Charged with Electric Vehicle News and Views
Introducing the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV. It's a pure electric vehicle that packs 400 foot pounds of torque, more than a Ferrari 458 Italia.
A car powered by electricity that moves like electricity.
Renault has recently made public the findings of an internal study to measure the life cycle impacts of its Fluence ZE electric car compared with equivalent conventional models. Renault found that the electric car had a much bigger impact on emissions during its production phase than the petrol or diesel versions but that the initial deficit was more than overturned over a typical 10-year, 93,000-mile lifetime even using electricity at the current grid configuration. The public release of the report is timely, coming as it does shortly before tomorrow's (July 11) LowCVP 'Beyond the Tailpipe' Conference in London.
Aware that the company would appear to have a commercial interest in finding emissions benefits from EVs it asked for the results and conclusions to be vetted by independent experts in life cycle analysis, and revised its report accordingly through several cycles of correction. It has also recently published the “Critical Review” alongside its own findings.
It may be no shock that Renault’s report gives its own EV a good report but the independent reviewers report suggests that the improvement over diesel and petrol equivalents could even be bigger than Renault suggests. The review cites heavy metal and hydrocarbon pollution from liquid-fuelled cars as areas where Renault might have delved deeper, and notes that ordinary cars create more brake dust, for example, than EVs with regenerative brakes – a factor not considered in the study.
Renault’s 120-page report assesses the impacts of long chains of industrial processes and real-world car usage against a set of six core criteria: global warming potential, depletion of resources, sources of energy, photochemical ozone production, acidification and eutrophication, the final category referring to the output of chemicals likely to harm aquatic ecosystems.
Source: Renault
CNET list of the “Top 5 Electric Cars” Summer 2013 edition.
Due it's prior to a full reveal scheduled for July 29, BMW today revealed in-depth details of it's lightweight, battery-powered i3 city car.
The BMW i3 is designed from the ground up to be powered by an electric drive system. Like the car’s unique vehicle architecture – based around the LifeDrive structure and its carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell – the electric motor, power electronics and high-voltage lithium-ion battery have been developed and manufactured independently by the BMW Group under its BMW eDrive programme.
The use of lightweight CFRP for the passenger cell cancels out the extra weight contributed by the lithium-ion battery, while the low, central positioning of the battery pack enhances the car’s agility thanks to perfectly balanced 50 : 50 weight distribution. Additionally, the electric motor mounted in close proximity to the driven rear axle offers unique performance characteristics for this type of drive system as well as providing unbeatable traction.
The electric motor generates output of 125 kW/170 hp and peak torque of 250 Newton metres (184 lb-ft), which is on tap from the word go. The motor weighs just 50 kilograms and boasts power density and responsiveness unprecedented in the world of electric mobility. The specific construction of the hybrid synchronous electric motor, developed exclusively for the BMW i3, maintains a linear flow of power into the higher reaches of the rev range. The BMW i3 sprints from 0 to 60 km/h (37 mph) in a mere 3.7 seconds and 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.2 seconds.
The single-pedal control concept in the BMW i3 – configured by the BMW Group’s drive system development engineers – also contributes to the engaging driving experience. Recuperation mode is activated the moment the driver takes his foot off the accelerator. The electric motor switches from drive to generator mode, feeding power into the lithium-ion battery. At the same time, it generates a precisely controllable braking effect. This recuperation is speed-sensitive, which means the car “coasts” with maximum efficiency at high speeds and generates a strong braking effect at low speeds.
The lithium-ion battery enables the BMW i3 to achieve a range of 130 to 160 kilometres (81 – 99 miles) in everyday driving. This rises by around 20 kilometres (12 miles) in ECO PRO mode and by the same distance again in ECO PRO+ mode. If desired, the BMW i3 is also available with a range-extender engine, which maintains the charge of the lithium-ion battery at a constant level while on the move as soon as it dips below a specified value. This role is performed by a 650cc two-cylinder petrol engine developing 25 kW/34 hp and mounted immediately adjacent to the electric motor above the rear axle. The range extender increases the car’s maximum range in day-to-day driving to around 300 kilometres (approx. 180 miles).
