GLG News by Mr. Jack Lifton, Co-founder and Director
GLG News is now G+ Insights
-
G+ is a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect through online discussions and in-person meetings. You will continue to see G+ Insights (formerly GLG News) here as well as on the G+ website, where you can share and discuss the G+ Insights you read.
-
April 6, 2009
Lithium-ion Batteries: 9 Years of Price Stagnation | seekingalpha.com
After nine years of research and billions of dollars of testing ideas it is obvious that there is no technology or manufacturing process extant or on the horizon that can bring to the market a practical, economically competitive, lithium-ion battery that can be used in a power train for an electrified private passenger carrying motor vehicle. Why does the research continue?
-
Diasappointed Expectations: The American Market and the Electric Car
April 5, 2009
We Drive Nissan's Electric Car, and It's Sweet | blog.wired.com
By world standards, Americans live, on average, geographically far apart and expect to cover long distances in a hurry. No other country in history has had its personal travel ethic organized in this way. On top of this unique approach to spreading out and moving fast America has been the victim of a voracious OEM automotive industry that ran to extinction the logical build up of mass transportation among its cities other than in a narrow corridor on the east coast within which the elites of finance and government lived without any interest in the effect of the absence of mass transportation in "flyover" country. To this day these same elites ignore the effect of legislating cost onto personal transportation for the ordinary person just so the elites can feel good about "being green" as well as being ,economically, just plain stupid. The idea of the electrification of the motor car is actually too late and too narrow to do much good for the majority of Americans.
-
Can We Afford To Bet Our American Economy On The Supposition That Freeman Dyson Is Wrong?
April 1, 2009
The Civil Heretic | www.nytimes.com
Albert Einstein's work was considered heretical, because it was interpreted by those who thought him wrong as a repudiation of Newton who as everyone knew was right. Those who challenged Einstein were for the most part not only very eminent but who also had an understanding of the issues being raised by Einstein. There were very few people qualified to challenge Einstein, but the average person, no matter how intelligent, was not among them. Einstein's detractors and his supporters were both among the cream of the human race in intelligence. What they had in common was their belief that only empirical evidence could resolve the issue, as it ultimately did when an critical experiment was designed that could be carried out practically. That is not at all how to describe the cult like followers of the religion of global warming, and it is a very good reason to withhold judgement on global warming until all of the facts are in.
-
Will Artisanal Producers of Cars, Such as Tesla, Make Safe Ones? Probably Not.
March 29, 2009
Do New Bulbs Save Energy if They Don’t Work? | www.nytimes.com
The rush to "save energy" and lower emissions of carbon dioxide has resulted in a rush to market of cheap, poorly made, short lived so-called "compact" fluorescent bulbs. Even with "only" 40 to 50 components it has been impossible to make these bulbs reliable enough and cheap enough, so that the cost of using them and the emissions from making them over and over again as replacements ultimatly for themselves are actually higher than they would have been had consumers simply continued using incandescent lamps. How many components and systems are there in a motor car not eben counting the power train? Aren't the chnaces of component failure unacceptably high unless you have either 100% testing or a long established statistical quality analysis of failure modes?
-
March 27, 2009
Toyota's low-cost hybrid to be based on Yaris | www.autobloggreen.com
It is certain that the prices of the critical technology metals, which are required for the manufacturing of the nickel metal hydride batteries for Toyota's current Hybrid Synergy Drive, will be going up by 2011 as demand for them is predicted to exceed supply sometime in or soon after 2011. Toyota can perhaps reduce its cost of these metals by using less in smaller batteries, but with increasing prices that may not work. Perhaps Toyota is going to use its own version of what I am going to now name "Rare Metals Auditing and Conservation" or RAMAC, which in a way will allow a company to lease its own metals from itself. This can stabilize a supply while allowing it to increase whenever possible.
-
March 25, 2009
Why Long Range EVs Can Never Be Cost Effective | www.altenergystocks.com
I urge you to read the article upon which this review and analysis is based, and when you are done doing that I urge you to read the associated article by the same author, John Petersen, entitled "Li-ion Battery Manufacturers: The Bleeding Edge of Energy Storage Technology." There is a hot link to this second article in the first paragraph in the commentary section below. After reading both articles please tell me why there is any argument supporting the use of tax dollars to develop lithium-ion batteries, or engineering methods to mass produce them, if the sole purpose of that development is to power electrified vehicles such as plug-in hybrids or battery only propelled motor cars for private passenger carrying use?
