lucasb7

As far as plug-ins go I think that for right now they are a pretty suitable alternative.

I've thought about trading my h in for a Fisker Karma or Model S (once they were actually out) but the more I thought about it, I LOVE taking my cars on road trips and I couldn't do pure electric. Heck I drove the GSh to British Columbia, the MDX to Banff in Alberta, and the RX to Boston and NYC.

I don't care for the Volt because of the terrible mileage after electric but the Prius PHV is pretty sweet! I would pay 5k more to have 14 miles electric range on my GS and then it get standard mileage after that.

geko29

I suspect you haven't actually looked into this, which would explain the incredibly wrong assumption. I installed one this summer for around $40. The most expensive part is the outlet itself, which ran around $16. Breaker is $8, wire costs a few pennies to a few bucks depending on the run length, box and cover costs maybe $3 total, then conduit runs around 15 cents a foot, assuming there isn't already a 110v circuit in the vicinity of where you want the 220V, whose pre-existing conduit can be used for the new wires.

And like was mentioned earlier, quite a few houses come with 240V outlets in the garage. Worst case, hiring an electrician to bring a circuit clear from one end of the house to another (extremely unlikely that the breaker box would be a hundred feet from the garage) would be a few hundred bucks at most. As an investment in convenience against a $30k+ car that you may have for 6-10 years, it really isn't much at all.

geko29

Nope. No batteries required whatsoever. Your overall power production for the month simply has to equal or exceed your total consumption. During the bright sunny days, you run a huge surplus and your electric meter runs backwards, because you're feeding power back into the grid. Overnight, you take power from the grid.

There's a HUGE benefit for them. The most expensive part of delivering electricity is building, maintaining, and operating peaking plants, which only come online during periods of high demand, and then have to have their output adjusted to account for changes in demand.

Peaking plants generally only run during the day, and are worked hardest on hot, sunny days when everyone is running the A/C full tilt. And that's EXACTLY when your solar panels are at their highest output, and you add electricity to the system. This reduces strain on the grid and decreases the likelihood of brownouts.

The reverse is also true. Electricity usage drops precipitously in the overnight hours, and that's when the solar homes' demand rises. The more people running solar panels, the more even demands on the power grid, and the less often peaking plants have to operate. As deployment (and efficiency) rises, it may be possible to take some plants offline permanently. That's a MASSIVE cost savings for the power company.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

I think the near zero cost is because your meter actually runs backwards when you're using a low volume of electricity like during the day when nobody is home. During the night the meter starts to move forward again, but depending on how much the meter moved backwards it takes some time for your meter to move past the point it was before.

I think they say your water heater is one of the largest electricity hogs. However, if you have solar its pretty low cost. In Hawaii solar is a good alternative since we have sunshine most of the time all year for the most part.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

wow... getting an edjication... thanks guys.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Speaking of solar panels...


HOPEWELL JUNCTION, N.Y. – A solar technology company spun off by Intel Corp. has announced it will close a manufacturing plant at its upstate New York headquarters and lay off more than 100 workers less than a year after the plant opened.

In a short news release, SpectraWatt blamed the shutdown on a steep decline in demand for solar cells due to a harsher-than-usual European winter. The news release said the company hopes to reverse the situation that led to the decision.

More

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/1...announces.html

Big Mack

iTrader: (1)

All correct. And for those who do not have natgas available in their homes, a tankless water heater may help to curb the cost of heating water for bathing and cleaning. They are certainly not cheap themselves, but many utilities are offering incentives on them as well because they reduce the amount of water wasted waiting for it to be hot. They are getting less expensive through better technology, but there is room for improvement, especially since you need several for a home of even modest size.

Here in AZ, we are developing plans to build large scale solar installations. We have some already, as ASU has a contract for some of the buildings to be solar experiments. Since we have outlawed rain (), solar makes a lot of sense. My electric bill goes down to approx $100 a month in the cooler months, and we still get plenty of sun. I would imagine I could get those to zero (or negative) based on information from the solar companies. I would then use any credits toward my horrific summer bills of $400 .

As for a plug in car, I agree with geko - 220V lines are not all that expensive to put in, and are totally feasible. If the range were to increase to 30 miles (or, mo betta, 50 miles), I would buy one right away because it would mean I have zero gas cost.

