Don't Panic. Get Ready.

So, back to electricity.

Three people in the meeting already owned electric cars which they drive everyday. They are engineers and the "energetic minority" of electric car owners. They are so excited by their cars. They reconfigured their old gas models to be electric. They are experimenting. One fellow did melt some terminals, so these people are the early adopters. However, instead of filling the car for $50 - $70 dollars/week, they charge it overnight for about 10 cents/kw-hr - (a dollar a day?)

Duke power says the full charging in the daytime of the current cars is not any problem nine months out of the year as far as present capacity is concerned. I think nighttime charging is good all the time right now.

Still since the amount of electric cars coming on is probably gradual that gives them time to get ready as well.

No cars currently designed have the ability to use the fast charge stations. They'd melt I guess.

So, for the next five years - ten years the cars available now are viable for a long time. Nissan's new LEAF, all -electric vehicle, introduced day before yesterday will be able to fast charge. Nissan has addressed this in two ways. First is with the vehicle itself, which offers 50 kW fast charge capabilities that will provide up to an 80% charge in 30 minutes for an additional 31 miles of range.Of course, while the fast charge capability is great on the car, without a place to charge it, the feature is of limited value. Nissan understands this and has already created partnerships with the States of Oregon and Tennessee, as well as cities like San Diego, CA, Raleigh, NC, Seattle, WA, and with Sonoma County to develop an electric vehicle recharging infrastructure.

So, by 2011, we will need those fast-charging "power stations" in NC I'll bet. That's really quick.

We expect that folks in the Triangle will get the current electric cars - hybrids, EVs and PHEVs pretty soon, charge them at home and top off at work or at shopping malls or of course, McDonalds, to keep their cars powered up.

I think we need charging stations at every museum or interesting business or site every 40 miles. That will lead those Triangle folks and those of us brave enough to get one before 2011 to venture out for tourism (especially our Revolutionary War sites). These will likely not be day trips, but overnight trips to B+Bs or hotels. We can start building them now. Or plan to roll them out en masse in 12 - 18 months. The Electric car arrives en masse then too. But you know we need 6 months to make the plan and 6 months to install and test them one by one. That is not a really long time.

So, while it's not practical to build the fast-charge posts now due to the scale of their use( only LEAF buyers starting the end of next year) the regular charging stations (240V) are practical and may encourage "heads in beds".

The only interesting quirk to foresee is that the newly approved SAE plugs for the cars have not yet been designed with "smart" capacities. That is they don't talk to the charging stations and say "I want a fast charge. Or I am a Nissan LEAF as opposed to I am a Toyota Prius or I am a Chevy Volt"

I imagine you can locate the charging stations on GPS, but I don't know if you can tell another car is already charging there. More bugs to work out. However, I also imagine the early adoptors will work with the grid of charging stations across the state of NC to beta-test the vehicles. They can also give us feedback on their tourism experience or be inspired by our outstanding Revolutionary War history to write the next novel, animate the next cartoon or create the next fabric design.

I mean, give me an electric car and send me on the road around NC and I'd be thrilled to report all those experiences and collect data. Sign me up! I'm collecting my recommendation for Rev. War and FUN THINGS TO DO sites.

Duke power will be happy to discuss it. I imagine Progress Energy will too.

You go Nissan!

Charting the course for electric transportation - part 2.

Indiana is number one receiver of these funds. I hope NC is next.

Anyway, the rest of the story...

Fast Charge stations will soon come but not real soon. So the electric vehicles which satisfy 80% of driving in the US will not replace hybrids or even old gas cars overnight. But, in ten years everyone should own one. Plan now!

I have four cars and three drivers. Well, one is a clunker. I don't think I will be able to trade for a new car payment during this unemployment, however, if I ever buy another car, may it be an electric one for the grocery shopping, church, school, etc....driving.

We will park the Cadillac for the long journeys. That's what it is anyway, a fine crusing transportation system.

Oops RG calls. Back soon

Charting the Course for Electric Transportation

I went to MCNC to the Charting the Course for Electric Transportation last week. Here is the deal from Progress Energy and Duke power spokesmen.

Every car company has an electric vehicle to introduce within the next 18 months. Nissan announced its new all electric vehicle to appear in the US market in 2010. I hope they start in the Carolinas.

The plug to connect the car to the energy source has been approved by the SAE.

No plugs are manufactured as of today. But we expect them by the fall.

The plugs have 5 prongs and require a special receptacle. The receptacles can be installed in homes or businesses ( charging stations)

To fully charge the electric cars to go 40 to 100 miles (full tank) takes about 8 hours or overnight on 110 V, 4 hours on 240 volt and 15 minutes on the fast charge system. 110V is what Americans use in their homes. 240V are in American homes to run the clothes dryers. No one has the fast charge yet.

We envision fast charge stations like a gas station. I think it may be like taking the car to the serviced car wash.

2.4 B dollars of grants just announced to spur electric cars made in USA!!!

Back soon. Click on the CBS link below.

Live at Noon RIGHT NOW

CBSNews President Obama in Indiana to announce $2.4 B in stimulus for electric cars, jobs. Watch live: http://cbs.bit.ly/ZeD0M

PS, PJ, PP

That is, believe it or not, PJ's passport is here. We can be efficient if we have to be. The government is not broken.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park attracts the largest number of visitors annually of any national park, perhaps because it is located within a day's drive of over 60 percent of the nation's population. I guess this means the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail is also within a day's drive of 60 percent of the nation's population. This really makes our revolutionary history an important asset for economic development, conservation, and education.

I believe we are on to something here. Now that RG is waylaid for six weeks, perhaps we will collaborate on a movie script. What do you think?

The Smokies have been here for eons and are the ancestrial heart of the Cherokee nation. But, they have been a National Park for 75 years. This year there is a year-long celebration of the Park. Come see us.

PJs Passport is on its way.

RG is resting comfortably, but no driving for SIX weeks! Humm. May have to delay my surgery too.

I guess I will have plenty of time to look up, write and telephone all of you about your Revolutionary War sites. See? Am I supposed to be employed at this time? No, didn't think so. But I will just keep looking. And somewhere between all this, I will draw some gorgeous motifs, make repeats and create some designs. Maybe I can do this on my own...

Well, I don't know what revolutionary events have intersected my life these past few days. It must have something to do with doctors.

But earlier I found all this stuff about Stokes county which is beside my county of Surry. The revolution in Stokes county was primarily a preparatory event. The rock house is still standing from the 1780s. It was used as a fort against Tories and Native American attacks. It has gun ports built in. Its close by so when RG gets stir crazy perhaps we can go for a drive there. Well maybe not. He won't be able to walk away there.

I think there will be even more Banjo music in my house for the next month.