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Nissan's solar-powered Roro ship sets sail with Leaf deliveries
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Nissan 
Last week, Nissan last week deployed a partially solar-powered ship for shipments of its Nissan Leaf battery electric vehicle throughout Japan.
Nissan's "Roro" ship, which made its maiden voyage January 27, has 281 solar panels on its deck, making the vessel the first in Japan to use photovoltaic panels as a power source. The ship, which also uses light-emitting diode (LED) lighting to save energy, can hold as many as 1,380 cars and will be used for the 1,100-mile round trip between Oppama Wharf, near Yokohama, and the southern Japan island of Kyushu.
With the solar panels in tow, the Roro's CO2 emissions are about 18 percent lower than a conventional ship, Nissan said in a statement. At two trips a week, that translates to more than 1,300 tons of fuel saved a year. The ship is about 450 feet long and took four years to build, Nissan said. To see a video on the ship, go here. Nissan previously put the City of St. Petersburg into operation, a more fuel-efficient way to move its cars around Europe and the UK.Continue reading Nissan's solar-powered Roro ship sets sail with Leaf deliveries Nissan's solar-powered Roro ship sets sail with Leaf deliveries originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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GM testing OnStar feature to boost renewable-energy charging in Chevy Volt
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, Carbon Offset 
General Motors is developing a feature for its OnStar navigation service that will allow Chevrolet Volt owners to better match recharging patterns for the extended-range plug-in vehicles with the availability of renewable energy.
GM is working with utility company PJM Interconnection on the feature, in which OnStar users will know what percentage of a grid's power supply is coming from renewable sources such as wind. OnStar will be able to regulate the recharging activity for Volts according to peak wind time, which according to PJM is generally between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
GM is running demonstrations of the feature this week at the 2012 DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio. GM will also work with Google at testing the OnStar feature on 17 Chevy Volts at Google's campus in Mountain View, CA. OnStar, which is available on 45 GM models, is used by 6 million subscribers in North America and China.Continue reading GM testing OnStar feature to boost renewable-energy charging in Chevy Volt GM testing OnStar feature to boost renewable-energy charging in Chevy Volt originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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BMW, Tendril will build demonstration home 'wired' for ActivE electric vehicle
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, BMW 
BMW and Boulder, CO-based energy management company Tendril will build a demonstration home designed to power BMW's ActiveE electric vehicle while minimizing the home and the car's carbon footprint, the New York Times reported.
The home, which will be built at BMW's San Francisco Bay Area technology office by this March, will have "smart" thermostats, solar panels and appliances, the newspaper said, citing the companies, which didn't disclose how much the house will cost to build. The home will manage energy delivery to minimize power usage during the costliest times on the grid.
The German automaker is joining Toyota and Nissan among electric-drive car makers that are building demonstration homes geared towards getting data on "smart" energy usage. Last August, Nissan started selling a home system in Japan that allowed the Leaf to be used as backup electricity-storage system for homes. The Leaf, if it starts with its 24-kilowatt-hour battery fully charged, can supply enough electricity to power a typical Japanese home for about two days, Nissan said at the time.
BMW last week delivered its ActiveE electric vehicle to its first U.S. customers, as the German automaker enters the next phase its domestic EV testing after the Mini E. The car will be available in Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, New York, Boston and Hartford, CT, at a rate of $499 a month with a $2,250 downpayment. Open enrollment for the program started this week.BMW, Tendril will build demonstration home 'wired' for ActivE electric vehicle originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Toyota works on electric-drive powertrains that don't need rare earth metals
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Toyota 
Toyota is working on a method of making electric-drive powertrains without using magnets that require pricey rare-earth metals such as neodymium and dysprosium, and may start integrating that process into vehicle production within two years, Reuters reported, citing Japan's Kyodo News.
The world's biggest maker of hybrid-electric vehicles is trying to find ways to cut costs by reducing dependency on rare earth metals, which are expensive and which are primarily produced in China, the wire service said. The Japanese automaker is one of the reasons why Japan accounts for about a third of the world's rare earth consumption.
Finding a way to produce electric motors without magnets that require rare earth metals has become increasingly important, since production and demand of electric-drive vehicles are expected to surge during the next few years. Last year, government officials in China reportedly ordered three rare earth mines in Jiangxi, a province in southern China, to halt extraction. Jiangxi province extracts nearly 40 percent of the country's rare earths. China accounts for more than 90 percent of the world's rare earth production, though its reserves may account for about a third of the world's total, meaning that any reduction in China's rare earth production would likely result in nothing more than a temporary shortage while mines are opened or reopened elsewhere.
