by Tom Saxton     

The Saxtons and their 9 years old Toyota RAV4 EV with original NiMH battery pack

 In the late 1990s my wife, Cathy, decided she wanted an electric car. In addition to being nicer to the environment, she felt the technology was cool. She searched for electric vehicles and found nothing available. In desperation, I bought her a remote-controlled scale model of a VW Beatle, explaining it was the only electric vehicle I could find.     

When the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius first came out, with no pure electrics on the horizon, Cathy took the next best option and got a 2001 Honda Insight. It became our primary car, getting most of our driving miles.    

In 2006, we saw “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and were stunned to learn that all the big automakers had produced electric vehicles to satisfy the zero emissions mandate briefly imposed by the California Air Resources Board. After the oil companies and automakers finally got that requirement killed, as the leases expired, they took those cars back and crushed them.We were horrified and angry, especially to hear those automakers claim that few people wanted the cars. We were actively in the market for an electric vehicle during that whole period and never found out about them because they were not advertised or promoted.     

Thinking that all of those cars had been crushed, imagine our surprise in November of 2007 when we saw a 2002 Toyota RAV4-EV drive through the parking lot at a middle school robotics competition! Later that day, we met the owner, Dan Davids, who is now president of Plug In America. He explained that a few hundred had been saved from the crusher, thanks in large part to lobbying by Plug In America.     

Dan told us that occasionally one comes up for sale on eBay. Closely monitoring eBay for the next nine months, we were able to purchase a 2002 Toyota RAV4-EV from its original owner in July 2008. It had been a well-used reliable family car for six years and 43,000 miles with the original NiMH battery pack still going strong.    

We figured that if the RAV4-EV performed as expected, we’d be able to use it for about half of our daily driving. We were pleased to get a real-world range of about 100 miles, give or take a little depending on driving conditions. Leaving a healthy buffer to avoid taking the battery charge down too low, and to allow for using the headlights, heater or air conditioning, up to five adult passengers, and driving up hill on the freeway, we could rely on 70 miles under nearly all circumstances and up to 100 miles in good conditions. We soon realized it had become our primary car. The RAV4-EV hit the perfect spot: enough cargo and passenger space for our most demanding errands with better energy efficiency even than the gas-sipping Insight. The only time we were driving a gas-burner was when we had to be in different places at the same time.      

We now have just under 60,000 miles on the RAV4-EV and we’re getting slightly better range than when we first got it, easily over 100 miles of range in good driving conditions. Even though RAV4-EV uses a wacky charger that’s too cumbersome for us to haul around and there are no compatible
charging stations within our driving radius, we’ve never ran out of charge. Even only being able to charge in our garage, we’re able to do nearly all of our driving in this now 8-year-old EV.     

The only time we’ve taken our RAV4-EV in for service was to replace the 12V accessory battery. Other than that, we’ve had no service issues beyond filling the wiper fluid and replacing tires. Other owners have driven their original battery pack over 100,000 miles, up to 150,000 miles. Based on our
experience so far, we expect this car to remain healthy and reliable for many years to come.     

With about 800 RAV4-EVs on the road for over 8 years, no battery chemistry has been so thoroughly validated as these NiMH batteries. For this technology to be bought up and buried by the oil industry is a travesty of the patent laws that were created to encourage innovation, not stifle it.       

www.twocentspermile.org

The oil industry… they have the perfect business model. Billions of people dependent on transportation, an unchallenged inefficient internal combustion engine (ICE) and a population trained to fill their tank with a liquid fuel. 

The oil companies can change that fuel from gasoline to natural gas or to hydrogen. It really doesn’t matter. They own Capitol Hill so legislation on emissions or environmental regulations will not change much. Oil is running out globally so they will have to change the fuel from gasoline to hydrogen or natural gas to hold on to their business model of the ICE and a liquid fuel. But they’re not worried, they have the politicians in their pockets. It will happen unless we, the people, act first.

I keep thinking about those electric cars built 12 years ago… the Toyota RAV4 EVs. Pure 100% electric vehicles powered by NiMH batteries. Their owners bought the cars 12 years ago and they are still running today on the original battery packs….imagine 12 years of no gasoline, no filling the tank, no oil changes, no engine troubles (there isn’t one!), …and batteries powered by the sun. OMG, I want that life.

What happened to those cars? Nothing, production was just stopped when Chevron Oil Corporation obtained ownership of the NiMH battery patents. That was it, no more efficient, reliable, affordable 100% electric SUVs. Smart business move on Chevron’s part! Except, the hundreds of Toyota RAV4 EVs are still out there and here is the proof.