With regard to employers, they would most likely get tax incentives for allowing employees to hook up to power, much like they do for enabling workers who commute to telecommute or set up bus passes for them to reduce emissions. Additionally, larger employers who offer this as an incentive to employees would probably get approached by the utility companies to partner with them and demonstrate that it can be done, and since one hand washes the other in partnerships, there would definitely be an incentive on it.

Big Mack

Fizzboy7

About the only pleasant thing about visiting a gas station is it's a good excuse to walk around your car and admire it's good looks while you are filling up. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind never having to visit one again. Too many homeless and wackos walking around.

bagwell

+1 ^^^^^

good but quick comparo...Volt vs Prius plug-in
http://www.insideline.com/chevrolet/...prius-phv.html


MSRP for the PHV currently stands at an estimated $27,000; however, as an added bonus, the first 60,000 PHVs sold in the United States will receive a $2,500 tax credit. PHV owners may experience the strange feeling of looking forward to filing their tax return.

NOTE: Prius PHV prototype testers have reported that even if you can't/don't plug-in the Prius it will still get regular Prius mileage of 50mpg.

OC 335d

Get gas at Costco, problem solved.

I would need to try plug in before saying if I would like it or not. Definitely not locations though.

bagwell

well............almost........




http://media.gm.com/content/media/us.../0106_powermat

GM, Powermat to Put Added ‘Charge’ in Chevy Volt
Automaker Invests in Start-Up to Do Away With Charging Cords

2011-01-06

LAS VEGAS – General Motors and Powermat, a pioneer in wireless charging technology, announced a commercial agreement today that will eliminate the need for charging cords for personal electronic devices in many future Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products beginning mid-2012.

GM Ventures, the company’s venture capital subsidiary, will invest $5 million in Powermat to accelerate the technology’s development and support efforts to grow Powermat’s business globally.

Powermat’s technology allows electronic devices – smart phones, MP3 players and gaming devices – to be charged safely and efficiently, according to Powermat CEO Ran Poliakine.

The Chevrolet Volt, conceived as a reinvention of the automobile that would help reduce America’s dependence on oil, while providing the assurance of an extended driving range, will be one of the first GM vehicles to offer this technology. The technology is expected to revolutionize how electronic devices are charged in a car.

“Imagine a mat or shelf where you could put your iPhone, your Droid or other personal device and charge it automatically while you commute to work, run errands or as you’re driving on a family vacation,” said Micky Bly, GM’s lead electronics executive, including infotainment, hybrids and battery electric vehicles.

“The Chevy Volt will be one of the first applications, but we intend to expand it across our vehicle portfolio,” Bly said.

Powermat, a private firm, was founded in 2007 and offers wireless charging products for the home in a number of retail stores, including Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart.

Poliakine is excited to start with the Chevrolet Volt, which has swept major Car of the Year awards to date.

“GM is among the rarest of giants in today’s business climate: a forward-thinking innovator with the courage and good sense to care about the well-being of the consumer and the well-being of our planet,” Poliakine said.

Jon Lauckner, who helped create the Volt concept and now is President of GM Ventures, has been dreaming about a technology like Powermat for years.

“We first developed the Volt concept car in 2006,” Lauckner said. “The intent was to revolutionize every aspect of the car, not just the propulsion system. We had something like this in mind even then, and we think it will have widespread appeal.”

About General Motors

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM), one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Russia. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.

About Powermat

Powermat was the first company to perfect inductive-based wireless charging and to bring it to consumers in a widely available, meaningful way via mainstream retail channels. The undisputed leader in wireless charging, Powermat leads the category in all facets including technology, retail footprint, consumer experience, and brand. Powermat allows users to enable their electronic devices once with a Powermat receiver and then set down up to three devices on the charging mat for fast, safe and effective wireless charging. It’s simple, effortless, and provides consumers with first-of-its-kind freedom from the need to constantly plug/unplug as well as the angst of running on empty.

###

CONTACT:

Scott Eisenstein
Powermat
212-810-6544
scott@powermat.com

Jodi Brooks
Powermat
917-520-7312
jbrooks@webershandwick.com