VW, Toshiba Planning A Smart EV Car

Last week, Toshiba and Volkswagen unveiled a partnership for developing next-gen electric car batteries.Mostly known for laptop computers here in the States, Toshiba is the General Electric of Japan. They build everything fromconsumer electronics to nuclear power plant components.Fine by me, I just don’t want my EV to catch on fire! Or my laptop for that matter. But as of late, Toshiba is foraying in to greener pastures. And so is VW with it’s new BlueMotion Technologiesline.The VDub partnership comes on the heels of Toshiba entering the solar power plant market. Toshiba isn’t producing the solar panels themselves, at least for the time being. They will be using their competitor’s solar panels along with components they produce for large-scale power plants.Alongside the nuclear power plants, Toshiba also provides components for hydroelectric plants and for power transmission systems. They are even pursuing carbon-capture technology.So it is of no surprise that Toshiba has been eying the hybrid and electric car market. They have already been developing a super-charged ion battery (SCiB) for both laptop computers and electric bikes. Once again, I kinda hope these don’t catch on fire!“One of our big target markets is the automobile market,” Craig Hershberg, Toshiba’s director of environmental affairs, told Green Wombat. “We’re currently talking to one of the big automakers in the U.S.” But they wouldn’t say whom.In fact, they recently announced plans to spend $331 million on building a SCiB factory.“Toshiba aims to make SCiB a mainstay of its industrial systems and automotive products businesses worldwide,” the company said in a statement. Enter Volkswagen!I have a feeling the VW Up! will be the first model to see this pairing.Because of its iconic styling, the concept car is being touted as the next new “Beetle,” not to be confused with the actual New Beetle. VW’s foray into alternative-fuel vehicles is nothing new. They have even launched a new brand just for it: VW’s BlueMotion Technologies.But they have yet to really tap the electric vehicle market. At the very least, they are EV-curious. That is apparent by kick off their hybrid electric Touareg. But it seems the VW Up! Concept would benefit most from the Toshiba-VW pairing.Currently, there are two models of the Up! Concept: the Up!, a small three-door, and the Space Up!, a mini-van. One key feature that has gotten a lot of attention is its Apple iPhone like interface, something VW hopes to add to all its models.For those real VW enthusiasts, the engine isn’t in the front, baby.IT KEEPS GOING…AND GOINGSo what does the SCiB mean for EVs?Well, the souped-up battery can charge to 90-percent capacity in ten minutes. According to Toshiba, that is depending on its use. Notably, laptop versions of the battery can be discharged 6,000 times versus the 500 times for a conventional battery. It can also operate down to -30 celcius (-22F). That is pretty good for an Electric Vehicle type application. But, DIY Electric Car made this point about the battery:Say for instance, we fitted a new Tesla Roadster with SCiB batteries. Could we actually perform a 5 minute charge? The Roadster’s efficiency is reported as 133 Wh/km (4.7 mi/kWh). This means that fully refueling from a 300 mile drive would require around 63kWh of electricity. Multiply by .9 to get a 90% recharge (as Toshiba states is the 5 minute charge) and you have 56.7kWh. Multiply that by 12 to get the amount of kW required for a 5 minute charge. That’s 680kW. Regardless of what you may know about electricity, that’s a whole lot of it.To actually feed the car 680kW, we need to select a usable voltage. The best that’s commercially available right now would be 480v or actually 220v if it’s household current. For the sake of argument let’s choose 480v. The size of the wire to transfer the energy is dependent on how many amps are going to flow through it. Amps are just watts divided by volts, so when we apply this we get 1416 amps. Technicalities aside, the wire would have to be something like 0/8AWG or about 2 inches in diameter to feed the current to the vehicle. Is this any more or less safe than filling a car with gas yourself?The Chairman of the Board of Management at Volkswagen AG, Prof. Dr Martin Winterkorn, says “this will be a major step forward towards the development of series production electric vehicles for our customers.”He went on to say that Volkswagen’s objective is “to be the first manufacturer to provide an emissions-free, affordable and safe large-scale production electric vehicle.” Though some specialists believe a mass-produced EV is still 10 plus years away.Though some kind of model should nonetheless be available by 2012, when increasingly strict carbon emissions limits set by the European Union are due to take effect.

New Chinese electric bus

While we have a pretty impressive electric bus here in America, an announcement that a Chinese joint venture will begin building buses with a 300 km (186 miles) range certainly got our attention. The FAW Bus and Coach Company has teamed up with battery maker Tongkun New Energy Technologies Co., Ltd and plan to have their people-carriers on the roads around two different cities in Jilin province by June. They already have 70 on the order book and if they can deliver the range performance promised, we expect they'll sell more. The 24 passenger bus can not only go far on its lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) batteries but it can also re-charge them in as little as 20 minutes. With a useful life of 2,000 cycles, they could last 300,000 miles. Not bad for a bus with a 500,000 yuan ($73,145) price tag and low running costs. Hopefully the new design will also be a little easier on the eyes than the current baby bus built by FAW, pictured above. [Source: Xinhua]

Tags: electric bus, ElectricBus, FAW Bus and Coach Company, FawBusAndCoachCompany, Jilin, LiFePO4,lithium iron phosphate LiFePO4, LithiumIronPhosphateLifepo4, Ltd, Tongkun New Energy Technologies Co.,TongkunNewEnergyTechnologiesCo.

Chery Auto unveils electric car

China's Chery Automobile said on Thursday it has rolled out its first self-developed electric car, becoming the second home-grown car maker to tap potential demand for clean energy cars. The model, known as S18, is capable of going as far as 150 kilometers on electricity when fully charged, with a maximum speed of 120 kilometres per hour, Chery said in a statement. Chery uses iron-phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries for S18, which can be fully charged in 4 to 6 hours and 80 percent charged in half an hour, it said. The company did not say when it would start mass production of the model or whether it had secured firm orders. BYD Auto, subsidiary of rechargeable battery maker BYD Co, launched its plug-in hybrid car F3DM in China late last year. Henry Li, general manager of BYD Auto's export trade division, told Reuters in October that the firm has signed up 10 distributors for the plug-in hybrid car in Europe ahead of its targeted entry into that market in 2010. BYD, in which a unit of U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) has committed to pay $230 million for a 10 percent stake, is scheduled to launch its first all-electric car, the E6, in China in the second half of 2009, Li added. Beijing unveiled a plan earlier this month to subsidise the purchase of clean-energy vehicles for public transport fleets in 13 cities to help its automobile industry develop green technology. The trial scheme will promote the use of electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles by public transport operators, taxi firms and postal and sanitary services.

