ElectriClub

Български електромобилен клуб

September 19, 2018

September 18, 2018

  • Event: World Premiere of the Audi E-tron превод на български
     

    Audi Unveils First All-Electric Car

    They’re all in now. If you want an all-electric SUV/crossover, you have one choice—the Tesla Model X. During the past month, three new competitors joined the Jaguar I-Pace (which is just arriving at U.S. dealerships) and gave notice that choice is coming. Following Mercedes and BMW, Audi last night broke cover with its E-tron, which will show up in 300 dealer showrooms in the second quarter of next year.

    The Audi E-tron follows the mold of the Mercedes EQC by presenting itself as a conventionally styled car, in contrast to the more radical styling of Jaguar, BMW and Tesla. The E-tron, a designation Audi has been using for its plug-in hybrid models, will start at $74,800, almost $10,000 below the Model X starting price.

    Audi E-tron

    Underneath it all is Audi’s 95-kWh battery pack

    The initial E-Tron model will be the Edition One (999 numbered models, already sold out). Upscale trim levels will go for $81,800 and $86,700, although Scott Keough, president of Audi of America, made a point that at all levels the cars are well-equipped. Range has not been certified by the EPA, but in European test cycles it achieved 400 kilometers (250 miles). Keough told of a San Francisco-to-Tahoe run with a pilot vehicle that traversed the 200-mile trip and 7,000-foot elevation rise with a few miles left. On the return, downhill run they ended up with more than 50 miles of range.

    Range vs. Acceleration

    In the battle of the specs, the Audi E-tron packs a 95 kWh battery compared to the Model X’s base 75 kWh one (you can upgrade to a 100 kWh model). The Model X has a 237-mile range with the 75 kWh battery and 295 miles with larger battery. Audi claims a 5.5-second 0-60 time for the E-tron while Tesla boasts 4.9 seconds for the base Model X and 2.9 seconds for the performance version.

    Audi E-tron

    Inside, the Audi E-tron is more Audi than EV

    Audi is betting its brand will be the key to E-tron sales. As Audi’s temporary CEO Bram Schot said at the beginning of the reveal. He said Audi may not be the first to do something, but its motto is “being the first to do things right.” The “right-ness” comes from the Quattro four-wheel drive system, lightweight aluminum construction and LED lighting, which add up to Audi’s approach to e-mobility.

    We’ll have more details in a later article.    

    Related Stories You Might Enjoy—The EV SUV Explosion

    Events: BMW Vision iNext Revealed

    News: 2020 Mercedes EQC Electric Crossover Debuts

    News: 2019 Jaguar I-Pace Revealed

    First Drive: Tesla Model X P100D

    News: Audi E-tron Rolls Into Geneva

    Road Test: 2016 Audi A3 E-tron

     

     

    The post Event: World Premiere of the Audi E-tron appeared first on Clean Fleet Report.

September 17, 2018

  • Influence, Wallets, and Beer. превод на български
     

    A few years back, I traveled out to Washington State for a Mother Earth News Fair. I gave several presentations about how I built my own electric car and motorcycle, as well as other various DIY Projects. While I was there, I was approached by a young man named Mark King. While still in High […]

    The post Influence, Wallets, and Beer. appeared first on 300MPG.org.

September 16, 2018

  • Event: BMW Vision iNext Reveal; Teases EV Technology/Plans превод на български
     

    BMW To Offer 25 Electrified Vehicles by 2025, Half Pure-electric

    This week (embargoed to tonight) BMW flew around the world to give a peek at its plans for electrified vehicles beginning next year and revealed a concept vehicle, the BMW Vision iNext. It was a unique international press briefing/air show; BMW partnered with Lufthansa Cargo to create a flying showroom in a Boeing 777F, taking its Vision iNext on an around-the-world show from Munich-to-New York-to-San Francisco-to-Beijing, before returning to Frankfurt.

    BMW Vision iNext

    BMW sees the electric future as a crossover

    The Vision iNext is a concept that provides a preview of what BMW’s electrified offerings will look like in the 2020s.  Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Development, explains “The possibilities opened up by autonomous driving, and ever-expanding connectivity enable a whole new range of experiences and ways of shaping a journey. With this in mind, we have designed the all-electric BMW Vision iNext as a mobile environment that enhances the quality of life, a new “Favorite Space” in which we can be ourselves and relax. Indeed, all of BMW’s endeavors will continue to revolve around people–and their needs and desires when it comes to mobility–in the future.”

