Daimler Start Field Test on Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicles

To test feasibility of a inductive charging system, Daimler and Conductix-Wampfler have elaborated the basics for wireless charging of electric vehicles in a research project cofunded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, BMU). Main target of the project “wireless charging” is a safe, automotive grade charging system with maximum efficiency and minimum weight and package.

High Efficiency

Goal of the field test is to evaluate everyday usability of wireless charging as well as to probe advantages and disadvantages in comparison with charging by plug and cable. As early as a few days into the field test the advantages customer comfort and charging safety by the automated charging process became apparent.

The testing is focused on the basic charging process. Efficiency of the system admittedly still doesn´t match charging by cable, but is with 90 percent already very promising and only slightly beneath cable based solutions, if all components from socket to battery are taken into account.

There was an evaluation of the first “driving-experiences” with study participants who had to “drive onto the optimum charging position”. After two or three exercise runs this could be well achieved supported by parking assistance functions. The system tolerates smaller deviations within the range of a few centimeters without noteworthy loss of charging efficiency or transferable power. Also, the system showed already good results regarding electro magnetic compatibility. It is the task of future engineering work to optimize this as well as to improve efficiency and to develop solutions for a series application.

Technology and Vehicle

The protototypes built within the project on the basis of the B-Class E-CELL with range extender are equipped with an electronic rectifier and a collector coil integrated into the underbody cover. Main components on the infrastructure side are the supplying electronic and the charging coil, which was realized in two variants – as an above ground and beneath ground coil.

Besides the wireless energy transfer other functional aspects are the wireless communication between infrastructure and car, the driver assistance function “driving onto the position above the charging coil”, the automatic start of the charging process and the vehicle identification. In the area between the coils an object detection avoids risks by warmed metal items.

Detailed scientific studies generated the foundation for the first layout of the inductive transfer components with automotive specific requirements and their optimization regarding package and weight. Comprehensive system simulations served to validate the designs.

Conductix-Wampfler has developed all components of the system and could rely during the process on comprehensive experience with inductice power transfer in manufacturing automation as well as on know-how from the wireless charging of electric busses in Genoa and Turin. These are in operation since 2003.

Daimler has defined the functions of the charging system on the car´s side and realized the assistance system for driver support. The system was integrated into two vehicles with range extender, nameplate Mercedes-Benz B-Class E-CELL Plus. The coil integration within the underbody cover of the cars was designed and supplied by Röchling Automotive.

After the prototype vehicles had been built the complete system was mechanically and electrically integrated and taken into operation as a whole. Two inductive charging stations are in the field at the Daimler-Engineering-Location Böblingen-Hulb and are intensively used for the everyday-tests.

Résumé and Outlook

First conclusions confirm the considerable gain of comfort in comparison with cable based charging and that inductive charging is suitable in principle. The potential optimization regarding package, weight and integration in future vehicle model lines is identified and will accordingly be further developed.

At the same time an evaluation is done on new common projects with potential inductive charging applications in small commercial vehicles and busses. The results of the current tests are important to national and international standardization activities – with the aim to guarantee interoperability of inductive charging systems of different suppliers and vehicle manufacturers.

Nissan LEAF Wins Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012

The Car of the Year Japan 2011-2012 winner was announced at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show. This is the 32nd year that the Car of the Year Japan awards has been held, and it is the first time in its long history that an electric vehicle has won this prestigious award.

"We have sold 20,000 Nissan LEAFs and also delivered on our promise of affordable, zero-emission mobility on a global scale. This award is as much a win for Nissan as it is for our customers," said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "All these accolades show that zero-emission vehicles can clearly be competitive alternatives to conventional ones."

Nissan LEAF was also named the 2012 RJC Car of the Year award winner, presented by the Automotive Researchers' & Journalists' Conference of Japan, in addition to winning the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame's 2011-2012 Car of the Year, the 2011 European Car of the Year and the 2011 World Car of the Year accolades. The Car of the Year Japan honor is another recognition of the Nissan LEAF's value and attractiveness that has received high praise from customers around the world.

Half of all Mitsubishi vehicles will be electric by year 2020

Mitsubishi predicts electric cars and plug-in hybrids could account for as much as 50% of its sales by 2020.

