The National Household Travel Survey from 2009 used data about commuting distance, city size and driving habits from March 2008 to May 2009. The authors of the report found that vehicles used within this period traveled about 40 miles per day. Participating drivers often traveled less than 30 miles (95% of trips) and 99% of trips were less than 70 miles. “Assessment of Electric Cars’ Range” notes that 95% of total daily commuting was below 120 miles and 99% fell below 250 miles. The average participant traveled only 12.6 miles in one direction for a daily commute.

Plug-in and battery-electric vehicles hitting the market in the next five years meet these commuting requirements with some leeway. The Nissan LEAF can achieve a 138-mile range when fully charged, which would handle 95% of all commutes. “Assessment of Electric Cars’ Range” also concludes that the 2011 Tesla Roadster could meet 98.5% of commutes even if the driving range was reduced 15% from EPA estimates. This report highlighted the oft-mentioned distinction between urban and rural commutes. Consumers in compact spaces from New York City to Honolulu travel only 24 miles per day while Midwestern drivers average about 49 miles per day. EV owners in urban and rural areas could balance adequate range with smart grid use based on these findings.

Organizers of the Solar Journey USA project are highlighting these findings prior to a cross-country excursion this summer. Rob van Haaren and Garrett Fitzgerald will use a vehicle powered by solar paneling to cover 3,200 miles in 17 days. “Assessment of Electric Cars’ Range” and the Solar Journey USA trip highlight the reliability of EV technology at a precarious economic moment. This message must be repeated ceaselessly by researchers, automakers, government agencies and utilities to keep consumers looking forward.

The UK Department of Transport and Ecotricity recently announced the opening of EV charging stations in Bristol and Birmingham. These stations join four “top-up” zones produced by Ecotricity and located at Welcome Break locations on England’s major highways. Unveiling ceremonies took place last week at charging stations on the M4 and M42 motorways. These stations represent a growing Electric Highway in the United Kingdom that should allow long-distance travel from London. This highway not only fits the nation’s efforts to create eco-friendly transportation ahead of the 2012 Olympics but answers questions about the future of EVs in England.

The initial phase of the Electric Highway featuring 27 “top-up” zones should be complete by spring 2013. This network would allow visitors to recharge their EVs at every Welcome Break location in England. Ecotricity has installed stations on the M1, M4, M5, M25, M40 and M42 motorways over the past few months. The EV charger manufacturer plans an additional six charging stations completed by spring 2012.

A model for future Electric Highway development could be the M4 stop near Reading. This plug-in charger is attached to a windmill operated by Ecotricity. The focus of the Electric Highway is not only convenient EV charging but also zero-emissions transportation. Each EV station on the Highway uses alternative energy procured from windmills and solar panels located along highways.

Each Welcome Break EV charger features two charging units to meet driver needs. The 13A power supply is ideal for drivers in need of overnight charging who are staying at travel lodges. Commuters who need to hit the road immediately can use the 32A power supply for 20-minute quick charges. The UK Department of Transport and Ecotricity developed an access system that allows drivers to recharge after requesting a free access card.

The efforts of the Department of Transport and Ecotricity are intended to offset public skepticism about EVs. The United Kingdom only houses about 400 charge points to accommodate 2,000 EVs and plug-in hybrids. This figure is largely dominated by London, which operates 250 charging stations. Officials with the Department of Transport anticipate a wave of plug-in vehicles hitting the United Kingdom over the next five years. A generation of EV and plug-in hybrid adoption would strain the region’s limited charging infrastructure. The UK’s Electric Highway focuses on areas of heavy traffic and uses renewable energy to reduce environmental impacts throughout the transportation cycle.

Internet search giant Google has worked since 2007 to reduce the company’s impact on the environment. Google initiated carbon-neutral practices four years ago and developed a charging infrastructure for plug-in vehicles on the main campus. The company also started Google.org as a philanthropic wing that could turn Google into a steward for environmental causes. This organization worked with McKinsey & Company to publish “The Impact of Clean Energy Innovation,” a report citing the need for massive investments in green energy.

