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How to Prevent Blackouts by Packetizing the Power Grid

Cars That Think

That need for balance is true of electric power grids, too. Spiking demand for electric heat collided with supply problems created by frozen natural-gas equipment and below-average wind-power production. Packetized energy management (PEM) allows the power grid to flexibly handle a varying supply of renewable energy.

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Plug-In Hybrids (or Plugin Hybrids)

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

Scientist have confirmed that unlike gasoline cars, plug-ins will get cleaner as they get older -- because our power grid is getting cleaner. They are converting up to 40 15-passenger Mercedes commercial vans into PHEVs, with some vehicles using NiMH and others advanced lithium-ion batteries, plus diesel and gasoline engines.

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CalCars and PHEVs Frequently Asked Questions

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

Power and Associates 2004 report ]. Despite this, a 2003 EPRI study , assuming only $2/gallon gas , zero buying incentives, and a PHEV premium of $3-$5,000 more than standard hybrids, shows that the total lifetime cost of ownership for a PHEV will be lower than that of any other vehicle type -- so the payback will be there.

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How Carmakers Are Responding to the Plug-In Hybrid Opportunity

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

This is from "Commercializing Plug-In Hybrids" (pdf), the current CalCars 24-slide presentation about PHEVs available along with other documents at CalCars Downloads. DaimlerChrysler has presented plug-in hybrids in commercial vans that have enough room to store the batteries, but the technology is not quite ripe for cars."Plug-in

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