April 2009 Archives
Today Coulomb Technologies announced that Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has installed its ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations at its brewery in Chico, CA. The two charging stations are available for patrons and employees of the brewery with electric vehicles or converted PHEV Prius Hybrids as seen in the pictures below.
Coulomb's charging stations are an important part of Sierra Nevada's sustainability initiatives that include solar, fuel cells, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and transportation improvements. Sierra Nevada is the first corporation to install the ChargePoint networked charging stations. Furthermore, they are some of the only EV chargers state wide to be coupled with solar panels directly overhead. This kind of a setup reduces electricity loss in transportation and provides a great way to charge cars while also shading them from the elements. We have covered a similar setup at the Googleplex in Mountain View California. Furthermore, Sierra Nevada was also one of the first organizations to install a MicroFueler ethanol pump - using it to convert their beer dregs to fuel to be used with flex fuel and ethanol powered vehicles!
The Coulomb charging stations will be featured at Chico Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2009 from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Chico Fest is a free event featuring a sustainability focused expo, food, live music and the dedication of Sierra Nevada's new 1.5 MW AC solar system. For more information on Chico Fest visit www.chicofest.com.
Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations Unveiled in Chico, Calif Press Release:
CHICO, Calif. April 24, 2009 -- Coulomb Technologies, the leader in electric vehicle infrastructure, today announced Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has installed its ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations at its brewery in Chico, CA. The two charging stations are available for patrons and employees of the brewery with electric vehicles. Coulomb's charging stations are an important part of Sierra Nevada's sustainability initiatives that include solar, fuel cells, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and transportation improvements. Sierra Nevada is the first corporation to install the ChargePoint networked charging stations.
The Coulomb charging stations will be featured at Chico Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2009 from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Chico Fest is a free event featuring a sustainability focused expo, food, live music and the dedication of Sierra Nevada's new 1.5 MW AC solar system.
"Along with our award-winning brew, we take our commitment to the environment very seriously," said Ken Grossman, owner and founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. "To be the first company to install these charging stations is another milestone in our history and we are proud to lead by example. We hope and expect other organizations will follow in our footsteps in reducing their carbon footprint and our country's dependence on foreign oil."
"Sierra Nevada has a history of initiatives designed to protect our environment," said Richard Lowenthal CEO of Coulomb Technologies. "Coulomb's charging stations bring many benefits to Sierra Nevada and their patrons, including access to a nationwide charging network and advanced Smartphone integration features. By using Coulomb's fully-managed charging station solution for plug-in vehicles, brewery patrons have a safe and secure location to fuel up while dining."
Coulomb's ChargePointSM Network addresses needs of electric vehicle drivers, utilities, governments, and parking space owners. Consumers subscribe to the ChargePoint Network and receive a ChargePoint Smart Card that allows them to charge their car at any ChargePoint station worldwide. To locate available charging stations, visit www.mychargepoint.net and click "Find Stations" and check out our EV Charging Map right here at EV Authority. Just below are pictured the two new ChargePoint stations at Sierra Nevada Brewery:
About Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America's first microbreweries. Since its inception, nearly thirty years ago, the brewery has pioneered many innovations to conserve resources and focus on sustainable business practices. Sierra Nevada is regarded as the standard of quality for American craft brewers and has won numerous awards for their world-class ales and lagers.
About Coulomb Technologies, Inc.
Coulomb Technologies, headquartered in Campbell, Calif., offers a family of products and services that provide a plug-in vehicle charging infrastructure, which includes ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations that range in capability from 120V 15A to 240V 80A AC charging to 120kW DC charging. Coulomb applies networking technology to the challenge of charging electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in order to fuel the electric transportation industry. Coulomb's ChargePoint Network addresses the needs of drivers, utilities, governments, and parking space owners. For more information about Coulomb Technologies please visit the Coulomb Technologies website, www.coulombtech.com.
Coulomb's charging stations are an important part of Sierra Nevada's sustainability initiatives that include solar, fuel cells, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and transportation improvements. Sierra Nevada is the first corporation to install the ChargePoint networked charging stations. Furthermore, they are some of the only EV chargers state wide to be coupled with solar panels directly overhead. This kind of a setup reduces electricity loss in transportation and provides a great way to charge cars while also shading them from the elements. We have covered a similar setup at the Googleplex in Mountain View California. Furthermore, Sierra Nevada was also one of the first organizations to install a MicroFueler ethanol pump - using it to convert their beer dregs to fuel to be used with flex fuel and ethanol powered vehicles!
The Coulomb charging stations will be featured at Chico Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2009 from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Chico Fest is a free event featuring a sustainability focused expo, food, live music and the dedication of Sierra Nevada's new 1.5 MW AC solar system. For more information on Chico Fest visit www.chicofest.com.
Coulomb Technologies ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations Unveiled in Chico, Calif Press Release:CHICO, Calif. April 24, 2009 -- Coulomb Technologies, the leader in electric vehicle infrastructure, today announced Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has installed its ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations at its brewery in Chico, CA. The two charging stations are available for patrons and employees of the brewery with electric vehicles. Coulomb's charging stations are an important part of Sierra Nevada's sustainability initiatives that include solar, fuel cells, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and transportation improvements. Sierra Nevada is the first corporation to install the ChargePoint networked charging stations.
The Coulomb charging stations will be featured at Chico Fest on Sunday, April 26, 2009 from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Chico Fest is a free event featuring a sustainability focused expo, food, live music and the dedication of Sierra Nevada's new 1.5 MW AC solar system."Along with our award-winning brew, we take our commitment to the environment very seriously," said Ken Grossman, owner and founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. "To be the first company to install these charging stations is another milestone in our history and we are proud to lead by example. We hope and expect other organizations will follow in our footsteps in reducing their carbon footprint and our country's dependence on foreign oil."
