In the Driver’s Seat Blog

Like many of us, the grassroots political action organization MoveOn.org is figuring out its end-of-year charitable donations strategy. You can help them decide! Vote here before Dec. 29 and choose Plug In America’so that MoveOn.org will ask its 5 million supporters across the United States to contribute to our educational[…]

It feels like just last week that we were all eagerly awaiting the arrival of 2010, the year of the plug-ins. And here we are today, 2010 is nearly over and we have production EVs from major automakers on the road. Let’s take a look at a few of the[…]

There’s nothing quite like a seasonal boat parade party to rev up ye old holiday spirit, and this year’s lineup of extravagantly lit and decorated vessels gliding past our Huntington Harbor home was no exception. My husband Howard and I took advantage of the nautical spectacle and hosted not one,[…]

Professor Andrew Frank of the University of California, Davis has been designing, building, and advocating for plug-in hybrids longer than just about anyone — 30 years or more. Felix Kramer and Ron Gremban, the indefatigueable duo behind the non-profit California Cars Initiative (CalCars), put the drive for plug-in hybrids on[…]

Just wanted to let you know that the tax bill with the EV infrastructure tax credit extension passed the House late tonight 277-148. It extends the EV infrastructure tax credit for one year until 12/31/2011 at pre-stimulus levels. This means that the tax credit on an EV charger is 30%[…]

I’ve got a LEAF for a few days. Very exciting. I’ll have a full report soon. But I’ve got to mention one frustration I’ve encountered. Restricted charge stations. In San Francisco at this moment there are, I believe, six deployed new J1772 charge stations. One, a ParkPod unit in the[…]

Today, Plug In America launched our fourth PSA, Clothes, which uses clothing as an analogy for vehicle maintenance. Compared to other fuel types, electric cars need very little maintenance, meaining less waste in the landfill and more money in your pocket. In the 45 second clip, electric simply puts on[…]

With all of the talk about the coming electric cars, I’d like to share ten reasons why we should be excited about finally having an electric choice in affordable, practical, freeway-capable cars. My wife and I have been driving pure electric vehicles for over two years now, we no longer[…]

Last year the US Government approved tax credits for EV charging infrastructure of 50% up to $2,000 for individuals and $50,000 for businesses. Unfortunately this tax credit expires 12/31/2010. Just as plug-in cars are about to get on the road is absolutely the wrong time to end this tax credit.[…]

Plug In America’s third PSA, “Hype,” ran on national television today, from start to finish. This is a historic first for us. Sure, we’ve been on the big screen (“Who Killed the Electric Car?”) and our protests and talking-points covered by local TV news. But whodathunk FOX would be the[…]

“How far can you REALLY go?” My wife and I both drive electric cars, so we get asked that question a lot. It is almost identical to the “what MPG will I get?” question in a gas car, which also cannot be answered with a single number. The same things[…]

If you still haven’t heard, several weeks ago, Plug In America released the first two of our seven brand new Public Service Announcements. We released them online, and asked our supporters to contact their local TV stations to request that they air our PSAs. We already have several television stations[…]

Are you ready to behold the vision of electric cars up on the silver screen once again? While the new film documentary What is the Electric Car?  doesn’t have the high drama of Who Killed the Electric Car?  with the attendant spectacle of EVs heading to the crusher, it does[…]

We’ve been saying “It’s coming, it’s coming” for so long now. It feels so good to finally be able to say “It’s here!” Today marks a milestone. After months and months of proposals, design, implementation, and lots and lots of debugging, the new pluginamerica.org takes its first steps. Please bear[…]

Our power grid is a matrix of supply feeders, closely resembling a window screen, where a thread of the fabric strand runs in two directions, across and down. When superimposed onto a street map, every household, apartment complex and business has connectivity. Neighborhoods are stitched together via larger feeders and[…]

Washington and Oregon jockey for plug-in leadership Yesterday Plug In America President Dan Davids and I attended Get Plug-in Ready–Now! in Bellevue, Washington. It was a regional, one-day workshop to help public and private entities prepare for the arrival of electric vehicles this Fall. It was organized by Puget Sound[…]