The company is planning a dramatic increase in such models, the first of which will be a plug-in petrol-electric version of the ASX SUV that will go on sale in January 2013.

This will be followed by a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation Outlander, which takes its inspiration from the PX-MiEV II concept car at this year's Tokyo motor show.

A supermini-sized electric car and a small petrol-electric SUV will be unveiled in late 2013. Longer-term plans include replacements for the Evo performance saloon and the Shogun SUV, which are both due to get plug-in hybrid power.

According to Mitsubishi, these new models will help cut its average CO2 in half by 2020, when compared with 2005 levels.

Mitsubishi has also admitted that it is keen to re-enter the family saloon market. It has not offered a car in this class since the Galant went off sale in 2003. However, according to Hiroaki Ohtsuka, Mitsubishi’s global design director, the company feels this sort of car would make it a much stronger brand.

Paris Electric-Car Rental Plan Starts Today

Paris, in its latest bid to be an innovator of the City of Tomorrow, is launching an electric car-sharing program to cut air and noise pollution on the city's medieval cobblestone streets and beyond.

Autolib', a project built on the success of the city's bike-rental scheme, makes its debut Monday and officials want the self-service e-cars to be as much a part of Paris life as the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame Cathedral.

While many world cities have been developing greener alternatives to carbon-emitting vehicles, Paris says its program is the biggest of its kind: 250 vehicles hit the road on Monday, 2,000 are expected by next summer and 3,000 are planned within the next two years.

The four-seat compact Bluecar — even though it's really gray — is a collaboration of Italian car designer Pininfarina and French conglomerate Groupe Bollore, which hopes to showcase its Lithium Metal Polymer battery that powers the car.

Prospective users will need a valid ID, driver's license and credit card before signing up online or by a videoconference with an customer service representative at one of 40 special glassed-in shelters in Paris and dozens of suburban towns also taking part.

Standard subscriptions cost euro10 ($13.5) a day, euro15 ($20) a week, and euro144 ($195) a year. Beyond that, the hourly fees run from euro4 to euro9 based on the rental plan — and users' cards can be charged in case of damage to the vehicles.

To get going, users swipe a magnetized card against a driver's-side window to open the door, and a key tethered to the steering column starts the car. It comes with bells and whistles, literally — a button on the steering column lever produces a repetitive beep to alert Paris' many pedestrians that the silent car is on its way.

"The city's first interest is fighting air pollution, these cars not only don't emit carbon dioxide but localized exhaust fumes either — and they don't make noise: (Studies show) the No. 1 nuisance in the city is noise," said Sylvain Marty, who heads the multi-city Autolib' partnership led by Paris and private-sector affiliates.

Autolib' also tackles what automotive analysts have long said is a big hurdle for the development of electric cars: a lack of infrastructure — not enough charging stations. For euro180 a year, owners of electric cars can use the spots to juice up their own vehicles at the Autolib' charging stations.

For the last six months, crews with jackhammers have been outfitting sidewalks with some of the 1,200 charging stations and marking off parking spaces that will be reserved exclusively for Autolib' users.

Those promoting the vehicle say it can run for 250 kilometers (150 miles) on a single charge.
"I personally tried driving it more than four hours, in traffic, with the heat on full blast and I wasn't able to get it below 70 percent charge," said Marty. "For city use, that's more than enough."

Some 2,000 people have already registered for Autolib' accounts, and curious city officials from places like Guangzhou, China, or Rio de Janeiro have traveled to Paris to check it out, Marty said.

As is often France's wont, detractors and skeptics abound.

The country's main Green party movement says the electric cars will drain more energy from France's nuclear plants, which they oppose; will require battery disposal; and will ultimately encourage people to drive more.

City officials insist there's little risk to taxpayers, because the private sector companies have signed a 12-year commitment.

Groupe Bollore, which is headed by a friend of conservative French President Nicolas Sarkozy, says at least 80,000 subscriber are needed for the program to be profitable — not expected for seven years, officials say.

"We're banking on word of mouth from people who try it, like it, and tell themselves 'I've got to sign up!'" Marty said.

Other cities have similar projects, but much smaller in scale.

