Top Stories
Chrysler dismantles electric car plans under
Fiat.—reliability high.
After making a big noise about aggressive EV plans when it was seeking
bailout funds, Chrysler Group LLC has pulled the plug on its ENVI
group. "Chrysler has disbanded a team of engineers dedicated to rushing
a range of electric vehicles to showrooms and dropped ambitious sales
targets for battery-powered cars set as it was sliding toward
bankruptcy and seeking government aid. The move by Fiat SpA marks a
major reversal for Chrysler, which had used its electric car program as
part of the case for a $12.5 billion federal aid package." The EV
efforts that remain have been folded into the overall vehicle
development program, and "a presentation of Chrysler's five-year
strategy by Marchionne on Wednesday made no mention of Chrysler's
earlier electric car development plans." From
Reuters. ["You
got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk
away and know when to run."]
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Launches of Government Funding Resource.—reliability high.
Law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and the Cleantech Group
have launched an on-line resource to help track government subsidies
and other funding available to clean technology and related companies.
"The publicly available tool—driven by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich &
Rosati content—aggregates and frequently updates the numerous financing
opportunities, such as grants, loan guarantees, tax credits, and other
programs, being offered by federal and state governments." The site
asks, "Is the Government Your New Lead Investor?" Access at WSGR site
(registration required).
90% bioplastic substitution possible.—reliability
medium.
"A new study from the European Bioplastics and the European
Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE) estimated that
substitution potential of up to 90% of the total consumption of
plastics by bio-based polymers are technically possible." See
Green Chemicals blog. PDF of report here.
Hybrid Excavator helps minimize greenhouse
gas emissions.—reliability high.
"Powered by the Komatsu Hybrid System, the Hybrid PC200LC-8 uses a
newly developed electric swing motor, power generator motor, capacitor
and diesel engine. Komatsu developed its revolutionary hybrid system to
work on the principle of swing energy regeneration and energy storage
using the Komatsu Ultra Capacitor system." "In tests comparing the
standard PC200LC-8 hydraulic excavator to the Hybrid PC200LC-8, the
hybrid model reduced fuel consumption by approximately 25-40%,
depending on the application." See ThomasNet
News.
e-Motive Launches Range of Affordable
Electric Scooters.—reliability medium.
"British company e-Motive has launched a range of electric scooters in
the UK and, at prices starting from just £1399 ($2300), is hoping to
kickstart a zero-emission revolution. The e1, e3 and e5 debut models
are powered by the latest electric motor and battery technology, are
road tax exempt, and cost as little as one pence per mile to run." From
Green Options Media Gas 2.0. e-Motive site.
Companies Launch New Initiative to Show
Broad Business Support for Climate Legislation.—reliability
medium.
"launch of American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE), a broad
initiative by businesses that want their voices heard on clean energy
and climate legislation and that want to make it easy for other
businesses - large and small - to signal their support for clean energy
and climate legislation." "This initiative comprised of 22 founding
companies represents a diverse cross-section of American
businesses, including retail, utilities, sports and banking." See
NRDC blog. ABCE site.
Government and
Regulation
Pay-by-the-mile auto insurance advances in
California.—reliability high.
"Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner released regulations permitting
and authorizing mileage verification for pay-as-you-drive, without
dictating what form such plans must take. The goal is to use per-mile
pricing to entice Californians not to drive so much, thus easing air
pollution, relieving traffic congestion and lowering the number of
traffic collisions. A first-of-its-kind plan is MileMeter, available
only in Texas, which last year began offering six-month policies with
chunks of insured miles ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 miles. When the
"tank" runs dry, motorists buy more." From
Sacramento Bee.
Science
Western Australia sea level rising fast.—reliability
high.
"Statistics from Australia's National Tidal Centre show levels have
increased by 8.6mm a year off the coast of the state capital Perth.
That compares to a global average of just over 3mm." And before the 90s
that global average was 1.7mm for much of the 20th century. See BBC
News. [This
is big (although it is not clear these are new results). 8.6mm per year
is nearly a foot in 30 years, even if rates of rise stop increasing.
Compare that to global average rise of about six inches in the previous
100 years.]
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2009 HaraBara, Inc.]