Rinspeed iChange EV

Swiss automaker Rinspeed will debut at the 2009 Geneva auto show an electric concept car that changes shape to conform to the number of passengers on board. The iChange is a lightweight, 4,280mm (approximately 14 feet) EV sports car with a teardrop-like silhouette designed to maximize fuel efficiency for the single passenger. But with the push of a button, the sloped rear of the car pops up to accommodate two additional passengers, if needed. The concept sports car forgoes doors, opting for a very ADA-unfriendly clamshell roof. Rinspeed is obviously assuming that in the future, women will no longer wear skirts. Proving that efficient doesn't have to be boring, the iChange is equipped with three lithium ion batteries, producing a total of 150kW of power that propels the car from 0 to 100 kmh in 4.2 seconds and achieves a maximum speed of 220 kmh (about 136 mph). The car charges in 3 hours and has a maximum range of approximately 90 km. The dual design poses an answer to the problem: most car trips are short, single-passenger commutes to work or the store, but consumers still want a car that can accommodate the occasional multiple-person or long drive. Rinspeed explains that "as a result of the increased weight and no longer optimal aerodynamics, the energy consumption increases--but only for the time passengers are actually on board," but they don't say by how much. Without that data, it seems like a radial exercise to achieve more or less what the Tesla Roadster already does as a two-seater, and what the start-up's Model S sedan will probably do as a four-seater. The Tesla Roadster uses a custom microprocessor-controlled lithium ion battery with 6,831 individual cells that produces 248 HP (185 kW) to achieve a straightline performance of 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds with a range of about 220 miles. The much-anticipated Tesla Model S sedan--set to debut in March--reportedly will have a range of approximately 160 miles. Much of the efficiency seems to be in the details rather than in the design. Large solar panels on the car top and sides provide an environmentally friendly mode for charging the batteries and maintain an ambient temperature inside the car on hot days. The iChange's lightweight Harman/Kardon infotainment system is designed for minimal parasitic drain on the battery and can calculate the most fuel-efficient route.

Subaru Electric Car G4e

Subaru G4e is a concept car based on the R1e (2 seat, 40kwh battery, 104kph, 80km range) proof of concept. However, the G4e has all the makings of a real car, rather than just a concept, with a 200km range on a single charge.Using a fast charge circuit, 80% of the battery can be charged within 15 minutes so it is very convenient to drive long distances and charge up, maybe after a stop at a shopping mall, at work or back at home – if there is the high capacity charging circuit available. A full charge on a home circuit (110v) will take 8 hours. The battery itself is a next generation vanadium based battery rather than lithium and gives the G4e double the range compared to a lithium battery.The motor is a 65kW permanent magnet synchronous motor. It is a 4-door hatchback and can carry 5 people, with a triangular shape that gives it a low 0.276 drag factor. It is also slightly larger than a Toyota Yaris so theSubaru G4e should be a very useful and popular vehicle.

Michelin-Valeo partnership to boost plug-in hybrid cars

French giants Michelin and Valeo have formed a partnership to develop and produce both plug-in hybrid cars and all-electric cars.The announcement comes on the back of Michelin introducing its revolutionary active wheel technology, (see previous post) which sees dual electric motors inside wheels that propel the car and control the suspension. They will be used in electric cars produced by Heuliez from 2010 onwards.Michelin believes that fuel cell-powered or battery cars that use Active Wheel technology will not require a clutch, gearbox, transmission shift, anti-roll bar or a universal joint. The Active Wheel technology is a standard wheel with one electric motor spinning the wheel while the other works as an active suspension system.According to Valeo CEO Thierry Morin, his company will assemble a powertrain system that the car will be built around. The companies are said to be seeking a car manufacturer to join a consortium and they may team up with either a French of German automaker.Valeo, a specialist in electrical systems, will concentrate on producing engine and battery cooling systems, as well as lighting, energy management and climate control. It has already made in-roads into the green car market as it supplied the drivetrain for more than 10,000 electric vehicles created by PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault.

Chrysler Creates New Company Solely for Electric Vehicles

Chrysler has been working quietly on an all electric vehicle for a while now and it seems as though they have every intention of following through with the concept. The reasoning behind this comes after the news that they have created a separate company to help market the new EV and hopefully give Chrysler some footing to get back on its feet.The new company is called Peapod Mobility and their first vehicle set to go into production is called the Peapod. The Peapod is a small neighborhood vehicle that can seat up to 4 adults andcruise around at a top speed of 25 miles per hour. It is available in 8 different colors and is currently priced at $12,500.
Peapod Mobility is also working on a 2-seater vehicle that will share the same 25mph top speed, along with a van and a small 2-seat utility vehicle that features a bed and toolboxes. There are also rumors of a city electric vehicle that will be able to reach speeds around 50 mph and can be used by daily commuters.Expect to see the Peapod around your neighborhood within the year.

Ford's first all-electric vehicle in the US will be a commercial van that gets a range of 100 miles per charge with a top speed of 70 mph. The van, called the Ford Transit Connect, should be available in the US in 2010, although the price has not yet been announced.

The electric van will precede Ford's small electric passenger sedan, which will hit US dealerships in 2011, followed by a plug-in hybrid in 2012.

The Transit Connect is based on a gasoline-powered model that has proven successful in Europe and that Ford is also preparing to release in the US shortly. The van will be converted to battery power by Smith Electric Vehicles, which already offers a similar battery-powered Ford Transit model to customers in some European markets.

Ford is aiming the vehicle at commercial industries as an alternative to a full-size cargo van for package delivery. The van, which can carry about 1800 pounds, would be ideal for fleets that cover regular routes and return to a central location for recharging overnight.

