CalCars

Last updated
The California Cars Initiative
FounderFelix Kramer
Location
Origins2002
Website http://www.calcars.org/
Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid converted by CalCars with a fuel economy of over 100 miles per gallon. CalCars Plug in 100+ June 2006.jpg
Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid converted by CalCars with a fuel economy of over 100 miles per gallon.

CalCars (also known as The California Cars Initiative) was a charitable, non-profit organization founded in 2002 to promote plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) as a key to addressing oil dependence and global warming both nationally and internationally. [1] [2] It was active until 2010, when the first mass-produced PHEVs arrived. CalCars envisioned millions of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, charged by off-peak electricity from renewable energy sources, and with their internal combustion engines powered by low-carbon alternative fuels, as a way to significantly reduce greenhouse gases that come from transportation.

Contents

History

Lithium-ion battery pack, with cover removed, in CalCars' plug-in hybrid converted Toyota Prius, which was the first PHEV based on the Prius and called PRIUS+. Felix-car-batteries-full.jpg
Lithium-ion battery pack, with cover removed, in CalCars' plug-in hybrid converted Toyota Prius, which was the first PHEV based on the Prius and called PRIUS+.

With co-sponsorship from Hypercar, Felix Kramer organized what became the founding meeting of the California Car Company Initiative on July 29, 2002 in Palo Alto, CA, which evolved into the non-profit California Cars Initiative, and shifted its focus from hydrogen fuel cells to the nearer-term plug-in hybrid. The focus was on a solution using existing technology and 120-volt household power, rather than a new infrastructure. CalCars announced its dual approach of technical demonstration of feasibility and advocacy to reach "influencers" and decision-makers. Having recruited engineer Ron Gremban as Technology Lead and begun an open source Prius Plus conversion program, [3] CalCars completed the first Prius conversion in 2004. In 2006, with a conversion by one of the independent conversion companies, Kramer became the "world's first non-technical consumer owner" of a PHEV. [4] He flew that vehicle to Washington, DC in May 2006 for the first public viewing of a PHEV on Capitol Hill. [5]

CalCars worked with allied organizations to build buyer demand for PHEVs in the United States and promote commercial production of plug-in hybrid vehicles by major automakers. It engaged in public education through its web site calcars.org. It displayed its +100 miles per US gallon (2.4 L/100 km; 120 mpg‑imp) PHEVs at public and private events, showed promotional videos, and makes presentations to different audiences, including political leaders and opinion-makers. CalCars also promoted technology development for PHEVs by building example plug-in hybrid vehicles, and maintaining open-source documentation of technological information about its prototypes. In its technology development, CalCars was closely linked with the work of Professor Andrew A. (Andy) Frank and the Team Fate design group at the University of California, Davis. [6]

After the first handful of Prius+ conversions, the PHEVs were displayed at multiple locations and events around the country, including the US Congress. [7] Interest in the PHEV concept swelled, and building conversion kits for DIYers or commercial conversions took off as many small and large companies entered the space. Calcars worked closely with journalists and the media to further stoke interest. [8] Dozens of books on the topic were released and reviewed by Calcars. CalCars tracked and commented on continuing developments through its listserv from 2005 to 2013. [9]

The CC automakers page covered the numerous developments announced by automakers, and CalCars' analysis of them. It further promoted PHEVs with leaders everywhere by featuring photos of them with their vehicles on its "Influencers", [10] and "leaders". [11] CalCars worked to connect PHEV owners to automakers, and welcomed GM's announcement of the Volt. An attempt was made to get companies to offer aftermarket conversions for most existing vehicles on the road, but little success was had in getting aftermarket converters to form a trade group to secure government incentives for conversions. [12] So after several years the conversion market shrank, and currently has one provider, Plug-in Supply.

In November 2009, Calcars declared a preliminary victory, with mass-produced PHEVs and fully electric vehicles set to arrive shortly. [12] Drivers and advocates were migrated to the Electric Auto Association (EEA), Plug In America (PIA), or the Sierra Club for further promotion of CalCars goal of rapidly electrifying all vehicles.

Several plug-in hybrid converted Toyota Prius at Professorville, Palo Alto. CalCars Plug ins August 2007.jpg
Several plug-in hybrid converted Toyota Prius at Professorville, Palo Alto.

CalCars built the first PRIUS+ conversion, creating the first PHEV based on the 2004 Toyota Prius. [1] [2] [13] This initial conversion was done with a lead-acid battery pack to prove the concept would work. The build team included Ron Gremban, Felix Kramer, Marc Geller, Kevin Lyons, Andrew Lawton. Others who helped included Tom Driscoll, Michael Geller, Richard Jesch, Les Montavon, Dan Putman, Michael Schwabe, Len Tramiel, Bob Westman, Doug Widney.

