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.

Toyota and Tesla Motors initiated a partnership last year that could vault both automakers to the head of the EV market. This partnership featured a $100 million payment from Toyota to Tesla in exchange for the latter company’s electric drive systems. Toyota has developed hybrid vehicles like the Prius but wants Tesla’s EV expertise behind their future vehicles. The latest development in the Toyota-Tesla partnership came with the recent announcement that RAV4 EVs will be assembled in Canada. Industry experts have jumped on both companies for outsourcing assembly to Canada rather than working with existing American facilities.

The standard RAV4 sold in North America is currently produced at a Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) facility in Woodstock, Ontario. Toyota and Tesla have agreed to produce the all-electric RAV4 in Woodstock starting in 2012. This decision increases production efficiency significantly by keeping all RAV4 development on the same lines. Tesla is committed to developing their electric drive systems in California at facilities in Fremont and Palo Alto. Completed Tesla drives will be delivered to the Woodstock facility ahead of final assembly. American consumers will see RAV4 EVs in Toyota showrooms throughout the United States by summer 2012.

Officials with Toyota and Tesla are excited about the RAV4 project based on road testing over the past year. Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing America (TEMA) worked with Tesla to convert 32 RAV4s into electric vehicles. These retrofitted EVs were tested at California facilities for both automakers starting in June 2010. The success of the RAV4 trials reaffirmed the partnership and showed that RAV4 EV production could proceed in the near future. The RAV4 EV should act as an entry point to American households as Toyota releases the Prius Plug-in Hybrid and Scion iQ EV while Tesla produces the Model X.

The kerfuffle about Tesla and Toyota’s decision to assemble RAV4s in Canada instead of the United States is based on misunderstanding. Officials with Toyota mentioned use of the 5.5 million square foot factory in Fremont, California during the initial press conference. The mention of the Fremont facility was part of a discussion regarding the potential logistics of the Toyota-Tesla collaboration. Their decision to combine RAV4 production in an existing facility makes sense for both companies even if it upsets interested parties in the United States. Greater efficiencies at the Woodstock facility not only translate to decreases in production waste but lower retail prices in the future.

Hong Kong seems like a perfect market for electric vehicles according to recent environmental and traffic reports. Government statistics note that 2010 was the country’s worst year in terms of vehicle pollution with 82% of carbon monoxide emissions coming from vehicles. These statistics also note that Hong Kong features the densest traffic in the world with 600,000 registered vehicles in a confined space. Suppliers like Mitsubishi, EuAuto and Tesla Motors are bombarding Hong Kong with advertisements for electric vehicles. A Wall Street Journal story reported that only 70 electric vehicles were registered as of January 1, 2011.

Government officials and industry experts have cited myriad reasons for Hong Kong’s slow adoption of EVs. The prevalence of status symbol vehicles like Jaguars and Lamborghinis shows that style is often put above substance among drivers in Hong Kong. Drivers are concerned that Hong Kong’s steep hills could cut EV range by up to 40% compared to automaker estimates. The government’s EV tax credit helps reduce green vehicle costs though discounted sticker prices are often three times higher than prices for gas-powered cars. A final obstacle to EV sales in Hong Kong is the $15,000 average cost of a replacement battery, which is out of reach for the average driver.

Efforts made by the regional government could help promote EVs to a skeptical public. The government’s goal is for 30% of all privately owned cars to be hybrids or electric vehicles by 2010. The Environment Bureau has encouraged commercial buildings and homeowners to install 2,000 charge points by 2013 to build on the 265 stations operating in 2010. Another incentive is a waiver on the exorbitant registration fee for EV buyers through March 2014. This waiver could be worth as much as $7,500 per driver, which would cut into the sticker price of a $50,000 Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

The private sector is also engaged in a campaign to promote EVs throughout Hong Kong. Crown Motors and Universal Cars Ltd. have announced efforts to work with automakers to advertise EVs and educate the public. Crown Motors has announced that an aggressive advertising campaign could yield 2,200 units of the Toyota Prius sold in 2011. CLP Power plans on leasing five Mitsubishi i-MiEVs to corporate clients on a monthly basis. One such client is Kerry Properties, a real estate company that will offer an i-MiEV to tenants for daily rentals. Hong Kong might be a long way from becoming an EV paradise but the groundwork is laid for a green vehicle evolution.