The electric van will be built in Turkey and imported to the US.

BG’s C100 Electric Vehicle ready for Production

The trend towards smaller, energy-efficient electric vehicles has created a market that is quickly being filled by young startups. Enter BG Automotive Group, which has recently announced that their mass-produced electric vehicle the C100 has just been approved by the Department of Transportation! Perfect for commuting and daily urban driving, the sprightly vehicle gets an impressive 60-120 miles per charge and will be available for less than $20,000.
The C100 is a compact four-door, four-passenger neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV). Designed for daily commuters and short trips around town, the vehicle has a maximum speed of 35-45 miles per hour and is expected to cost from $15 to $18 thousand dollars. Charging couldn’t be easier - simply plug the vehicle into any regular wall outlet. A full set of safety features includes dual airbags and a sturdy steel body round out the package. The company is currently moving full-speed ahead with its plans to produce the vehicle and is considering the possibility of manufacturing it within the United States, with the hope of producing 100,000 vehicles by 2010.

Lotus Electric car in 2009

Envied worldwide for producing feather-lite supercars just itching to be made into electric torque monsters (even Tesla has borrowed heavily from the Lotus parts bin), Lotus has indicated it wants to enter the world of exotic electric cars wants itself - perhaps even as soon as late 2009.

Ever since the late Colin Chapman began building his own sportscars under the Lotus brand (way back in 1952!) the company has followed a simple philosophy for its go-fast racers: add lightness. “Adding lightness” meant that Chapman’s cars were incredibly efficient - using less fuel and fewer tires than the competition.

Proterra Electric Bus

Colorado-based Proterra has its protype vehicle on a California road trip to show technology it hopes will change the commuting world.

Government officials, business leaders and techies in San Jose, California got a first look this afternoon at a prototype passenger bus showcasing new all-electric technologies.

Colorado company Proterra built the bus to showcase its drive, energy storage and vehicle control systems—breakthroughs which it ultimately hopes to license to other vehicle manufacturers.

But in the meantime, Proterra is making buses itself. And because of the investment the company has made in futuristic carbon fiber design, its new BE35 model is turning heads.

"We get a lot of comments," Proterra CEO and President Jeff Granato told the Cleantech Group. "I think transit agencies like that, because they're trying to drive more people to public transit."

The Proterra BE35, which is fully electric—unlike other hybrid-electric passenger buses available—showcases what the company calls a first-of-its-kind fast charge system enabled by the company's use of nanotechnology-based lithium batteries from Altairnano of Reno, Nevada. Altairnano has claimed to deliver full charges in ten minutes in the past.

The fast 10 minute charge is a central aspect of our vehicle and our marketing. We have a fast charge station that we would deploy in fixed route programs, where the vehicles are coming back to the same point once an hour or once every few hours. Transit is a perfect application for this type of technology, as they already have scheduled layovers.

Other advances showcased by Proterra include all-electric components managed by vehicle management systems to minimize energy usage throughout the vehicle, regenerative braking that recaptures over 90 percent of the vehicle's kinetic energy available during braking, and a new battery management system intended to optimize energy efficiency and system life.

The bus is powered by electric motors from UQM Technologies, a popular choice among other makes of next-generation vehicles. The company, like Proterra, also hails from Colorado.

The company has priced its bus 30 percent higher than conventional diesel or hybrid alternatives, but CEO Granato maintained Proterra's BE35 still offers compelling economics for purchasers.

Assuming diesel at three dollars a gallon, we net a savings of $310,000 over the life of a single bus, just on fuel costs. When you include other operational savings, for instance, because the parts in an electric vehicle don't wear out as often, that number goes up.

Added crash-worthiness of the vehicle's carbon fiber construction, and ease of carbon fiber repair versus steel also contributes to 70 percent lower body repair costs, said Granato.

While in San Jose to officially unveil the new bus, Proterra wouldn't say how many units the city might buy, but it claimed to be soon closing several North American orders in the second quarter of the year. But the end-game, according to Granato, is licensing to OEMs, including two in other countries they are in discussions with.

"Our intention is to be partnering with existing manufacturers once we get up into quantity. Because we realize that the capacity for manufacturing trucks and buses already exists. Our focus is on the technology to help take those existing vehicles to the next level with our technology."

Those companies include New Flyer, Gillig, Orion and others, all of which have been building buses for ten years or more, Proterra recognized.

After its launch today in San Jose, Proterra is to make stops in selected California cities including Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco. In each city, Proterra plans to meet with energy, environmental, and municipal stakeholders and introduce its BE35 as a way to meet the state's aggressive emission reduction standards.

Proterra has been funded to date by government grants and private investors. The company is now raising a series A round.

Heuliez Friendly EV

Introduced last fall during the Paris Motor Show, the Heuliez Friendly is a French electric car with promising and realistic intentions. Heuliez is known for making short series of cars (such as the Opel Tigra TwinTop) and the retractable tops of Peugeots, so it's not a total newcomer to the auto market.  The battery pack will offer an expected range of 100 km (60 miles) but two additional packages will be offered as options, so autonomy can be extended to 250 km (160 miles). It's also interesting to know that the Friendly is not an NEV, as it can reach highway speeds of 120 km/h (75mph). It can seat 3+1 like the Toyota iQ and Heuliez will offer three body styles and probably a van version. The best part, however, was getting confirmation that the car will go on sale April next year, with prices starting at €10,000. It shouldn't cost a fortune to maintain, although batteries are expected to last just four years or about 2,000 charge/recharge cycles.

2009 Cadillac Converj EV

Cadillac Converj Concept General Motors unveiled a further glimpse at the potential of electric propulsion, this time in the form of luxury transportaCadillac Converj Concept General Motors unveiled a further glimpse at the potential of electric propulsion, this time in the form of luxury transportation. The Cadillac Converj was developed as a well-appointed grand touring coupe with a bold design and a host of interactive technology.