    Intelligent Electrics

    Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design sums up the creative approach: “BMW i exists to generate creative, pioneering ideas which transform the way we think about mobility. The BMW Vision iNext marks another next big step on that journey of transformation, showing how more intelligent vehicles can make our lives easier and more beautiful.”

    BMW Vision iNext

    Inside, the iNext is all connected and features full-length displays

    The Vision iNext, while a representation of BMW electric vehicle aesthetic and not a planned production model, is about the dimensions of a midsized SUV (currently occupied by the BMW X5).  The platform is designed to accommodate ICE, PHEV and BEV drivetrains, offering a flexible, optimized production driven by customer demand for a particular technology.  BMW, like Mercedes-Benz, is hedging its bets right now on what kinds of vehicles its customers want and doing it a cost- and risk-efficient way. 

     A Flexible Platform

    The iNext is the baseline platform that BMW is developing for vehicle manufacturing tooling and components for its next generation of vehicles.  The iNext platform architecture is configurable as front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive.  This flexibility, along with BMWs continued modernization of its factories, will allow the company to quickly configure its manufacturing to meet the demand of any number of vehicle configurations. By 2025, the BMW forecasts that they will be offering 25 models with electrified drive systems, 12 of which will be pure-electric.

    BMW Vision iNext

    Electric Minis will lead the BMW EV charge

    The first of these new vehicles will launch in 2019 with the Mini BEV, which is a variant of the Mini 3-door.  This BEV will be produced at the Mini factory in England with its electric powertrain components made at BMWs plants in Germany.

    BMW Vision iNext

    The iNext may not appear, but something like it will

    In 2020, BMW will introduce a new compact sport activity vehicle (BMWese for SUV).  The iX3 SAV will feature the fifth generation of BMWs eDrive technology and will be their first “no-compromise” fully battery electric SUV.

    The iX3 will be a compact SUV, but this BEV will be the first to use the modular packaging from the Vision iNext.  The modular construction of the technology will enable the iX3 and other future Vision iNext vehicles to be adapted to multiple performance levels, wheelbases and widths.

    BMW claims that the BMW iX3 electric motor will develops over 200 kW/270 horsepower and have a range in the European WLTP cycle of more than 400 kilometers (249 miles) with its 70 kWh battery and can be charged at 150 kW charging stations.  Expect that the iX3 will be available in front, rear and all-wheel-drive variants.

    [See image gallery at www.cleanfleetreport.com]

    Related Stories You Might Enjoy—BMW Electric Plans

    News: BMW iX3 Electric Crossover Coming

    News: BMW Electrification Push Bearing Fruit

    Interview: BMW’s Goal: 25 Electrified Cars by 2025

    Road Test: 2017 BMW i3

    News: BMW Adds iPerformance Electrics

    The post Event: BMW Vision iNext Reveal; Teases EV Technology/Plans appeared first on Clean Fleet Report.

September 15, 2018

September 14, 2018

September 13, 2018

  • AEC2018 in Brussels: speakers LEV-session confirmed превод на български
     

    AEC2018 is organized by AVERE and AVERE Belgium, with their continued presence in the electromobility arena for 40 years, with the experience and track-record from organizing the EVS, the most important international Electric Vehicle Conference in the world, with EVS30 in Stuttgart as the latest edition and the EVS31 in Kobe, Japan, as the next edition.

    Brussels will host the AVERE e-Mobility Conference 2018, which will present the current status quo in the field of electromobility, as well as a perspective on the future including policymaking, business, industrial and scientific developments.