Berlin launched a pilot program last spring that combines a network of 40 electric cars and bicycles with the city's existing public transport system. Those cars, owned by German railway operator Deutsche Bahn, are part of a fleet of 65 electric vehicles also in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Saarbruecken.

Switzerland's biggest car-sharing organization, Mobility, has started offering electric cars at some of its hundreds of pickup points across the country.

Promoters know Autolib' is no panacea: Even at 3,000 vehicles, it won't be big enough to replace personal vehicles or public transport as the principal way of getting around a metro area of roughly 12 million people.

"Autolib' is all about complementing other means of transport — this isn't about competing with public transportation or" the bike sharing program, said Marty.

http://www.autolib.eu/

NRMA installs first public electric car charging station in Canberra

NRMA Motoring & Services will today unveil its first public electric car charging station in Canberra in a bid to support the growing electric vehicle market.

The new Electric Vehicle (EV) car charging station will be handed over from Club Assist to the NRMA today and will be a free public service.

Local NRMA Director Alan Evans said the increasing take-up of this new technology in Canberra was great news for local owners of electric vehicles.

“Canberra has one of the largest concentrations of electric vehicles in Australia, which is why it made sense for us to build our first public car charging station in the ACT,” Mr Evans said.

“As the Electric Vehicle market continues to grow and more of these vehicles come on the market, we must have the infrastructure to support them.

“In the long term we see the EV revolution as one of the key ways to reduce our dependence on imported fuels and the associated price volatility.

“If EVs are powered with renewable sources of electricity, they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Australia.”

The NRMA’s new Electric Roadside Assistance vehicle (Mitsubishi i-MiEV), will also be on display at today’s launch, to showcase the benefits of clean and green technology.

“The vehicle is currently being trialed in Canberra and is one of a number of vehicles can be used with the new charging station,” Mr Evans said.

“We see our Roadside Assistance EV as a crucial step towards further reducing the greenhouse gas emissions produced by our Patrol fleet. Currently the majority of our vans run on LPG or diesel.

“We hope that the new EV car charging station will go a long way to assist those with EV’s in the ACT.”

The new electric car charging station will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.

To date the NRMA has saved over 30 per cent of its carbon emissions by using less fuel and switching to LPG for the NRMA Roadside Assistance fleet.

The EV car charging station is located at NRMA MotorServe, 62 Athllon Dr, Tuggeranong, ACT 2900.

Chevy Volt tops Consumer Reports' owner-satisfaction survey

The Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid that has an advanced but unproven powertrain, and carries a $40,000 sticker price, is now the top-scoring model in Consumer Reports' latest annual owner-satisfaction survey.

Ninety-three percent of respondents who own the Volt said they would definitely buy it again, making it the highest-rated car in the nationally representative survey. The Volt narrowly edged out the V8-powered Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911, each with owner-satisfaction scores of 91 percent.

Though the Volt's high score reflects the excitement surrounding GM's new electric/gasoline drivetrain, it comes with a caveat. The model had been in showrooms for only a few months when Consumer Reports' survey was conducted, and it remains to be seen if the score will hold up as the car rolls out to a wider audience and owners spend more time with their vehicles. Still, early adopters of a new technology tend to be among the most enthusiastic buyers.

Consumer Reports' car owner satisfaction survey was conducted prior to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announcement that it would conduct a safety investigation into plug-in hybrid sedans following an incident with a Chevrolet Volt catching fire after being crash tested.

"These models reflect a larger trend we've seen in recent years: Sporty cars and fuel efficient cars with alternative drivetrains tend to generate more enthusiasm and loyalty than most other types of vehicles," said Rik Paul, Consumer Reports automotive editor.

For each of the 27 models that got Consumer Reports top owner satisfaction rating-at least 80 percent of respondents said they'd definitely buy the car again-12 were sporty cars or convertibles and nine were hybrids or diesels.

Brand nationality doesn't seem to be a factor among the top-rated models. The 27 models with the highest rating include 10 American, 10 European, and seven Asian models. Audi, Chevrolet, and Ford were tied with four models each on the top list.

Consumer Reports owner-satisfaction survey, which drew responses from more than 314,000 subscribers on 2009 through 2012 model year vehicles, is based on the results from Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Scores are based on the percentage of respondents who answered "definitely yes" to the following question: "Considering all factors (price, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?"