The four-passenger Cadillac Converj concept is intended to show how GM's revolutionary electric propulsion technology - called Voltec - can power a luxury coupe with a typically Cadillac "no compromises" design. The technology enables up to 40 miles of gas- and emissions-free electric driving with extended-range capability of hundreds of miles.

Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of Global Product Development, said the Cadillac Converj concept has production substance. "It's a logical extension of our plan to reinvent the automobile," he said. "It clearly shows what a Cadillac electric vehicle could look like, and clearly indicates that global luxury customers can have a car that has both strong design and electric propulsion with a total range of hundreds of anxiety-free miles."

Cadillac's extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) concept has a new body style that is an evolution of the brand's traditional Art and Science design theme. An aggressive, forward-leaning arc profile is the foundation for the sporting stance. And more than a Cadillac in form, Converj is also intended to be a Cadillac in substance, with the premium materials, technology and driving dynamics that are hallmarks of the brand
The Converj concept is the latest rolling showcase for GM's extended-range electric propulsion system, which the company is now calling Voltec. The Converj features the same 16-kWh, T-shaped battery, electric drive unit, and four-cylinder engine-generator as the Volt. Thus, like the volt, the Converj will go 40 miles on emissions-free electric power. It then switches to the four cylinder engine to provide power to the motor and charge the lithium-ion battery.

Although the Converj is based on the Volt, the design, from GM's U.K. advanced design studio under the direction of Simon Cox, is pure Cadillac. Unlike the Volt sedan, it sports a coupe body style with seats for four passengers in a 2+2 layout. A small trunk is accessed through an even smaller opening. The overall shape resembles the CTS coupe concept that debuted at last year's show with a bit of the Cien show car mixed in. The design emphasizes aerodynamics, with minimal grille openings, a fully covered underbody, and slim cameras in place of rearview mirrors. The smallest Cadillac ever made, the Converj is some 10 inches shorter than the CTS coupe. The Converj is about the same length as the Volt but it's wider, due to the Cadillac's larger wheels and tires (21-inches up front and 22 inches at the rear).tion. The Cadillac Converj was developed as a well-appointed grandtouring coupe with a bold design and a host of interactive technology.The Cadillac Converj’s Voltec electric propulsion system is made up of a 16-kWh, T-shaped battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator. It uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car.A thermally managed battery pack contains more than 220 lithium-ion cells that provide the primary power to drive the Converj electrically up to 40 miles without using fuel or producing tailpipe emissions. The battery is integrated into the Converj’s chassis and stores electricity from the grid when the vehicle is plugged in. It takes less than three hours to recharge the battery at 240V, or about eight hours from a 120V outlet.When the battery’s energy is low, the Converj seamlessly switches to extended-range mode. During this secondary level of operation, electricity needed to power the vehicle is created on-board by a flex-fuel-powered engine that operates much like a home generator to create electricity. The engine-generator ensures a constant supply of power for hundreds of miles until the car is refueled or plugged in to recharge the battery. This extended-range mode eliminates the range anxiety that comes with driving pure electric vehicles that offer no backup power when the battery charge is low.Whether in electric or extended-range mode, the Converj is propelled all the time by an electric drive unit. It converts electrical energy from the battery or the engine-generator into mechanical energy to drive the front wheels. It also delivers 273 lb.-ft. (370 Nm) of instant torque, for a quick launch, and 120 kW of power. The top speed is 100 mph.There is no compromise in vehicle performance in either mode of operation. To enhance the ride feel, the Converj also features GM’s Magnetic Ride Control; and for even greater efficiency, energy during braking is captured and stored in the battery.
The four-passenger Cadillac Converj concept is intended to show how GM's revolutionary electric propulsion technology - called Voltec - can power a luxury coupe with a typically Cadillac "no compromises" design. The technology enables up to 40 miles of gas- and emissions-free electric driving with extended-range capability of hundreds of miles.

Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of Global Product Development, said the Cadillac Converj concept has production substance. "It's a logical extension of our plan to reinvent the automobile," he said. "It clearly shows what a Cadillac electric vehicle could look like, and clearly indicates that global luxury customers can have a car that has both strong design and electric propulsion with a total range of hundreds of anxiety-free miles."

Cadillac's extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) concept has a new body style that is an evolution of the brand's traditional Art and Science design theme. An aggressive, forward-leaning arc profile is the foundation for the sporting stance. And more than a Cadillac in form, Converj is also intended to be a Cadillac in substance, with the premium materials, technology and driving dynamics that are hallmarks of the brand
The Converj concept is the latest rolling showcase for GM's extended-range electric propulsion system, which the company is now calling Voltec. The Converj features the same 16-kWh, T-shaped battery, electric drive unit, and four-cylinder engine-generator as the Volt. Thus, like the volt, the Converj will go 40 miles on emissions-free electric power. It then switches to the four cylinder engine to provide power to the motor and charge the lithium-ion battery.

