Go, Go Google Hybrid!
Source: Motley Fool
[Jun 21, 2007]
SYNOPSIS: Google is pursuing both plug-in hybrid technology, which lets you charge your car from a wall socket, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which sends energy generated within your car back into the electrical grid.
Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) has been known to shake things up in the transportation realm. There's the indispensable Google Maps, and the much-ballyhooed carpool system the company offers its employees. But these initiatives are small potatoes compared to the search giant's latest aspirations.
Through its nonprofit arm, Google.org, the company is taking up the cause of electric vehicles. Appropriately enough, its approach is two-pronged. Google is pursuing both plug-in hybrid technology, which lets you charge your car from a wall socket, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which sends energy generated within your car back into the electrical grid. The company has pledged $10 million in grants, and it's stocking its corporate fleet with plug-in hybrid vehicles to demonstrate the technology's effectiveness.
I can see the point of our current grid not being up to the job of replacing the ICE with a "Plug-In" replacement, but if this can lead to "Local" power development then it would be great!
The problem with our aging and patched up grid is that it needs more than just a facelift.
Bring the generation of power down to the local level, use hydro, solar, wind or efficient generators running on bio-diesel, ethanol, whatever is locally available. Provide incentives for local providers (big and small) and help them become more independent of the current grid. I'm not saying get rid of the current system, just supliment it and draw down on the big polluters.
I am glad Google is taking this step, I hope that a systemic approach can be their next step.
It takes bold moves on the part of our society and business to get the ball rolling, glad to see it happening.
Thanks for another thought provoking article GMAN!
Dave
MB-1-E
Electric - Bridgestone MB-1 Mountain Bike
Dave B
MB-1-E
<a href="http://visforvoltage.org/book-page/996-mountain-bike-conversion-24v-3-4h... - Bridgestone MB-1 Mountain Bike</a>
Yesterday I attended a "Ron Paul" rally (to see how much of a nutball the guy is) .. which just happened to be held on Google's main campus. On my way out I saw their solar panel covered parking lot. It's pretty impressive.. exactly what I envisioned a few years ago ..
The most interesting part is some of the parking stalls have electrical cables hanging from the roof. They're in some kind of autoretracting drum, you grab the cable, pull it down, and .. plug it into.. uh.. All the cars parked in those slots were gasburning. But they installed a lot of these things, and one thing it demonstrates is how absolutely simple it can be to supply charging infrastructure for an EV. Anyway the cable looked like a normal 120volt thingy.
- David Herron, http://davidherron.com/
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
I believe the battery technology will happen, providing longer range in the near future.
The hard part is the mindset to create the infrastructure, of course ... the fact that you can drive to such a parking facility now is a great step.
Sure would be nice to drive to work ... then have a full tank when you get in your vehicle to go home.
The above is certainly easier to do than the further development of the fuel-cell and providing the hydrogen infrastructure to support it IMO. All of the above is where we eventually need to go, it will take time but the more greedy the oil industry becomes, the more we are all driven to push forward.
That's cool that you saw a meaningful example of the production of electricity on a local level just yesterday ... :)
Dave
MB-1-E
Electric - Bridgestone MB-1 Mountain Bike
Dave B
MB-1-E
<a href="http://visforvoltage.org/book-page/996-mountain-bike-conversion-24v-3-4h... - Bridgestone MB-1 Mountain Bike</a>