From 1988 to 1991, Honda's 2 door CRX was offered with a high fuel economy package. Honda, recognized for a legacy of fuel efficiency and innovation, sold the HF in the USA through their dealer network just as any other mass production vehicle of theirs.
An attractive vehicle, the CRX HF was only discernible from a regular CRX by it's smaller than usual exhaust pipe, "HF" decal and narrower than normal tires.
While the appeal of a car with EPA rating of 41 city and 50 highway wasn't as hot as it would be today, the cars sold well and are still readily available (in various states of operation condition). Even using the 2008 revised EPA standards, the CRX HF still rates well at 37 city and 47 highway.
Current market CRX HF's have a cult like following; some have been transformed into race cars (due to a uniquely lighter weight unibody). A good, or better, condition HF may retrieve $2500-$5000. Assuming another $5000 for respectable restoration, the CRX HF nets out at or below $10k total and achieves near-hybrid fuel economy with all of the novelty, nostalgia, and no extra batteries.
Hawaii in the mid 1990's coordinated with Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and Enova Systems (www.enovasystems.com) to experiment with the operation of EV's. Although testing went well, electric vehicle technology was not ready for mass adoption.
Today, as helped along by the ARRA (American Reinvestment and Recovery Act), Hawaii State and busineses are activating a wider scale energy initiative that includes special emphasis on EV and PHEV usage and charging infrastructure.
Why is Hawaii also focused on vehicles? "Every barrel of crude oil imported into Hawaii is used as follows: about one third for ground transportation (gasoline and diesel); one third for air transportation (jet fuel); and one third to generate electricity. If we want to reduce our use of oil for electricity, we need to also reduce our use of gasoline for ground transportation." (1)
Hawaii's volume of roads and miles driven between origins and destinations (even if temporary destinations) make it a perfect fit for EV and PHEV's. With newer and now readily available EV and PHEV vehicles, and investments in clean energy technologies like wind power, Hawaii's initiative is prepared for instant activation. It is also Hawaii's belief that the private and business market will adopt and embrace EV and PHEV's, and with correct plan execution and vehicle diversity, this seems almost certain.
Metropolitan areas with high live / work densities are perfect situations for cloning Hawaii's initiative. Additionally, with larger populations, funding from public sources may very well not be required.
(1) State of Hawai'i, Executive Chambers, News Release: State and Hawaiian Electric Strike Sweeping Agreement for Hawai'i’s Energy Future, October 20, 2008
It'll be awhile before electric cars have ranges of 300 or more miles the way comparable fossil fuel powered vehicles do today. 100% EV (electric vehicles) may not be long trip vehicles, but for those driving less than 100 miles in between stops of 20min or more, they could be the perfect match. The variables to consider in the match are 1. infrastructure available for charging, 2. owner operators' behavior.
Given the charging infrastructure is available, think of the ownership experience for charging the EV as that of a cell phone. Mobile phones can be charged at home, or anywhere else a power source is available. Many of us are used to bringing our phone to a destination, then opportunistically charging for a few minutes here, an hour there, etc. Basically, it's continually charging and topping off.
For those considering EV ownership, and concerned about the range, consider your mobile phone ownership practices, and the growing EV infrastructure and charging methods. With the battery leasing, technology and other alternatives to alleviate concern over battery memory, deep charging requirements, etc. the only concern will be charging infrastructure.
A personal theory I've been following for awhile is the pathway to EV adoption being paved by PHEV's.
PHEV's can be viewed as EV's with an emergency back up power source. It's almost a placeholder EV compromise, with a unique ability to leverage existing and developing infrastructures for it's propulsion energy.
Today's plug in hybrids are pioneering bridge vehicles paving the way to charging infrastructure, further battery development, and the cost reduction EV's need to be successful in a mass market.
Clearly there are more in-progress variables to the success of EV's, but in the interim, PHEV's couldn't be a better proving and transition vehicle.
Yesterday a local business owner, Eric Sevim of A+ Japanese in San Carlos, demonstrated his PHEV converted Toyota Prius with me as a passenger. The concept is fantastic, an extra battery supply installed with perfect fitment and seamless software installation makes for an additional 40miles of electric motoring. After the 40 plus or minus miles, the Prius operates normally off its pre-existing hybrid configuration. Whenever convenient, the car can be plugged into the wall using a normal household extension cord and charged up again. If your daily mileage is less than 40 you may very well burn less than a gallon of gas per week.
