Sunday, January 31, 2010
Electric vehicles to drive automotive semiconductor market
Vehicles driven by electric motors need large quantity of power semiconductor devices such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, Diodes, Power converter and battery management ICs, microcontroller chips, automotive specific networking chips, sensors and other non-semiconductor components.
There is nothing wrong in calling electric car also as electronic car. It's full of silicon and copper. Market analysis firm IMS research forecasts that demand for electric vehicles will grow steadily throughout the decade ahead from less than 600,000 in 2008 to over 12 million in 2020. From luxury car makers to low cost car makers, electric and hybrids are the design priority.
IMS says from a semiconductor supplier's point of view, growing production volumes of electric vehicles are only one side of the equation. The other side is that the value of semiconductors in an electric vehicle drivetrain is not only higher than in a conventional vehicle drivetrain: according to the IMS Research report, it is over 10 times higher!
Jon Cropley of IMS said, "These vehicles have significant power IC, power discrete and power module content. Much of this is for the inverter required to drive the vehicle's main motor/generators. However, many other electric vehicle drivetrain applications require semiconductors including battery monitoring and control, DC/DC converters, AC/DC chargers and air conditioning converters".
IMS Report says many semiconductor suppliers have so far found it difficult to enter the supply chain for electric vehicles. Japanese vehicle manufacturers have dominated production and have either used their own semiconductors or used semiconductors from suppliers they part own (Keiretsu partners). These barriers to market entry look set to disappear as vehicle manufacturers from other regions ramp up production and Japanese vehicle manufacturers look for competing semiconductor vendors.
According to the IMS Research report, the market could be worth over $7 billion in 2020.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tesla To Kill Roadster in 2011
Some of the detail included in Tesla Motor's IPO filing discloses to potential investors the companies revenues will decrease substantially before the Model S is rolled out due to the fact that Tesla will cease selling its roadsters in 2011 and won't resume production on a new sports car model until at least late 2013.
The ramifications of this announcement are that Tesla will not be manufacturing ANY vehicles for anything up to and beyond a full year between canceling Roadster production and starting Model S production.
We have previously looked at the possibility of how Tesla might go about having the Model S actually manufactured but it seems even with the recent DoE $465 Million loan, $100 Million cash in the bank and possibly raising another $100 Million from an IPO they will still be stuck in between. The only disclosure given in the IPO filing about WHY Roadster production will be stopped is "due to planned tooling changes at a supplier for the Tesla Roadster"
Seeing as the entire Roadster is outsourced this could refer to ANY part on the car no longer being available after next year, but it is most likely either a tool at Lotus or the chassis manufacture Hydro Raufoss Automotive, a division of Norsk Hydro, that is being scrapped.
The chassis is built primarily from extruded aluminum epoxied together. Extrusion tooling is not all that expensive as most extruders will amortize the tooling charge over a volume run. Beyond the bonded chassis there isn't a hell of a lot of tooling involved from a mechanical stand point as the Lotus/Tesla runs a standard manual steering rack, dual wishbone front and rear suspension and ... not much else. We would presume the molds for the carbon bodywork would already belong to Tesla as they are custom to that car.
While Tesla may be unwilling to reveal exactly why they are killing the Roadster for the time being, we doubt they will be able to get away with this level of secrecy once they go public.
These shadowy details raise the risk profile of investing Tesla significantly. The company has already sneakily moved the Model S launch date back a year, hasn't signed a lease on a vehicle production facility location yet, let alone started installing the plant equipment required to actually manufacture the cutting edge all aluminum chassis, yet we're being asked to believe Tesla can pull this off single-handedly on time and within budget.
As Tesla admit in the SEC filing "The launch of the Model S could be delayed for a number of reasons and any such delays may be significant and would extend the period in which we would generate limited, if any, revenues from sales of our electric vehicles."
To date the Model S project consists of a drivable prototype not a full production intent prototype. There is no final design for the Model S, no manufacturing facility and no manufacturing process.
Perhaps when the full prospectus is released it will shed some light on just who will actually be manufacturing the Model S. With Tesla Motors total lack of experience at manufacturing anything at all in-house, they certainly need a credible manufacturing partner to give potential investors some confidence that this won't all end as a Billion dollar car wreck.
2013 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Is a Go
The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics plug-in hybrid 2+2 concept car rolled out in September at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show is earmarked for production.
Reaction to the 356-horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque plug-in electric series hybrid with dedicated lighter-weight three-cylinder diesel range-extending engine mounted amidships has been off the charts.
Sources say that total volume is being debated, but that it will fall between 5,000 and 10,000 units. The prototype's powertrain and basic sub-3,000-pound assembly will remain intact, but, says the source, "there will be less of the synthetic glass and more solid structure added to the final design." g to migrate toward being a sort of sleek Toyota Prius? Let's hope not.
The BMW future product engineers are also tinkering nonstop with the hybrid drive system in order to make the Vision EfficientDynamics more powerful. It should be even quicker than the previously quoted 4.8 seconds to 62 mph.
Tesla Motors files for IPO, seeking $100 million
Electric-car company Tesla Motors filed for an initial public offering Friday, seeking $100 million in the public-financing arena following the Department of Energy closing its $465 million loan to Tesla last week.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tesla filed documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, but did not indicate in the filing when those shares would be sold on the public markets, nor what the initial price would be. Company executives could not be immediately reached for comment.
The IPO is the first by a U.S. automaker since Ford Motor Co. entered the public markets in 1956. The company has not been profitable. Since its founding in 2003, it has lost $236.4 million, according to its filing. During the first nine months of 2009, it lost $31.5 million. The company said it has $106.5 million in cash as of Sept. 30.
Tesla first started selling its $100,000 all-electric sports car, the Roadster, in 2008 and followed that up last year with the Roadster 2. The company claims in its IPO filing that the car has a range of 236 miles on a single charge, and says it has sold 937 of the vehicles in 18 countries.
It is designing a sedan designed for family use, the Model S, which would run for $49,900 after a $7,500 federal tax credit, the company's IPO said. The sedan would have a range of 160 to 300 miles on a single charge.
In addition, Tesla is negotiating with Daimler AG to provide its electric powertrain and battery technology for Daimler's Smart fortwo car. One thousand Tesla battery packs and chargers are being used in a trial with Smart fortwo cars in five European cities.
Tesla said it has taken out a $465 million long-term loan with the Energy Department under its advanced-vehicles manufacturing program to build a facility that will manufacture the Model S. The company added that it has been given up to $31 million under similar California state programs.
Tesla's loan could give the government a stake in the automaker when it goes public. According to the filing, the Energy Department received warrants to purchase more than 9 million shares of Tesla when the loan closed on Jan. 20.
In the filing, Tesla indicated its revenue will decrease substantially before the Model S is rolled out -- expected to be sometime in 2012. That is because Tesla will cease selling its roadsters in 2011 and won't resume production on a new model until at least 2013.
Tesla named Goldman Sachs Group , Morgan Stanley , J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Deutsche Bank AG as underwriters.
