May 7, 2008 by Rob.

I was re-ranting to Laura, my EV enduring spouse, about that kitten killing Hummer driver from our trip to Breed Hardware.  She said that the driver was buying compact florescent light bulbs (CFL).

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May 7, 2008 by Rob.

<pet peeve>Why do all these SUV drivers leave their engine idling when they leave their car!  I was at Breed Hardware yesterday and someone left their Hummer spewing CO2 all over the parking lot while they went inside to buy kitten maiming equipment.  Is turning the car on and off really that much effort?  It’s not even summer so what’s your excuse?  Gas still too cheap?</pet peeve>

So on Cinco de Mayo I was talking to an environmentally minded friend over lunch at Maudi’s and chewing on weighty problems.  He suggested that the Free Rider Problem from Game Theory may be part of the struggle for conservation movements to get rolling.  The FRP states that when a populate is large enough members can easily opt out of paying their share.  By assuming that the majority will contribute they get a free ride.  If enough people do this then the market collapses or fails to advance.

I look at all these Hummer drivers and can’t help but think that they are using up MY SHARE OF THE GAS!  It seems like we have plenty, but it’s going to run out.  Well first it will get really really expensive and then it will run out.  These drivers are Free Riders!  They are not playing along with people who conserve because the population is large enough that they can opt out without people noticing.

And on nearly completely unrelated rant.  My friend also was talking about WWII.  He said that Nazis preemptively invaded Russia to ensure their supply of fuel and the Japanese preemptively attacked US because we threatened their supply of fuel.  It seems like world war and controlling the supply of oil may be preceded by a preemptive attack.  Good thing there have not been any preemptive military actions lately (excluding our invasion of Iraq, of course).

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May 4, 2008 by Rob.

It appears that Aptera is poised to start selling their unique EV / Hybrid.  Of all the EV companies out there, I like that Aptera took a completely fresh approach.  It’s hard for people to compare the to a traditional car, but that also makes it harder for people to accept as a legitimate alternative.  While the Tesla (also a 2 seater) commands a lot of car-geek testosterone, the Aptera will command more green-geek superiority.  BTW - they are 1/2 the price of a Tesla.

I hope that they can avoid Tesla painfully slow road to production and get the the first ones on the road quickly.

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April 14, 2008 by Rob.

I drive the RAVolt nearly everyday, but not to work anymore.  It’s easy to run 10 to 15 miles just shuttling around the city on errands.  I drove 18.5 miles on a single charge this weekend and it’s obvious that I’d be running on my batteries’ edge to go over 20 miles right now.

I’ve known that I damaged the batteries when I abused them back in November.  It’s a shame to see just how much it cost me in range.  I’ve got some ideas about reconditioning, but it really hurts to lose the range.

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April 13, 2008 by Rob.

My friend send me an update with a subject of “Good for the environment, bad for society” and I’ve been tracking the debate on making electric cars (& hybrids) noisier for a while.

I’m neutral on this issue: it think is a shame to create noise pollution, but agree that there is a real safety issue to be addressed. By design, my Curtis controller already makes that whine at low throttle, so don’t expect to hear anything more from the RAVolt.

I’m not sure why the hearing EVs poster choose to show off the cool Subaru R1e, but I’m including it too.

Update 4/14: Upon reflection, I question the accuracy of the video showing blind people tripping over a Prius after walking past an SUV.   The issue is not the Prius’ lack of sound, but the immense amount of distracting noise created by the ICE in the other car.  I’m frequently amazed at other cars’ sonic volume when I’m driving the RAVolt.  <dream>In an all EV city t the noise level be at safe levels and the roar of ICEs would not drown out all other sound.</dream>

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April 7, 2008 by Rob.

I got some questions from Mike R in Wellington NEW ZEALAND . I’m glad to help with the warning that, like most EV questions, answers will depend on your budget!

Here are the questions:

I am looking at the possibility of having a Toyota RAV4 professionally converted from petrol to electric and have spent some time searching the forums for information. I have a couple of questions you might be able to help me with:

1. In New Zealand most RAV4 petrol versions are automatic not manual. Is there any disadvantage if I used an automatic as a donor vehicle? Are all the manual or auto “bits” removed, or was the manual an essential part of the conversion?

