Green Tech

Tesla takes 500 reservations for Model X

In a shareholder letter released in conjunction with its fourth-quarter results, Tesla gave some tantalizing details about buyer interest in the Model X electric SUV. The company received 500 reservations for the Model X, at a refundable cost of $5,000 each, after the car's unveiling on February 9.

Model X deliveries will not begin until 2014. Tesla expects to produce 10,000 to 15,000 Model X vehicles per year. Although Tesla has not announced the price of the Model X yet, it should be on par with the previously shown Model S electric sedan.

The company also more

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog

Will wireless charging void your EV's warranty? (updated)

Hertz announced last week that it was testing a wireless charging station with Plugless Power on a Nissan Leaf. The new wireless charging station trial means that drivers won't get their hands dirty plugging the EV into the grid, and it's a foolproof way to make sure they recharge the battery for the next user when they drop off the car.

The test, conducted by Plugless Power manufacturer Evatran, will provide data on daily usage routines, user interfaces, and any additional functionality needed. But don't get too excited about trying out this new product. Although Hertz rents more

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog

Lemnis unwraps LED bulb under $5

Lemnis Lighting is taking a foot-in-the-door approach to LED lightbulbs.

The startup company today announced a new line of bulbs, priced at $4.95 and $6.95, respectively, aimed at getting consumers to try out LEDs for general lighting. The bulbs, though, have some limitations.

The Pharox Blu line comes in 200-lumen and 350-lumen versions, both of which give off less light a 40-watt incandescent bulb's 450 lumens. That means that the bulbs, which consume less than 5 watts and 8 watts, respectively, won't give off enough light for many uses, such as lighting a whole room.

The more

Originally posted at Cutting Edge

Sony envisions future with pay-as-you-go power

Sony is looking to revolutionize the inefficient way in which we consume power.

A new concept video from the electronics giant shows how we could use power more efficiently in the year 2030 by switching to smart outlets with authentication and wireless charging on a broad scale, assuming we survive the zombie Mayan apocalypse.

The prototype power outlet, integrated with a short-range wireless FeliCa transmitter (and a new RFID over power line technology), allows the user to swipe a pay card across the faceplate and pay for energy on the spot. What makes it truly interesting is if humankind keeps progressing towards alternative energies (such as wind, solar, and biomass), then our outlets could give us options as to what source from which we obtain our power. The video description notes that with this outlet, "the user can actively control and manage power consumption on a user basis as well as on a device basis."

Originally posted at Crave

Solar industry bloodbath leads to another bankruptcy

Pioneering solar company Energy Conversion Devices today filed for bankruptcy protection, the latest casualty in a global price war.

In a statement, the Michigan-based company said it intends to sell its solar power subsidiaries and will continue to operate during the bankruptcy and sale process.

Through its subsidiaries Uni-Solar and Solar Integrated Technologies, the company manufactures flexible silicon solar cells and develops solar projects. The solar collectors can be laid out as sheets on rooftops or integrated into roof tiles.

Energy Conversion Devices was founded in 1960 by Stanford Ovshinsky, a scientist who was also integral to developing nickel metal hydride batteries more

Originally posted at Cutting Edge

Startup takes wood pellets in, turns out 'biogasoline'

For a new crop of biofuel companies, ethanol is out and "biogasoline" is in.

One of them is Primus Green Energy, which plans to open a demonstration plant by the end of the year that will convert wood pellets into high-octane gasoline. The Hillsborough, N.J.-based company intends to raise $50 million to $100 million this year for a commercial-scale plant that would start producing at higher volumes in 2015.

Many companies break down biomass into sugar through different methods and then ferment that to make ethanol or speciality chemicals. Primus Green Energy and others are seeking to make more

Originally posted at Cutting Edge

Engineered carbon gives batteries, ultracaps a boost

To build a better energy storage device, startup EnerG2 is making better carbon.

The company today flipped the switch on a factory in Albany, Ore., that will turn out a resin used in the manufacture of batteries and ultracapacitors. Its engineered carbon material improves the performance of existing energy storage devices, promising lower prices for hybrid vehicles or grid storage.

The first customers for EnerG2's product are ultracapacitor makers who can expect 25 percent to 30 percent better energy storage capacity, said company COO and CFO Chris Wheaton. Lithium ion and lead acid batteries can get a three times more

Originally posted at Cutting Edge

Mushroom kit has roots in used coffee grounds (video)

If you're a city dweller who dreams of moving beyond growing mint on your kitchen windowsill, you can impress your friends with something more: oyster mushrooms.

As UC Berkeley students, the co-founders of "Back to the Roots" discovered they could grow mushrooms using recycled coffee grounds. Now their DIY mushroom kit sells at grocery stores across the country.

The pair developed a "grow it at home" kit where the soil is made from used coffee grounds and mushroom spawn, or seed, gets mixed in. Co-founder Nikhil Arora tells SmartPlanet how the idea grew and about the importance that packaging more

Originally posted at Cutting Edge

Wash. State senate passes bill to charge EV owners $100 annual fee

While some states are still rolling out rebates for the purchases of new hybrid and plug-in vehicles, the Washington State Senate on Saturday passed a new law to make electric car owners pony up an extra $100 annual fee.

The reasoning behind the law is that although electric vehicles use the same roads as gas-powered vehicles, the owners don't pay gas taxes because they drive right past the pumps.

The Associated Press reported that Washington's gas tax, which is 37.5 cents per gallon, is the state's largest source of transportation dollars.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. more

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog