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Tag Archives: economy

Check out Lion Electric Vehicles

Friday, July 11, 2008

I recently stumbled across Lion Electric Vehicles.  These guys have some great new technology that enables you to hop-up your existing hybrid by swapping out your existing batteries with new batteries can greatly increase your range. 

 cells_shipping

And even more incredible is that they are selling Ford Escape Hybrids that have already been modified with their new technology.  Changes to the battery pack and the sensor program allow it to run on EV entirely within city speed ranges.  On the highway it operates as an ICE vehicle with electric boost.

ford-escape-hybrid_courtesy_photo_ford

These guys are based out of VA, but have facilities all over the world.  It is nice to see a US company developing new technology that will help power the new energy-independence economy.  I am hopeful that our current energy crisis well help pour capital into companies like Lion which will help develop the new technologies required to achieve our goal of energy independence.


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Key West and Tourism

Friday, July 4, 2008

I just got back from a week trip down in Key West with the family.  We spent a lot of time diving, snorkeling, site seeing, and diving.  I had my first encounter with underwater with both a nurse shark and reef shark.  Scary, but very fun. 

The whole week we were down there, we noticed that the locals were not the most hospitable.  In talking with them, it seems as if tourism is down considerably, and they are feeling the pain from less dollars being injected into their local economy.  Interestingly, it seemed as if there were large numbers of European tourists, probably due to the falling dollar.  Certainly the increase in fuel costs are hurting all the local boaters who have seen their costs driven up while the amount they can charge tourists has not been able to increase proportionally. 

For example, we went out with Capt Sheri at Wild About Dolphins and she told us her cost per trip in terms of fuel has increased from ~$30 to ~$75.  Basically that is $90 a day out of her pocket and into Exxon’s.  Just shows how the fuel costs are hurting everyone…

Shark Alert!

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Lexington Project

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Well, it appears that John McCain has been following my blog. Today he has kicked off his plan for US Energy Independence, named The Lexington Plan. McCain’s plan states that the U.S. will be independent of foreign energy sources by the year 2025.

For the town where Americans asserted their independence once before,” McCain explained of the plan’s namesake in Virginia. “Let it begin today with this commitment: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025.”

“Much will be asked of industry as well, as automakers and others adapt to this great turn toward new sources of power, a great deal will depend on each one of us, as we learn to make smarter use of energy, and also to draw on the best ideas of both parties, and work together for the common good.”

“That is the scale of our achievement when we set our minds to a task, that is what this country can do when we see a danger, and declare a purpose, and find the will to act.”

As the readers of my blog will notice, that is exactly what we have been saying here for the past several months. If the country focuses, and asks for sacrifice, we can become energy independent in the not too distant future. What a difference that will make across out country, as well as around the world. We can stop the huge transfer of wealth from the US to the Middle East while strengthening our economy.

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