"Sierra Nevada has a history of initiatives designed to protect our environment," said Richard Lowenthal CEO of Coulomb Technologies. "Coulomb's charging stations bring many benefits to Sierra Nevada and their patrons, including access to a nationwide charging network and advanced Smartphone integration features. By using Coulomb's fully-managed charging station solution for plug-in vehicles, brewery patrons have a safe and secure location to fuel up while dining."
Coulomb's ChargePointSM Network addresses needs of electric vehicle drivers, utilities, governments, and parking space owners. Consumers subscribe to the ChargePoint Network and receive a ChargePoint Smart Card that allows them to charge their car at any ChargePoint station worldwide. To locate available charging stations, visit www.mychargepoint.net and click "Find Stations" and check out our EV Charging Map right here at EV Authority. Just below are pictured the two new ChargePoint stations at Sierra Nevada Brewery:
About Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America's first microbreweries. Since its inception, nearly thirty years ago, the brewery has pioneered many innovations to conserve resources and focus on sustainable business practices. Sierra Nevada is regarded as the standard of quality for American craft brewers and has won numerous awards for their world-class ales and lagers.
About Coulomb Technologies, Inc.
Coulomb Technologies, headquartered in Campbell, Calif., offers a family of products and services that provide a plug-in vehicle charging infrastructure, which includes ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations that range in capability from 120V 15A to 240V 80A AC charging to 120kW DC charging. Coulomb applies networking technology to the challenge of charging electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in order to fuel the electric transportation industry. Coulomb's ChargePoint Network addresses the needs of drivers, utilities, governments, and parking space owners. For more information about Coulomb Technologies please visit the Coulomb Technologies website, www.coulombtech.com.
Today while chatting up the news and discussing past weekend activities with a friend I was told about a new car shaped like an egg with Ferrari wing style doors. My friend told me she had seen the car parked near Stanford University at the Town and Country Village shopping center and she guessed that it was probably there in celebration of Earth Day/Week. As she described it to me over Gchat I directed her to an article here on EV Authority about the Aptara, an EV turning heads with it's unique design, enormous range, and generous price tag.
As soon as she saw the picture she locked in with a "yes, that's the car I saw" and then we began chatting about it. It wasn't until later that she mentioned a very similar design that she had seen at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 2006. Thankfully, this particular friend is great at organizing photos and she was able to produce a shot for comparison. Sure enough, the MoMA design by Zaera closely resembles the white three wheeled Aptera. We've posted the shot below so you can judge for yourself.
Did Zaera have something to do with the Aptera design or do great designers just think alike? We're not exactly sure but we're glad the car is here for real this time and not just as a car of the future art presentation. Directly below you will see one of the early Aptera concepts and finally the release model which will be available for purchase in select parts of California later this year:
As soon as she saw the picture she locked in with a "yes, that's the car I saw" and then we began chatting about it. It wasn't until later that she mentioned a very similar design that she had seen at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 2006. Thankfully, this particular friend is great at organizing photos and she was able to produce a shot for comparison. Sure enough, the MoMA design by Zaera closely resembles the white three wheeled Aptera. We've posted the shot below so you can judge for yourself.
Did Zaera have something to do with the Aptera design or do great designers just think alike? We're not exactly sure but we're glad the car is here for real this time and not just as a car of the future art presentation. Directly below you will see one of the early Aptera concepts and finally the release model which will be available for purchase in select parts of California later this year:
With so much talk about the impending release of the Tesla Model S for an affordable $50K and the Aptera to be sold later this year in select areas of California on a limited basis it sort of feels like plugin hybrid vehicles (PHEV's) aren't ready for prime time. If you really want one you either have to sign up on a waiting list or fork out a lot of extra cash... you have to settle for a crazy design or compromise on top speed and possibly safety. in many cases you need to do a little bit of each of these things.
Now I'm definitely excited about hybrids like the Honda Civic and the upcoming Ford Fusion, but I want that extra pure electric range - ideally I would like to go gas free for all of my daily city driving. Pure EV's are cool, but there really aren't enough chargers installed yet to facilitate owning one as your only car. That's what makes PHEV's so exciting, they have decent EV range (25-40 miles at 35mph on flats) and don't really require gas on a daily basis (depending on your commute), but they still accommodate the use of gasoline for those extra long trips and hills! That is why Toyota, BMW, Honda, and many other car companies are planning to release new PHEV's over the next couple of years. That said, buying a new car isn't cheap and you still have to wait, so what can be done today, as in right now?
Just as the title of this article suggests, you (or anyone in the US) can have a plugin hybrid electric vehicle today (or within a few weeks) for roughly $25,000. The vehicle will get approximately 100mpg, seat four passengers, and meet rigorous safety and quality standards including the federal crash testing safety standard which costs $2M to complete. How can this be accomplished you ask? Simple, you buy a second generation Toyota Prius or newer off of Craigslist, eBay, or through you local newspaper for ~$15K or less (which is very possible) and then you convert it to PHEV through a program offered within your state or using Pat's Garage in San Francisco for $10K ($9,400 after state tax credit). To learn more about this program and the resources in your state visit the Hymotion website here. For those who don't know, Hymotion was one of the original companies that created the system for converting a Toyota Prius to a PHEV, they were recently acquired by A123 Systems (which makes advanced batteries) and have partnered with conversion shops nation wide.
