Held during Earth Week in the heart of America’s capital, this year’s Electric Drive Transportation Association Conference & Annual Meeting was a converging of private, corporate and government stakeholders involved with the promotion of electric vehicles.
The event ran from April 19-21, and was begun with a speech by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and an “Innovation Motorcade” – a parade of EVs and hybrids through Washington, D.C.
In its own words, this is how the coalition describes itself: “EDTA performs public policy advocacy, education, industry networking, and international conferences. EDTA’s membership includes automotive and other equipment manufacturers, energy companies, technology developers, component suppliers, and government agencies.”
GM’s Rob Peterson (left, facing) discusses the Volt with a visitor, while Tony Posawatz (seated, profile) entertains a number of others with his boundless enthusiasm for the car.
Advanced-tech transportation has come a long way since 1989 when the EDTA was begun. This was a year prior to GM’s Impact electric concept car, and seven years before production of its EV1. It was a time when electric drive transportation was more a wish than “the future” as many say it is today.
One guest speaker, addressing a breakout session with over 125 in attendance, said he remembered when only 10 people might have shown up to such a talk about a sub-topic related to the EV industry.
If a summary could loosely capture the attitude of this year’s meeting, it might be along the lines that leaders and attendees were enthusiastic over how far electric drive transport has progressed, while acknowledging how far it yet has to go.
Yes, this is a UPS electric delivery truck – circa 1930s! UPS wants us to know it has embraced electric powertrains before, and is doing it again.
Unfortunately, partaking in all the conference offered was impossible for any one person. At best one-third of it could be taken in because of the way it was structured.
In addition to a large exhibition area where automakers, component manufacturers, and others had their displays, the conference was comprised of breakout sessions held three-at a time during 1-hour, 15-minute time slots throughout the day.
We’re not sure if plug-in privileges are open to all at the Renaissance Marriott across the street from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center where the EDTA conference was held, but it made for nice advertising for Toyota.
This meant having to pick one to sit in on, while deciding which of the other two sessions to miss. Following up was difficult because the organizers chose not to video the breakout sessions. Some private recordings were done, but otherwise, the event was not recorded at the request of some of the speakers.
In any case, the conference was worth it to get a feel for the general state of affairs as several industries grapple with questions of where EV transportation is going from here.
Siemens was on hand to show a progression of its electric motors.
Already known are the obvious successes: EVs are for sale now, supporting infrastructure is evolving, and growth is accelerating on all fronts.
Naturally, GM was present with its Chevrolet Volt, and very much a key player in the lead. Additional participating automakers were Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Tesla, Coda, Think, Volvo, and more.
Notable this year was that marketers for some of these automakers held center stage at one breakout session to discuss what their companies are doing, and will be doing. This contrasted from last year, when, for example, GM’s Line Director for the Volt, Tony Posawatz, would have been in the position of describing its future E-REV car.
Now the questions are how to make rollout as seamless and mainstream as soon as possible. The most optimistic U.S. projections at this juncture are EVs could comprise 10 percent of all cars by 2020, and auto executives openly expressed doubt that even this is attainable.
Coda will offer this BEV sedan for an estimated $44,900 before the end of the year.
Utility company executives were also there, commenting on – among many other things – how they and automakers for the first time in a century are sharing the same set of customers – and their information.
Both sides recognized this, and GM spokesman Rob Peterson noted it reached out years ago to the utility companies’ non-profit research arm, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
Since there are something like 20 potential electric automakers, and 3,000 utilities spread across the U.S., one question was how to get utilities and charging service providers to facilitate such things as updating their systems to handle current loads from level 2 chargers, or how to help EV buyers have the juice available in their garage in the first place.
All sorts of things were to be seen at the exhibition.
Mention was made that the National Home Builders Association has been looking at “EV ready” new home construction.
Another issue was the question of the buzz word “smart grid.” Representatives from EPRI said the broader shape of this is a few years away, and auto manufacturers are still not building smart-grid-ready cars.
To be sure, the brave new world being labored over is still in the gestational stages in many respects.
Another unanswered question is how to cope with multi-unit dwellings like condos or apartments, should occupants decide they want to buy EVs. If they do not have garages, or park on the street how do they recharge?
The Prius plug-in will reportedly cost several thousand less than the Volt, but offers about one-third the electric range.
At this point, the relative trickle of EV sales has not led to widespread public outcry and challenges are being coped with as they come. Preparing the way for a mass EV deployment is the greater challenge everyone is working on.
