Better Place electric taxis coming to Japan

Great mention in Wired magazine about Better Place (the company founded by Shai Agasi, that I initially pointed to here) starting a pilot program in Tokyo for their all-electric vehicles.

I really like the concept of removable battery packs – akin to filling up your car with fuel, as you do today – as a way to expedite the move to electric.  I also love the idea of electric city cars – perhaps best represented by the Taxi.

I hope that this takes off and I hope we see more of this in the very near future.

Buying fresh vs. freezing

I’ve never been a member of Costco – I’ve lived in smaller apartments since going to college and lived alone for many of those years and have never had the space or need to buy in bulk.

Additionally, I’ve wondered about the cost-effectiveness of buying such mass quantities (at a discount) and then paying for the local storage (in one’s home).  In essence, by buying in smaller quantities, I’m passing on the cost of storage back to the retailers.

In addition to the physical space required to store this stuff, there’s also costs for things like extra large or additional fridges/freezers.  I found this post from Get Rich Slowly to be pretty interesting in two ways:  First, the breakdown of the cost of operating an additional freezer.  Granted, I believe his math is a little flawed (it doesn’t take into account differences when the unit is opened more or less during a period of time nor does it look at seasonal temperature differences (though he live in Portland so these are probably less extreme than in other parts of the country).  A better test would be to monitor the device over a longer period of time.  I was surprised by the overall estimated cost of running the freezer – not that expensive really.  (I won’t get into other considerations when buying in bulk, storage, the quality of frozen vs. fresh or the cost implications of a long-term power outage…)

The operating cost is an interesting piece of data.  Leading me to the second item I found interesting – the energy measurement device that he has – the Kill-a-watt meter.  This is such a great idea.  You plug in your electronic devices and the unit measures the electrical draw.  I’m really intrigued by this and am considering buying one – I tend to be a little geeky that way.

To me (and it’s not just me, I’ve read plenty of others who are saying the same thing) one of the biggest problems we have today with energy conservation is a lack of measurement tools.  Time and again, reading reports of the hybrid electric vehicles you see the authors talking about their energy use.  Yes, this is key to a hybrid car – but it’s also an indication of how easy it is to report on that statistic – these cars make it incredibly easy to see what your consumption is.

It would be really interesting to see what would happen if all of our devices were telling us how much energy they were consuming on a daily basis.  I for one am OK with energy conservation – I unplug some devices when they’re not in use, but even with my $35 monthly utility bill, I know I could shave off more – I wonder how much.

A very compelling opportunity for electric vehicles

 

This video is an excellent presentation about one potential way to get electric cars on the road as a reality in the next few years.

I am amazed by the number of compelling ideas that are covered in this short piece and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone.

Shai Agassi was a president at SAP but left that post to found his current company, Better Place.  I first saw this video through my TED feed on my Boxee unit and I was floored.  I’ve since watched it again to show others, and I recently stumbled across this article on Wired about one of the battery stations that he mentions in the presentation.

If the video doesn’t show up, you can also see it here:  http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/shai_agassi_on_electric_cars.html

Green lawnmowing

This is one that I love – Google hiring out goats to take care of their lawn.  It’s such a simple solution to keeping large grassy areas well trimmed.  I’ve seen these guys in San Francisco making quick work of a small field.

What was really pleasing was the munching sound – surprisingly audible from a distance, but much better than the roar of a lawnmower.

High-speed trains in the US

highspeed

I am a huge fan of traveling by train.

Growing up outside of New York, we had an extensive rail network that we could take advantage of.

After college I took my first large (more than 1-month) trip abroad -the fairly typical Eurpoe by Eurorail.  I loved how the trains there could get you into just about anywhere you wanted to go.

Years later, traveling to Japan I was amazed by the Shinkansen service and its ability to swiftly carry us across the country.

All that said, for years I commuted to work via train here in California and the experience was pretty poor.  The train took much longer than driving and I needed to drive to the train station (or double my commute time by taking the bus to the train station) and I had to have  a shuttle take me from the station to the office and back.  And when the train broke down, it really left you stranded.  I arrived 4 hours late for work one day.

Which is why this map makes me excited.  It depicts the high-speed rail systems that are proposed over the coming years here in the states.  With the right experience, train travel can be so much better than the alternatives.

A few examples?

  • How about departing and arriving into the heart of the city instead of commuting out to the airport.  Have you ever tried to get to O’Hare during rush hour?
  • What about an overnight trip from New York to Atlanta with a comfortable bed.  Leave the city after a nice dinner and drinks and arrive for breakfast after a good night’s sleep.
  • Downtown San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2 hours?
  • Boston to New York in speed and comfort – even during a wicked Blizzard or Nor’Easter.

I hope the system gets the funding that it needs and that Americans realize the benefits and convenience of an efficient, comfortable rail network.