Ford creates new position of director of Global Electrification

Ford Motor Company has named Nancy Gioia to the new position of director of Global Electrification as the company accelerates its electric vehicle strategy.

Ford Motor Company is intensifying its focus on global electrification with the creation of a new position to lead the planning and strategy for Ford's future electric vehicle portfolio.

Nancy Gioia, formerly Ford's director of Sustainable Mobility Technology and Hybrid Vehicle Programs, North America, has been named director of Ford Global Electrification.

"We recognize that pursuing electrification as one of our technology paths presents unique challenges for commercialization of the vehicles," said Sue Cischke, Ford's group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. "It requires us to collaborate with new partners, define new business models, connect to a new infrastructure for the vehicles and meet new customer expectations around the globe."

In her new position, Gioia will direct strategy and planning for Ford's global electric vehicle portfolio, touching all aspects of electrified transportation, including product planning, supplier partnerships and collaboration with the energy industry and government.

"Ford is strongly positioned to accelerate its electric vehicle strategy thanks in part to the significant research we've already completed," said Barb Samardzich, Ford vice president, Powertrain Engineering. "Nancy's unique background and experience in leading the hybrid technology and electric vehicle product teams position her well to coordinate our electric efforts
across product development, sustainability and government affairs as we move to the next frontier of this new form of transportation."

Ford has announced plans to develop three distinct types of electrified vehicles - hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and pure battery electric vehicles. They include:

-- Battery electric Transit Connect commercial van in 2010
-- Battery electric Focus passenger car in 2011
-- Next-generation hybrid vehicle in 2012
-- Plug-in hybrid in 2012

Ford's electrification strategy is consistent with its commitment to deliver affordable fuel efficient technology to millions of customers. The company is poised to take advantage of rapid advancements in electrified vehicle technology - particularly lithium-ion batteries - while leveraging the scale of global vehicle platforms to ultimately reduce the cost of new electric
vehicles.

Global fleet testing under way The globalization of Ford's electrification strategy is well under way, with test fleets on both sides of the Atlantic. At the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford of Europe revealed the first of a fleet of battery electric vehicle prototypes based on the Ford Focus, and specially developed to participate in the U.K. government's "Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicles" demonstration initiative next year. The research program aims to test the technology's suitability for potential future application in Ford's European passenger car range.

A consortium of Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy and Strathclyde University will use the fleet of 15 prototype Ford Focus BEVs and a charging infrastructure in and around the London Borough of Hillingdon starting in early 2010.

The Focus BEV prototype is based on the current European Ford Focus and will use a new all-electric powertrain, developed with Ford supplier partner Magna. This technology is based on that being developed for Ford's new-generation C-sized global vehicle architecture that will be launched in North America in 2011.

"This fleet of Focus BEV prototypes is an important step toward developing a realistic solution and viable market for electric vehicles in the U.K., Europe and North America," Gioia said. "Our electrification strategy absolutely depends on strong alliances with key partners whose expertise and resources complement our extensive experience and global production capabilities."

In North America, Ford and its energy industry partners continue to collaborate on the connectivity issue between electric vehicles and the electric grid. Over the past two years, Ford and its utility partners have logged more than 75,000 miles on a test fleet of plug-in Escape Hybrids. Plug-in hybrid research focuses on four primary areas: battery technology, vehicle systems, customer usage and grid infrastructure.

In addition, Ford has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that "talks" directly with the nation's electric grid.

Commercial and retail electric products planned Ford is set to deliver its first electrified vehicle in 2010 when it will launch a pure battery electric Transit Connect small commercial van. The
vehicle will be targeted to fleets and businesses with short, defined transportation routes and the ability to return to a central charging location at day's end.

In 2011, Ford will launch the battery electric Ford Focus passenger vehicle. Built off the new global C platform, the BEV Focus will be produced at the Michigan Assembly Plant for both retail and commercial customers.

"Broad commercialization of electric transportation will require unprecedented collaboration among all stakeholders and new ways of doing business," Gioia said. "Ford is committed to help lead the way to find creative solutions to ensure that electrified vehicles can deliver benefits to our customers, the environment and our business around the globe in a sustainable way."

