Here's Part II of the last week's news about PHEVs that isn't
directly about carmakers:
* Oregon's proposed $5K plug-in credit nearly matches federal amount
* Michigan's governor exploring plug-in tax credit
* Recharging Michigan event hears PHEV hopes and doubts
* AP IDs sponsors behind federal PHEV credits; gets carmakers' reactions
* Candidates' clean car plans analyzed at NYTimes blog
* Multiple PHEV reports from Austin AltCarExpo; Plug-In Partners News
* Britain, Europe, India roundup on plug-in development
* Google.org and Google.com's green agenda profiled
* Dean Kamen working on Stirling engine PHEV
* Air Car analysis



OREGON NEARLY MATCHES FEDERAL PLUG-IN CREDITS: Saying, "In 2009, we
must be bolder, more comprehensive and even more visionary," Oregon's
Governor Ted Kulongoski has proposed a new energy agenda replacing
the $1,500 hybrid tax credit with a $5,000 credit for PHEVs and EVs.
The report and background are at The Oregonian's Oregon Live "Ted
Kulongoski unveils 'green' goals for 2009"
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/ted_kulongoski_unveils_green_g.\
html
. Imagine if many states follow this precedent!



MICHIGAN EXPLORING TAX CREDIT FOR PLUG-IN Cars: The Detroit News
reported on Oct. 24, " Granholm looks at tax credit for residents
who buy hybrid cars"
http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081024/POLITICS/81024030\
3
. Speaking at an Obama campaign event at Michigan State University,
Gov. Jennifer Granholm said "We're looking at a tax credit for
electric vehicles, like the federal credit," Granholm said. The
governor said she hasn't fleshed out details yet because she wants to
see what the state can afford, given the current national financial
crisis and its potential impact on state tax receipts. Employment in
the alternative energy market was the focus of the 45-minute meeting
with students. She told students that Michigan needs a partner in the
White House who backs the state's plans to promote alternative and
renewable energy and touted the Democratic candidate's $150 billion
initiative to create green jobs over 10 years.



HOPES AND DOUBTS AT "RECHARGING MICHIGAN" CONFERENCE: Excerpts from
report, "Cost, Daytime Grid Capacity Big Plug-In Issues" in Great
Lakes IT Report, 23 October 2008
http://www.wwj.com/Cost--Daytime-Grid-Capacity-Big-Plug-In-Issues/3191898
"We keep hoping for a technological breakthrough that will save
us from ourselves."-- John DiCicco, senior fellow for automotive
strategies at the Environmental Defense Fund,
"Plug in vehicles are big for the future," "But lots of answers
have to evolve." -- David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive
Research said.
"We see a cost savings of $1,200 to $1,700 per year because the
cost per mile to drive a standard car is about 12 cents where driving
a PHEV is about 2 cents per mile." -- John J. Lauckner, vice
president of global program management at GM.
During off-peak hours, "we can handle the increase in power
usage without any upgrades, but during peak hours we would need a
substantial investment to be able to withstand the surge." Knut A.
Simonson, senior vice president at DTE Energy Resources and president
of DTE Energy Ventures
"Greentech is a jobs creations engine that can create millions
of jobs and we are at a perfect storm of opportunity." -- John
Denniston, a partner in Kleiner Perkins, , an investment firm with a
strong interest in environmental investing.



WHO GETS THE CREDIT FOR THE PLUG-IN CREDITS? Many people have
wondered how and why the PHEV incentives (along with renewal of the
renewable tax credits) came to be attached to the bank bailout bill.
In "Tax credits offer incentives for plug-in hybrids"
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-plug-ins-taxcredits,0,3020631.story
, The Associated Press's Ken Thomas on Oct. 27 says
The $758 million in tax credits, which were developed by Sens.
Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Reps. Dave
Camp, R-Mich., and Jay Inslee, D-Wash., are similar to a tax program
available since 2006 for buyers of gas-electric hybrids.
Here's what Thomas heard when he asked automakers for their
responses: Tom Stricker, Toyota's director of technical and
regulatory affairs, said this approach will "incentivize the
manufacturers to get into the game, because we're all working toward
the same cap." [250,000 vehicles from all manufacturers combined.] GM
spokesman Greg Martin said the vehicle's "propulsion system will be
expensive. Tax incentives are an effective tool that helps make the
upfront price equation for the consumer more attractive and can help
spur early adoption of new technology."



