Tesla Roadster with ZERO running cost

Owner uses roof top PV system to offset night time charging. He sells Photovoltaic (PV) generated Solar power for $0.30 kw/hr during the day and buys grid power for $0.18 kw/hr at night.

Electric Drag car with 8 DC motors

Electric Drag car with 8 DC motors. Runs 60 Motorcycle Lead Acid starter batteries giving 240V / 2600A DC through 8 x 30 hp BRUSHED DC motors.

Back to the Future: Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster

Mercedes Benz has released pictures of an intriguing (if not practical) design study where century old tradition meets transport technologies of the future. The historical roots of the F-CELL Roadster are immediately recognizable in its large spoked wheels that hark back to the the first car developed by Karl Benz in 1886. Pair this with a modern-day hybrid drive system with a 1.2 kW (1.6 hp) electric motor powered by small fuel cell and you have one very modern roadster in a classic quadricycle package.

Mercedes has not specified what type of fuel is used but as a typical fuel cell is only 50% energy efficient, it needs to be capable of 2.4 Kw (3.2 hp) to drive the electric motor at full power. The F-Cell quadricycle has a top speed of 25 km/h (15 mph) and a claimed range of 350 km (218 miles). The Steering wheel, brake and throttle pedal have all been replaced by a center console mounted joystick controlling the vehicle with drive-by-wire technology. The quadricycle doesn't look to have any out-board friction brakes so we can only presume all braking is via the electric motor.

The concept was build by 150 Daimler AG trainees which included junior employees from the fields of automotive mechatronics, model-building, electronics, coating technology, manufacturing mechanics, product design, and interior appointments. The prime objective of the project was to integrate the topic of alternative drive systems into training with hands-on experience.

Lithium Ion Battery breakthrough promises 100-fold boost in performance

Researchers have developed a new advanced Lithium Ion battery that will allow mobile phone and laptop computers to be fully charged in seconds. Electric car batteries may be charged in as little as five minutes, removing one of the main barriers to wider uptake of EVs. Solar and wind power generation could also benefit as better batteries could be used to store surplus energy.

MIT researchers Byoungwoo Kang & Gerbrand Ceder have discovered a way to make a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery charge and discharge about as fast as a supercapacitor. In a typical lithium ion cell when a current is applied to charge the cell, lithium ions move away from the cathode compound and are trapped at the anode storage medium. When the battery discharges producing current, those ions travel back to the cathode medium and in so doing produce current flow.

Speed of charging in typical lithium-ion cells is slowed by virtue of the fact that it takes time for the lithium ion to move off the cathode material. Various techniques have been tried to increase that speed including the nanoparticle doping strategy that A123 Systems uses.

The scientists noted that lithium iron phosphate forms a lattice that creates small tunnels through which the lithium ions flow, but that although the cathode seemed ideal it still took some time for those ions to travel. The novel solution they devised was to create a lithium phosphate glassy surface to coat these tunnels. This glassy surface acts as a speedway that rapidly transports the lithium ions on and off the cathode.

Extremely high rates can be achieved, at a 200C rate (corresponding to an 18 second total discharge) more than 100mAh g can be achieved, and a capacity of 60mAh g is obtained at a 400C rate (9 sec to full discharge). Such discharge rates are two orders of magnitude larger than those used in today’s lithium ion batteries. Typical power rates for lithium ion battery materials are in the range of 0.5 to 2 kW/kg. The specific power observed for the modified LiFePO4 (170kWkg at a 400C rate and 90kWkg at a 200C rate) is two orders of magnitude higher. At this point the researchers have only tested the cells to 50 cycles but have noted no degradation. They have made a small prototype cell which can be fully charged in 10 to 20 seconds, compared with six minutes for cells made in the standard way.

This new ability to charge and discharge lithium-ion batteries within seconds blurs the distinction between batteries and ultracapacitors. Besides being able to charge one’s cellphone in seconds, this will have a major impact on electric cars. If electric grid power was available, an electric car with a 15kWh battery could be charged in five minutes. This would require the delivery of 180 kw of energy in that time frame.

Two companies have already licensed the technology one of which includes A123 Systems. Because it involves a new approach to manufacturing lithium-ion battery materials, rather than a new material, it could be ready within two to three years.

F1 KERS explained

The 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship this year has the biggest number of rule changes in the history the sport. The front and rear wings have been significantly changed in size and height to reduce the aerodynamic effect on cars following each other. Many of the aerodynamic 'extras' added by teams last season around the side pods will be banned and after 11 years of grooved tires slicks will make a return. The aerodynamic changes include a first in F1, driver adjustable front wing flaps.