Conversions

Prius+ (also written Prius Plus) became the open-source standard on which most plug-in hybrid kits were based. [14] Plug-in hybrid kit manufacturers included: A123 Hymotion, Amberjac Systems, based on EDrive Systems emerged from the original EnergyCS, EETrex, Enginer, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies, Plug-In Conversions Corp, Plug-In Supply (still operating), MD-Tech

Beginning in 2008, CalCars started to address the problem that the rate of market penetration (as a percentage of new vehicles into the national and international fleet) would be remarkably slow, even with optimistic assumptions. To accelerate the electrification of transportation and all of its consequent benefits, CalCars started an unsuccessful initiative: spurring the growth of a new industry that converts existing internal combustion engine vehicles into plug-ins. [15]

Combustion vehicle mass conversions

CalCars stated that compared to crushing old vehicles, converting millions of gas-guzzling, internal combustion engine vehicles (pickup trucks, SUVs, and full-size vans -PSVs-) would be a winning energy-saving strategy. [16] [17]

Key CalCars personnel

Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid converted by CalCars exhibited at the Maker Fair 2008, San Mateo, California. Maker Faire 2008 San Mateo 157.JPG
Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid converted by CalCars exhibited at the Maker Fair 2008, San Mateo, California.
Calcars has supported the new wave of mass production plug-in electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt (shown), the Nissan Leaf, and other PEVs. Chevy Volt in Lake Tahoe NV trimmed.jpg
Calcars has supported the new wave of mass production plug-in electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt (shown), the Nissan Leaf, and other PEVs.

Felix Kramer, founder, is a marketing strategist and communicator with an entrepreneurial track record with startups; in the environmental realm, he managed major events and run campaigns and organizations. After founding, running and selling a small Internet company, he volunteered his time to CalCars from 2001 to 2009. [18] Since 2009 he has written articles and worked on projects involving climate change and clean energy, based at his website, BeyondCassandra.org

Ron Gremban, Technology Development Lead for PRIUS+, moderator of the PRIUS+ [14] Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Group, [19] and electrical and software engineer involved in sales of solar energy systems, has long experience with electric cars—he helped design and drive the Caltech entry in the transcontinental 1968 Great Electric Car Race. [20] He has been the lead EE since 2012 at Brillouin Energy in Berkeley, seeking a commercially useful form of LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reactions).

Gail Slocum, Senior Advisor, former Mayor, Menlo Park and Regulatory Attorney at Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plug-in hybrid</span> Hybrid vehicle whose battery may be externally charged

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be replenished by connecting a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engine-powered generator. While PHEVs are predominantly passenger cars, there are also plug-in hybrid variants of sports cars, commercial vehicles, vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, mopeds, military vehicles and boats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies</span>

The FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies (FCVT) was a national Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program developing more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly highway transportation technologies to enable the United States to use less petroleum. Run by Michael Berube, it had long-term aims to develop "leap-frog" technologies to provide Americans with greater freedom of mobility and energy security, lower costs, and reduce environmental impacts.

Blended mode is a charge-depleting mode of operation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in which most of the motive energy is supplied by the battery pack but supplemented by the internal combustion engine (ICE). In contrast, all-electric or battery electric vehicles use only the electricity provided by the battery pack as their sole source of energy in a charge-depleting manner. Both types of advanced technology vehicles use regenerative brakes to recapture kinetic energy that should not be considered a fuel source but rather an efficiency aspect of these types of electric vehicle powertrains not found in traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.

Hybrid vehicle drivetrains transmit power to the driving wheels for hybrid vehicles. A hybrid vehicle has multiple forms of motive power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid electric vehicle</span> Type of hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle or better performance. There is a variety of HEV types and the degree to which each function as an electric vehicle (EV) also varies. The most common form of HEV is the hybrid electric car, although hybrid electric trucks, buses, boats and aircraft also exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternative fuel vehicle</span> Type of vehicle

An alternative fuel vehicle is a motor vehicle that runs on alternative fuel rather than traditional petroleum fuels. The term also refers to any technology powering an engine that does not solely involve petroleum. Because of a combination of factors, such as environmental and health concerns including climate change and air pollution, high oil-prices and the potential for peak oil, development of cleaner alternative fuels and advanced power systems for vehicles has become a high priority for many governments and vehicle manufacturers around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrids Plus</span> American company

Hybrids Plus was a company operating from 2006 to 2009 that was devoted to converting hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), including vehicle-to-grid capable PHEVs.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of plug-in hybrids</span> Aspect of history

The history of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) spans a little more than a century, but most of the significant commercial developments have taken place after 2002. The revival of interest in this automotive technology together with all-electric cars is due to advances in battery and power management technologies, and concerns about increasingly volatile oil prices and supply disruption, and also the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Between 2003 and 2010 most PHEVs on the roads were conversions of production hybrid electric vehicles, and the most prominent PHEVs were aftermarket conversions of 2004 or later Toyota Prius, which have had plug-in charging and more lead-acid batteries added and their electric-only range extended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RechargeIT</span> Initiative within Google.org

RechargeIT is one of five initiatives within Google.org, the charitable arm of Google, created with the aim to reduce CO2 emissions, cut oil use, and stabilize the electrical grid by accelerating the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles.