Today I actually spoke with Pat, of Pat's Garage and got all the details on Prius conversions. It's really pretty simple, and an amazing opportunity for anyone who is excited about plugins and looking for a low cost way to get into a top quality PHEV. The car will charge using any standard 110V wall outlet (say in your garage, at work or from a ChargePoint or similar program) and can still be serviced by Toyota. Now you might be thinking "I don't live in California so I can't go to Pat's Garage" but that's just not true, you can have your Prius shipped to and from San Francisco on a trailer for under $3K and while that does increase your overall cost, there are other conversion shops popping up nation wide that work with A123 so all you really need to do is look! Heck, you could even take a cross country road trip; California is beautiful and who doesn't want to see the Grand Canyon? Check out the video below for more information and an interview with Pat from Pat's Garage:
Note that while Pat's Garage has had a waiting list in the past, they currently (as of today) have five systems that just arrived from A123 up for grabs. This may not always be the case and I believe there will be a shortage of these conversion systems for private parties very soon (within the next three months). You see applications for fleet conversion credits are being made nation wide in accordance with the Obama stimulus package due May 1st. Entries are to be submitted by May, approvals will be made in June and money rolls out in July. The really cool part about one of these conversions is that they won't void your warranty and A123 has become a trusted supplier making them very attractive to fleet owners.
I asked Pat to clarify on which cars can have this kind of conversion done and he explained that any Prius made after 2004 is a candidate - they have even done a Ford Escape Hybrid conversion (as a proof of concept) since Ford and other companies like Nissan simply license Toyota hybrid technology for their cars. I also asked Pat which components start to go bad on old Prius's (since my example uses an older used Prius to save costs) and he said the shocks and 12V battery start to wear out with replacement costs at $1,300 for new shocks and $175 for a new factory approved battery.
I have seen several of these conversions out around town here in Mountain View and San Jose and had the chance to interview drivers about the experience of conversion and use. Both of the drivers I spoke with were very enthusiastic about the system and it's performance. One driver swore that he hasn't put a drop of fuel in his car for over four months (and he commutes to and from work 25+ miles daily) he was actually concerned about fuel going bad in his tank! Consider these options and if you're interested in doing a personal conversion be sure to move quickly while units are still available from A123.
Now I'm definitely excited about hybrids like the Honda Civic and the upcoming Ford Fusion, but I want that extra pure electric range - ideally I would like to go gas free for all of my daily city driving. Pure EV's are cool, but there really aren't enough chargers installed yet to facilitate owning one as your only car. That's what makes PHEV's so exciting, they have decent EV range (25-40 miles at 35mph on flats) and don't really require gas on a daily basis (depending on your commute), but they still accommodate the use of gasoline for those extra long trips and hills! That is why Toyota, BMW, Honda, and many other car companies are planning to release new PHEV's over the next couple of years. That said, buying a new car isn't cheap and you still have to wait, so what can be done today, as in right now?
Just as the title of this article suggests, you (or anyone in the US) can have a plugin hybrid electric vehicle today (or within a few weeks) for roughly $25,000. The vehicle will get approximately 100mpg, seat four passengers, and meet rigorous safety and quality standards including the federal crash testing safety standard which costs $2M to complete. How can this be accomplished you ask? Simple, you buy a second generation Toyota Prius or newer off of Craigslist, eBay, or through you local newspaper for ~$15K or less (which is very possible) and then you convert it to PHEV through a program offered within your state or using Pat's Garage in San Francisco for $10K ($9,400 after state tax credit). To learn more about this program and the resources in your state visit the Hymotion website here. For those who don't know, Hymotion was one of the original companies that created the system for converting a Toyota Prius to a PHEV, they were recently acquired by A123 Systems (which makes advanced batteries) and have partnered with conversion shops nation wide.
Today I actually spoke with Pat, of Pat's Garage and got all the details on Prius conversions. It's really pretty simple, and an amazing opportunity for anyone who is excited about plugins and looking for a low cost way to get into a top quality PHEV. The car will charge using any standard 110V wall outlet (say in your garage, at work or from a ChargePoint or similar program) and can still be serviced by Toyota. Now you might be thinking "I don't live in California so I can't go to Pat's Garage" but that's just not true, you can have your Prius shipped to and from San Francisco on a trailer for under $3K and while that does increase your overall cost, there are other conversion shops popping up nation wide that work with A123 so all you really need to do is look! Heck, you could even take a cross country road trip; California is beautiful and who doesn't want to see the Grand Canyon? Check out the video below for more information and an interview with Pat from Pat's Garage:
Note that while Pat's Garage has had a waiting list in the past, they currently (as of today) have five systems that just arrived from A123 up for grabs. This may not always be the case and I believe there will be a shortage of these conversion systems for private parties very soon (within the next three months). You see applications for fleet conversion credits are being made nation wide in accordance with the Obama stimulus package due May 1st. Entries are to be submitted by May, approvals will be made in June and money rolls out in July. The really cool part about one of these conversions is that they won't void your warranty and A123 has become a trusted supplier making them very attractive to fleet owners.
I asked Pat to clarify on which cars can have this kind of conversion done and he explained that any Prius made after 2004 is a candidate - they have even done a Ford Escape Hybrid conversion (as a proof of concept) since Ford and other companies like Nissan simply license Toyota hybrid technology for their cars. I also asked Pat which components start to go bad on old Prius's (since my example uses an older used Prius to save costs) and he said the shocks and 12V battery start to wear out with replacement costs at $1,300 for new shocks and $175 for a new factory approved battery.
I have seen several of these conversions out around town here in Mountain View and San Jose and had the chance to interview drivers about the experience of conversion and use. Both of the drivers I spoke with were very enthusiastic about the system and it's performance. One driver swore that he hasn't put a drop of fuel in his car for over four months (and he commutes to and from work 25+ miles daily) he was actually concerned about fuel going bad in his tank! Consider these options and if you're interested in doing a personal conversion be sure to move quickly while units are still available from A123.
In late 2008 I traveled to Washington DC to attend the Electric Drive Transportation Association conference (EDTA as it is known in the industry). Ford made an appearance and shared some of the details for their upcoming 2010 Ford Fusion. The Ford Fusion isn't a plugin hybrid, just a normal gasoline hybrid like the current gen Toyota Prius, which is unfortunate, but that keeps the cost low - currently set at $2K with up to $3K in government rebates.