“The Impact of Clean Energy Innovation” used three models to estimate energy consumption and emissions through 2030. The Business as Usual (BAU) situation assumes that government incentives expire while energy costs are adjusted upward due to demand. The Clean Policy scenario assesses the impact of increased local, state and federal incentives for clean energy development. Google.org also ran the $30/ton Carbon Price situation where utilities adopted a carbon tax of $30 per metric ton. Analysts at McKinsey & Company developed these scenarios along with subsections dealing with incentives for solar, electric and other alternative fuel adoption.

Analysts with Google.org estimated that significant green energy investments could create jobs, reduce emissions and expand the economy by 2030. This report determined that more than 1.1 million new jobs would be created at utilities, manufacturers and other participants in the clean energy industry. Consumers would reduce their oil consumption by more than 1.1 billion gallons per year while cutting emissions by at least 13%. The American economy could grow by more than $244 billion per year in terms of gross domestic product using the Clean Policy scenario. A typical American household would save at least $995 per year in savings using Clean Policy figures.

A significant portion of “The Impact of Clean Energy Innovation” discusses the overwhelming challenges to creating a clean energy economy. In a section entitled “Speed Matters,” the report indicates that a five-year lag time for green energy and vehicle development could mean $3.2 trillion and 1.4 million jobs in lost potential by 2050. Google.org also recognizes the allure of coal power when contrasted with the current state of alternative fuel research. “The Impact of Clean Energy Innovation” highlights the short-term benefits of natural gas on emissions levels but warns that natural gas could be a crutch that discourages clean energy development. The major conclusion of this report is that governments and private industry need to double down on clean energy storage, infrastructure and generation if only to create sustainable economic growth.

Daimler has been operating test launches of its car2go program in Ulm, Germany and Austin, Texas over the past year. This car-sharing initiative has attracted more than 20,000 drivers to 200 smart fortwo vehicles in Ulm since March 2009. The Ulm phase of car2go is incorporating an additional 100 units into the fleet due to high demand. Drivers in Austin, Texas have reserved car2go vehicles 80,000 times since the program began this summer. Daimler and European rental company Europcar are advancing car2go with a commercial rollout in Hamburg starting in 2011.

Subscribers to the car2go Hamburg program will be able to access 300 smart fortwo vehicles throughout the downtown district. Vehicles will be available in a 25 square mile range surrounding central Hamburg to accommodate city dwellers, business people and public officials. The car2go model allows a user to pick up a rental car anywhere in the city, pay for time used and leave the vehicle at any public parking space. Hamburg residents will pay rental charges of $0.40 per minute or $20.56 per hour. These costs cover everything from gasoline and parking charges to basic insurance coverage.

The Europcar/car2go venture in Hamburg will feature Daimler’s first production model intended solely for car sharing. The smart car2go model created by Daimler is outfitted with two seats, an interactive onboard computer and a roof with solar panels. Users will be able to find their way through Hamburg and access parking passes using a redesigned console. Daimler has built the smart car2go with solar panels as much for user comfort as for support to auxiliary systems. The vehicle’s roof is designed to cut cockpit temperatures significantly, thus reducing the need for air conditioning in summer.

Europcar and Daimler created the car2go Hamburgh GmbH to oversee this ambitious program. Daimler will be the minority shareholder in this company and rely on Europcar’s experiences in Hamburg to inform the rollout. The timetable from Ulm and Austin to Hamburg has been remarkable given the cautious nature of the automotive industry. Automakers are taking years to research, develop and test new vehicles that fit the needs of eco-conscious consumers. The car2go program has already spanned millions of miles and helped thousands of drivers stay mobile in the United States and Germany. Public and private partners throughout the world should encourage such ingenuity to reduce fuel consumption while taking pressure off underfunded transit systems.