-
Congress Directs The Navy To Look At Thorium Fueled Reactors For Naval Propulsion Power Needs
March 24, 2009
Although thorium is not today mined in the USA commercially, the US House of Representatives had placed before it on March 16 of this year, last week, a bill sponsored by Mr Joe Sestak (D-Pa) directing the US Navy to study all aspects of utilizing thorium in reactor fuel for shipboard propulsion. Rear Admiral Sestak (Ret) is the highest ranking former military officer currently serving in the House of Representatives. Note that the same title is held in the Senate by Rear Admiral John McCain (R-Az). Last month Senators Hatch and Reid introduced into the Senate a bipartisan bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to authorize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to study thorium fuel configurations and to fund such studies. There is certainly a lot of activity in this session of Congress with regard to a metal, which although the US has in abundance, is not mined here at all.
-
EV Statrups like Tesla and Fisker Will Not Survive A Mainsteam Auto Collapse
March 17, 2009
Can EV startups survive mainstream auto collapse? | www.autobloggreen.com
Automobiles are not built from do it yourself hardware obtainable at Home Depot or Loews. The components of an automobile are made from the strongest and most durable and temperature extreme resistant metals, plastics, and fabrics. The structural "frame" or "chassis" of an automobile or truck must be made of steel or aluminum or magnesium alloys/or and plastics that can absorb high energy impact shocks without shattering. The power trains for such vehicles must be safe against mechanical breakdowns, sudden interruptions of core functions, and containment of flammable and/or explosive fuels in the case of an impact that could rupture fuel containers. The tires for all such vehicles must be resistant to be torn or punctured and have internal cohesion high enough so that they don't disintegrate under impact or sheering forces. Service for all mechanical and electrical and electronic components must be universally available. Etc., etc.,...
-
March 13, 2009
Driving Hybrid Disbelievers Into the Fold | www.washingtonpost.com
Ford manufactures all of its current hybrid models, both of them, the Ford Escape and the Mercury Mariner, in its Kansas City Assembly plant. It has now begun production of two additional models, the Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan, at the same facility. Ford's plan, however, is to move production of the Fusion and Milan hybrids to its Hermosillio, Mexico assembly plant. This move will turn the Fusion and Mariner hybrids into Mexican vehicles assembled using a Japanese designed power train with the key component made in Japan. Why should anyone believe that this will stimulate the American economy or create jobs in the USA for American workers?
-
March 12, 2009
Unico, Inc. Announces In-House Evaluation of Historical Data Regarding Tellurium Levels at the Deer Trail Mine | money.cnn.com
There are some practical reasons why a mass produced technology cannot depend critically on the metal tellurium: 1. There is very little new tellurium produced annually, certainly less than 1000 tons, 2. There is very little likelihood that additional tellurium production based mainly on incrased total recovery of tellurium byproducts from base metal ores can more than double present production in even the most optimistic scenario, and 3. Thin film devices have a lower limit of effectiveness both practically and economically, because they have a threshold of thickness below which they do not work.
-
March 12, 2009
GM seeks credit insurance to help suppliers maintain parts deliveries | www.autonews.com
By outsourcing to overseas suppliers,components and services based solely on price, with no regard for the long term consequences of this agenda, companies like General Motors guaranteed that American jobs, including those of their own employees, would be lost. Now having helped through sheer ignorance of, or active disinterest in, any long term consequences of their actions, which have contributed to the destruction of the ability of American workers to be able to buy their cars and trucks, short sighted companies such as GM are asking the US treasury to compound the felony and guarantee GM's payments to its suppliers regardless of their location and who they employ! This foolish proposal is an insult to the American taxpayer. No matter what the difference in cost between, for example, a Chinese made auto part and one made in Ohio guaranteeing payment to the Chinese supplier simply robs the American taxpayer of any value to be gained by such an undertaking.
-
March 11, 2009
Azure Dynamics Hybrid Delivery-Truck Test Drive: Gas/Electric Hybrid Offers 30 Percent MPG Improvement | www.popularmechanics.com
The CEO of the Korean electronics giant, LG, said recently that nickel metal hydride batteries were "primitive" and would be soon replaced by "advanced" lithium-ion batteries for use in the electrification of vehicles. This comment was pure hype and was biased by the fact that LG has won the contract to supply lithium-ion batteries for the 40 mile range, pricey golf cart performance matching Chevrolet Volt. The aforesaid CEO does not, of course, want to take note of the fact that the development of "advanced" nickel metal hydride batteries has continued even beyond their "primitive" use in the hybrids mass produced and sold as the Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Honda Insight to name the most prominent. These so-called "primitive" batteries have a record of reliability, durability, overall life, and recyclability that is second to none. In addition their pricing has steadily dropped(!) since their introduction.