    The conference takes place on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 October in the Square in Brussels (B). On Thursday 18 October at 1.30 there will be a dedicated 1.5 hour session on light, electric vehicles. LEVA-EU is organizing this session and is now  able to reveal all the speakers for this session:

    • Susanne Balm, project leader of the Research Programme Urban Technology at Hogeschool van Amsterdam. She is carrying out research on the use of LEVs in logistics.
    • Bram Rotthier is preparing a PhD on speed pedelecs at KU Leuven – Campus Gent and will talk about the study on the potential of LEVs and the new project related to the use of speed pedelecs for commuting, both commissioned by the Flemish government.
    • Amelie Ewert, Master student at German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Hochschule RheinMain, is carrying out research into the prospects for Small Electric Vehicles in the transition of urban mobility concepts
    • Andrew Winder, manager of activities in Intelligent Transport Systems for clean and urban mobility at Ertico, will present the EU project ELVITEN, aimed at boosting the usage of electric L-category vehicles in the urban environment as an alternative to ICE vehicles

    The session will be moderated by LEVA-EU Manager, Annick Roetynck.

    LEVA-EU has partnered with AVERE for this conference. As a result, LEVA-EU is able to offer its members a reduced registration fee of € 420 instead of € 470. Contact us for the special promocode to enjoy this discount.  You can register here: AEC Registration, the conference website is here: https://aec-conference.eu/ 

    There will also be an exhibition on 17 and 18 October, which will be open to the public.  Further details for companies interested in participating are here: https://aec-conference.eu/partners/

    The AVERE VIP Access Card

    The first 400 guests that register to the AVERE E-Mobility Conference, in addition to all AEC2018 speakers, will be given an AVERE VIP Access Card for 2018/2019 which will give them unique benefits at all upcoming AVERE conferences  and events for the next year.

    At AEC2018, this will include access to the high level networking reception that will take place at the Brussels Town Hall on 17 October 2018 immediately after the first day of plenary sessions. The elegant and charming Town Hall will be the perfect spot to unwind and discuss the most interesting presentations from the first day and network with the high level EU policy makers and high-level industry speakers.

    VIP’s will also be able to use their Access Card to unlock exclusive benefits at the upcoming EVS32 taking place in Lyon, France on 19-22 May 2019.

  • UK government: £2 million to support the uptake of e-cargo bikes превод на български
     

    The UK government has announced £2 million to support the uptake of e-cargo bikes, driving companies towards a greener future.

    The funding will help pave the way for the nimble electric delivery vehicles to replace older, polluting vans – helping to improve the environment and reduce congestion.

    The announcement is part of the international Zero Emission Vehicle Summit being held in Birmingham this week. The event is bringing together policy makers, industry experts and opinion formers from around globe to tackle carbon emissions and to explore ways to improve air quality.

    In the last year alone spending online in the UK increased by 15.3% and the latest road traffic estimates indicate van traffic increased by 4.7% to 49.5 billion vehicle miles in 2016.

    Most of these vans are diesel, which cause congestion and have a detrimental impact on the environment. Over time the government expects to see increasing numbers of electric vans on UK streets but there is also a place for other delivery modes including e-cargo bikes.

    The announcement of the grant is an early response to the last mile call for evidence, which closed on10 September 2018. The call for evidence asked for views on how the government can harness the opportunities for greener delivery in the commercial and residential parts of our cities and towns. Further detail about the distribution of this funding will be outlined shortly along with the government’s full response to the call for evidence.

    It also builds on previous government-funded UK trials for e-cargo bikes in Spring 2017. The Department for Transport’s Innovation Challenge Fund grant enabled London-based e-cargo Bikes to set up their first Micro Hub on an industrial estate in Islington from which grocery delivery trials with Sainsbury’s were conducted.

    The trials exceeded expectations in its potential commercial viability and efficiency, which showed that 96.7% of orders could be fulfilled in a single e-cargo bike drop.

    This funding builds on the government’s Road to Zero Strategy which outlines the government’s ambition to lead the world in the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles.

    With this, the electric bicycle for personal transport is now the only vehicle in the UK not to receive any fiscal/financial incentive. With rapidly raising numbers of commuters using e-bikes throughout Europe, the UK government should perhaps get inspired to push drivers out of their cars onto e-bikes by means of an incentive. Last year, still only 62,500 electric bikes were sold, in a country with a population of +65 million. For comparison, in Belgium sales reached 220,000 with a population of 11 million. A subsidy for electric bikes in France last year, pushed the country into third position for sales volume: +90% to a total of 255,000. This shows that subsidies can be meaningful to prevent the uptake of electric bikes from continuing to slumber.

