You may have come across this news item a couple of months ago but it is worth taking another look. Although, the study was conducted by a major spam-ware corporation, it is clear that junk e-mails have a huge carbon footprint. (image: www.fotolia.com) Anything powered by electricity emits greenhouse gases. Recently research was conducted in the US to find out the amount of energy needed to transmit, process and filter spam globally. The results were startling. According to the ‘Carbon Footprint … read more
Electric vehicle and battery swap videos
Videos of the Better Place project and battery swap. Project Better Place Electric car battery switching station … read more
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Canberra to be Better Place’s first city for electric vehicle recharge network
Yesterday Better Place announced that Canberra would be the first site in the national rollout of its electric vehicle recharge network. Construction of the network will begin in 2011, with services available to electric vehicle owners from 2012. ActewAGL - the electricity distribution business and retailer in the ACT - responsible for sourcing and distributing the renewable energy that Better Place will use to power electric vehicles within the ACT. “A significant influence on our decision to … read more
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Imagineering a better place
Today I had the fortune to see Shai Agassi, founder of Better Place, talk about his vision for the electric car future. Shai calls himself an imaginer – “I imagine the future and engineer towards it”. His vision of an electric car future is elegant, simple, and achievable. Australia is a key part of his strategy to get the world to a tipping point which results in all cars becoming electric. For electric cars to replace petrol cars they must be cheaper and more convenient. Yet the electric … read more
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Local climate extremes demand concerted positive action
Black Saturday 7 February 2009: Melbourne’s temperature reached 46.4 degrees (116.5 deg F), fanned by strong hot winds 400 bushfires across the state killed over 170 people and destroyed 700 homes. And the dams supplying the state with water are at record lows. If letters to the editor in the newspaper are any indication, many people are making the link between the terrible events of 7 February and climate change. Fifteen years ago – on 21 March 1994 in Rio de Janeiro the United Nations Framework … read more
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Chinese mass produced hybrid car with 100km electric range now available
Chinese drivers can now buy a hybrid vehicle, with an electric-only range of 100kms. The BYD auto F3-DM vehicle retails for around $22,000 USD. More details here and at the BYD site. Toyota, who I recently commented on, have been leapfrogged by BYD when it comes to making a vehicle that can be used largely as an electric car - the Prius does not yet have the range of the F3-DM or the ability to plug its batteries in at home to recharge it. This is the only hybrid mass produced car that I am aware … read more
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