Last September, UK-based Sevcon said it would work with Cummins Generator Technologies and Newcastle University's Power Electronics and Drives Research Group at developing next-generation electric-drive systems that do not require rare earth metals. The group is developing a technology that uses steel instead of the contested materials.Toyota works on electric-drive powertrains that don't need rare earth metals originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Hiriko folding electric car headed for production
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in 
One very unusual electric car has debuted in Brussels. The Hiriko EV uses a hub-mounted electric motor at each wheel, though that's not the most interesting aspect of the vehicle. According to The Telegraph, the Hiriko uses an interesting rear suspension design that allows the vehicle to fold up, rotating the cabin vertically, to take up less space while parking. The partnership behind the vehicle say the car consumes approximately one third the parking space of a Smart ForTwo. Occupants enter from a single front door, and the Hiriko ditches the traditional steering wheel in favor of a joystick.
The vehicle is set to begin production in Spain next year, and the partnership behind the vehicle's development aims to use several European and American cities as testbeds for the bubble machine. The two-seater has been co-developed by a collection of Basque businesses, the Spanish government and the MIT media lab (you may remember the concept, from 2007). A total of 20 test vehicles are currently being built, and each vehicle is said to cost $16,253 to manufacture. No final price tag has been set, nor are there solid details on range, power or charge times.Hiriko folding electric car headed for production originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Nissan, ABB reach agreement to test used EV batteries for energy storage
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Nissan 
Nissan North America and ABB, the world's biggest maker of power-transmission equipment, have announced an agreement to test used lithium-ion electric-vehicle batteries - such as those in the Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle - for possible energy storage uses for utility companies and community power sources.
The partnership, which also includes Sumitomo Corp. of America and 4R Energy Corporation, looks to develop a 50-kWh battery-storage prototype that would be able to power 15 homes for two hours. Nissan and ABB, whose executives spoke about the partnership in a press conference Wednesday, said it was too early to disclose specific commercial applications for used EV batteries, which on average will still retain as much as 70 percent of their energy-storage capacity after 10 years of use in an EV.
"We are working as this as a first step," said Nissan North America's Ken Srebnik on the conference call. "We definitely do see pilot projects with utilities within the next two years."
Proponents of electric vehicles are keeping an eye on the secondary-battery market because much of an EV's cost and residual value is tied to how much the battery costs to produce and how much it can be sold for when it can no longer be used in the car. Frost & Sullivan said in late 2010 that, by 2022, about $2 billion worth of lithium-ion batteries from EVs will be processed. Such batteries may eventually be used to prevent or limit blackouts by providing temporary power during peak demand periods on the grid.
In late 2010, Duke Energy and Tokyo-based ITOCHU Corp. reached a similar deal to test second-life applications for lithium-ion EV batteries. Duke Energy and ITOCHU were going to analyze data from Ener1 lithium-ion batteries used in a fleet of 80 Think City plug-ins.
Nissan last August started selling a system in Japan that allowed the Leaf to be used as backup electricity-storage system for homes. The Leaf, with its 24-kWh battery fully charged, can supply enough electricity to power a typical Japanese home for about two days, Nissan said at the time.
"We see increasing need for storage in the distribution grid," said Jochen Kreusel, head of smart grid operations for Zurich-based ABB, on Wednesday's call.Continue reading Nissan, ABB reach agreement to test used EV batteries for energy storage Nissan, ABB reach agreement to test used EV batteries for energy storage originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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KSPG's range extender concept gives gas to EVs
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Detroit Auto Show 
KSPG is 100-year-old automotive supplier that could, if it wanted to, produce a complete engine. That's not the company's plan, though, since it doesn't want to compete against its many customers. Therefore, the range extender concept engine that KSPG had on display at the Detroit Auto Show is something a bit new and different, both for the company and for the industry. It is a complete engine, but not one designed to power a car on its own. Instead, it is ready to be dropped into someone's EV to provide a bit of petroleum assurance to combat this range anxiety thing we keep hearing about.
Designed to fit into a space about the size of a spare wheel well, the two-cylinder, four-stroke,
137-pound engine is a product of both KSPG and FEV. It is meant to turn an EV into a serial hybird, as the engine is only there to generate electric power. That's why it doesn't matter where you put it, and the small size gives designers and engineers plenty of flexibility. KSPG Automotive's Gerd Kleinert told AutoblogGreen that this is a solution for our time.