Event organizers and corporations around the world have taken an interest in green vehicle competitions. The recent e-Miglia race featured zero-emissions vehicles racing from Germany to Italy. The American Solar Challenge Road Race put solar vehicles through the paces in the Midwest. These events are modest compared to the inaugural Zero Emissions Race. This global challenge kicked off with four teams leaving from Geneva on August 15.

The Zero Emissions Race will last 80 days and cover 18,641 miles. This race will pass through 150 major metro areas from Moscow to Mexico City. The first leg of the Zero Emissions Race stretches from Geneva to Shanghai. Racers will be transported by boat across the Pacific to Vancouver. The North American leg spans from Vancouver to San Francisco, Austin and Mexico City. The event will make a stop at the World Climate Change Conference running from November 29 to December 10 in Cancun. Racing teams will finish the event on January 22, 2011 in Geneva.

Participants in the Zero Emissions Race needed to meet several criteria before heading to Geneva. Each vehicle must be powered by an electric motor and feature at least two seats. The organizing committee also required a maximum per-charge range of 155 miles, a daily range of 310 miles and a maximum speed of at least 49 miles per hour. Drivers will be able to recharge their batteries over a four-hour lunch break each day. The four teams represent some of the latest innovations in zero-emissions transportation in Europe, Asia and Australia. The entrants include an all-electric motorcycle by the Vectrix Team from Germany and a solar-powered car by the Orliken Solar Racing Team.

The judging criteria for this event go beyond successfully reaching Geneva in 80 days. Participants will need to demonstrate vehicle reliability and safety through rough terrain. Judges will look at energy efficiency based on daily driver logs to determine the most efficient entrant. Another factor in picking the winning team is the popularity of the vehicle among online and in-person observers. Event sponsors have stated that input from the general public will figure prominently in the Zero Emissions Race. From a more democratic judging process to more grueling tests, the Zero Emissions Race could become the pinnacle of green vehicle events in the next few years.

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team came out victorious during the recent American Solar Challenge 2010. The team’s Infinium solar vehicle led all three stages of the 1,100-mile race from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to Naperville, Illinois. The Infinium was a 700-pound solar panel platform that used A123 lithium-ion phosphate batteries, CSIRO motor and Emcore solar panels. The American Solar Challenge 2010 is an event organized by the Innovators Educational Foundation to support advancements in solar power use.         

To compete in the American Solar Challenge, 17 teams participated in the qualifying Formula Sun Grand Prix on June 16-18, 2010 in Cresson, Texas. These teams included 17 university teams from the United States, Germany, Canada and Taiwan. Each team needed to successfully complete 150 laps in two days around the 1.7-mile Motorsport Ranch course to qualify for the road race. The University of Michigan managed 720 laps over three days followed by Bochum University of Applied Sciences (680 laps) and the University of Minnesota (617 laps).

The American Solar Challenge Road Race required racers to reach daily checkpoints in the Missouri cities of Neosho and Jefferson City as well as Normal, Illinois. The University of Michigan Solar Car Team set the pace for all participants with a total time of 28 hours, 14 minutes. The University of Minnesota’s Centaurus 2 kept up its strong performance from the Formula Sun Grand Prix with a second-place time of 30 hours, 26 minutes. The Centaurus 2 was a 400-pound platform with an NGM motor, BAK lithium-polymer batteries and China Sunergy panels. The SolarWorld No.1 by the Bochum University of Applied Sciences came in a close third at 30 hours, 34 minutes. Bochum’s 483-pound SolarWorld No.1 was powered by Azur Space 3G panels, Sanyo batteries and an NGM motor.

The success of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team shows that innovation is not exclusive to automakers and research labs. This student-run organization used more than 200 volunteers over two years to create the Infinium. The American Solar Challenge 2010 is not about solar-powered vehicles that are ready to hit the road. Infinium and its competitors show that the new frontier of automotive technology cannot be explored without imagination. To break free from stale notions about oil and combustion engines, we need to jump start public and private innovation through events like the American Solar Challenge.