Although the Converj is based on the Volt, the design, from GM's U.K. advanced design studio under the direction of Simon Cox, is pure Cadillac. Unlike the Volt sedan, it sports a coupe body style with seats for four passengers in a 2+2 layout. A small trunk is accessed through an even smaller opening. The overall shape resembles the CTS coupe concept that debuted at last year's show with a bit of the Cien show car mixed in. The design emphasizes aerodynamics, with minimal grille openings, a fully covered underbody, and slim cameras in place of rearview mirrors. The smallest Cadillac ever made, the Converj is some 10 inches shorter than the CTS coupe. The Converj is about the same length as the Volt but it's wider, due to the Cadillac's larger wheels and tires (21-inches up front and 22 inches at the rear).Pure Cadillac designThere's no mistaking the Converj for anything but a Cadillac, according to Lutz. "An aggressive, forward-leaning profile hints at a new, progressive theme and proportion in Cadillac's design evolution," he says. "The new proportion showcases a uniquely shaped, modern vision of a personal luxury 2+2."The overall shape is reinforced by a prominent, sweeping body line with large, 21-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) wheels pushed to the edges of the body. The Cadillac Converj exterior is painted a dark silver tri-coat that GM designers dubbed "Reaction."An all-glass roof incorporates solar panels that help offset power drain from the vehicle's accessories. Additionally, several aerodynamic and design efficiencies were incorporated to enhance the driving range, including:A full under-vehicle cover (belly pan)Minimal grille openings that reduce drag at the front of the vehicleLow-profile rearview cameras replace conventional outside mirrors to reduce dragWheels are shaped to push air outward for smoother body side airflowThe Cadillac Converj also incorporates vertical headlamp and taillamp elements, with light pipe technology."Vertical lamps are Cadillac signatures and the Cadillac Converj builds on the brand's light pipe technology with bolder light emitting diode (LED) and high-intensity discharge elements front and rear," said Clay Dean, global design director for Cadillac. "There is also a unique daylight light 'spear' at the top of the headlamps."Luxury meets technology insideThe Cadillac Converj's interior has advanced features and luxurious appointments blending efficiency and environmental consciousness. The 2+2 configuration is trimmed in contrasting Winter White synthetic suede - including the top of the instrument panel - and Midnight Black leather, with polished aluminum and wood grain accents. Renewable materials are used throughout such as wool-blend carpeting, a headliner made from silk, suede made from post-industrial content and more.A technologically advanced driver center increases efficiency and reduces the draw on the battery. Features include:New, organic light-emitting diode technology used on reconfigurable instrument clusterTouch-screen navigation, climate, center-stack controls and audio systemsAdjustable, overhead white ambient lightingUnique "power on" sequence featuring blue-lit console graphicsScreen displays for features including regenerative braking, battery charge level and power outputNo inside rearview or outside mirrors; cameras provide surrounding images on a screen placed high on the instrument panel for a full, panoramic viewPush-button ignition and power-folding front seats

Loremo Electric Prototypes Near Completion

What's green and white and gets 120 mpg? The answer is the new Loremo, an upcoming compact ultra-efficient green vehicle, from the identically-named start up.

Some are critical of the Loremo's looks, but its streamlined design allows it to deliver unmatched aerodynamic performance and enables it to get extremely high fuel economy. The car is painted a stock cool white color, with a lime green also available.

Since 2000, Loremo has been hard at working cooking up the car, but it still has yet to produce an electric vehicle. However, according to Loremo all three of its powertrains should be finished this year, allowing the first prototypes to soon be produced. With Loremo saying that its liquid-fuel engine technology is mature enough, this means only the chassis, interior and shell work will remain.

The Loremo will be available in three variants, all of which the company says are progressing well. The first is a base Loremo, which will get 120 MPG on a 700 ccm diesel engine featuring turbo charging, inter-cooling and exhaust gas recycling. The gas mileage target was cut slightly from the original mark of 157 mpg, but it should still be sufficient to win the Auto X Prize.

The second model is the Loremo GT, which not only brings sportier performance with a 850 ccm engine, but also will allow the car to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or pressurized natural gas (PNG).The final model is the Loremo EV, Loremo's take on an ultra-efficient electric vehicle. This variant is perhaps the closest to production as test runs have been started and it has been certified of road-worthiness. Public tests of the Loremo EV should begin in March.

Things are looking good for Loremo possibly meeting its target launch date of 2009, or a just-slightly-delayed launch in early 2010. The vehicle is still expected to save you some green as well, debuting at the wallet-friendly price of 15,000 euros ($22,500) for the basic model, or 20,000 euros ($30,000) for the GT.Via AutoBlogGreen

BYD shows off its F6DM dual-mode plug-in

This year at the 2009 North American International Auto Show, BYD, Build Your Dreams, ab auto company from China debuted the F6DM; a dual-mode electric vehicle. Showing off a champagne, four-door DM car, BYD fused electricity and gasoline powered engines. The F6DM is one of the first vehicles that BYD is using with the dual-mode concept. The dual-mode concept is the power for a vehicle to operate with a battery and engine. Having a car that is powered with a DM engine allows the driver to use electricity in short distances and gasoline for long ranges. Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD Holding., Ltd, and BYD Automobile said the car can automatically convert to a hybrid when the battery is depleted and the car can be refueled at any gas station. According to Chuanfu this is a better solution than an all electric car for drivers because when the vehicle runs out of electricity it will be able to run on gasoline. Since the F6DM is a cross between a hybrid and an electric automobile, it can become a mainstream vehicle. Although the car is not available for purchase it is estimated to retail between $30,000 to $40,000 and won’t be available in the U.S. until 2010. 

Tazzari electric car

Italian industrial group Tazzari is gearing up to produce its own electric car, and released the first clear image of the thing. The firm had previously provided a somewhat annoying teaser video. The new picture of the Tazzari Zero looks a little on the computer-generated side to us, but then the real thing is not due on the road until later this year.

The teaser video gives a few specs: 542kg weight, 90km/h (56mph) top speed, 150km (93 mile) range, 0-50km/h (31mph) in 5 seconds, all of which seem like reasonable claims. The stated 45-minute recharge and running costs of 1p per mile will require an industrial three-phase supply and some creative accounting, respectively. The batteries are to be lithium-based.

Tazzari added that the Zero’s electric motor is “centrally positioned” – we hope the batteries are too if the aim is for mid-engined balance and manoeuvrability. It will also be rear-wheel drive.

Tazzari Group specialises in cast aluminium, so it’s no surprise to learn that the Zero will boast an aluminium frame with, presumably, plastic panels. There are no details yet on price or availability.

In stance and proportions it reminds us a little of the MyCar, which also boasts Italian style but is made in Hong Kong and and is currently a slower and probably cheaper option. The Zero will in fact be sold alongside the MyCar in the UK by theNice Car Company.

Electric Car, Party Of One?

Japan's Takeoka Jidosha Kogei Ltd. is debuting a new car in Tokyo this weekend: a prototype model of an all-electric one-seater, the T10. 