"We are convinced that this is a kind of bridge technology from the current combustion engine to electric drive," he said. "The biggest point in electric cars is still the battery. If somone offers a battery that is the szie of a 50-liter [13.2-gallon] gas tank with the same energy content with the same weight that you can recharge it in three minutes, everyone would drive electric." But those vehicles aren't here quite yet. "That's the reason we think there is a need for this bridge technology becuase it guarantees you you will get home, even if you run out of electricity. You only need a small battery, which drives the cost down." Because, if you take some of the cost out of the pack and put it into the KSPG range extender, you can still use your car as an EV most days and retain the ability to go on a road trip when you want to.
KSPG began working on the range-extender project about a year ago, Kleinert said, adding that after the engine's introduction at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011 KSPG began talking to three potential customers about using this engine in their EVs. If that comes to pass, KSPG's production capacity could be 10,000 units a year, to start, Kleinert said. A full vehicle prototype is due in the summer of 2012 to try and generate more interest. Kleinert wouldn't say how much the engine would cost, just that it would be at "an acceptable price."KSPG's range extender concept gives gas to EVs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Sears, Evatran reach agreement for wireless EV-charging stations
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in 
Sears and wireless electric vehicle charging station maker Evatran have reached an agreement for Sears' home-installation division to distribute and install Evatran's Plugless Power stations.
The agreement allows Evatran to sell its stations at a single price in which both the product and installation will be inclusive. Upon receiving a request for a Plugless Power station, Sears will contact the customer within one business day and will make the necessary pre-installation visits to ensure that the customer's home has the necessary equipment for the charging station. Sears and Evatran will initially tailor the product and installation services for owners of Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in vehicles and Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicles this year.
Evatran and Sears are banking on both increased plug-in vehicle sales and a larger number of customers seeking the convenience of having EV charging stations that don't require a cord. Globally, revenue generated from wireless chargers specifically for electric vehicles will increase to about $1.5 billion in 2020 from a negligible amount in 2011, green technology research firm Pike Research said in a report released in late 2010.
Last June, Evatran and Yazaki North America - a Tier 1 automotive supplier that specializes in electrical distribution systems and connectivity solutions - signed a joint development agreement aimed at quickly commercializing Plugless Power technology. Under terms of the agreement, Evatran and Yazaki are teaming up to complete the development of a hands-free charging system to be used in residential, commercial and industrial applications. Evatran has been looking to pitch its Plugless Power technology to automakers as either a factory- or dealer-installed option. The Plugless Power system utilizes induction technology to transfer up to 3.3 kilowatts of power at efficiencies of up to 90 percent, allowing plug-in vehicles to recharge as quickly as they would with some Level 2 conductive (wired) chargers.
Meanwhile, tech giant Qualcomm last November acquired U.K.-based wireless charger maker HaloIPT and said it would start London's first wireless electric-vehicle charging station trial this year in a project that will support as many as 50 electric vehicles. Other companies that are entering the wireless-charger market include smaller companies like Massachusetts-based WiTricity as well as tech giant Siemens AG. That company last fall began testing its wireless chargers on BMW's ActiveE electric vehicles. Continue reading Sears, Evatran reach agreement for wireless EV-charging stations Sears, Evatran reach agreement for wireless EV-charging stations originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Tesla Model S, BMW i3 among 2012 Green Car Vision finalists
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Hydrogen, BMW, Cadillac, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Tesla Motors, Washington DC Auto Show 
Tesla's Model S, the BMW i3, the Cadillac ELR, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell and the Ford C-MAX Energi are the finalists for Green Car Journal's 2012 Green Car Vision awards. The winner of the award, which is given to the most innovative "green vehicle" that's either in its demonstration phase or nearing its public launch, will be named at the Washington Auto Show on January 26.
Of the finalists, two - the Tesla and the BMW - are pure battery electric vehicles that are scheduled to be available for the 2013 and 2014 model years, respectively. The C-MAX is a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle slated for the 2013 model year, while the Cadillac - expected as a 2014 model year - uses an extended-range plug-in hybrid powertrain similar to that of the Chevrolet Volt. The F-Cell hydrogen fuel-cell electric, which has been available in limited numbers for lease in Southern California, is slated for a 2014 model year debut.
"It's no surprise that electric drive continues to dominate the thoughts of automakers as they look to the future," writes Green Car Journal, which hands out the award. "While all five finalists integrate electric drive, they power their motors in distinctly different ways."