PHEV's, price, and range considerations aside, the new line of Ford hybrids are offering one innovative approach to fuel savings that other car companies are not. They are designing ways to influence how car owner's drive in addition to the way the car drives itself. Let me elaborate on this point; when you put the "pedal to the metal" in your sports car and squeal off in a cloud of rubber burning smoke, you are not conserving gasoline. When you drive over 65mph in most cars you are stressing the engine by driving outside of its "sweet spot". When you slam on the brakes in approach to a red light (instead of smoothly decelerating in preparation for a change to green) you are wasting gasoline. Ford is designing cool ways to address these fuel costs by recapturing inefficiency or gently reminding drivers of the impact they are having on the environment and their pocketbooks.
The Ford Fusion, being released in early 2010 in the US, will get an estimated 41mpg in the city. This is in part due to their amazing ability to recapture energy upon braking. This means that even if you are someone who accelerates towards a red light, the car will make up for your inconsiderate with regenerative braking that recovers and stores nearly 94% of energy normally lost through friction. Now this isn't entirely innovative as most hybrids and EV's on the market today that run with AC motors have some form of built in regenerative braking.
In addition to regenerative braking the Fusion will also benefit from a lighter nickel-metal hydride battery, which produces 20% more power than its predecessor and enhanced electronic throttle control which will decreases fuel required on restart (hybrids turn off their gas motor when the car is waiting at a stoplight, for example, and this reduces the fuel required to restart the engine). These technologies are all well and good but the truly innovative feature we're excited about is the Dual LCD SmartGauge Cluster featuring EcoGuide. That is, a unique instrument cluster that helps coach drivers on how to optimize the fuel efficiency of their vehicle.
In addition to the normal gauges installed on the heads up display on the drivers side dash, Ford has added something extra. Along the sides of the LCD panel there are clusters of leaves which at first look like pure decoration. When I first saw this at EDTA I thought it looked kind of corny and superficial, is this really how you make someone feel green? It's literally the mark of a tree-hugger to have digital leaves on your dashboard... but upon closer inspection and research I realized that these leaves are interactive guides to driving efficiency. The faster you drive and the harder you press on the gas pedal, the fewer "Efficiency Leaves" appear.
This visual aid reminds drivers, in a gentle way, that their driving directly impacts the environment. Over time as the leaves fade from the driver's active mind I believe the subconscious will still be registering the cost of aggressive driving. Furthermore, passengers will be impressed and interested in the heads up display and it will remind them of the same driving efficiency practices as the driver. All in all, neat innovative idea from Ford! Considering the regenerative braking, streamlined transmission, and EcoGuide coupled with low price and hopefully the ability to upgrade to a PHEV at some point I would say the Fusion is going to be a great car, hopefully just as successful as the Ford Taurus line that did so well a decade ago.
PHEV's, price, and range considerations aside, the new line of Ford hybrids are offering one innovative approach to fuel savings that other car companies are not. They are designing ways to influence how car owner's drive in addition to the way the car drives itself. Let me elaborate on this point; when you put the "pedal to the metal" in your sports car and squeal off in a cloud of rubber burning smoke, you are not conserving gasoline. When you drive over 65mph in most cars you are stressing the engine by driving outside of its "sweet spot". When you slam on the brakes in approach to a red light (instead of smoothly decelerating in preparation for a change to green) you are wasting gasoline. Ford is designing cool ways to address these fuel costs by recapturing inefficiency or gently reminding drivers of the impact they are having on the environment and their pocketbooks.
The Ford Fusion, being released in early 2010 in the US, will get an estimated 41mpg in the city. This is in part due to their amazing ability to recapture energy upon braking. This means that even if you are someone who accelerates towards a red light, the car will make up for your inconsiderate with regenerative braking that recovers and stores nearly 94% of energy normally lost through friction. Now this isn't entirely innovative as most hybrids and EV's on the market today that run with AC motors have some form of built in regenerative braking.
In addition to regenerative braking the Fusion will also benefit from a lighter nickel-metal hydride battery, which produces 20% more power than its predecessor and enhanced electronic throttle control which will decreases fuel required on restart (hybrids turn off their gas motor when the car is waiting at a stoplight, for example, and this reduces the fuel required to restart the engine). These technologies are all well and good but the truly innovative feature we're excited about is the Dual LCD SmartGauge Cluster featuring EcoGuide. That is, a unique instrument cluster that helps coach drivers on how to optimize the fuel efficiency of their vehicle.
In addition to the normal gauges installed on the heads up display on the drivers side dash, Ford has added something extra. Along the sides of the LCD panel there are clusters of leaves which at first look like pure decoration. When I first saw this at EDTA I thought it looked kind of corny and superficial, is this really how you make someone feel green? It's literally the mark of a tree-hugger to have digital leaves on your dashboard... but upon closer inspection and research I realized that these leaves are interactive guides to driving efficiency. The faster you drive and the harder you press on the gas pedal, the fewer "Efficiency Leaves" appear.
This visual aid reminds drivers, in a gentle way, that their driving directly impacts the environment. Over time as the leaves fade from the driver's active mind I believe the subconscious will still be registering the cost of aggressive driving. Furthermore, passengers will be impressed and interested in the heads up display and it will remind them of the same driving efficiency practices as the driver. All in all, neat innovative idea from Ford! Considering the regenerative braking, streamlined transmission, and EcoGuide coupled with low price and hopefully the ability to upgrade to a PHEV at some point I would say the Fusion is going to be a great car, hopefully just as successful as the Ford Taurus line that did so well a decade ago.
