What an extraordinary time to stand at the kick off of EVS29 in the breezy sunshine with YVES RACETTE who is our French Speaking teacher (and well known ambassador of Hybrid/EV technology in the Montreal Area), FELIZA RACETTE who manages the ACDC Website, and Nicolas Piguet, a teacher at the College with YVES who is enrolled in UYV! 45 October 2016 and will be assisting YVES as they create more extensive Automotive Program focused on Hybrid/EV technology and repair. It is always very clear to me when I am in Quebec, that the Province is moving forward very rapidly in adopting and funding a wide sweeping range of energy efficient initiatives. ACDC has done a lot of training in Montreal and Quebec City…2010, 2011, and NACAT 2014. Each time we are impressed with agreement of the citizens and the support they and the government provide to move ahead in living and driving green.
I have been to other EVS conferences along with Craig and also EDTA, Electric Drive Transportation Association, events where we learn the newest and most innovative products and programs in the Green Drive Industry. It also where you learn how all the different parts of the US and CANADA are doing in accepting and adapting to cars that perform and sometimes feel different. I divided my time this year (Craig was teaching an eight day class) between workshops focused on battery technology, battery storage, and strategies about activating consumers, strategies of two car household owning an EV, and Global E-mobility. So, some hard data stuff and then more soft marketing focused information. I am of course more comfortable in the soft focus workshops where I feel my experiences are worth sharing. (ACDC is well known at this conference). I attended quite a few tech workshops, but always find myself (Deb) thanking God that he did not make me an engineer!
A very interesting workshop dealt with Battery Tech and one presenter had done elaborate research on the fire and explosion risks of lithium ion batteries. Grant money was used to put these and NiMH batteries in a variety of flame inducing situations culminating with putting the cells in a kiln. Have no fears. The conclusions were that the batteries do NOT explode, or ignite in any dangerous fashion. Heck we could have told ‘em that after UYV 40! (Safe and Supervised Examinations were conducted)
What seems to stand true at this year’s conference and previous years as well, is that the Industry of Green driving and all it‘s adjunct businesses do not understand why the US is so slow to adapt to technology that makes great sense. It is the same issue we discuss at every hybrid class we teach and every public service presentation we do. It is clear that Green driving is smart in so many ways and yet so much of the general populations remains uninterested and unenrolled. Clearly Europe has a different demographic with the countries being much smaller and the government being highly and visibly supportive. But thousands attend conferences like these and acknowledge how far we have come and how far we need to go.
One of my favorite presentations compared a very extensive list of technology developments from the portable hairdryer to the microwave oven, cell phones and DVR. The study researched and recorded how long it took the US population to first express interest, then try out something new, then purchase the new item, become enrolled in using it and then go from early adapter to main stream users. It was a wonderful way to look at the market process. So this Hybrid/EV bandwagon is fast rolling and the future looks great for big increases of purchase, use and belief in these automobiles in the very near future.
Report by Deb Van Batenburg
