This week's indicator is 100, which is the number of Tesla Model S vehicles purchased by the Las Vegas-based initiative Project 100. The initiative, which aims to "bring together the ultimate in collaborative consumption," aspires to completely eliminate the need for vehicle ownership in Las Vegas by combining bike sharing, car sharing, taxis, and shuttle buses, into a single membership. This differentiates it from services like ZipCar or Getaround, which address only one corner of the market. The rise of platforms like Project 100 underscores the need for businesses to incorporate collaborative consumption into their products and services.

Estimates of electric vehicle (EV) share of the automobile market by 2020 vary widely, with projections as low as 2% and as high as 15% (Goldman Sachs, NRDC, BCG, IHS, Deutsche, IEA).  While 40% of consumers are “extremely interested” in purchasing an EV, according to Pike Research, without a convergence of technologies, services, and infrastructure this interest will not translate to actual sales.  This convergence is dependent on thoughtful collaboration between car companies, electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) companies, network solution providers, policy makers, and customers.

By Yakov Berenshteyn and Julia Abell

A recent survey released by Accenture about electric vehicle consumer perceptions indicates that, contrary to popular belief, “range anxiety” – the fear of insufficient battery range -- and the price premium of electric vehicles are not the top factors that influence consumer plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) purchasing decisions. Instead, having a home charging point was top of mind for 63% of survey respondents while 53% listed battery range and 51% chose total cost of buying and running the vehicle as the most critical considerations. Furthermore, access to home charging was seen as a substantially stronger purchase influencer than the availability of work or public charging stations.

So, why does this matter? It’s not surprising that in today’s culture of high-tech-enabled instant gratification, consumers expect a seamless transition from fueling up at the corner gas station to plugging in to an electric charger at home.

However, the infrastructure aspect of a PEV purchase can be daunting and confusing for the average consumer.  In today’s EV markets, a home charging station must be installed by an electrician, permitted by local government, inspected by the utility, and might even require a second meter, dedicated circuit, smart meter and/or adjustment of electricity rates.  This installation and permitting process involves numerous points of contact and multiple appointments.  And what happens when something goes wrong? How does one know if the issue is with the charger, the connection to the grid, or the car itself and, if different companies installed the various infrastructure components, who should EV owners call for tech support?
Utilities are involved in at least some aspects of home charging and are already familiar to their customers, so wouldn’t it be simpler for EV owners if their electricity providers were a one-stop shop for PEV charging needs?

As Americans settle in this weekend to watch the final rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, our collective consciousness has not only been riveted to the games, but also to the alarming news from around the world.

Japan's infrastructure challenges in the wake of the tragic earthquake and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East are changing the ways we need to think about energy, infrastructure and national security.

Never has there been a time in March when all the "circles and arrows" on the chalkboard weren't sets of basketball plays, but instead served as pointers to the need for America to move deliberately and quickly to find effective solutions to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

We need to change the game. What might a game changer look like? Imagine a March where the air is cleaner and our troops are watching March Madness at home with their families, not from a bunker 7,000 miles away. This should be our collective American goal and not just a dream.

If there’s a common thread among the 170 premieres at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, it’s sustainable mobility. A press preview, followed by public days March 3-14, kicks off the 81st showing of what has become Europe’s top event for automobiles.

Almost every significant new introduction, from Kia’s redesigned Picanto -- a city car with CO2 emissions promised to be as low as 90 grams per kilometer, roughly equivalent to 57 U.S. mpg -- to the imposing Phantom 102EX, an experimental all-electric version of the Rolls-Royce flagship, was unveiled with “sustainability,” “responsibility,” or “technology for tomorrow” as a key theme.

125 years ago on January 29th, Karl Benz filed a patent in Berlin for his three-wheeled vehicle, the first of its kind to be designed from the ground up as an automobile.  Benz and his "Patent-Motorwagen" were, of course, not alone: It took thousands of visionaries from across the globe, as well as a couple of decades, for the car to take shape as the feature of life it is today.  Nonetheless, January 29, 1886 serves as a widely accepted, if symbolic "birthday" of the automobile.

The mobility and independence that has come with the automobile in its 125 years has not been without cost, particularly to the environment.  The industry widely acknowledges that it cannot have another 125 years like those that came before.  Our cities, our roads, and our climate cannot sustain a fleet of vehicles that quickly approaches one billion around the world.  The car, after 125 years, must fundamentally change.