Before reading this long press release regarding Coulomb Technologies and their flagship product, ChargePoint, it is important to understand their business model. You can also learn more on our company profile page for ChargePoint. ChargePoint produces advanced parking meters that sell electricity for next generation Electric Vehicles. The meters have a standard wall outlet that users plug their car into and then use a smart card (like the one shown below) to get the meter going. ChargePoint is relying on geographic "channel" partners to license their technology and drive sales and expansion.
NovaCharge, an exclusive Southeast authorized channel for the ChargePoint Network from Coulomb Technologies, today announced two sales distribution agreements. The first is with Advanced Vehicle Research Center (AVRC), a leading provider of environmentally friendly transportation Infrastructure to public utilities, governmental agencies, educational institutions and corporations. NovaCharge and AVRC will work together to enable sales and installation of the ChargePoint Network to Electric Utilities, and Educational & Government Agencies. The second is with Praxis Technologies, a leading provider of renewable energy and energy conservation products and services. NovaCharge and Praxis will enable deployments of the ChargePoint Networks from Coulomb Technologies to customers throughout the United States. We've posted a video overview from CNBC below:
Press Releases follow --------------->
NovaCharge Partners With Advanced Vehicle Research Center
NovaCharge, LLC, expands EV charging partner network to enable sales of the ChargePoint Network to Electric Utilities, Educational and Government Agencies
Tampa, FL (April 14, 2009) -- NovaCharge, an exclusive Southeast authorized channel for the ChargePointSM Network from Coulomb Technologies, today announced a sales distribution agreement with Advanced Vehicle Research Center (AVRC), a leading provider of environmentally friendly transportation Infrastructure to public utilities, governmental agencies, educational institutions and corporations. NovaCharge and AVRC will work together to enable sales and installation of the ChargePoint Network to Electric Utilities, and Educational & Government Agencies.
For Electric Vehicles to become mainstream, they must be as easy to use and to fuel as their gasoline counterparts. This means that electric vehicle charging stations must be conveniently available to EV owners wherever they work and play, and this infrastructure must be ready to charge before the cars are introduced. NovaCharge recruits key sales partners who understand their customer's needs, and who can help make this new EV infrastructure a reality.
"NovaCharge is committed to creating the highest quality and best trained partner network in the EV Infrastructure industry," said Helda Rodriguez, president, NovaCharge, LLC, "We only recruit partners who are passionate about customers and who are committed to excellence. The AVRC, has a track record of demonstrated success and commitment to customer quality, and we are very proud to have it as a part of our growing partner network."
The AVRC has now completed more plug-in hybrid conversions than any other organization on the East Coast. They have also completed two ethanol optimization projects and they are now working with NC State University on electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle projects.
"The AVRC is excited about this partnership with NovaCharge to provide Coulomb sales and service to our customers in Virginia and North Carolina through our offices in Danville, and Raleigh," commented AVRC Executive Director Dick Dell. "Through this partnership with NovaCharge, along with our ability to provide plug-In hybrid conversions for the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape and soon a wide range of other vehicles, the AVRC is now a single point of contact for vehicle conversions and infrastructure to support the electrification of fleet vehicles for city governments and others."
About NovaCharge
NovaCharge enables a smart charging infrastructure for plug-in Electric Vehicles (EVs) by providing a seamless, scalable, reliable and cost-effective solution from Coulomb Technologies known as the ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations. Together, we are committed to providing an exceptional user experience for the owner's of plug-in Electric Vehicles. NovaCharge provides sales, installation, commissioning and support for the ChargePoint Network. With our network of Coulomb Technologies co-partner channels we can offer these products and services around the world. Through our growing network of re-sellers and installation partners, NovaCharge can deliver the critical services necessary to ensure the deployment of a high quality EV infrastructure for Government, Private Enterprise, and Electric Utility customers. For more information visit our website www.novacharge.net
About AVRC
The Advanced Vehicle Research Center is focused on transportation energy research and development, the Advanced Vehicle Research Center is a private for-profit corporation that promotes alternative fuel research and technology commercialization, working with the leading universities of the Southeast region to also provide education and outreach activities.
The AVRC works with companies that have technology and products that support our nation's need to achieve energy independence through the electrification of vehicles. We provide marketing assistance and hands-on installation services, serving as a business development resource for these growing technology partners. www.avrc.com
NovaCharge Partners With Praxis Technologies
NovaCharge, LLC, expands EV charging partner network to enable sales of the ChargePoint Network to Electric Utilities, Educational and Government Agencies
Tampa, FL (April 14, 2009) -- NovaCharge, an exclusive Southeast authorized channel for the ChargePointSM Network from Coulomb Technologies, today announced a sales distribution agreement with Praxis Technologies, a leading provider of renewable energy and energy conservation products and services. NovaCharge and Praxis will enable deployments of the ChargePoint Networks from Coulomb Technologies to customers throughout the United States.
Adoption of Electric Vehicles will soon become a key part of energy savings efforts and lowering the Carbon Footprint for individuals and businesses through the US. To make EV's commonplace, they must be as easy to use and to fuel as their gasoline counterparts. This means that electric vehicle charging stations must be conveniently available to EV owners wherever they work and play, and this infrastructure must be ready to charge before the cars are introduced. NovaCharge recruits key sales partners who understand their customer's needs, and who can help make this new EV infrastructure a reality.
"NovaCharge recruits partners who are both passionate about the EV industry and committed to customer quality and excellence." said Helda Rodriguez, president, NovaCharge, LLC, "Praxis Technologies has a track record of demonstrated success and innovation in the deployment of renewable energies, and we are pleased to have them as a part of our expanding partner network."
Praxis is dedicated to providing customers with high quality products and services that assist them in becoming more energy and water efficient, less wasteful, and in deploying unique, sustainable and practical technologies. By offering choices in the deployment of alternate energy generation technologies, energy conservation, and water conservation, Praxis products and services enable the use of resources that are technically feasible, mature, and widely available. By offering a flexible networked EV charging infrastructure, Praxis provides yet another complement to our solutions designed to lower the critical Carbon Footprint for our customers.