-
March 9, 2009
Ford CEO Mullaly expects "major portion" of Fords will be electric within a decade | www.autoblog.com
The CEO of the Ford Motor Company doesn't seem to worry about supply or value chain dynamics for the critical raw materials for the batteries or the electric motors that his company, Ford, would need its suppliers to have access to in order for Ford's future to be electrified
-
March 6, 2009
Does GM's Volt Make Sense? | www.technologyreview.com
For the US Federal Government to bailout GM's current business model is a futile exercise in welfare state economics. There is no hope of success if GM's flawed "public relations" driven business model is not terminated and replaced.
-
Braking Wind: Where's the Neodymium Going To Come from?
March 4, 2009
Top wind-turbine firms: U.S. parts makers needed | www.freep.com
It has been estimated that to build the latest and most efficient one megawatt capacity wind turbine powered electric generator requires one ton of the rare earth metal neodymium for use in a permanent magnet made from the alloy neodymium-iron-boron. The total amount of neodymium produced annually in the USA is at most 600 tons, and all of it is used already to build nd-fe-b magnets for various applications. The current US installed capacity for electricity generation is 1,000 gigawatts (a gigawatt is 1000 megawatts), of which 0.6%, 6 gigawatts, is generated from wind turbines. The global annual production of neodymium, essentially all of which is mined in China, is today at an all time historical high of 26,500 metric tons.
-
March 4, 2009
General Motors Hybrid Blitz halted by Lack of Batteries, Electric Motors | blogs.internetautoguide.com
The foolish article that I am analyzing here says that GM's only problem now is a shortage of batteries and electric (I assume, drive train) motors. The author's answer is simple: GM must build its own batteries and electric motors. The fact that such a resolution of GM's problems is impossible tells everyone except this author that GM is finished as an industry leading vehicle maker.
-
March 3, 2009
Solar Panel Drops to $1 per Watt: Is this a Milestone or the Bottom for Silicon-Based Panels? | www.popularmechanics.com
There are two factors, which present obstacles that must be overcome if solar energy conversion is ever to be practical and widespread: 1. The limitations on the availability and/or production of the natural resources needed to manufacture the best currently known technologies, and 2. The comparative economics of "solar" energy conversion and all other alternate energy conversion technologies.
-
March 2, 2009
Study Finds That Cars With Large Lithium-Ion Batteries Don't Provide the Best Value | www.allcarselectric.com
The economic meltdown has now exposed the plug-in lithium battery as a power train energy storage device to be far too early in its development and testing to be worth the risk for private capital. This doesn't mean that it should be developed by taxpayer generated funds; it means that we should step back and see just how we should allocate our resources of money, time, and people.
-
February 23, 2009
The Electric Car Returns (and This Time It’s Personal) | commongroundmag.com
General Motors sole remaining iron foundry in Defiance, Ohio, is having two problems: 1. It is having difficulty meeting expanded production schedules for vehicles the production of which is supposedly tanking, and one emblamatic reason is that 2. Its suppliers of pig iron, the necessary raw material, won't give it credit.
-
GM's Management Is Almost Restructured Already. It Just Needs Rick Wagoner To Leave
February 19, 2009
Reactions to Automakers’ Survival Plans | wheels.blogs.nytimes.com
Bob Lutz, A "car Guy" has now resigned as Vice Chairman and product "czar" of General Motors. He has already been replaced by a first class "car guy," more savvy than Lutz, Tom Stephens. Rick Wagoner, a finance guy whose best days are far in the past brought Fritz Henderson in as a finance guy whose best days may well be ahead of him. If the clueless politicians and their Wall Street toadies don't interfere then GM will shortly have a finance guy, Hendersen as CEO and a "car guy," Stephens as his partner to make a try at guiding GM out of the mess that it and the politicians have made of it during the last 25 years and more.
- Subscribe to Updates
-
Leading institutions connect with Jack Lifton through GLG
Most Popular Energy & Industrials News
-
Chesapeake Energy bites the natural gas bullet
January 25, 2012
-
Flurry of newbuild drilling rig deliveries in 2012 may dampen rig rates
January 20, 2012
-
Talisman joins the ranks of cautious E&P companies
January 12, 2012
-
Early signs of caution begin to cloud frontier exploration and production
January 4, 2012
-
Two global energy pipeline projects deserve attention
November 15, 2011
Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc. connects communities with knowledge through two distinct, yet complementary offerings: GLG Research and G+.