US Congress to investigate Toyota after 19 deaths
U.S. lawmakers moved Thursday to investigate the gas- pedal problems that prompted Toyota Motor Corp this week to suspend the production and sale of some of its most popular models.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee said it would hold a hearing Feb. 25 " to examine persistent consumer complaints" about unintended acceleration of vehicles that led to the Japanese auto maker's largest-ever safety recall. The committee said it would also look into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's response to the matter. The announcement followed days of meetings among committee members, Toyota and NHTSA officials.
""While our meeting with Toyota officials yesterday was helpful, we continue to have questions about what was done to investigate and resolve this safety issue both by Toyota and NHTSA," Rep. Bart Stupak (D., Mich.), chairman of the committee's oversight and investigations panel, said. "Incidences of sticking accelerators have been ongoing with Toyota vehicles for up to a decade, and have led to a disproportionally high number of deaths. Failure to take every step possible to prevent future deaths or injury is simply unacceptable."
A statement put out by Rep. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.), the Energy & Commerce Committee chairman, said that "sudden acceleration events" in Toyota vehicles have led to 19 deaths in the past decade, nearly twice the number of deaths associated with similar events in cars manufactured by all other automakers combined. The statement said that information was based on NHTSA statistics.
Toyota said in a statement that the auto maker "planned full cooperation" with the committee.
"Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company," the company said.
Stupak and Waxman said they wrote to Toyota and NHTSA requesting information and documents showing when they first learned of potential safety defects and what actions were taken to address them.
An NHTSA spokeswoman said her agency will cooperate with the committee's review of the matter.
Stupak said his staff has been meeting with officials at Toyota and the U.S. Department of Transportation about the issue and that all sides planned to meet again Thursday.
Wednesday, Toyota said it was expanding a recall announced late last year involving pedals catching on floor mats. That recall originally affected 4.3 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles, making it the company's biggest recall ever. Toyota has added 1.1 million more vehicles to that recall, representing four models. The Prius is not involved in this temporary suspension of sales, but it looks like the Highlander Hybrid's sales are suspended.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Ferrari Hybrid To Be Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March
Ferrari 599 GTB Hybrid will see the sunlight in the form of concept at Geneva on March 2. This will be the first hybrid model ever produced by the Italians.
Luca di Montezemolo has confirmed officially today that the first Ferrari’s hybrid model will be released on March 2, at the Geneva Motor Show. It will be based on the classic version of Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
The Ferrari 599 GTB’s hybrid will be similar to other models of this type and will use lithium-ion batteries, the Italian engineers will implement a system for regeneration of lost kinetic energy via the brakes, which will operate in a similar with the KERS in Formula 1. The absolute innovation will be represented by the fact that the model will have two electric motors that will work alternately. Thus, if the one of the motors sends power to the wheel that is cornering on the outside, the other will gather KERS energy from the wheel inside the turn. The two electric motors and batteries that will power them will be located near the rear axle.
In addition to the hybrid system, Ferrari 599 GTBHybrid will receive a start-stop system, another novelty for a model of the Maranello automaker. The start-stop system implemented on the 599 GTB should significantly reduce fuel efficiency and the emissions of the V12 engine of this model mainly in the urban landscape, which will help Italy reduce the carbon footprint of the brand.
Solar-powered UAV could aid Australia fire monitoring
Queensland University of Technology is aiming to have a lightweight, hand-launched, solar-powered unmanned air vehicle commercially available within 24 months following successful flight tests.
The Green Falcon solar UAV, which can provide 24h service without fuel or pollution, is particularly targeted at emergency services. Other potential applications include coastal and border surveillance; atmospheric and weather research and prediction; environmental, forestry, agricultural and oceanic monitoring; and imaging for the media and real estate industries.
Another possibility is monitoring fires. "Bush fires in Australia have killed many people and caused millions of dollars in damage. The Green Falcon is a next-generation warning system with remote sensing and visual data capability," says the university's aerospace avionics engineer Dr Felipe Gonzalez.
The UAV has a 2.5m (8.2ft) wingspan and weighs 4kg (8.8lb) without a payload and 5kg with. It is powered by 28 advanced highly efficient monocrystalline solar cells and features a maximum power point tracker, a purpose-built energy management system and an efficient lithium-ion battery, says Gonzalez.
Unlike other solar UAVs that have been developed, Gonzalez says the Green Falcon is cost-effective and easy to launch with minimum maintenance requirements. "The Green Falcon is lightweight, it can be hand-launched and costs are low compared with other UAVs available today," he says.
The design supports improved swarming capabilities compared with other UAVs, says Gonzalez, which will allow the Green Falcon to provide coverage over large areas in as short a time possible, particularly useful in rescue or fire monitoring missions.
The Green Falcon performed its maiden flight in June. Work is currently focused on optimal flightpath planning ahead of the next flight-test campaign at the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation/Queensland University of Technology's flight-test range facility near Kingaroy, Queensland.
To take the project further, including testing the methodology for continuous flying, funding in the region of A$50,000-80,000 ($45,000-75,000) is required or support in the areas of electronics, manufacturing and advanced wireless cameras, says Gonzalez.
DoE Closes $1.4 Billion Electric Car Loan with Nissan
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced today that the Department of Energy has closed its $1.4 billion loan agreement with Nissan North America, Inc. to retool their Smyrna, Tennessee factory to build advanced electric automobiles and an advanced battery manufacturing facility. The two projects are expected to create up to 1,300 American jobs and conserve up to 65.4 million gallons of gasoline per year – an amount equal to six times the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez in 1989.
“This is an investment in our clean energy future. It will bring the United States closer to reducing our dependence on foreign oil and help lower carbon pollution,” said Secretary Chu. “We are committed to making strides to revitalize the American auto industry and supporting the development of clean energy vehicles.”
Nissan plans to use the proceeds from the loan to produce its all-electric vehicle, the LEAF, at its existing Smyrna, Tennessee plant. Nissan will offer electric vehicles to fleet and retail customers, and plans to ramp up production capacity in Smyrna up to 150,000 vehicles annually.
Nissan is pursuing a global strategy of transitioning to electric vehicles. Building a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Smyrna, to produce 200,000 battery packs annually, is a significant part of that strategy. Nissan is also laying the groundwork in developing an infrastructure in the US to support electric vehicles. The company has formed partnerships with states, counties, municipalities, and electric utilities to prepare markets for the introduction of electric vehicles including the installation of charging stations.
Today’s announcement marks the third loan arrangement agreement signed by DOE with an advanced technology vehicle manufacturer. In September 2009, DOE signed its first loan agreement for $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Company. Last week, DOE also signed a $465 million loan agreement with Tesla Motors, which will be used to build manufacturing facilities in California for electric power-trains and Tesla's Model S electric sedan. The Department has also signed a conditional commitment with Fisker Automotive to build plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Tenneco, Inc. became the first advanced technology component manufacturer to obtain a conditional commitment from DOE in October of last year.
The Department was provided $7.5 billion for credit subsidy costs by Congress to cover up to $25 billion in direct loans to companies making cars and components in US factories that increase fuel economy at least 25 percent above 2005 fuel economy levels.
The agreement was negotiated and signed through the Department’s Loan Programs Office, which supports the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies to create thousands of clean energy jobs while helping reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
DoE Announces up to $10 Million for Plug-In Hybrid Electric School Buses
As part of the Department of Energy’s commitment to advancing the next generation of electric vehicles in the United States, Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the selection of a new demonstration and testing project to develop a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) school bus to be used in fleets across the country.
