Driving Mr. Mayor: Vancouver’s Gregor Robertson Drives a Rapid Electric Vehicle
A big day for Rapid Electric Vehicles (REV) and four other GreenAngel investee companies, February 24th’s “Ready to Rocket” and Vancouver Enterprise Forum events were well attended, including an appearance by Vancouver’s Mayor, Gregor Robertson. Mayor Robertson can normally be seen riding his bike along one of the brand new Vancouver bike routes he was instrumental in having created. On the evening of the 24th however, in true celebration of green energy technologies, Mayor Robertson and Jay Giraud (CEO of REV) opted for a fully electric REV SUV as their transportation method.
Jay Giraud is happy to move over to allow guests (especially ones as appreciative as Mayor Robertson) to drive the bi-directionally powered electric SUV. The technology that Rapid Electric Vehicles has developed allows organizations with fleet vehicles to use the huge power source of the car battery as a backup source of energy. TARDEC, a US military organization has ordered and is currently doing a large scale proof of concept with 4 such vehicles. The idea is that these vehicles can drive to a remote location, set up a radar installation or other “base”-type installation, and be hooked into a micro-grid that will allow the vehicles to seamlessly draw or contribute power based on the grid’s needs. The vehicles, unlike radar or communications equipment are more than capable of charging using an intermittent power source such as solar or wind. When there is lots of power coming in (during the daytime, or when there is heavier winds) the vehicles can take from the grid, charging, ready for when they need to give back during the evening or in calmer wind conditions.
With these vehicles we can also easily consider applications beyond a remote installation that requires a constant power source. Peak rates for power consumption are quickly becoming a reality in North America, prompting individuals to think about how they can save money or even profit from this multi-tiered pricing approach. The idea is that the vehicle could charge up during the evening, or other non-peak times when large power producers aren’t struggling to keep up with consumer demand. With a fully charged vehicle, or fleet of vehicles, an organization could then start selling this power back to the grid for a profit during the peak pricing period. This functions as a relief mechanism for the power producer as well as a way for the fleet owner to further offset the cost of their vehicle.
Back in Vancouver, REV (a promising GreenAngel investee company) is working hard to keep up with a demand that far outmatches their ability to supply. They have contracts or MoU’s with over a dozen companies reaching throughout North America. For the Mayor of Vancouver, experiences like this provide further justification for the heavy “greenification” and promotion of green technology startups in the city. Mayor Robertson imagines a city where instead of gas stations, there are charging stations, and people are using their bicycles or their feet for most short-distance urban commuting.
The future of energy production and consumption will look quite different from our current system. Consumers that own electric vehicles and work to make other lifestyle decisions that either produce energy or use it more efficiently will stand to have economical gains well above their peers who rely on traditional energy sources. All six of GreenAngel’s GreenTech investments are well positioned to make a substantial impact in this future economy. In the meantime, public investors like you can take advantage of high potential investment returns. All six companies are angel-stage investments (many are now beyond that having achieved substantial venture funding) that will elicit 5x to 10x return on investment.
For more information contact the GreenAngel team at info@greenangelenergy.ca or talk to your broker.