Toyota May Avoid Prius Delays With Panasonic Deal

Toyota Motor Corp., whose Japanese customers wait eight months to buy a Prius hybrid car, may avoid longer delays in the future thanks to Panasonic Corp.’s pending takeover of Sanyo Electric Co.

As demand grows for electric and gasoline-electric hybrids, a shortage of the batteries used in the vehicles may force automakers to compete for supply. Toyota, which aims to offer hybrid versions of all its models sometime after 2020, may find it easier to do so after its partner Panasonic makes Sanyo a subsidiary.

“There will be severe competition for batteries starting from 2011 or 2012,” said Takeshi Miyao, Asia director at auto research firm Carnorama. “What Toyota fears most is that battery companies may gain selling power.”

Panasonic and Sanyo, both based in Osaka, together account for about 80 percent of all batteries used in hybrid vehicles worldwide, according to Ashvin Chotai, London-based managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia Ltd.

General Motors Co., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. all plan to introduce new hybrids and electric vehicles. Detroit-based GM gets batteries from South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd. for its Chevrolet Volt, scheduled to go on sale next year, and Yokohama-based Nissan has a battery joint venture with NEC Corp.

Toyota, the world’s biggest seller of hybrids, is expanding battery production at Panasonic EV Energy Co., a joint venture owned by the carmaker and Panasonic since 1996, because of growing demand for its Prius model.

Rising Demand

“At this point, we think the batteries we develop with Panasonic are the best and we will continue” using them, Toyota’s former executive vice president Masatami Takimoto told shareholders in June. “But if there are attractive batteries from other companies, we may use those, too.”

Government rebate programs encouraging customers to trade in old vehicles for more fuel-efficient ones have added to the demand that’s forcing customers to wait for their Priuses. Toyota registered 77,000 new Prius cars in Japan between May and the end of August, compared with a monthly sales target of 10,000. In the U.S., new sales of the model rose more than 20 percent to about 62,000 in the four months to September.

“We are extremely sorry for causing a delay,” Toyota’s President Akio Toyoda said on June 25. “We are trying our best to keep up with the unexpectedly strong demand.”

Customers in Japan wait one month for Honda’s Insight hybrid car, according to the Tokyo-based carmaker.

Toyota rose 1.7 percent to 3,500 yen as of 1:05 p.m. in Tokyo trading. Panasonic gained 1.6 percent while Sanyo was unchanged.

Awaiting Approval

Panasonic won conditional European Union approval on Sept. 29 to take over Sanyo for 806.7 billion yen ($9.1 billion), the largest offer in the history of Japan’s consumer-electronics industry. The European Commission cleared the deal provided that Panasonic divest some battery production.

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission also gave conditional approval for the Sanyo takeover last month. The bid, announced last December, still needs approval from the U.S. and China.

Sanyo, which has been providing batteries to Honda’s Insight, has said it plans to supply them to various automakers even after the takeover. Still, Honda, Japan’s second-largest carmaker, and JS Yuasa Corp. set up a joint venture in April to make lithium-ion batteries for hybrid cars in western Japan in the fall of 2010.

“It shows that Honda is being cautious that Sanyo will become a subsidiary of Panasonic, which is Toyota’s partner,” said Hidemitsu Umebayashi, an analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research. “Automakers other than Toyota may be keeping a distance from Sanyo.”

Carmakers Find Partners

Other Sanyo customers are also tapping new partners. Volkswagen AG formed a partnership with Toshiba Corp. to work on batteries for its electric car, while Ford Motor Co. is buying batteries from Johnson Controls-Saft, a joint venture between U.S.-based Johnson Controls Inc. and France’s Saft Groupe SA.

It may be difficult for Sanyo to supply batteries to multiple automakers, as carmakers prefer forming joint ventures to control costs, Umebayashi said. For a battery-maker, profit for vehicle batteries typically ranges between 7 percent and 10 percent. In a venture, it comes down to 5 percent as automakers try to cut costs, he said.

Panasonic EV will first expand production of batteries to 800,000 from 500,000 this year and will open a third factory in Japan’s Miyagi prefecture next year to have a total nickel-metal hydride battery production capacity of about 1 million units.

Toyota Hybrid Plans

Toyota plans to introduce four new gasoline-electric hybrid models in Japan and three overseas by the end of March. It also plans a low-cost hybrid, smaller and cheaper than the Prius, as well as an electric car in 2012.

