New places to "refuel" your car: onboard a ferry
Electric A!D, the northern European electric car advocates, have taken a baby blue Think City EV from Norway to Denmark "without any more hassle than if you where to travel with an ICE car." One of the reasons things went smoothly is that the Stena Line ferry service from Oslo, Norway to Frederikshavn, Denmark now offers an electric car charging service on board. Richard and crew were the first to get their vehicle charged during the journey. Recharging a car while it's being carried? Brilliant. Amtrak should be listening.
Leaving the boat with a full pack meant that the showcase events in Denmark went off without a hitch, and Electirc A!D was able to get a few more electric vehicle converts, including the mayor of Norddjurs, a county that recently started building a big bioethanol plant.
In the comments on Electric A!D's blog, one reader noted a side benefit of sending an electric car as small as the Kewet Buddy on the ferry (in this case, Fjordline): it can be shipped as cargo!
[Source: Electric A!D]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
paulwesterberg 5:18PM (8/24/2009)
Where does the electricity come from - the ships generator powered by huge diesel engines? What is the net carbon cost?
Reply
KK 5:45PM (8/24/2009)
Not much worse than the coal-burning power plants, I would expect.
But of course, the most "green" solution would be to leave the car at home and use public transport at the destination.
Dolphyn 5:47PM (8/24/2009)
That was my first thought as well, but in effect it would be like a series hybrid (using fuel to charge the batteries), more efficient than just using an internal combustion engine.
carlos9900 4:49AM (8/25/2009)
Also note that Frederikshavn will be in 2015 (if everything goes ok) the first city to completelly rely in renewable energies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederikshavn
GoodCheer 11:45AM (8/25/2009)
I'm pretty sure charging this way is quite dirty compared to plugging into the mains (which in Denmark are largely wind sourced), but the point is that you're only doing that a couple of times a year.
Long trips that only happen a couple times a year can be 'solved' by relatively dirty electricity sources and still allow EVs to be practical and (over the year) clean.
john 9:56PM (8/24/2009)
Next step: solar panels on board to help power the ferry :D
Reply
Stew 10:09PM (8/24/2009)
I wish Th!nk would start selling that car in the US, with it's freeway capable speed, optional rear seats and range it is exactly what I'm looking for.
Stew
Reply
3PeaceSweet 4:46AM (8/25/2009)
Electric car charging on board high speed rail would solve a lot of problems.
Reply
KK 10:33AM (8/25/2009)
Wouldn't electric rental cars solve the same problem?
Also, if you load/unload cars at every stop, it would no longer be "high speed rail." A typical high-speed train spends about 30 seconds at each intermediate stop.