Toyota Debuts RAV4 EV @ LA Auto Show

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), US, debuted today the second-generation Toyota RAV4 EV at a news conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 17. Toyota plan to build 35 RVA4 EVs under a demonstration and evaluation program through 2011, allowing the company to lock the battery size, production volume and price of the vehicle.

Toyota Motor Sales USA president Jim Lentz admitted that the partnership with Tesla Motors, which with its Lotus Elise-based Roadster and its forthcoming Model S sedan has become one of the biggest names in the EV industry, was designed to bring full-electric models to market as quickly as possible.

However, he emphasised that the fast-tracked development would not compromise product quality, which has come under intense pressure this year after a string of global recalls across a range of vehicles, including eco-oriented models such as the Toyota Prius.

“Led by our Toyota technical centre in Michigan, (the RAV4 EV) is a model that has helped reduce development time without compromising product quality,” Mr Lentz said.

“They have accomplished this by approaching this project as they would a mid-cycle ‘major-minor’ product change. To be more specific, midway through a generation we begin with a fully engineered current-generation RAV4 to which we are adding a major powertrain option, along with minor feature and cosmetic changes. “The vehicle on stage is not only a strong product on its own, it represents a point-in-time in both the business relationship and the product development, aiming to bring a vehicle to market in 2012.”

Mr Lentz said the development team was currently engaged in the initial testing, validation and certification process, dubbed ‘Phase Zero’, which includes the demonstration program running through most of next year.

“While Phase Zero vehicles are basically converted RAV4s, the ‘Phase One’ vehicles we plan to bring to market in 2012 will be thoroughly re-engineered Toyota RAV4 EVs,” he said.

Detailed technical specifications remain under wraps for the Tesla-powered RAV4, but Toyota did reveal that the Phase Zero vehicle is powered by a lithium metal oxide battery with useable output rated in the mid-30kWh range.

Mr Lentz said in his presentation that the Phase Zero vehicle “is consistently achieving a 100-mile (160km) range based on actual road driving patterns in a wide range of climates and conditions”.

He said this was critical in achieving an “acceptable level of daily convenience” for vehicle owners, but added that the final driving range of the production vehicle would depend on “many factors still being considered, not the least of which is battery size and design as it relates to useable power”.

These factors include extreme heat and cold weather conditions and the substantial effect they have on battery performance, and as such the initial sales distribution of the vehicle in the US will be restricted to regions that do not experience seasonal extremes.

The other main development focus is on driveability and its parallels with the conventionally powered RAV4.

“The target is to end up with a vehicle with driveability characteristics as close to the conventional RAV4 as possible,” Mr Lentz said. “For example, the Phase Zero vehicle weighs about 220 pounds (100kg) more than the current RAV4 V6 yet it will accelerate from 0-60mph (96.5km/h) nearly as quickly. “This added weight factor also required significant retuning of major components and a focus on weight distribution. Not only were suspension and steering modified significantly, major components needed to be relocated to better balance the increased mass.”

While Tesla Motors is responsible for building and supplying the battery and related components, Mr Lentz said Toyota was in charge of “development and manufacturing leadership and the integration of the powertrain”.

The production location for final assembly of the RAV4 EV is still under negotiation, but Toyota confirmed this week that the basic vehicle will continue to be built at its Woodstock plant in Ontario, Canada, while Tesla will build the battery and most powertrain components from its new facility in Palo Alto, California.

Mr Lentz said the RAV4 EV would be competitive with other electric vehicle offerings in both performance and price once it reached the market, adding that he was confident customers would see the model’s “packaging, styling and versatility” as a major purchase decision.

“Toyota has a long-term view of the auto industry because we know that new technology requires time to mature and refine,” he said. “Equally important is the need to inform and educate consumers and prepare them for the arrival of a confusing array of unconventional products. “This will be a very expensive program for Toyota but one of many necessary steps in moving the needle with a broader base of consumers toward sustainable mobility.”

The first-generation RAV4 EV was launched in the US in 1997 in response to the California zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, and had a production run of 1484 vehicles – 746 of which are said to be still on the road.

This first model was powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack, and had a range of between 80 and 100 miles.