  • News: 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic Electric Crossover Debuts превод на български
     

    The Assault on Tesla’s Electric Luxury Vehicles Dominance Is Getting Closer

    Mercedes-Benz’s first model produced under the automaker’s new electric EQC sub-brand was unveiled at an event in Sweden last week. The 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic is an all-wheel-drive, all-electric crossover SUV that Mercedes says it estimates will get about 280 miles per charge. But that estimate is based on the overly optimistic European NEDC standard. For comparison, Jaguar’s I-Pace crossover is rated for 300 miles with NEDC but has an USEPA rating of 240 miles.

    2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC

    Ready to join the battle

    The EQC will face off against Tesla’s Model X and the I-Pace, as well as forthcoming electric crossovers from BMW and Audi. Porsche has an all-electric crossover car on the way, also.

    Under the New Sheetmetal

    Power for the EQC 400 4Matic comes from two asynchronous electric motors; one placed at each axle for dual-motor all-wheel drive with a combined output of 402 horsepower and 564 pounds-feet of torque. While each motor unit includes a fixed-ratio transmission and differential, the two are not identical. The front is tuned for maximum efficiency at low and medium speeds, while the rear kicks in for extra sporting performance. Mercedes says 0-60 mph arrives in 4.9 seconds, while the top speed is an electronically-limited 112 mph.

    Drivers can select regenerative braking strength using two shift paddles on the back of the steering wheel. To optimize the trade-off between range and power, EQC drivers can select among five different drive modes: Comfort, Eco, Max Range, Sport, and Individual.

    Meanwhile, an 80-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is housed in the floor. The EQC comes with a 7.4-kilowattt onboard charger, which allows it to plug in at a number of different charging sources. Mercedes doesn’t give estimates for charge time with the slowest AC chargers, but did say with the EQC’s standard DC fast charging capability the battery can be charged from 10 percent up to 80 percent in around 40 minutes.

     It Looks Like A Regular Mercedes-Benz Crossover SUV

    In profile, the EQC doesn’t look too different from the mid-size GLC 300 crossover SUV. It sits on the same platform of the GLC 300, however it is about four inches longer at 187.4 inches. But unique front and rear ends help identify this as the battery-electric variant.

    2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC

    The electric SUV category is growing quickly

    The EQC receives a chrome grille with daytime running lights that are accompanied with an LED Light Band, which in low-light conditions will look almost like an uninterrupted light strip across the front of the car. Visually lowered, thanks to the black lower bumper trim, side trim, and rear bumper trim, the EQC makes the most of its stance with a low roof spoiler. High-gloss aluminum trim strips frame the side windows, and there are 19- to 21-inch light alloy wheels, fitted flush with the wheel arches for aerodynamic performance.

    New Design for the EQC Interior

    As you’d expect, there’s an abundance of leather, aluminum, and natural grain wood inside, though the automaker says it’s been given a special EQ distinction—a textile-like structure in metallic silver grey with rose-gold highlights. The cabin has a more avant-garde look than the traditional Mercedes. The dashboard is pared back compared to the normal Mercedes style, with the upper section reduced down and the whole dash using an asymmetrical wing profile.

    2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC

    Are you ready for the big screen?

    Two 10.25-inch displays dominate the dashboard—one for the driver’s instrumentation, the other for the rest of the systems–controlled by a touchpad in the center console or by voice. New key-shaped, rose-gold colored louvers and rectangular vents direct air flow.

    The EQC is packed to the sunroof with features. Notable is a dedicated electric-vehicle-specific navigation system. It takes factors like current range, energy consumption, route topography and traffic, as well as available charging stations, into account to chart the most efficient course to a destination.

    Mercedes also uses the EQC to showcase its safety and assistance technology. There’s Active Brake Assist as standard, while the Driver Assistance package adds evasive steering assist, Pre-Safe Plus for rear crashes, blind-spot assistance with warnings if you’re about to open the door into a car or cyclist, and more.

    How Will the Electric Luxury Battle Play Out?

