EVs May Challenge the Nation’s Electric Grid, But May Also Help

Craig Farrand, Zondits guest, 11/29/2022 As the Rolling Stones once sang, “Ti-i-i-me, is on my side, yes, it is!” And the same can be said for the challenge facing the nation’s electric grid when it comes to handling the ever-increasing demand of electric vehicle charging at home and on the road. Clearly, EVs are and … Read more

Turn Off, Plug In, Hang Out – Expanding My EV Comfort Zone by Learning to Fast Charge

Zondits Clean Energy Journal. This is the first entry in a new Zondits feature that invites our readers to contribute personal experiences in their clean energy journey. Zondits wants to know: What clean energy technology have you personally experienced in your life and what’s your take on it? Send your submissions to info@zondits.com. The following … Read more

Zondits Interview: Actually, You Can Get There From Here

Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 10/25/2022 Zondits speaks with a rural Mainer about his experiences with EV ownership. Richard Doughty is a recently retired professional engineer who specialized in energy efficiency and clean energy project development and assessment. Richard was previously featured in the annual Zondits April Fools issue when it was reported that he applied … Read more

EV History Part IV: 200 Years Later, Batteries Remain the Weak Link of EVs

Craig Farrand, Zondits guest, 10/19/2022 When Robert Anderson strapped a non-rechargeable battery and motor onto a carriage nearly 200 years ago (arguably driving the first EV) it also started a scientific frenzy to determine how to extend the life of batteries used for transportation. And here we are, two centuries later, and the frenzy continues … Read more

EV History Part I: The Story of the Electric Vehicle is Nearly 200 Years Old

Craig Farrand, Zondits guest, 9/21/2022 This is the first in a multi-part series on the history of the electric vehicle. In the beginning, there was the hand crank. NOT! Contrary to schoolbook history — and silent movies — some of the earliest iterations of the “horseless carriage” required no such effort: they were electric. And … Read more

The Death of Detroit’s Electric Streetcars

Detroit streetcar

Craig Farrand, Zondits guest, 8/23/2022 Before there were personal electric vehicles (EVs) there were electric streetcars. In Detroit, the first electric streetcars went into service in 1886 — 10 years before Henry Ford took his first trial run in a small, four-wheeled vehicle he called a “Quadricycle,” and long before Detroit became the “Motor City” … Read more

EV Charging Access is Expanding in the Most Unexpected Region: the Midwest

Craig Farrand, Zondits guest, 8/15/2022 It’s well publicized that California leads the nation in electric vehicle ownership, with EVs representing 23.2% of all vehicles on the road. So, who would have suspected that the Midwest would be a region with one of the most aggressive plans to put more EVs on the road — by … Read more