Honda Fit EV Concept unveiled @ LA Auto Show

Honda today unveiled the all-new Fit EV Concept electric vehicle and the platform for a midsize plug-in hybrid vehicle. Both vehicles are integral to the Honda Electric Mobility Network, the company's comprehensive approach to reducing CO2 emissions through innovative products, energy-management and energy-production technologies.

The Fit EV Concept hints strongly at the direction and styling for Honda's upcoming production Fit EV all-electric vehicle, which will be introduced to the U.S. and Japan in 2012. The all-new plug-in hybrid platform showcases Honda's next-generation, two-motor hybrid technology set to debut in 2012.

"Honda's long history with electromotive technologies has enabled us to understand customer requirements," said Takanobu Ito, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. President and CEO. "In Honda's view, an electric vehicle must offer great utility and be fun to drive. Fit EV's urban commuting capability will be a perfect addition to the full-function mobility of the plug-in hybrid and FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle."

Honda Fit EV

The Fit EV is designed to meet the daily driving needs of the average metropolitan commuter and utilizes the same 5-passenger layout found in the popular Fit hatchback. When the Fit EV production model is introduced, it will be powered by a lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor.

The high-density motor, derived from the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle, delivers excellent efficiency and power while remaining quiet at high speeds. The Fit EV will have a top speed of 90 mph.

The Fit EV will achieve an estimated 100-mile driving range per charge using the US EPA LA4* city cycle (70 miles when applying EPA's adjustment factor). Driving range can be maximized by use of an innovative 3-mode electric drive system, adapted from the 2011 Honda CR-Z sport hybrid. The system allows the driver to select between Econ, Normal, and Sport to instantly and seamlessly change the driving experience to maximize efficiency or improve acceleration. While in Econ mode, practical driving range can increase by as much as 17 percent, compared to driving in Normal mode, and up to 25 percent compared to driving in Sport mode. Acceleration improves significantly when in Sport mode, generating performance similar to a vehicle equipped with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine.

In addition to the 3-mode E-Drive system, the Fit EV will include several interactive coaching systems to assist the driver in maximizing battery range.

A special meter display advises the driver when to shut off air conditioning and other accessories to conserve battery power.

To help the driver manage the electric vehicle ownership experience, the Fit EV will have a standard connectivity system that allows the driver to stay connected through a smartphone and personal computer, or the Honda-exclusive interactive remote, while away from the vehicle. The pocket-friendly, interactive remote provides connectivity to the vehicle without the need for an internet connection or mobile phone signal. Through the connectivity system, drivers will be able to remotely view the vehicle's state of charge, initiate charging and activate the air conditioning, even while connected to the grid, to reduce the drain on the battery at start-up. The mobile application and website also offers the ability to set charging notifications and alerts to optimize utility rates, and provides 24-hour roadside assistance, along with a public charging station locator. The Fit EV will come equipped with a standard Honda Satellite Linked Navigation System™ that includes a public charging-station locator capability.

The Fit EV is designed to be easy and convenient to charge. Battery recharging can be accomplished in less than 12 hours when using a conventional 120-volt outlet, and less than six hours when using a 240-volt outlet.

The Fit EV Concept displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show features an exclusive Deep Clear Blue Pearl exterior color and distinctive five-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels with blue inserts. The Concept has unique LED headlights, a chrome front fascia, aerodynamic bumper, clear LED taillights and EV decals. Inside, the Fit EV Concept is outfitted in an eco-friendly gray bio-fabric on the seating surfaces.

Displayed alongside the Fit EV Concept at the show is a prototype Honda charging stand. To begin charging, the driver swipes a card in front of the screen and then connects the charger to the vehicle. The Honda charging stand provides a glimpse at the future of an electric-charging infrastructure that is easy to use and intuitive for consumers.

Honda Plug-in Hybrid

Honda also unveiled a plug-in hybrid platform, which showcases Honda's next-generation two-motor hybrid system. Integrated into a mid-size sedan platform, the plug-in hybrid is designed to be compatible with daily driving habits, allowing for short, frequent trips in all-electric mode, while providing long-distance driving capability when needed. The Honda two-motor system continuously moves through three different modes to maximize driving efficiency: all-electric, gasoline-electric and a unique, engine direct-drive mode. The plug-in hybrid also uses regenerative braking to charge the battery.