The company is also developing lithium-ion batteries, which can be used for longer cycles before recharging. The automaker plans to use lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrids, to be sold later this year.

“Batteries are the key technology which will decide the fate of automakers,” Toyota Senior Managing Director Toshio Furutani said.

Atomic EV batteries?

Here at Electric Vehicle News we try to report on the latest developments in EV battery technology from Zinc-Air and Lithium-Air research that promises 100 fold increase in energy density to the latest nano Lithium ion developments promising a 100 fold increase in power density. All these developments have one thing in common, they are all rechargeable batteries.

Atomic batteries that don't require recharging and last between 12 and 30 years are being developed for small scale applications that could potentially be scaled up for EV applications. There are quite a few variations on Nuclear batteries and just as many university labs working on them.

One of the most promising types, which is currently being developed for small scale applications such as tiny sensors and actuators, are classed as Betavoltaics and work a lot like a solar cell using a radioactive form of hydrogen, Tritium (the stuff used to illuminate watch faces) as the source of photons instead of the sun. Safety isn't an issue as only Beta particles are emitted (not Gamma) and these are unable to penetrate a piece of paper let alone a battery enclosure.

While an Atomic battery might last a decade without recharging and they do have a high energy density, equal to a lithium battery, they have until recently had a fairly low power density and have been too inefficient to be practical as most of the radiation in early models missed the silicon cell. More recent nano technology developments have allowed researchers at the University of Rochester to pit layers of silicon with micron sized 'wells' that increase the surface area 160 fold increasing the amount of radiation captured. Cells using this technology are now being commercialised by BetaBatt, Inc

More recent developments at the University of Missouri have been the replacement of solid semiconductor material with liquid semiconductor to reduce damage caused over the life of the battery. Still further research at the University of Houston is trying to combine Thermophotovoltaic cells which work the same as photo voltaic but in the infrared range, with thermocouples to provide a 3 to 4-fold improvement in system efficiency over current thermoelectric radioisotope generators that use only low efficiency thermocouples.

Even with a relatively low power density, Atomic batteries could be used in EVs in combination with a conventional chemical rechargeable battery pack. This would work much the same way a Fuel Cell recharges the traction battery in a FCV. While most vehicles spend 80% of their lives parked, an Atomic battery is 'always on' 24/7/365 so can be constantly recharging a vehicles traction battery at a steady rate non-stop for 10 - 100 years (depending on the energy source).

Atomic batteries are made using well known semiconductor techniques with cells up to 'D' size available. They can be stacked in series and parallel like conventional batteries so perhaps it may not be too long before we see a 1 kWh + Tritium battery suitable for EV use.

Supercar Showdown: Mercedes SLS EV Vs Audi e-Tron

Two German big guns have set up a dual to see who will be the first to market with an AWD EV sports car. Audi stole the show in Frankfurt with an exaggerated, headline grabbing claim of 4500 Nm of torque for the eTron. While Mercedes didn't have their weapon on show in Frankfurt they did make a preemptive strike by leaking news of their SLS EV supercar prior to the show.

While details are a bit sketchy on both vehicles, they are each reportedly headed for series production and are expected to hit showrooms around 2013-2015, so lets compare what we already know.

Both the Mercedes SLS and Audi eTron are AWD with individual motors driving each wheel. These aren't in-wheel motors, they are mounted in-board on the chassis with power transmitted to the wheel via a reduction gearbox and drive shaft.

Mercedes claim 878 Nm (649 ft/lb) for their 392 KW (532 hp) SLS while Audi claimed 4500 Nm (3319 ft/lb) for their 230 Kw (313 hp) eTron. The hocky bit is where along the transmission line they measure the torque.

When a normal road going vehicle is rated for power and torque the figures are measured at the engines flywheel. Mercedes seem to have followed that convention and measured torque at the output shaft of the electric motors. In an effort to take advantage of ignorant media, Audi have decided to ditch convention and measure torque at the wheels, after the torque multiplication of the reduction gearbox. Without knowing their gear ratios we can only speculate how much torque the eTron motors really output, but it will be a fraction of their claim.