Navistar Corporation (Fort Wayne, IN) has been selected by the Department of Energy (DOE) for negotiation of a cost-shared award of up to $10 million to develop, test, and deploy an electric hybrid school bus. PHEVs will play an important role in achieving America’s energy independence by reducing petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions. Today's announcement will also help meet President Obama’s goal of putting one million plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2015.
“These projects will help move technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace by improving their durability, reducing their costs, and validating their performance in real-world settings,” said Secretary Chu. “By investing in the vehicles of the future, we will create new jobs while reducing our dependence on foreign oil and improving our environment.”
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles can be driven in electric-only or hybrid modes and recharged from a standard electrical outlet. They offer increased energy efficiency and decreased petroleum consumption by using electricity as the primary fuel for urban driving.
DOE will provide up to $10 million over three years (50 percent of the project’s projected total cost), subject to annual appropriations. Development will include examining hybrid architectures to achieve a 40-mile electric range, evaluating advanced energy storage devices, and operating on an emissions compliant diesel engine capable of running on renewable fuels. The project plans to deploy 60 vehicles for a three-year period in fleets across the nation.
Advancing the 'Green Rider' Revolution
By Ray Carrier
The wave of the future in transportation for consumers lies in switching over to using cleaner Green alternative fuels instead of continuing to waste with highly polluting gasoline from fossil fuels. The general public is becoming increasingly aware of the urgent need for everyone to start changing our consumption behavioral patterns if we want to save our planet, especially since the major conference in Copenhagen this past December when world leaders gathered to address the critical issue of climate change
Most of the attention about this topic in the news recently has been focused on electric cars, but for the next few years prices for many of these new products will remain fairly high and unaffordable for most consumers as the technology remains in the development stage. However here in the USA, unlike in many other areas of the world such as Europe and Asia where gasoline is more expensive and people are not so strongly attached to their cars, large portions of the population have already taken a different approach to realize significant savings, improve their health and help the environment by using Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) - specifically electric bicycles and scooters - for much of their short distance travel.
Many American TV viewers were surprised to learn that in the city of Copenhagen, with a population of 500,000, there were more than 600,000 bicycles riding on its streets that people use to commute to work and take care of most of their daily errands. The same situation applies in neighboring bike-friendly Holland, and this trend has recently been rapidly gaining in popularity throughout Europe. The Dutch are leading the way in Europe, with fully 25% of commuters using bikes to travel an average of 6.3 km to work. Meanwhile, in Japan 15% of the population use their bicycles to commute to work, and even higher proportions do so in China, as compared to the USA where only 1.67% of Americans now commute by bicycle.
Most recently, the newest trend that has really been picking up steam in short distance transportation for both bicycle and car owners has been to switch over to using LEVs. The LEV industry is still a relatively new one, since the first modern LEV products were only introduced to mass markets a little more than 15 years ago during the early 1990s. The modern E-bike originated in Japan in the early 1980s, where the intent seemed to be to make cycling easier for the elderly. Because of extremely large local demand and very low labor and production costs, manufacturing was initially centered in China, where it still remains dominant. Today nearly 1 out of every 2 bikes sold in China are electric, and this pattern can be expected to expand globally - including in the USA - as more quality E-bikes become available at prices affordable to consumers.
During the past 5 years many Dutch have been switching to electric bikes that increases the average commuting distance traveled to 9.8 km. This has already had a noticeable effect in reducing carbon emissions and declining carbon footprints. An amazing 41% more E-bikes were sold in The Netherlands compared to the same period in 2008! During the first six months of 2009 alone a total of 105,000 electric bicycles were sold there. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, The successful sale of E-bikes is leaving its mark on other segments as 10% less city bikes were sold, while Trekking bikes dropped 6.6% and kids bikes with 12%. This is the trend for the future in the bicycle industry.
Although there were less than 100,000 LEVs sold in Europe only 5 years ago, in 2009 it is projected that annual sales will reach as many as 750,000, a 300% increase in sales over just 2 years since 2007, with 1 in 4 bike buyers in Holland buying LEVs. Germany is now starting to approach the numbers in Holland, and 1 in 10 people doing the same in mountainous Switzerland. It is estimated that more than 100 million people own LEVs in China alone today, and trends demonstrate that this is rapidly escalating. Elsewhere around the world, 170 nations bought e-bikes from China in 2008, and demand just keeps on rising. More than 23 million electric bicycles were sold in 2008, and Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports forecasts that globally E-bike sales will more than double by 2012.
Electric bicycles, commonly referred to as E-bikes, are still fairly new in the USA, with less than 200,000 sold to date, but they are rapidly emerging as a viable alternative form of transportation for those millions of people who enjoy and would rather ride a bicycle to get around and get some exercise from riding them to help stay in good physical shape.
Health officials in the USA emphasize that our modern cities need to better address the challenge of catering to the needs of a rapidly aging population as well as better tackling the important social issues of health and wellbeing for which maintenance of physical activity is seen as a key. One way more people can improve their physical condition is by frequent cycling on an E-Bike.
An important feature of E-bikes relates to how they can reduce physical effort, especially when ridden in cities where the topography includes lots of hills. This makes them very convenient for use among people with low initial fitness levels to help improve their physical performance, such as most Baby-Boomers, elderly and disabled and others with debilitating health conditions, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and stroke victims.
By providing assistance to persons who want to get more exercise and stay in better shape, electric bicycles thus can help to maintain the rider’s heart rate in the aerobic zone when climbing uphill and so avoid spending excessive energy and straining their heart and risking bringing on an attack, whereas otherwise on a regular bike they might feel completely drained. In addition to helping people to just stay in shape, electric bikes can also be used by those who know they are overweight and want to do something about it to lose weight. On the other hand, people who use them for commuting to and from work can avoid sweating and getting overheated when they almost exclusively use the motor on hilly terrain to coast instead of pedaling.
Only very recently have very high quality electric bicycles been introduced to the US market typically ranging in price from $1000 to $2500, but it is very likely that they’ll soon quickly catch on in popularity, especially among Baby Boomers and slightly overweight people who no longer have the strength they once had and have grown flabby and out-of-shape over the years, or weak and more fragile persons, including elderly persons and those who are recovering from illnesses such as heart disease or accidents.
Many such people know that they need to get more exercise, but dislike bike riding because they think they will get tired too quickly if they went out on a long bike ride then had to return home exhausted. Riding an E-bike instead of pedaling all the way on a regular bicycle eliminates that excuse and opens the way for people to be able to exercise more than they normally would otherwise, and this helps them to get back in shape.
E-bikes solve this problem because riders can pedal all they want on a flat surface, using the gears like they would on a regular bike, but then when they reach a steep hill that ordinarily would be too much of a challenge for them to climb on a regular bike, or feel too tired from trying to follow a companion who is stronger and pedals faster, just turning on the throttle would get them over the hump effortlessly, and then when they’re ready to go back to pedaling again they can readily do so.