The SunStang Solar Car Project recently announced its intentions to create a production version of its well-known solar-powered racer. This student-run project at the University of Western Ontario has participated in solar car contests around the world since 1993. The project has participated in myriad contests since 1996 including the 2003 American Solar Challenge and the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge. SunStang has a good pedigree in these competitions including a first-place finish at the 1996 Canadian Solar Discovery Challenge.

The faculty and students at the University of Western Ontario are changing the SunStang design in recognition of economic realities. The SunStang solar cars used in world competitions features a flat surface lined with solar panels to generate power. These panels are affordable on a prototype but would not be economically feasible in large-scale production. SunStang officials have designed a production model that would feature a battery system that would be recharged using a set of solar panels at the user’s home or office. This significant change was necessary to make the SunStang production model affordable for the average consumer.

SunStang’s production car would feature a composite metal body, three wheels and a single seat. The design allows for a small amount of cargo space along with room for a spare tire. The 10.5kW electric motor and the aforementioned battery system would be recharged quickly using solar recharging stations. The maximum speed of the SunStang car is 83 miles per hour with a 124 mile range at speeds up to 75 miles per hour. SunStang also notes that drivers cruising at city speeds could travel up to 186 miles on a single charge.

The next phase of SunStang’s vehicle development project seems to be in the hands of corporate sponsors. The project relies on sponsorships from companies like Yokohama Tires Inc. in order to create prototypes and research solar technologies. This Canadian tire company recently supplied $10,000 to SunStang to facilitate development of a production model. Yokohama and SunStang have announced a desire to take the first SunStang model on a trip across Canada this fall.

SunStang’s vision seems to be close to fruition with production started on the composite frame and testing underway for the battery system. The latest development in solar technology by SunStang seems practical compared to its previous endeavors. While solar cars work in contests, SunStang is recognizing the limits of solar panels as a primary source for vehicle power in transit. The adoption of solar charging at home would also create a culture of green energy that could reduce stress on the electrical grid.

Honda is using the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show to highlight advancements in its hybrid and all-electric vehicle lines. The Japanese automaker leads off its Tokyo Motor Show presentation with a production version of its CR-Z hybrid. The CR-Z hybrid first premiered in Tokyo in 2007 and Honda has spent the past two years turning the concept into reality. This six-speed manual hybrid will be ready to move from factories to sales floors by the end of 2010.

The Tokyo Motor Show may help launch additional hybrid and electric lines by Honda just as the CR-Z hybrid evolved from its 2007 premiere. The EV-N is a four-seat car based on the simple design of the automaker’s N360 model from the 1960s. Honda inserted solar panels in the roof of the EV-N to recharge the battery using the power of the sun. This battery-electric model is nothing more than a concept with Honda not planning production in the near future. While the EV-N is merely a flight of fancy by Honda, the six-seat Skydeck hybrid keeps one foot in the real world. The Skydeck features the Honda IMA drive system used in the Insight stored between the front and back seats for greater cargo room. Honda states that the Skydeck will not be a production vehicle but its design aesthetic and components will be used in future models.

Honda’s HELLO! Display gathers the miscellaneous hybrid and electric products to be sold through the automaker in the next decade. The EV-Cub electric bike features a dual clutch transmission and light frame for speed freaks looking for cleaner bikes. The LOOP handheld device is touted by Honda as a way for drivers to keep track of fuel levels, mechanical issues and vehicle location from a distance. Honda is also using the HELLO! Display to remind visitors about the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle already roaming the streets of Japan.

Visitors to Honda’s HELLO! Display and vehicle presentation in Chiba will see the perfect example of how automakers will thrive in the future. Honda is not pushing all of its chips into a single technology nor is it riding the tide of a successful product. This automaker is looking for means of diversifying its green-vehicle fleet while thinking about a seamless transportation infrastructure. While the CR-Z hybrid and the FCX Clarity may get all of the attention, smaller touches like the EV-Cub bike and the LOOP may be more important to creating a sustainable transportation infrastructure in the 21st century and beyond.

