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Partnership to Develop Dual Carbon Battery for Racing [VIDEO]

Racing group Team TAISAN and materials engineer Power Japan Plus have formed a partnership to develop an electric racing vehicle, which will be the first in the world to use the Ryden dual carbon battery.

Under this partnership, Power Japan Plus will provide Ryden cells and Team TAISAN will leverage its vast experience in international racing to optimize the battery and develop a battery pack and management circuit. A go-kart powered by the Ryden dual carbon battery will begin test driving August of this year.

“We have faced a number of issues with electric vehicle batteries up until now. The Ryden battery from Power Japan Plus is the solution we have been searching for,” said Yasutsune Chiba, owner of Team TAISAN. “We will first develop a battery capable of withstanding the rigorous demands of racing, before advancing the technology for use in commercial applications."

Team TAISAN has faced many roadblocks with conventional battery technology, the danger of thermal runaway being the most prevalent. Intense heating prevented other electric vehicle (a Tesla Roadster) racing cars used by TAISAN from running continuously. In searching for a solution to this problem, Team TAISAN discovered the Ryden dual carbon battery developed by Power Japan Plus.

The Ryden dual carbon battery wields an energy density comparable to lithium-ion batteries, with a much faster charge time. In addition, Ryden is resistant to heating during operation, mitigating the threat of thermal runway and yielding a simpler battery pack cooling system.

"Team TAISAN has profound experience in automotive technology, especially with the high demand world of motorsports,” said Dou Kani, CEO and co-founder of Power Japan Plus. “I am confident that by working together with Team TAISAN, we can produce an irreplaceable electric vehicle battery unlike any ever made.”

Development will start with a go-kart powered by the Ryden dual carbon battery, which will undergo endurance testing in harsh summer heat conditions this August. The team will then build a full scale EV racing car driven by a Ryden battery pack. Team TAISAN will conduct endurance and safety tests on the electric racing vehicle at its facilities in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, with a goal for the vehicle to debut in a Japanese EV racing competition.

Established in 1983, Team TAISAN is recognized as one of Japan’s most prestigious racing teams, with a total count of 72 victories. Among these victories, Team TAISAN has won 13 Japanese national racing championships – eight during the last 20 years – at the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) / Super GT (SGT). The team has also won six overseas championships, including The 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GT class in its very first attempt, going on to complete the race a total of six times. The team has also been actively involved in EV endurance racing in Japan. Team TAISAN was an early adopter of the Tesla Roadster, champion at the 2011 ALL JAPAN EV-GP SERIES, as well as the modified EV Porsche 916 model, which completed four, one-hour endurance races hosted by the EV Club, with third place honors in the lead-based battery class.

The partnership was announced publically prior to the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race this past Saturday in Le Mans, France.

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Nissan & BMW keen to collaborate with Tesla on Supercharger standards

We recently reported that BMW is keen to collaborate with Tesla on creating possible global vehicle-charging standards, and now Nissan is also interested according to sources.

“It is obviously clear that everyone would benefit if there was a far more simple way for everyone to charge their cars,” said one executive, who declined to be named as the plans are not yet official.

Between them, Nissan, the world’s biggest electric-car manufacturer, BMW and Tesla account for about 80 per cent of the world’s battery electric-car sales.

Tesla has risen from an ambitious San Francisco start-up to account for about a quarter of the world’s electric-car market, and defy naysayers at some of the world’s largest carmakers that said that the vehicles were not commercially viable.

BMW, which has invested heavily in its electric i range, said that it and Tesla were “strongly committed to the success of electro-mobility”, and used their meeting to discuss ways to “further strengthen” the global electric-vehicle market.

BMW was informed of Mr Musk’s patent decision at the Wednesday meeting, but both companies stressed that the meeting’s timing was coincidental.

“Nissan welcomes any initiative to expand the volumes of electric vehicles,” the Japanese manufacturer said. “Nissan is the market leader in EVs and has worked with other manufacturers to help proliferate the technology.”

Source: FT

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BMW + Tesla superchargers a strategic move?

On Wednesday Tesla and BMW met, but what specifically was discussed was not published.

“Both companies are strongly committed to the success of electromobility and discussed how to further strengthen the development of electromobility on an international level,” a BMW spokesman said today in a statement.

On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said his company has been in talks with BMW and other automakers on the topic of promoting EVs and making better use of its German Supercharger charging stations.

Musk said that Tesla’s intent wasn’t to create a walled garden around it's supercharger network and that the company is more than happy to allow other makers to use its fast chargers.

There are number of preconditions, though. Firstly, other makers’ cars would need to be able to accept the 135kW output of the Supercharger. Secondly, rival manufacturers would have to contribute to some of the capital cost of the fast charging network.

The Germany market for long range EVs has some unique requirements. Not only is Tesla offering a special tune-up so that its Model S is capable of 130 MPH to compete against the local Porsches, BMW,s Mercedes and Audis on Germany’s unrestricted, high-speed autobahns. But the extra aerodynamic load resulting from sustained Autobahn speeds means that a huge network of very high powered (read Fast) EV charging stations is essential for the long range EV market to be viable in Germany.

