GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

We agree that the plug-in electric vehicle seems like a great idea. The concept works well for homeowners, who can plug their electric vehicles into their home outlets and pay the electric bill increases that occur.

A problem arises when we consider the fact that only about 60% of residences are detached single family houses, and about 30% are apartments. The final 10% or so are mobile homes.

People living in apartments will have a problem with PHEVs. Where will the cars get plugged in and who will pay the bills?

Many apartment complexes for example have outdoor strip lots, with no accessible outlets. Similarly, people who wish to charge their cars up after getting to their workplaces will run into similar problems.

Clearly there will have to be new approaches and infrastructure to accommodate widespread electric car adoption, and we have to begin the discussion and debate now ahead of time.

Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth won the Oscar last night.

Its a great thing that a documentary about something so meaningful and frightening can reach this pinnacle of popularity. We have move passed the denial stage. To me it speaks to a sea change in public consciousness. Finally all the streams of knowledge are converging in the public eye. Global Warming has become a household word.

Twenty five years ago, when I first started studying this topic, few people believed or cared about it. Now, thanks in large part to Al Gore, its mainstream. Next we need to move from thoughts to actions.

If you haven’t seen the film, please do so as soon as possible and spread the word. Hold house parties to see the film with your friends and neighbors. Write your politicians.

Buy a Volt (when you can!)

Together we can make a difference.

Today President Bush was given a view of plugin vehicles on the White House lawn. He spoke to Dave Vieau, CEO of A123 Systems and saw two vehicles. One was a plugin Prius outfitted with A123 systems’ conversion kit (that Toyota doesn’t support) and the other a new plugin truck made by Phoenix Motorcars. He also had a meeting with 10 scientific leaders in the field of alternative fuels, and expressed confidence that his plan to cut fuel consumption by 20% over the next decade is possible.

Unfortunately, the Volt didn’t make it to the White House today, maybe Bush would have sat in that one (he didn’t sit in the other 2 )

See a good article here.

Jeff Bingham, Chairman

On Tuesday the Senate Natural Resources Committee heard from GM VP Beth Lowery about ways to reduce fuel consumption. She encouraged the government to help subsidize the production of biofuels like E85, which could power the Volt. She also recommended tax money be spent on battery research.

The comiitte called for the automakers to do more in terms of increasing gas mileage in return. Hondas VP in opposition claimed that the fuel savings of plugins wont justify the cost.

I hope were not just concerned with cost, but more so preventing climate change, and reducing Middle East dependence.

A washington democratic congressman named Jay Inslee got to show off the Volt to his colleagues on Capitol Hill. He also is on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and seems genuinely enthuiastic about getting the vehicle to market. His is quoted as saying the Volt could be on the market in 5 or 6 years (2012, 2013).

This is another good step forward for us. GM has alos been pushing the government on developing alternative energy sources.

To see the original article about the congressman, go here.

It was a banner day for us environmentalists, and for the Volt. Ol dubya finally said it in last nights State of the Union address.. we must do something about climate change, and he even recommended we use less gasoline, and more alternative energies. The wheels of change are turning!