Other fuel-efficient models that earned Consumer Reports top ratings include a number of hybrids, such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Lexus CT 200h and RX 450h, and Toyota Prius, as well as diesel versions of the BMW X5 and Volkswagen Golf and Jetta Sportwagen.

Sporty models that did well include the supercharged Audi S4, Audi A5 and S5, Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette, Ford Mustang GT, Mazda MX-5 Miata, and Mini Cooper Convertible.

The appeal of power also extends into mainstream models, as owners of turbocharged versions are often more satisfied than owners of conventional versions of the same car. Although the Ford Flex and Hyundai Sonata, for example, are generally well liked, only their turbocharged versions earned Consumer Reports' top owner satisfaction scores.

Small cars, lower-priced small and midsized SUVs, minivans, and compact pickup trucks tended to score much lower as a group.

This year, only three models received Consumer Reports lowest rating, which means that fewer than half of the respondents said they would definitely buy the car again. They are the Chevrolet Aveo (37 %), all-wheel-drive Toyota Matrix (43 %), and Chevrolet Colorado pickup (47 %).

Full Consumer Reports' owner satisfaction survey findings are available online at www.ConsumerReports.org now. Findings will also be in the January issue of Consumer Reports magazine, which goes on sale December 6.

Consumer Reports is the world's largest independent product-testing organization. Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website and other publications. Its advocacy division, Consumers Union, works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace.

Mitsubishi PX-MiEV II AWD Hybrid SUV Concept unveiled

Mitsubishi Motors' unique Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid EV System is derived from the control systems used on EVs. For low to medium speed driving in town or residential areas, the vehicle operates in EV Mode where motive power comes from the two electric motors using power from the drive battery. When the residual charge in the drive battery drops to a predetermined level or when the driver needs more gutsy acceleration, the system switches to Series hybrid Mode where the gasoline engine automatically starts up and serves as a generator feeding power to both motors and to the battery.

At higher vehicle speeds, the system switches to Parallel hybrid Mode where the gasoline engine, with its better high-end energy efficiency, supplies supplementary drive torque to assist the motors. In addition when the driver applies the brakes, the front and rear motors act as generators recovering kinetic energy and using it to charge the drive battery.

The Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid EV System employs a high-capacity battery that is capable of powering the vehicle in EV Mode for distances of 50 kilometers. This range allows the vehicle to operate in EV Mode in most everyday situations. The driver can switch manually to Battery Mode for quiet and emissions-free all-electric driving in residential areas or the countryside.

The driver can also switch to Battery Charge Mode when he or she wants to reduce battery power consumption and use the engine to generate electricity. A socket on the vehicle allows electricity stored in the drive battery to be used to power electric appliances when camping or pursuing other outdoor activities, or to provide an emergency power source. The system is also vehicle-to-home (V2H) compatible.

EV Mode

The front and rear motors drive the vehicle using electricity from the drive battery. The car operates in this mode for commuting, shopping and most other everyday driving situation.

Series Hybrid Mode

In this mode the motors are powered by electricity from the drive battery and from the engine generator when residual charge in the battery is low or when accelerating and other times when higher motor output is needed.

Parallel Hybrid Mode

The car is driven by its electric motors and by the gasoline engine at higher vehicle speeds where the engine offers better efficiency.

Twin Motor 4WD

The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II uses a Twin Motor 4WD system in which two motors drive the front and rear axles independently. Being virtually lag-free and offering superior control, the motors ensure finer more precise control of the 4WD system. The Twin Motor 4WD system does away with the propeller shaft, hydraulic system and clutch plate used to connect the front and rear axles in conventional 4WD systems. This helps to reduce the drive torque losses associated.
S-AWC

Mitsubishi's S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) system maximizes safety, stability and handling performance by using on-board sensors to constantly monitor driving patterns, road surfaces and other conditions as well as integrating control of its 4WD, Active Stability Control (ASC) and ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) component systems.

The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV II uses a new version of Mitsubishi's S-AWC system which improves safety and driving performance for almost effortless handling. Working in tandem with the Mitsubishi Plug-in Hybrid EV System, S-AWC also contributes to better fuel efficiency.