One interesting variation that can be expected to gain greater popularity in the near future, especially among commuters, is the compact umbrella-type of bike that can easily be folded up when it is not being used. Folding bikes take up very little space for storage and thus are ideal for taking indoors to tuck into the closet of someone’s small home or apartment, even if there are stairs to climb because they are relatively light-weight and can be easily rolled up them on their wheels. They can also be carried on public transit such as trains and buses where often even regular bicycles are not allowed to go during busy rush hour periods. They are also convenient to put into the truck your car to take with you far from home or when you travel.
Light-weight and compact folding electric bikes are especially suitable for owners of sail boats and recreation vehicles (RVs), people who travel around away from home for extended periods of time but would like to have a means of transportation to be able to easily travel short distances to get around, take care of errands, or pick up groceries and supplies when they moor their boats to a wharf or camp in an RV park and want to save money in high gasoline costs that accumulate quickly from driving around a heavy big RV over only short distances.
LEVs are especially useful in helping cash-squeezed consumers to save large sums of money from their transportation budget. Recent studies indicate that when the average person gets into their car, SUV or truck to go somewhere, more than 40% of the time they travel distances of less than 2 miles, and more than 50% of Americans live a distance of less than 5 miles from work. Everyone knows that it is the constant stop-and-go of driving in heavy traffic in urban areas that is responsible for causing much of the wear and tear on their vehicles and makes it necessary to keep bringing them back to the garage for regular maintenance check-ups and repairs that can be costly over time.
Short distant travel also means much higher consumption of gasoline as compared to driving longer distances on the open highway. The AAA issues annual reports on the total cost of driving that take into account a variety of factors including maintenance, insurance and other incidentals. In 2009 it was estimated that when gasoline costs $3 a gallon, the average driver spends almost exactly $10,000 per year to drive his/her car a distance of 20,000 miles. Looking at it from another angle, the average cost of owning, operating, maintaining, and driving a car comes out to 71 cents per mile for an average car driving an average of 10,000 miles per year. In contrast, it costs about 2.7 cents per mile to drive a LEV the same distance.
If you estimate that your average yearly commute amounts to about 8,000 miles, i.e. a distance of about 16 miles each way, the average car gets 23.9 miles per gallon, and gas is priced at about $3.00 a gallon, then you are paying more than $1,000 for gasoline alone when commuting. If instead you travel that distance in a LEV and can go about 30 miles on full charge, and electricity costs about $0.11 per kilowatt hour, it will cost you less than $30 a year for fuel, making commuting with a LEV much more affordable and cost effective in the long run. Another way of looking at how much money you can save with a LEV is that by spending a total of $100 on electricity for continuously recharging it, you should be able to travel a distance of more than 17,500 miles for that much money. To travel that same distance in a car, using the AAA average costs for driving, that would amount to $15,825 based on a price of $3 per gallon of gasoline.
This means that if you substituted and rode an LEV for most of their short distance travel instead of driving their car or SUV for that purpose, you could literally save several thousands of dollars every year from ever increasing transportation expenses, and more effectively use those savings to pay for other purchases or bills. Recently gas prices have started to rise again, and projections show that they are likely to keep on getting higher.
Furthermore, when you drive a car there are considerable environmental and monetary costs of transportation. Close to 30% of the greenhouse gases released in the United States come from transportation. Each gallon of gasoline burned in an average car’s engine spews 19.4 pounds of CO2 out the exhaust and directly into Earth’s atmosphere. With a gas tank size of 15 to 18 gallons, that’s 350 pounds of CO2 you’ve releasing every time your fuel gauge hits Empty. The less gasoline we burn in our cars, the better it is for our atmosphere.
Overall, significant long term financial gains can be achieved from riding an electric bicycle to work or to the store instead of taking a car, and with zero-emissions they definitely have less impact and are more environmentally friendly. As millions of consumers are learning, LEVs are really ideal for people who want to save a lot of money, are Green-conscious, and want to improve their health and stay in shape.
Go to a LEV store for a test ride and select a model that best suits your own particular needs. Once you start to change your lifestyle, you’ll never look back again. You’ll be saving money, improving your health, and helping to save the planet, all at the same time.
Ray Carrier has recently opened a Green Rider store in Fells Point in Baltimore MD that exclusively sells and rents a wide variety of the best and latest in high quality and performance state-of-the-art LEV products available in North America today. These include Motorino electric scooters, eZee Bikes (‘the Rolls Royces of the e-bike industry’) and PEDEGO umbrella folding bikes, BionX Intelligent Energy Management electric bicycle conversion kits, and Razor kick-scooters for kids. He has recently written a comprehensive 141-page guide book on How to Start Your Own LEV Business that is available for sale at $29.95. For more information about this, you can contact him at: info@greenriderusa.com Ray invites everyone to check out his cool products so they can join the Green Revolution and like him, adopt his business motto: Don’t Be Fuelish, Save Your Green - Be a Green Rider. Check out the website at www.greenriderrusa.com
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Supercomputing time awarded to design transformational lithium air battery
The Department of Energy announced today that 24 million hours of supercomputing time out of a total of 1.6 billion available hours at Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories have been awarded to investigate materials for developing lithium air batteries, capable of powering a car for 500 miles on a single charge.
Through the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program, a research team including scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and IBM will use two of the world's most powerful supercomputers to design new materials required for a lithium air battery. Lithium-ion batteries, used in today's emerging plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, currently have a range of approximately 40 to 100 miles.
The calculations will be performed at both Oak Ridge and Argonne, which house two of the world's top ten fastest computers.
"Computation and supercomputing are critical to solving some of our greatest scientific challenges," said Secretary Chu. "This year's INCITE awards reflect the enormous growth in demand for complex modeling and simulation capabilities, which are essential to improving our economic prosperity and global competitiveness."
The INCITE program provides a collection of unique computational resources that enable scientists and engineers to conduct cutting-edge research in weeks or months rather than the years needed previously. The use of scientific modeling can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in areas such as climate change, alternative energy, life sciences, and materials science.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason said the battery project was the result of two visits to Oak Ridge in 2009 by IBM's vice president of research. "From those discussions, it became apparent that our partnership had many of the unique capabilities needed to tackle a scientific problem as important and challenging as increasing by more than a factor of 10 the energy stored in batteries for transportation."
"Argonne is committed to developing lithium air technologies," said Argonne Director Eric Isaacs. "The obstacles to Li-air batteries becoming a viable technology are formidable, but the modeling and simulation capabilities of DOE's supercomputers will help us accelerate the innovations required in materials science, chemistry and engineering."
Forget 0-60 in 4 seconds: Think City charges from 0-80% in 15 mins
With electric vehicles like the Tesla Roadster, we are interested in how fast they will go from 0-60 mph. Think announced today that it has teamed up with AeroVironment, Inc., a leading developer and supplier of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, to demo the company’s level III fast-charge system and the Think City electric-car.
The team held a 15-minute news conference at the 2010 Washington Auto Show where they charged a Think City from 0-80% using AV’s fast-charge system in 15 minutes.
“THINK and AeroVironment are setting a new standard for extremely quick re-charging – zero to 80 percent in just 15 minutes,” said THINK CEO Richard Canny. “This is a major leap forward for electric vehicles. The development and deployment of very-fast-charge stations will help speed the electrification of automobiles in the United States and globally.”
