Nissan co-founds electric car consortium
Posted on November 17, 2009 at 7:44 am
A baker’s dozen of big names have come together to launch the Electrification Coalition, a vehicle that will bundle their power to shape government energy policy. Nissan is in the mix, as is FedEx.
But the group also digs deeper into the EV ecosystem, arguing that in order to support a rapid scale-up in production of advanced batteries, the feds should provide tax credits for installation of automotive-grade batteries in stationary applications. To help convince consumers that plug-in vehicles will perform as well or better, at lower cost, than conventional vehicles, the coalition urges regulators to review vehicle warranties and establish a minimum residual value for large-format automotive batteries (potentially smoothing the way for battery leasing and recycling).
SEE ALSO: Electric Avenue: Or, How to Rev Up the Electric-Car Revolution from the Journal.
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Music City cited for sustainability
Posted on November 12, 2009 at 7:17 am
A new white paper published by the American Institute of Architects includes a case study of Nashville’s efforts to infuse its growth plans with green building and development thinking. The snapshot — sanitized a bit by phrases like ‘millions of dollars in building still scheduled for completion’ when talking about The Gulch — is part of a broader AIA plan to make the U.S. built environment carbon-neutral by 2030.
SEE ALSO: An update on some of the millions that have already been spent on The Gulch
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A treehugger and a union boss walk into a bar…
Posted on November 10, 2009 at 7:57 am…And come out allies in the battle to preserve America’s jobs base. So sayeth the Hoffa:
“We have been forced to make a false choice in the past—good jobs or a clean environment. The pundits said that if we wanted clean air, the economy would suffer and jobs would be sent overseas. Well, look what happened—we let the big corporations pollute and the jobs went overseas anyway. But today is a new day.”
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Ghosn: Electric cars need regulatory help
Posted on October 29, 2009 at 8:12 am
Speaking at UPenn’s Wharton School of Business, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that — between public perception and emerging-market growth — the auto industry has no choice but to dive headlong into the production of cars that don’t need fossil fuels. That said, he does say car makers need a good bit of government help to build a mass market.
The equipment isn’t cheap: A quick-charge device, Ghosn said, costs $30,000 — an investment that might make sense once there is a critical mass of electric-car drivers already on the road, but something that could seem expensive for service station owners in a market where electric cars remain rare. He called for governments to step in and spur the market via regulation. One idea: Make quick-charge facilities mandatory for anyone operating a gas station starting in 2012.
Ensworth takes 40 cars off the road
Posted on October 27, 2009 at 12:31 pm
…by buying enough green power from the TVA to land on the EPA’s top 20 list of K-12 schools nationally.
Which begs the question: Why not Spring Hill?
Posted on October 26, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Hybrid electric-car maker Henrik Fisker plans to convert a 52-year-old former GM plant in Delaware with the help of a massive credit line from the Department of Energy. (For more on Fisker, check out this Forbes story.)
I already have two possible answers to my question, one practical, the other political. The first: The Wilmington plant already has closed, while Spring Hill will crank out cars for a few more weeks. The second: This gentleman is from Delaware.
Got any other good answers?
Nissan gets into the battery recycling business
Posted on October 20, 2009 at 10:53 amNissan Motor Co. said it will set up a joint venture with a Japanese trading house for recycling of electric car batteries.
Nissan said Tuesday the joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation is expected to begin operations in late 2010 in Japan and the United States. The companies have yet to finalize details including the capitalization of the venture.
The launch is in line with a potential surge in demand for electric vehicles powered by batteries.
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HCA joins sustainability group
Posted on September 1, 2009 at 12:01 pmThe nation’s largest hospital company has signed up with Virginia-based Practice Greenhealth, an umbrella group that seeks to promote environmental practices in the industry.
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Investors charged up by Nissan’s e-car
Posted on August 3, 2009 at 6:42 am
Shares of Nissan jumped more than 6 percent in Tokyo Monday after the company unveiled its first electric car over the weekend.
“Investors are jumping to Nissan after it actually unveiled the much-awaited car,” said Koichi Nishi, an equity strategist at Nikko Cordial Securities Inc. “Products that fulfill the promise of environmental-friendliness are encouraging.”
SEE ALSO: More pics of the car, which will be made in Japan.
Nissan teases its technology
Posted on July 27, 2009 at 11:51 amThe automaker has unveiled its zero-emissions technology, which is so quiet company officials are studying how to add some noise so that other users of the road will know the car’s around.
Nissan’s electric vehicle shows the driving radius within range of the car’s charge on a dashboard navigation map, so drivers won’t get stranded on the highway. It can also calculate if the vehicle is within range of a destination. A handheld remote control allows a user to preset room temperature, set a timer for nighttime battery recharging, and to receive a message when the vehicle is fully recharged.
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Franklin lighting company raises $3M
Posted on June 5, 2009 at 8:53 amAn investment group has put $3 million into Cool Springs-based Metrolight, which manufactures energy-efficient lighting products for the commercial and government markets. The company last raised money in the summer of 2007.
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Belmont’s bottles on the way out
Posted on April 20, 2009 at 11:31 am
Belmont kicks off its Earth Week by saying bottled waters will be gone from campus in a month.
“Bottled water is shockingly expensive to the consumer and the environment. And given what we know about the quality of water from the tap and in the bottle, it’s completely unnecessary. Recycling the bottles doesn’t solve the larger problem of excessive resources needed to produce and transport something that is solely a convenience.”
Look Ma, no gas
Posted on April 17, 2009 at 2:47 pm
In other Earth Day news, Governor Bredesen plans to spend Saturday taking an eco-friendly test drive. Bredesen and officials from TVA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will visit the Nissan Americas Building in Franklin and take a spin in a zero-emission electric car straight from Japan.
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How green is your insurer?
Posted on April 14, 2009 at 3:05 pm
A new locally based Web site – brought to you by the same folks who have developed fartfactory.com – features a framework of factors that will tell you.
Publisher Michael O’Dell says, “The U.S. is behind much of the developed world in choosing eco-friendly auto insurance. So this site is a way for the nation’s green consumers to start speaking with their wallets when looking to insure a car.”
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Reviewing Nissan’s electric car
Posted on April 2, 2009 at 3:02 pm
The folks at Greentech Media took the EV-02 for a spin and liked most of what they saw.
Still, the acceleration was somewhat consistent and I could have kept picking up speed if I hadn’t had to brake to stop from running into a cement wall. Exciting, no, but it was more like a Honda Civic than a golf cart.
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