"By offering the ChargePoint Network, Praxis once again expands our ability to deliver innovative products and services that enable customers to use widely available renewable energy sources." said Albert Kurz, president, Praxis Technologies. "Through our new partnership with NovaCharge, Praxis will offer the innovative ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations. We are focused on enabling the EV transportation industry by offering the energy savings, economic benefits, and flexibility facilitated by a true networked EV charging infrastructure."
About Praxis Technologies
Praxis Technologies Inc. is based in Raleigh, NC, and provides marketing, consulting, design, installation, and maintenance for renewable energy and energy conservation products and services. We provide products, service and concepts that assist our customers in reducing their carbon footprint.
For more information on NovaCharge visit www.novacharge.net. For information on the sales distribution partnerships, please contact Helda Rodriguez, President NovaCharge, LLC (866) 417-9995 or heldarodriguez@novacharge.net.
Media Contact
Helda Rodriguez, President
NovaCharge, LLC
O: (866) 417-9995
Email: heldarodriguez@novacharge.net
NovaCharge, an exclusive Southeast authorized channel for the ChargePoint Network from Coulomb Technologies, today announced two sales distribution agreements. The first is with Advanced Vehicle Research Center (AVRC), a leading provider of environmentally friendly transportation Infrastructure to public utilities, governmental agencies, educational institutions and corporations. NovaCharge and AVRC will work together to enable sales and installation of the ChargePoint Network to Electric Utilities, and Educational & Government Agencies. The second is with Praxis Technologies, a leading provider of renewable energy and energy conservation products and services. NovaCharge and Praxis will enable deployments of the ChargePoint Networks from Coulomb Technologies to customers throughout the United States. We've posted a video overview from CNBC below:Press Releases follow --------------->
NovaCharge Partners With Advanced Vehicle Research Center
NovaCharge, LLC, expands EV charging partner network to enable sales of the ChargePoint Network to Electric Utilities, Educational and Government Agencies
Tampa, FL (April 14, 2009) -- NovaCharge, an exclusive Southeast authorized channel for the ChargePointSM Network from Coulomb Technologies, today announced a sales distribution agreement with Advanced Vehicle Research Center (AVRC), a leading provider of environmentally friendly transportation Infrastructure to public utilities, governmental agencies, educational institutions and corporations. NovaCharge and AVRC will work together to enable sales and installation of the ChargePoint Network to Electric Utilities, and Educational & Government Agencies.
For Electric Vehicles to become mainstream, they must be as easy to use and to fuel as their gasoline counterparts. This means that electric vehicle charging stations must be conveniently available to EV owners wherever they work and play, and this infrastructure must be ready to charge before the cars are introduced. NovaCharge recruits key sales partners who understand their customer's needs, and who can help make this new EV infrastructure a reality.
"NovaCharge is committed to creating the highest quality and best trained partner network in the EV Infrastructure industry," said Helda Rodriguez, president, NovaCharge, LLC, "We only recruit partners who are passionate about customers and who are committed to excellence. The AVRC, has a track record of demonstrated success and commitment to customer quality, and we are very proud to have it as a part of our growing partner network."
The AVRC has now completed more plug-in hybrid conversions than any other organization on the East Coast. They have also completed two ethanol optimization projects and they are now working with NC State University on electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle projects.
"The AVRC is excited about this partnership with NovaCharge to provide Coulomb sales and service to our customers in Virginia and North Carolina through our offices in Danville, and Raleigh," commented AVRC Executive Director Dick Dell. "Through this partnership with NovaCharge, along with our ability to provide plug-In hybrid conversions for the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape and soon a wide range of other vehicles, the AVRC is now a single point of contact for vehicle conversions and infrastructure to support the electrification of fleet vehicles for city governments and others."
About NovaCharge
NovaCharge enables a smart charging infrastructure for plug-in Electric Vehicles (EVs) by providing a seamless, scalable, reliable and cost-effective solution from Coulomb Technologies known as the ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations. Together, we are committed to providing an exceptional user experience for the owner's of plug-in Electric Vehicles. NovaCharge provides sales, installation, commissioning and support for the ChargePoint Network. With our network of Coulomb Technologies co-partner channels we can offer these products and services around the world. Through our growing network of re-sellers and installation partners, NovaCharge can deliver the critical services necessary to ensure the deployment of a high quality EV infrastructure for Government, Private Enterprise, and Electric Utility customers. For more information visit our website www.novacharge.net
About AVRC
The Advanced Vehicle Research Center is focused on transportation energy research and development, the Advanced Vehicle Research Center is a private for-profit corporation that promotes alternative fuel research and technology commercialization, working with the leading universities of the Southeast region to also provide education and outreach activities.
The AVRC works with companies that have technology and products that support our nation's need to achieve energy independence through the electrification of vehicles. We provide marketing assistance and hands-on installation services, serving as a business development resource for these growing technology partners. www.avrc.com
NovaCharge Partners With Praxis Technologies
NovaCharge, LLC, expands EV charging partner network to enable sales of the ChargePoint Network to Electric Utilities, Educational and Government Agencies
Tampa, FL (April 14, 2009) -- NovaCharge, an exclusive Southeast authorized channel for the ChargePointSM Network from Coulomb Technologies, today announced a sales distribution agreement with Praxis Technologies, a leading provider of renewable energy and energy conservation products and services. NovaCharge and Praxis will enable deployments of the ChargePoint Networks from Coulomb Technologies to customers throughout the United States.
