How I Stopped Worrying and Finally Did Something

Ken Carrasco is a marine and salmon biologist who lives outside Acme with his wife, Mariann Carrasco, and three children. He holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in fisheries, and is a certified fisheries professional. Ken has worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a shellfish biologist, for NOAA Fisheries participating in research on the effects of chemical pollution on fish, and finished his career with the King County Department of Natural Resources as a senior ecologist. Ken is currently serving on the board of directors of the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association and is a member of the Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee. For questions or comments, please contact Ken at acmeleaf@gmail.com.

Part 2

Well, I think I’ve come up with a catchy title for this article — but it is a lie. I am still worrying, and I’ll be worrying a lot about my grandchildren’s future.

Like many of you, I became informed and concerned about the issues of climate change, ocean acidification, the transport of petroleum over marine waters, and the geopolitical implications of petroleum dependency on our national security. And the more I have learned, the more urgency I feel to take more than just token steps to solve these issues which will determine the quality of life for my children and future grandchildren.

So with that urgency I began improving my own habits, starting five years ago with the use of locally-produced Whole Energy Fuels biodiesel in my various diesel vehicles and boat. Last year I decided to take another step and purchased an electric car, the Nissan Leaf, which is a completely electric car with a lithium-ion battery and no internal combustion engine at all.

Now that I have driven the Leaf for almost 10,000 miles, I have become acquainted with electric cars: their pros, cons, and potential. The next logical step soon revealed itself — that I should communicate my experiences with the Leaf and about electric cars in general. There is much misinformation and outright conjecture in the media by people who probably haven’t sat in an electric car, much less actually experienced ownership or even a test ride, and it is not surprising there is so much confusion.

These two articles in the June and July issues of Whatcom Watch are a first step in this communication, but I ask you, dear reader, to help me with this effort in communication. In particular, I would be happy for your ideas and suggestions so that I can submit articles, stand in front of groups, or meet with policymakers to describe my experiences and thoughts about electric vehicles and what we can do about our energy policy. Please feel free to contact me at acmeleaf@gmail.com.

Last month, my first article (“Adventures in an Electric Car: My First 8,000 Miles in a Nissan LEAF”) described some discoveries and lessons I found about my newly purchased Nissan Leaf. After I recap four of my most surprising discoveries, this second article will go on to talk about some of the wider implications of electric cars.

My Four Surprises

#1. Meets 90 percent of my driving needs. I have never, ever recharged away from home on routine trips into Bellingham, Lynden, or Mount Vernon. I can say this even after 9,800 miles accumulated on the odometer traveling to these towns.

And I have never, ever been stranded with a depleted battery (another common question).

The Nissan Leaf has much more range than I had expected and, even though we live way out here in the country southeast of Acme, it is adequate for the vast majority of my transportation needs.

And now that the West Coast Electric Highway program has placed chargers at strategic points along Interstate-5 and US Route 2, my range has become greatly expanded. Our closest chargers are at the Custer Southbound rest stop, at Sehome Village at the south end of Bellingham, and in Burlington next to I-5 near George Hopper Road.

#2. Cheap to operate. My cost to run errands in town, typically a journey of 65 miles, is absurdly, ridiculously low. I keep checking my math because I keep thinking I made a mistake.

In last month’s article I described how a 65-mile trip to town and back, which included multiple errands and a meeting, cost me about $1.83 in electricity — even while paying more for electricity purchased under Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program. This is merely the cost of a small cup of drip at a coffee retailer for all that distance!

And, a side benefit is that the car is much simpler and there is less that can go wrong or break.

#3. Helps the environment. My purchase of the Leaf, in one step, has helped me take a significant, material step to literally save the world. An electric motor is much more efficient than an internal combustion engine and a technical report states the Leaf’s motor is 97 percent efficient. In contrast, a gasoline engine only uses about 25-30 percent of the energy contained in the gasoline fuel to move the vehicle and the rest is lost as heat through the exhaust or dissipated by the cooling system (but 100 percent of the greenhouse gases are still produced).

This high efficiency of an electric motor is the reason that a recent study found that even in areas of the country which use coal to fuel power plants, the electric car still provides a distinct advantage to the internal combustion engine in the amount of greenhouse gases released per mile.

#4. Fun to drive. The Leaf is a sporty car to drive. A spin-off of the “enhanced golf cart” mischaracterization is that an electric car has poor performance characteristics. But the opposite is true; an electric battery is capable of providing instant power and, consequently, 100 percent torque to the wheels. You can step on the accelerator at any speed from zero to 70 mph and you will feel the instant, quick acceleration.

And, because the battery is located under the floor, the center of gravity is lower than a standard car, in which the engine and fuel tank has to sit higher above the road. Consequently, the cornering capability is much better in this car.

