In our past features and posts we have touched upon two factors that were slowing the EV movement in our opinion: more efficient and affordable storage technologies (batteries) and the absence of a public charging infrastructure.

The video news item below ( see link)  is an optimistic one and shows that things are beginning to move after all in the right direction. First it was the Japanese who had the vision to see the vital connection between mass EV acceptance and public charging facilities. Now GE have started creating what could be America's first public EV charging network to cater to a growing number of electric and hybrid car users.                                                

Electric car owners are doing some math themselves and feel that at 4$ per charge the economics will always be in favor of electric power despite gasoline prices coming down a little in the past weeks across the United States. Somehow it is beginning to sink in that electricity is both cheaper and cleaner.                                           

We could  be witnessing the early days of sustainable motoring finally!

For a clearer picture of this significant development view this 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8jnBFhEljQ&feature=youtube_gdata

At the end of October 2011, Thomas Senkel of e-volo had completed a series of unmanned tests and was ready for the first manned flight on an airstrip in the southwest of Germany. The flight lasted one minute and 30 seconds, after which the constructor and test pilot stated:

"The flight characteristics are good natured. Without any steering input it would just hover there on the spot".

This could be the future of flight, piloting a device as simple as a car.

Read more at http://www.e-volo.com/

Where will we find our future engineers and builders of electric cars and transportation systems?                     

Despite the slow rise and acceptance of electric vehicles and all the pointers to its eventual replacement of gasoline powered ones, there is no long term preparation of intellectual resources to meet this new paradigm in transportation and mobility. There is concern over this in many quarters. Eco car 2 is a competition based model (partnering industry and the government) in America,which apart from challenging a cluster of US universities with some hard core goals, is also hoping to stimulate and goad technical institutions worldwide to start to prepare full fledged courses and curricula in the design and development of electric vehicles for an electric generation rapidly coming of age.

This should be of prime concern for a country like India (and China) where electric vehicles can play a big role in reducing smoke and sound pollution. It also holds the potential to offer cheaper and better modes of intra city transit for its millions. Read More HERE

India is experiencing a bicycle resurgence. Surprisingly it is happening through the medium of sports. Offbeat and sporadic bicycle racing events are now coalescing into 'cyclothons' that are well organised and attended in major Indian cities. We bring you a low down of the Mumbai Cyclothon held last April that featured a professional four member team from Auroville.

Read More

EVE is a company based in Bergamo, Italy, offering state-of-the-art conversion services for cars and four wheelers in Europe. Its famed electric converted De Lorean and Smart were newsmakers at the Milan and Bologna motor shows held towards the close of 2010. According to the company the De Lorean's historic drive from Milan to Rome, a distance of 800 Kms - all electric – is a point in favour of electric cars as being capable of making long hauls* and not just short intra city drives like most evs.