Tesla Motors will join the Nasdaq-100 Index next week, filling the spot vacated by Oracle which is moving to the New York Stock Exchange.
The electric-car maker will be added to the gauge, which tracks the biggest companies on the Nasdaq, before the start of trading on July 15, Nasdaq OMX Group said in a statement yesterday. Oracle, which last month said it will join the NYSE, is the biggest company to jump between the competing exchanges.
Shares of Tesla, the carmaker headed by billionaire Elon Musk, have more than tripled this year as the popularity of its new Model S sedan helped the company turn its first quarterly profit. Gaining entry to benchmarks tracked by investors is attractive to public companies because it provides a guaranteed shareholder base.
“It’s a coming of age, recognition that a company has market cap and liquidity,” said Sandy Mehta, chief executive officer of Value Investment Principals Ltd. in Hong Kong. “Once the stock joins the index, you will have some buying.”
Tesla rose 2.4 percent to $124.58 at 9:36 a.m. New York time after climbing as much as 2.8 percent to $125, an intraday record. Yesterday before the announcement, the shares increased to a record close of $121.61.
General Motors rejoined the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index last month after a four-year absence prompted by its 2009 bankruptcy.
Exchange-traded funds and other products linked to the Nasdaq-100 managed about $49.4 billion at the end of last year, according to data compiled by Nasdaq.
Model S
Tesla, based in Palo Alto, California, has forecast Model S sales will reach 21,000 units this year, with deliveries to Europe and Asia beginning in the second half. The Model S, which starts at $69,900 in the U.S., is Tesla’s second vehicle after the $109,000 Roadster.
Oracle’s defection means Nasdaq will lose its fourth-biggest U.S. company, which has been listed on the nation’s second-largest exchange since its 1986 initial public offering.
For Nasdaq, Oracle’s loss is a contrast to recent additions. Texas Instruments joined from the NYSE in 2011. Last year, Facebook chose Nasdaq for its IPO and Kraft Foods defected from the NYSE.
GKN EVO eDrive Systems’ eMotor powered Team APEV to victory in the electric division of the 91st Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Despite the wet weather conditions Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima completed the course in 9.46.530 minutes, setting a new electric record in the Monster sport eRunner.
GKN Driveline partnered three of the seven racing teams in the electric division of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb - a long-standing tradition in Colorado Springs. Covering a distance of 12.42 miles, the course begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110 foot summit.
The 2013 eRunner features GKN EVO axial flux motor technology which offers outstanding power and torque density. Michael Lamperth, Chief Technical Officer of GKN EVO eDrive Systems, supported the team during the week long preparations in Colorado.
“It has been a privilege to work with the team here and to see our motor technology be part of the success of Tajima in these extremely hard conditions. The very high power density of our motor technology is instrumental for the development of high performance electric and hybrid powertrains for racing but also for wider applications.”
Second place went to the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, driven by Hiroshi Masuoka. The GKN Driveline Multiplate Limited Slip Differential (LSD) fitted in the front and rear axle of the EV-4AWD gave better control on the bends and prevented the vehicle from slipping on the wet track.
For the second year GKN partnered last year’s winner Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG), supplying two eMotors, one to power each rear wheel. This year the TMG EV P002, driven by Rod Millen, achieved fourth place in the electric class.
John McLuskie, Product & Business Development Director, GKN Driveline, said: “We are delighted that GKN technology is heavily featured again in this year’s event. GKN Driveline’s eDrive solutions are centred on continuous improvement of vehicles’ efficiency, performance and dynamics, providing optimised solutions for all electric driveline systems.”
