Contemporary Issues...

EVWORLD Update (3/19/07): according to a recent article in the International Herald Tribune.

Propelled by a perfect tailwind of technology, high oil prices and the vogue for all things green, global sales of bikes driven by battery-powered electric motors have climbed nearly 20 percent since 2005, a trend projected to accelerate especially in developing countries, where the middle class is rising.

The article quotes my long-time friend and colleague Ed Benjamin who has been riding the industry's [sine] wave for well over a decade. Electric bicycles are now starting to appear In South Africa, India and Turkey. China built 10 million in 2005, and is estimated to produce 25 million by 2009. In the United States "E- bike sales are forecast to double by 2009 to 200,000 from 100,000 in 2005."

ASME Mechanical Engineering Magazine, July 2006

Easy on the Gas, Harry Hutchinson
The National Renewable Energy Lab "estimates that power for air conditioning accounts for about 5.5% of the fuel consumed by light vehicles, or about 7 billion gallons a year."

Fields of Fuel, ASEE Prism, November 2006.

"Americans currently consume 400 million gallons of gasoline every day."

According to the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab at UC Berkeley, to make one gallon of ethanol using current farming and production methods, it takes around 0.7 gallons of nonrenewable fuel.

but

" Every gallon of nonrenewable fuel invested could produce more than 8 gallons of cellulosic ethanol" This technology exists, but needs much development to become practical and cost competitive.