Although no-one in Formula One will publicly admit it, the sport has been under pressure from the increasingly successful NASCAR where constant passing and photo finishes are the weekly norm. The close racing in NASCAR has won huge race day crowds, global TV audiences and with that enormous financial success. All the changes being made to F1 this year are in an effort to increase over taking and to reclaim the recently questionable status of formula one as the ultimate automotive research and development series in the world.

The rule change we're most interested in are those concerning the introduction of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that will eventually make every future Formula One race car a hybrid. KERS is not mandatory in 2009 but will be in 2010 and as a result some teams who have no chance of challenging for the world championship have opted not to use KERS immediately. To remain competitive in 2009 the usual race winning teams will all be running KERS this weekend and for the full season.

The FIA rules governing KERS are fairly simple but very restrictive. From this season teams are allowed to use KERS to draw 60 Kw of energy from the rear axle on the car, which can be stored up to a total of 400kJ (111 watt hour) of energy per lap, to be reused in the form of a 'boost' button. In effect the system uses regeneration to collect and store energy during braking which allows the drivers to use 60 Kw (82 hp) for 6.6 seconds per lap. The teams are free to choose between either mechanical or electric hybrid systems. Of the ten teams in Formula One all bar one have chosen the electric hybrid system with only Williams pioneering a flywheel mechanical system.

In fact half the teams on the grid, including front runners Ferrari and Renault, have opted to use the Electric KERS system developed by Italian Auto electrical supplier Magnetti Marelli. The system itself is fairly conventional, using a single 60 Kw liquid cooled brushless direct current (BLDC) motor / generator unit, which operates at around 120 degrees C. The motor is attached to the front of the 2.4 liter V8 and driven by a reduction gear off the crankshaft.

Also included in the system is a KERS control unit, separate from the Microsoft supplied FIA engine control unit, with a similar operating temperature to the motor. This is mounted low in the side pod for cooling. The battery pack is mounted at the bottom of the fuel cell and in the case of Ferrari is supplied by French Li-ion battery maker Saft.

The teams that will run the Magnetti Marelli system in 2009 include the previously mentioned Ferrari plus the team they supply motors to, Toro Rosso. Renault will run the Magnetti Marelli system along with their satellite team Red Bull Racing. Honda / Brawn may have possibly run Ferrari engines in 2009 in which case they would have also used the Magnetti Marelli KERS system but the most likely engine deal now is with Mercedes. Brawn will be supplied engines alongside McLaren and Force India and will use the McLaren / Mercedes in-house developed KERS system.

McLaren Mercedes have been working on their in-house KERS for almost two years. McLaren actually developed a KERS system in 1999. Mario Illien created a system for Mercedes in 1999 that used hydraulic fluid pressure to recover energy lost in braking. It would have provided a 45bhp power boost for four seconds but could have been used many times per lap. The system developed by McLaren in conjunction with Mercedes for the 2009 season is an electrical based hybrid system.

BMW started KERS development with Forschung und Technik GmbH, which is a 100% BMW owned research and technology arm, in mid-2007 and have announced their system 'race ready'. BMW tested a range of different solutions and analyzed electric, mechanical, hydraulic and even pneumatic systems. After several months of research, it was clear that only an electric system would deliver the required energy, while at the same time combining maximum safety and, above all, the lowest possible weight. In the BMW KERS system the batteries are housed in the side pods for cooling and the control unit is fitted in the right hand side pod.

Williams have decided to take on the task of being the only team in the field to develop a flywheel system and to do so without the resources of a major manufacturer behind them. Williams will run Toyota engines but more on Toyota in a moment. They acquired of a minority shareholding in Automotive Hybrid Power Limited, a company developing high-energy composite flywheels for use in energy recovery systems. The Williams Hybrid Power system will use a flywheel spinning at up to 40,000 rpm. It has been reported that the flywheel systems is still being bench tested and has not been track tested as yet. This may result in Williams not debuting their KERS until Round 7 of the 2009 world championship which takes place in Turkey in early June.

That only leaves Toyota, the company who started the move to hybrids beginning in 1998. Toyota have decided not to race with KERS in Melbourne and it is possible that Toyota will not use a KERS system at any time during the 2009 race season.

It is already known that the Cologne based team will contest the season opening Australian grand prix without the energy re-use technology, despite the TF109 being fitted with a functioning KERS during testing. Toyota have been quoted as saying they think KERS is 'primative' and not relevant to road car Hybrid systems. Toyota say they have already had success with a more advanced hybrid system in their Supra HV-R with which they won the Tokashi 24 hour race by 9 laps over second place. The technical difference between the two systems is enormous. While KERS is limited to 60kw for 6.6 seconds per lap and can only be used on the rear axle, the Toyota HV-R system has a 150 kw electric motor on the rear axle plus two 10 kw wheel motors on the front wheels. As 70% of all braking effort is on the front wheels the Toyota system can collect a lot more energy per lap.

The FIA rules will grant Toyota their wish of four wheel regeneration but they will have to wait until 2013. The KERS regulations will allow the energy storage limit to be doubled to 800kj (222 wh) by 2011, and KERS will be allowed on both axles with up to 200kW and 1.6MJ (444 wh) of energy storage per lap from 2013.

Toyota have admitted they came very close to following Honda out of Formula One at the end of last year and there have been reports that Toyota have ambitions to race their Hybrid at Le Mans. With Hybrid rules being introduced to Le Mans this year and flywheel systems being banned, if the regulations allow four wheel hybrid systems then that may prove too tempting. Toyota last raced in Le Mans in 1999 and placed second and may now hope a hybrid race car will take them to victory. The Peugeot team are taking advantage of the new Le Mans hybrid rules and have incorporated the Magnetti Marelli hybrid system into their 908 HY V12 diesel sports prototype. The Peugeot will have 60kw (80 hp) for up to 20 seconds per lap.

Drivers

The KERS system adds an extra 30kg (66 lb) weight to the car which effects weight distribution and tire wear. The minimum weight of 605kg stipulated for the cars in the regulations includes the driver. The difference between the actual weight and minimum weight is leveled out by positioning ballast around the car to optimum effect. Traditionally, this means that a heavier driver has been at a disadvantage as he has had less ballast to balance out the car. Using KERS will further reduce - by the weight of the system - the amount of ballast available. In order to prevent F1 from becoming even more of a jockeys' competition some teams such as BMW are pushing for an increase of the minimum weight in the future. Many drivers have reported putting extra effort into reducing their weight, although it must be said they are all very light to start with.

The drivers will be kept especially bust in the cockpit this year learning how best to use the new systems. With KERS having only 111 watt hours of energy storage capacity and all of the energy coming from the rear axle under braking, there may be more than a few exciting moments where mid way through a heavy braking zone, as the battery becomes full, the rear brake balance will suddenly change perhaps resulting in the odd spin or two. An added distraction is the driver adjustable front wing which many have speculated will be used at the exact same time as the KERS boost button to momentarily reduce drag during a passing maneuver.

Safety

Most Formula One cars in 2009 will be wearing “High Voltage” warning stickers for the first time. Insulated gloves and color-coding will help keep F1 marshals safe from the dangers of new KERS technology while Puma have developed a new insulated shoe for drivers. The cars will also carry a KERS status warning light so it should be clear to a marshal who walks up to the car that if the status light is in the wrong state, he shouldn’t touch the car.

In July 2008 a mechanic received a powerful shock after touching the steering wheel and side pod of a BMW F1 car fitted with the KERS prototype. After six weeks of investigation, the team determined that the shock was due to a high-frequency AC voltage between the two contact points, the cause of which was traced back to the KERS control unit and a sporadic capacitive coupling from the high-voltage network to the 12-volt network. The voltage ran through the wiring of the 12-volt network to the steering wheel and through the carbon chassis back to the control unit.

The analysis, in addition to identifying the problem and pointing to solutions, resulted in other recommendations for the development of electric KERS systems. Among the measures arrived at are changes in the design of the control unit to avoid capacitive coupling effects, extended monitoring functions for high frequencies and a conductive connection of the chassis components to avoid any electric potential.

The Electric Future

The FIA must be congratulated for being the first motorsport sanctioning body in the world to introduce hybrid systems to a professional racing series. It did take them a while to wake up to the fact that having teams spending so much time in wind tunnels that the winning teams had to own one or two of their own had become increasing irrelevant to any kind of road car application. Now with the emphasis squarely on putting the best and brightest to work on developing electric hybrid technology we can most definitely look forward to seeing what effect the red hot competition of Formula One racing can do for EV technology.

Closer look: the Tesla Model S

There is much excitement and publicity surrounding the launch of the long awaited all electric sedan from Tesla Motors and more details have emerged since the Tesla Model S was unveiled. The specs that have officially been announced are not yet substantial enough for a full technical review at this stage, but we do know that the EV sedan has a top speed of 130 mph, is capable of 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, charges in 45 minutes and has a 160 mile (256 km) range with the standard battery option. According to the company's website we can expect to see an AWD option somewhere in the future and although it's not not officially stated, according to reporters at the the unveiling who were able to question Tesla engineers the Model S will be rear wheel drive (RWD) in its standard configuration.