Last year's Green Car Vision award was won by the Ford Focus Electric, while the Nissan Leafwon in 2010. The Chevy Volt won in 2009. Who should win this year? Take our poll after the jump. Continue reading Tesla Model S, BMW i3 among 2012 Green Car Vision finalists Tesla Model S, BMW i3 among 2012 Green Car Vision finalists originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Energy Secretary Chu estimates 70% drop in EV battery costs between 2008 and 2015
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, USA 
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu estimates that plug-in vehicle battery costs will have dropped 70 percent between 2008 and 2015 and will fall another 58 percent between 2015 and 2020, giving hope to electric-drive vehicle advocates that the price premium for plug-ins relative to conventional vehicles will narrow during the next few years. Chu also said that the U.S. Energy Department is opening a research center dedicated to improve battery and energy-storage technologies for the transportation industry.
The advanced battery competition is a race the United States can and should win - Stephen Chu
Chu, in a speech at the Detroit Economic Club during the Detroit Auto Show (he's pictured above, right, speaking with Nissan's Mark Perry while checking out the Leaf), said that a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle battery that can provide 40 miles of all-electric range will cost $3,600 in 2015, down from $12,000 in 2008. That battery's cost will fall to just $1,500 by the end of the decade, Chu added. "The advanced battery competition is a race the United States can and should win," Chu said.
Greater adoption of electric-drive technologies will likely be necessary for the U.S. to meet proposed CAFE standards for light-duty vehicles of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, which is equivalent to about 40 miles per gallon measured by EPA standards. That would still be almost an 80 percent jump from 2010 model-year fleetwide fuel economy in the U.S.
Last year, Colorado-based Pike Research said Americans will buy about 300,000 BEVs and PHEVs in 2015, up from about 50,000 in 2011, while Michigan's Center for Automotive Research projected in early 2011 that U.S. electric-drive vehicle sales will increase to about 140,000 units in 2014 from about 30,000 last year.
This is not the first time Chu has strongly supported the idea of a plug-in vehicle, not by a long shot. As he said at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun in late 2010, battery-electric vehicles could be competitive with gas-powered cars within five years as technological advancements and greater BEV adoption helps push down battery costs and increase single-charge ranges.Energy Secretary Chu estimates 70% drop in EV battery costs between 2008 and 2015 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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IBM developing air battery with 500-mile range
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in 
One nagging issue with electric vehicles is range. While today's lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are much better than yesterday's nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, they still don't offer enough energy storage to take an EV much further than 100 miles without a lengthy recharge. Even if the Li-ion batteries were up to the challenge, there is still the awkward problem of where to pack 1,000 pounds (or more) of bulky storage cells into a vehicle's chassis.
IBM thinks it has a solution with a promising new lithium-air (Li-air) battery. According to the technology giant, a typical Li-air battery cell has a theoretical energy density more than 1,000 times greater than today's industry-standard Li-ion battery cell. Even better, Li-air batteries are one-fifth the size and they offer a lifespan at least five times as long.
So, what has been holding IBM back? It appears that there was a problem with the the original Li-air automotive application, as frequent recharging cycles compromised battery life. However, the engineers have recently found alternative electrolyte compounds that look very promising. The team's goal is to have a full-scale prototype ready by 2013, with commercial batteries on sale by the end of the decade.IBM developing air battery with 500-mile range originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 nav system uses altitude to optimize hybrid efficiency
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hybrid, MPG, BMW, Detroit Auto Show 
Somewhat lost in the fanfare of BMW introducing a hybrid version of its best-selling 3 Series at the Detroit Auto Show was a brief mention of its new navigation technology. The 2012 ActiveHybrid 3 will be the first hybrid to use its nav system to help predict the best time to use and recharge its battery. This will go well beyond currently available navigation technology that plots economical travel routes based on traffic and speed limits, also incorporating altitude, final destination and other real-time data to wring the most out of those electrons.
For example, suppose there's a big hill on your route. Since the 3 Series hybrid "knows" you will be descending, and thus afforded a good opportunity for recharging, it can drain more of the battery on the way up. BMW says it is still working on the system, but it will be included as a standard feature on the ActiveHybrid 3, and will eventually spread to the ActiveHybrid 5 and other hybrid models. While we don't have much in the way of details, the opportunity here seems pretty vast, effectively allowing the car to hypermile for you.Continue reading 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 nav system uses altitude to optimize hybrid efficiency 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 nav system uses altitude to optimize hybrid efficiency originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Wards: Volt is a symbol of headwinds against U.S. innovation
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM  ,
How's this for incendiary? General Motors' Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in is illustrative of how technological innovation, especially in the transportation sector, is quashed by political partisanship. That's the take of Wards Auto's Drew Winter, as expressed in this editorial.