Felix Kramer is an entrepreneur, strategist and writer. After a succession of jobs and projects in the nonprofit sector and an early internet startup, he gained attention after 2002 as the founder of the California Cars Initiative, promoting mass production of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Since 2009, he has written broadly on climate change awareness and solutions, and collaborated on or co-founded climate-related projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent</span> Measurement of fuel economy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plug-in electric vehicle</span> Type of vehicle

A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity to store electrical energy within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, to power an electric motor and help propelling the wheels. PEV is a subset of electric vehicles, and includes all-electric/battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Sales of the first series production plug-in electric vehicles began in December 2008 with the introduction of the plug-in hybrid BYD F3DM, and then with the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV in July 2009, but global retail sales only gained traction after the introduction of the mass production all-electric Nissan Leaf and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt in December 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plug-in electric vehicles in the United States</span> Overview of plug-in electric vehicles in the US

The adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States is supported by the American federal government, and several states and local governments. As of December 2021, cumulative sales in the U.S. totaled 2.32 million highway legal plug-in electric cars since 2010, led by all-electric cars. The American stock represented 20% of the global plug-in car fleet in use by the end of 2019, and the U.S. had the world's third largest stock of plug-in passenger cars after China (47%) and Europe (25%).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid</span> Motor vehicle

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid liftback manufactured by Toyota. The first-generation model was produced from 2012 to 2016. The second-generation model has been produced since 2016. Production of the third-generation model began in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyundai Blue-Will</span> Motor vehicle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid Scorecard</span> Ranking method for hybrid electric vehicles

The Hybrid Scorecard was created by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to give consumers a comprehensive comparison of hybrid electric vehicles available in the U.S. market. The UCS Hybrid Scorecard ratings take into considerations fuel economy as rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the environmental benefits as compared to its similar or closest conventional internal combustion engine counterpart; how cost-effectively a particular hybrid achieves its environmental performance; and premium features that are bundled on a hybrid as standard equipment raising its purchase price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plug-in electric vehicles in California</span> Overview of plug-in electric vehicles in the U.S. State of California

The stock of plug-in electric vehicles in California is the largest in the United States, and as of December 2021, cumulative plug-in car registrations in the state since 2010 totaled 1.072 million units. California is the largest U.S. car market with about 10% of all new car sales in the country, but has accounted for almost half of all plug-in cars sold in the American market since 2011. Since November 2016 and until 2020, China was the only country market that exceeded California in terms of cumulative plug-in electric car sales.

References

  1. 1 2 Inslee, Jay; Bracken Hendricks (2007). Apollo's Fire . Island Press, Washington, D.C. pp. 36–40. ISBN   978-1-59726-175-3.See Chapter 2. Reinventing the car.
  2. 1 2 Sherry Boschert (2006). Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that will Recharge America . New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, Canada. pp.  49–66. ISBN   978-0-86571-571-4.See Chapter 3. Felix Flirts with Hydrogen. http://www.sherryboschert.com/?page_id=607
  3. ↑ See PriusPlus.org Archived 2016-05-29 at the Portuguese Web Archive
  4. ↑ Where PHEVs Are"
  5. ↑ See CalCars' "PHEVs in DC."
  6. ↑ Dr. Andrew A. Frank, Director, http://www.team-fate.net Archived 2006-01-12 at the Wayback Machine advanced hybrid vehicle research center (which has built 9 plug-in hybrid proof-of-concept vehicles), Professor, University of California at Davis; see a 2003 interview in EVWorld, part 1 Archived 2003-10-24 at the Wayback Machine and part 2 Archived 2003-10-27 at the Wayback Machine and a 2006 Wall Street Journal profile.
  7. ↑ "PHEVs & CalCars on Capitol Hill May, 2006". calcars.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  8. ↑ "CalCars in the News 2004-2005". calcars.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  9. ↑ "CalCars-News Archive". www.calcars.org. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  10. ↑ "Influencers & celebrities". calcars.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  11. ↑ "CalCars.org".[ permanent dead link ]
  12. 1 2 "Join the Campaign to Electrify World's 900+ Million Vehicles". calcars.org. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  13. ↑ The PRIUS+ was CalCars first PHEV Prius, its homepage can be found at http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html, Photos, Commercializing Plug-In Hybrids presentation (2MB PDF)
  14. 1 2 "CalCars' PRIUS+ Plug-In Hybrid". Calcars.org. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  15. ↑ "Join the Campaign to Electrify World's 900+ Million Vehicles". CalCars. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "Should We Crush Gas-Guzzlers? Or Convert Them to Plug In? An Analysis". Calcars.org. 2008-04-21. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  17. ↑ "Plug-In Endorsements: Inauguration + Senate '09 Freedom Act". Calcars.org. 2009-01-16. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  18. ↑ See Kramer Communications and Felix Kramer Bio, his February 14, 2005 OpEd on global warming, Kyoto and Beyond , and Power, Plugs and People, his new blog>.
  19. ↑ "PRIUS+ Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Group". Groups.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  20. ↑ See Ron Grembans out of date bio Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine .
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