Many charger installation details are handled at the state and local municipal level, and cannot be mandated or enforced from a national level. As you might imagine, the field is wide open for innovation from good ideas to not as good. At least recognizing which utilities have thus far demonstrated the best practices as a potential model to follow was another topic.
Gaining as much control of processes as possible, where possible, without being overbearing was another concern. Some utilities have been more control oriented, while others view their role more as facilitators.
The idea of adding load to the grid was generally seen as no big deal – no more than adding a hot tub, or other high current load, and utility executives said they have always built to capacity, it is what they do.
In time, the novelty or confusion surrounding EVs will wear off, it was said, as more and more EVs come into neighborhoods around the country.
The Volvo C30 experimental EV uses a 24kWh Ener1 battery, as does the Think City EV. Volvo has said it would lease 400 copies of the car to green corporate clients for $2,100 per month.
Keep in mind also, that electric drive is not the sole realm of consumer autos.
Another key driver to EV deployment are fleets – be they government owned, corporate delivery trucks, rental vehicles, or other service-oriented vehicles.
While electric work trucks are a small market, in the case of some medium to heavy duty work trucks, pure electric is not seen as feasible. Rather, plug-in hybrids that need not plug in if they don’t have to are seen as a path of least resistance, thus easier sell to early adopters.
It was pointed out that for individual consumers, EVs are now both an emotionally based and rationally based value proposition. Typically, fleet managers don’t buy for the emotional reasons so much.
The Nissan LEAF was named World Car of the Year at the New York Auto Show which was held while the EDTA conference in Washington was also taking place.
To get them to sign up, the bottom line has to make sense. Nor do they want to re-train operators to learn a whole new set of behaviors.
Further, even though medium and heavy duty work trucks are much more expensive than autos, they do not even qualify for a $7,500 tax credit, so the proposition really has to make sense.
Clearly, legislative, infrastructural, technical and production-oriented pieces of the EV puzzle need to be worked out.
While stakeholders in respective industries were quick to point out their successes, they were equally unambiguous in pointing out the U.S. has no clear cut road map to EV proliferation.
The estimated $36,495 Think City EV will feature through-molded plastic bodywork. If you scratch it, the color is the same underneath, and it resists dents too. Not a bad driving little runabout.
The overall attitude was one of confidence however. Ready or not, the race to profitability is now on, and no one was calling quits at this early stage. On the contrary, the only way to go is up, and all bets are on this happening.
The dawn of the modern EV age has been likened to the advent of petrol-based motor cars of the early 20th century, but this analogy only goes so far.
Where the picture differs today is we already have national highways, broad-based expectations and customs from more than a century of autos, trucks and motorcycles, so introduction of the EV is not exactly like replacing the horse and buggy.
Seven weeks into this and I finally got to drive a Volt. It’s a zippy car, and very well appointed. That same day, 240 miles to the north at the New York Auto Show, it was being named the 2011 World Green Car.
What is more, we are a far more demanding society while at the same time more sophisticated and technically able to see where this EV experiment could be going – and better equipped to do what it takes to get there. As such, momentum is snowballing.
Many questions remain that will determine whether it will be sooner or later, and what “game changers” could present themselves in the coming years, if not months. We shall see.
The conference closed with a luncheon in which awards were given out to industry leaders. During that time Tony Posawatz took opportunity to announce the Volt had just been named 2011 World Green Car at the New York Auto Show.
Coupled with positive exposure gained at EDTA’s conference in Washington, it was a good week for the Chevrolet Volt.
This entry was posted on Monday, April 25th, 2011 at 5:55 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (6:33 am)Great news, especially about the other manufacturers who will join Chevy and Nissan in the present EV market. The EV trucks are way overdue, even if UPS announces that they will use them (again). Pres Obama should promote EV trucks, too, with its own tax rebate, so even the USPS can buy them for mail carriers. My Dad, who was a mail carrier (a.k.a mailman) between 1968 and 1980, would had enjoyed traveling the urban streets in an EV.
Today I have the first post!
Raymond
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (6:55 am)I wish manufacturers would build in and promote the high performance aspects of electric drive as the carrot on the stick. Then people would feel like they “need” to buy them. Gas free driving would just come along for the ride, at least on Voltec cars, it would.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (7:52 am)Yes, exactly.
In vehicles, “electric” has been synonymous with “pokey” and “dowdy”. It is time to break out.
