Rare earths supply concerns force Honda to make hybrid parts in China

Following the steps of Toyota, Honda also announces its plan of making batteries and electric motors in China next year, so as to reduce the costs of hybrid vehicles and boost the sales of hybrid vehicles.

Honda China’s chief Seiji Kuraishi said during an interview that it’s difficult to reduce costs by importing electric motors and batteries, and local production is a feasible way. Honda wants to make batteries together with other suppliers in Guangzhou. The electric motors will be made by Honda’s joint venture.

Honda also plans to launch five hybrid models next year, i.e. Insight, CR-Z, Fit, Civic, and Acura. Seiji Kuraishi believes hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles are the effective solutions for the existing infrastructure in place in China.

In order to guarantee Honda’s long-term development in China, its two joint ventures are pushing forward their capacity expansion plans. Guangqi Honda plans to increase its capacity to 480,000 units in the second half of this year, while Dongfeng Honda plans to raise its capacity to 360,000 units by 2013 and add another 120,000 units afterwards.

GS Yuasa EV battery venture to hike output 70 %

Japan's GS Yuasa Corp said it plans to boost production capacity by 70 percent at its automotive lithium battery joint venture with Mitsubishi Corp and Mitsubishi Motors Corp to meet booming orders. They plan to spend around $260-$390 Million on new plant in Japan to boost capacity to equip 120,000 EVs a year by 2014 a GS Yuasa spokesman said.

Auto makers have slashed electric vehicle prices as the cost of producing batteries falls, increasing appetite for pure electric cars.

Lithium Energy, which is building another factory to begin operations in April next year, is hurrying to meet demand from carmakers in Japan and Europe for zero-emission vehicles.

The joint venture now makes car batteries at small factories in Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto and has an annual output capacity for about 18,000 vehicles, expected to hit 70,000 units in April.

GS Yuasa holds 51 percent of Lithium Energy, while Mitsubishi Corp has a 41.9 percent stake and MMC 7.1 percent.

100th Swiss Tesla Roadster Hits the Road

Tesla Motors delivered the 100th Roadster in Switzerland to its new owner Martin Meier just four months after the first anniversary of the opening of Tesla's Zurich Store. The Swiss architect received the keys of his Obsidian Black electric Roadster from George Blankenship, Tesla's Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Ownership Experience.

"The main reason I bought the Roadster is that I don't want to explain to my young daughter why I didn't do more for the environment," said Meier, who bought the Roadster with his business partner. "From now on, I'll drive entirely emissions-free with electric power derived from the river next to my house. It feels great to be completely independent of the oil industry."

Switzerland has the highest per capita Tesla ownership of any country. "The fact that Switzerland has embraced the Roadster makes complete sense. Swiss consumers are thought leaders who seek out cutting edge technology as well as environmentally-responsible solutions," explains Blankenship. "The Roadster, a revolutionary high-performance sports car with zero emissions that can be charged completely with renewable energy, offers all of this, and more."

The Roadster accelerates faster than most supercars yet produces no emissions. It consumes no petroleum and plugs into conventional sockets – in owners' garages or offices, hotels, parking decks or at a growing number of charging stations throughout Switzerland. Several Swiss customers charge their Roadsters on 100 percent solar power from their photovoltaic panels.

Unlike petrol-powered vehicles, the single-speed Roadster does not require oxygen and therefore does not lose efficiency at altitude. Roadster owners can drive with utmost confidence on Alpine passes, enjoying the car's legendary torque without lag or downshifting. Regenerative braking allows the Roadster to recover energy on downhill stretches. Sophisticated power management software means the Roadster's revolutionary traction control is almost instantaneous.
About Tesla

Tesla's goal is to accelerate the world's transition to electric mobility with a full range of increasingly affordable electric cars. Palo Alto, California-based Tesla designs and manufactures EVs and EV powertrain components. Tesla has delivered more than 1,800 Roadsters, the world's first electric sports car, to customers world-wide. Model S, the first premium sedan to be built from the ground up as an electric vehicle, goes on the market in North America in mid-2012, and in Europe and Asia in late 2012.

Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid On Sale January in Japan

Toyota’s new plug-in hybrid Prius will go on sale in January in Japan and is expected to launch in Europe around the same time. At present this model is only available on a lease basis to organizations and public bodies there. In addition, Toyota will be setting up charging stations at 5,500 of its dealerships and car rental locations. Customers who join its subscription program will be able to drop in for a free charge.

Toyota is expected to price the Prius Plug-in Hybrid (PHV) at around the 3 million Yen mark and is expecting to sell about 50,000 of this model each year. For distances under 20KM, the plug-in Prius can run on electric power alone, just like a standard EV, such as the Nissan Leaf. However, after this point it will switch to being a regular hybrid, recharging the battery and balancing its use of power between the electric and ICE power sources.

Paris test drives first Electric car-sharing scheme [video]

Paris flicks the switch today on the world's most high profile electric car sharing scheme, kicking off a two-month trial involving an initial 66 vehicles.

The €35m Autolib scheme has been championed by Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who wants to expand it to 3,000 vehicles and more than 1,000 rental stations by the end of 2012.

Members pay a €10 membership fee, which allows them to rent one of Autolib's Bluecars for half an hour at €4 to €8 a time. The cars can be reserved in advance and returned to any station.

The Bluecar has been developed by Italian design firm Pininfarina and French company Groupe Bollore, whose founder, entrepreneur Vincent Bollore, told journalists that it has a range of up to 250km and can fully recharge in just four hours.