“For electric vehicles to achieve broad adoption as a practical alternative to gasoline-powered cars, safe, reliable and accessible charging infrastructure is necessary,” said Michael Bissonette, AV senior vice president and general manager of its Efficient Energy Systems business segment. “Our portfolio of true fast-charge systems, commercial opportunity charge stations, and overnight home charge stations will help drivers integrate electric vehicles, such as the THINK City, into their lives and realize the benefits of zero emission transportation.”
THINK also announced that it has chosen EnerDel, the Indiana-based lithium ion battery manufacturer, to be the exclusive battery supplier for THINK City electric vehicles sold in the U.S. through 2012. EnerDel also will supply at least 60 percent of the batteries for THINK City electric vehicles sold in Europe.
“EnerDel has developed an extremely energy-dense lithium ion battery for the THINK City,” said EnerDel President Rick Stanley. “This battery has been designed from the earliest stages of cell development to accommodate the surge of current required for a new standard of rapid charging.”
The AV level III fast-charge system employs a protocol developed by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). THINK and EnerDel have for several months been using TEPCO fast charging daily to quickly recharge development vehicles. This work has confirmed the suitability of the fast-charge technology and readiness for commercialization.
AV level III is a constant current 3 phase (200-430V) switching type power supply capable of 50-100 kW output at up to 200 Amps. The EV ECU determines optimal current; charger supplies current based on order from EV ECU.
THINK City, to be sold in the United States beginning this year, will have a top speed of more than 70 miles per hour and a range of more than 100 miles per full charge. THINK City has an onboard AC charger that can be coupled with an economically priced 220-volt THINK home charging station to provide overnight charging for the vehicle. It can also be charged using 110-volt current on a regular household outlet. The fast-charge system will be a supplementary alternative for customers’ added sense of security and for fleets with daily mileage requirements exceeding the car’s range.
“Our experience with more than 1,500 vehicles in use in Europe is that customers using the vehicle for daily commutes and trips around town quickly become comfortable with THINK City’s range of more than 100 miles,” Canny said. “For them, the standard over-night charging is a very practical solution. Fast charging’s importance will be for high-use fleets.”
THINK recently announced plans for a North American manufacturing facility in Elkhart, Indiana, where the company will build the THINK City beginning early in 2011. The new facility will be in addition to THINK’s current manufacturing capability in Finland, where it has contracted with Valmet to build the THINK City.
THINK expects commercial fleet customers in the U.S. to be among the first users of the fast-charge system, but also anticipates that commercial enterprises – including shopping malls, convenience stores and parking garages – will quickly see the value in offering fast-charging services for their customers as a way to grow business and to demonstrate environmental responsibility.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Williams rule out KERS for 2010
Work on the Flywheel based energy recovery system stopped in favor of other projects.
Despite Williams technical director Sam Michael stating in September 2009 that Williams would definitely run KERS in 2010, Williams Hybrid Power (WHP) boss Ian Foley revealed today that Williams will not be using KERS in 2010.
WHP stopped its program to concentrate on non motorsport programs. "Since we stopped the F1 program we have doubled the number of staff we have" explained Ian Foley at the MIA Cleaner Racing. " To do F1 again we would need to increase staffing levels."
Foley also took a dig at some of the anti-KERS faction in F1, "those who pushed KERS out were those who had fell behind." For Williams who's flywheel KERS system reportedly never made it as far as track testing, this sounds like a fairly hypocritical comment.
KERS is not banned in F1, though there is an agreement amongst FOTA teams not to use the systems this year. Williams September announcemnt marked tham as the only team expected to rock the apple cart but today news means they have fallen in line with all the other FOTA teams.
It remains to be seen if any teams break ranks during the 2010 F1 season. With refueling banned in 2010 KERS would prove a significant advantage allowing cars to consume less fuel over a race distance meaning they could start with a lighter fuel load.
Monday, January 25, 2010
GM To Be First Major U.S. Automaker to Manufacture Electric Motors
GM will expand its in-house electric vehicle development capabilities by becoming the first major U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motors, a core technology for hybrids and electric vehicles.
By doing so, GM will lower costs and improve performance, quality, reliability and manufacturability of electric motors by controlling design, materials selection and production processes. The first GM-designed and built electric motors are scheduled to debut in 2013 in next-generation, rear-wheel-drive Two-mode Hybrid technology.
“Electric motor innovation supported the first wave of automotive growth a century ago with the electric starter, which eliminated the need for a hand crank, and revolutionized automotive travel for the customer,” said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. “We think the electrification of today’s automobiles will be just as revolutionary and just as beneficial to our customers. Electric motors will play a huge role in that.”
In conventional cars and trucks, automakers design and manufacture engines to efficiently use energy provided from a gas tank to provide power to the wheels. Motors and batteries, respectively, fill that role in hybrid and electric vehicles. As the range and speed of electric-only propulsion increase, so do the importance of motors and batteries.
Electric vehicles are powered solely by electric motors, while hybrid vehicles also use an internal combustion engine for propulsion. GM’s next-generation rear-wheel-drive Two-mode Hybrid system will use two unique motor designs and an internal combustion engine to provide improved fuel efficiency compared with the current Two-mode Hybrid technology in GM’s full-size pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles.
“In the future, electric motors might become as important to GM as engines are now,” Stephens said. “By designing and manufacturing electric motors in-house, we can more efficiently use energy from batteries as they evolve, potentially reducing cost and weight – two significant challenges facing batteries today.”
GM has been building this in-house capability for years, expanding electric motor research and development, design and validation capabilities at facilities in Michigan, Indiana and California. GM also has developed state-of-the-art math-based design and computing capacity for electric motors. The electric motors will be manufactured in the U.S. at a GM facility.
GM was selected in August by the U.S. Department of Energy for a $105-million grant for the construction of U.S. manufacturing capabilities to produce electric motors and related electric drive components. “The new GM is about speed, and we are delivering quickly on the government’s desire to grow domestic expertise in electric vehicle technologies, such as batteries and electric motors,” Stephens said.
Similar to today’s internal combustion engines, automotive electric motors require an unparalleled combination of exceptionally low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH); high reliability and affordability that is achievable only by understanding the entire value chain. In addition to growing in-house capabilities, GM will continue to purchase and co-design electric motors with suppliers.
“This is a strategy we use today with batteries,” Stephens said. “We are partnering with suppliers to create innovations faster than ever before. Our goal is simply to establish GM as a leader in automotive electric motors. We see that leadership as a key enabler – both to our long-term success and to our nation’s move away from oil dependence.”
Chevy adds Washington DC as Volt Launch Market
Chevrolet announced that greater Washington D.C. will be an initial launch market for the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range. The nation’s capital and its suburbs join California and Michigan as the initial retail markets where Chevrolet will sell the Volt to consumers.
“The Chevrolet Volt demonstrates our commitment to the electrification of the automobile,” said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. “So far, we have invested more than $700 million in the U.S. to reinforce our leadership in this new technology.”
Chevrolet also announced a development and demonstration program with D.C.-area utilities Pepco and Dominion to introduce customers to electric vehicles and establish vehicle charging programs.
“Concentrating Volt sales in these three key initial markets allows us to give our first customers a high-quality experience,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. “In addition to geographical considerations, each market also has progressive local and state government leaders and utility partners who are crucial in bringing electric vehicles to market.”