West Coast Green. The Green Drive Expo. Bioneers. And the West Coast Corridor Coalition. Which of these events fits under the category of “pro-environment”? If you answered “all of the above,” you’d be right. This is just a West Coast sampling of the many events Plug In America will be[…]

Plug In America member Sara Bissig and her husband Jimmy have a very visible all-electric taxi service in The Woodlands community north of oil-rich Houston, Texas.Their two Go Green Eco Taxis faithfully deliver passengers around town in clean, chic electric style.The larger of the two Sky Car neighborhood electric vehicles[…]

Summer’s almost over, but it’s not too late to get in on Plug In America’s summer reading special deal — two great books for the price of one. Place your order before Labor Day to take advantage of this offer. For a $10 donation (plus $3 flat rate shipping), we’ll[…]

One hot summer day when I was a child, my parents took me to the county fair. This was an unusual event for us, and we were there all day. We didn’t get home until late, so I went straight to bed–exhausted, yet excited and happy. The way I felt[…]

Electric vehicle advocate, adventurer, technology evangelist, businessman, computer expert and Tesla road warrior Chad Schwitters recently became Plug In America’s newest board member. PIA’s multi-talented new guy hails from Redmond, Washington where his oh-so-green garage houses not one, not two but THREE plug-in vehicles. Chad has served his state by[…]

I recently had the honor of dining with fellow Tesla roadster owner Howard Dunholter, who at 98 years of age is clearly not your “typical” Tesla enthusiast. Howard’s interest in EVs began way back in 1921 when he was a ten-year-old tot. He remembers watching lamp-like electric horseless carriages gliding[…]

The Oregon Electric Vehicle Association held their 2010 EV Awareness Day on Saturday, July 10. Kelli and I arrived the day before. We were told the weather had been rainy and cold, but by Friday it had turned hot and sunny. Pioneer Square, affectionately known as Portland’s “living room”, was[…]

Just how plugged in are you going to be this summer? How about electrifying your hazy-crazy-lazy days of summer by joining Plug In America from July 26-29 for this year’s Plug-In 2010 Conference and Exposition at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center? You’ll find Plug In America at the entrance[…]

Th!nk was my first electric car, leased from Ford in 2002-2004. My wife and I loved that little car and were heartbroken when Ford canceled all Th!nk leases. Six years later, I got to drive the Th!nk again. (Photos: New Th!nk in red, old Th!nk in blue.) The company has[…]

Dawn broke early this morning in Yokohama, and I was awake to see it since I was still on west coast time. I also couldn’t sleep given this was the day I would finally get to drive the actual Leaf EV, not a converted mule like those I’d driven before.[…]

Eight Plug In America EV drivers recently lined up to test drive a demo Think City electric vehicle. Tim Cunningham, Sales Manager for the Western Region, met the group on June 9 at the Costa Mesa ASG Renaissance Regional Headquarters parking lot for a Q & A huddle prior to[…]

Shanghai is a mind blower. Exuberant, flashy skyscrapers dot the landscape soaring above the city’s overhead freeways, many claiming their place in the skyline with decorative, synchronized light shows. Immense shopping malls with every major international brand represented are packed with locals out merely for a stroll, the newly rich[…]

Brammo brought its electric Enertia motorcycle for test rides at the June 5 meeting of the San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association, and people seemed to like what they rode. I don’t have a motorcycle license, and it’s a one-seater, so instead of a first-hand account I interviewed two experienced riders[…]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoH85zHD8Sk&feature=youtu.be Seems my blog post last week about GM planning an all-electric version of the Volt caused a bit of a stir. Not surprising, given the way this news came out. So let me recap how it happened, and you can decide for yourself whether you believe it or not.[…]

This is a big deal. Biggest EV news since Carlos Ghosn got religion. I just watched the press conference where Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda announced an agreement. Toyota’s investing in Tesla. Tesla’s buying the NUMMI factory. The Model S and subsequent vehicles will be made[…]