Answer: Generally, EV conversions avoid automatic transmissions because they are tuned to shift at the wrong RPMs. Electric motors have a very different torque curve than an ICE. I’ve heard that you CAN convert an automatic, but it’s not that common. They are also heavier and less efficient.

However, if you are interested in an AC system ($$$) then you may be able to use a direct drive and eliminate the transmission. This is fairly common on rear wheel drive conversions (unfortunately, a RAV4 does not qualify as RWD). AC motors can support a wider RPM range and also support reverse. That makes it possible to omit a transmission. Unfortunately, AC systems are more expensive.

2. The same applies with 2WD and 4WD. Very few 2 wheel drives in NZ. Can an experienced mechanic remove the additional 4WD parts without a significant loss in efficiency?

Answer: I have no idea about eliminating the rear drive. I suspect that you could diasble the rear drive, but you’ll need to check with a mechanic. If possible, I’d avoid 4WD because of the extra mechanical load from the gearing.

Thank you for your help. It is a big step to take in New Zealand, as we are a long way from any RAV4-EV owners!

Regards

Mike R

Posted in Conversion, Planning | 1 Comment »

March 30, 2008 by Rob.

I’ve been floating an idea with my friends (and mother-in-law) that has passed the sniff test for posting here.  I propose that we connect the costs of the war in Iraq directly with the price of gas.  This is logical because (at least some of) the need for the war is to protect crude oil supplies.  This is not a new tax because our taxes are currently financing the war - it is simply a different path for our tax dollars to flow from our paychecks into the military complex.

My specific proposal is that American should have 1% of the war cost paid by increasing the gas tax for 1 month.  After that it should increase by 1% each month.  This relatively a small ration but highly symbolic amount that directly connects the American people with the currently hidden true costs of the war.

Disclaimer: It is true that I don’t pay gas taxes on my electric car miles.  Sadly, >70% of my families miles are still powered by hydrocarbons.

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March 30, 2008 by Rob.

Reminiscing about the Space Shuttle got me thinking of just how far past the “space age” we’ve gotten.  I’ve generally considered us to be in the “silicon age” and have greatly enjoyed the connectedness, abundance resources, wealth, and productivity that computers have created for us.

I believe that we’re now entering a new age - the age of constraints.  In the age of constraints, the driving force behind our life decisions will be how our choices fit within our constrained resources.  In the silicon age, the primary constraint was time, but today those resources are physical.  We’ve reached limits on how much energy, oil, water, metal, corn, et cetera can be cheaply applied to create wealth.

It may be inconvenient compared to our current lifestyle, but this new age will reward the innovative.  We are so wasteful today that there is great wealth to be made in replacing efficiency for waste.  For example, tremendous fortunes will be made from ecosystems around LED lighting.  Some entrepreneur will profit every time a morsel of efficiency is wrung from converting egregiously wasteful space age products into sleekly efficient AoC artifacts.

Note: I’m working on a catchier name…I’m just a pundit in training.

Posted in Commentary, Green Tech | 1 Comment »

March 27, 2008 by Rob.

I had an interesting geopolitical lunch conversation and someone suggested that people during the 70s bought small cars to avoid the gas lines not because of the price.  The observation immediately rang true to me.

My memory of the 70s gas crisis was of watching my parents wait in long lines and search for open stations.  People install ed locks on their gas caps to keep people from stealing their hard won gas.  It got so bad that for a while, you could only buy gas on specific days of the week - it was illegal to pump gas on your off day!

The major difference between today’s high gas prices and the last peak is that there is still plenty of supply.  It’s painful to pay more at the pump, but it’s fatal when your Hummer is stranded because you can’t fill it until next Wednesday.

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March 25, 2008 by Rob.

The taxes would go into effect only as prices fall.  That would keep the price “artificially” higher and discourage consumers from waiting out the peak.  The idea is that if you KNOW that prices will stay high then you’ll buy that economical car and move back in towards the city.

NOTE: I heard this on NPR, but can’t find the reference.  It was commentary about missed opportunities from past economic problems.  In this case, it hind sight from the 70s oil crisis.

Also, this is not NPR - it’s commentary about NPR commentary.  Basically talking about fuel prices needing to be $7/gallon before consumers change their car buying habits.

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