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (8:00 am)Two things stood out for me in today’s post.
The Prius plug-in will reportedly cost several thousand less than the Volt, but offers about one-third the electric range.
At 1/3 of the range it needs to be $10,000 cheaper to be a big success IMHO.
The second.
The most optimistic U.S. projections at this juncture are EVs could comprise 10 percent of all cars by 2020, and auto executives openly expressed doubt that even this is attainable.
If Iran does a Libya, I can see 20% being attainable. In any event I think even 5% of ALL cars by 2020 will mean a huge annual number of sales to support this.
+5
Apr 25th, 2011 (8:14 am)Jeff, thanks for a great report.
+5
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:00 am)Great long report. (Just as an observation for Jeff, Lyle would have broken this down into about five topics.)
My big takeaway is that the electrical companies are becoming more relaxed about adding EVs. It’s sort of gone from “OMG what will we ever do” to “it’s like adding a hot tub, we do it all the time”. I never understood all the anxiety about the infrastructure needs. EVs will roll out over time and the utilities will be able to react and expand capacity if needed. There may be some blown local transformers but no big deal. And if the utilities do their pricing homework the utilities can avoid even these minor problems. In any event, more business is always a good problem to have.
On the PIP, I don’t know why Toyota is bothering. The Volt could use some more AER. Why would anyone bother getting a car with 1/3rd less? Not happening.
+6
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:08 am)Glad you liked it. As you can see, I only summarized details as it was. Plus, I only was able to sit in on 1/3 of all the breakout sessions (and missed one to get some test drives in).
+8
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:12 am)I have a degree in Journalism, and have been writing for print interspersed with other business since 1989.
As we’ve talked here before, most of the time, I won’t write this long.
The EDTA conference will be broken into what topics I can. This was a big picture view, so when I come out with sub stories from this, you’ll know where they came from.
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:19 am)Yes, critics scream at the top of their lungs, “but it has to be cheap it has to be an everyman’s car,” when electrics are planned. And of course there is always the refrain,”if every single man woman and child in America can’t afford it, you’ve done nothing, it will have no effect.” Then seeing the result they lament, “it’s cheap and it drives like crap!”
Most of the new electric cars being planned or the few manufactured show the OEM’s know it’s “time to break out.”
“Dowdy” brand new technology makes absolutely no sense.
+4
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:31 am)Nice to see you NZDavid. I hope life is treating you well.
I agree with your second opinion and want to add to it a bit.
If hybrids can match the cost of current ICE vehicles, this will go a long way to reaching 20% also.
I personally believe this will be more important than the gas prices.
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:45 am)Jeff Cobb,
This is such an excellent article. I wish I was there at the show.
Thank you.
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:54 am)From the article
Further, even though medium and heavy duty work trucks are much more expensive than autos, they do not even qualify for a $7,500 tax credit, so the proposition really has to make sense.
I didn’t know this.
These trucks are owned and operated for some very legitimate reasons.
I’m sure these owners would love to save money on gas.
Help from the government, or the auto manufacturers would be nice.
I strongly believe the cost of hybrid vs. non-hybrid needs to be equal before very wide adoption is possible.
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:56 am)I would like to take this opportunity to note that the Michigan Electric Auto Association will be having its third annual “Electric Vehicle and Rally” on June 11 at Schoolcraft College. There is expected to be 60 electric vehicles, from Volts, to electric tractors, to electric motorcycles, to an electric airplane.
And NZDavid, if you are ever in the Detroit area you certainly have an open invitation to drive my Volt.
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (10:01 am)I agree with the Government helping to bring EV and hybrid trucks into the market with its own tax rebate. The issue is how much, since most trucks are over $50,000 each. But in the long term view, this will return as gas savings and less transportation cost (and less noise!).
Raymond
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (10:31 am)Thank you. I think you would have enjoyed it.
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (10:48 am)DonC,
Jeff Cobb, I agree with DonC here, it is another fantastic article, but if you broke it down into a few topics, and posted one each per day, it would provide digestible bites that keep people returning to this site every morning, as we did when Lyle posted. No doubt you are degreed in journalism, but there are other pragmatic aspects to running a website that you should consider. Again, another excellent article.
DonC, I also agree that utilities should be rejoicing at the advent of EV’s, not panic-ing, especially when plug-in hybrids require small charges compared to pure BEV’s. The Volt and PIP will far outsell BEV’s in the near term, allowing a smooth transition for utilities.