"CANDIDATES' CLEAN CAR PLANS" At the NY Times Wheels
Blog
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/the-candidates-clean-car-plans/
environmental journalist Jim Motavailli asks analysts what's possible.
MCCAIN: Speaking of his battery prize, David Cole, chairman of
the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan says Mr. McCain's $300
million "is small change in this business," Mr. Cole added. "It's not
insignificant, but it's the cost of a paint shop in an auto factory."
Charles Territo, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers, agrees. "Our industry in the U.S. spends more than $18
billion per year on research and development," Mr. Territo said.
"There are some manufacturers who have estimated they spend as much
as $1 million an hour investing in new technologies. The McCain
initiative is helpful, but these manufacturers are already spending
billions of dollars bringing plug-in hybrids and other advanced
technologies to the market."
OBAMA: Mr. Territo is also cautious about the prospects for the
Obama plan. "It took 10 years for one million hybrid electric
vehicles to be sold worldwide," he said. "A target of one million
plug-ins in the U.S. by 2015 -- considering there are none now --
could be somewhat optimistic. But it doesn't mean the industry isn't
going to try." "I do think the one million vehicles by 2015 is a
reasonable goal," said Joseph Romm, an author who served as acting
assistant secretary of energy for efficiency and renewable energy in
the Clinton administration. "Half of all new federal car purchases by
2012 is probably trickier, because it's a ramp-up issue. But I would
add that there is hardly a point in running for president if you
can't advance stretch goals."
BOTH: Some environmentalists don't like either plan. "Grandiose
schemes that use taxpayer dollars in the hope of hitting a specific
technology home run aren't likely to work, and are not helpful," said
John DeCicco, an automotive strategist for the Environmental Defense
Fund. "The government needs to set some really firm goals in terms of
carbon reduction, and then get out of the way to let the private
sector come up with a solution."
OUR COMMENTS:
Batteries: GM says the batteries it's planning to use for the
Volt are safe and durable enough to get started. Later improvements
that come as the industry grows will be icing on the cake.
Fleet: IN 2007, US fleet purchases were 65,000 units; half of
that by 2012 is more than possible based on current automakers' announcements.
Environmental Defense: The group has been a pioneer in
developing market-based approaches to climate change, but DeCicco's
focus on damping down interest and support for solutions that don't
have to wait for broader agreement means the group misses promoting
practical solutions.



MULTIPLE PHEV REPORTS FROM ALTCAREXPO IN AUSTIN; NEWS FROM PLUG-IN
PARTNERS: For the first time this event was held in a second location
in addition to Santa Monica. AutoBlogGreen wins an award for the
most stories on a single event. Starting from
http://www.autobloggreen.com/category/austin-alt-car-expo/ you can
read and listen to the stories--we include a few highlights:

* AUSTIN ENERGY ENDS PLUG-IN PARTNERS, UNVEILS NEW SMART CHARGING SOFTWARE
Austin Energy is hosting this Expo, and used it to mark the end
of the Plug-in Partners campaign. Wait, using an alt car show to call
an end to a movement that has worked incredibly hard to get the big
automakers to focus on plug-in vehicles? Yup. Austin Energy general
manager Roger Duncan announced that the Plug-in Partners program is
officially finished now because, "We have absolutely achieved
success." The rumor is that the EDTA might take over some of the PiP
work moving forward, but for now it's mission accomplished.
Also speaking at the press conference was Lloyd Doggett, U.S.
Congressman for the Austin area. Doggett said that the smart
grid/plug-in efforts are "a campaign that really matters for our city
and the planet." Doggett knows what he's talking about; he's worked
in Congres for years on getting pro-PHEV legislation passed (we got a
chance to speak directly with Doggett about this, and we'll post that
interview shortly).
Lastly David Kaplan of V2Green showed of a piece of web-based
PHEV software that AE uses to track - and predict - PHEV use. The
company currently has two converted Priuses plugged into the network
and a fleet of thousands of virtual cars that can help engineers and
others understand how customers will affect the grid load and vice
versa. It's a new era in grid planning - something we'll have much
more on later. For now, you can see the software screens by clicking
here (then just click on each picture to go to the next screen).
* CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT TALKS PHEV TAX CREDITS AND GM'S INFLUENCE
Doggett said he came to the Plug-in movement through the
recently-ended Plug-in Partners campaign, which started in Austin. He
helped get plug-in tax credit legislation passed in the House six
times, but he did not vote in favor of the final bill (the seventh
passing) because it was part of the huge bank bailout bill we heard
so much about a few weeks ago. He's like that.
We spoke to Doggett about the bill and his efforts on behalf of
PHEVs. He said the final version provides about half as much support
for PHEVs as he originally intended three quarters of a billion
dollars instead of $1.5 billion. The provisions were also -
unfortunately, in Doggett's mind - changed from individual
manufacturer cap to an overall cap. There is an industry-wide cap of
250,000 tax credits for consumers between now and 2014. "This was
done perhaps with the idea in mind that General Motors would have the
Volt out there and be ready to try and claim as many credits as
possible against its competitors.
* WILL CONSUMERS BUY IN? DUH.
The real question, Southern California Edison's Ed Kjaer said,
isn't "Will Consumers Buy In?" but will the OEMs build PHEVs in volume?
* FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR PLUG-IN HYBRIDS
Mark Duvall of EPRI said that If we get to a million plug-in
vehicles in eight years, which is what it took with hybrids, it would
be a "great success." There is some chance that we could reach that
number in five years, and it is in line with Barack Obama's plan
calls for this to happen (with 150 mpge vehicles) by 2015.
OTHER SESSIONS:
* OBSCENE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON THE SMART GRID AND PLUG-IN VEHICLES
* PHEV OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR UTILITIES
* PANEL LOOKS AT THE FUTURE OF PLUG-IN HYBRIDS