Here are the remaining several questions which people ask me about the Nissan Leaf:

The Likelihood of Being Stranded with a Dead Battery

For those of you familiar with Highway 9 between Van Zandt and Acme, a stretch I drive frequently, you know that the prospect of being stranded along that stretch, which has no shoulder between the fogline and a deep ditch and which is traveled by big commercial rigs, is especially frightening. This was one of the fears dominating both my waking and sleeping hours before I actually experienced the Leaf.

But I have not come close to being stranded there - or anywhere - for three reasons:

The first reason is that after a couple weeks of ownership you acquire a basic familiarity with your most frequently used routes under various conditions, and you will know the amount of battery capacity which is required for each of them. After the first couple weeks, I lost my anxiety about my range.

Second, you have several gauges to inform you about your available remaining energy. I always “zero” my trip odometer before beginning my trip so I know how many physical road miles I have already traveled during the day, but three other display items tell me the state of the energy charge. One predicts the “electrical miles” remaining based on the previous road conditions (speed, uphill, etc.) and the present charge of the battery. The second display item shows me the amount of battery capacity used to that point in my trip, and the third item is a combination number and graph display on the center console which shows my energy usage in miles per kilowatt-hours (kWhs). And a further piece of information tells you how many more miles of range you will lose or gain if you turn on or off the heater or air conditioner.

The third reason for my not being stranded is the new West Coast Electric Highway. As I said above, this joint public and private partnership has provided chargers available for use at strategic points along Interstate-5 and U.S. Route 2; more are expected to be installed along Interstate-90. The “Level 3” 480 volt charger available at many of these stations can quickly recharge your battery during the time you take to nurse a coffee at a nearby coffee shop.

Do Lithium-ion Batteries Age?

It is a fact that present lithium-ion batteries do decrease in capacity because of both age and use. Because the Leaf is so new and there are so many variables in how the car is used, recharged, and the climate where the driver lives, a precise rate of deterioration is still unknown.

Beyond the displays above, another additional display on the Leaf’s dash gives a graphical representation of the available battery capacity, and this will automatically reflect any decrease so an owner will not be surprised should the battery lose some capacity.

Technicians also have the means to monitor the capacity of the individual cells in the battery package during routine visits and will inform the owner of the decrease of capacity. Individual cells can be replaced if needed.

But because of the semi-permanent nature of these batteries in comparison to cell phone and laptop batteries which are intentionally (and cheaply) built with a finite obsolescence, the rumor that the Leaf batteries are designed for a much longer life-span is probably accurate. An electric car battery is made with different materials and technology than are these “throw-away” items.

Informal and unverified rumors indicate that the Leaf batteries with the most deterioration are in the hotter desert regions of our country. For example, several owners in Phoenix, where temperatures last August hit a number of record daytime highs and record high night levels, reported that their batteries have lost capacity.

Replacement of individual battery cells over time is economically feasible, while replacing the entire battery package at 2012 prices would be very expensive. It is hoped that an economy of scale and advances in technology will bring that price to more acceptable levels and this is what I am personally banking on. Much capital and talent is currently engaged in a race by electric car and battery manufacturers to gain an edge in advances of battery technology.

Some detractors of electric vehicles claim that the spent lithium-ion batteries will clutter future landfills. This is nonsense. For one, many battery materials are recyclable. Second, there are uses for batteries which have deteriorated below levels required by a traction motor. Out here in the remote part of the county beset by frequent power outages, I look forward to using my spent battery package as a temporary source of power for those hours instead of a noisy, carbon-based propane generator with stinky exhaust. Leaf batteries were used in Japan after the tsunami as a portable source of electricity, so this is a proven use of the batteries.

Will Lithium Become Another Commodity Like Petroleum? Will we even experience a “peak lithium” scenario?

This detraction is surprisingly common among those opposed to electric vehicles.

There are monumental contrasts between lithium and petroleum. For one, of course, lithium is a (recyclable) material used during the manufacture of batteries, while petroleum is consumed as the fuel after the internal combustion engine is manufactured.

As a material, there is also a huge contrast. Lithium is an inorganic metal which is so light that it can even float on water and oil. It is found in brines which flow down from volcanoes into “salars” which are essentially evaporated lakes. Lithium is found all over the world, including the U.S. The largest concentrations seem to be in the “Lithium Triangle” where the countries of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia meet, and there is a widespread consensus among knowledgeable people that there are ample reserves available.

One wonders why such a misconception would be prevalent. It stems from a paper written several years ago by one William Tahil which warned about this shortage of lithium, and it has apparently retained credibility among electric vehicle opponents. Never mind that this same man wrote a paper (“Ground Zero: The Nuclear Demolition of the World Trade Centre”) which offers “incontrovertible proof” that the horrible 9/11 terrorist event in New York City was actually caused by clandestine nuclear reactors under the World Trade Center. Just what these were doing there is never discussed, and his incontrovertible proof is anything but. Despite this record, his madcap ideas about lithium are convenient and have been promoted by certain electric car detractors.

Can Electric Cars Make a Difference?

