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Max Baumhefner, Sustainable Energy Fellow, San Francisco
I am an attorney, outdoor enthusiast, and a bread baker. My focus is the juncture of the electricity and transportation sectors. I work on policies designed to integrate electric vehicles into the grid and maximize their environmental benefits. I'm an environmentalist because my parents taught me to be responsible and clean up after myself, and I always do what my parents tell me.
Recent Posts
Posted May 9, 2012 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- electricvehicles, EVs, gasprices, hybrid, plugin, pluginhybrid
Today, the biggest electric utility in California, the largest car market in the country, took an important step to give drivers access to a cleaner fuel that’s roughly the equivalent of buck-a-gallon gasoline. Pacific Gas & Electric (“PG&E”) has submitted...continued→
Posted May 5, 2012 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- electriccars, electricvehicles, gas, gasprices, hybrid, oildependence, plug-in
Imagine driving on a cleaner, domestic, oil-free fuel, at a cost that’s roughly equivalent to dollar-a-gallon gasoline. That, in essence, is the reason why thousands will gather this week at the Los Angeles Convention Center for the International Electric Vehicle...continued→
Posted February 9, 2012 by Max Baumhefner in Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, The Media and the Environment, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- 60mpg, cars, electric, electriccars, electricvehicles, go60, hybrid, pluginhybrid
Congressman Issa recently called a hearing to accuse the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) of a cover up related to its now closed investigation into the post-crash fire risk posed by the Chevy Volt’s lithium-ion batteries. Issa’s theatrics only...continued→
Posted January 23, 2012 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- electricvehicles, EV, EVs, gas, gasprices, hybrid, pluginhybrid
2012 will see the introduction of a myriad of plug-in electric vehicles: sports cars, an SUV, compacts, hatchbacks, sub-compacts, and sedans. Over the next several years, up to 40 plug-in models will be introduced. Later this week, the California Air...continued→
Posted December 20, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- electric, electricvehicles, ev, gas, gasprices, hybrid, plug-in, plug-inhybrid
The California Air Resources Board acted decisively Friday to improve the economics of a decision to drive on electricity. The Board unanimously adopted amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (“LCFS”), one of the state’s most important measures to reduce...continued→
Posted November 28, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- electric, electricvehicles, gasprices, hybrid, hybrids, oildependence, plug-in, plug-inhybrid
At last week’s Los Angeles Auto Show, I saw a glimpse of the future. Many of the up to 50 plug-in electric vehicle models scheduled to hit America’s streets over the next several years were on display and attracting particularly...continued→
Posted November 17, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- electric, electricvehicles, ev, gas, gasprices, hybrid, hybrids, plug-in, plug-inhybrid
Tomorrow, I’ll be at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where several of the up to 50 plug-in electric vehicle models coming to America’s streets over the next several years will be on display. When you buy your next car, ask...continued→
Posted November 6, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cleancars, ev, evs, fueleconomy, gas, gasprices, plug-in, plug-inhybrid, renewableenergy
Americans will buy electric vehicles for various reasons, including reduced dependence on oil, the convenience of refueling at home, the performance advantage inherent in electric drive, never having to get another oil change, and to help clean the air. Driving...continued→
Posted July 29, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- cleancars,, electric,, electricvehicles,, ev,, evs,, gas,, gasprices, go60,, plug-in,, pluginhybrids,
There are waiting lists for both the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, full of Americans who want to be part of the most exciting evolution in automotive technology since we switched from coal-fired steam engines, to gas-powered motors. These early...continued→
Posted June 10, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- cleancars, electric, electricity, electricvehicles, ev, evs, gas, gasprices, go60, hybrid, hybrids, mpg, pluginhybrids, vehicle
The California Public Utilities Commission today unanimously approved policies that will keep California at the forefront of efforts to speed the adoption of electric vehicles. This vote represents a significant step towards fulfilling the Commission’s statutory mandate to “overcome any barriers to the...continued→
Posted May 25, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- 60mpg, cleancars, efficiency, electricvehicles, EV, fueleconomy, hybrids, plug-in, pluginhybrids
Two days ago, a Gallup poll was released with the following headline: “In U.S., High Gas Prices May Make Many Get Fuel-Efficient Cars." Less than 48 hours later, a USA Today article on the very same Gallup poll was published...continued→
Posted May 11, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- 60mpg, cleancars, electricvehicles, fueleconomy, gasprices, oildependence, pluginhybrids, transportation
As big oil and its friends call for more drilling under the false pretense that we can drill our way to lower gasoline prices, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the importance of the Energy Information Agency's unbiased...continued→
Posted March 1, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Moving Beyond Oil
- Tags:
- cleancars, electric, electricity, EV, gas, gasprices, libya, oil, plug-in, price, prices, vehicle
As traders watched images of violence in the streets of Tripoli, oil futures surged 14% last week, the largest increase in two years. This week, the stockmarket slid in response to Ben Bernanke’s caution that rising oil prices could undermine...continued→
Posted January 21, 2011 by Max Baumhefner in Green Enterprise, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- cars, cleancars, electric, electricvehicles, hybrid, plug-in, rates, vehicles
Both the Los Angeles Times and New York Times recently published articles based on a Purdue University report which concludes that driving on electricity won’t save Californians as much gas money as expected. This comes as quite a shock to...continued→
Posted December 20, 2010 by Max Baumhefner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil
- Tags:
- batteries, california, cars, cleancars, climate, electricvehicles, hybrid, petaluma, plug-inhybrid
The first of a new generation of mass-market electric vehicles was recently delivered to a happy customer at a Nissan dealership in my home town, Petaluma. Petaluma has a small hi-tech industry, but is better known for chicken farming. In...continued→