In 2011 GKN Driveline entered into a partnership with EVO Electric, a UK based pioneer in advanced electric drive solutions. This new venture – GKN EVO eDrive Systems – enables GKN Driveline to manufacture and sell electric motors and integrated eDrive systems, based on EVO’s axial flux motor technology, for use in hybrid and all-electric vehicles.
South Carolina’s leading automotive research center and premier technology and aviation business park have partnered to study next-generation vehicle technology.
The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) and the S.C. Technology Aviation Center (SCTAC) have contracted with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to support a three-year program to develop and test wireless charging systems for electrical vehicles.
The research is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Wireless Power Transfer Charging (WPTC) of an electric vehicle does not require the use of cables or plugs and could substantially increase convenience — and possibly the number of opportunities — to charge an electric vehicle throughout the daily drive.
For instance, when wireless charging is applied in quasi-dynamic (stop-and-go) or dynamic (vehicle-in-motion) modes, the technology could lead to extended range and downsized batteries for electric vehicles. Such innovations are likely to greatly speed development of electric-powered passenger vehicles by addressing the current technology’s two biggest challenges: range and cost.
CU-ICAR research professor Joachim Taiber, who will lead the project for Clemson, said batteries in next-generation electric-powered vehicles can be made smaller and lighter, greatly increasing the efficiency of power transfer.
“This partnership can advance wireless-charging technology and spark growth in the marketplace because consumers will worry less about range-related issues,” Taiber said.
As part of the project, CU-ICAR and SCTAC researchers will validate the Oak Ridge-developed technology, optimize system design and develop the required communication networks for the wireless charging system.
Testing of the technology will take place at SCTAC and on the Oak Ridge main campus. SCTAC will be a unique, cutting-edge technology demonstration facility and airpark, which currently is home to 85 diverse companies with an international presence in advanced manufacturing, trade, technology and avionics.
“This joint initiative marks the next step in the progression of our strategic partnership with CU-ICAR and multiple private stakeholders in the development of a world-class test track infrastructure to support the rapidly emerging clean transportation ecosystem,” said Jody Bryson, SCTAC president and chief executive officer.
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory charging system will be co-developed and manufactured by Wytheville, Va.-based Evatran. Other project partners include General Motors, Toyota, Duke Energy and Cisco. The value of the subcontract for Clemson University is $1.52 million.
French carmaker Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan will have sold a total of 100,000 electric vehicles so far by the end of June, Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of both companies, said on Saturday.
But Ghosn, speaking at a conference in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence, also said he did not expect any strong recovery in the troubled European auto sector in the medium term.
"I am preparing Renault to several years of market stability, at best," he said.
Squeezed household budgets and rising unemployment have discouraged consumers in France and other European countries from purchases of big-ticket items, and the car market is nearing a two-decade low after five years of contraction.
Ghosn, who has ploughed a bigger share of his companies' cash into electric car technology than any other mass-market carmaker, said the alliance's investment in hybrid and electric vehicles "is not a bet, it is a certainty."
Renault launched electric car Zoe earlier this year in France, where it has sold more than 3,000 units so far, and began marketing it in other European markets on June 6.
"The Zoe is selling well. Obviously we are always impatient to see higher volumes but we have already sold more than 6,000 units in Europe," Ghosn told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.
Our spies captured the BMW i3 testing without most of its camouflage, prior to a full reveal scheduled for July 29.
The two prototypes were spotted somewhere in Southern Germany while undergoing some last-minute testing. Closely mirroring the concept's looks, the production version will certainly be an interesting appearance on public roads once it hits the market later this year.
The EV is expected to come with a rear-mounted electric motor producing 170 bhp (127 kW) and 184 lb-ft (249 Nm). It should provide a range between 88 miles (130 km) and 99 miles (160 km). The range-extending model is said to make use of a two-cylinder, 0.65-liter motorcycle engine acting as a generator. In this configuration range should be of around 186 miles (300 km).
A BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car in testing camouflage is spotted by a trio in a Tesla Model S who take up pursuit