DonC, I disagree that the PIP will fail. I believe that, at its anticipated price point, the PIP will get a big jump on the Volt, until the next gen Volt emerges at a far cheaper price point. The current market for the hybrid Prius is so huge, so the PIP will draw from its huge established customer base, and its sales will be production limited like the Volt and LEAF for the next couple years.
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (10:52 am)I agree this was a great report.
As to the Prius having 1/3 the range it sounds bad but a case could be made if the ice only mileage is around 70 mpg.
Tom
+6
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:14 am)I have been writing for the Web for five years. I have considered your points. I know the debates about long form journalism and short quick reads, and have commented on it before.
Also, I answered your objection already (post #8):
“As we’ve talked here before, most of the time, I won’t write this long. The EDTA conference will be broken into what topics I can. This was a big picture view, so when I come out with sub stories from this, you’ll know where they came from.
In other words, you will get what Lyle used to give you: smaller digestible pieces. And for those who like more to read – and some have already said they do – here it is.
I’m giving you both. One biggie to get started with 10 photos, and some sub stories will follow. Best of all worlds.
Besides that, this forum went two days with no new posts last week, so this shows something for that sacrifice.
Regards,
Jeff
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:17 am)Fantastic article and for me just the right size! Plenty of statements to discuss and great photos to enjoy. Best of all, Jeff getting to drive the Volt. Now he knows why the owners love their Volts!
In regard to the concern about EV’s participating in the Smart Grid. The Volt already has built-in timers, TOU scheduling and departure time charge planning. It’s the charge station that needs the Smart Grid connectivity, as the charge station is connected to the one utility that needs management. The EV is built for world wide use and should not need to talk to all the different electric companies. As long as the handshaking to the charge station is standardized, let the utility decide what charge station is best suited to shut down charging during peak times of need.
Right now OnStar allows me to remotely start a charge session that is scheduled to start later. The ChargePoint charge station app allows me to stop a charge session remotely. It’s just a matter of time before the electric utility will control the charging from their central control applications.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:34 am)Jeff, looks like you had a good time. Thanks for the report. It was fun reading.
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:53 am)Aw man, Coda & Volva must be smoking some good crazy sh|t with them prices!!!!!
Dayyyymmmmm!!!!
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:56 am)The above photo & (partial) caption are well worth posting again. Jeff, you’re a good-looking guy (no, I’m not gay —but if I were, you’d be my type and I’d bet Capt Jack would agree)
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:57 am)That would work perfectly fine for me. Today I actually got up to 55mph on my commute and for about 2 minutes!!!! Wooohooooo!!!
My commute is 9.5 miles one way. The PHV Prius would eliminate 100% of my daily commute and we have a charge station here as well as our other sites & garages.
/The Volt WITHOUT the ICE/GENSET would be perfect also……
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:02 pm)Would be nice to start seeing alt power sources. Fuel cells… natural gas… etc.
Good to see the Electric drive catching on…. the success of the VOLT is educating many people…
many skeptics are eating a lot of crow these days.
+9
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:07 pm)Coda BEV sedan- $44,900
Think City EV – $36,495
Volvo C30 experimental EV – $2,100 per month
Is it just me, or does the Volt seem like a steal after reading about these prices?
+5
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:12 pm)I AGREE! I’ve observed the emergence of EVs for many years, which convinces me that you’re right! In fact, the entire industry needs to remember that if Tesla had not developed a very high performance EV as its first offering, the Volt might never have happened; the Tesla roadster, which outperforms most other ‘exotics’ at the drag strip, is what got Bob Lutz’ attention and convinced him to persuade the GM board to give the Volt the green light!
This is why I sincerely believe GM needs to offer an SS version of the Volt —people would SIMPLY HAVE TO HAVE IT!
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:13 pm)It’s a moving target. The next-gen engine is expected to get a big thermal improvement, which translates to a direct efficiency gain for both cruising and brief usage. Batteries continue to improve as well.
It still comes down to market, as we have already seen with price & heater use. What’s the real-world efficiency for those who drive 15,000 miles per year? 20,000 miles?
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:27 pm)#5
Amen. +1
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:29 pm)#4
True that. +1
Nice to see you here good friend. Don’t be a stranger!