Chevrolet will deliver more than 100 Volts to several utilities across the U.S. – including Pepco and Dominion, which serve Washington D.C. and its suburbs – as part of an extended demonstration program. The overall program includes 500 charging stations that will be installed for residential, business and public use. They will be used to learn more about the installation process, vehicle charging and to gauge customer feedback.
The program is made possible with a grant of more than $30 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. Chevrolet has announced similar partnerships with several utilities in California and Michigan, as well as the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle with extended-range capability. It is designed to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is depleted, an engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range if there is no access to an electrical outlet to recharge the battery, providing peace of mind by eliminating range anxiety. Volt production begins later this year, and pricing has not been announced.
Testing in real conditions
The Chevrolet Volt has already logged more than a quarter-million test miles on pre-production vehicles, some of which are in service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Accomplishments include:
* Chevrolet is using OnStar technology to refine the development of the current fleet of about 80 pre-production vehicles
* Testing under extreme climates and conditions, including hot-weather testing in Death Valley, cold-weather testing in northern Canada; and mountain testing at Pikes Peak
* The building of more than 300 pre-production battery packs
Technology beyond the battery
Chevrolet is expanding the Volt ownership experience with a smartphone (Droid by Motorola, Apple iPhone and BlackBerry Storm) application by OnStar that gives Volt owners 24/7 connection and control of vehicle function and OnStar features remotely.
Through Volt’s mobile application, drivers can set or check charging, manually set grid-friendly charge modes for off-peak times, pre-condition the interior temperature using electricity and not gasoline, check EV range and more.
Other driver-friendly technologies include touch-sensitive controls on the center stack and screen; a fully digital interface that allows two-way interaction, personalization and access to information; and real-time feedback that provides guidance on how to drive more efficiently.
Better Place raises $350m Valued At $1.25B
Almost two years to the day after announcing its first car partnership and its first country deployment in Israel, Better Place today announced that it has signed an agreement with an HSBC-led investor consortium for new equity financing of $350 million. The deal marks one of the largest clean-tech investments in history and values Better Place at $1.25 billion.
This Series B equity financing round features participation from new investors including HSBC, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, and Lazard Asset Management. These investors will join existing Series A investors including Israel Corp., VantagePoint Venture Partners, Ofer Hi-Tech Holdings, Morgan Stanley Principal Investments, and Maniv Energy Capital, among others, as shareholders of Better Place. For HSBC, which led the round with an investment of $125 million, the deal represents one of the largest financial investments of its kind by HSBC.
As part of the deal, Kevin Adeson, HSBC Head of Global Capital Financing, will join the Better Place Board of Directors, and HSBC will own approximately 10% of the company’s shares.
“Today marks the end of an extensive process with the outcome being a decision by one of the world’s largest, most conservative banks, HSBC, to take the validating step of investing in a private company intent on bringing innovation to the trillion-dollar automotive and energy industries,” said Shai Agassi, Better Place Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “The strong investment commitment and global relationships that HSBC, Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Lazard Asset Management bring to the table combined with the continuing confidence from our original investors enables us to scale up globally and execute against our plan.”
In welcoming Adeson to the Board, Idan Ofer, Chairman of Better Place and Israel Corp., remarked, “Kevin and the entire HSBC team will bring more than just capital to the table. We expect that HSBC will help us to scale in Europe, China and beyond, and we’re already seeing the value that they are bringing to the company and the Board.”
Stuart Gulliver, Executive Director, HSBC Holdings and Chief Executive of Global Banking and Markets, said, “We believe the switch from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles will create future growth opportunities in the auto and utility industries, and we are delighted to take the opportunity of investing in Better Place to put HSBC at the heart of these developments. Better Place is a private-sector solution to the issue of infrastructure provision for electric cars and can succeed without government subsidy and without sacrificing consumer expectations for personal mobility.”
Better Place’s new board member, Kevin Adeson of HSBC, commented: “We are confident that Better Place has the technical and commercial solutions to allow for the mass adoption of electric cars in the near term. The Better Place switchable battery solution, which addresses the range limitation of fixed battery electric cars, will offer the consumer an affordable and attractive alternative to current combustion engine and hybrid vehicles. We expect the Better Place model to be widely adopted across many countries and cities, particularly in those markets with policies strongly favoring electric vehicle adoption.”
The financing allows Better Place to expand its geographic footprint while continuing to execute against its committed R&D and deployment milestones. The company intends to expand into markets where the business model economics and investor returns are optimized, notably in Europe and Asia.
Better Place continues to meet its timetable for Israel and Denmark launch plans for the end of 2011 when the first Renault switchable battery electric cars hit the road. Better Place also will continue to execute against its strategy of early deployment projects in Australia and select North American markets a few months after the Israel and Denmark launches as planned.
Additionally, the company’s R&D team is currently testing each element of the Better Place solution in real-life scenarios around the world in a multi-phase cycle, beginning with the company’s managed EV network in Denmark, which began last December, and a Tokyo electric taxi project with battery switch station, which kicks off in April this year. These and other development milestones lead up to full-scale trials in the second half of 2010 and commercial launch in 2011.
Agassi added: “Our technology and solutions, together with our strong partnership with Renault, provide us at least a two-year time advantage over all other alternative energy vehicle approaches. Our solution is the only one that can scale to decrease countries’ oil consumption and significantly reduce emissions, while providing consumers with electric cars that are more convenient and affordable than internal combustion engine cars.”
Sunday, January 24, 2010
BMW to launch 5 series Hybrid Concept at Geneva Show
BMW plans to unveil an ActiveHybrid Concept of the new BMW 5 Series at the Geneva Auto Show 2010.
The ActiveHybrid 5 Concept will be the first hybrid based on the 5 Series, the same as the 7 Hybrid was for the flagship. But here is where it gets interesting. It will drop the large, powerful V8 engine seen in the ActiveHybrid X6 and ActiveHybrid 7, and it will be powered by a six cylinder engine outputting 218 horsepower coupled with 40 ponies coming from an electric motor.
It will be featured in the same Bluewater metallic, now specific to the hybrid concepts and will showcases several aerodynamic elements: lower ride height, more sculptured skirts and aerodynamically enhanced wheel covers aimed at lowering drag.
The production version of the ActiveHybrid 5 is scheduled, rumored we would say at this point, to debut in late 2010. We’re not placing all of our bets on this, but if it happens, you heard it here first.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
BYD to invest billions in battery plant
Chinese car and battery maker BYD, which is 10 percent owned by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, will invest $3.3 billion over five years to build China's largest solar battery plant, a report said Saturday.
Shenzhen based BYD, which aims to sell 800,000 vehicles next year, will build the plant in China's Shaanxi province, a report in the South China Morning Post said, citing the Shaanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commission Web site.
The plant will have capacity to produce a total of 5,000 megawatts of batteries, the report said.
BYD's F3 sedan was the best-selling car in China in the first 11 months of 2009. BYD is expected to start selling its first electric car, the e6, in the first quarter.
Ultra-Light Mosquito Electric Helicopter Can Even Fly in Caves
The electrically powered ultra-lightweight mosquito helicopter concept has been designed for army to commute through difficult terrains like canyons, forests and even caves.
This flying object is empowered with four GEMINI technology based powerful electric motor and contains carbon nanotube super-capacitors that provides the energy to run the motors.