The South Carolina State Capitol in Columbia hosted a kickoff event on December 8th for a statewide tour by Plug-in Carolina. This non-profit organization is working with Eaton Corporation to promote the state’s burgeoning charging network for electric vehicles. Plug-in Carolina has been working since 2006 to turn South Carolina into an EV haven in the Deep South. Representatives from Plug-in Carolina and Eaton demonstrated the Pow-R-Station DC QuickCharger alongside Governor Mark Sanford.

This statewide tour will stop in eight cities that figure prominently into Plug-in Carolina’s long-term plans. Plug-in vehicles like the Chevy Volt, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Tesla Roadster are hitting the road to highlight the state’s infrastructure needs. Plug-in Carolina is currently working with Utility Partners of America to install 30 stations in five communities including Spartanburg and Greensville. These charging stations are available to drivers at present with plans for an additional 50 units throughout South Carolina by February 2011. Plug-in Carolina will extend its reach to Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Charleston with this second round of chargers.

Eaton and Plug-in Carolina have received two grants from the South Carolina Energy Office to develop this network. These partners are working on state and federal grant applications for 2011 to add to the 80-station network in the next five years. Partner utilities like Lockhart Power, Duke Energy and South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. are coordinating on billing, grid maintenance and wireless monitoring for each EV charging unit. This commitment to a seamless charging network should allow South Carolinians to transition to plug-in vehicles without concerns about EV infrastructure.

The state of South Carolina is leading the way in the Southeast in terms of infrastructure for EVs and plug-in hybrids. Green vehicle manufacturers CT&T and Proterra have committed to adding production facilities in South Carolina to meet potential consumer demand. The state’s EV charging network could grow exponentially in the next few years as drivers in Charleston, Columbia and other cities look to the future. South Carolina offers an interesting case study for future green vehicle deployments given its mixture of mid-sized cities, coastal towns and rural communities. The Plug-in Carolina experience could be replicated in neighboring states over the net decade, creating an EV corridor from the mid-Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico.

Tesla Motors has been a popular investment for parts manufacturers and automakers over the past year. Daimler took a 10% stake in Tesla prior to the company’s initial public offering in spring 2009. Toyota participated in the IPO by purchasing $50 million in publicly traded stock during the following summer. These investments have been embraced by CEO Elon Musk, who is attempting to balance financial realities with the dream of high-performance EVs. This balance will not be accomplished without a reliable battery pack under the hood of each Tesla car. Panasonic has stepped up its involvement with Tesla through a $30 million investment.

Tesla and Panasonic have been working for years to develop a lithium-ion battery pack for the Roadster EV. Musk has noted in the past that he would be willing to cede design of individual cells as long as Tesla designed the packaging. The automaker has worked with several battery manufacturers to find the right cells, ultimately choosing Panasonic as its primary partner. Panasonic has a connection to both Toyota and Tesla through subsidiary Primearth EV Energy Co. This research and development firm currently works with Toyota to design batteries for the Toyota RAV4 BEV.

Panasonic’s investment in Tesla will expand their relationship beyond battery development. Researchers from Panasonic may work closely with Tesla to consult with other automakers on how to integrate battery packs into their drive systems. The duo intends to combine advertising efforts to commercial clients that may need lithium-ion battery packs. Panasonic and Tesla will also coordinate sales efforts to deliver battery packs at affordable prices to clients.

The flood of corporate investments in Tesla shows that the automaker is on the right track in the infancy of the EV market. Tesla has been criticized recently for being a stock market darling rather than a successful automaker. This criticism comes from a traditionalist view of the auto market where a handful of big automakers churn out successive generations of similar vehicles. Tesla is among a growing group of automakers attempting to develop drive systems, batteries and components unlike anything else in the industry. Investments in Tesla by Toyota, Daimler and Panasonic show that the EV market may be more collaborative and innovative in its early days than the traditional auto market.

The Central Alps will be filled with electric cars and motorcycles next week as part of the 2010 e-Miglia. This all-electric street race is scheduled for four stages between August 3rd and August 6th. The 2010 e-Miglia is designed to promote the next generation of green vehicles while continuing the tradition of European street rallies. Among the 19 teams participating in the 2010 e-Miglia are two motorcycle teams and 17 car teams.

The event will cover a 354-mile route through parts of Germany, Austria and Italy. Each team must travel up to 105 miles per day to stay in the race. The 2010 e-Miglia breaks down into two, three and four wheel vehicle categories to ensure fair competition. The first stage of the race will start in Munich and end in Fussen. Additional stages will end in Innsbruck and Bolzano with the final stage culminating at Rovereto. The victor receives a grand prize of 10,000 pounds ($15,409 USD) with additional prizes given to leaders in each category.

