Finally: A Life Cycle Analysis of Electric Cars

October 8, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Batteries, Ecotech Myths, Electric vehicles, Travel

Trexa-ev3“We develop and provide a transparent life cycle inventory of conventional and electric vehicles and apply our inventory to assess conventional and EVs over a range of impact categories. For all scenarios analyzed, the use phase is responsible for the majority of the global warming potential (GWP) impact, either directly through fuel combustion or indirectly during electricity production.”

Total emissions

“When powered by average European electricity, EVs are found to reduce GWP by 20% to 24% compared to gasoline ICEVs and by 10% to 14% relative to diesel internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) under the base case assumption of a 150,000 km vehicle lifetime. When powered by electricity from natural gas, we estimate EVs offer a reduction in GHG emissions of 12% compared to gasoline ICEVs, and break even with diesel ICEVs. EVs powered by coal electricity are expected to cause an increase in GWP of 17% to 27% compared with diesel and gasoline ICEVs. Wind power electricity would allow electric transportation with life cycle carbon footprints as low as 106 g CO2-eq/km.”

Vehicle production: Manufacturing one electric car takes as much energy as manufacturing two conventional automobiles

“In contrast with ICEVs, almost half of an EV’s life cycle GWP is associated with its production. We estimate the GWP from EV production to be 87 to 95 grams carbon dioxide equivalent per kilometer (g CO2-eq/km), which is roughly twice the 43 g CO2-eq/km associated with ICEV production. Battery production contributes 35% to 41% of the EV production phase GWP, whereas the electric engine contributes 7% to 8%. Other powertrain components, notably inverters and the passive battery cooling system with their high aluminum content, contribute 16% to 18% of the embodied GWP of EVs.”

“Comparative Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Conventional and Electric Vehicles“, Troy R. Hawkins, Bhawna Singh, Guillaume Majeau-Bettez, Anders Hammer Strømman, in “Journal of Industrial Ecology”, October 2012. Via the BBC and Treehugger. Picture: Trexa. Previously: The status quo of electric cars: better batteries, same range. 

Cargo Cycles Database

October 2, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Bicycles, Bikes, Cargo, Cargo cycles, Pedal power, Travel, Tricycles, Trikes

Cargo cycles databaseYes, it’s written in German. But nowhere else will you find such a complete database showing and describing all cargo cycles available on the market today.

Moreover, the information is easy to navigate and you can consult the specifications of the vehicles without even a basic knowledge of foreign languages. The description of most models also includes a link to the website of the manufacturer. Check out the Nutzrad Cargo Cycle Database. 

Read more:

Cargo cyclists replace trucks drivers on European city streets.

Make Your Own Treadle Lathe

September 30, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: DIY, Lathes, Random, Wood, Woodworking

make your own treadle latheIn the last twenty years or so since I built this foot-powered treadle lathe, I have received many requests for drawings or plans.

The lathe has been used as part of our traditional woodworking demonstrations and it never fails to draw a crowd. Of course, the reason the lathe exists is because I felt a need for it as a tool.

Some of the main considerations when designing the lathe were:

  • Human powered — our solar energy system was pretty small at the time
  • Size — it had to be less than 42″ tall to fit into our old truck
  • Compact — since it would sit in our small shop all the time, a small footprint was essential
  • Portable — as in not too cumbersome or heavy
  • Functional — it had to perform the basic duties of a light-duty lathe
  • Adaptable — I had in mind several untraditional uses for the tool, like sanding”

Find the manual here.

More do-it-yourself projects.

How to make everything ourselves: open modular hardware.

Climbing Tall Stacks with the Aid of Kites

September 29, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Kites, Random

climbing tall stacks with the air of kites

“Having occasion to make emergency repairs to the large 170-ft. chimney of the Consumers’ Ice Company, Chicago, and finding that the cost of erecting a scaffold ran up into hundreds of dollars and would take too much time, I decided to use one of my cellular kites for the purpose of hoisting and attaching a suitable block and tackle.”

Read more: Climbing Tall Stacks with the Aid of Kites. Popular Mechanics, November 1906

Pedal Powered Electronic Waste Recycling Machine

September 25, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Human power, Pedal power, Pedal powered machines, Recycling, Trash

Bicyclean recycling electronic waste“The bicyclean is a safe, affordable, and efficient alternative for
harvesting electronic waste in developing regions. The bicyclean is a modified bicycle, where a processing chamber replaces the rear wheel and an external steel frame supports the rear hub. Processing of the circuit boards occurs within the sealed chamber and the particles are removed in a covered tray. A feed tube presses circuit board pieces into a large grinding wheel and become pulverized.”

“The particles pass a magnet that extracts ferrous metal particles. The particles then flow over a small eddy current rotor, which is positioned underneath the grinding wheel and powered by a 3:1 gear ratio with the bicycle chain. The changing magnetic fields of the eddy current rotor repulse conducting metal, but have no effect on non-metals; the metal particles are projected horizontally while the nonmetals fall vertically, separating particles in the bottom collection tray. The bicyclean requires a single operator.”

Read more: Bicyclean. Via Co.EXIST.

Human Powered Washer & Spin Dryer

August 4, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Human power, Laundry, Low-tech solutions, Washing machines

Giradora foot powered washer dryerThe GiraDora is an interesting design for a foot powered washer and dryer that costs less than $40. More here:

“GiraDora is a blue bucket that conceals a spinning mechanism that washes clothes and then partially dries them. It’s operated by a foot pedal, while the user sits on the lid to stabilize the rapidly churning contents. Sitting alleviates lower-back pain associated with hand-washing clothes, and frees up the washer to pursue other tasks. It’s portable, so it can be placed nearby a water source, or even inside on a rainy day. It reduces health risks like joint problems, skin irritation, and mold inhalation. Most importantly, it uses far less water and cleans clothes faster than conventional hand-washing.”

Hat tip to Kaan Ozdurak.