When the pilot triggers the helicopter, the integrated computer controls the stability and levitation of the helicopter and to rotate it left, right, backward, forward, up and down, the driver has to lever his both hands to shift the helicopter in the preferred direction.
However, the concept is not able to generate a high speed, but its silent operation and excellent steering capability can make it a very functional. In case of any danger, the computer will activate the emergency landing program automatically.
Yuneec e430 Electric Plane To Ship in 2011
The Yuneec E430 is a twin seat, single engine, LSA class aircraft designed to be simple to use, easy to fly and with virtually zero vibration, it's very smooth. Because it's an EV it has low noise, no emissions, no fuel and with only 2 moving parts in the motor (the bearings) the reliability and maintenance are like nothing seen before.
Yuneec say the e430 will be ready for sale next year. If the company delivers on its promise, this electrically powered plane could change the world, costing just two dollars per hour to power its flight.
The first planes will cost $89,000. That's not too bad as far as private planes go. If its whisper-quiet engine is too loud for you (or if you've run out of power during its 1.5- to 3-hour flight time), the plane's 25:1 glide ratio will give you plenty of time to find a place to land or can extend the aircraft's range by combining powered and glider flight.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Renault threatens electric car withdrawal
Denmark is tipped to be one of the first countries in the world to establish an electric car grid infrastructure, but French car manufacturer Renault is threatening to withdraw from a deal in which it would provide the vehicles.
Renault is supposed to provide electric cars to Better Place, the company overseeing the installation of the infrastructure for an electric car grid, but will pull out if the government can’t reach agreement on viable car tax exemptions.
Japan-based companies, IT service provider NEC and car manufacturer Nissan, are also involved in the plan, having created the lithium-ion battery pack to be used in the cars. DONG Energy is creating a national network of charging stations.
Better Place aims to have 500,000 electric cars on the roads by 2020, but the issue of vehicle registration tax remains.
As part of the government’s green energy initiative, it was decided that electric vehicles would not be subject to the normal vehicle registration tax of 180 percent until 2012.
Previous Climate and Energy Minister Connie Hedegaard hinted last year that an exemption, or at least a significant tax reduction, would be extended until 2015. But nothing’s clear yet.
‘If we don’t get a clarification, then we at Renault want to focus on other countries for the first electric cars,’ Henrik Bang CEO of Renault Denmark told Berlingske Tidende newspaper.
Renault wanted the issue resolved within six months, Bang said.
Jørgen Hostmann, an expert in electric car technology at the Technical University of Denmark, is urging the government to take the threat seriously.
‘If Denmark wants to be a testing ground for electric cars, it will have to create a base for new companies and open up greater opportunities for existing companies. Without clarification on the tax issue, there is doubt,’ he said.
Current Climate and Energy Minister Lykke Friis said the issue was ‘complicated’ and that the government was working with the many stakeholders involved to resolve the problem quickly.
Electric Vehicles Could Capture 20% of the Market by 2030
It seems an entire cottage industry of consultants doing studies that attempt to convince us they can predict the future of electric vehicles has recently sprung up. Earlier this week we reported on a study published by Consulting firm PRTM that predicted that by 2020, battery powered cars will account for 10 percent of new vehicle sales. The prediction from Consulting firm IHS Global Insight is for Electric Vehicles to capture 20% of the market by 2030. Sounds like a nice linear growth curve doesn't it?
A White Paper, Battery Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles: The Definitive Assessment of the Business Case, from IHS Global Insight's Automotive Group finds that electric vehicles will make up nearly 20% of the global market for light vehicles in 2030.
As the world responds to concerns over warming and climate change, the advantages of electric vehicles are numerous—the multiplicity of energy sources, reduced emissions, reduced noise, the possibility of reduced operating costs—but so too are the challenges—the development of powerful, long-lasting batteries and ready access to a reliable power grid for recharging.
IHS Global Insight's Automotive Group, the premiere provider of automotive intelligence and insight, has created a new study titled "Battery Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles: The Definitive Assessment of the Business Case." This study provides business and technology planners and investors with a thorough and objective understanding of:
* The status of electric grid-based light-vehicle powertrains
* Major technical, infrastructure, and other hurdles remaining, and the likelihood of overcoming those hurdles
* Milestones to watch for to determine the direction of the technology
* Expected market evolution for plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles
* Impacts on electric power demand
Thursday, January 21, 2010
EnerDel to Invest $237 Million in New Indiana Li-Ion Battery Plant
Lithium-ion battery manufacturer EnerDel announced today it will invest $237 million in a new manufacturing plant near its Indianapolis headquarters in order to meet anticipated demand for advanced battery systems used in both automotive and stationary smart grid applications. Backed by a mix of private funds and public incentives, the new facilities will more than double EnerDel's U.S. production capacity and create 1,400 new jobs.
The announcement came during a special unveiling at the EnerDel facility of the new EnerDel powered C30 electric vehicle platform for Volvo Cars, the best selling platform within Volvo. The unveiling was to commemorate 18 months of collaboration between the two companies, with EnerDel and Volvo management outlining the C30's imminent path to commercialization to gathered media and investors. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels joined EnerDel and Volvo executives for the event.
State and local economic development incentives are valued at $69.9 million, which comprises a state incentive package of $21.3 million and Hancock County package valued at $48.6 million. EnerDel has also applied for an additional $9 million from Federal Government development programs.
"Demand for high-performance lithium-ion battery systems is expanding dramatically, for vehicles of all sizes as well as the utility grid, and we are going to be fully prepared to meet it with a product stamped 'Made in America'," said Charles Gassenheimer, Chairman and CEO of EnerDel parent company Ener1, Inc.
DOE finalises $465 Million Loan to Tesla Motors
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced the Department of Energy has closed its $465 million loan with Tesla Motors, Inc. for construction of a manufacturing facility in southern California on the Model S electric sedan and a power-train manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, California. The Palo Alto facility will assemble electric vehicle battery packs, electric motors, and related electric vehicle control equipment, both for Tesla’s own electric vehicles and for sale to other automobile manufacturers.
The agreement was negotiated and signed by the Department’s Loan Programs Office, which supports the development of innovative, advanced vehicle technologies to create thousands of clean energy jobs while helping reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. No news from Tesla on where the required matching funds will come from.
“This is an investment in our clean energy future that will create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said Secretary Chu. “It will help build a customer base and begin laying the foundation for American leadership in the growing electric vehicles industry. This is part of a sustained effort to develop and commercialize technologies that will be broadly deployed throughout the American auto industry.”
Tesla’s planned Model S will consume no gasoline and will not produce any tailpipe emissions. It is being designed to offer a variety of range options depending on the battery pack used, from 160 to 300 miles on a single charge. Volume production of the Model S is planned to begin in 2012 with a target production capacity of 20,000 vehicles per year by the end of 2013. According to Tesla, the Model S project and power-train manufacturing facility are expected to create over 1,600 jobs.
Today’s announcement marks the second loan arrangement agreement signed by DOE with an advanced technology vehicle manufacturer. In September 2009, DOE signed its first loan agreement for $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Company. The Department has also signed conditional commitments with Nissan North America, Inc. and Fisker Automotive. Tenneco Inc. became the first advanced technology component manufacturer to obtain a conditional commitment from DOE in October of last year. Nissan plans to build electric cars and battery packs at the company’s Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing complex, while Fisker recently announced plans to build plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by reopening a shuttered GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware.
