A Plug, a volt and a charge
One of the best indicators of the growing demand for green transportation is changing strategies of the big auto makers.
What caught my eye is how General Motors is taking its plug-in hybrid to Congress in order to pass a more feasible fuel mandate. According to this post, Troy Clarke, the GM head of North American operations, explained why GM believes the long-term answer to energy independence is through biofuels and the electrification of the automobile, rather than spending tens of billions of dollars to meet four percent annual corporate average fuel efficiency. Nice!
On GM’s Fastlane Blog, they mention how most people drive less than 40 miles a day, meaning that if one day these people drove a Chevy Volt (currently just a concept) they would never have to buy gas at all. We’ve also found that according to EPA estimates, Americans take 900 million car journeys every day, half of these trips are less than five miles long with solo drivers. I also think it’s safe to say that for most of us, our driving consists of commuting to and from work, which for me, is less than 20 miles. What about about you? Do you drive less than 40 miles/64 km a day?
Fuel bills aside, another interesting report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council explains how the next generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) can help reduce global warming and slash oil dependency. But you already knew that right? Read on and it talks about how researchers at the Dept of Energy are studying materials that would reduce Li ion battery sensitivity to abuse conditions and extend battery life.
This is all promising news in the world of Segway PTs. For those of you who are interested in learning more about how we’re helping Segway PT owners off-setting the use of electric power with renewable energy sources see our site.
- Luis
August 8th, 2007 at 12:33 am
I find that my Segway is not only better on the environment, it’s also better on my wallet. My main mode of transportation is with my Segway. I use it to get to work and even for the occasional polo game (although there usually aren’t enough guys there to have a full game with). Anyways, now that I got rid of my car, the only insurance I have to pay for is my Segway insurance, which is dirt cheap compared to what I was paying, and there’s no more gas. Yay!