(continued from page 25)
20% of your range by using air conditioning, so we’re trying to achieve the same comfort while using less energy.” That R&D will be essential, he says, as
vehicles rely more on battery power and include more electrical systems. David Darovitz, communications manager
for Chevrolet’s new Volt model, has a similar interest in optimizing battery power. “Ten years ago, nickel metal hydride technol-
ogy was the winning choice,” he says. “Lithium ion now has the performance to be put in vehicles. At the end of the 1990s, an [electric vehicle] battery was 10’ tall, and produced 800 watts; and the size now for the same power is half that. It’s not rapid change, like computer chips, but the technology matures every six years or so.” Darovitz is cautious not to hype electric pro-
pulsion as some kind of magic bullet that will change the automobile industry overnight.
“We think the combustion engine will be around for another 100 years. But we want to give people options,” he says. “So we’re off ering an alternative propulsion system that uses a combustion engine for range extension. There’s no single fl avor of electric vehicle—one system that’s going to win the marketplace. The Volt is simply one option, a fi rst step. We plan to keep expanding on the idea with other makes and models. “We want to ensure a positive customer
experience with the Volt fi rst and foremost,” he adds. “We’re not going to just build them and throw them out there. The plant in Detroit is a fl exible manufacturing facility. The fi rst model will be built in the thousands. The second model—which starts in July—will be in the tens of thousands. We’re aiming for early adopters fi rst—the folks that wait in line for the latest iPhone and iPad.” Ford, not to be left behind by the electric ve- hicle trend, has partnered
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LOADS ON THE ROADS
America’s infrastructure is coming apart at the seams. A study by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2005 estimated that 160,000 bridges—27% of all U.S. bridges—are “structurally deficient.” At the same time, a huge increase in the price of asphalt and steel during the last oil price spike put road repair even further behind the curve. The future of the American road—like the automobile, is far from certain. On the municipal level especially, many cities have overstretched their ability to maintain asphalt pavement. New road systems, along with established materials, such as concrete, are being tested aggressively. But none of them are inexpensive. In fact, some towns have actually torn up asphalt roads and tried to make gravel roads work. That doesn’t work either. A study reported in Governing (Feb., 2010) found that some of those towns ended up paying more to maintain heavily traveled gravel roads than they would have on pavement.
Spikes in fossil fuel costs have had dramatic effects on the cost of asphalt and steel.
Source:
todaysconcretetechnology.com
With about 68% of domestic freight shipped by truck, miles traveled by the heaviest vehicles have risen steadily.
Source:
cargroup.org
28
GreenBuilder July > August 2010
www.greenbuildermag.com
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