The Department of Energy was appropriated $7.5 billion by Congress to support up to $25 billion in loans to companies making cars and components in US factories that increase fuel economy at least 25 percent above 2005 fuel economy levels. The Department plans to make additional loans over the next several months to large and small auto manufacturers and parts suppliers up and down the production chain. The intense technical and financial review process is focused not on choosing a single technology over others, but is aimed at promoting multiple approaches for achieving a fuel efficient economy.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Audi E-tron R4: Full Details
Audi’s latest e-tron concept is the strongest hint yet at the firm’s intentions to build a smaller, lighter sports car known as R4.
The new two-seater has the same name as the bigger, more powerful wheel motor equipped All Wheel Drive version. However, this car is significantly smaller and, uncharacteristically for an Audi concept car with clear sporting intentions, it’s rear-wheel drive.
The latest e-tron, revealed at the Detroit motor show, is also more than just a one-off showcase for Audi’s zero-emissions plans; it confirms that Audi chairman Rupert Stadler has already given the go-ahead for a new, small, mid-engined sports car.
According to Audi sources, this new e-tron concept provides strong clues to a new production car that will be sold as the R4. It will share key components with the showroom version of Volkswagen’s BlueSport concept, and possibly a new entry-level Porsche roadster, when it arrives in showrooms sometime between now and the end of 2013.
Picking up on the styling theme from the first e-tron, the low-slung concept has a traditional sports car silhouette, with a long bonnet, a heavily curved roofline and a stubby rear end. However, the body is a lot edgier, with hard crease lines, taut surfacing and a heavily sculpted rear end providing it with a highly contemporary look that sets the tone for the upcoming R4.
Elements such as a large single-frame grille housing carbonfibre fins to direct air into the front end, and distinctive LED-enhanced headlamp graphics, clearly set the new car out as an Audi from the front. However, certain features at the rear end are highly reminiscent of recent Aston Martin models — in particular the rear light graphic.
Styled by a small team working under Audi’s British-born manager for concept car design, Steve Lewis, this e-tron was completed in just four months following a go-ahead from senior management last September.
“We wanted to push the electric car in a sporty direction without making it appear too futuristic,” said Lewis. “It was important to give the car a uniquely technical appearance in a bid to get across the message of the electrical package that lies beneath.”
At 3930mm long, 1780mm wide and 1220mm tall, the concept is shorter, narrower and lower than the original e-tron and the current TT. It rides on a wheelbase that, at 2430mm, is 170mm shorter.
At the heart of the e-tron is a new electric powertrain. It uses a pair of motors mounted within the rear axle producing a total of 201bhp along with a whopping 1954lb ft of torque — all of which is sent to the rear wheels only via a torque-vectoring software differential.
Official performance figures put the sprint from 0-62mph at 5.9sec and 37-75mph (60-120km/h) at just 5.1sec, but the top speed is limited to just 124mph to conserve battery life.
Electrical energy is drawn from a bank of lithium ion batteries mounted behind the cabin in a space that, on production versions of the new R4, will be occupied by the engines. These are likely to include Audi’s 335bhp turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit, which, Autocar has been told, could easily be packaged in the mid-engined slot.
Weighing a total of 399kg, the mid-mounted batteries have a capacity of 45kWh, or 2.6kWh more than the earlier e-tron. Fully charged, the concept’s range is put at 155 miles. Recharging takes 11 hours on a 230V system but on a 400V system this figure drops to just two hours.
As with the earlier R8-based e-tron, the R4-based version features an aluminium spaceframe to which Audi’s designers have attached body panels fashioned from carbonfibre-reinforced plastic. It’s an exotic combination that helps to provide the car with a kerb weight of just 1350kg, although at this stage it is unclear if the production version of the R4 will follow the same route.
With much of the weight concentrated at the rear, weight distribution is put at 40 per cent front/60 per cent rear, giving the concept — in the words of Audi R&D boss Michael Dick — “all the driveability of a go-kart — agile and neutral right up to the limit”.
AC Propulsion to Develop Electric Vehicle for US Postal Service Feasibility Study
The company behind the tzero (the prototype of the Tesla Roadster) and E-Mini, AC Propulsion, today announced that they will partner with AutoPort in engineering, development and conversion to provide an Electric Vehicle conversion prototype and report for the United States Postal Service. The USPS chose this as one of five solutions in a feasibility study for the possible conversion of its 142,000 Long Life Vehicles (LLVs) to plug-in Battery Electric Vehicles.
"We are thrilled to partner with AutoPort to present a long-term solution to the US Postal Service," AC Propulsion CEO Tom Gage said. "Our solution provides the safety and performance required by the USPS, and it will reduce cost, increase efficiency, and improve driveability for the mail carriers."
With the AC Propulsion and AutoPort solution, the current USPS LLV design will be stripped of the gasoline engine, transmission and other components and refitted with the AC Propulsion AC-150 drive system, an integrated power system that includes an AC induction motor, inverter, charger and 12V power supply. AutoPort will convert the vehicle on-site at its facilities in New Castle, Delaware. The converted vehicle will comply with Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Safety SAE J2344, and all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
AC Propulsion and AutoPort's solution offers the low cost of ownership and revenue producing potential of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology integrated into its drive system: the AC-150 is the only V2G capable drive-train worldwide. "For AutoPort, this is a landmark day in our history, to be one of the companies selected by the USPS to participate in their demonstration project involving the conversion of an LLV to an all Electric Vehicle," said Roy Kirchner, President of AutoPort. "We believe that electricity is the right fuel for the USPS delivery fleet, and by including V2G capabilities, our solution will give the lowest total cost of operation."
AC Propulsion and AutoPort's solution will be tested against the USPS's requirements at AutoPort's facilities, and then will be placed into service in the DC metro area for at least one year, where they will be monitored for carrier satisfaction, cost of operation and maintenance.
About AC Propulsion
AC Propulsion is the global leader in the development, design and manufacture of electric vehicle technology. AC Propulsion's proprietary tzero™ technology is a complete solution for electric vehicles, and can be customized for every class of electric vehicle, from a sports car to an SUV to an 8-ton city bus.
Products within in tzero™ product suite include:
-- Drive System: includes an integrated, bi-directional battery charger,
Power Electronics Unit (PEU) and Motor
-- Battery Management System: manages and extends battery range and
operating life
-- Vehicle Management System: controls operation and provides an
interface to other components of the vehicle
Engineering Services include:
-- Design services: AC Propulsion works with our customers to customize
tzero™ technology to suit their needs
-- Licensing tzero™ technology: tzero™ technology is available for
a non-exclusive license to manufacturers who want to develop and
manufacture their own propulsion systems
-- Intellectual Property: Our proprietary technology improves vehicle
efficiency and range, reduce cost and enhance customer satisfaction with
the final product.
AC Propulsion's technology allows for 200 kW or 268 horsepower, up to a 300 mile range at 60 mph and the ability to replenish 90 miles per hour charging in any standard outlet. AC Propulsion is also a leader in the development of Vehicle to Grid (V2G)-capable vehicles, as well as the research and development of V2G technology.
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