Adoption of Electric Vehicles will soon become a key part of energy savings efforts and lowering the Carbon Footprint for individuals and businesses through the US. To make EV's commonplace, they must be as easy to use and to fuel as their gasoline counterparts. This means that electric vehicle charging stations must be conveniently available to EV owners wherever they work and play, and this infrastructure must be ready to charge before the cars are introduced. NovaCharge recruits key sales partners who understand their customer's needs, and who can help make this new EV infrastructure a reality.
"NovaCharge recruits partners who are both passionate about the EV industry and committed to customer quality and excellence." said Helda Rodriguez, president, NovaCharge, LLC, "Praxis Technologies has a track record of demonstrated success and innovation in the deployment of renewable energies, and we are pleased to have them as a part of our expanding partner network."
Praxis is dedicated to providing customers with high quality products and services that assist them in becoming more energy and water efficient, less wasteful, and in deploying unique, sustainable and practical technologies. By offering choices in the deployment of alternate energy generation technologies, energy conservation, and water conservation, Praxis products and services enable the use of resources that are technically feasible, mature, and widely available. By offering a flexible networked EV charging infrastructure, Praxis provides yet another complement to our solutions designed to lower the critical Carbon Footprint for our customers.
"By offering the ChargePoint Network, Praxis once again expands our ability to deliver innovative products and services that enable customers to use widely available renewable energy sources." said Albert Kurz, president, Praxis Technologies. "Through our new partnership with NovaCharge, Praxis will offer the innovative ChargePoint™ Networked Charging Stations. We are focused on enabling the EV transportation industry by offering the energy savings, economic benefits, and flexibility facilitated by a true networked EV charging infrastructure."
About Praxis Technologies
Praxis Technologies Inc. is based in Raleigh, NC, and provides marketing, consulting, design, installation, and maintenance for renewable energy and energy conservation products and services. We provide products, service and concepts that assist our customers in reducing their carbon footprint.
For more information on NovaCharge visit www.novacharge.net. For information on the sales distribution partnerships, please contact Helda Rodriguez, President NovaCharge, LLC (866) 417-9995 or heldarodriguez@novacharge.net.
Media Contact
Helda Rodriguez, President
NovaCharge, LLC
O: (866) 417-9995
Email: heldarodriguez@novacharge.net
On March 30th 2009 while giving a speech addressing the auto industry, President Barack Obama shared plans to begin a "Cash for Clunkers" program which would incentivise the trade in of older, less fuel efficient cars, for newer more environmentally friendly ones. Programs like this have gone into effect in Europe and are credited with boosting the auto industry there and promoting cleaner air. In Germany a trade in program offering 2,500-euro for cars older than 9 years went into effect in January 2009 and attracted over 900K applicants within the first week. The program in Germany was launched as part of a stimulus package and is cited for soaring auto sales, up 21% in January and February.
The US bill is currently in need of funding and was introduced in the sanate in January and subsequently the house of representatives in March. It requires car owners to upgrade to a model that was produced in 2004 or later and is 25% more efficient than federal CAFE guidelines. Recently the Obama administration also increased our current CAFE trajectory set out for 2001, adding 1mpg to all vehicle manufacturer fleets (meaning corporations that produce cars will have to add 1mpg of efficiency to their portfolio of vehicles), not a huge jump, but a start at progress.
Before swapping out an old car it is important to consider the dealer trade in value compared to the government voucher which has a max of $7,500. Environmentally speaking, while newer cars may produce less CO2 driving on the road, the production of a new car is responsible for emitting tonnes of greenhouse gases and toxins, especially the upholstery foams and plastics. It is estimated that the efficiency gains from buying a new, more fuel efficient car take three years to net out the harm done by the manufacturing and production of the car itself.
On a lighter note, the timing of this new bill will coincide with the release of several new entry level, consumer priced electric vehicles including the Aptara and Tesla Model S, even Dodge has a few EV's in the pipeline and we're all curious about the Chevy Volt and its much scrutinized maker, GM. Zap and other smaller EV manufacturers already have models on the road that qualify under this bill. Plugins are another huge candidate for the cash for clunkers program and nearly every major auto manufacturer has one due out for release in the next year or two, we're particularly excited about the plugin model of the already extremely efficient BMW Mini.
The Obama Cash for Clunker plan, if passed, would last four years and could take up to one million older US vehicles off the road. These older vehicles might be recycled for raw materials or parted out. In Germany the cars are scrapped and owners are liable to obtain a "death certificate" for their cars to ensure proper handling guidelines have been met. Japan currently has a strict pollution mandate that promotes the trade out of older engines, which are subsequently shipped to lesser developed countries and the US. Overall these types of programs create a trickle down affect that is good for the environment in terms of CO2 but possibly harmful in terms of resource consumption and waste management in LDC's.
Nobody is sure which vehicles will qualify for the Cash for Clunkers program at this time because CAFE standards are not posted on older cars. Many people are theorizing that a master list will be issued including make/model guidelines. For those of you with an itch to buy a new car today, Obama said that the bill would be retroactive from March 30th, 2009 meaning you could still get the voucher later and don't have to wait until making a purchase. The bill hasn't passed through the House yet, so be careful when considering a high dollar purchase. You might want to consider whether the manufacturer you are buying from will even exist in the next few years to support you and your vehicle...
With hybrids and EV's being so expensive, and backordered in many cases, there are a lot of questions as to whether this bill will really be strong enough, financially speaking, to motivate someone who couldn't already afford a nice car to spend tens of thousands of dollars of their own money upgrading. Remember, the voucher only provides "up to" $7,500 and times are tight. WIth the option of buying 2004 or newer this concern is lessened, and the hope is for multiple exhanges moving upstream motivating interest in new EV technology. One person gets a voucher for their F-150, buys a 2005 Tacoma, that owner then upgrades to a Phoenix electric truck.
