Showing posts with label emissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emissions. Show all posts

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Home Recharging - Changing the Status Quo


Studies done in 1996 by the University of California indicate that households place a high value on avoiding retail fuelling stations. Prior studies have documented a dislike of gasoline stations. This suggests that home recharging is the highest valued attribute of the Electric Vehicle.

What are the benefits of Home Recharging?

• No more waiting in line at the gas station
• No need to visit battery exchange stations
• No more snack temptation at the gas station
• No more smelly gas hands
• No more checking the oil
• More time for you

Driving Range: Any disutility of reduced driving range in one household vehicle is small for most mutli-car households. Any household that can adapt to any reduced range adapts to a range of 240 km or less.

Emissions: Research should focus less on new batteries that provide a longer range (i.e. higher specific energy and energy density), and more on improved battery cycle life, energy management and manufacturing costs.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Canada’s Energy Market


There is a renewed policy interest in using renewable energy as a way to decrease emissions of Green House Gases (GHGs) and other pollutants. Canada is a world leader in the production of renewable energy. In fact, hydro-electricity is the dominant source of electricity in Canada, representing nearly two-thirds of total generation. Canada has abundant water resources and a geography that provides many opportunities to produce low-cost energy. The largest producers are provincially owned electric utilities. They include Hydro-Quebec, BC Hydro, Ontario Power Generation Inc., Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, and Manitoba Hydro. Hydro-Electricity production is projected to increase by about 14 percent until 2020. The need for reducing GHG emissions in Canada may lead to additional growth potential for hydro-electricity.

Quebec’s electricity production comes for the greatest part (97%) from hydroelectricity. Using FEV in Quebec will make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 3.8 tons per year per vehicle.