VW has released some more information on its electric plans. Look for an e-Golf to be launched in 2013. 93 mile range from a 26.5 kWh lithium battery pack. Similar to the LEAF or RAV4-EV, the car weighs about 3400 pounds, a few hundred pounds heavier than the gas/diesel versions.[…]

So what’s it like to consistently be upstaged by the car you drive — a radiant red beauty that often captures photographers’ lens, draws small crowds in supermarket parking lots and appraising looks on freeways? This particular car honestly seems to have as much personality as Christine in the movie[…]

Plug In America leaders and guests drove the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid in San Francisco and got some cheery news from GM about an all-electric version that will follow 6 months after the Volt’s launch in late 2010. GM reps set up cones for a test-drive route in a parking[…]

For the first time on U.S. soil, electric motorcycle racers will compete in the first round of the international TTXGP eGrand Prix on May 14-16, 2010 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Don’t ask me what TTXGP stands for. Anybody know? It’s not apparent on the eGrand Prix website, but[…]

What can be said about the BP oil spill that hasn’t already been said? Plenty — and you and I should be saying it. I’m inspired today by Plug In America co-founder Lisa Rosen, who wrote this in a letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times that begins:[…]

South Coast Plaza, the swanky mega-mall located in Orange County, recently installed a Coulomb network charging station alongside an already-installed Clipper Creek CS-40 charger. Both charging stations are located side-by-side in an underground parking structure beneath the Crate and Barrel Home Store at 3333 Bear Street in Costa Mesa. Mall[…]

Quick — name the consumer product with the highest rate of recycling. Aluminum cans? Nah, a relatively wimpy 50%-80% get recycled. If you’ve been paying attention to Plug In America’s FAQ page, you might guess car batteries — and you’d be right. As John Voelcker reported last week in an[…]

Plug In America’supporters tend to come in two flavors — environmentalists and people who are concerned about national security (though many overlap). On Earth Day 2010, both have reason to celebrate a new report, “Reenergizing America’s Defense: How the Armed Forces Are Stepping Forward To Combat Climate Change and Improve[…]

When I met up with Tesla road warrior Chad Schwitters on April 8 at the LA Tesla store, he was headed north on the 405 back home to Redmond, Washington after driving his roadster to San Diego. It was a convenient meet-up for us two ferocious EV advocates at Tesla’s[…]

After running for several years in stealth mode, Nissan reached out to Plug In America two years ago revealing their plans to build an EV for the average consumer, something that would serve the daily driving needs of the vast majority of the world’s drivers. Fast forward to March 29th[…]

I got to test drive a Chevy Volt today along with a cluster of delighted EV advocates including my friend Jordan Howard, who brought along her 1-year-old sister, Jade. You get it already. The instant Jordan slipped behind the wheel with her sibling, the revelatory thought came to mind among[…]

photo: Nissan Leaf Gallery So you want to buy a LEAF? Nissan laid out a rough outline of their ordering process in a February press release. Registering Nissan says that “registrants will be given first priority” to reserve the car. To be more specific, this means that people who registered[…]

Plug In America’s team is in Tennessee for a few days! We were Invited by Nissan to have some face time with the entire Leaf team and see where the cars and batteries will be produced here in America’s heartland. We’re in Franklin… just 1/2 hour outside of Nashville with[…]

The public often has the general impression that Plug In America is California-centric. Given our history and our headquarters, this is only natural. However, EV interest is thriving across the United States. We’re doing our best to support this. Plug In America members and supporters bode from small rural towns[…]

Did I only imagine the hush that fell over the EV world today after Nissan’s all-electric LEAF hatchback pricing announcement? I fantasized that the very tree leaves– recognizing an automotive kindred spirit– stopped rustling in the spring breeze at the long-awaited news. Before incentives the Nissan LEAF — will cost[…]

In a random, nationwide survey of 1,752 U.S. adults, 26% said they’re likely to consider buying a plug-in electric car the next time they’re buying a new vehicle, according to ConsumerReports.org. That’s tremendously impressive, considering that only one highway-capable electric vehicle (EV) is on the market today, the pricey Tesla[…]

