Clean Transport & Energy News Roundup (Nissan, BYD, Ford, Fuel-Cell Ferry, Solar For Mobile Homes…)

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In this edition of the clean transport and energy news roundup, we’ve got a few stories about Nissan, an update on the Elon Musk impersonation attempt, electric motorcycles, a hydrogen fuel-cell ferry boat, BYD’s electric vehicles, Ford’s latest ‘last-mile’ clean mobility concept, solar in Hawai’i, solar for mobile and manufactured homes, and more.

[CleanTechnica isn’t the only Important Media site to cover clean energy & transport news, and if you’re looking for more stories on electric mobility, bicycles, solar and wind energy, and other related issues, we’ve got them at sites such as Solar Love, CleanTechies, Planetsave, Bikocity, Gas2, and EV Obsession. We also host a large cleantech group on LinkedIn, called CleanTechies Around The World.]

After years of simply buying hybrid tech from Toyota, Nissan is finally launching its own compact hybrid:

Meet the 2017 Nissan Versa Note hybrid e-POWER. Using a 1.2 liter gasoline three-cylinder as a generator for its electric battery, the new Versa Note series hybrid is good for 87.4 MPG.

EPA finds Nissan is the most fuel efficient full line auto manufacturer.

Former Oil Exec Todd Katz Asks For “Goofy” Elon Musk Impersonation Lawsuit To Be Thrown Out:

Katz is now trying to use the amateurish quality of the attempt as his defense, claiming that the lawsuit should be tossed as the email was too “goofy” to be seen as credible.

 Italy’s EICMA 2016 will feature electric motorcycle reveals:

The US has SEMA, where automakers and aftermarket suppliers gather to show off their wildest, craziest new, new things. Italy has EICMA, the Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo Accessori, an annual show where motorcycle manufacturers bring their latest creations to present them to the public for the first time. The theme of this year’s EICMA show is “Bikes Never Seen Before.” One of those will be a new electric motorcycle from Energica.

Elon Musk tweets that “the new 5 allows the entire back to fold flat. A small family could camp there!

Ford’s Roomba-like Carr-E concept is “an innovative “Last Mile” concept”:

Kilian Vas, a Ford systems engineer in Cologne, Germany was one of 633 people who submitted proposals for personal mobility solutions as part of the company’s Last Mile Mobility Challenge. His proposal is called the Carr-E. It looks like a cross between a skate board, a Roomba autonomous vacuum cleaner, and a Segway.

San Francisco Bay hydrogen fuel-cell ferry “feasible, but expensive”:

The study — conducted by Sandia National Laboratories, and which examined the technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of the construction and operation of a 150 passenger, high-speed, zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered ferry in the San Francisco Bay area — found that such a deployment had definite benefits, but that it would come at a cost premium as compared to a conventional diesel-powered ferry.

BYD is now the third largest electric car manufacturer:

In global sales, BYD is now third in total sales of electric cars (including plug-in hybrids). Nissan-Renault leads with 369,000 (the Renault Zoe is very popular in France and the rest of Europe). Tesla is in second place with 164,000 cars sold and BYD is just a tick behind with 161,000 sales. Those numbers were as of the end of September. When the final numbers are in at the end of this year, BYD may have vaulted into sole possession of second place.


There is a myth in existence today that says the utility grid can only handle a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources: 

Now some people think if more than 10% to 15% of all electrical power comes from renewable sources, the grid will become unstable and any number of calamities will befall mankind as a result.

Hawai’i is a solar postcard from the future:

Solar makes sense for Hawai’i. With its uniform day lengths, small seasonal variations in incoming solar radiation, and consistent temperatures, Hawai’i on level ground receives at least 67% as much solar energy between sunrise and sunset on a clear winter day as it does on a clear summer day.

Arcadia Power launches solar for renters program:

Using Arcadia encourages utilities to identify and make use of renewable energy. It also provides a guaranteed market for renewable energy which can help stimulate more investment in renewables. And it allows individuals to participate in the green power revolution conveniently. It’s the proverbial win-win situation.

Solar power for mobile & manufactured homes:

We recently received an e-mail from a reader asking about solar power for mobile and manufactured homes. That sent us scurrying through all the closest here at SolarLove looking for information we could share with our readers, but we found all the cupboards were bare. So we turned to Google for help and came up with some ideas.

Rocky Mountain Power’s solar subscriber program is 95% sold out.


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Derek Markham

Derek lives in southwestern New Mexico and digs bicycles, simple living, fungi, organic gardening, sustainable lifestyle design, bouldering, and permaculture. He loves fresh roasted chiles, peanut butter on everything, and buckets of coffee.

Derek Markham has 542 posts and counting. See all posts by Derek Markham