Bollore also told reporters that the cars' alternative lithium-metal-polymer batteries are less prone to overheating than the batteries used in mant electric vehicles.

The launch of Autolib - named after Paris' four-year-old Velib bike-sharing system - comes after a study published by Chronos TNS Sofres which found that 25 per cent of French citizens have cut back or abandoned using their cars owing to soaring insurance and parking costs.

"We want to persuade people to shift from the concept of owning a car to that of using a car," Autolib general manager Morald Chibout told news agency Reuters.

Tesla offer Model S Test Rides @ Factory open day [video]

Tesla Motors threw open its factory doors to customers who have preordered its forthcoming Model S sedan on Saturday evening.

Customers were given tours of the Fremont, California, factory, rides in a prototype of the Model S, and a plea for support from Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, a co-founder of PayPal.

"We need your help," he told hundreds of customers after driving onto a stage in a red Model S, saying many people thought of electric cars as unrealistic "unicorns." He asked the crowd to talk up the car and announced Tesla would be introducing a faster Model S that goes from zero to 60 miles per hour/97 kph in 4.5 seconds, shaving more than a second off current acceleration.

Tesla is hanging much of its future on the Model S, its first sedan, which it hopes to start delivering to customers next year. Its executives believe its production will help the company move into the black after years of losses.

The goal is to widen Tesla's scope beyond being a niche brand that sells only the expensive Roadster sports car. The base model of the Model S will cost about $57,400 compared to the Roadster's base price of $109,000, before a $7,500 federal tax credit and other rebates.

Tesla automobiles have captured the public imagination and helped spur Detroit to work on its own electric vehicles. Last year, General Motors started selling its hybrid Chevrolet Volt. On the higher end, Anaheim, California-based Fisker Automotive recently started delivery of its luxury hybrid Karma.

Tesla's Model S will have three battery offerings that will be designed to have a range of 160 miles/257 km, 230 miles/370 km or 300 miles/483 km on a full charge.

For the Tesla factory's visitors, who had all placed deposits on the new sedans, the highlight was a chance at a short drive in a test version of the Model S. With the last rides booked for 1 a.m./0500 GMT, guests had to content themselves with nibbling on smoked salmon and macaroons and ogling factory robots while they waited.

Tracy and Carl Quinn of San Jose, California, said buying a Model S underscored their commitment to a healthier environment. "We're a pretty green family in general," said Tracy Quinn. "We put solar panels on our roof."

She said she would likely be adding more panels to power the sedan in addition to the Tesla Roadster they already own.

For Teddy Hagerty of Tacoma, Washington, buying the car was more about having something unique.

"That feeling of being first, that's just such a good feeling," he said. Besides, he needs something a bit more fuel efficient than the 12-miles-per-gallon/24 litres per 100 km Chevrolet 300 he said he currently drives.

In January 2012, Tesla will phase out the Tesla Roadster to focus on the Model S. The Tesla Roadster sports car has a base price of $109,000. Most are selling at $140,000 or more.

The company plans to unveil its Model X sports utility prototype in December. The Model X is due out in late 2013.

Tesla, based in Palo Alto, California, held an initial public offering of stock in June 2010. Its private backers ranged from top-notch venture-capital firms like Draper Fisher Jurvetson and VantagePoint Capital Partners to Silicon Valley heavyweights like Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. It also won a $465 million loan guarantee in 2009 from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Tesla now has approx 1,400 workers.

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System launches E-2D Hawkeye

The U.S. Navy’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, EMALS, test team launched an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Tuesday at the full-size shipboard-representative test site here.

“These successful E-2D launches continue to reaffirm my confidence in the EMALS program,” said Capt. James Donnelly, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program Office, PMA-251, program manager. “Each launch we do provides more data and validation of the hard work and efforts that have been put into this state-of-the-art technology.”

EMALS is the launch system of choice for all future Ford-class aircraft carriers beginning with the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The mission and function of EMALS remains the same as traditional steam catapult; however, it employs entirely different technologies.

EMALS uses stored kinetic energy and solid-state electrical power conversion. This technology permits a high degree of computer control, monitoring and automation. The system will also provide the capability for launching all current and future carrier air wing platforms – lightweight unmanned to heavy strike fighters.

“EMALS and E-2D are demonstrating great capability for the future battle group. Each system displays technology leaps replacing legacy systems of approximately the same 50-year design age. Seeing the two testing together today is a significance milestone,” said Capt. Shane Gahagan, Hawkeye and Greyhound Program Office, PMA-231, program manager.

The E-2D provides broad-area coverage resulting in a wider range of capabilities and an enhanced ability to work in the littoral and over land. Beyond the battle group, the E-2D’s command-and-control capability makes it a multi-mission platform through its ability to coordinate concurrent missions, which may arise during a single flight, to include airborne strike, land force support, rescue operations, drug interdiction operations support and managing a reliable communications network between widely dispersed nodes.

In addition to testing the E-2D as part of the ongoing aircraft compatibility test phase, the EMALS program has also launched an F/A-18E Super Hornet, T-45 Goshawk and C-2A Greyhound, with 63 to 65 launches planned for each aircraft type.

The EMALS test schedule is planned to reap the full benefits for future fielding. While system functional demonstration continues here through late 2011, the second phase of aircraft compatibility testing is scheduled to begin next year.

Engineers will continue reliability testing through 2013, perform installation and checkout, as well as shipboard testing according to NAVSEA’s schedule, with shipboard certification in 2015.