Nissan LEAF cars connected at all times through Telenor Connexion

Telenor Connexion will enable Nissan LEAF owners to use a mobile phone or PC to check battery status and range, to turn on vehicle's air-conditioning etc. even when their Nissan LEAF is parked and completely switched off. This is the first time connectivity becomes a standard in an electrical car. Nissan LEAF was awarded "European Car of the Year 2011".

Telenor Connexion has been chosen as the European connectivity supplier for Nissan LEAF's "CARWINGS" intelligent transport (IT) system, allowing connection between the electric car's sophisticated onboard transmitting unit and Nissan's CARWINGS Data Center. Thanks to Telenor Connexion, owners of the 100% electric vehicle will have access at all times, both on and off board, to the data and information they need for greater convenience, comfort and peace of mind. Unique features of the Nissan CARWINGS system include electric vehicle battery state monitoring, usage history and air-conditioning remote control. This is made possible by seamless communication between the vehicle and people via mobile networks and PCs.

Telenor Connexion's dedicated telematics solution connects Nissan LEAF's onboard unit to the Nissan CARWINGS Data Center in a private network environment allowing Nissan to deliver a secure and stable product to our customers, says Pierre Loing, Vice president of product strategy and planning at Nissan International SA and head of the company's European zero emission business unit. Nissan International, located in Rolle, Switzerland, is the headquarters of Nissan in Europe.

We are very excited to work with Nissan, who is playing a major role in setting a standard for the whole EV industry. This agreement is the start of what we expect to be a long-term partnership. It is of significant value for Telenor Connexion, but above all it reinforces our position as the leading connectivity supplier in the automotive industry. We already have agreements with major global automotive players such as Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Scania and Daimler, says Per Simonsen, CEO of Telenor Connexion.

Nissan LEAF was awarded "European Car of the Year 2011" and is the world's first mass-production, 100% electric, zero-emission car. The new EV will be on sale in Europe early 2011 with the first deliveries to Portugal, Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands.

Honda Use Toshiba Lithium-Ion Batteries in Test Version of Electric Car

Honda Motor Co. is using lithium-ion batteries made by Toshiba Corp. in a test version of its electric car, expanding upon a supply agreement for electric scooters.

Honda’s joint venture with Kyoto-based GS Yuasa Corp. will supply lithium-ion batteries for its hybrid cars, including a plug-in vehicle, while Toshiba’s packs may be more suitable for all-electric cars, which require more power, Tomohiko Kawanabe, head of Honda’s research and development division, told reporters today in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo.

Japan’s second-largest carmaker unveiled the test versions of its electric car and plug-in hybrid today, joining Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. in efforts to meet tighter government emissions rules. Honda has supply agreements with four battery makers, including Panasonic Corp. and its subsidiary Sanyo Electric Co., which make nickel-metal hydride packs for Honda’s current hybrid cars.

Honda’s electric car can go more than 160 kilometers (100 miles) on a single charge, farther than Nissan’s Leaf electric car, Tokyo-based Honda said today. The plug-in hybrid can run 25 kilometers on battery power before the gasoline engine kicks in, about the same as Toyota’s plug-in. The figures are based on Japanese highway testing methods.

The carmaker hasn’t decided whether it will use Toshiba’s batteries for mass production, Kawanabe said. Toshiba already makes lithium-ion batteries for Honda’s EV-neo electric scooter, which it started leasing to corporate customers this month.

The company is also seeking to sell batteries made by Blue Energy Co., the venture with GS Yuasa, to other carmakers to help lower costs, he said.

Nissan, Japan’s third-largest automaker, starts selling its lithium-ion battery-powered Leaf hatchback this month in Japan and the U.S. and will begin selling it in Europe next year. Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn has estimated that electric cars may account for 10 percent of global auto sales by 2020.

Toyota plans to sell a short-distance pure electric car and a plug-in hybrid by 2012.

Sunswift to attempt to break world solar land speed record

Wednesday Test Run from UNSW Solar Racing Team on Vimeo.


The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sunswift Solar Racing Team will attempt to break the world land speed record for a solar car next month.

The team's solar car, affectionately known IVy, is a $280,000 three-wheeled, hand-built, carbon-fibre machine which can reach a top speed of 115 km/h using just 1300 W, the same amount of power it takes to toast two slices of bread.