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:34 pm)#13
Gives new meaning to the term “range anxiety” IMHO. I hope their remaining miles indicator is better than the Leaf’s, LOL. +1
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:36 pm)#17
The report I read on the un-named blog said that the ICE only mileage was actually LESS than the non-PIP, around 40 mpg. Can it be the weight?
+4
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:41 pm)#18
I’m fine with this article just the way it is. I don’t see how you could possibly have adequately covered anything as complex as this conference with anything shorter. I thought that it was quite succinct and to the point, considering the complexity of the material. And I’m sure that the breakout sessions and personal interactions with the players will provide ammunition for many more posts to come.
A friend of mine used to say, “Opinions are like a**holes, everybody’s got one”. Just keep up the good work and smile.
+7
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:41 pm)+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:45 pm)Above post reference: /*http://green.autoblog.com/2011/04/24/chevy-volt-owners-average-1-000-miles-between-fill-ups-in-march/
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:46 pm)Hey John, what “Trim” level will the PIP come in? PIP I, II, III, IV?
I’m hoping I or II. I think high mileage or plugin should be available for us brokefolk (me) and not just the high enders.
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:46 pm)#33
Yeah, right! +1
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:53 pm)A bit OT, but here’s a Volt sighting report. Yesterday about 3 PM I saw 2 Volts within 10 minutes on the 405 and 10 freeways. Both white with painted wheels, as is mine. That’s exactly 2 more Volts, other than mine, than I have ever seen on the road before. I know that they were different cars because I checked the license numbers, LOL. Could either one be any of you guys?
Not to read too much into it, but I wonder if it could have had anything to do with what day it was? Maybe not a rebirth of the US auto industry, but a mighty evolution IMHO.
#1756 SoCal
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:54 pm)… and here I thought that EDTA was added to preserve freshness.
http://www.ehow.com/list_5794422_foods-edta.html
+4
Apr 25th, 2011 (12:58 pm)FWIW I wasn’t complaining. I LIKE long articles. I was just thinking of you and how difficult is has to be to come up with something fresh every day. If you have tons of material please “bring it on”! LOL
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (1:05 pm)Capt, I don’t think anyone is interested in offering a Hybrid at a cheap price.
At least not yet.
Apr 25th, 2011 (1:06 pm)Time will tell. But I think this is more or less a no-brainer. If you look at the reviews of the PIP what you get is, at best, a lot of “Meh”. Everyone just sort of says that it’s lame. You can’t accelerate without the engine kicking on and you can’t go fast without it engaging. What’s the point? Having driven the Volt for a few weeks I want MORE battery not less. I can’t imagine even thinking about something like the PIP.
I don’t think this is unusual. Motor Trend obviously didn’t like the PIP at all and they even loved the i-Miev. Lots of other reviewers, such as CNET, just drive it and more or less come out and say it’s boring and lame. Just not a competitive offering. If you don’t want a real EV, and you’re happy with a parallel hybrid, the PIP just doesn’t offer more than the standard Prius. Save your dough.
Apr 25th, 2011 (1:16 pm)I dunno. The Volt is something of a “Zen” car. It’s very quiet, has little of the vibration you get in an ICE vehicle, and none of the nervous energy that you get from an ICE. It’s very serene. Other than the lack of remote entry (which is annoying) my wife prefers it. Not sure whether trying to make it into a BMW 3 series adds anything. It’s inconsistent to have drivers look at the centered ball all the time and then start talking about performance tires.
Before they worry about performance they should upgrade the interior. It’s not low end but it’s not as refined as the drive train either.
Apr 25th, 2011 (1:37 pm)#42
I agree. +1
For me it’s about MINIMUM gas consumption. I would much rather have more AER and/or better RE mpg, even at the expense of acceleration. If I want to go fast, I will drive one of my Corvettes or ride my Buell, LOL.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (1:54 pm)Finally got to drive a Volt this weekend!
Nebraska is not ‘supposed’ to have the car until the 4th Quarter of this year, but my local Chevy dealer is connected somehow. Their sole black Volt is AFAIK the only copy in the state.
I wasn’t sure they’d let me drive it as it was pretty well boxed in and plugged in on the showroom floor. Additionally, the car wasn’t even for sale. I believe they’ll be using it to gauge local interest and sell Cruzes meanwhile.