The field of 19 teams is a virtual who’s who of EV producers and utilities throughout the world. The four-wheel category features electric vehicles by Tesla, Citroen and Smart. The two-wheel category includes entries by Zero Motorcycles and a modified Quantya e-bike entered by the eRide Race Team. The key variable in the success of the 2010 e-Miglia will be the performance of Schletter GmbH charging stations. This solar power utility has installed its P.Charge EV units throughout all four stages for overnight recharging. These stations derive their power from solar panel collectors, which sidesteps the problem of dirty power generation.

The 2010 e-Miglia would not be possible without funding from 24 sponsors from around the world. Sponsors like America One, Schwarz Alpenresort and Electrixx provide enough money for a real test of electric vehicles. The 354-mile route from Munich to Rovereto includes a considerable amount of uphill climbing that will present challenges to race teams. This first iteration of the e-Miglia might not show how vehicles perform during daily commutes but it could be far more important than demonstration projects. The combination of heated competition for a large grand prize and difficult terrain will show the mettle of today’s electric bikes and vehicles.

Tesla Motors has been featured frequently on front pages and business sections over the past two weeks. The electric vehicle producer kicked off an initial public offering (IPO) on June 29th that yielded significant interest from investors. Tesla’s shares went from the starting price of $17 per share to $23.89 per share, representing a 41% increase in a single day. The company’s confidence in the Tesla Roadster and the upcoming Model S can be seen in the recently released of the Roadster 2.5.

Tesla plans to release the Roadster 2.5 as it opens dealerships in Copenhagen and Newport Beach. The Tesla Roadster 2.5 contains slight adjustments to the familiar Roadster body and interior. The front end of this latest Roadster edition includes new diffusers and vents to make the design a bit more complex. Tesla also added a front fender liner to the Roadster 2.5 that decreases road noises for the driver. The Power Electronics Module (PEM) was modified to handle systems management at higher temperatures.

Additional changes to the Roadster seem aimed at the luxury-minded consumers who can afford Tesla vehicles. Each Roadster 2.5 features a lumbar support system that adds some comfort for long commutes and trips. Tesla allows buyers to choose between silver and black directional fused wheels that are slight improvements on previous models. Future consumers can pay extra for seven-inch touch screen displays with backup cameras. This display also serves as a connectivity center for drivers with iPods, iPhones and CD/DVD playback features. The company will also present optional door-mounted tweeters and subwoofers to give some muscle to the sound system.

Auto industry experts have been quick to jump on the Tesla bandwagon due to its big splash on the stock market. Tesla is certainly changing the auto industry by eschewing the model year approach to new vehicle releases. The company seems more interested in a software approach to product releases that makes small and frequent adjustments to signature products. The major issue with the Roadster 2.5 is that it offers little in the way of substantive performance or price changes. Tesla only has about 1,200 customers at the moment and premium options like touch screen displays won’t encourage big investments by newcomers. Investors in Tesla’s recent IPO need to hope that the upcoming Model S release is successful in expanding the consumer base. Without a successful release for the more reasonably priced Model S, the Tesla IPO and Roadster 2.5 will turn the company from upstart to flash in the pan.

Tesla Motors has become the darling of established
automakers trying to break into the EV market. Daimler purchased an equity
stake of 10% in Tesla last spring to help boost its green vehicle credibility.
The company has now signed an agreement with Toyota to share production
resources, parts and engineering knowledge while developing EVs. Toyota
purchased $50 million worth of Tesla stock as part of the latter company’s
initial public offering. Through this agreement, Tesla will gain capital as
well as credibility among industry experts while Toyota will get greener while
repairing its tarnished reputation.

The nature of the Tesla/Toyota collaboration will look
similar to the aforementioned partnership with Daimler. Tesla and Daimler are
currently working to install Tesla batteries and plug-in charging systems into
1,000 units of an upcoming EV by Daimler. Last week’s announcement by Tesla and
Toyota only revealed the stock purchase along with a preliminary research team
that will oversee the collaboration. An element of this partnership may be the
purchase of Toyota’s NUMMI plant in Fremont, California by Tesla.

