Block’s Indicator of Sustainable Growth

By Ray Block

Just as in 1900 in New York, it won’t be long before we see rows of electric cars, whether hybrids or plug in electric cars.

The big news on June 23 was not so much the US Government subsidising Nissan, the Renault affiliate to build electric cars in Tennessee with US$1.6 billion in loans, and $405 million for electric sports car firm Tesla Motors for a new California plant, but the involvement of ExxonMobil behind the scenes.

For ExxonMobil to have anything to do with the world of renewable energy is big news. Imagine old man Rockefeller, Standard Oil’s founder, looking down from Heaven in amazement at the upstarts of today supporting the electric car initiative.

Next, you’ll find the likes of ExxonMobil, the one time Standard Oil of New Jersey, telling us that the peak oil story is really true and the days of cheap gasoline are gone for ever.

Exxon hasn’t gone that far. But at least in 2006,  ExxonMobil Chemical and its Japanese affiliate, Tonen Chemical Corporation had announced that it was developing a prototype microporous film for lithium-ion battery separators, which would dramatically improve lithium-ion battery power and safety performance in hybrid vehicles.

As the Wall Street Journal’s environmental capital blog said, if Exxon wasn’t selling you a tiger in the tank, going back to the days of its gasoline ads, there was a tiger in the battery that powers your car.

The Exxon connection here is with Electrovaya, the Mississauga, Ontario firm which announced  this June that its battery developed from the Exxon affiliate will power the Maya-300 electric cars to be showcased at the 9^th National Motor Vehicle and Aviation Workshops and Exposition to be held July 28-30 in Chicago.

Maya Electric launched its first cars at the Maryland Science Centre on June 23. The Maya car is a five door, four passenger emission-free vehicle, with an all electric range of up to 120 miles (192 km). The vehicle is designed for the fleet market.