The dealership is adjacent to the highway where the limit is fantastically 65 mph, so I got to really take the Volt through it’s paces. Despite the fact it was plugged in when I arrived, the car wasn’t charged at all so i got to experience the car entirely in CS mode. I was actually surprised how relatively silent it was even in CS mode. The acceleration was better than I expected and the car was recognized at least once by other drivers. I didn’t have quite the same feeling I got from riding in Tesla’s roadster, but the thrill was definitely there. I am now even more jealous of you owners and look forward to joining your ranks late this year. I hope those lease deals are still available come November.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (2:11 pm)Congratulations Marcus on the test drive. There really isn’t any difference between CD Mode and CS Mode, which is quite the accomplishment. Other than the display there really isn’t any way to tell what mode you’re in. This is what everyone says BTW, and I can vouch for this but honestly the engine isn’t going on very often so the sample size is limited.
PS: It’s as smooth at 80 as it is at 65.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (2:14 pm)OT…
“High Gas Prices Costing Jobs”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42748510/ns/local_news-sacramento_ca/
/less peeps with jobs means less peeps who can buy an EV/PHEV/PHV…etc
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (2:50 pm)This is a point for all to remember before stating that higher gas prices will help sales and development of alternative fuel vehicles. [+1]
-6
Apr 25th, 2011 (3:23 pm)Consumers looking to bump efficiency from 50 MPG to 75-90 MPG will look at the few thousand extra as a exactly what they’ve been asking for, since that’s the very request we’ve heard for years. Some will take advantage and exceed the +100 MPG threshold, but the point is to augment not eliminate.
Just like with Volt, price is a major factor in the purchase decision. Who is the market?
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (3:24 pm)@ nasaman & DonC
I would like an SS model, or at least the option to use more power when I want. For example, if my commute is only 20miles/day, then I would like to be able to use all of the KWh for a peppier ride. If my commute is going to be longer that day, I could put it in ECO mode. What GM did with Sport Mode is kind of weak in my opinion. Just remapping the gas-pedal doesn’t give the driver any more access to the battery’s instantaneous power.
EDIT: I also like the look of a 2-door vs. a 4-door
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (3:33 pm)The only mention I saw of job loss was this:
————————
“At the next pump, Larry Percifull was filling up his food delivery truck.
He said filling his truck used to cost $70 but is now over $100 each time he visits the pump.
He’s worried about his job after seeing several friends laid off amid the rising costs.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to keep my job if they keep going up. We’ve lost a couple of drivers because of the gas prices,” said Percifull.
————————–
So if the trucking company fires all of its driver’s how will the food get delivered? Come on. The case you can make is it will cause inflation, but if we weren’t funding an oil war and subsidizing the oil companies (record profits for them again this year), maybe we could afford the REAL cost of oil at the pump. Cheap gas is gone. No use crying about it. Our country will adapt like the rest of world already has.
+3
Apr 25th, 2011 (3:42 pm)OT (and a possible choice for tomorrow’s post, Jeff):
The movie, “Revenge of the Electric Car” just premiered. Maximum Bob, Ghosn and Musk were all there. Alas (kinda fun using ‘alas’ in a sentence), I didn’t see it on Fandango so I missed it, lol:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20110424/AUTO01/104240326/1148/auto01/‘Revenge-of-the-Electric-Car’-opens–and-puts-GM-in-positive-light
“At the panel, the moderator — EV enthusiast and actor David Duchovny — joked that Paine’s next film would be called “Beneath the Planet of the Electric Car.”
Ghosn said there was another chapter in the works. “I’m sure there will be a third movie coming… The success of the electric car or the domination of the electric car.”"
I’m thinking, “Boom Boom Pow: Llamas on Lithium”
+4
Apr 25th, 2011 (4:15 pm)T 1,
I liked this part:
—————
In a joint Detroit News interview, Paine told Lutz he had traded in his Toyota Prius two weeks ago and bought a Volt – paying full price. He has driven 575 miles on the Volt and has used just 1.3 gallons of gasoline.
“The irony is that I am back to being a GM promoter,” Paine said, referring to his EV1 support. “I went into exile for a while and now I am back.”
Apr 25th, 2011 (4:20 pm)Why are we subsidizing gas again?
/seriously, I have no idea why….lol
//Also, two carpet cleaner guys (Son’s friends parent) got cut from their mobile van cleaning job. I heard the other guy was a Sears carpet cleaning dude. Looks like the “Mobile” jobs are the ones hit the hardest.
EDIT:
lol, just got an email that our “Roach Coach” is no linger going to visit our site due to high gas prices.
Damn, I liked the hot dogs too, or whatever it was made of.