The T10 seems to be the company's second minicar, after TJK's Milieu R. The T10 is somewhat roomier, with storage space to the left of the driver for a "pet animal" (or multiple pet rocks). It's classified as a motorized four-wheel bicycle, with a per-charge range of 50 km and a top speed of 55 km per hour. It's expected to sell for a little more than the Milieu, which is currently priced around $9,520 US. In an interesting coup for American manufacturing, Curtis Instruments, Inc. provides the control system for the Japanese motor. Also, we should point out that the T10 looks kinda funny. Cute and interesting, to be sure, but funny. We'd love to tell you more, but unfortunately, there's not much info about the company online. It doesn't even look like they have a website, which seems weird. (Heck, even we have a website, and we only talk about cars.) Even the one vaguely substantial mention of the Milieu R is embedded deep in a PDF (HTML version here), and the most we learn from that is that it has a range of 55 km, tops out at 60 km per hour, and it's also classified as a four-wheeled motorcycle. That said, we'd love to hear more about either of these vehicles--especially from our Japanese readers who might've seen one in the wild. Drop us a line or leave a message in the comments below!

Vauxhall Ampera the Volt in the UK

 "Can you sense the nervousness?" asks Frank Weber, chief engineer on the General Motors extended-range battery car, the Volt. "There's a new sense of the future together with a slight panic." Weber thinks that the next 10 years in the automobile industry are going to be simultaneously exciting and very unpredictable. Why? Electricity, that's why. Continuing to build fossil-fuelled vehicles for 98 per cent of our road transport needs "is not a sustainable option", says Weber, but the options for incorporating electrical power are myriad – and that's where the problems begin. "If you are talking about hybridising a vehicle you'd better make sure you know a lot about batteries," says GM's chief financial officer Fritz Henderson. GM contends that while individual cell development is best left to specialist firms such as LG Chem, from which it is buying the Volt's 16kWh battery, the car industry cannot merely subcontract understanding the science of electrical storage and particularly how it impacts in the super-harsh requirements of road transportation. "We will have to understand and learn to judge what is real and what is not," says Weber, referring to some of the more outrageous claims made for petrol/electric hybrids and pure battery cars, particularly when it comes to range and longevity. It's often stated that there are no bad cars any more, but that's about to change. Weber admits that in a new world of nascent electrical transport, there are going to be some absolute lemons. It's not just car makers which will have to learn about batteries, but politicians, legislators, motoring journalists and the car-buying public will have to begin to understand the battery science as well. The alternative might involve being stuck at the side of the road waiting for a breakdown van and out of the loop of the technological revolution. GM says that the battery chemistry and types are changing so fast that it doesn't want to be a leader in the field of cell research, but it does want to be in the vanguard of automotive application research. The knowledge it wants to accrue out of the Volt programme is how to evaluate the latest battery technology, how to package it, make it ultra-reliable and long-lasting. As a result of several years of rigorous testing, the Volt's battery pack is guaranteed to propel the Astra-sized hatchback for 40 miles, rain, shine or snow, for 10 years. "I call it the law of large numbers," says Jon Lauckner, GM's vice-president of global programme management. "Those batteries have to be 99.9999 per cent good [or damn-near perfect] because we are planning on producing an awful lot of them and any sort of waste rate at all is going to be very, very expensive." The Volt goes on sale in the US in November next year priced at $40,000, with a European version called the Vauxhall (Opel in the rest of Europe) Ampera following in 2011. GM wants to be producing millions of cells eventually and claims to be already working of versions two and three of the Volt. It has recently commissioned a massive battery research laboratory in Warren, Michigan. I've been there but can't tell you much about it except that it's massive and smells of paint. Weber says that the Mark III Volt might even have a different sort of battery chemistry to the Mark I version. While Cadillac showed a concept called the Converj, based on Volt extended-range technology, at the recent Detroit motor show, Weber won't be drawn on whether follow-up vehicles will be bigger or smaller than the current Astra-sized Volt, that there aren't linear scale gains in downsizing the technology. In other words, the gains in a smaller, lighter car are not as big as you might expect. "In a Corsa the battery-only range would only become about 44 miles from the Volt's 40 miles, because smaller cars are not as good aerodynamically," he says. "This is not the search for the coolest tech, or the lowest price," says Lauckner, "it's about defect-free manufacturing."  

iMiev Sport EV: On Sale in 2009

Mitsubishi wants everyone to know that some mainstream car companies are actually interested in developing full electric vehicles. The iMiev has been around for a while, but they've updated the concept, made it sportier, and they're looking at taking advantage of some new battery technology.

The little Beetle lookalike would travel 100 miles per charge (if ever produced) and would be marketed mostly in urban centers (OK...probably just Japan.) Unlike the new Phoenix batteries, the iMiev charges only through regular grid electricity, and so takes about 7 hours to recharge. But the good news is they've moved up the release date from 2010 to 2009.

Hy Tric Motors offers new electric cars

Hy Tric Motors, a company based in Ventura, California offers electric vehicles and electric retro fit kits. The company seems to focus mostly on low-speed electric vehicles, but the Hy Tric Electro Cycle seen above has a top speed of 125 mpg. It costs $23,999, but there are virtually no other details available. In fact, the entire website is not set up to provide a whole lot of information about the cars. We can see pictures of the 2009 AFS Hy Tric 4 Seater (the green vehicle) that starts at $10,900 and the 2009 AFS Hy Tric EVCapus, a work truck for $13,900, but not much more about them.The only car that Hy Tric offers any real details on is the 2009 AFS Hy Tric Electro XRb-series, an EV that costs $9,999 and can go 60-90 miles on a full charge of its lead acid batteries (eight 12V/120AH packs). A 4 kW motor offers a top speed of 37 mph (can be limited to 25 mph to fall into the NEV category). Hy Tric also offers a series of conversion kits ranging from $2,500 (48 volt kit) to $5,000 (144 volts) to add onto your own vehicle.

ZAP unveils Alias Performance Electric Car at NADA

Dealers attending the NADA expo in New Orleans received a firsthand look at the pre-production ZAP Alias roadster. The company that has become known for its funky-looking three-wheeled electric city cars and trucks will deliver its first performance model in late 2009.
Zap considers the Alias a roadster even though it does not appear to offer a removable roof. What it does feature is a dramatic design, seating for two, freeway speeds, 100-mile range, and an "affordable price point." It has a composite shell, lithium-ion batteries, regenerative braking, solar glass, integrated GPS, and "Lambo-style" doors.