Designed to alleviate traffic congestion and parking issues in urban environments, GM and Segway have partnered to create the PUMA. Built on the two wheel auto-balancing technology pioneered by Segway, the PUMA seats two and features a wheelie bar in the back. The vehicle features a wrap around roll bar and plastic front windshield along with seatbelts that hang onto passenger arms. See a short video of the PUMA below:
Top speed for this new vehicle is electronically limited to 35 mph and the batteries are optimized for a 35 mile range. The design is best suited for neighborhood and community use and fits into the "neighborhood electric vehicle" catagory along with golf carts and other small EV's. The seating design opens up new markets for Segway which has traditionally required a standing position, thus limiting elderly and handicapped persons who might otherwise benefit from personal transport.
The market for these low speed limited range vehicles may be questioned by some but retirement communities are certainly one possibility that has a growing market. In the past several years, modified Segways have been put to use by police, security, handicapped persons, and injured military veterans. This new model, having been made even more accessible, will certainly expand into these arenas.
Dean Kaman, the creator of segway, has also introduced the iBOT which is a Segway wheelchair designed to climb stairs and facilite handicapped mobility for parapolegic citizens. The pricetag for the iBOT is $26,000 but with the assistance of insurance can certainly be much more affordable. The iBOT, much like the PUMA was a joint partnership between DEKA and Johnson and Johnson's Independence Technology along with Segway. We've embeded a commercial for the iBOT below.
Current gen Segways (normal ones) can be bought at select Best Buy stores in the US as covered in this article and go for $5,000 which is probably half the price of what a new PUMA will cost (official PUMA site here for more details as they unfold). Even Toyota is jumping on the "personal transport" band wagon and is developing something like a segway called the Winglet.
Learn more about Segway and the PUMA at the official Segway Website.
Top speed for this new vehicle is electronically limited to 35 mph and the batteries are optimized for a 35 mile range. The design is best suited for neighborhood and community use and fits into the "neighborhood electric vehicle" catagory along with golf carts and other small EV's. The seating design opens up new markets for Segway which has traditionally required a standing position, thus limiting elderly and handicapped persons who might otherwise benefit from personal transport.
The market for these low speed limited range vehicles may be questioned by some but retirement communities are certainly one possibility that has a growing market. In the past several years, modified Segways have been put to use by police, security, handicapped persons, and injured military veterans. This new model, having been made even more accessible, will certainly expand into these arenas.
Dean Kaman, the creator of segway, has also introduced the iBOT which is a Segway wheelchair designed to climb stairs and facilite handicapped mobility for parapolegic citizens. The pricetag for the iBOT is $26,000 but with the assistance of insurance can certainly be much more affordable. The iBOT, much like the PUMA was a joint partnership between DEKA and Johnson and Johnson's Independence Technology along with Segway. We've embeded a commercial for the iBOT below.
Current gen Segways (normal ones) can be bought at select Best Buy stores in the US as covered in this article and go for $5,000 which is probably half the price of what a new PUMA will cost (official PUMA site here for more details as they unfold). Even Toyota is jumping on the "personal transport" band wagon and is developing something like a segway called the Winglet.
Learn more about Segway and the PUMA at the official Segway Website.
Anyone who has been following news on the American economy knows GM and Chrysler are really struggling to survive. Just today autoblog posted a survey they conducted stating that 76% of Americans believe GM will fail within the next couple of years.
It's hard to say exactly what will happen when one of them actually does fail, and even harder to think back on the government assistence that has gone into propping them up all this time. Subsidies and unions may have their place in the short run but nothing is free and the cost of those two systems are manifest in what is happening today. Will money be recovered from these mega corporations in some form? Could the recent bailout funds have been spent better elsewhere? What will happen to all of that equipment and expertise?
Thankfully there is a whole new crop of car companies out there chasing the dream. Big leaders like Toyota are adapting to these changes and benefiting from their high quality reputation. Newer smaller companies like Hyundai are staking their own claim while other relatively new companies like Saturn close their doors for good. The most innovative up and comers are Tesla, Zap, and Aptera all out of California. These three companies represent the future in clean efficient transportation and each has created something new and special with their designs. Note that all three companies are focusing on electric cars.
Who will become the future Big 3 and will they reside in the US? As far as we can tell Honda, Toyota, and Tesla have a pretty good shot. Many of the cars produced by Toyota and Honda are actually made in the US these days so they could actually be considered domestic in many ways. Your guess is as good as ours but you can bet it won't be GM, Ford, or Chrysler. As a closing point, Chrysler is doing some amazing work with EV's and so is Ford, we hope they can make it work with this last ditch effort, or possibly spin off their dev teams into new companies.
It's hard to say exactly what will happen when one of them actually does fail, and even harder to think back on the government assistence that has gone into propping them up all this time. Subsidies and unions may have their place in the short run but nothing is free and the cost of those two systems are manifest in what is happening today. Will money be recovered from these mega corporations in some form? Could the recent bailout funds have been spent better elsewhere? What will happen to all of that equipment and expertise?
Thankfully there is a whole new crop of car companies out there chasing the dream. Big leaders like Toyota are adapting to these changes and benefiting from their high quality reputation. Newer smaller companies like Hyundai are staking their own claim while other relatively new companies like Saturn close their doors for good. The most innovative up and comers are Tesla, Zap, and Aptera all out of California. These three companies represent the future in clean efficient transportation and each has created something new and special with their designs. Note that all three companies are focusing on electric cars.
Who will become the future Big 3 and will they reside in the US? As far as we can tell Honda, Toyota, and Tesla have a pretty good shot. Many of the cars produced by Toyota and Honda are actually made in the US these days so they could actually be considered domestic in many ways. Your guess is as good as ours but you can bet it won't be GM, Ford, or Chrysler. As a closing point, Chrysler is doing some amazing work with EV's and so is Ford, we hope they can make it work with this last ditch effort, or possibly spin off their dev teams into new companies.
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