Close-up Look @ the Wheel Motor powered SIM-LEI [video]

The SIM-LEI, an electric car developed by a spin-off startup at Keio University in Tokyo in collaboration with a total of 34 domestic and foreign companies, says it is on track to start mass-producing the vehicle in about 2 years.

The SIM-LEI can travel 333 kilometres (207 miles) on a single charge of it's 24.5 kWh battery, which is approx the same battery capacity as that found in the Nissan Leaf. SIM Drive said the SIM-LEI (“Leading Efficiency In-Wheel motor”) recorded an electrical power consumption of only 77Wh/km during JC-08 mode tests. (for comparison, a Nissan LEAF consumes 120Wh/km in JC-08 mode).

A brief run down on electric vehicle dynamics to explain how this vehicle achieves 77 Wh/km.

The SIM-LEI uses Direct Drive wheel motors which eliminates the 20-30% energy loss common to a typical automotive mechanical transmission system. This direct drive energy efficiency gain translates into a matching increase in brake energy regeneration potential and that potential is multiplied by the SIM-LEI being all wheel drive, meaning it collects the maximum available regenerated energy compared to a 2WD EV (70% of vehicle braking is on the front axle).

The JC-08 test represents driving in congested city traffic, including idling periods and frequently alternating acceleration and deceleration, providing plentiful opportunity for brake regeneration.

The JC08 is conducted on a chassis dynamometer so does not test the SIM-LEI's aerodynamics which at Cd of 0.19 is the same as the tear drop shaped GM EV1 and is significantly better than the 0.28 Cd achieved by the Volt or Leaf. When you consider drag (and resulting energy loss due to aero friction) is proportional to the square of speed you begin to understand the SIM-LEI has been designed from the ground up to be a seriously energy efficient EV.

Consider that if SIM-Drive produced an EV with range equal to the Nissan Leaf it would require a battery pack with approx half the capacity = potentially halving the cost of the most expensive component in the vehicle.

The SIM-LEI is equipped with a 65kW / 700 Nm Outer Rotor BLDC PM Wheel Motor in each wheel (260kW / 2800 Nm total), an in-dash 19-inch display, and a set of side-view cameras.

Japan launch EV Service Station Network

Oil companies JX Nippon Oil, Idemitsu Kosan Co, Cosmo Oil Co. and Showa Shell Sekiyu KK are teaming up to test a fixed-fee EV charging service at their gas stations. 27 stations will be involved in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture starting in the first quarter of 2012.

The four companies have created what they call an “EV Service Station Network” where members can charge their plug-in EVs at a conventional petrol station alongside internal combustion engine powered cars.

Of the four, JX Nippon Oil currently has the most participating stations, and the company is looking at a monthly fee of ¥3,000 (RM122 at current exchange rates) for individuals and corporate card holders. Pay the fee and one can recharge their EV at any participating station.

The four companies will provide additional services to customers waiting while recharging.

Ford Focus Electric Production Ramps Up in Michigan

Ford recently announced that its Michigan Assembly Plant has begun manufacturing the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, an all-electric compact car headed to Ford dealers in 19 select markets, including Boston, next year. The American automaker claims its newest model will be the first five-passenger, all-electric vehicle to achieve a miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) of more than 100.

Ford is the first of the Big Three domestic automakers to sell an all-electric car, and it has gone to great lengths to improve on the inherent weaknesses of plug-in vehicles, particularly when it comes to charging times. It claims the Ford Focus Electric can charge twice as fast as the Nissan Leaf when connected to a 240-volt outlet, which means a full charge takes about 3.5 hours instead of seven.

"Convenience is a big problem for most electric cars, because Americans like the flexibility of just filling up the gas tank and going rather than having to plug in for an entire night," said Peter King, general manager of Watertown Ford, a Massachusetts Ford dealer. "Ford has done a great job of substantially shortening charge times, which will make the Focus Electric much easier to maintain on a day-to-day basis. That's a huge step toward widespread acceptance of the electric car."

Ford's Focus Electric won't be the only vehicle with a lithium-ion battery rolling out of the automaker's Michigan Assembly Plant for long. The C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi, a pair of fuel-sipping, gas-electric vehicles, are scheduled to reach Ford dealerships in the latter half of 2012.

The C-MAX Hybrid will be a direct competitor of the Prius v wagon, providing similar versatility with even greater fuel efficiency, according to Ford. With similarly high expectations for the C-MAX Energi, Ford claims the plug-in hybrid will have a greater range than the Chevy Volt, with 500 miles between fill-ups, while returning better fuel economy than Toyota's Prius Plug-in.

Both the C-MAX Hybrid and the C-MAX Energi will alternate their power use between a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, depending on the needs of the driver. Thanks to Ford's innovations in electric-transmission technology, the C-MAX vehicles will be capable of using their electric motor at higher speeds and will use optimized gear ratios to improve fuel economy.

"Ford knows that drivers have fuel efficiency in the back of their minds at all times, even when gas prices are steady," added King. "The introduction of the Focus Electric and C-MAX Hybrid and Energi will provide even more choices for Massachusetts Ford fans looking to save gas or avoid the fuel pump entirely."

Mitsubishi Motors to launch electric light truck -Nikkei

Mitsubishi Motors Corp has started developing an electric light truck that it expects to launch in fiscal 2012, Japanese business daily Nikkei said.

The automaker's third electric vehicle, which will allow users to recharge its battery off normal household power outlets, will be targeted at farmers, contractors and others who use light trucks for their work, the paper said.

Mitsubishi Motors, who already sell a Fuso Hybrid truck, is looking to sell 42,000 electric vehicles worldwide in fiscal 2012, double the number projected for this fiscal year, the Nikkei said.

The company aims to keep the effective sales price of the electric truck after government subsidies at less than 1.5 million yen ($19,200), making it cheaper than its two existing electric vehicles, the newspaper said.

Iranian Tensions Translate into $100 Oil [video]

Oil prices have jumped on increased talk of an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Additionally Iranian war games in the Strait of Hormuz have increased market tensions as the world's 3rd largest exporter threatens to close the strait should the nation be attacked. As such, spot crude oil prices are now testing the $100 level.

Spot crude is trading in a channel pattern from the October high and is encroaching on its upper boundary at $101.50. The next resistance is found at $103.30, while support comes in at $92.00.

Toyota receives 60,000 pre-orders for Aquas Hybrid 'C'

Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday that it has received orders for 60,000 Aqua hybrid cars ahead of the launch of the compact hybrid in Japan.

The pre-launched orders received ahead of Monday's release are five times the company's monthly sales target for the new car of 12,000 vehicles.

"It will take about four months" to receive the car once an order is placed, Koei Saga, a Toyota managing officer, told reporters at a media briefing on the debut of the new hybrid.

The Australian debut of the Prius 'C' is expected in the first half of 2012.

Andros Electrique 2011: Val Thorens [video]

It's the motor racing off-season so the means it's time for the French Alpine Ice Racing series, which again includs the EV " Electrique" class.

Each Andros Car, built by Exagon engineering, is rear wheel drive, weighs just 800 kg and is powered by a 90 Kw (122 hp) Siemens 3 phase AC electric motor with 200 Nm of torque.

Nicolas Prost, Son of four time World Formula One Champion Alan Prost, was crowned Champion of the inaugural 2010 Trophee Andros Electrique.