If there’s a better idea zapping through the universal ethers than electrification of commercial fleet vans, I don’t know what it might be. Delivery vehicles — whether USPS vans or commercial delivery vans — often meander down the same limited-range, precise path day-after-day. The benefits of commercial van electrification to[…]

In 2001 I began driving an electric car, obtaining the last of the ZEV mandate-required EVs. As I got turned on to the benefits and technological readiness of electric cars, the writing was on the wall and EVs began to disappear from California’s roads. I got enthused just as the[…]

There’s a lot of money being thrown around in the direction of electric vehicles these days, and where there’s money, there are scammers and quick-buck manipulators. One of the jobs of journalists is to protect us by checking out information before passing it on. Last week, much of the media[…]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelastminute/ / CC BY 2.0 Julia Perry asked us on Facebook about maintenance and repairs of electric cars: “I want to know more about how these cars will be supported from a maintenance/repairs perspective (at least, that’s what my husband keeps nagging me about). Thanks.” Julia, by “these cars”, I[…]

We’ve been hearing a lot about range anxiety lately. Plug In America addresses that persistent, pulse-accelerating concern in its Top 12 Plug-in Electric Vehicle Myths. In fact, range anxiety is listed as numero uno: MYTH # 1: EVs don’t have enough range. You’ll be stranded when you run out of[…]

This is the second in our short series of potential guest bloggers (if Plug In America’starts a guest blog in addition to “In the Driver’s Seat”). Chad Schwitters of Seattle describes the mental conversions that happen when one starts driving on electricity. As profiled in “Charged Up & Ready To[…]

A few weeks ago while cleaning out some hideously cluttered household drawers, I happened upon an old greeting card that my daughter Robin gave me years ago when she was a little girl. What really struck me about this long-forgotten card, though, was the card’s Hallmark message: “If You Empower[…]

One way to measure progress in our efforts to get plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) back on the market is this: Five years ago, Plug In America’s founders were trying to attract media attention to the demand for EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). Today, the electrification of transportation is so much[…]

During the last two weeks a team here at Plug In America has reached out to nearly thirty cities and government agencies across the United States and Canada seeking samples of EV-specific model ordinances. Specifically we’ve been searching for codified language that shows a city is serious about welcoming plug-in[…]

“In the Driver’s Seat” brings you news and commentary from Plug In America’s board and staff. We’re considering creating a guest blog as well, which would feature posts by a selection of Plug In America’s most active volunteers. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting some samples of the[…]

Nearly all the talk about batteries for electric cars has focused on lithium-ion batteries in recent years, but the battery champions of the last generation of electric vehicles — nickel-metal hydride batteries (NiMH) — may be poised for a bit of a comeback. That’s the suggestion in Paul Weissler’s excellent[…]

It’s been crystal clear for some months that BMW would be making more EVs after getting nothing but high praise for its little 500 car MINI E experiment. Not so much for the logistical foul ups in their haste to deploy the fleet in time for valuable CARB credits, but[…]

The journalistic bastion of the business world is spreading confidence about the new era of plug-in electric vehicles through a quiz for its readers. While I could quibble with a few of their questions and assumptions, this quiz is nothing but good news. Sure, they confuse electric vehicles with plug-in[…]

Last Friday, Chelsea Sexton dropped off the cute little Mitsubishi iMiEV (pronounced I-meev) test car. She and her husband, Bob, had been driving it for a week, and now it was our turn. This version is a right-hand drive built for the Japanese market. Driving from the right side of[…]

The last time I blogged on these pages, my blog caused enough negative reaction that I was told to add a disclaimer unless I was certain that my views reflected those of every Plug In America board member. Well, let me just say this: Disclaimer! This blog consists of my[…]

My partner is in rapture with his new iTouch. The other day he suddenly discovered links to learn Korean, or pick up yoga poses, all for free. “Oh look,” he declared, “they have all the Nicholas Stern lectures.” “Wow, how about living off the grid.” His curiosity began to crescendo.[…]

Plug In America board members Paul Scott, Mike Kane and I recently had the privilege of meeting with Balwinder Samra, CEO and founder of Balqon Corporation at the company’s headquarters in Harbor City, California. Balqon Corp was founded in 2005 when AQMD and the Port of LA partnered to fund[…]