With nothing more than solar energy from photovoltaic cells (no additional power from a battery), the team expects the car to hit at least 90km/h, which would break the record by 11km/h.

At a recent test run at the Western Sydney International Dragway at Eastern Creek earlier this month Business team leader and driver Kristen Casalenuovo said the attempt would show just how quickly solar innovations are progressing.

"A lot of the things created within solar have been adopted with electric cars seen on the road," the photovoltaics PhD student said.

A Guinness World Book of Records official will attend the attempt at an airstrip at the HMAS Albatross near Nowra on the southern NSW coast.

The team’s world record attempt looks promising after they recorded a top speed of 115km/h during the 3000km Global Green Challenge from Darwin to Adelaide.

The Sunswift team need perfect conditions with no wind or clouds so the panels can generate maximum possible energy from the sun with minimal aerodynamic resistance.

Sunswift

Intense demand for GM's Volt proves free market can drive new auto era

Last week, a Volt donated by GM to a Detroit Public Schools science program garnered $225,000 at auction. That's Rolls Royce territory. Just a few years ago, a previous generation Cadillac failed to recapture its sticker price when auctioned off at a local charity ball.

General Motors has a smoking red-hot winner on its hands with the Chevy Volt. The extended-range electric vehicle is sending shock waves through the car-buying market. Already, 250,000 potential buyers have expressed interest in the first 10,000 Volts GM plans to build in the next year. Some dealers have so many customers beating on the doors they plan to add a premium on to the sticker price.

There's opportunity here for GM beyond the initial sales. It can use the intense demand for the Volt to shake off any remaining Government Motors threads from its image.

Anticipating that the price of such vehicles would be prohibitive because of technology costs, the federal government and many states, including Michigan, offered subsidies to buyers that amount to roughly $7,500. That takes the Volt's sticker to the $35,000 range.

It's obvious now that the high price tag isn't a deterrent to sales, and that would-be buyers don't think $42,000 is out of range. The premiums being tacked on by some dealers bring the out-the-door cost of the Volt closer to the original price point, and still buyers are lining up.

GM has proven it can build an electric car that excites the market. And consumers are showing they are willing to pay a very rich price for the opportunity to drive that vehicle. It's the law of supply and demand at its finest.

General Motors has done a remarkably good job of opening this new era of the automobile industry. With the reception the Volt is receiving, everyone should be confident that the free market can sustain it.

NASA Looking at Electric Railgun / Scramjet Launcher to replace Shuttle

Last week saw Navy researchers set a new world record with a test firing of a new 33 Megajoule railgun. Turns out NASA are also seriously considering a railgun to replace conventional rockets but in their case it would be 5x more powerful and two miles long.

An early proposal has emerged that calls for a wedge-shaped aircraft with scramjets to be launched horizontally on an electrified track. The aircraft would fly up to Mach 10, using the scramjets and wings to lift it to the upper reaches of the atmosphere where a small payload canister or capsule similar to a rocket's second stage would fire off the back of the aircraft and into orbit. The aircraft would come back and land on a runway by the launch site.

How To Fly Into Orbit:


Rev Up The Rail Gun
A 240,000-horsepower linear motor converts 180 megawatts into an electromagnetic force that propels a scramjet carrying a spacecraft down a two-mile-long track. The craft accelerates from 0 to 1,100 mph (Mach 1.5) in under 60 seconds- fast, but at less than 3 Gs, safe for manned flight.

Fire The Scramjet
The pilot fires a high-speed turbojet and launches from the track. Once the craft hits Mach 4, the air flowing through the jet intake is fast enough that it compresses, heats to 3,000ºF, and ignites hydrogen in the combustion chamber, producing tens of thousands of pounds of thrust.

Get Into Orbit

At an altitude of 200,000 feet, there isn't enough air for the scramjet, now traveling at Mach 10, to generate thrust. Here spaceflight begins. The two craft separate, and the scramjet pitches downward to get out of the way as the upper spacecraft fires tail rockets that shoot it into orbit.