Apr 25th, 2011 (4:34 pm)My point really was the trickle effect.
One statement makes it pretty clear…
“As the fuel prices go up, Singh is watching his profit margin drop.”
Less income makes it a further reach any Pat Q. Public to be able to afford a Volt or PHV/PHEV/EV.
Also…
“He’s worried about his job after seeing several friends laid off amid the rising costs.”
Sounds more than just one to me…..
/waiting now for all the news crap saying groceries and sh|t are going to go up too….
//I paid $4.17 a gallon today for gas this morning.
Apr 25th, 2011 (5:08 pm)Money is like energy (no pun intended), meaning its not created nor destroyed. The “profits” are going somewhere, and you are paying for them one way or another.
+4
Apr 25th, 2011 (5:19 pm)I agree. It is about the same as making fried chicken with only “4 herbs and spices” and try to out-gun KFC with their “11″.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (5:38 pm)#50
Amen. +1
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (5:47 pm)#54
And if someone doesn’t do something to lessen consumption, the price will just continue to go up as the supply shrinks. So if higher gas prices mean that people can’t afford to buy cars that use less gas, they will have to keep paying for it, which lessens their purchasing/consuming power, or drive less, which will likely lessen their employment opportunities. If somebody doesn’t do something to break the cycle, maybe civilization as we know it will come to an end!
I’m doing the best I can to help by driving a Volt.
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (6:04 pm)Probably not *break* the cycle immediately. I would be more apt to “Feather down” the cycle of the gas subsidy. IMHO, I think most people wouldn’t have too much of a problem if there was a plan to slowly reduce the subsidy and reallocate that portion of the “Subsidy” funds into the Education system.
But that’s just me.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (6:52 pm)Many of us have been talking about a reasonable floor instead of overall high prices. That way you smooth out the booms and busts that kill alternative technologies. As it stands every one hollers for a solution to high gas prices, and then energy prices begin to a race to the bottom, killing off the potential solutions.
Of course we’d also like to smooth out the high points also, but economists have told us after every price boom, it’s due to supply and demand issues and there was nothing we could have done. Hence the need for better solutions and a floor to keep the solutions viable in the first place.
Of course no one would stop to think that any of this applies to Volt technology.
Apr 25th, 2011 (6:58 pm)Anxiety about infrastructure needs? When is the only time you hear about power Companies? Generally they are big boring gray flannel enterprises to the public. Disasters, outages, blackouts and Enron are the exceptions, after all good news is no news at all right?
Apr 25th, 2011 (7:01 pm)Is the EDTA Conference & Annual Meeting an invitation/press only type of event, or can anyone from the public attend?
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (7:58 pm)Why would I pay $32k for a base (semi-loaded) Volt with sporty handling, 17″ wheels, 40 miles gas free range when I could get the PIP with 13 miles gas free, 15″ wheels, sluggish, torpid handling and a base price of $33k (Toyota hybrids purchased after September 30, 2007, are not eligible for the tax credit). Oh, answered my own question there.
I think it’s funny to see the screamers proclaiming that the Volt’s price proves GM is incompetent, only to see Toyota serve up half warm leftovers like the PIP at a higher price. Of course, I don’t underestimate Toyota. They will give GM a run for their money. If GM relaxes (hubris sets in), they will be overtaken by Toyota.
I voted with my cash on GM. I encourage GM to use it’s “reboot” to be a different company than it was in the past.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (8:24 pm)You need to spend some time in it. It”s just not that kind of car. As you drive it you look at the little earth spinning in the middle of the graphic and find yourself driving quite differently. Even if you’re not trying to. You’re just not motivated to put the pedal to the metal. If you are, Sport Mode is plenty fast. You’re saying that it’s lame but you are wrong. It won’t snap you back in your seat but it will push you back into it. And it will do so while remaining serenely smooth. Plus adding more speed won’t help that much because the limiting factor for the Volt as a performance car are the tires and handling, not its acceleration.
All I can tell you is that the Volt drive is unlike anything you’re used to. It’s definitely a more serene experience, and that sets it apart. Serene is the opposite of agitation. So asking for a performance Volt that acts like an agitated ICE vehicle is like asking for an iPad with a 57″ screen. What you’re asking for would kill the base appeal. (LOL. Only kidding it’s not that bad, but there is some truth in it).
+2
Apr 25th, 2011 (8:36 pm)As DaveK might say: “What the heck is he doing that he uses so much gas?”
