurer (Co-operators) already offers a discount for hybrids (the electric-assist, non-plug-in kind).

Royal Caribbean Ships to Cut up to 20% of Energy, GHGs

A lot of people don't realize that most modern cruise ships, including such notables as the QEII are actually electric drive hybrids. They use diesel generators and small battery banks to power huge electric drive motors to turn the props. In many cases, the drive units are housed in turnable pods (azipods) beneath the hull. Not only does this give them a reliable drive system, it provides a measure of steering control not possible with conventional stern-mounted fixed propellers. This allows them to dock in most situations without the aid of tug-boats.

Royal Caribbean, a major cruise ship line, has announced it will be able to [dead link: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/04/20/royal-caribbean-ships-to-cut-up-to-20-of-energy-ghgs/] reduce fuel consumption on two ships going into service in 2014 and 2015 by 20%!

A gain of 20% on the efficiency of these ships brings not only reduced fuel costs as prices are rising, but significant environmental benefits. It would be truly impressive if our land-based fleets could match the gains of leading edge ships (commercial and military) of recent years in terms of reduction of fuel and emissions reductions by embracing electric drive technology.

April 19, 2012

Union of Concerned Scientists on EV GHG Emissions

If you are one of the few that still believe climate change is a hoax (have you been watching weather reports recently?), then you can ignore today's blog entry. It's not as though getting off foreign oil, reducing air, water, soil, thermal and noise pollution would interest you either.

Ford to use all-electric pace car at Richmond NASCAR Event

How Not to Implement EV Charging Stations

There are plenty of vested interest naysayers and just plain curmudgeons that delight in stories of how EVs can't work, or how they have to be subsidized, or just generally revel in stories of how alleged support gets fouled up.

A Vision for our Rideau Canal for Commuters?

Each (diminishing) canal skating season, the local Ottawa media always pull out the 'commuting to work on the world's largest skating rink' chestnut.

What if we could provide the same functionality for commuters in the warmer seasons? One option might be this kind of [dead site: http://gas2.org/2012/04/15/electric-water-kart-tears-up-paris-canals-w-video/] one/two seater electric commuter boat. We already have tie-ups downtown by the NAC, and multiple launch points southward along the canal. Or possibly a water bus with stops at Dow's Lake, Mooney's Bay and all the locks, and possibly other points. It would be nice to have one by the new Convention Centre, so the business/tourist market could take a ride as well. With the right vessel, it could be combined with sight-seeing or meal cruises. With shore-power to provide charging while tied-up, these craft could operate quietly (well, other than the joyful sounds from the operators) and emissions-free all day.

Anybody interested in such an opportunity should be aware of one of Ottawa's best kept secrets: we have an electric boat builder right here in Ottawa, operating for over a decade. [company defunct: http://spincraftboats.com/pub/silent.htm] SpinCraft Electric Boats

April 13, 2012

Future of transportation: Electric push needs bigger boost

Best Buy to Carry Charging Stations for 2012 Ford Focus Electric

While Ford Canada has not yet provided an availability date for their Focus Electric, they have set up a deal with Best Buy to sell and install home-based Class 2 (240-volt) charging station. Moving this sort of product from the custom find your own qualified and willing electrician category into the consumer applicance market signals a radical shift in how the support infrastructure for EVs is going to be delivered to market. Earlier reports last fall indicated the Leviton-based charging station would be sold quantity-one retail for under Cdn$1,600. Now, if we can only get someone to build a 'universal' version that will work equally well with Leafs, Volts, i-MiEVs, etc. [dead link: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/952925/ford-canada-teams-up-with-best-buy-canada-to-help-ford-focus-electric-owners-get-charged-up] Car Pages article.