We'd have to take all performance estimates with a grain of salt at this stage. Audi estimate 4.8 seconds 0-60 mph which sounds very conservative and even under 4 seconds for the Mercedes sounds shy of the mark. Considering the SLS will have twice the power and twice the traction of a Tesla Roadster we calculate sub 3 seconds may be possible, putting the car in the same league as the 1000 hp AWD Bugatti Veyron.

It will be very interesting to see what they each come up with as far as vehicle dynamic control is concerned. Having an individual motor on each wheel hasn't been put into road car production before, despite the fact that a very young Ferdinand Porsche made his name by putting wheel motors on a battery electric car as long ago as 1897.

Some of the most advanced systems used in World Championship motorsport can be replicated using wheel motors. For example, active differentials are now banned from World Rallying on a cost reduction basis but they are still used in Formula One. An active differential is a computer controlled hydro-mechanical diff center that can vary the percentage of lock up going into and out of corners.

In Rallying where AWD systems required 3 active diffs, the general requirement was for all 3 diffs to open on the approach to a corner, so the driver could throw the car at the scenery, then to lock up on exiting a corner for maximum AWD traction. In Formula One the requirements are slightly different due to the different style of driving required. The diff is fully lock when braking into a corner, released on turn in, then locked again on exit. Currently active diffs are hydro-mechanical-electronic systems. When using wheel motors these feature can be replicated in software making the system cheap enough for series production.

Advanced braking features are another area with huge potential. Audi has said they plan to use a brake-by-wire system in the eTron that will retain ceramic friction brakes on all four wheels in combination with actively variable brake regeneration. They still sound like they're undecided on which technology to go with as they say they will use hydraulic brake calipers on the front wheels, servo operated electric brake calipers on the rear and four wheel motors in alternator mode all operated by a single by-wire control system.

Neither Audi or Mercedes made mention of ABS or stability control features being developed based on their wheel motor systems but considering Mercedes is an industry leader when it comes to automated and advanced braking systems, they were the first by a long way to introduce semi-auto braking systems in production cars with their DISTRONIC system in 1999, we can be sure they have something interesting in the pipeline.

Considering some of the performance cars these two companies have produced, the 450 Kw (612 hp) 6.0 liter V12 BITURBO SL 65 AMG currently produced by Mercedes or the 373 Kw (500hp) Audi Sport Quattro S1, it's almost a torment to have to wait 3-5 years to see these next generation EV supercars hit the road.

Spec	Mercedes SLS EV	Audi e-Tron
Launch date	2015	2013
Transmission	AWD	AWD
Front/Rear Power	98 KW (133 Hp)	57.5 Kw (78 Hp)
Total output	392 Kw (532 Hp)	230 Kw (313 Hp)
Torque	878 Nm (649 ft/lb)	682 Nm (501.5 ft/lb)
Weight	1900 kg	1600 kg
Battery	-	53 kWh
Range	150 – 180 km (93 – 112 Miles)	248 km (154 Miles)

Toyota's Plug-in Prius Concept

Almost unnoticed at the Frankfurt Motor Show amongst the Audi and Renault EV concepts, Toyota unveiled their new Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept.

Presentation of the new concept comes ahead of a test programme that will see more than 500 cars leased to customers worldwide for real-world evaluation of performance and monitoring of driver attitudes and experiences.


The plug-in hybrid concept

Europe’s population is increasingly urban-centred and Toyota research into commuting patterns shows that in the UK and France, more than 80 per cent of car journeys cover a distance of less than 25km; in the UK around 80 per cent are less than 10km long. These figures confirm the potential for electricity in providing short to mid-term sustainable mobility.

The environmental benefits of electric cars for urban commuting are well-documented, but vehicle development has been hampered by the drawbacks of the weight, size and cost of the large capacity batteries needed to provide even a modest driving range, and the lack of an adequate recharging infrastructure.

Toyota is addressing both these issues with the launch of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept. It believes that progress in battery technology makes plug-in hybrid architecture the most workable solution for an electrified powertrain. The system overcomes the issue of a limited cruising range by enabling an automatic switch to a traditional full hybrid petrol-electric system once the vehicle reaches the limit of its EV (electric vehicle) driving range.

