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China emerges as a global leader in EVs

December 17, 2015/in Economy, Over a Barrel Blog, Uncategorized wtucker, newleaf /by Arctic Leaf

It’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow somebody some good, and it’s an ill pollution day that doesn’t have an upside somewhere.

Are EVs too reliable and too quiet?

November 30, 2015/in Environment, Over a Barrel Blog wtucker, newleaf /by Arctic Leaf

You never know what problems you’re going to get into with a new technology. EVs are zero-emissions vehicles. They eliminate gas purchases. Their range is getting better all the time.

I test-drove 5 new alt-fuel vehicles in L.A., and here’s what I learned

November 19, 2015/1 Comment/in Economy, Over a Barrel Blog ntaft /by Nathan Taft

Today at the Los Angeles Auto Show I got a chance to test-drive the newest green cars on the market. Most of the ones I tried out were electric, but a CNG/gasoline hybrid made an appearance, as did Toyota’s new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai. Read more →

Evercar is a greener, cheaper ride for Uber drivers

November 17, 2015/in Environment, Over a Barrel Blog lhall /by Landon Hall

Imagine you’re a person who makes money ferrying passengers for a ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft, or toting around packages for Postmates or Roadie.

Now imagine how much money you spend a month in gasoline, or how much you’ll have to spend in repairs to keep your jalopy up and running, and earning.

Will Tesla lose the battle but win the war?

November 9, 2015/in Economy, Over a Barrel Blog wtucker, newleaf /by Arctic Leaf

Things are not looking too good for Tesla these days. One of the most painful developments was Consumer Reports’ decision to remove its “recommended” rating and downgrade it to “worse than expected.” The magazine had once rated Tesla the best ever tested.

John Brackett made a Chevy Volt run on E85, and it was easy

November 2, 2015/4 Comments/in Environment, Over a Barrel Blog lhall /by Landon Hall

The Chevrolet Volt was originally meant to be a flex-fuel vehicle, capable of running on ethanol blends up to E85. So all John Brackett is doing, really, is restoring the car to its original capability. Read more →

And the EV revolution will be led by… Volvo?

October 21, 2015/in Economy, Over a Barrel Blog ntaft /by Nathan Taft

When people talk about electric vehicles, the conversation usually revolves around companies like Tesla, GM/Chevrolet, and Nissan who, thus far, have dominated the EV market.

Hydrogen’s the fuel of the future, but FFVs are ready now

October 8, 2015/in Over a Barrel Blog, World lhall /by Landon Hall

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles might be the cars of the future. In fact, to recycle an old joke (because here at Fuel Freedom we’re big on recycling), FCVs might forever be the cars of the future.

195 cities celebrate Drive Electric Week

September 28, 2015/in Environment, Over a Barrel Blog wtucker, newleaf /by Arctic Leaf

Earlier this month the nation celebrated National Drive Electric Week, with events in 195 cities. Read more →

Tesla has to compete for customers. So should fuels

September 9, 2015/in Economy, Over a Barrel Blog lhall /by Landon Hall

Americans love their freedom to choose. Someone invents something, and competitors rush in with their own similar products to fight for a market that didn’t exist before.

This is what Tesla has done with the electric vehicle: The Model S is making cold-eyed journalists swoon, and the next few months are huge: The company will soon release its eagerly awaited crossover SUV, the Model X, followed by its more-eagerly awaited “affordable” sedan, the Model 3.

But Tesla shouldn’t get too comfortable, because the established auto-makers want to steal some of its quiet, zero-emission thunder with EVs of their own: In the past week, Toyota unveiled the new Prius, trying to assure everyone it can be cool as well as get 10 percent more miles out of a battery charge; Edmunds gave its blessing for the 2016 Chevy Volt; there was a possible sighting of the 2016 Nissan Leaf, the best-selling EV in the U.S.; and there were rumors that Mercedes-Benz is working on an electric car than has a range of 311 miles.

It’s a basic rule of economics: Competitive markets are good for consumers. Which is why drivers should be demanding fuel choice as well.

Gasoline is cheap now, but it doesn’t take much to cause a price spike: The threat of a supply constriction overseas; a refinery going down (and staying down, in California’s case); output quotas in OPEC nations. Anything can cause volatility in the global market. Businesses don’t like uncertainty, and it’s bad for consumers as well.

The only way to reduce the cost structure of fuels over the long term is to create fuel choice, something the United States has never known. To quote former Shell Oil president John Hofmeister: “We will never get past the volatility of oil until we get to alternatives to oil.”

We’re not advocating an end to fossil fuels. We just want fuel choice: Ethanol, methanol, CNG, LNG, biodiesel, hydrogen and, yes, electric batteries. Anything that reduces our dependence on oil is good for America.

If gasoline, the same fuel we’ve been stuck with for more than a century, is the superior fuel for vehicles, let it compete with other choices at the pump. If oil companies don’t want competition, what are they afraid of?