April 11, 2012

E-Bikes Are Turning Dutch Market Upside Down

The weather in the Netherlands is somewhat milder than in much of Canada, our wet coast, southern Ontario and some of the maritimes notwithstanding. Still, with record high temperatures in much of central and eastern Canada for almost 10 days last month, the cycling season is undoubtedly extending into more of the year here. So consider the implications of [Webpage has bit-rotted: http://www.bike-eu.com/news/e-bikes-are-turning-dutch-market-upside-down-5784.html] a report in the Netherlands - a cycling Nirvana - that e-bikes are breaking into younger age groups because they are seen a practical daily transportation. Combine that sort of revelation with the start of cycling season and forecasts of gasoline hitting $1.60 a litre this summer, and e-bikes just might be hard to come by in months to come. Glad mine is already sitting in my garage. Owners may want to invest in good locks to ensure their electric steeds are where they left them.

Let's suppose you use a car that gets 10 litres/100 km, and travel 30 km a day, 5 days a week. In six months (cycling season hereabouts for most folks), you will consume about $625 worth of gasoline, plus at least one, and likely two, oil changes, and some other maintenance, and probably pay for some parking. Call it $800 in round numbers. Now, go price some e-bikes. I think you will find $800 will go a long way to paying for your new ride, if not pay for it completely. Buy something that fits you and your needs, and buy quality so the machine will last with minimal problems.

April 10, 2012

How The Power Grid Is Blocking EV Adoption (And What To Do About It)

When I speak with folks from local distribution companies (LDCs) in Canada and the U.S., I generally find they are not huge fans of electric vehicles joining the road fleet in large quantities. Instead of looking at the potential for increased revenue and the potential to level their loads, they focus on the possibility that EVs will charge up disproportionately at peak demand times, which could destabilize their local grid. [Site no longer exists: http://energy.aol.com/2012/04/06/how-the-power-grid-is-blocking-ev-adoption-and-what-to-do-about/] This posting speaks a bit to the issue. The concerns of the local electrical utilities are not without merit. For those of us that can remember back to August 2003, the consequences of significant power outages are not to be taken lightly.

Still, with a bit of planning, and expectations of a gradual adoption of the technology (currently in the low thousands per month for all of North America), there is hardly any need to panic. We have the generating capacity, and embracing EVs will reduce electrical consumption in some other areas (oil refineries and pipelines are major electricity consumers).

April 5, 2012

The Day After the Future of Transportation Fuels Chat

How High Do Gasoline Prices Have to Go for Drivers to Wake Up?

The start of the day for many Ottawa drivers today was facing the big signs at gasoline stations showing over $1.40 a litre.

Industry experts are forecasting over $1.60 a litre in some parts of Canada before the summer of 2012 is finished.

'Man at the pump' interviews in the mainstream media show drivers complaining about the price increases, but resigned to them. 'What can I do?' they ask, assuming the answer is nothing but pay the posted price.

If you want to do something, you can. But complacent sheep will go to the slaughter. Today, you have options, even here in the oil kingdom of Canada. You can buy an electric car (Nissan Leaf), or a plug-in hybrid (Chevrolet Volt), or a conventional hybrid (various manufacturers), or an electric motorcycle (Zero), or an e-bike (too many brands to mention), or cobble something together yourself.

In short, if you want to do something you can. If you aren't prepared to make the effort, please stop complaining.

April 3, 2012

Ford Still Looking for 2012 Focus Electric Release

This story from [dead site: http://www.cars21.com/content/articles/78520120402.php] cars21.com caught my attention for two reasons.

1) After a long silence, Ford reiterates their intention to introduce the 2012 Ford Focus Electric to market this year.

2) They acknowledge they are shifting emphasis toward more EVs and hybrid vehicles, and away from natural gas (NG) vehicles. That's a quantum shift for a company that produced a lot of dual-fuel (NG/gasoline) and NG only vehicles in the past.

April 2, 2012

Azure Dynamics Hits a Speed Bump

Ottawa Has No Climate Change Plan

Unseasonable Weather

Ottawa, and most of eastern Canada are basking in a week of summer weather as the calendar says winter is just giving way to spring. High temperature records are being shattered - in some cases by more than 10 degrees C over the previous marks.