With BMW, Audi, Porsche & Mercedes all having leaked plans for 400-600km BEVs there will definatly be future demand for a fast charger network in German. Establishing the Tesla fast charger standard in Germany now in partnership with BMW, the undisputed leader in EV investment, could be seen as a strategic move.

If Tesla doesn't build it, then someone else will!

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Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 830 KM Test Drive

The Swiss Mitsubishi importer has demonstrated that a plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV can travel 830 km (518 miles) on a single tank of petrol.

Mitsubishi Motors claims the plug-in hybrid Outlander PHEV has a range of 824 kilometers (512 Miles) in the combined hybrid mode. The Swiss Mitsubishi importer wanted to know whether this is feasible in practice so hired Felix Egolf - a pioneer in the field of ultra-efficient driving over long distances.

Egolf departed on 12 May in a hybrid Outlander from the headquarters of the Swiss importer Härkingen and drove through Basel and the Vosges to Metz. From there he went through Luxembourg and Belgium in the Netherlands. End of the journey was the Dutch Mitsubishi importer in Amstelveen, where Egolf arrived on May 14. The route began in hilly area and 38 percent of the journey performed over highways.

Upon arrival in Amstelveen odometer gave 729 kilometers and the remaining range was further than 90 kilometers. Egolf then drove the Outlander PHEV for a photoshoot to Amsterdam and Utrecht. The onboard computer gave a mileage of more than 830km to when the Outlander PHEV was refueled. For the first time since leaving again There was 45.14 liters of petrol in the tank, which means that consumption 5.44 liters per 100 km. The electricity was approximately 1 kWh/100 km.

Mitsubishi Motors gives the official standard has a range of 824 kilometers. So that, in practice, is actually feasible. Of course, the rider must anticipate well in traffic and clever use of the plug-in hybrid techniek. That is, charge the battery while driving (CHARGE) or save energy (SAVE) and continuous regeneration system utilization, which produce electricity, which is stored in the battery during braking.

EV News will be picking up a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV for a test drive next week so perhaps we can also test the 800+ km range.

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BMW and Tesla executives meet to discuss electric cars

Executives from German carmaker BMW and U.S.-based Tesla Motors Inc met this week in a move which could lead to the creation of charging stations usable for different types of electric cars. Both carmakers are seeking ways to raise the popularity of battery-powered vehicles.

"Both companies are strongly committed to the success of electro-mobility and discussed how to further strengthen the development of electro-mobility on an international level," a BMW spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

BMW said the meeting had taken place on Wednesday but declined to comment in detail about the nature of the talks, or about which BMW executives had met with Tesla.

In a conference call on Thursday, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said there had been talks with BMW about how to promote the use of electric vehicles and how to make better use of Tesla's network of charging stations.

Carmakers including General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have committed to adopting a common SAE combo standard for fast-charging connectors.

Fast-charging stations allow electric vehicle owners to recharge batteries up to 80 percent in less than 20 minutes.

Today, the Chevrolet Spark and the BMW i3 for example can use the same battery recharging stations.

Tesla has, however, developed its own network of high-speed charging stations including along key autobahn routes in Germany in an effort to make electric cars viable for long-distance commuting.

Tesla's charger system can be fitted with an adapter that allows its cars, including the Tesla Model S, to be recharged on both the SAE chargers and its own system.

SHARING PATENTS

Tesla also said on Thursday that it would allow others to make use of its intellectual property in the hope of speeding up development of electric cars by all manufacturers.

Musk said this included all of Tesla's patents, including several hundred current ones and several thousand in the future.

German premium auto makers have been keen to collaborate with Tesla.

In January, Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said the German maker of Mercedes-Benz cars was open to deepening its partnership with the U.S. firm.

Daimler holds a 4.3 percent stake in Tesla, which is already supplying it with electric motors and batteries for its Smart Fortwo electric vehicle (EV) and the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class EV.

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Toyota Hybrid Takes Record Breaking Pole at Le Mans

Toyota Racing's Kazuki Nakajima set a new Le Mans qualifying lap record to put the #7 TS040 Hybrid in pole position for the 82nd running of the famous 24-hour endurance race this weekend.

It was the first pole position ever for a Japanese driver and lowered last year's pole position time by more than half a second.

Nakajima, who shares the #7 car with Alex Wurz and Stéphane Sarrazin, scorched around the 13.629km track in 3 mins 21.789 secs to record Toyota's second pole position at Le Mans.

The feat highlighted the performance and efficiency of the 736kW Toyota Hybrid System - Racing which set the fastest qualifying time despite a 25 per cent reduction in fuel consumption compared with last year's car.

The #8 car of Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi will start Saturday's race from third on the grid.