(Photo by constantly_Jair on Flickr)

The Department of Energy is using $777 million from its annual budget and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to invest in alternative energy research through 2013. Secretary Steven Chu officially released the list of 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) that will receive research grants as part of this initiative. The DOE plans to supply funds in full to 16 EFRCs and spread out the remainder of the money to 31 EFRCs over the next five years. The first payment of $377 million has been delivered to the applicable EFRCs to begin research immediately.

The big winner in front-loaded EFRC funding was the Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation. The center received $21 million in front-loaded funds to study various plant cells in order to facilitate biofuel creation. The DOE provided $20 million at Purdue University’s Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels for similar research. The department seemed to focus on solar power in its EFRC funding with grants to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Excitonics ($19 million), Northwestern University’s Center for Integrated Training in Far-From-Equilibrium and Adaptive Materials ($19 million) and the University of Arizona’s Center for Interface Science ($15 million).

The largest five-year grants provided by the DOE went to the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Center for Emergent Superconductivity ($22.5 million) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis ($22.5 million). The Center for Emergent Superconductivity will use its five-year grant to improve heat tolerance and performance in superconductors. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will research the interaction, storage and consumption of chemical and electrical energy. Other EFRCs receiving five-year grants include Princeton University’s Center for Nanoscale Control of Geologic Carbon Dioxide ($20 million), the Oakridge National Laboratory’s Energy Frontier Center for Defect Physics in Structural Materials ($19 million) and the Idaho National Laboratory’s Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuel ($10 million).

The DOE’s financial commitment to the intricacies of alternative fuels is necessary to push the green vehicle market along. Casual observers may criticize the study of plant cell walls, energy interaction and superconductivity as wasteful spending. We cannot develop the next generation of cleaner and more cost-effective vehicles without putting in the requisite research. As the aforementioned EFRCs publish the results of their studies, these scientific principles will be used to create alternative-fuel vehicles built for long-term use.

Shell Oil’s Eco-Marathon has its origins in a “mileage” race in 1939 that was designed to test the fuel mileage of employee vehicles. This simple contest has evolved into an annual event that promotes better gas mileage in conventional and alternative vehicles. The 2009 Shell Eco-Marathon Americas featured 44 teams and 500 students trying to break the current record for traditional vehicles of 2,843 miles per gallon set by Mater Dei High School in 2008. The testing event took place April 15-18 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. The Prototype and UrbanConcept entrants had to travel seven laps around the track to determine average fuel consumption.

The MPG victory in the 2009 event was the Alerion Supermileage group from Quebec’s Laval University which achieved 2,751 miles per gallon. The group’s vehicle NTF 3.0 used a conventional combustion engine that powered an ultra-light car designed to reduce drag. The students won $5,000 USD for their work as well as bragging rights over their competitors in subsequent competitions.

The Shell Eco-Marathon Americas declared winners in eleven categories including UrbanConcept, Eco-Design Award and Solar Power Prototype. The UrbanConcept category, which required groups to create road-ready cars using traditional and alternative fuels, was won by Mater Dei High School with its gas-powered Street Buggy (433.3 MPG). A group from UCLA used recycled paneling, seats and eco-friendly parts to win the Eco-Design Award from Shell Oil. Purdue University’s Solar Racing team reached 4,913 MPG with its Pulsar solar car to win the Solar Power Prototype category.

The diversity of the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas shows that fuel mileage is a global concern. In addition to 29 universities and six high schools from the United States, groups from Canada, Mexico and Brazil tested their skills on the track. International groups won several awards including the Safety Award (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) and the prototype grand prize (Laval University).

The bigger lesson from the Shell Eco-Marathon event is that it will take a multitude of new vehicle designs to wean ourselves from a dependence on oil. The event’s focus on conventional and alternative fuels along with the past successes of groups like Laval University and Mater Dei High School show that a transition to high-mileage vehicles is looming.  While the high-mileage vehicles featured in the 2009 Shell contest aren’t ready for production, they show the availability of technology that can be implemented with government and corporate investment.