Stick The Landing
The scramjet slows and uses its turbojets to fly back to Earth for a runway landing. Once the spacecraft delivers its payload into orbit, it reenters the atmosphere and glides back to the launch site. The two craft can be ready for another mission within 24 hours of landing.

"All of these are technology components that have already been developed or studied," NASA says. "We're just proposing to mature these technologies to a useful level, well past the level they've already been taken."

For example, electric tracks catapult rollercoaster riders daily at theme parks. But those tracks call for speeds of a relatively modest 60 mph -- enough to thrill riders, but not nearly fast enough to launch something into space. The launcher would need to reach at least 10 times that speed over the course of two miles in Starr's proposal.

The good news is that NASA and universities already have done significant research in the field, including small-scale tracks at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and at Kennedy.

The Navy also has designed a similar catapult system for its aircraft carriers. The EMALS Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, which uses a linear electromagnetic accelerator motor, will replace the current C-13 steam catapults in the new USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) currently under construction.

As far as the aircraft that would launch on the rail, there already are real-world tests for designers to draw on. The X-43A, or Hyper-X program, and X-51 have shown that scramjets will work and can achieve remarkable speeds.

BYD Launch Electric Vehicle Testing Program in LA

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and BYD Motors Inc. announced the launch of a break-through electric vehicle fleet today. The agreement was signed and BYD vehicles were put into service at HACLA Offices, 2600 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles.

"The BYD 'Dual-Mode' vehicles resolve any 'range anxiety' that consumers might have driving an all-electric vehicle. The F3DM can be treated as an all-electric because gasoline is never required – users can drive all-electric all the time"

"We are ecstatic to partner with BYD to test this fantastic EV fleet technology – not only will these electric vehicles reduce fuel costs significantly, but it will reduce direct-emissions by almost 37 lbs of CO2 per car, traveling less than 40 miles per day!" said HACLA President and CEO, Rudolf C. Montiel. "With BYD's technology, I believe we will accomplish great things for the environment and demonstrate the lowest-cost fleet program in the United States."

The F3DM (Dual Mode) sedans used in HACLA fleets can travel by electricity for 40 to 60 miles. An important attribute of the Dual-Mode vehicle is that the users have the ability to manually switch the vehicle to stay in all-electric vehicle or "EV mode" just like a conventional battery-electric vehicles (BEV) throughout the life of the car. However, if there is a requirement to go farther than 60 miles in a given day, the vehicle can be manually switched to plug-in-hybrid electric or "PHEV mode", where a 1.0L gasoline engine can be engaged to extend the range another 300+ miles while charging the batteries. "The BYD 'Dual-Mode' vehicles resolve any 'range anxiety' that consumers might have driving an all-electric vehicle. The F3DM can be treated as an all-electric because gasoline is never required – users can drive all-electric all the time," stated Micheal Austin, Vice President of BYD America.

"As a leader in the affordable housing industry, HACLA continues to implement innovative technology to reduce cost as a sustainable solution to helping the environment," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "I commend HACLA and hope that its example will lead others to make environmentally conscious decisions."

The F3DM comes with an onboard overnight-charger which charges vehicles in less than 7 hours, allowing HACLA to simply install standard 220VAC outlets as you would for a home clothes dryer in their EV fleet parking areas. "Part of the appeal of this EV is the fact that we don't need any special EV charging pedestals or equipment to charge, its all standard – that kept our initial launch costs in control and shortened our pay-back times," said Mr. Montiel. BYD is also in discussions with HACLA to integrate solar power to charge an Energy Storage Station (ESS) during the day that could then discharge later during the EV fleet charging hours.

"BYD is pleased to partner with HACLA and Rudolf Montiel to integrate EVs and potentially renewable energy to charge them – he is a visionary leader and a great friend to City of LA and to the environment," said Mr. Austin.

"The HACLA is the second largest authority of its kind in the United States, serving more than 100,000 residents, and takes seriously its obligation of leadership both environmentally and fiscally" said Mr. Montiel. "This test partnership demonstrates our strong commitment to reducing the City's carbon footprint and HACLA's cost."

Formula One to put more green into racing

Whatever the color of the car, from Fernando Alonso's red Ferrari to Michael Schumacher's silver Mercedes, Formula One is picking up speed toward a greener future.