The three-wheeler weights only 1496 lbs and its AC induction motor sends about 58 hp and 55 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. The company says the combo is good for a zero to 60 mph time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 105 mph.

Unlike most of its products that are made in China, Zap says it will be building the Alias in the U.S. and is currently finalizing the production requirements. By the end of the year it will produce a limited number of hand-crafted, Signature Series Alias roadsters. A $1,000 deposit is all it takes to reserve one today with the MSRP expected to be below $35,000.

Tata Indica Vista to get electric drivetrain from TM4

The all-electric Indica Vista by Tata Motors has taken a large step forward with the naming of TM4 as its supplier of motors, controllers and power electronics. TM4 is a subsidiary of Hydro-Quebec and joins battery supplierElectrovaya as the second Canadian company involved with the project. Miljø Innovasjon, the Tata subsidiary charged with overseeing the demonstration program, will produce over 100 of the vehicles beginning this year. 

The motor being used is part of the innovative TM4 MΦTIVETM series. The MΦ120 version, thought to be used in the vehicle, weighs only 57 lbs but can put out 160 horsepower with 125 lb ft of torque. In the Indica Vista it should be limited to 80 ponies though. When the car appeared at the Bologna Motor Show it was claimed to have a 0 to 60 time of about 10 seconds and a 120-mile range. Hopefully more firm numbers will come out as the program progresses. Hit the jump for the press release.

TH!NK EV Saved! Made in America 2010?

In December, amidst much gleeful hand-wringing, the imminent demise of all the alternative car companies and electric vehicle start-ups was all over the intertubes, as our second Gilded Age crashed this fall into “the worst depression since the Great Depression”.Headlines full of schadenfreudly screeches like “Oh no! Tesla sedan delayed five minutes! Now surely they will go out of business!” “Another EV startup bites dust!” were gracing a gleeful media.Among these alarmist statements was a much touted story about the near-death of TH!NK, the Norwegian EV maker, which had been scheduled for U.S. delivery in 2009.Never mind that TH!NK had placed a million dollar battery order with Enerdel a few months previously. Now, all was lost. No $25,000 freeway speed EV for America.Well, think again, pundits. After the virtual collapse of the company last month, the U.S.A. (where the original TH!NK was murdered by U.S. lawyers fighting CARB zero emissions rules in the 90’s) could be just where the TH!NK gets resuscitated this year. How ironic“After its virtual collapse last month, there are now renewed signs of life at Norwegian EV maker Th!nk. Ener1 Group Inc. is one of the investors in Th!nk and it’s Enerdel division had been set to supply Th!nk with lithium ion battery packs for its City car, as well as future products.According to Ener1 CEO Charles Gassenheimer, the company is looking at significantly upping its ownership stake in Th!nk. Half of the $5.7 million cash infusion that Th!nk received in December came from Ener1 and “Th!nk may need up to $40 million to get production going. Gassenheimer believes the company could easily sell 10,000 of the City cars annually in the U.S.In conjunction with the [advanced vehicle technologies] DOE loans that EnerDel has applied for to fund increased battery production capacity, Gassenheimer is now looking at setting up Th!nk City production in the U.S. as early as 2010.”You may recall that in December these same advanced vehicle DOE loans were almost diverted to bailout  old technology gas-guzzlers to the fury of new technology startups like Tesla , the XPCar and other electric car makers.Fortunately that advanced tech funding ($25 billion) was saved. And Enerdel has applied for half a billion of that. So now it can be used as it was intended; to advance new low CO2 transport that can drive us into the post oil age.

Shelby to roll out Ultimate Aero EV, the world's fastest electric car

Shelby Super Cars (SSC) might be bursting the bubble of the electric car derby in the second quarter of this year with its Ultimate Aero EV. Shelby says it'll be the world's fastest electric car, but didn't brag about any zero-to-sixty or top speed numbers just yet. If Shelby's not exaggerating, this could leave all those other electric cars in its dust. It gets better. This road rocket uses a breakthrough lithium battery baked up with nanotech, giving the car a range of 150-200 miles, and charging in just ten minutes. Hey, that's about how long it takes to fill up a tank of gas and pour a 64-ounce Big Gulp. Better yet, the company says it'll offer its unique electric motor tech to other car companies, and mentions that the motor can be scaled bigger, with enough oomph for SUVs and delivery trucks, too. What's missing? Price. The company aims to someday sell its mass-produced electric motors for $5K-$6K apiece, but isn't talking about how much this droolworthy car will cost. Perfect timing, Shelby — announcing this technological leap a couple of days after Tesla announced a price increase for its electric Roadster.

Focus-based battery electric car

Ford, the least financially challenged of the Big Three, is making a big push on hybrid and plug-in vehicles. The company brought a development version of its small Focus-based battery electric car to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and gave journalists (including me) a chance to drive it on city streets. Though it looked like a bare bones Focus economy car, performance was lively (though somewhat noisy for an EV). Michael Tinskey, Ford’s manager of hybrid applications, says the battery car, scheduled for the 2012 model year, is but one “pillar” of a North American strategy that also includes a battery-powered commercial van due next year and, complementing the new hybrid Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, an all-new hybrid for the U.S. market. An extended-range plug-in hybrid will be on the market by 2012. Ford placed a fleet of 120-mpg Escape-based plug-in hybrids with Southern California Edison and the Electric Power Research Institute beginning in 2007. The battery car, with styling unique to it, has been under development with the Canadian company Magna International since early 2008. It has a target 100-mile range, 12-hour charging at 110 volts and a single-speed transmission. Tinskey thinks the company can sell as many as 10,000 a year through its traditional dealer network. The price, so far unannounced, “will be competitive with other product offerings.” One of those other products is the City, a two-seat plastic-bodied car made by the Norwegian company Think Global (which, in an earlier incarnation, was actually owned by Ford). After suspending production last December and declaring the Norwegian version of bankruptcy, Think said January 13 that it had identified $5.6 million in short-term financing. The City, which had gone on sale in Scandinavia, has a 110-mile range. A 2009 U.S. launch has been planned. “We’re aware of the Think City, and in some ways it does represent a competitor,” Tinksey said. “But as a sedan that can carry four to five people with all the comforts that people expect, our car is less compromised. The smaller City is in something of a different market.” Tinskey said that people who commute 40 to 50 miles a day are “the perfect customers” for the forthcoming battery car. Initial marketing will be in temperate climates “where people don’t need to use the heat or air conditioning so much.” That’s one way to extend battery range.