In my view, there are two issues which will have enormous, definitive impacts on the quality of life for our children and grandchildren 50 years from now:

One is our nation’s energy policy as it is developed and implemented over the next several years. The sad truth is that we have become accustomed to a form of engine which is a terrible waste of our finite petroleum reserves, and we are caught in a fruitless progression of continually developing new technologies to squeeze yet another bit of propulsion power from each drop of gasoline. These steps in improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines are a good thing, but we are kidding ourselves that they are anything but small, relatively incremental changes. These engines not only squander away our remaining energy reserves, but each of us is paying a heavy personal “tax” of inefficiency to cart ourselves and our groceries around town. Our nation’s economy and our individual finances will be much better served by an efficient means of propulsion other than internal combustion engines.

Another issue affecting our grandchildren will be the availability of water for human consumption and agriculture because of climate change and the resulting consequences on the alteration of rainfall patterns and snowmelt over the spring and summer months. And the issue of ocean acidification, although it sounds academic to many people, will actually reach into the lives of every American alive in 2062. Again, the step to address both these problems is through our energy policy and choice of transportation energy.

Will There Ever Be Enough Electric Cars to Make a Difference?

Will electric cars ever be purchased in enough quantities to have an effect? There is some small fraction of us in the total population who are happy to purchase an electric car for the pleasure of enhancing our country and our environment. But there are many who are not yet so convinced or who are instead looking to their wallet.

The widespread adoption of electric cars will only happen if we encounter one of two very likely scenarios, in my view:

1. We have an environmental disaster that can’t be ignored or dismissed, and the proportion of environmentally concerned citizens greatly increases;

2. The price of petroleum increases (a sure bet), and the cost of batteries decreases with a concurrent increase in range (another sure bet).

But other issues come to people’s minds, such as resale value. Will an electric vehicle purchased now, in 2012, retain its value after the next expected advances in battery technology are incorporated into commercial production? Only time will tell how the market will react.

This loss of value was admittedly on my mind during my own purchase decision because of the well-known rapid decline in the value of computers and other electronics after their purchase due to of subsequent advances in technology. However, I intend that my Leaf will be a very useful part of my life for many years to come sothis is a non-issue for me; anyway, a standard car which can retain even half it’s original value five years after the initial purchase is doing very well indeed. And, the few moving parts means little maintenance will be required for an aging electric car (outside of the battery) compared to standard cars.

I am urging the owners of electric vehicles to speak out about their experiences as owners of these cars. It is important that electric cars be adopted by as many people as possible, but this is not happening in part because of such widespread misinformation about them. And the bigger market we can create for electric cars, the more manufacturers will be able to make cheaper batteries with more capacity and, in a happy positive cycle, a bigger market for them will develop.

I suspect that we will know that electric cars are actually making a difference when the oil industry reacts to their presence.

Electric Car Safety, Some Additional Thoughts

Last month I discussed the safety of the batteries in the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf, and that all electric cars are safer than regular cars. One gallon of gasoline is said to have the energy equal to 63 sticks of dynamite; while one might argue the precise number, the point is obvious. Gasoline, as a liquid, is more dangerous than a battery material which can be encased in steel and other structural components.

Electric cars may be considered “dangerous” because they are very, very quiet. The Leaf has a small sound-generating unit by a front wheel that operates at speeds under 19 mph and was added because of concerns by non-sighted people that they would not hear a Leaf approaching. It can be turned off by the driver, though I have never thought to disable it.

But driving an electric car, I think, calls for a step beyond defensive driving to what I might call “conscientious” driving. Pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists will not hear you, and people have commented to me that they are accustomed to use their hearing to detect oncoming cars from behind. This is not an issue that will detract from the use of electric cars, but drivers and other users of the road should become acquainted with these quiet cars that will become more common.

I always recommend to people that the very first task upon delivery of a Leaf, on the first day, is to install inexpensive “deer whistles” on the front of the car, just about the easiest DIY project possible. Of course, they are effective to warn not just deer that you are coming, but also dogs and other animals.

More Information About Electric Vehicles

For a start, I can recommend four websites which have been sources of objective information for me and free of the usual annoying commentators with their little political agendas. Nissan and the other manufacturers all have their websites, of course, and are worthy of looking at, but they are in business to sell the cars and are necessarily promotion-oriented.

One is plugincars.com; another is recargo.com, and yet another is truthaboutcars.com. And specifically about the Leaf, there is a website, mynissanleaf.com, which is a forum of thousands of Leaf owners in the U.S. who discuss their cars.

Thank you for reading this article. The adoption of electric vehicles is an important component of our nation’s future for both environmental and national security reasons. Advances in battery technology and acceptance by the driving public will have to occur, and in doing so we will safeguard the quality of life for our children’s future. As I asked in the initial paragraphs, please help me open the conversation about our energy policy and options for increasing our environmental and our nation’s economic health by the adoption of highly efficient means for transportation such as electric vehicles. You can contact me at acmeleaf@gmail.com.

Footnote

1. Kilowatt-hours is the most apt electrical term to describe the storage of electricity in a battery and its rate of use.