As well as starting from first place on the grid, the TS040 Hybrid enters this year's race with two wins from the opening two FIA World Endurance Championship races.

This is the fourth pole position for Sarrazin who achieved the honour in 2007-09 and who has been runner-up three times, including last year. He praised the team for its work in setting up the #7 car and Nakajima for a "brilliant lap".

"It is promising for the race because we feel so confident in the car," he said. "We can push on every corner, every lap. Like that everything is positive. The race will be very long, we know that we have to be very calm and not attack it like a short sprint."

The 24-hour race begins at 11 p.m. tomorrow AEST.

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Nissan Zeod RC hits 300 km/h on Mulsanne Straight [VIDEO]

Nissan's ZEOD RC has recorded the highest ever speed by an electric vehicle at Le Mans with Japanese ace Satoshi Motoyama reaching 300km/h on the Mulsanne Straight in qualifying for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Motoyama reached the speed on his electric run, achieving one the key goals of the unique prototype which features a dual electric/internal combustion engine powertrain featuring a pair of 110kW electric motors along with a remarkable 40 kg, 400 horsepower 1.5 liter three-cylinder turbo engine.

The ZEOD (zero emissions on demand) permits the driver to switch back and forth between the two power sources.

Motoyama achieved the target on his first run in the car after he missed out on driving on Wednesday night to a gearbox issue in the first session and a series of session-stopping red flags during the night.

"I drove ZEOD at Le Mans for the first time and instantly we were able to reach our target to run at more than 300km/h with electric power only," Motoyama said.

"I was so surprised with the speed and power of electricity and it felt great. In yesterday’s session we had some trouble with the gearbox in the first session then we had a heap of red flag periods and I didn’t get the chance to get into the car.

"But the guys on the team did a great job to fix the car and I and I was able to get started tonight right at the green flag tonight.

“Our first target of the top speed of 300 km/h with electric power is done and I think that was a really good first step."

Motoyama along with GT Academy winners Lucas Ordóñez and Wolfgang Reip all drove multiple stints aboard the ZEOD tonight - each recording their mandatory five night laps.

The Nissan ZEOD RC competes at Le Mans this week in "Garage 56" - an additional entry for vehicles showcasing new and innovative technology.

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500hp Plug-In Hybrid BMW Supra / Z7 due 2019

Following reports in November about Toyota testing a BMW i8 at their Mt. Fuji proving grounds as a pre-lude to a joint venture sports car, a report now claims BMW and Toyota are already developing a second sports car which, like the i8, is a mid-engine model that will battle the Porsche 911.

According to Car Magazine, the model is codenamed "Silk Road 2" and will spawn a BMW Z7 and Supra. The cars will reportedly be developed by BMW in Munich and is expected to be launched in late 2018 or early 2019.

While development is reportedly at an early stage, the magazine says the car will be a plug-in hybrid featuring a twin-turbo 3.0-liter six cylinder engine, a 150 bhp (111 kW) electric motor, a small battery pack between the seats (again like an i8) and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. This setup will reportedly enable them to have a combined output of 400-500 bhp (298-372 kW).

If everything pans out, the cars will weigh less than 1650 kg (3637 lbs) and cost approximately €90,000 ($122,010 / £72,720).

Source: Car Magazine

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Copper Wires Could Become NanoTech Batteries

Researchers at Florida University have turned copper wires into batteries for much simpler power storage.

The breakthrough could mean smaller consumer electronics, or could be embedded in to hybrid and electric cars or even clothing to help recharge gadgets like phones.

Nanotechnology scientist Jayan Thomas was reported in the media as saying "he believes he has discovered a way to store energy in a thin sheath around an ordinary lightweight copper electrical wire so that wires sending energy can also store it. "We can just convert those wires into batteries so there is no need of a separate battery," Thomas told Reuters. "It has applications everywhere."

The discovery has created a lot excitement in both the mainstream and scientific media. It's both the cover story in the latest Advanced Materials Journal and an article in the current edition of science magazine Nature.

One of the co-authors of the study, Thomas's Ph.D. student Zenan Yu, told Reuters the process is relatively simple.

"First", he said, "he heated the copper wire to create what he described as fuzzy "nano-whiskers," which are naturally insulated by copper oxide, vastly expanding the wire's surface area that can store energy."

"A second plastic-covered layer of nano-whiskers creates a second electrode, similar to the positive and negative sides of a standard battery," Thomas told Reuters.

"The technique could be used to lighten airplanes and spacecraft, to store excess energy from solar panels, and to further miniaturize small electronics," he said.

"The technique could also replace high energy-density supercapacitors, sometimes mistaken by hybrid car owners as a second battery, which provide the quick shot of energy that cars and heavy machinery need to start."

"You open your trunk and you see a lot of space is taken by your batteries. If you can just use some of the cables along the length of your car, you don't need any of that space for batteries," Thomas said.

He plans further research to apply the same technique to fibers woven into clothing along with a flexible solar cell, creating a wearable battery pack.