    Only time will tell just how well the 2020 EQC 400 4Matic and other luxury electric models are received. But going in they will soon have an advantage over Tesla. Tesla buyers will lose the full federal $7,500 credit by the end of 2018 unless the law is changed.  It will be reduced to $3,750 for the first half of 2019 and $1,875 in the second half of 2019.

    2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC

    Conventional looks, but with a big electric range–the Mercedes formula

    Luxury automakers who are just now beginning to introduce their electric crossovers and cars will have several years before their full tax credit expires. This could be a big negative hit for Tesla and topple the California automaker as the leader in electric vehicle sales.

    EQC production will start in 2019 in Germany, and it will eventually spread to China and potentially to the company’s U.S. plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, down the road. Pricing for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic will be announced closer to its arrival at U.S. dealers in early 2020.

    Related Stories You Might Enjoy–Luxury Electric SUVs

    News: Audi e-Tron Take Over the Streets of Geneva

    Interview: BMW’s Goal Is 25 Electrified Vehicles by 2025

     

     

     

    The post News: 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic Electric Crossover Debuts appeared first on Clean Fleet Report.

September 12, 2018

  • Are Electric Car Batteries Getting Too Big? превод на български
     

    The Porsche Taycan is one vehicle in a new breed of big-battery EVs.

    Electric cars don’t have enough driving range. That’s been the reason, according to conventional wisdom, why EVs are not purchased in higher numbers. And it’s the reason that automakers—starting with Tesla—produce vehicles packed with giant battery packs capable of storing as much as 100 kilowatt-hours of energy. The race for big-battery EVs now includes the Chevy Bolt and Hyundai Kona EV (both with 64 kWh packs), as well as 95 kilowatt-hour batteries carried by the Jaguar I-Pace and Porsche Taycan.

    These big-battery EVs solve the range problem by providing as much as 300 miles of driving on a single charge. However, it is now dawning on automakers and analysts that bigger is not always better when it comes to EV batteries.

    read more

September 11, 2018

September 10, 2018

September 07, 2018

  • Company Update превод на български
     

    The following email was just sent to Tesla employees:

    First, I’d like to thank you for your incredible efforts and contribution as we enter the final few weeks of this quarter. This is a very exciting time for Tesla, to say the least, and you are the reason for the tremendous progress we’ve made in a relatively short period of time. It is easy to forget that our company was almost unknown 10 years ago and didn’t even exist until after the start of the 21st century!

    Undefined
  • Ford Revs Up Its EV Plans, Starting with 300-Mile Electric SUV by 2020 превод на български
     
    In a blog post yesterday, Ford’s product development director for electric cars said, “We are being tasked to set the future trajectory of the company.” That’s a big assignment for Darren Palmer and his co-workers at Ford Team Edison, the company’s dedicated EV group located in new digs in an old factory in the heart of Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood.

    This is the first teaser image for Ford's 300-mile all-electric SUV.

    In a blog post yesterday, Ford’s product development director for electric cars said, “We are being tasked to set the future trajectory of the company.” That’s a big assignment for Darren Palmer and his co-workers at Ford Team Edison, the company’s dedicated EV group located in new digs in an old factory in the heart of Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood.

    “Our team is 100 percent focused on not only delivering vehicles that consumers will love but providing an entire electric vehicle ecosystem that works flawlessly,” wrote Palmer. His post featured a teaser image of Ford’s first ground-up EV—what the company calls a Mustang-inspired fully-electric performance utility vehicle. It promises to be very powerful and offer a range of 300 miles.

    read more

September 06, 2018

September 05, 2018

September 04, 2018

  • News: Volkswagen e-Delivery Trucks Accelerate in Brazil превод на български
     

    Beverage Hauling Company Commits to 1,600 Electric Trucks

    Volkswagen, one of the world’s largest vehicle companies, threw down the gauntlet in the electric truck business two weeks ago when it announced its Brazilian subsidiary would deliver 1,600 locally designed and built electric commercial trucks between 2020 and 2023 to one customer. Volkswagen Caminhões e Õnibus, one of the biggest truck and bus manufacturers in South America, plans to build the first Volkswagen e-Delivery trucks in its plant in Resende, Brazil. The first test trucks will hit the road later this year for testing with the customer,  Ambev Brewery, the Brazilian subsidiary of Anheuser Busch InBev.