I’m a relatively new iPhone user, but I think I’ve already found my favorite app of all time — the EV Charger Finder app. Jeff Lander, who drives an electric BMW Mini, created this free app utilizing the best database of EV charging locations that exists — Tom Dowling’s evchargernews.com.[…]

Coda Automotive brought its all-electric sedan for show-and-tell and test rides at the San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association (SFEVA) meeting on February 6. Plug In America’s Sherry Boschert, Marc Geller, and Jeanne Trombly were there to check it out. If you’ve been following the electric vehicle (EV) space for awhile,[…]

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Moloughney — MINI E driver and owner of the Montclair, New Jersey restaurant, Nauna’s Bella Casa. Like many other fortunate Plug In America’supporters, Tom drives an electric vehicle. But unlike any other known EV driver, Tom has driven his BMW-leased MINI E[…]

San Francisco City Administrator Edwin Lee told guests at Plug In America’s benefit party last week that the City is working with all nine counties in the San Francisco Bay Area to ensure a 24-hour turn-around for electric vehicle charging station permits and inspections. (Pictured: Plug In America’s Sherry Boschert[…]

So you’ve finally got your electric car. You’re going out of town for a few days and recall a few spots at the airport parking lot that have a regular 110-volt electric outlet on the wall. Do you plug in your Tesla (or Nissan LEAF or Chevy Volt)? Are you[…]

Have you seen GM’s new video about how the Volt functions? It’s a good, clear, basic explanation. But it delivers a message that really steams me. It blithely advises that “you won’t have to adjust your life” with an extended range vehicle. Oh thank God. Clearly GM means to draw[…]

Plug In America gets the most interesting calls. Last week we heard from a representative of the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF), which is working with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to help devise electric vehicle training materials for the nation s emergency response workforce. Funded by a three[…]

Darryl Siry blogs over at Wired’s Autopia. He’s pretty plugged in, having worked at Tesla and consulted for CODA. He’s a bit surprised, as are all of us, that Nissan has emerged as the first big automaker to manufacture a mass-produced electric car. In his recent post, “In Race to[…]

It’s winter. You’re on the treadmill or the stationary bicycle at the gym, listening to your iPod or other portable digital device. Or you’re washing the dishes after dinner, ear buds feeding you the latest sounds of — what? It could be Plug In America’s podcast, with our mellifluous host,[…]

It’s official, the Cadillac Converj is to be the second extended-range electric vehicle after the Volt. I may be most interested affordable electric cars, but this makes sense to me. I only wish GM had the smarts back in the day to have rebranded the EV1 as a Caddy and[…]

Environment America today released a new report, Plug-in Cars: Powering America Toward a Cleaner Future that I encourage you to download (it’s free), read, and let others know about. What a joy to read, on so many levels. The report gets it right, using the terminology that Plug In America[…]

Although he had to contend with plenty of “static” in the 19th and early part of the 20th Century, inventor Nikola Tesla is now lauded as the historical hero who, in the 1880’s, plugged the world into alternating current (AC). Tesla by trade was a technically and mystically astute electrical[…]

What do Texans know about electric cars? Quite a bit it turns out. I spent Friday and Saturday in Austin at their Climate Protection Conference and Expo. Fellow Plug In America board member, Marc Geller, and I set up our booth and spent two days talking non-stop to Texans about[…]

BMW has recognized that they simply teed up GM and Nissan to benefit from the MINI E experience. Today they announced officially that MINI E “pioneers” will be able to extend their leases until 2011. At that point the ActiveE, an electric Series 1 Beemer, is projected to be available,[…]

Plug In America leaders (and probably lots of other EV afficionados) have been suggesting to GM for quite some time now that they should make an all-electric version of their upcoming Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid (or, as they like to call it, their extended-range electric vehicle). Apparently, they were listening![…]

I was going to blog this week about some 2010 resolutions for an EV-friendly world, but we’re already four days into the year, so forget that. Instead, let’s party! We’ve got some good reasons to celebrate. This is the year that mass-production plug-in vehicles finally return to the market. In[…]