I am tired of thinking about Chevron’s CEO. While he was raking in the dough, I was filling my gas tank, changing my oil, having my transmission fluid checked…what is wrong with this picture?!?!

Take Action now to have the President exercise eminent domain and release the proven NiMH battery patents from Chevron Oil Corporation. This will free us from oil for our transportation needs forever.  For more information on the criminal suppression of the most powerful and proven traction batteries invented in the US, see: http://www.twocentspermile.org/

Toyota Prius Hybrid Car

For years after the Toyota Prius Hybrid first went on sale in 2000, Toyota never replaced a single battery for wear and tear. Long-range durability is intrinsic to the NiMH battery system used in Toyota hybrids.

“When in service, the NiMH battery pack is kept in a partial state of charge, and is cycled through a range of partial charge levels as the vehicle is driven. By never fully charging or discharging the battery pack, the service life of the battery pack is greatly extended. The NiMH design lends itself very well to this constant state of partial charge operation,” said Toyota Product Communications Specialist David Lee.

The first Prius battery to tire out that Lee became aware of “came from a Prius with 175K miles on it,” he said. “I feel this is indicative of how long the battery packs can last.”

According to the 2010 Prius product information, Toyota warrantees the battery for ten years or 150,000 miles. Honda offers the same warranty for its 2010 Insight, a hybrid that also runs on NiMH batteries. These long-term guarantees indicate the proven reliability and long-range durability of NiMH battery technology. 

Sources:

Toyota Prius product info.

Honda Insight Hybrid Warranty

Baterries for Hybrid Cars

Why are oil companies turning to US universities to perform commercial research and development instead of conducting research in their own house? Why are universities opening their doors to Big Oil? And, how well are they balancing the needs of Big Oil with their own academic missions and public-interest obligations?

The list of oil companies known as “Big Oil” includes Chevron, British Petroleum (BP), ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell, and ExxonMobil. Ten large scale university research agreements funded by Big Oil were evaluated including contracts at UC Davis, UC Berkley and Stanford University.

Comprehensive analysis and independent expert level review of ten recent alliance agreements among 43 companies, 13 leading universities, and 2 federal research labs, totaling $833 million over ten years are reported on. The review found inadequate contractual protection from corporate influence including inadequate contractual standards to protect research independence and academic objectivity. Several specific findings include:

1. A disregard of peer review

2. Big Oil assuming control of academic governing bodies

3. Failure to address conflict of interest

4. Big Oil managing research proposal selection

5. Big Oil monopolizing the academic research results

And there is more… To read full article “Big Oil goes to College”

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/big_oil.html

If Big Oil were a university student, they would be expelled for academic misconduct and the involved university faculty would be facing civil and criminal liability charges.

In order for the United States to stay competitive in the global energy technology race, our technology must be free of the oil and gas monopoly. President Obama has boosted energy research considerably. This article proves that we cannot benefit from targeted research, freeing our nation from oil and gas dependency, until we free ourselves from the reign of oil companies.  We must call upon research institutes to uphold research ethics, whether publicly or privately funded, in order to advance US energy development for the benefit of society and not just for the benefit of oil company profits.

Other interesting tidbits from “Big Oil goes to College” include:

 In 2007, prior to joining Obama administration, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Undersecretary for Science at the Department of Energy Steven E. Koonin, brokered a $500 million research collaboration between BP PLC and three major US taxpayer-financed research institutions: UC Berkley, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (managed by UC Berkley), Chu, a Nobel Prize winning scientist was director of Lawrence Berkley, and Koonin was serving as BP’s chief scientist.

The investments in clean energy research are part of the oil industry’s campaign to project a more pro-environmental public image. Major oil, gas and automobile companies are touting their commitment to the research and development of clean-energy technologies: clean coal, hydrogen fuel cells, etc. Frequently the ads reference the industry’s alliance with US universities to boost prestige and public trust…..

Meaningful acts cultivate trust…..why aren’t they researching Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries? Chevron owns the patents to the most powerful traction batteries that would provide us with clean, green zero emission all electric automobiles powered by the sun…already proven technology for the past 12 years….

Take Action:   http://www.twocentspermile.org/

President Obama and other U.S. politicians, in response to the economic recession in the United States, have repeatedly proclaimed that green technologies can be a large part of the economic recovery and help reduce the national unemployment rate of 10% by creating new jobs.

