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Who says environmentally friendly can’t be fast and fun? Tesla Motors definitely believes you can have both. The San Carlos, CA based company, with the help of Lotus Cars, developed a lean, mean, and green machine which can travel approximately 220 miles between charges. The eerily quiet Roadster accelerates from 0-60 in under 4 seconds and tops out around 135 mph, performance that normally requires a very thirsty internal combustion engine.

This is an awesome thing for the automobile industry. We have long had a certain fascination with fast cars (myself included), and it’s not about to go away anytime soon. I’m glad somebody with an environmentally conscious mindset noticed. I’ve often wondered what would happen to performance cars as we moved away from fossil fuels, but now Tesla has given me hope. Rather than ignoring the huge market for fast cars, Tesla is delivering.

As cool as the Roadster is, Tesla is a still a very new and small company. Only 650 vehicles are being produced for the 2008 model year and there are only a handful of service departments around the country for the $98,000 car. Since Tesla is such an infant company it’s still going to struggle immensely with high barriers to entry into such a tough field. Here’s hoping that they overcome their obstacles and make it big.

I hope other automakers are taking notice, and realize that efficient doesn’t have to be boring and slow. I have one request though. As wasteful as it is, there is something about hearing a supercar’s engine roar that gives me chills. I don’t know if I want a silent sports car. How about an option to artificially give it a mean-sounding growl on command?

One thing is for certain right now.  The environmentally conscious/energy conservation movement is big; really big.  Many individuals are trying to change their ways while businesses are scrambling to improve their PR in this area, not to mention all the firms trying to come up with the earth-saving solution.  I’m curious though as to whether or not this trend is here to stay.  If we continue seeing the negative effects of our actions on the earth and/or fossil fuel prices continue rising, I don’t doubt it will go anywhere.  On the other hand, if there are no new developments that keep us acting, could the movement fall by the wayside? 

I’m reminded of the energy shortages faced by this country back in the 70s, and all the positive changes that followed.  Congress lowered the speed limits on highways, there were many new incentives and grants available for alternative energy, and smaller cars began dotting the roadways.  It looked like America was going to do something about its reliance on foreign oil sources.  Not exactly.  OPEC lifted their embargo on us, fuel prices retreated from their all-time highs, and people forgot all about those positive changes.

Fast forward 30-some years, and we are even more dangerously addicted to foreign oil, especially from unstable areas of the world.  The energy-conservation movement from back then succumbed to larger vehicles, including the birth of SUVs, along with the evolution of the suburban lifestyle.  My question is; can it happen again?

We have a lot of pressing issues both home and abroad, and our presidential candidates are ever-reminding us of how they plan to fix them all.  With all these things that our country is facing right now, it’s entirely possible that this important issue could lose steam as others make more headlines.  The stakes are a lot higher now then in the 70s, and I hope that this country will realize that inaction this time around would be foolish. 

What do you think?  If energy prices remain stable and we grow even more accustomed to $3/gallon gas, will we forget about what drove us to act in the first place?  Will other political issues push this to the back burner on our priority list?  Is it a real movement, or is it a trendy fad that is likely to pass?

On December 18th, congress passed new legislation that commits to fighting our oil addiction.  Among other things, the bill’s main objective is to increase the minimum mileage standard on cars, light trucks, and SUVs from the current 25 mpg to 35 mpg in 2020. This marks the first time since 1975 that this standard has been increased.  It also requires increased efficiency in lighting, appliances, and commercial and government buildings.  Another major point of the bill calls for a 6-fold increase in US ethanol production to over 36 billion gallons a year by 2022.  With these changes, the average US driver will save approximately $700-1000 a year at the pump, according to lawmakers, while reducing our dependence on foreign oil sources.

This new law is not perfect though.  The massive increase in ethanol production will rely on technologies that we currently don’t have.  There is a lot of work left to be done to deliver the inputs needed for ethanol’s growth.  We can’t afford to budget any more corn into ethanol production, so this  increase is going to have to come from other sources, such as switchgrass and algae.  Then there is the issue of how energy efficient producing ethanol is.  If we can’t produce it in an energy-positive way, force feeding the industry for the next 15 years won’t lead us very far. 

Many automakers are opposed to the new standards.  They argue that their offerings could be limited to comply with the regulations, and the industry could suffer for it.  There’s also questions of vehicle safety, as automakers make sacrifices to improve efficiency in any way they can.  Those opposed to the law would rather see incentives for companies that improve the mileage of their cars, rather than an industry-wide mandate.  However, if the price of oil keeps going north, automakers will be forced to improve mileage much faster even than the bill requires.

I understand the points made by the auto industry, but I still think this is a very good move by congress.  Consumers will demand higher mileage vehicles on their own if gas prices are high enough, but this new bill will require it no matter what the gas prices are doing.  I’m not so optimistic about the ethanol portion of this bill, but it’s good to see the US government doing more than paying lip-service to our addiction. 

    If GM delivers the goods with the Chevrolet Volt, it will usher in a new era in vehicles which are moving away from gasoline.  The current hybrids have paved the way for new technologies in the ultra-efficient vehicle field, and the Volt concept hopes to take it to another level. 

    The Volt is essentially a  plug-in hybrid/electric car.  On a full charge, the car’s battery pack has enough juice for a gas-free 40 miles of driving.   US commuters with commutes of less than 40 miles round-trip would be able to make the drive on electricity alone.  After those 40 or so miles, the highly efficient 1.0 liter 3 cylinder gas motor kicks in, but instead of powering the car itself, it powers the generator to recharge the batteries. 

    The concept sounds great, but everybody is worried about one thing; the batteries.  The biggest question mark rests with the performance of the batteries.  Is the technology there to bring this to market?  GM understandably wants to be absolutely positive that if they start producing Volts, it will be a success.  It most certainly won’t be successful if batteries are blowing up or wearing out after a hundred recharges. 

    Plug-in cars would be a great move away from foreign oil and would reduce greenhouse gas emissions greatly.  I personally would rather power my car off of the grid vs. filling up with gas.  With the continued growth of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal, plug-ins could be very clean vehicles. 

    GM wants to have the Volt in production within the next few years, and hopefully it is.  It would be a serious boost to the former top automobile company in the world.  After getting absolutely demolished in the hybrid field by Honda and Toyota, coupled with the fact that their flex-fuel vehicles are dead, GM needs this.