The New United Motor Manufacturing Co. (NUMMI) plant was
used by Toyota and General Motors to share production methods since 1984.
Toyota was left with the NUMMI plant as General Motors relinquished its half of
the partnership during the economic downturn in 2008. The last Toyota Corolla
just left the facility in May and Tesla is interested in purchasing the plant
to produce the Model S EV. Tesla Motors is based out of Palo Alto and wants to
have a plant nearby during the next phase of its growth. Tesla CEO Elon Musk
also indicated that the company would like to take advantage of Toyota
machinery and production methods used for years at NUMMI.

Tesla had made some very wise decisions in the past year to
ensure its growth over the next generation. By connecting with Daimler and
Toyota, Tesla designers gain access to some of the world’s best engineering and
production resources. These automobile giants may be invested in Tesla but
their investments are nowhere near enough to control the company. As the Model
S joins the Roadster on the market, Tesla seems poised to leapfrog past their
collaborators as the market shifts toward greener vehicles.

Mayor M. Patrick Balkany of Levallois, France announced in late December 2009 that the city would host the first all-electric vehicle Grand Prix race. The GP Elec Levallois is scheduled to take place in this Parisian suburb on June 4-6, 2010. Levallois plans to close streets for the road course, convert a bus depot into a makeshift garage and make space for demonstration events. This unprecedented event will launch a new series of road races called the EMXGP featuring electric race cars from around the world.

The centerpiece of the GP Elec Levallois will be a series of car races on a 1.8-mile path through the city. Event planners noted that the race route contains eight turns, a pass through a long tunnel and only a half-mile of straight roads. The electric race cars featured in the GP Elec Levallois will demonstrate that EVs offer agility, power and speed similar to gas-powered vehicles. The EMXGP and the city of Levallois also pointed out the reduction in noise pollution by electric racers at the upcoming event compared to traditional Grand Prix cars.

The GP Elec Levallois will not be limited to a series of road races along the Seine River. Observers will also witness multiple motorcycle races featuring electric bikes and prototypes slated for production over the next decade. Participating automakers and event organizers will operate demos at the Sustainable Mobility Salon. This gathering will feature explanations of how EVs operate and the environmental impacts of gas-powered vehicles. This Grand Prix event is intended for the whole family with kid friendly features like electric go-karts and live music taking place on all three days.

While the GP Elec Levallois sounds like a great event on first blush, the event’s impact on the infant EV market will depend on a number of details. Aside from Tesla Motors, EMXGP and the city of Levallois did not confirm other participants in the event. The GP Elec Levallois will only be successful if there is diversity at the starting line as green vehicle fans are already well aware of Tesla’s offerings. The success of this all-electric Grand Prix also depends on how the vehicles handle the winding 1.8-mile course. Since EVs are typically intended for crowded urban environments, a high speed race through Levallois should be more than sufficient to demonstrate the capabilities of today’s electric cars.

Congress tasked the Department of Energy last fall with helping automakers move away from traditional vehicles to eco-friendly models with the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. The Department received applications from OEMs, automakers and other companies hoping to lead America’s next generation of automobiles. President Obama announced the initial round of recipients for the program’s conditional loans last week with $8 billion loaned from the allocated $25 billion. The winners in this initial round of loans included Ford, Nissan and Tesla while General Motors and Chrysler were disqualified due to their lack of financial viability.

Ford Motor Company received $5.9 billion in conditional loans from the Department of Energy to start development on 13 fuel-efficient vehicles. The loans will be distributed through 2011 and help the American automaker fund its Transit Connect project in 2010 and EV project with Magna Steyr in 2011. Ford will be producing these vehicles at retrofitted American auto plants in Dearborn, Cleveland, Louisville, Kansas City, Chicago and other industrial cities on the decline. A portion of the federal government loans to Ford will be used to provide training on green vehicle engineering, construction and troubleshooting to hundreds of current workers.

Nissan was given $1.6 billion in federal loans to convert its Smyrna, Tennessee plant for electric vehicle production. The plant will be used to produce electric vehicle models as well as lithium ion batteries starting in 2012. Nissan has set goals of 150,000 electric vehicles and 200,000 lithium ion packs per year once the Smyrna plant has been completely refitted. The automaker has noted that the EV production plant that emerges in Smyrna may require 1,300 more workers, thereby creating jobs in a floundering auto market.

Tesla Motor Company received a $465 million loan from the Department of Energy to fund production of its Model S sedan. The company will use the loan to create a new plant for the Model S that will also be used to produce components, battery packs and drive trains. Tesla’s Model S project is projected to create 1,000 production jobs, a boon to struggling blue-collar workers in California. These workers will produce the first Model S by 2011 with production goals of 10,000 units in 2012 and 30,000 units in 2013.