According to a February 8^th, 2010 article on Newsfactor.com:

“…Asia’s clean-tech tigers are already on the cusp of establishing a “first-mover advantage.” China is exporting the first wind turbines destined for use in an American wind farm, a project valued at $1.5 billion. All three Asian nations [China, Japan and South Korea] lead the U.S. in the deployment of new nuclear power plants. The U.S. produces less than 10 percent of the world’s solar cells, is losing ground on hybrid and electric vehicle technology and manufacturing, and lags far behind in clean-technology manufacturing.”

While politicians make their proclamations, it appears that China, Japan and South Korea and other Asia powers are leading the charge on green technologies and electric vehicle technologies. The recent legislation passed by Congress is not doing enough to push the United States to the forefront of these technologies.

Again from Newsfactor.com:

“If the U.S. hopes to compete for new clean-energy industries, it must close the widening gap between public investments and provide more robust support for U.S. clean-tech research and innovation, manufacturing, and domestic market demand. Small, indirect, and uncoordinated incentives won’t be enough to out-do China, Japan, and South Korea. To achieve economic leadership in the global clean-energy industry and gain the jobs associated with them, U.S. energy policy must include large, direct, and coordinated investments in clean-technology R&D, manufacturing, deployment, and infrastructure.”

Some car manufacturers, even companies noted for being green manufacturers such as Toyota, are reluctant to mass-produce electric cars. They claim the cost of battery production is too high and consumers demand cars that exceed 100 miles per charge. They also site a lack of infrastructure available for charging vehicles.

What is missing from this argument (or excuse) is the average commute for Americans and a charging structure that is already in place. Most Americans drive about 40 miles per day. If offered an electric vehicle that gets more than 40 miles per charge, many Americans would be quick to purchase such a car. No, the United States does not have a quick-charging infrastructure for electric cars but the electric cars that are being manufactured elsewhere can be plugged in over night during off-peak electrical times and be recharged. Furthermore, the technology for fast charging cars is burgeoning.

Many argue, though, that simply taking the leap and mass-producing pure electric vehicles will be enough to drive the price down low enough to give consumers a choice to purchase non-gas powered cars. Nissan, which does not produce hybrid-electric vehicles like Toyota’s Prius, hopes to leapfrog over the hybrid technology and begin mass production on the Leaf, a 100% electric car that gets 100 miles per charge and can be recharged overnight at home during off-peak electrical times. While the Leaf will not be available on a large scale until 2012, Nissan is projected to become a leader in pure electric vehicle technology. Unless another manufacturer steps up quickly, the Leaf is likely to become the first-ever mass produced pure electric car. The leaf is estimated to cost no more than $33,000 making it very competitive compared to gas-powered and hybrid vehicles.

In a recent report from the Breakthrough Institute in late 2009, it is estimated that over the course of the next five years China, South Korea and Japan will invest $509 billion in green energy technologies including electric vehicle technologies. The study predicts the U.S. will invest only $172 billion over the same time period. $172 billion is just a few billion more than the U.S. bailout of AIG Insurance in 2009, to put thing in perspective.  

A summary of the report is available at:

http://thebreakthrough.org/blog/2009/11/rising_tigers_sleeping_giant_o.shtml

Meanwhile, in addition to Nissan, other foreign car manufacturers have plans to introduce fully electric vehicles. Audi plans to introduce the E1 in 2014 which will initially offer very small gas and diesel engines but will soon after offer pure electric motors. REVA, an Indian electric car manufacturer has become the leading electric car manufacturer in the world in 2008. REVA makes small compact electric vehicles for in-city travel. Mitsubishi is planning on releasing a pure electric car in the near future, the ColtEV which gets 93 miles per charge. There are dozens of other smaller electric car manufacturers outside the U.S. which, along with the major players like Nissan and Mitsubishi, are collectively dominating the electric vehicle market.

It seems the old adage “where there’s a will, there’s a way” is certainly true when it comes to green technologies and electric vehicle production. It brings into question the influence of proponents of the internal combustion engine, parts makers and distributors for ICE parts, service centers and sellers of liquid fuels (gas). While the world moves forward, the U.S. seems to be stalling. Meanwhile, our burning of fossil fuels and our dependence on foreign oil grows while our ecosystems suffer.

Energy Conversion Devices Ovonics

Ovonics has sold over two million NiMH batteries from 1997-2008 for use in hybrid vehicles. NiMH batteries have been or are currently used in the Toyota Prius, Camry, and Highlander, the Honda Civic, the Ford Escape, the Lexus RX400h, the Nissan Altima, and the Chevy Tahoe. Toyota has found the batteries to be safe, reliable and recyclable. Given the success of the NiMH over the past decade, Toyota has found them to be so reliable they guarantee them for 150,000 miles.