I've seen plenty of experimental or homemade installations, but the Hymotion product installed by certified A+ Japanese was perfect, it was even crash tested during development. I was told they do the installation in 1 day for customers with standard hybrids, and 100mpg is about normal. Amazing.
Due to our legislative experts the car does require the engine still run for 58 seconds when you first operate the vehicle after a complete power off (parking). Eric tells me this law is in place for all vehicles to effectively heat up their catalyzers for proper exhaust gas treatment. Eric has become active in California vehicle legislation. Perhaps we'll get this law overturned as more PHEV's emerge.
This is a product and service I can recommend to my own clients. A+ Japanese can be reached at 650.595.CARS.
Much has been discussed in terms of the filling station of the future. Although the economics have yet to be proven, I’ll hazard a guess, or prediction really, that as soon as 10 years from now, what we will have formerly referred to as a “gas station” will carry at least 3 more vehicle energy sources than just gasoline. I expect gasoline to continue to be commercially available at least through 2060, with the addition of natural gas, bio based fuels, and perhaps even rapid charge electricity offerings at major chain existing gas stations as soon as 2015.
This may be good news for the private sector anywhere individuals arrive at their destination by vehicle. With different standards, alternative fuels may be able to be had at destinations formerly known to offer something completely different to their callers. Could the movie theater, local coffee shop, book store, and supermarket sell stable bio fuels or renewable electricity? I believe the question is not could, but “will” and “when”.
Start-up companies (profitability and long term business models unknown) are vying for their share of the speculative alternative energy vehicle fuels space. Coulomb Technologies has a head start with their electric vehicle charging stations. Additionally, gas stations with permits and equipment to sell compressed combustible gases are renewing and keeping their offerings visible to the public. The circulating questions of gasoline’s near term replacement, and which alternative energy source will win, are falsehoods. Alternative energy standards will emerge as history always shows; however, those standards (yes plural intended) will have generous market shares and long lives. As an analogy, no one vehicle has become the norm or standard, if any were to be termed so, it would be the Ford F150 truck justified by its status of the most commonly sold vehicle globally. Like vehicles, some fuels are better suited to specific geographic locations, duties, personal demands, availability etc.
With just a bit of forward planning, any one of the greener fuels, especially electricity, can be made available with the right timing to the consumer or commercial users at the right locations. The markets are coming.
An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and the object in motion wants to stay in motion. Thank you, Mr. Newton. Additionally, inertia is the tendency of an object in motion to resist change in its state of motion.
Thus, it requires more energy for a vehicle to become in motion, it's common knowledge we burn more fuel / energy in city driving than highway driving.
As the world waits for gradual adoption of cleaner "greener" vehicles, there is something we can do right now, today, to reduce fuel / energy burn. The immediate answer is practice the conservation of momentum. Not everyone would participate in driving habit modification, but what if there was a simple action with multiple benefits and low costs?
Is it possible that stop signs, especially the frivolous kind, could be replaced in select areas with yield signs, or maybe no sign at all? Maybe there are also aesthetic and subjective benefits. I've observed many sidewalks and intersections over crowed with sign posts, anyone else ever notice this? I can also think of the people I know who would enjoy the benefits of continuous motion. If you've experienced the enjoyment of driving in rural areas, I'm sure you can relate as well.
If stop sign removal seems altogether too extreme, perhaps a "slow to 5 or 10mph upon approach and entry to intersection" for traffic traveling 2 of the 4 directions of an intersection would suffice?
The inherent issue about pedestrian crossing can be addressed and remedied through common sense and personal responsibility. I'll save my opinions on our government's encouragement of diminishing value for both common sense and personal responsibility.
In areas with no pedestrian traffic, the non-installation or substitution of traffic lights with rotaries aka round-a-bout's can contribute to conservation of momentum. Additional benefits may include reduced operational costs for maintenance & repair, reduced set up and purchase price of signal equipment, more.
These are simple changes we can enact today. There is no technology investment required.