    Volkswagen e-Delivery

    VW uses a modular platform for its EVs, ranging from small sedans to commercial trucks

    The VW announcement comes on the heels of a flurry of new electric truck reveals and production plans during this past year. Cummins, the U.S.’s largest truck engine manufacturer, showed off an electric powertrain and said they’d build whatever powertrain their customers wanted.  They beat Tesla, who revealed its Semi and started taking deposits for a 2019 delivery (expect it to be impressive, like every other Tesla product, but also not be delivered on time). Thor and Nikola, two other start-ups, unveiled their prototype trucks to the public.

    The Competition

    Then the big boys chimed in. Daimler started a sequence of reveals of new electric models, ranging from delivery trucks up to its Class 8 Freightliner Cascadia. Volvo said it would introduce an electric delivery truck in the European market next year—and maybe bring it to the U.S. Volkswagen’s MAN brand recently introduced an all-electric delivery truck  and an electric bus

    Volkswagen e-Delivery

    VWs MAN is looking at an electric semi for the future

    Volkswagen’s e-Delivery follows up on a company commitment from last year, Rodrigo Chaves, chief technology officer of Caminhões e Õnibus, said: “The future of inner-city transport will be electric—no doubt about it.” The truck is expected to have a range of 200 kilometers (125 miles) and incorporate state-of-art solutions for green logistics, like smart systems to adjust the battery demand according to the operation and regenerative braking to add energy to the battery from stop-and-go driving. The trucks also with explore autonomous capability, depending on the vehicle’s application and settings.

    The powertrain being developed, which may or may not use a transmission, will be modular so it can be applied to a variety of different commercial vehicles (part of VW’s MEB electric vehicle toolkit). The initial motor VW has discussed delivers 260 kW at 5,500 Nm, which translates into about 350 horsepower and 4,000 pound-feet of torque, certainly enough to move the freight.

    When it has its 1,600 VW electric trucks deployed in 2023, approximately 35 percent of Ambev’s fleet will be electric. That’s estimated to save Ambev (and the planet) 30,400 tons of carbon emissions per year.

    Related Stories You Might Enjoy—More e-Truck News

    News: Daimler’s Freightliner Takes the Cover Off Electric Trucks

    10 Arguments For/Against Electric Trucks

    News: Volvo Announces Electric Truck May Come to NA

    News: 2017 ACT Expo Points to New Directions for HD Trucks

    Event: Toyota Doubles Down on Fuel Cell Trucks

    News: Mercedes eActros Electric Truck Begins Consumer Testing

    News: Thor Electric Semi to Challenge Tesla Truck

    News: Tesla Semi Reveal

    The post News: Volkswagen e-Delivery Trucks Accelerate in Brazil appeared first on Clean Fleet Report.

September 03, 2018

  • Audi започва производството на e-tron quattro SUV днес превод на български
     

    В този блог: Audi обяви днес, че започва производството на изцяло електрическия e-tron quattro SUV.

    След няколко години подготовка, Audi започва производството на един от своите електрически модели. Официалното му представяне се очаква към средата на месеца.

  • Personal: A Dose of Climate Reality превод на български
     

    Training for Change

    Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training

    Last week I became a Climate Reality Leader when I completed three days of training in Los Angeles. Now, I am committed to doing everything I can to fight global warming and the climate change it brings, as a writer, environmental activist and a grandparent.

    Here is the mission of The Climate Reality Project:

    “Our mission is to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society.”  

    Climate Reality Project

    Training to take on a global challenge

    The Climate Reality event I attended was the 39th training led by former Vice President Al Gore, who has spent 40 years studying, writing about, and advocating for this topic. This training was by far the largest, with 2,200 people in the energy-efficient Los Angeles Convention Center. The first one, in 2006 in Mr. Gore’s barn in Tennessee, trained 50.

    Over the three days, we covered many areas. We heard from distinguished scientific experts, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, community justice advocates, policy makers and experts in how to present this crucial message. Amanda Gorman, the 20-year-old Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, read her poem. One young woman described her difficult life living next door to an oil well.