Other findings that Ovonics reported at the conference included information on the EV1 battery pack used in the Saturn EV1s. The presentation declared that NiMH batteries used in the pure electric Saturn EV-1s had a range of 240 miles with excellent customer response and were “performing well until the program ended.” What is missing from the presentation is an explanation of why the large capacity NiMH batteries were discontinued.

The presentation also included information about Smart Grid technologies and practical applications of the NiMH battery. When compared to lead acid batteries (which are made from toxic materials and have serious recycling problems), the NiMH battery is shown to be more expensive at the purchase time but cheaper in the long run because of reduced maintenance, longer life, and the elimination of an air-conditioned environment needed for lead acid batteries.

Ovonics concluded its presentation by summarizing that NiMH batteries have a proven performance record for all applications, a proven record of safety, and provide the best performance and cost when compared to all other battery technologies.

Source: http://www.ovonic.com/PDFs/Batteries2009OctoberNiceConference.pdf

The successful production of electric vehicles from 2000-2004 shows us that if mandates are put in place, manufacturers will step up to the plate. During the peak of the zero emission mandate, GM produced the EV1, Toyota made the RAV4-EV sports utility vehicles and Honda manufactured the EV PLUS. All of these cars will undoubtedly do well in the market today with increasing demand in the market today for cars with higher fuel efficiency and environment friendliness. No vehicles sold in the U.S. today by a major auto manufacturer run solely on electric power. The Chevy Volt promises 40 miles on electric power before using gas but this vehicle has been bumped up two model years and is still not available. Chevy claims they will produce 10,000 Volts in its first model year.

The technology to power all electric vehicles that get triple the mileage on an electric car compared to the Volt is in the hands of Chevron. The large capacity NiMH batteries that power the RAV4-EVs still on the road today can not be manufactured because Chevron controls the patents. Why are we allowing an oil company to control the most advanced electric vehicle battery?

100% Pure Electric Vehicles in U.S.A. (years 2000-2004)

Researchers also concluded that there would be vastly reduced need for imported oil because gasoline accounts for 73 percent of all imported oil. Furthermore, since the current electrical plants could handle the power distribution needed for plug-in vehicles without building new plants or added infrastructure, plants would be selling more electricity, potentially leading to a decrease in the cost of electricity. Additionally, the steady demand for electric power would actually result in investments yielding cleaner, more environment-friendly electrical production. One researcher noted that it is far easier to capture pollutants at the smokestack than at the tail-pipe, suggesting that the environmental impact of converting to plug-in vehicles would be far less damaging than our current gas-powered vehicle economy.

Sources:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/12/doe_study_offpe.html

The nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery, an American-invented technology.

“The NiMH battery has been performing very well in our hybrid products for a number of years,” said Toyota Product Communications Specialist David Lee. “It offers excellent energy density and does so with a relatively light package, which reduces overall vehicle weight for enhanced fuel economy.”

Panasonic EV Energy’s Omori Plant in Japan manufactures the NiMH batteries used in Toyota Prius models, according to Lee.

“We, at Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., develop and manufacture high-quality and highly reliable nickel metal hydride batteries for HEV/PEV,” stated the company’s president, Yoshiro Hayashi, in a message posted on Panasonic’s website.

Panasonic EV Energy began manufacturing large capacity PEV NiMH batteries in 1997, the year Toyota’s pure electric RAV4-EV debuted. American inventor Stanford R. Ovshinsky and his Ovonic Battery Company had developed the technology throughout the 80s and 90s. In 1999, GM produced the EV1, a pure electric vehicle that also ran on a large-capacity NiMH battery. But then GM killed its electric car program “due to the lack of suitable batteries,” (TCpM p.95) and sold its NiMH battery rights to what became ChevronTexaco. In 2000, Chevron sued Toyota and Panasonic, forcing them to end all production of the NiMH large capacity batteries. However, Panasonic could still manufacture NiMH batteries in their smaller-capacity format for hybrids, which they continued to do so with successful results.

Panasonic EV Energy has plans to open a new plant in 2010 to increase NiMH battery production capacity, according to its website. It will produce approximately 200,000 battery packs per year and provide 300 jobs.

In December of 2008, Panasonic EV Energy reached a milestone of two million battery packs produced. As Panasonic continues to increase production of NiMH battery systems for HEVs and Toyota’s hybrid models maintain their top-selling status, the Japanese EV industry surges ahead of the U.S. with technology American automakers rejected.

Sources: http://www.peve.jp/e/index.html and email from David Lee