GLOBAL RUSH FOR PLUG-IN DEVELOPMENT: See this Indian publication
http://www.domain-b.com/industry/Automobiles/cars/20081029_electric_cars.html
for a roundup including Britain's new 100M pound initiative and
activities by companies in India.



GOOGLE'S GREEN AGENDA PROFILED: In the Oct 28, 2008 NY Times, "
Google's Green Agenda Could Pay Off"
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/technology/internet/28google.html ,
Miguel Helft looks at how both Google.com and Google.org are
approaching "the energy sector as a potential business opportunity."
On PHEVs, he says,
Google.org also announced a project last year to develop plug-in
hybrids. To make them widely available, the electrical grid would
have to be upgraded so that cars could be plugged in at multiple
locations, where they could be recharged and consumers billed. Google
now says it is interested in developing technologies to support some
of those upgrades, as well as other tools at the intersection of
energy and information technology, like "smart" electrical meters.
The partnership with G.E. is aimed in part at exploring some of those
opportunities. Google now says it is interested in developing
technologies to support some of those upgrades, as well as other
tools at the intersection of energy and information technology, like
"smart" electrical meters. The partnership with G.E. is aimed in part
at exploring some of those opportunities.



DEAN KAMEN'S PHEV: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Kamen , perhaps
the world's most inventive engineer, is hard at work on a series PHEV
using an ultra-efficient but difficult-to-design/manufacture/maintain
Stirling engine. If anyone can do it, he can. Kamen, best known for
Segway inventor, invented the first drug infusion pump, the world's
best wheelchair (see a photo of him with the amazin iBot in front of
our PHEV at http://www.calcars.org/photos-people#DK ), and created
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to
inspire high school students to work in science and technology. A
recent profile at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/10/27/sv_deankamen.x\
ml
describes the PHEV and discusses his tragically not-yet-financed
inventions that could provide billions with clean water and cheap
energy. See comments about the PHEV project at
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/28/dean-kamen-working-on-stirling-engine-as\
sisted-electric-car/
.



AIR CAR ANALYSIS: Every few months, talk of the "Air Car" returns.
The French company that's been working on it for many years has made
some progress, and apparently has some support from Tata Motors in
India. No one has done a full energy analysis of the system and
compared it to other options, but as part of an overview story,
finally Edmund' Green Car Advisor has asked some engineers about it.
Robert E.Calem in "Compressed Air Car Has Backers, Detractors and a
U.S. Production Date"
http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2008/10/compressed-air-car-has-backers-\
detractors-and-a-us-production-date.html
writes a lengthy overview that includes comments by Paul
Vanvalkenburgh, an adjunct professor at California State University
Long Beach, saying MDI's compressed air engine is "primarily an
energy storage and transport system, less efficient than batteries,
and [with] less future potential."


-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Felix Kramer fkramer@...
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.org
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --