MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'electric cars'. Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:24:12 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750018&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007337.html Nissan finds bureaucratic obstacles for home electric power upgrades pose problems for the roll-out of their all electric Leaf car. But if you want to use the full range of your electric car, it could take over a day to recharge using a standard 110-volt power outlet. The point was driven home Monday in an article in The Wall Street Journal, which described Nissan's efforts to break through bureaucracy to make it easier for homeowners to get special electric vehicle charging stations installed. Nissan, which is coming out with an electric vehicle this year called the Leaf, is concerned that customers will be put off from buying the car by the 20 hours required to recharge it from a standard... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750018 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3750018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635711&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007228.html Government incentives for electric cars in China will be slightly larger than similar $7500 per electric car subsidies in the United States. According to Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, consumers in those urban areas will be able to get up to around $8,785 off the price of a battery car and about $7,320 off plug-in hybrids. The money will be paid directly to carmakers, which will reduce the vehicle price accordingly, the government said. Since China's car market is now bigger than the US car market (yes, more cars are sold per year in China than in the United States) this incentive represents a large increase of incentives for development of better electric car batteries. One of the biggest... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635711 Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3635711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607459&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007207.html Michael Kanellos takes a look at the obstacles to the Project Better Place proposal to use swappable leased batteries in electric cars. This is America, after all. We hate renting. Graduating from renting an apartment to buying a home has become enshrined as hallmark of adulthood. And if there's one thing we hate more than renting, it's sharing stuff with strangers. Who had this battery before me? Is that smoke coming from the hood? The first time someone gets in a bad accident or the car conks, watch them blame it on some stranger's battery. He lists 5 obstacles, including resistance of car companies to standardize on a single battery factor. I see this as a very big obstacle for... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607459 Wed, 26 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3607459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560181&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007171.html Dexter Ford drives a converted plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius. Driving on the batteries alone requires a modicum of practice. I managed to run the rolling Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu in the all-electric setting for about 35 miles, after burning a significant part of the auxiliary battery’s charge in blended mode on the way north from Los Angeles. The speed limitation of 52 m.p.h on battery power gave me just enough margin to stay with traffic. The full 10-kilowatt-hour system in the car I tested costs $11,995 with the battery pack, or $6,995 without batteries. A 4-kilowatt-hour system is $6,995 with batteries, $3,200 without. Estimates for installation from several of the 20 dealer-installers around the country started at $1,000.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560181 Wed, 12 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3560181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437677&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fphoto-of-the-day-no-cars-or-nissan-cars%2F This eye-catching ad campaign in New York City seems to be urging consumers to ditch their cars, but the slick “Journey to Zero” campaign is actually put on by Nissan. With the help of Richard Saul Wurman (founder of TED), Nissan’s year-long stunt aims to educate the public about carbon dioxide emissions – just in time for the release of Nissan’s first electric vehicle next year. At the very least, it makes for a good photo. Nissan's clever Journey to Zero ad campaign in New York City. via StreetsBlog Post from: BlissTree Photo of the Day: No Cars, or Just Nissan Cars? (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437677 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:33:15 +0100 3437677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437672&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007072.html An article on the Technology News World site puts expected electric power demand of electric cars in perspective. Owners are likely to pay a premium to purchase electric cars, and they will immediately become one of the top electricity consumers in their homes -- in some cases, more than the summertime power draw of the air conditioner and water heater combined, according to the Electric Power Research Institute, a utility-funded organization. The upcoming Chevy Volt, for instance, is expected to increase the energy draw of the average U.S. home by 13 percent. The Nissan Leaf comes in at 19 percent, according to EPRI, which didn't provide figures for the Focus. That would come to an annual cost of between US$190... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437672 Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3437672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3432842&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007067.html Michael Kanellos of GreenTechMedia.com reports on the price of batteries in the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle. Right now, lithium ion batteries for cars cost around $900 per kilowatt hour. The Leaf has a 24 kilowatt hour battery. Under that math, a Leaf battery--if it were more like a regular electric car battery--should cost around $21,000. A battery is a third of the price of an electric car. Thus, the Leaf, if it had an ordinary battery, should cost closer to $60,000. However, if Nissan has dropped the price to $500 a kilowatt hour, and rumors say the company is already close to that, the battery pack only costs about $12,000. Regular readers will recall that in January Boston Consulting Group... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3432842 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3432842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3424805&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007064.html Want to free yourself from dependency on gasoline for getting around? Look at the costs below. If you intend to buy an electric car in the next 2 years please post in the comments. The 100 mile range pure electric Nissan Leaf gets a price in Japan and in the United States. Nissan Motor Co. said its new electric car, the LEAF, will be sold for 3.76 million yen ($40,000) in Japan, less expensive than other zero-emission vehicles but still out of reach for many drivers who may also balk at its limited range. A tax credit in Japan will lower its cost to $31,808.00. In the US the Leaf price tag will be only $32,780 and a US federal... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3424805 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3424805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374087&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007023.html Thinking about building a new home? Consider a home electrical installation that supports high amp 220 Volt electric vehicle (EV) charging. Upgrading later is more expensive. Depending on the age of a house and quality of existing wiring system electrical upgrades to support fast EV recharging can run into the thousands of dollars. But as is often the case, the answer to the question, “How much will they cost?” is more complex. Because of the challenges in homes with what can be very outmoded electric service, a Nissan spokesman, Mark Perry, said that the cost of adding home charging is one-third hardware (the box itself) and two-thirds installation and labor costs. Mr. Perry said that homes built in the 1990s... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374087 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3374087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370363&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007021.html Smart charging stations are coming to market for for recharging electric cars (e.g. Nissan Leaf) and pluggable hybrid electric cars (e.g. Chevy Volt). This spring, GE will start selling a line of "smart charging stations," devices that communicate with utilities to optimize charging, for electric vehicles. The technology could be key to ensuring that electric cars don't strain the power grid, and it could cut down on consumer electricity bills. Eventually, because the charging stations could help stabilize the grid, they could allow utilities to rely more on intermittent renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind power. Electric cars recharged with smart charging station will especially make wind more viable since wind is less predictable than sun. For... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370363 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3370363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363636&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007014.html Looking thru a press release from Ford about the electric version of their Transit Connect delivery vehicle (going into production late 2010) a couple of interesting things stand out: 80 mile range and aimed at commercial fleets where each vehicle always returns to a central place to make recharge easy. Transit Connect Electric is well-suited for commercial fleets that travel predictable, short-range routes with frequent stop-and-go driving in urban and suburban environments and a central location for daily recharging. The vehicle, which will accelerate at a similar rate as the gas-powered Transit Connect and will have a top speed of 75 mph, has a targeted range of up to 80 miles on a full charge. Owners will have the option... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363636 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3363636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269671&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006944.html Chuck Squatriglia in Wired reports on how to get a Nissan Leaf all-electric car and the likely cost. Nissan has given up on separately leasing the battery. Nissan won’t say what the car costs until April, but it is shooting for a price in the $26,000 to $33,000 ballpark. The latest word is the car could be in the mid-20s after the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. That would seriously undercut the Volt, which General Motors is widely believed to be trying to keep under $40,000 before the tax credit, and make it competitive with the Toyota Prius hybrid. Suppose it costs $33k before tax break. Will Nissan sell at a profit or a loss? To put it another way:... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269671 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3269671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153341&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006854.html A much debated topic in the comments section of FuturePundit posts on energy is the current price and future prices for pluggable hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and pure electric vehicles (EVs). A Bloomberg article about the future of Nissan and Renault sheds some light on the economics of EV batteries. The forthcoming Nissan Leaf pure EV compact car will go 100 miles per charge. Ghosn’s first electric car, the Leaf, can travel only 100 miles (160 kilometers) without recharging -- putting him in competition with hybrid vehicles that have no such limits. The car will be sold without a battery which will be leased. But what's the cost of the battery? Would you believe over $15k? For Rod Lache, a... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153341 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3153341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149011&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006852.html More electric bikes are sold in China than in the rest of the world combined. The cycles in question, known as “e-bikes”, are battery-enhanced machines that are the darlings of the modern, urban Chinese. More than 20 million were sold this year, putting a vast army of commuters, unable to afford cars or motorcycles — and without licences — on the roads at a sedate maximum speed of 12 km/h (7½ mph). If the rules stay as they are, analysts say, e-bike sales may rise to 25 million next year. If they change, as seems possible, the ramifications will stretch far beyond the streets of Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou. The article discusses a proposal in the Chinese government to... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149011 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3149011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3100759&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006799.html A study by the US National Research Council finds that substantial production of plug-in hybrids lies a few decades in the future. Will battery costs really fall so slowly? The mass-introduction of the plug-in hybrid electric car is still a few decades away, according to new analysis by the National Research Council. The study, released on Monday, also found that the next generation of plug-in hybrids could require hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies to take off. The study claims battery costs are huge and therefore the fuel saved using pluggable hybrids take too long to pay back the added costs. GM will start selling the Chevy Volt pluggable hybrid in November 2010. Toyota will start selling a... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3100759 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3100759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039747&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006751.html For those unaware, Dan Neil of the Los Angeles Times writes excellent car reviews. He's got one up from his own test drive of the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt pluggable hybrid electric vehicle. It accelerates with a big husky twist of its electric motor. Actually, you can even chirp the front tires if you push the go-button hard enough -- very unlike a golf cart. It corners confidently and brakes crisply and, if it's no Ferrari, it certainly won't embarrass itself on the 110 Freeway, otherwise known as the Pasadena Grand Prix. It's comfortable, practical and -- graded on the curve of five-seat family hatchbacks -- reasonably attractive. Think German-made-dishwasher pretty. The big appeal of the Volt is it that if... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039747 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3039747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814384&cid=t_345603_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006554.html Dr. Robert Wilder describes the charging of his Tesla Roadster's battery. But before you knock the Roadster for increasing our energy demand, remember: We're not paying a penny for gasoline.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814384 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2814384