    Numerous panels discussed the various aspects of the crisis and the many solutions that are already in process. I met and spoke with dozens of people. Throughout the three days, Vice President Gore was present, usually on stage, guiding the program.

    Vice President Gore gave a special two-hour version of his famous climate presentation early on, and near the end, showed us his compact 14-minute one. That’s the one we will start with ourselves. The message, regardless of length, is compelling, and I will share the essence of it below.

    I originally created stevegoesgreen.com to tell about my personal experience of electric vehicles. Now, it will expand to talk about a wider range of environmental and sustainability issues, but will focus on:

    • Replacing gasoline vehicles with EVs
    • Moving from carbon-based energy generation (coal, natural gas) to clean power (solar, wind, hydroelectric, etc.)

      Climate Reality Project

      I started by upgrading my personal transportation

    We can create a new, better way of life, while keeping our economy strong. In 2016, solar energy employed more than 373,000 Americans and wind energy more than 101,000. Only the coal and oil companies will be unhappy about the move to renewable resources.

    Here’s the Problem

    The basic science behind global warming is simple, but the processes are very complex and interconnected.

    We may look up and think the atmosphere goes a long way out into space, but it’s actually a thin shell. And we are dumping 110 million tons of manmade global warming pollution into it every day.

    Energy comes from the sun to the earth as light, which warms it. Much of the energy bounces back into space, but some remains. This is the well-known greenhouse effect, which you can experience for yourself if you sit in a car with the windows up on a summer day.

    Our atmosphere has done a great job of keeping conditions right for us, but the added pollution, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), has thickened it, so now, more heat remains, warming the planet.

    Climate Reality Project

    The problem–simplified

    There are many sources of global warming pollution, but the largest is from burning fossil fuels for power generation and in vehicles. There’s been a huge spike in emissions since World War II, and that has caused the surface temperature of the earth to gradually rise. Sixteen of the hottest 17 years ever recorded have occurred since 2001.

    The oceans are warming, too. Warmer air holds more water vapor, leading to stronger storms. When the land can’t absorb the additional rainfall fast enough, it leads to floods. Extreme rain storms have become more common since the 1950s. And the disruption of the established patterns and flows on the earth leaves some areas with more rain and some with much less.

    An additional problem is that as the ocean absorbs the extra CO2, it becomes more acidic, creating problems for shellfish and bleaching coral reefs. It can affect the flow of ocean currents and the lives of fish, too.

    The added trapped heat dries out the land, leading to higher fire danger. The fire season in the Western U.S. is 100 days longer than it was in the 1970s. It sure has been awful this year in California.

    Another issue is that with higher surface temperatures, glaciers start to melt and contribute to a rise in the oceans. This can flood coastal cities—and it’s already starting. Low-lying Miami is a mess, with flooding even on sunny days.

    All of these disruptions can lead to the spread of pandemic diseases, as tropical insects move north, and create water and food shortages. Animal habitats change, and species can become extinct. And beyond all that, as floods and drought displace people, migrations can cause serious refugee crises.

    A Change Has to Come

    We must change, but what can we do? There has been great progress in renewable energy. Wind and solar energy have become dramatically cheaper and capacity has grown exponentially. Countries like Chile have made huge advances. It’s cheaper now to use renewable energy, so why not?

    Climate Reality Project

    The change is happening

    There’s more than enough sun and wind to power everything, and battery storage is being developed to hold electricity generated when the sun is shining, or the wind is blowing for use when they’re not. Battery tech improvements are essential for EV progress, too.

    In the next few years, there will be many more choices of EVs, and prices will go down as batteries get cheaper. Range and charging speed and convenience will go up. Soon, it won’t make sense to drive a gas car.

    The ideal situation is to have 100 percent renewable energy powering an EV fleet.

    There’s so much more to deal with, including other global warming pollution such as methane, and the cutting down of rainforests (which reduces the earth’s ability to absorb the CO2), but there are solutions. We need to act on them quickly.

    So, we can change. We need to muster the political and social will to do it. And it starts with understanding the problem, feeling the urgency, and taking action. Then we will change.

    The post Personal: A Dose of Climate Reality appeared first on Clean Fleet Report.

September 02, 2018

September 01, 2018