Beyond Petroleum? Hardly....

I find myself frankly unsurprised at BP’s recent announcement to close its solar arm. The company has found the market increasingly challenging against stiff competition but this move will be seen by many as confirmation of their paying lip-service to small scale renewables over the past few years.


Where once we might have hoped that they would use their vast revenues from carbon-heavy fuel to help fund development and research in to greener forms of energy generation paving the way for a smooth transition to cleaner power, we now face the reality of their 1750 solar workers being made redundant.

Yet again, big oil seems to be putting profits and shareholders ahead of the environment and carbon savings...very disappointing...

Ampera - an EV for the masses?

Posted on December 1, 2011 at 4:10 PM

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I have spoken at length previously about the worrying level of sales of electric vehicles but there is perhaps a beacon of hope on the horizon...the Vauxhall Ampera. The Ampera is based on the North America-based Chevrolet Volt.

For one thing, at least it looks good, addressing one of my biggest concerns about the design of mainstream electric cars but it is the clever packaging of a number of technologies that will surely make this the most popular EV on our roads.
The Ampera has an electric motor, petrol engine and a battery pack that work together to provide up to 40 miles on pure electric power and then an additional 350 miles when the electric motor is boosted by the petrol engine. The 40 mile electric range is considered small when compared to the Nissan Leaf or the Renault Fluence but when you consider that 80% of journeys in Europe are 30 miles or less in distance it makes sense. Personally, my 40 mile round trip commute would be covered by the electric motor ensuring that the petrol engine was not needed and thereby ensuring no carbon emissions.
The petrol engine ensures that the vehicle has the range to make 'proper' journeys and the electric motor being employed fully throughout ensures that emission levels are much lower than other hybrids. Even when the petrol engine is used its emissions are 40g/km, trumping the Prius' 89g/km for example.
It is not cheap at £30,000 list price but the UK Government's £5,000 EV subsidy will help - meaning a proper, useful, family-friendly electric vehicle can be had for £25,000. This should ensure they sell thousands in congeston-charging London alone. The 100mph top speed should help too. Fingers crossed this is the EV to bring them in to the mainstream....