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:42 pm)I’m not talking about the cornering, and 100mph is plenty fast, but I’d like to get to 60mph faster than 8.5 seconds. (yes, i would love an extended drive in the Volt)
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (9:45 pm)I never thought I’d here this from the Republican Speaker of the House.
——————————
John Boehner: Oil companies should pay their ‘fair share’
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53689.html
House Speaker John Boehner says he’s open to calls from the White House to curb some of the $4 billion in oil and gas subsidies and tax incentives, as Washington continues to feel the heat over high gas prices.
Apr 25th, 2011 (10:16 pm)“Representatives from EPRI said the broader shape of this is a few years away, and auto manufacturers are still not building smart-grid-ready cars.”
Please check out Better Place – they are building smart-grid-ready cars today and in tens of thousands next year (Renault fluence)
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (10:57 pm)Texas,
I wondered about this. I’m sure it is true. This was said though. Renault was not at EDTA’s conference, and I’m not sure if it’s a member. The member manufacturers have been experimenting with advanced charging capabilities, this much is also true. Future production cars are expected to have more capabilities.
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:12 pm)Clintonfitz,
You know it is a membership organization, but I’m not really sure. I’ll check.
-1
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:13 pm)For those of us capable of a little vision, the appropriate question is not who the market is, but who it will become. Currently, the Volt market seems to be well-heeled first adopters, gadget freaks and greenies. But because of them, the demographic will steadily widen with time. The only relevance of the current market is that it exists.
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:14 pm)Noel Park,
Thanks Noel.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:18 pm)It’s been arduous, but I’m getting the hang of it, I think. Due to popular demand, I’ll try not to go 1700 words too often – and really, I haven’t. It’s been the exception.
+1
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:21 pm)OT, but of general interest. Forum member “the 43k” posted this homemade commercial on the forums under the thread “My spoof Volt version of the Chrysler 200 Superbowl ad” (Spoof Eminem Volt). You really need to watch it (two minutes).
http://youtu.be/Jb3ywheow-Q
This is what WE do! Love it.
+4
Apr 25th, 2011 (11:47 pm)Jeff, don’t be too concerned about the word count of your terrific lead topics. I once commissioned a brilliant professor at the University of Florida to do a brief study and write it up as a summary report of his findings in 1 or 2 pages. He delivered the typewritten result on time and it was 25 pages —his very last sentence was, “my apologies for the length of this report —I had no time to write a shorter one”.
My colleagues and I still laugh heartily about this 30 years later!
+3
Apr 26th, 2011 (12:04 am)nasaman,
Ha! That is a good one. Tomorrow is an 1100-word interview. Non-quoted words are brief, and only summarize relevant conversation. Otherwise it is all in context, and could not have been much shorter without deleting things said.
Thanks for the advice. The Web is becoming so prevalent as a source, and we can cater to people who want short reads, but longer writing is not the sole domain of printed writing. There is a place for it online.
+3
Apr 26th, 2011 (12:07 am)nasaman,
Thanks.
-2
Apr 26th, 2011 (12:14 am)That’s why I asked the “is” question.
The answer provided now is very, very different than what was stated in 2010.
+2
Apr 26th, 2011 (12:47 am)What you describe is 1/2 of something nobody would buy, as evidenced by the Leaf!
Apr 26th, 2011 (8:27 am)Same market as the PIP, the Leaf, etc.
Apr 26th, 2011 (9:40 am)The plug-in Prius is aimed squarely at Corolla/Camry buyers, just like the cordless Prius.
The configuration of Volt currently offered is most definitely not those same buyers.
-1
Apr 26th, 2011 (11:13 am)You need to let go and be more flexible. The entire world is a moving target. You can condemn the Volt for all time based on that one statement (but made in 2004, wasn’t it?); without acknowledging that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that the direct path isn’t always the attainable one. We can still achieve what was originally envisioned (in adjusted dollars), but it won’t happen instantly. In similar fashion, your projections for the PIP may not materialize immediately, either. I wonder what your position will be then?
+1
Apr 26th, 2011 (11:24 am)What are the revised goals?
Apr 26th, 2011 (12:24 pm)I think the market for the PIP is the same market as all the other pluggable cars. People that want to plug their cars in instead of fill them with gas.
+1
Apr 26th, 2011 (1:49 pm)Update – The conference was open to the general public – not just members and the press.