The concept model is a development of the new, third generation Prius, and builds on the core technology of Hybrid Synergy Drive specifically to meet the needs of urban motorists. It is a full hybrid vehicle in which both the electric motor and petrol engine can drive the wheels: a fully electric EV mode is used for shorter distances, while the petrol engine provides a true long-range capability.

As well as avoiding the limited range traditionally associated with electric vehicles, Toyota has also achieved a compact and practical packaging design for the battery pack. Prius Plug-in can be also be quickly recharged, from a conventional household electricity point, or a public charging post.

More than 500 Prius Plug-in cars will be released around the world early next year for lease programme, with more than 150 of these on the road in Europe. This will let Toyota evaluate all the technical aspects of the new model in a real-world environment, an essential step in preparing the vehicle for a potential market launch. The lease programme will also yield valuable intelligence on market response and which characteristics drivers find appealing, and why.

Performance

The Prius Plug-in Concept’s powertrain is similar in format to the Hybrid Synergy Drive used in the new Prius, but with the nickel-metal hydride battery pack replaced by a new, high-output lithium-ion battery – a first for a Toyota hybrid vehicle. The new battery is more compact and has a higher volumetric energy density, so it does not compromise vehicle weight and packaging. Perhaps more importantly, it can be recharged much more quickly than the nickel-metal hydride type: the battery in the Prius Plug-in can be fully recharged in one-and-a-half hours from a 230v power supply.

The battery allows strong, seamless acceleration up to a maximum 62mph (100km/h) in EV mode. On a full charge, it can cover approximately 12.5miles (20km) in EV mode, six miles further than the nickel-metal hydride battery in the latest Prius model. Over longer distances, the car operates as a regular full hybrid.

Convenience

The Prius Plug-in Concept is every bit as comfortable, convenient and practical as the latest generation Prius. As in its sister model, the air conditioning can be activated remotely, when the vehicle is plugged, enabling the cabin to be brought to the right temperature before setting off.

To help drivers maximise the benefits of driving in EV mode, it is equipped with a Hybrid System Indicator, which includes information on the EV driving range, based on the level of battery charge. An engine starting point display has also been added to emphasise the increase in EV driving range.

The Electro Multi-Vision screen on the dashboard also offers a display that highlights the plug-in hybrid’s contribution to reducing CO2 emissions, showing a computer graphic image of single tree that gradually increases to whole forest as the battery charging process takes place.

As a significant development in environmentally responsible mobility, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept offers commuters and people who live in urban areas all the benefits of an electric vehicle, with none of the drawbacks.

Chevy Volt reaches Pikes Peak

Several Chevrolet Volt pre-production vehicles where driven to the Pikes Peak Summit House (altitude: 14,110 ft. above sea level) in Colorado recently by a team of Calibration Engineers for GM.

Our team used this trip to evaluate a number of aspects of the Volt. On the trip up, we were making sure the Volt could climb the steep inclines and operate at a high altitude. The Volt was in extended-range mode for the most part of this segment which means anengine-generator is providing the electricity to power the vehicle. This mode kicks in when the lithium-ion battery level has been depleted. On the downhill segment, we were examining how well the regenerating feature of the Volt was adding electrical energy back into the lithium-ion battery.

We were pleased with the results on both segments. The Volt climbed the mountain faster than we anticipated and the regenerative feature produced a good amount of energy back into the battery. We were also pleasantly surprised with the temperature of our brakes. The National Park Service at Pikes Peak said it was one of the coolest temperatures on brakes that they had ever seen.

Toyota Prius top-selling car in Japan for 5th month

Toyota’s Prius hybrid was the top-selling car in Japan in September for the fifth straight month, helped by tax breaks and government incentives for ‘green’ vehicles, an industry group said Tuesday.

Toyota Motor Corp, the world’s biggest automaker, sold 31,758 Prius cars last month, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

Toyota said this week there was a backlog of Prius orders, numbering in the several thousands. Customers ordering the cars now won’t get them delivered until after May 2010.

Honda Motor Co’s Fit compact was No. 2 in September for the sixth month straight with 17,241 sold.

Honda’s Insight hybrid, briefly No. 1 in April before the remodeled Prius rolled into showrooms, was No. 5 in September.

The Prius was the top-seller for the first half of the fiscal year through September, with 116,298 vehicles sold in Japan.