In all-electric mode, the vehicle uses a 6kWh lithium-ion battery and a powerful 120 kW electric motor. The all-electric mode achieves a range of approximately 10-15 miles in city driving and a top speed of 62 mph. Fully recharging the battery will take 2 to 2.5 hours using a 120-volt outlet and 1 to 1.5 hours using a 240-volt outlet.

The vehicle can also run in a gasoline-electric hybrid mode, the platform features a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter, i-VTEC® inline 4-cylinder, Atkinson cycle engine, paired with an electric Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT). An onboard generator adds to the battery powering the electric motor.

For more efficient high-speed cruising, the vehicle can engage in a direct-drive mode, in which only the engine drives the front wheels.

Jay Leno drives the Think City

The Think City all electric vehicle will be available for sale in the U.S. mid-2011 for $22,000, after incentives.

The Norwegian company plans to sell between 2,000 to 3,000 of the plastic electric vehicles in three to five stores, most likely to be located in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Washington, DC and Indianapolis, near the car's U.S. assembly plant.

The two-seat vehicle will have a 100-mile range.

Neil Young's Electric Car Started the Fire at His Warehouse

This probably isn't exactly what Neil Young had in mind with "repowering the American dream": it turns out one of Young's pet projects, the 1959 Lincoln Continental he's turning into an electric car, started that fire in his Peninsula warehouse last week.

The white landshark Continental somehow caught fire early in the morning of Nov. 9, starting a blaze that burned roughly $850,000 worth of the singer's guitars, art, and other memorabilia. It also took a hefty toll on the old 10,000-square-foot warehouse all that stuff was kept in.

Young thought his car was a big deal. It allowed Young to cruise around in Boomer fashion while touting his environmentalist credentials. It also had its own website.

In a statement, Young said the fire may be traced to "an operator error that occurred in an untested part of the charging system ... We are investigating the components involved with plug-in charging."

Initial RAV4 EV sales in 13 states

Toyota Motor Corp will limit initial sales of the electric RAV4 to those U.S. states that have mandates for zero-emission vehicles, Toyota USA brand sales chief Bob Carter said on Monday.

Carter said sales of Toyota's all-electric vehicle will be expanded as demand grows in states that thus far have not adopted the zero-emission vehicle mandate first passed by California state regulators. The RAV4 to go on sale in 2012 will be built with a powertrain from Tesla Motors (TSLA.O).

Carter, speaking at the Reuters Global Autos Summit, said Toyota sees hybrid vehicle as offering more -- and less expensive -- options for consumers and will continue to be the centerpiece of the worldwide auto sales leader's focus for alternatives to conventional gasoline-powered vehicles.

Carter said Toyota wants to maintain its leadership as the U.S. market retail sales leader, which he said may be made easier in 2011 as a shift in sales increases will favor retail over fleet sales. Toyota's fleet sales are less than 10 percent of its overall sales, about a third the rate of U.S. automakers General Motors Co GM.UL and Ford Motor Co (F.N) and about a fourth the fleet sales rate for U.S. automaker Chrysler.

Carter said that 2011 will show an increase of about 1 million in new vehicles sold, matching the 1 million-vehicle increase this year. Toyota just finalized its forecast for 2011 and expects the U.S. auto industry's light vehicles sales to be between 12.5 million and 12.9 million, up from near 11.5 million this year and from 10.4 million in 2009, which was the worst year for U.S. auto sales since the early 1980s.

"If the industry grows 1 million units this year, about 600,000 units should be retail and 400,000 will be fleet," Carter told the summit in Los Angeles. "On a percentage basis, retail will be up 5 to 6 percent and fleets will be up 20 percent.

"Next year, we see growth being more on the retail side," said Carter, who added that consumers remain cautious but are slowly returning to new-vehicle showrooms.

"You'll see our fleet sales go down, in terms of total volume and percent," Carter said.

Federal-Mogul eyeing EV technology

Federal-Mogul Corp, the maker of powertrain and safety technology controlled by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, is scouting for companies to acquire with a focus on electric vehicle technology.

The Southfield, Michigan-based auto supplier is interested in supplying electronic components related to vehicle powertrains, electric motors and parts of the infrastructure needed for electric-powered vehicles, Federal-Mogul's chief executive, Jose Maria Alapont, said during the Reuters Global Autos Summit.