While the lifting of a ban on 'team orders' made the headlines, the more momentous news emerging from a meeting of the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) in Monaco last week was to do with future engine rules.

The FIA announced that from 2013, engines would be reduced from the current 2.4-liter V8s to four-cylinder 1.6-liter turbocharged units with a rev limit of 12,000rpm and linked to hybrid kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS).

The switch, it said, underlined "a commitment to improving sustainability and addressing the needs of the automotive industry."

It also re-positions the sport in a much more environmentally-friendly arena with the engines, whose development cost has been put at around $150 million, consuming at least 35 percent less fuel.

"Formula One has had a hard look at itself and said 'We've got to be more relevant'," Team Lotus owner Tony Fernandes, whose cars are already painted green, told Reuters in an interview at the weekend.

"I think with this new engine technology we become much, much more relevant.

"I think it's a fantastic time. I think it's great that Formula One is now going to be a driver and a leader in terms of environmental technology," added the Malaysian aviation entrepreneur.

"Thirty-five percent less fuel is amazing. Imagine what that would do to the world if the technology being used in Formula One can be brought to all cars and reduce fuel consumption by 35 percent."

FAMILY RUNABOUT

Those thinking that their regular 1,600cc family runabout has as much, if not more, poke should think again.

According to independent engine maker Cosworth, the combination of the turbo engine and hybrid systems will produce more than 700bhp and deliver the same speeds as at present.

With low drag setup, lap times could even be quicker. And all with far less of a thirst for fuel.

Put in ordinary motoring terms, the 35 percent saving should translate into a reduction of 85-90 liters of fuel per car per race.

"If you think that the average road car has a 70-75 liter fuel tank, then more than a tank of fuel is not going to be used. It's massive," Cosworth F1 head Mark Gallagher told Reuters.

The engines will sound very different -- a big consideration to petrol heads who treat the high-pitched scream of a V8 at full throttle with the same rapt reverence as a classical music devotee listening to the Vienna Philharmonic.

However, as Gallagher pointed out, the twin turbo cars used by drivers such as Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in the early 1990s also produced only 12,000 rpm, and that period is regarded with considerable nostalgia.

The changes are all part of FIA president and former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt's determination to move Formula One far from the old image of a gas-guzzling, cash-burning, fossil-fuel-dependent sport that cared little for its surroundings.

Plenty has been done already by individual teams in the last few years.

McLaren announced this week that they had become the first Formula One team to earn Carbon Trust certification for achieving annual savings of more than 1,500 tonnes of C02 emissions.

Gallagher said Cosworth had bought five sets of equipment so that they could use less polluting but slower sea freight rather than air transport. Teams have also agreed to reduce the number of staff attending races.

Todt's mission is to speed up things globally.

"I feel sometimes the motorsport community has not yet completely understood that the times are changing," he said back in October.

"If you are looking at what is happening at the Paris motor show, there are a lot of electric, hybrid, hydrogen cars and I really feel that racing must be a display for all those technologies.

"And it will probably encourage manufacturers either to stay, join or come back," he said.

MANUFACTURER INTEREST

Honda, Toyota and BMW have all left Formula One in recent years for cost and strategic reasons but the engine changes could revive the sport's allure for manufacturers and sponsors alike.

Volkswagen, whose Audi brand has long been courted by F1, have already made encouraging noises after being involved as outsiders in drawing up the new engine specification.

"The conditions for a possible entrance of the Volkswagen group have been created," the company's motorsport head Hans-Joachim Stuck told German media, while adding that nothing was decided yet.

KERS, tried out in 2009 but dropped by all the teams for this season as part of cost-saving measures, will be back next year and is here to stay.

"I think in a second iteration it will be quite a lot better," said Williams co-owner Patrick Head.

"One can say 'isn't it just a load of bullshit?' and 'is it really appropriate for Formula One?'. But tell me one motoring magazine now that isn't full of all the electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles."

Gallagher agreed all the changes in the pipeline would help to shift the sport into a better place.

"There is more fuel burned by spectators attending the Tour de France (cycle race) than in the entire Formula One world championship," he said.

"Formula One has an unfair image of gas-guzzling and this new technology absolutely nails that criticism."

Reuters