The five door sedan is designed to seat 5 adults and two children (though we're not clear on exactly how) Tesla says they will offer upgrade battery options for 230 miles (370 km) or 300 miles (480 km) on the standard 160 mile (256 km) range. No pricing or further details have yet been provided on these options. They claim the battery is 'swappable' in 5 minutes but we are left wondering if this means a 300 mile battery can be swapped into a car purchased with a 160 mile battery much like the Heuliez WILL. The company has announced plans to rent or lease high capacity battery packs which offer a 300-mile range but it's not clear if these can be rented for a weekend trip and returned when you go back to your week day commute.

While the 160 mile 'Standard' Model S comes with a 42 kw/hr battery pack the larger 300 mile battery pack is 70kw/hr and weighs 1200lb (544 kg). It is made up of 8000 cells compared to the 6800 in the Roadster. With the larger battery included the Model S weighs in at 3825 lb (1734 kg). The lithium-ion batteries are mounted under the floorpan for an ultra-low center of gravity and the majority of its chassis and body panels are made of lightweight aluminum to keep the vehicle's overall weight reasonable. There will be a significant weight difference across the range of battery sizes which may pose a challenge to the Tesla chassis engineers if the various sized packs can be “hot swapped” as installing the larger 300 mile battery will be like putting a load into a truck - it's almost double the weight of the smallest pack.

The Model S carries an on board battery charger that will work with 120, 240 and 480 Volt outlets. Using 480v the charger offers 'QuickCharge' which can fully charge the battery in 45 mins (we presume that means the smaller 45kw/hr pack).

Reportedly (but again not confirmed by the website information), the Model S will be powered by a water cooled 300 hp (220 kw) electric motor with 400ft/lb (541 Nm) from zero rpm. We do know the Tesla Model S comes with the same type of single speed transmission found in the Roadster but the only official word on the motor is that it will be a “proven powertrain from a leading EV manufacturer”.

The prospect of an All wheel drive (AWD) version will be something to look forward to if Tesla use the same 300 hp motor front and rear giving a total of potentially 600 hp. While adding AWD capability to an EV is much simplified compared to a combustion engine vehicle it also adds weight to the vehicle with the second motor and transmission. Perhaps the AWD version is the the one referred to as the future 'performance' version of the Model S capable of sub 5 sec 0-60 times.

Inside, there are no dash board controls to speak of. Every button has been replaced by a 17″ 3G capable touchscreen computer.

The Drag coefficient of “around” 0.26 is equal to the current Toyota Prius and a significant improvement over the Roadster at 0.35.

For USD$57,400 ($49,900 if you factor in a federal tax credit of $7,500) Tesla aims to offer the car for sale in late 2011. The company has taken over 500 reservations in the first week and plans to produce around 20,000 units per year. Unlike Fisker who have sub contracted vehicle production to the same company that builds the Porsche Boxster, or the recently announced Detroit Electric partnership with Proton, Tesla want to go it alone. Despite the recent downturn in global auto sales leading to an enormous amounts of idled automotive manufacturing capacity, Tesla have decided to take the hard road and start from scratch with the construction of a green field automotive manufacturing site, pending government funding and the selection of a site. Tesla were in fact scheduled to begin construction of the Model S factory on the first site chosen for Model S production in Albuquerque New Mexico back in April 2007, but that never commenced. Lets hope the late 2011 delivery date for the Model S is not delayed to the same extent.

Carl Edwards drives 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 1445.7 miles on a single tank

A team of Ford hybrid engineers, a fuel efficiency expert and a NASCAR star have driven a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 1445.7 miles (2313.12 km) on a single 17.5 US gallon (66.24 Liter) tank of gasoline using Eco-Driving techniques. That's an average of 81.5 mpg (2.88 l/100 km), not bad from a totally standard production car. The 1,000-Mile Challenge started at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, from Mount Vernon, Va., the car finally ran out of gas and battery power on April 28th at 5:37 am EST in Washington, D.C.

The distance surpassed Ford's target by over 40% in a PR exercise designed to highlight the role of the driver in achieving fuel efficiency as well as to showcase the car (and raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the process).

The team crossed the 1000 mile mark with NASCAR star Carl Edwards behind the wheel, fresh from his barrel rolling exhibition at Talladega, and the team also included world-record breaking Wayne Gerdes who has turned hypermiling into a sport (the record is 2,254.4 miles – 3,607 km – on a single tank of fuel set in a 2001 Honda Insight Hybrid in 2006).

* Eco-driving tips: Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
* Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking;
* Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions;
* Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear;
* Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine;
* Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag;
* Applying the “Pulse and Glide” technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
* Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle’s kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and
* Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum