electric trains
the concept of vehicle to grid (v2g) goes like this: the grid has to provide excess power to handle demand that fluctuates wildly. and in case of an emergency where a large power provider suddenly shuts down. this power is wasted. if we plugged electric cars into the grid they could smooth out the fluctuations and charge themselves up when there's a surplus on the grid. in theory the power grid could be more efficient. and you could make money off your hybrid. well, if that's a good idea then electric trains are even better. caltrain runs from san francisco to san jose. some 50 miles. dozens of trains each direction each day. if they were electric they could hook up to a car full of batteries to make the run. switch battery cars whenever needed. slurp up the excess power from the grid. shut down the trains during emergencies. charge the batteries at night when demand is low. i'm gonna be so rich.