EDAG presents Light Car concept for Geneva

German firm EDAG - short for Engineering & Design, AG - has unveiled its latest concept for a futuristic car ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The car's key elements center around materials and construction, though its official name - 'Light Car - Open Source' - indicates an ideology that underlies it as well. The 'Light Car' name derives from its fundamental design as a car that communicates with other drivers via a system of OLED (organic LED) lights. Some of the car's key body panels are made of the OLED display material, including the front and rear lights, allowing the owner to customize these lights at will, changing their shape or design much like changing the theme on a computer desktop, in addition to displaying warnings and other data to other drivers. Inside a similar custom theme emerges with reconfigurable displays for key data and instrumentation. "We have transferred today's multimedia and lighting technology standards to the car, and 0in future want to offer the customer scope for free configuration, as the entire surface of the vehicle functions like the monitor of a multimedia installation, and can be used intelligently and individually," said Johannes Barckmann, Head of the EDAG Design Studio. The other star of the EDAG Light Car's materials list is a new basalt fiber composite, here applied for the first time in the automotive realm. Billed as a lightweight, strong and 100% recyclable building material, the basalt fiber promises to help make the Light Car light enough yet strong enough to achieve its task as an all-electric commuter car. EDAG envisions the Light Car with an all-electric drivetrain good for up to 93mi (150km) per charge. Because many of the materials and technologies included in the Light Car concept are still in their very earliest stages, EDAG sees the project as one that is inherently open source - meaning a collaborative, contributive, community project. It hopes to approach and be approached by other car companies interested in making the Light Car work, and bringing its features to life.

Dodge Circuit EV

Dodge Circuit EV: Brand new version of all-electric sports car boasts unique, fearless Dodge design

All-electric vehicle delivers sports car performance with zero gasoline consumption, zero tailpipe emissions and 150-200 mile driving range

The Dodge Circuit EV displays bold exterior and interior styling with outstanding performance, zero gasoline consumption and zero tailpipe emissions.

The Dodge Circuit EV design screams pure sports car from every angle. The Dodge Circuit EV’s profile demonstrates perfect proportions for balanced handling, placing the driver and passenger midway along the wheelbase. At the front of the vehicle, the distinctive Dodge crosshair grille splits the wind, sending it over the long, low hood and cleanly over the windshield and cockpit. The body sides feature a deep scallop, providing visual depth and also a functional rear-brake air duct. At the rear, the functional elements blend with design to create a uniform finish.

“The exterior styling of the Dodge Circuit EV mates bold Dodge styling to the no-compromise performance attributes of an all-electric performance sports car,” said Ralph Gilles, Vice President – Design, Chrysler LLC. “The Dodge Circuit EV offers an extremely fun-to-drive, expressive sports car without fuel consumption and with virtually no impact on the environment.”

The Dodge Circuit EV is adorned in all-new “Tangoreen” exterior color, wearing large “EV” graphics on both sides of the sports car.

The uncomplicated interior of the Dodge Circuit EV delivers a combination of pure function and athletic refinement. The cockpit design puts complete control of the car at the driver’s fingertips. Nestled within a leather-covered instrument cluster are two primary analog-face gauges. A digital display conveys information regarding the electric-drive system.

The seats feature deep bolsters and are covered in premium leather. The same premium leather covers the center console and the width of the instrument panel.

The Dodge Circuit EV delivers all of the convenience features of a performance sports car, including premium sound system, power windows and door locks, air conditioning, speed control.

Propelled by a completely electric ENVI drivetrain, the Dodge Circuit EV posts impressive performance numbers:

0-60 mph in less than 5 seconds
¼-mile in 13 seconds
Top speed of more than 120 mph

Perhaps the most impressive Dodge Circuit EV number, however, is zero. That’s how much gasoline the vehicle consumes while providing exhilarating sports car performance. It’s also how much tailpipe emissions are produced.

The Dodge Circuit EV utilizes just three powertrain components. These include a 200 kW (268horsepower) electric motor to drive the wheels, an advanced lithium-ion battery system to power the electric-drive motor, and a controller that manages energy flow.

Working with the latest advanced lithium-ion battery technology, the Dodge Circuit EV has a driving range of 150 to 200 miles between charges – more than triple the average daily commute of most consumers. Recharging the vehicle is a simple one-step process: plugging into a standard 110-volt household outlet. The recharge time can be cut in half by using a typical 220-volt household appliance power outlet.

The Dodge Circuit EV offers driving enthusiasts a performance sports car that can be driven to work every day – without consuming gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions.

Dodge Circuit EV – Vehicle Specifications
Vehicle Type Battery Electric Vehicle,
2-passenger performance coupe

Weight and Dimensions
Length 153.5 inches / 3900 mm
Width 67.5 inches / 1714 mm
Height 45.3 inches / 1150 mm
Wheelbase 91.7 inches / 2330 mm
Track front / rear 57.4 inches / 1457 mm 58.7 inches / 1490 mm
Turn circle 38.0 feet / 11.6 m

Powertrain and Suspension
Layout Rear-wheel drive
Motor Power: 200 kW (268 hp)
Regenerative braking
Battery Lithium-ion battery
Suspension Front - Independent
Rear - Independent

Wheels and Tires
Tire size front P195 / 45ZR17 23.9 inches / 607 mm
Tire size rear P235 / 40ZR18 25.4 inches / 645 mm

Color Scheme
Exterior Tangoreen
Interior Black Leather with Satin Silver accents

Key Performance Attributes
0-60 mph (0-100 kph) less than 5 seconds
Standing ¼-mile low-13 seconds
Top speed greater than 120 mph (approximately 193 kph)
All-electric range 150-200 miles (approximately 241-322 km)