"We are already one of the worldwide global leaders in that sector that influenced the energy efficiencies and reduction of emissions," Alapont told Reuters. "With the new technologies that could be coming on to electrification, et cetera, we are looking for opportunities."

Federal-Mogul, which makes pistons, spark plugs, windshield wiper blades, brake pads and other auto components, has benefited from savings following its 2008-2009 restructuring as the auto market rebounds from the worst downturn since the recession of the early 1980s.

The company ended the quarter ended September 30 with more than $1 billion in cash.

Alapont described the company's current exposure to electrification as not "material enough" to disclose.

At the moment, technology used for plug-in and battery-electric vehicles is "not necessarily very profitable" because of the still-low sales in the nascent market, Alapont said.

"We have a lot of liquidity to get into high technologies and globalize it with our ... strong presence and then make it profitable like everything we do," Alapont said.

Federal-Mogul is not interested in becoming a battery maker, but would be interested in supplying parts for battery systems, Alapont said.

Alapont said there are opportunities to buy such companies in China, where there has been a good deal of investment in electrification, and deploy that technology to North America and Europe. In the third quarter, sales in China jumped 43 percent compared to a year earlier.

"We have tended to globalize from North America to Western Europe toward Asia," he said. "But we can do it the other way around."

Federal-Mogul has not been a large buyer in the past few years, but in July 2009 the company was on the cusp of what Alapont said would have been one of the largest acquisitions in the industry.

At that time, people familiar with the matter said Federal-Mogul was considering a bid for the assets of then-bankrupt supplier Delphi. It ended up not making an offer, and Delphi was eventually sold to a group of its creditors and emerged from bankruptcy.

"In the eleventh hour it was not possible," Alapont said, without naming Delphi. "Both companies, we did the right effort, but it was a complex, as well as I would say, political, legal environment that didn't make it possible."

BASF builds production facility for electric vehicle batteries

BASF today broke ground on a $50+ million facility in Elyria, Ohio, to produce advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries that will power the hybrid and full-electric vehicles of the near future.

The event attracted a number of federal, state and local officials, as well as representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), its affiliated Argonne National Laboratory, and numerous BASF employees from Ohio and other parts of the company's global manufacturing and research and development operations.

"This new facility will put BASF and the state of Ohio at the leading edge of the North American cathode materials market," said Frank Bozich, President of BASF's Catalysts division and member of BASF Corporation's North American Executive Committee. "As the world's leading chemical company, BASF has the ability to make advanced cathode materials widely available as next generation lithium-ion battery production begins to ramp up in facilities throughout the country."

The new BASF production facility in Elyria is being built with the help of a $24.6 million grant from the DOE under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

BASF is one of only two licensed suppliers of the Argonne National Laboratory's (ANL) patented Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NCM) cathode materials, which employ a unique combination of lithium and manganese-rich mixed metal oxides. The license covers the broadest scope of NCM chemistry that can be used in today's lithium-ion batteries. When it is fully operational in 2012, the BASF plant is expected to be the most advanced cathode materials production plant in North America.

"By building this lithium-ion battery materials production facility in Elyria, we will create both construction jobs in the near term and good-paying, cutting-edge jobs to strengthen our future," said Representative Betty Sutton, who worked with BASF to help bring the new facility to Lorain County. "Today, we are demonstrating that manufacturing is not just part of our past, but also an important part of our future, positioning Lorain County as a global leader in this clean energy technology."

"Today's event is another tangible sign of Ohio's commitment to green energy," said Ohio State Senator Sue Morano (13th Ohio Senate District). "I am a strong supporter of reshaping our manufacturing base into one that is well positioned for the future, and operations like BASF's new battery materials plant will help attract better paying jobs to Lorain County and Ohio as we play a key role in the development of a green economy."
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Since 2005, BASF has invested significantly in lithium-ion cathode materials research and development. In 2009, BASF and ANL signed a worldwide licensing agreement under which BASF would mass produce and market ANL's patented lithium-stabilized NCM cathode materials for use in advanced batteries that have higher energy density, are longer-lasting, and offer improved safety due to higher temperature stability.

As part of its long-term strategy to invest in cathode materials, BASF will continue to further lithium-ion battery application development at its research facilities in Beachwood, Ohio, and Ludwigshafen, Germany.