SAN FRANCISCO--Making San Francisco known as the most sustainable city in the nation is a well-known priority for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. His green initiatives have ranged from what San Francisco does with its plastic bags and water bottles to the electric vehicle (EV) charging stations outside San Francisco's City Hall.
Standing in front of a small audience and two brand new Prius plug-in hybrids, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced last week a partnership with Toyota to test pilot the vehicles and the upgraded charging systems.
August 25, 2010 SF Mayor Newsom announces new hybrid vehicle initiative
The plug-in hybrids, coming to market in 2012, will operate as part of the city fleet in order to demonstrate the viability of plug-in hybrid technology. The EV chargers are part of a “Green Vehicle Showcase” the city installed last year to highlight green transportation options, including natural gas vehicles, car-sharing systems, and electric cars. Over 150 hybrid vehicles are going into use around the nation with universities, corporations, government agencies and in fleet applications like San Francisco.
“Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are the future of the automotive industry and an economic engine for job growth,” said Mayor Newsom. He continued, “More than half of the greenhouse gases produced in California come from transportation, and replacing gasoline vehicles with electric vehicles will help transform California’s economy and our environment for the better. I am proud that San Francisco will continue to help pioneer and advance the emerging electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid market with this new partnership with Toyota.”
August 25, 2010 Hybrid vehicle charging station at SF City Hall
Mayor Newsom has publicly vowed that the Bay Area and San Francisco in particular, will lead the nation in steering away from gasoline-powered cars. San Francisco is working with other cities and stakeholders to make the San Francisco Bay Area a premier market for plug-in vehicles as soon as they become available.
Called the "Bay Area EV Corridor" program, this unique regional effort is developing coordinated programs and consistent EV policies throughout the nine county region.
“As a national environmental leader, the City of San Francisco is a natural fit for the Prius plug-in demonstration program,” said Scott Heyer, a representative corporate manager of fleet sales at Toyota. Three of the stations have been upgraded to level two and offer charging at 240 volts that can charge the new Prius hybrid plug-in in one and half hours.
August 25, 2010 Newsom demonstrates the new charging system
Mayor Newsom noted in his remarks that the new Prius plug-in hybrid is not the green car of the future. The vehicle can travel on electric-only power at speeds of up to 62 mph for approximately 13 miles, after which it operates as a conventional Prius hybrid.
Other major manufacturers such as Nissan, Chrysler and Ford are taking consumer orders for electric vehicles ranging from cars to vans. The competition is for plug-in hybrid market leadership. While Newsom purchased his first electric car more than a decade ago, as he took the keys to new Prius from Scott Heyer, he joked that this new roomier model might help convince his wife to "double the size of our family."
Guest Writer: Armando Bravo Martinezwas born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He received his education at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego in Art History, Latin American Studies (BA) and International Relations (MPIA). He lived in New York city for about a decade. where he worked for theFord Foundationand theWorld Policy Institute. He is the author of "The New World Order and What We Make of It" and other policy publications. He currently travels about the world with a keen eye to emerging global trends ranging from the latest fashion and tasty food to environmental issues and global conflicts! His latest travels have taken him toRio de Janeiro, Seattle, New York and theSouthwestern States.
The Flip Side is a column that focuses upon globalization, politics and culture. Allison Addicott is the author. She is an award-winning public speaker and a Managing Editor for The Washington Times Communities. You can learn more about her by visiting her site The Future: Politics, Religion and Culture or by reading her bio. She currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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