While weather maps show a jet stream that looks more like a roller coaster than the historic gentle waves typical of past years at this time, there is little to no mention of climate change in the mainstream media.

One thing that this unexpected arrival of summer weather has done is provide Ottawans with the opportunity to bring out their zero-emissions bicycles and e-bikes much earlier in the year than is typical. Personally, I'm cleaning up the Solo antique I bought last year and getting it ready for service for local errands (like taking battery chargers to the post office.)

March 19, 2012

Hybrid Conversion Project for Waterborne Researchers

This looks like a great re-use of a former Coast Guard vessel, although the conversion budget ($22,000,000) may be beyond the average DIY EV enthusiast. The University of Victoria (British Columbia) bought the vessel for $1, and is now tendering the modifications to turn it into a research ship.

The ship is being extended and the power plant is being replaced with an electric drive system, supported by batteries, diesel generators and a hydrogen fuel cell. There are still some details to be worked out on the hydrogen fuel cell system, as Transport Canada will not permit the hydrogen to be stored below deck. The 22 kWh battery can also be recharged from shore power.

[Link has bit-rotted: http://www.timescolonist.com/cars/Vessel+finds+life+UVic+research/6320912/story.html] Times Colonist Story

Revenge of the Electric Car Screening in Wakefield

This evening I had the pleasure of seeing this movie for the first time, and getting a first-hand look at the new Community Centre in Wakefield, and making some new acquaintances. After the movie, the hosts set up a small panel to answer questions, and it was great to meet and join Eric Leclair and Bob Milling in the 'hot seats'.

Eric put the suggestion for improved EV charging infrastructure in the recent NCC / Ottawa / Gatineau, [dead site: http://choosingourfuture.ca/get_involved/haveasay_results_en.html] Choosing our Future 'Have a Say' initiative, and is clearly an advocate for clean transportation and a more sustainable way of life.

Revenge of the Electric Car at Wakefield International Film Festival

When Can an E-bike be Gas-Powered?

Apparently when it is ridden in [dead link: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver+Island+wins+court+battle+over+motorized+bicycle+tickets/6296114/story.html] British Columbia. If 'authorities' in B.C. can't figure out that a gasoline engine is not within the definition of a power-assisted bicycle (electric), then why are they surprised that consumers are bewildered by the rules and terminology?!

Obama Announces EV Everywhere Challenge

It looks like oil is getting in the eyes of all Canadian policy makers, reducing their vision to a dark, blurry excuse for developing a forward looking energy strategy for the nation. By contrast, the U.S. is providing substantive leadership on multiple fronts, including the production and adoption of electric vehicles. Note that this is not an environmental initiative for the Obama administration, but an economic issue - creating jobs for Americans and reducing their reliance on imported energy sources (i.e., Canadian oil from the tar sands). Once again, we will hollow out our economic future on the altar of oilonomics. All hail bitumen!

6000 new EV users in first 100 days of car2go service in San Diego

Amazing what can be accomplished with a bit of vision and infrastructure investment. Daimler ponied up 300 smart fortwo electric drive cars and put them into a car-share program in San Diego late in 2011. 2 months later, there are [dead site: http://www.cars21.com/content/articles/77020120312.php] 6,000 members using the EVs 3,500 times a week.

March 10, 2012

E-bikes Battle for Legitimacy - One Jurisdiction at a Time

Came across this story of an [subscription required for access: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/cape_may/ocean-city-woman-will-fight-again-for-electric-bike/article_652715a6-6a6a-11e1-9225-001871e3ce6c.html] e-biker in Atlantic City who receives repeat tickets from municipal authorities because the state sees her transportation as a bicycle, but the city does not. So, multiple trips to court. Seems life would be simpler for everyone if state and provincial governments - who typically have jurisdiction over road and vehicle legislation, regulations and enforcement - to make a simple set of rules to clarify the matter for municipalities, law enforcement and citizens.

March 9, 2012

Electric Beer Boat

Electrathon meets E-bike at Extreme Makeover Weekend