In his article titled "Why Innovation is Dying in America," Winter spells out how Republicans are trying to cut demand for the Volt, which he calls "the most innovative vehicle to come out of Detroit in a generation," by pointing to a recent fire and saying that the car is dangerous. The Volt has since been tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and retained the IIHS's "top safety" rating, Winter wrote.
Additionally, slow sales imply that Democrats who've been trumpeting the car as a way to cut both greenhouse-gas emissions and dependency on foreign oil aren't doing enough to support the Volt, which costs just $42 a month more than an average new car on a typical auto loan, Winter wrote. GM, which targeted 10,000 Volt sales for its first full year, sold 7,671 Volts in 2011.
The headwinds faced by the Volt are in stark contrast to the Toyota Prius, the development of which was supported by the Japanese government and whose sales in the U.S. were aided by initiatives such as California's decision to give solo Prius drivers access to high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes and restricted parking space, according to Winter. Last year, Toyota sold more than 136,000 Prius vehicles in the U.S., and those numbers would've been higher if the automaker's supply chain wasn't hampered by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck Japan last March.
Wards: Volt is a symbol of headwinds against U.S. innovation originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Auto applications sought for new advanced metal that's 100x lighter than Styrofoam [w/video]
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Lightweight 
Automakers are being pinched to increase safety and improve fuel efficiency, but those two goals often work against each other. That could change thanks to a material that is 99.99-percent air.
Ward's Automotive reports that the California Institute of Technology, HRL Laboratories and the University of California-Irvine have combined to develop a micro-lattice material that is said to be 100 times lighter than Styrofoam and strong like steel. We'd call this material paper-thin, but the truth is even more impressive: the material is comprised of tiny woven tubes that are 1,000 times thinner than a human hair.
The U.S. Department of Defense is obviously interested in this material for top-secret projects like next-generation aircraft, but the micro-lattice is also of great interest to the auto industry. The material could greatly reduce weight and drag, which would in turn significantly increase efficiency. At the same time, the material can reportedly almost completely recover after stress of up to 50 percent and has impressive energy absorbing characteristics. That means the material could also be a safety asset, which is good news for automakers and consumers.
Cal Tech Professor Julia Greer adds that the material could ultimately replace any non heavy-steel component that isn't already light in weight. A material with less air would reportedly be the next step in the evolution of lightweight metals, and the scientists are working on a nano-lattice that can do just that.
We don't know much about these micro and nano materials, but we're guessing it will be a while before the materials are inexpensive enough for automotive applications. But if the U.S. government and airplane manufactures can jump aboard and bring down the manufacturing costs, we could see this type of material helping automakers achieve those 50+ mile per gallon fuel economy standards. For more information and a demonstration of the micro-lattice's properties, check out the videos after the jump.Continue reading Auto applications sought for new advanced metal that's 100x lighter than Styrofoam [w/video] Auto applications sought for new advanced metal that's 100x lighter than Styrofoam [w/video] originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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MIT: fundamental changes needed in energy policy
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc. 
We "desperately need innovation in energy technologies." "Fundamental changes are needed in the U.S. energy-innovation system." "We face a very big innovation challenge over the next few decades, bigger than most people recognize."
Those are some of the phrases that you can find in a new article out from MIT about the energy future in America. As you can see, the researchers aren't exactly confident we can continue the status quo for much longer. To encourage all the innovation and fundamental change required, the authors of Unlocking Energy Innovation (to be published by MIT in 2012) say that they've cracked the code of how to get the right governmental policies and investors working together that, "could accelerate innovation in the United States, helping to meet our growing energy needs affordably and reliably, reducing carbon emissions and alleviating insecurity over energy supplies."
According to the authors, there are four stages that move some piece of innovative technology to an "established part of the energy infrastructure." The first and last stages (discovery and fine-tuning) work fairly well in the current system. The other two - development of prototypes and the deploying the first large-scale systems - are where the problems lie. And if these problems continue to slow down innovation, the big problems won't be solved. One proposed solution is to change the federal system of funding innovation into a regional system that steps in to boost technologies in those middle two states. Other ideas are available, of course, in the book itself.MIT: fundamental changes needed in energy policy originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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